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When we think of emergencies, we often think about fire alarms going off, or
someone getting ill, and are prepared for those things by knowing where
emergency exits are, who to call, or how to respond. This section is for training
emergencies, and how to prepare, avoid, and manage them.
You’ve developed a brilliant course, all of your materials are ready, and the day is
unfolding nicely when all of a sudden, things begin to go horribly wrong.
What are you to do next?
First of all, don’t panic. Remaining calm in the face of an error or near disaster is important, because
your participants will pick up on your emotions and get edgy just as fast as you do. If something is really
wrong and you need help, make eye contact with a participant who has been particularly helpful, and
ask for their assistance.
If you are faced with an emergency (for example, you as the trainer develop a horrible case of hives and
must leave to take a dose of antihistamine and call a doctor), then having some activities on standby will
help.
A more likely scenario is running out of material if you have a group that is grasping their training very
quickly. Preparing a stand-by pile of activities that reinforces the training objectives is ideal for this
situation.
When you develop training based on a model like the one below, most activities are designed to
reinforce what your participants must learn first, followed by extensions for what they could learn, or
that would be nice to know.