YMCA trainers bear a big responsibility—they are tasked with ensuring that Y staff members are properly prepared for the daily challenges associated with their jobs. Y trainers recognize that the staff is the Y’s most valuable asset and that training them is the number one way to make sure the associates, the facility, and the members thrive.

There are no shortage of options when it comes to employee training best practices – and everywhere you look someone is telling you what will work and what won’t work. The most successful YMCA trainers know that Y staff members thrive when they’re reminded of our cause—strengthening the community. Really effective YMCA employee trainers use similar tactics in order to accommodate different learning styles and pass on the skills and knowledge staff need to be successful in their jobs. Here’s a brief overview of some methods utilized by effective YMCA trainers that can be incorporated into your lesson planning for enhanced success and long-term productivity.

1. Keep training interactive.

Because Y staff members are an empathetic group of people who are motivated by their connections to the community, they respond to training that is engaging and compassionate. Group work is one way to keep them engaged, with each other and the learning process, although anything that gets them up and moving will be effective.

One Y trainer suggested the following activity for an in-house Diversity and Inclusion training: Draw a line down the middle of the room and make the trainees move back and forth across the line based on their differences and similarities. Another suggestion for in-house training: Pair millennials with baby boomers so they get a better sense of how the other generation thinks, learns, and reacts in work situations.

2. Use feelings and connections as motivation.

Going back to what we said before, Y staff members are motivated by their connection to those around them and their desire to better their community. As such, any mention of staying connected to “the movement” will remind them of the importance of their job and the importance of training as it pertains to their job. Many YMCA training sessions begin with a thought of the day or inspirational saying that reinforces the theme of the training and aligns with the YMCA’s movement to ensure that everyone in the community has the opportunity to become healthier, more confident, connected, and secure. It also helps to go over your Y’s mission at the start of each training session, to further reinforce the importance of the work your staff is doing. Motivated learners are the best learners and YMCA trainers who tap into their employees’ source of motivation have the most successful training outcomes.

3. Provide training on multiple platforms.

YMCA staff members typically range in age from teenagers to senior citizens, and it’s no secret that people from different generations learn differently. If your Y can afford to be flexible with the delivery and timing of trainings, associates of all ages will respond accordingly. In a perfect world you’ll be able to offer online and in-house versions of the same training materials to appeal to the millennials who prefer working on their gadgets, and to the baby boomers who may prefer to attend an in-person training session. As an added bonus, providing training on multiple platforms also allows those who aren’t available at the specific time of the in-house training to complete the training online without any repercussions.

What it boils down to is that the most effective YMCA trainers tend to share certain good habits and techniques that lead to their success. Whatever training method you choose, if it follows the Y’s mission, is specific to your location, and appeals to your staff members’ compassion and dedication, you’re likely to experience successful training outcomes, proud associates, and happy customers.

3 Techniques Really Effective YMCA Employee Trainers Use