Tag: Training

  • “Difficult People” Versus Difficult Dynamics

    Presenters wanting to learn to respond to ruckus-causing participants discover an industry dedicated to techniques, programs and articles, but especially labels. Experts in the “difficult people” business love labels.

    Here are several labels for different kinds of “difficult people”:

    • The Know-It-All
    • The Show-Off
    • The Rambler

    But Guess What? We Are All “Difficult People”

    To be a person is to be difficult. “Difficult people” are often just regular people responding to difficult dynamics. Difficult dynamics can include:

    • Organizational change
    • Bad room set-up or temperature control
    • Mandatory attendance
    • Ambiguity about how the event will benefit the individual
    • Personal challenges, such as hunger and low blood sugar.

    What trainers, facilitators and presenters need to know is:

    • You cannot fix people.
    • You can reduce difficult dynamics, thus lowering the risk of reactive behavior.

    3 Ways to Reduce Difficult Dynamics

    You may have little control over organizational change or mandatory attendance. However, these steps will address a broad spectrum of difficult dynamics:

    1. Set Up the Room for the Outcome You Desire
    For engagement, interaction, and accountability, seat people in groups of 5-6.

    2. Clarify the Benefits
    You MUST clearly express on why this topic is important to the participants and how it will benefit them.

    3. Model Both Authoritative and Cooperative Behaviors as a Presenter
    Encourage people to express themselves and to ask questions. Simultaneously, set and hold limits.

    To achieve smooth dynamics, don’t label human beings. Instead, prevent difficult dynamics before they occur.

  • 3 Ways to Involve Participants from the “Get-Go”!

    What’s the best way to assure your training participants to “turn off” the first second you open your mouth? Just follow conventional wisdom and open your session by introducing yourself and providing your credentials.

    Instead, generate curiosity, interest and motivation from the outset. Use a “Hook” before introducing yourself.

    Three Ideas for Engaging Hooks

    Quickie Quiz: Using either a half-sheet of paper or a slide, create a 3-question quiz that relates to your topic.  The best questions are slightly provocative, controversial, or amusing. Ask participants to take the quiz the minute they sit down. Throughout the class, answer and clarify the issues.

    Option: For more up-front engagement, ask participants to share their responses with a partner before you formally begin. Be sure you have a way to bring their attention back to you. (Use a bell, chime, etc.)

    Questions: Carefully constructed questions work great. Questions can begin with the words “How many here have…?” or “Did you know that…?” Your question should demand a physical response from the participants, such as raising hands or standing up.

    Guidelines: Be sure to ask two questions or more. Instruct people to respond physically, and wait for them to do so. The best questions include a bit of emotion (laughter is great, but so is a smattering of anxiety or intrigue).

    Visualization: This technique gives even “dry” subjects the emotional content you need to hook participants’ interest.

    Here’s a real-life example of a visualization “Hook” from a supervisory class on wage and hour laws:

    “Close your eyes and imagine that you are a 10 year old child in the 1930’s working in a factory 12 hours a day, 60 hours a week for 10 cents an hour. You’ve never seen the inside of a school…your feet are cold and you get just one meal break a day. How do you feel?”

    Ask the participants to open their eyes. Debrief thoughts and feelings; connect to the course topic, introduce yourself, and state the learning outcomes.

    Remember: To increase interest and motivation from the get-go, hook your participants immediately!

  • What is a Trainer? What is a Facilitator?

    A pet peeve of mine: Trainers who either lecture or simply read their slides, but who call themselves “facilitators”. Training and facilitation are very different animals.

    Different Roles, Different Skills

    A trainer absolutely must be a content expert. Surely, the best trainers integrate facilitative techniques to make learning easy, but at core they must “know their stuff” intimately.

    Great facilitators need not be content experts. In fact, sometimes those who run meetings the best are those who know least about the subject. Instead, they focus on the quality of the process itself.

    This chart shows the core differences between being a content expert and a facilitator.

    Con­tent Expert or Facil­i­ta­tor?

    Con­tent Expert (Tell)

    Facil­i­ta­tor (Ask)
    Presents Infor­ma­tion Guides Process; Ensures Multi-Directional Com­mu­ni­ca­tion
    Pro­vides the Right Answers Pro­vides the Right Questions
    Clear Purpose (and Learning Outcomes if Training) Clear Outcomes for the Group’s Process

    Are You a Trainer or a Facilitator?

