Imagine you’re on a plane and a flight attendant notices a teenage girl in trouble. The child is trapped in a nightmare no one else sees. That flight attendant, Sheila Frederick, acted on her training and saved a life. What if your team could have that same sharp awareness and confidence to act in crucial moments?
Training isn’t just about sharing information, it’s about preparing people to respond when it matters most. Here’s a simple but powerful 4-step framework to help you train your teams to perform like Sheila Frederick:
1. Make Training Real
Use real-life stories and scenarios to connect the training to everyday work. People remember stories far better than dry facts. Better yet, simulate real situations where they can practice responding. For example, firefighters train with live burns and police role play. The closer training is to reality, the better people perform under pressure.
2. Reinforce the “Why”
Help your team see how their work connects to a bigger mission. When people understand the purpose behind their tasks, they become more engaged and committed. Like NASA’s janitor who saw his job as “helping put a man on the moon,” your team needs to feel their work matters.
3. Use Interactive Training
Keep training engaging with hands-on exercises, role plays, and quizzes. Passive lectures don’t stick. Interactive learning helps people retain information and build skills by doing, not just listening.
4. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat
Repetition is key for retention. Studies show people need to hear or practice something around seven times before it sticks. Emergency responders train the same scenarios repeatedly so their response becomes automatic when it counts. Your team needs the same consistent practice.
Great training creates a culture where people participate, notice small but important details, and act with confidence. It’s more than checking boxes. It’s equipping your team to save the day when it matters most.
Start applying this 4-step framework today and watch your team step up with the same courage and sharpness as Sheila Frederick.
Training isn’t just about sharing information, it’s about preparing people to respond when it matters most. Here’s a simple but powerful 4-step framework to help you train your teams to perform like Sheila Frederick:
1. Make Training Real
Use real-life stories and scenarios to connect the training to everyday work. People remember stories far better than dry facts. Better yet, simulate real situations where they can practice responding. For example, firefighters train with live burns and police role play. The closer training is to reality, the better people perform under pressure.
2. Reinforce the “Why”
Help your team see how their work connects to a bigger mission. When people understand the purpose behind their tasks, they become more engaged and committed. Like NASA’s janitor who saw his job as “helping put a man on the moon,” your team needs to feel their work matters.
3. Use Interactive Training
Keep training engaging with hands-on exercises, role plays, and quizzes. Passive lectures don’t stick. Interactive learning helps people retain information and build skills by doing, not just listening.
4. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat
Repetition is key for retention. Studies show people need to hear or practice something around seven times before it sticks. Emergency responders train the same scenarios repeatedly so their response becomes automatic when it counts. Your team needs the same consistent practice.
Great training creates a culture where people participate, notice small but important details, and act with confidence. It’s more than checking boxes. It’s equipping your team to save the day when it matters most.
Start applying this 4-step framework today and watch your team step up with the same courage and sharpness as Sheila Frederick.
Brandon Matthews
Brandon is passionate about bringing meaning back to the marketplace. These are practical and applicable principles for your organization.
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