Answering that question can depend on who we are and where we fit into the process. I am a tutor so naturally I want lots of people to go on a training course, mine in particular. I passionately believe in the process and still get enormous satisfaction out of running courses even after 5000 delegates over to past 16 years.

If you are running a business or are charged with organising training for your staff then hopefully you also want to see people going on training courses. The arguments for personal development of staff are surely well rehearsed now. We all know that a well chosen and well executed course will improve productivity and therefore profitability in our business.

Spare a thought for the delegates themselves, what do they really think about “having to go” on a course. Never mind what they told the HR manager about how pleased they are. I sometimes wonder how the conversation at home the night before a course sounded. Earlier this week I decided to find out by sitting down with some delegates and asking them.

Four delegates came to us for a Microsoft Building Blocks course. We met in the delightful location of Cromer in North Norfolk for a two day personalised session. Given their relative inexperience with computers in general, and this software in particular, I was curious to find out what they were thinking.

The first delegate told me that he was “very apprehensive to the point of being almost frightened”. He apologised for being tired as he had hardly got any sleep the night before.

Another delegate said that he was “looking forward to coming along but he had had some bad experiences in the past”

The third delegate related a story to us about a mass computer lesson organised by his company some years ago. Around 30 of them were gathered in a room, they were given a computer each and had a tutor at the front of the room “barking out orders like we were in the army”, “some ladies were in tears because they could not keep up” many people walked out. So you could see why he had good reason to be somewhat wary of what to expect.

In conducting my very unscientific survey I do not claim this as a representative group, indeed you would have to hope that it is not, but it does make you think. Should representatives of training companies do more to reassure delegates about what to expect and to put them at ease? Should HR people contribute in a similar fashion? Could we work together towards the same aim?

I have resolved to personally call every delegate and speak to them before they are due to attend. I had done that with this group but for the first delegate in particular had I done enough? Well he did attend and within minutes he was already saying “If I can do this then anybody can” as he resolved to tell his friends about his training course.

Can you share your experiences with us, were you that tired nervous delegate or did you take it all in your stride? What advice can you give to people in the industry about how we could better prepare delegates and put them at ease?

I just want to say thanks to the guys in Cromer, I really enjoyed your company and I hope that you enjoyed your course – keep using those computers, use it or lose it!