The training is over, the participant totals on in the database and slides on in the mail. Time to kick back and rest on your laurels. Not a chance. You have now entered one of the most critical junctures of the training experience, post-training feedback.
 
These responses, criticisms, opinions and how dare-you and thank you messages are an invitation for you to keep the conversation going.
 
If they are positive, store those nuggets away for a rainy day and evaluation time. You will need them to prove your worth to a “show me what you have done for me lately performance culture.”
 
Regardless of their flavor, you want to respond to every message you receive. Don’t assume a great review of your training does not deserve a follow-up email. You want to get in the habit of being gracious and welcoming to those who you created a positive outcome for. Seek to cement an optimistic, ongoing relationship with them that will yield future dividends when you teach them again.
 
Never take for granted your training accomplishments because they are fleeting. Author, Rory Vaden puts this into perspective. He says that “success is never owned, it is rented, and the rent is due every day.” You cannot rest on your past laurels as a trainer because yesterday’s cheers can turn into tomorrow’s jeers.
 
Don’t ignore negative and non-constructive criticism either. Acknowledge and thank your critics for their opinions. Avoid arguing but don’t be afraid to disagree with these naysayers. Disagree in an agreeable way, always take the high road and consistently leave the door open for future critical dialogue. Kill them with kindness but don’t compromise the inclusion message.
 
At moments like these I take heed of playwright, Oscar Wilde’s advice: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
 
Act on immediate value-added feedback quickly regardless of tone. If not, you are going to move on to the next training and forgo an opportunity to improve your next presentation. Your students listen to you so why not listen to them. Many of them have shared their own personal anecdotes and experiences with inclusion that I have included in my trainings.
 
Listening counts in the training world. Take the opinions of your customers seriously. It is difficult for people to argue with their own data.