    If you are a trainer, your best bet is to combine the roles shown in the chart. This will ensure you’re doing your job as a content expert while eliciting robust engagement and involvement.

    If you are facilitating a meeting but must impart information at some point, inform folks what you are doing. When you unexpectedly begin to tell instead of ask, confusion arises and engagement shuts down.

    Let’s make a pact right now to always be clear on what role we are embodying. Are we training? Or are we running a meeting? Our understanding makes the process more clear, and easier, for everyone.

    Give your training skills a lift with The Kite Workshop! Contact Guila today.

  • Enthusiasm in Training

    As a trainer or presenter, enthusiasm goes a long way in making you the best you can be. As your joy excites your participants, their energy rises to meet yours. People feel good. Work gets done.

    But what if your enthusiasm has taken a hit? How can you regain a sense of joy while giving a presentation or training a group?

    These five practical steps will help.

    1. Create a list of 10 positive aspects about the subject. Your brain may balk at doing this, but you’ll be forced to see the subject in a new way. Its “newness” will stimulate you in unexpected ways.

    2. Do something physical. When your blood pumps aerobically, it helps wash away your “blaahs.” Don’t wait — you can take a walk right now.

    3. Visualize yourself being enthusiastic. Take a moment to close your eyes. See yourself as you would from the outside, feeling fantastic and emanating positive energy. Seeing yourself this way can kick-start your acting this way.

    4. Smile. Research has shown that when you smile, even if that smile doesn’t come easily, your brain chemistry changes. Try smiling and feeling joyful, even if it is difficult. You’ll be surprised how it “ups” your mood.

    5. Get excited about the success of those around you. When you express authentic enthusiasm about what others are doing, your own mood improves. You start feeling excited about what you’re doing, too.

    Keep the vitality and magic of life as you train, facilitate or present. It will be your gift not only to others, but to yourself.

  • The Myth of the Facilitator

    imagesHere’s a pet peeve of mine: Adult educators who call themselves “Facilitators”…and then go on to give a traditional, one-sided, PowerPoint-heavy training session. I estimate that 87.5% of trainers who call themselves “facilitators” are lying. Why? Because they model few skills of facilitation.

    Well Then, What is a Facilitator?

    A facilitator is content-neutral. Because of this, the most appropriate role for a facilitator is that of meeting leader. In this role, he or she can extract insights and enable collaboration.

    The trainer is a content expert. The trainer’s role is to elicit behavior change in participants. This behavior change is called learning. A trainer’s role is to ensure that learning of specific content takes place. (That’s why so many trainers just tell, tell, and tell!)

    So What About “Facilitator of Learning”?

    This term is less popular than plain old “facilitator”, but to me, it is the gold standard for which all trainers should strive. A trainer can be considered a “facilitator of learning” only when he or she:

    • shuts up (a lot),
    • asks meaningful, provocative, open-ended questions, remaining aware of group dynamics at all times, and
    • provides many opportunities for participants to figure things out for themselves.

    Put most simply, a facilitator of learning ASKS. Asking creates disequilibrium and curiosity in participants. Disequilibrium requires participants to adapt, to question themselves, and ultimately to change. Learning IS change!

    How to Be a Facilitator of Learning, not Just an Authority Who Spews Content?

    If you strive to see behavior change in your participants and are willing to drop the more comfortable role of constantly “telling”, and  these guidelines will help.

    1. Ask questions.

    Plan and integrate questions that will spur not-so-easy thinking and feeling.

    1. Be provocative.

    Be willing to name dynamics, factions, or hidden assumptions in the group…with the positive intention of causing disequilibrium and curiosity.

    1. Encourage experimentation.

    Balance your “Telling” role with opportunities for participants to explore, create, and make mistakes.

    When trainers facilitate learning instead of staying on the safer shore of “telling”, we often feel more vulnerable and closer in status to our participants. This unpredictability may not feel comfortable. Each of us must decide for ourselves what type of adult educators we want to be…and be honest in what we call ourselves.

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  • Not Just Your Grandmother’s Pun!

    lrs1659My grandma was “word-clever” almost until the day she died. I especially remember her corny puns and plays on words, which made me both laugh and groan. Researchers Alan Seidman, of Johnson and Wales University, and Stephen C. Brown, of the University of Alaska, say “Puns are a humorous way to get adult learners to think more critically about any subject.”

