Prepare the next conversation, session or decision.
Work through these 10 steps and choose the actions relevant to your situation. The pitfalls are illustrative examples, not customer quotations. Use the checklist on screen or print it for your preparation.
Confirm the teaching task
Illustrative pitfall
“Trainers were prepared for a lecture when the programme required practice.”
- Identify the workshop or activity they will deliver.
- Confirm the audience and learning objectives.
- Define the limits of their delivery responsibility.
Check the content baseline
Illustrative pitfall
“Each trainer learned from a different version of the pack.”
- Provide the approved content and facilitator guide.
- Identify required activities and messages.
- Name the owner for content questions and updates.
Understand the participants
Illustrative pitfall
“Trainers knew the slides but not the people in the room.”
- Review participant roles and prior knowledge.
- Prepare relevant authorised examples.
- Check accessibility and language requirements.
Explain the activity purpose
Illustrative pitfall
“The trainer could describe the exercise but not what it taught.”
- Connect each activity to a learning objective.
- Clarify the instructions and expected output.
- Explain what the debrief should help participants notice.
Model the facilitation
Illustrative pitfall
“The new trainer was told to keep people engaged without seeing how.”
- Demonstrate a useful opening or activity.
- Explain the choices behind the facilitation.
- Invite questions about difficult delivery moments.
Use teach-back practice
Illustrative pitfall
“Understanding the guide was mistaken for readiness to deliver.”
- Ask the trainer to facilitate a representative segment.
- Include realistic participant questions.
- Observe against the agreed delivery criteria.
Give specific feedback
Illustrative pitfall
“Feedback focused on confidence instead of what happened.”
- Describe observed facilitation behaviours.
- Identify what helped the group learn.
- Agree one improvement and another practice opportunity.
Prepare for uncertainty
Illustrative pitfall
“A participant question triggered an invented answer.”
- Agree how to acknowledge an unknown.
- Identify the specialist or content-owner escalation route.
- Practise keeping the group moving while tracking follow-up.
Agree delivery readiness
Illustrative pitfall
“The trainer's first cohort became an unsupported experiment.”
- Review evidence from practice and feedback.
- Decide what support or co-facilitation is needed.
- Confirm materials, access and delivery-day contacts.
Support future cohorts
Illustrative pitfall
“Trainer preparation ended before any real delivery feedback arrived.”
- Arrange a review after initial delivery.
- Share approved updates and useful facilitation lessons.
- Maintain clear ownership of the reusable trainer pack.
Put it to work
Plan the delivery around your programme.
NewSkilz agrees the preparation, responsibilities and follow-through around your programme, people and approved materials.