Up Your Training Game With These Tips

Welcome to another empowering episode of The Safety Consultant Podcast, hosted by Sheldon Primus. Whether you're a seasoned EHS professional, building your own consulting business, or new to the field, this episode is packed with practical strategies to elevate your training effectiveness and sharpen your consulting edge. Broadcasting from a small town in Minnesota, Sheldon Primus revisits and upgrades his classic "5 Tips to Be the Favorite Instructor," now including essential guidance for both in-person and online safety training. Tune in as Sheldon Primus walks you through actionable steps to engage learners, handle unexpected disruptions, and deliver value that gets you invited back time and again.

Sequence of Topics Covered

1. Introduction to the Podcast and Host

Sheldon Primus welcomes listeners to the Safety Consultant Podcast 01:03Emphasis on blending safety expertise with business acumenAudience: Safety professionals, new consultants, and those interested in safety2. Purpose and Content of the Podcast

Teaching the business of being a safety consultant 01:42Coverage of OSHA compliance, regulatory requirements, and safety management systems3. Setting and Personal Context

Sheldon Primus records from Magnolia, Minnesota 02:14Reflection on life as a traveling safety consultant and RVerMention of previous episodes with industry peer Jill James and her association4. Revisiting a Previous Episode: “5 Tips to Be the Favorite Instructor”

Reference to episode 106, originally aired in 2021 03:58Outline of the five original tips:Know your material inside outBe prepared for disastersDon’t preach but teachBe respectful and personable to facility staffAlways help set up and tear down5. Expanded Tips for Modern Safety Training

a. Know Your Material Inside and Out 07:11

Importance of deep knowledge for flexibility and engagementBeing able to go off script to clarify or elaborate for learnersUsing real-world analogies and storiesVisualization techniques to prepare for training sessionsTaking students on a storytelling journey (hero, villain, conflict, resolution) 11:03b. Be Prepared for Disasters 12:49

Carrying backup equipment and connectorsHaving a long HDMI cord and other AV toolsBringing personal hotspot and backup devices 13:59Arriving early to account for technical or logistical issuesc. Don’t Preach, Teach 15:19

Avoiding a lecturing or punitive deliveryRelating OSHA standards to on-the-job realitiesIncorporating practical examples and engagementMinimizing reading directly from PowerPoint slidesd. Be Respectful and Personable 17:31

Treating the training site as someone else’s space 17:41Cleaning up, resetting the room, and showing courtesy to staffBringing personal supplies (markers, erasers, etc.)Being polite and helpful beyond just teaching deliverye. Always Help Set Up and Tear Down