    Puns Can Help Adults Learn

    Believe it our not, research has found that we can use puns to help adult learners in the classroom. Puns represent a true form of critical thinking as the brain stretches itself to find dual meaning for certain words (Lems, 2013). Puns can also improve memory, because the internal incongruity they create helps students recall information (Summerfelt et al., 2010).

    Try using puns you grew up with, or others you find on websites. You can used them as Hooks, to reinforce a point about a particular topic, or as pun-filled riddles. Here’s an example of the latter, used in an adult geography class:

    Q: What is the capital of Antartica?

    A: The letter “A.”

    enhanced-buzz-7300-1339008891-9

    A couple I’ve enjoyed:

    Sleep? There’s a nap for that.

    If you take an exam in a freezing cold room, you might become a testicle.

    So have fun as you use puns to bring your classroom alive!

    Guila Muir is the premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters on the West Coast of the United States. Since 1994, she has helped thousands of professionals improve their training, facilitation, and presentation skills. Find out how she can help transform you from a boring expert to a great trainer: www.guilamuir.com

    © Guila Muir

  • Get ‘Em Moving!

    Depositphotos_59572037_s-2015Anyone who jogs regularly will tell you that they feel sharper both emotionally and mentally after a run. But did you know that exercise also “pumps up” learning?

    The science is clear. Not only can exercise work at least as well as antidepressants to improve moods, it improves people’s learning ability.

    One recent study showed that participants learned vocabulary words 20% faster following exercise than they did before exercise. Another experiment revealed that adults’ cognitive flexibility improved after one 35- minute treadmill session at a moderate pace.

    What Does This Mean for Trainers?

    The best trainers acknowledge that adults learn better when they connect their heads to their bodies. So get your students moving! Use these three strategies:

    1. Bring content alive by using relevant, engaging activities.

    2. Periodically lead the class in some quick, stand-up stretching.

    3. Take frequent breaks. (My preference is to take one 10-minute break every 60 to 75 minutes.)

    Remember-we learn with our entire bodies. Don’t treat your students as if they are just “heads” alone!

    Guila Muir is the premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters on the West Coast of the United States. Since 1994, she has helped thousands of professionals improve their training, facilitation, and presentation skills. Find out how she can help transform you from a boring expert to a great trainer: www.guilamuir.com

    © Guila Muir.

  • Sabotaging Yourself as a Speaker

    Recently, I had the honor to be an audience member instead of a presenter. By watching instead of doing, I got the opportunity to re-assess my beliefs about what makes speakers effective. Here’s what I noticed:

    5 Ways Speakers Sabotage Themselves

    Mechanistic Movement

    I’ll be honest here. I’ve only noticed a case of “robot-arms” this extreme a few times in the 20 years of my professional career. Every time one speaker said a certain word, he self-consciously drew a shape in the air with his hands. I counted five of these word-and-gesture-pairings. The effect was of an overly rehearsed, stilted high school actor.

    Tornado Talking

    Several presenters’ speed-talking, punctuated with very few pauses, led to audience exhaustion. Women presenters were the biggest offenders.

    Big Chest in a Tight Blouse (I couldn’t think of how to use alliteration here)

    The audience could see the lines of one presenter’s underclothes, and even what lie beneath them. Additionally, this speaker dressed more casually than most of her audience. (Do remember the rule: “Dress like your audience, but one step better.” )

    Boring Bearing

    Wearing sparkly clothes didn’t make up for one speaker’s inward-turned shoulders and powerless posture. (To learn about the Power Posture watch this great video:  http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html)

    Egregious Embellishment

    Several presenters used lots and lots of very, very, absolutely, incredible, awesome, unbelievable, excellent, top-of-the-line adjectives. It was as if these speakers didn’t believe the truth of their messages, so tried to pump them up to make us believe. The opposite occurred.

    3 Ways Speakers Increase Their Credibility

    I’m probably the audience member from hell because of my merciless observations. However, I wouldn’t want to imply that I didn’t see anything that worked. Here are three behaviors that added to the authority and credibility of several speakers.

    Purposeful Perambulation

    The (female) speaker moved toward the audience, then stopped when delivering important messages. She refrained from:

    • Pacing
    • Walking backward
    • Shifting her weight from side to side
    • Talking while walking
    • Standing like a cheerleader: (weight on one hip).

    She always included the entire audience with her body position, not just with her eye contact. As a result, her words were compelling.

