The last thing a trainer wants to think during a training session is that phrase used by the kid in the movie, The Sixth Sense: “I see dead people.” Even a solid course design might fall short if the trainer doesn’t keep the right focus. Here are ten phrases I’ve used that are guaranteed to keep learners interested and focused.
1. “I want to make sure you get what you came for today.”
This is a great way to solicit learners’ input into the course objectives as you start the session. Ask them to rate each objective according to importance. Then you can post the results somewhere in the room. This really simplifies getting back on track. You just need to point to the list and say, “Based on your priorities, let’s give the other objectives the time you would like them to get.”
2. “Let’s keep our focus on the reality of your jobs.”
Any time the discussion has gone astray, this little phrase gets everyone back on track. I’ve noticed people nodding approvingly as I’ve said this to get off tangents or when people have started sharing too many “war stories.”
3. “How can you adapt theses processes to your environment?”
When someone says “That won’t work.” or “Yeah but…” I throw this out to the group. Sometimes I’m amazed at the great ideas people generate on how to adapt best practices to their own jobs. The best part is, learners are persuading each other to embrace these new ideas, which takes some of the onus off you.
4. “Let’s come back to our agenda and see where that relates.”
How many times have you seen learners jumping ahead in the course content? How often have you had to say, “We’ll be tackling that later.” I find this technique really helps people feel confident that we will get to that pressing issue, and helps them note when to ask their question again, at the appropriate time.
5. “Are you ready to move on? Can I check this off our agenda?”
I can’t tell you how many people love this technique. Placing the agenda on a flipchart page or whiteboard allows people to quickly see where we are in our day and note the progress we’ve made. To make it really obvious, I place a checkmark next to an agenda item after asking the above. The sense of closure and progress learners get really contributes to a great atmosphere. It’s a nice change from “Any questions before we move on?”
6. “I want to make sure you succeed, not only here, but back on the
job.”
I usually say this as I’m introducing an exercise. This lets me explain the details of an exercise in a way that shows how relevant it is to their jobs. I also use it while presenting course content, so I can focus on the truly important content and avoid getting mired in the less important stuff.
7. “That’s an excellent point. Here is specifically what I agree with about your comment.”
In my experience, this is the best way to handle a learner’s objection. By agreeing with their point, or at least, parts of their point, I open the window for people to agree with my response. At other times it’s just a great way to acknowledge a good idea.
8. “That’s a great question. Before I say anything about it, does anyone else here have some thoughts about that?”
A colleague of mine used to say the following: “Never do for learners what they can do for themselves.” If I suspect others in the room know the answer to a question, I try to get them to share it. It creates more interaction, and boosts self-esteem and cooperation. It’s also a great way to gather your thoughts and wrap up with a more complete, well-thought-out answer.
9. “Although that’s a valid issue, it isn’t on our agenda. How about if we tackle that in a working lunch, and anyone interested can participate?”
Although the working lunch only happens about 50% of the time, this allows me to defer time-munching issues that weren’t on the agenda in the first place. And for the other 50% of the time, it mustn’t have been such a burning issue to begin with.
10. “How are we doing?”
Here’s a catchy quote: People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Asking people how things are going can truly impart that you care about them. Ask them about the pace of the course partway through the day. Ask them if the temperature is comfortable. Ask small groups how they’re doing as a way to interject and offer advice or get them back on track.
Closing Thoughts
The phrases above are not a substitute for good course design or good facilitation skills. But they can help you up your game by creating more interest, cooperation, and confidence among your learners. That can make the difference between “That was a good course.” and “Wow, what a great course!”
Alan
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Nice stuff, Alan. I like to find new ways to say the “old” things. These catch phrases will be put to use starting next week! Thanks.
Thank you for these phrases that places the focus on the attendee in a very way that says “I am truly interested in you.”
Thanks
I believe these statements to be great to employ in training. I use similar statements and find them to be engaging. Learners feel more empowered and feel apart of the sessions.
Another entry is to ask, “Has everyone developed key questions prior to this seminar that they want answered? If not, take 5 minutes to prepare a list. I want to be sure you leave with information to make you more successful.
Wow, thanks Sharon! Another great statement I’ll be using in the future. I wonder if putting a “question box” in the room where people can anonymously drop their lists would solicit even more of their relevant questions…
These are great! I’ll start using them.
During Q&A after a session, after I answer someone’s question, I always ask the questioner, “Does that answer your question?” and wait for the questioner to say “Yes” before I take the next one. That gives the original questioner an opportunity to ask a follow-on question, if necessary, to which (hopefully) I can give a better answer, so no one leaves feeling frustrated. Hope that’s useful!
I agree. These are great! In a recent class, I used a few of the recommendations, including #5, placing the agenda on a flip chart on a daily basis, and checking items off as they were completed. At the end of the week, a trainee came up to me and said she had never seen anyone use that technique before, and it was immensely helpful to her, to keep track of where we were, and for what was next.