Effective Training

From Dennis McGee

Let’s discuss training. Imagine if you had a bucket of water and every time you attempted to fill the bucket, 95% of water would leak out instantly. Every time, all you’d retain was a measly 5%. How many times would you keep filling the bucket?

Drivers retain approximately:

90% of what they learn when they teach someone else/use IMMEDIATELY

75% of what they learn when the practice what they learned

50% of what they learn when engaged in a group discussion

30% of what they learn when they see a demonstration

20% of what they learn from audio-visual

10% of what they learn when they’ve learned from reading

5% of what they learn when attending a lecture safety meeting

Over my career I have observed hundreds of motor carrier safety presentations. I have seen that the Safety Department staff have spent countless hours putting together a ppt. presentation (The presentation contains good stuff, BUT remember only 5% of the presentation is retained). Numerous times the safety training follows a long safety day which has subject drivers to many other presentations deliberates why these drivers have failed to comprehend and adhere to the information given in these presentations.

Look at your drivers, I see them emailing, sending each other texts and jokes, talking, sleeping and day dreaming.

Remember the three leg stool in driver training:

1.  Train
2.  Have drivers practice/rehearse the instructions
3.  Ensure that the training is being followed

NOTE: Driver training is like football – the players TRAIN, PRACTICE and the coaches ENSURE that the training has been followed.

KISS – Keep It Simple and Short