    Enthusiasm Embodied

    The best presenters appeared to be enjoying themselves. They displayed passion about their subjects. Their voices were both deliberate and naturally excited. They gestured authentically to emphasize their messages. (For the best article I’ve found on exuding enthusiasm as a speaker, see: https://gm.wp.zi3.xyz/training-development/the-joy-of-training/).

    Audience Advocacy

    This term, coined by Jerry Weissman, simply means that the speaker continually let us know how his information would benefit us. Sprinkled throughout his presentation, he asked questions like:

    “Now, why is this important?”

    “Why should YOU care?” and

    “Why am I telling you this?”—and proceed to answer in ways that made it clear how his information was in OUR (the audience’s) best interest.

    Potent Presenting

    When you lose the first five behaviors listed above, you’ll stop asking yourself, “Now, why didn’t that work like I thought it would?” By integrating the last three points, your public speaking becomes more compelling, dynamic and powerful. Enjoy!

    Want more tips to improve your speaking self? Learn about Guila Muir’s Presentation Skills Workshop.

    Guila Muir is a premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters. Since 1994, she has helped thousands of professionals improve their training, facilitation, and presentation skills. Find out how she can help transform you into a great presenter: www.guilamuir.com

  • When a Trainer is a Presenter: Five Top Platform Skills

    Computer class with caucasian female teacher talking to hispanic student. Horizontal shape, focus on backgroundGreat trainers must be great presenters as well. I believe that participants learn most from highly active classes that imbed great design and content. However, I also know that the trainer’s presentation skills can help or hinder learning.

    What are Platform Skills?

    Platform skills are presentation behaviors that a trainer uses to transmit content effectively. Not to be confused with skills that guarantee participation (which, in general, only trainers use), both presenters and trainers must demonstrate excellent platform skills to get their messages across. Platform skills is one exciting arena where training and presentation cross paths.

    Five Top Platform Skills for Trainers

    Prepare for your next training session by making a commitment to the behaviors below. Then, ask a peer to observe you and let you know how you did.

    I compiled these criteria by researching some of the best resources in the training field, and have listed them in no particular order.

    The trainer:

    • Clearly communicates the session’s topic, goal, and relevance to the participants at the beginning of the session.
    • Effectively manages nervousness so that it does not distract the participants.
    • Uses humor, analogies, examples, metaphors, stories, and delivery methods other than lecture or PowerPoint.
    • Faces the participants most of the time in a “full-frontal” body position.
    • Summarizes and closes the class with energy.

    Want more tips to improve your trainings? Learn how Guila Muir’s Instructional Design Workshop can help you to create powerful, effective training sessions.

    Learn how to present with pizzazz using the Kite Method with Guila’s Instructional Design book.

    Guila Muir, a premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters, has helped thousands of professionals improve their training, facilitation, and presentation skills. Find out how she can help transform you into a great trainer.

  • How to Keep Meetings Active and Productive

    As a facilitator, you are responsible for achieving the meeting outcomes, maintaining full participation, and ending on time. How do you maintain meaningful, focused conversation throughout? These five tips will help.

    1.  Playback
    Reiterate what a participant has said as closely as you can. Try not to infer meaning.“Greg, I’m hearing you say that you want this to go a little more slowly. Did I get that right?”

    2.  Consolidate
    Pull together ideas, showing their relationship to each other. “As you can see from Juan’s and Cathy’s comments, there seem to be enough resources and commitment to take this on.”

    3.  Play Devil’s Advocate
    Disagree gently with a participant’s comments to stimulate further discussion. (Remember, you maintain your neutral role even though you put out the Devil’s Advocate statement.) “Is that always the case?” “This has worked elsewhere. What makes this different?”

    4.  Relieve Tension
    State what you see calmly and without evaluation. “Bill and Mary are bringing out two different sides of this issue.” “I see many furrowed brows. Let’s take a quick break to reflect on this.”

    5.  Change the Process
    Alter the method of participation. “Let’s break into small groups to see how many alternate options you can come up with.”

    Try implementing these skills in your next meeting. Chances are, it will move along faster and be more productive.

    Guila Muir is the premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters on the West Coast of the United States. Since 1994, she has helped thousands of professionals improve their training, facilitation, and presentation skills. Find out how she can help transform you from a boring expert to a great presenter: www.guilamuir.com

    © Guila Muir.