LISTEN. Listen objectively and completely to the question without interrupting (I admit this is hard to do sometimes). Avoid making judgments about the learner asking the question.

REPEAT. Direct the question back to the entire class (relay question). Make certain everyone can hear the question and involve the class in the response. I usually say something like this: “I have some thoughts on that, but I’m going to throw it out to the group.” Use this time for a mental analysis of the question and to get the complete attention of your group.

RESPOND. Respond truthfully and as briefly as possible. Relate the response to content previously covered whenever possible. Use a visual aid such as the flipchart or PowerPoint slide if it will clarify, or simplify, your response. Never bluff or make up answers if you don’t know the answer! Doing so can seriously affect your credibility and learners’ buy-in!

Let’s look at some techniques for properly handling questions for which you don’t have the answer.

• If it’s a question within the scope of the training course you’re teaching, offer to find out. Keep your promise and tell the class what you will do. I usually say something like this: “I want to give you the correct information, so let me do some research and I’ll get back to you by tomorrow by 10 a.m.“ If possible, deliver the answer before the deadline. It’s great customer service when you “under-promise and over-deliver!”
• If it’s a question that is of interest only to the more advanced learners, identify several sources of information and offer to help the learners find the answer themselves or provide the process to find out.
• If there’s no exact information available, inform the learners that facts are not known. This might be a good opportunity to open it up to the entire group for discussion.
• Finally, if the question is unrelated to the topic at hand, have the learner write his or her question on the “Parking Lot” and you can address it later.

For credibility and learning purposes, we really want to avoid looking like the “deer in the headlights” at all costs! Hopefully the techniques I’ve shared can help. If there any other techniques you use that are not mentioned above, we’d love to hear about them!

Melissa

I recently encountered a “Dominator” in one of my workshops and used the following techniques to get the group back – without paying the ransom!

PHYSICAL PROXIMITY

While the “Dominator” is speaking, walk toward him/her and stop (linger near them). Experience shows that very often the closer the Trainer gets, the quicker the person finishes talking.  The Dominator’s tangents will get shorter.

USE A DIRECT QUESTION

Rather than single out one participant (and put them on the spot), direct a question to a specific table group when seeking an answer – a group other than the Dominator’s. Someone in the group will be able to answer the question (or at least help each other out).

BUILD A BRIDGE

This is a two-fold strategy. First, compliment the controller by offering praise “we’ve heard some great tips” then redirect the class focus by saying “now let’s hear from someone else.” At the same time, turn your gaze to other table groups. This takes the attention away from the Dominator – without being overt!

These techniques are subtle, but work well – with minimum disruption to the class flow.  For more techniques to deal with difficult participants, see what Mama has to say…

Melissa

GROUP SIZE, THAT IS!

Many courses are designed with a specific number of participants in mind so that certain activities or application exercises can work and/or yield maximum learning benefits. Let’s face it…there are certain dynamics that are not achievable without a given number of participants to bring about the full experience intended by the instructional designer.

From a facilitator’s perspective, it is also more fun to lead a course where there are 15 people than one with only 5, because there is more opportunity for interaction, for sharing examples, and for those examples to reflect a wider variety of circumstances relating to course content. As a facilitator I can certainly remember times when I have thought, “Gosh…I only have 6 people in this course when it really should have 20…what fun we’re going to have (NOT)!”

But the reality is that the attitude and readiness that the learners bring to the course counts for much more than the number of participants – at least to me. I can have a group of 22 people in a course and discover that they are unwilling or unable to generate certain dynamics regardless of what training tricks I try. I could also have a small group of 5 or 6 people in a course that was originally intended to take up to 30 participants but the few that are there…well…they are REALLY there!

Recently I had to teach a course that is truly meant for a certain number of attendees so that the dynamics and fun factors are sustainable throughout the course. When everyone had arrived, I still only had four attendees. What happened? Well…. it turned out to be an extremely rewarding experience for them and for me because they each came with the right disposition and demeanor to share, learn, and explore. We did not always agree on all points, but their willingness to dig deeper into the various topics of conversation and explore how the possibilities applied to them led to a very fulfilling learning experience.

And yes, I had to rethink how to adapt certain activities and tweak them to fit the reality of a group of 4 versus the ideal 20+, but that, in itself, gave me the opportunity to stretch my abilities as a facilitator.

I totally love having a larger group with diverse opinions, attitudes, likes and dislikes but the right mix of experience, curiosity, and trust in the learning process with a small number of motivated participants can turn out to be a highly rewarding experience and one that allows me the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and to explore building stronger bonds with participants.

José

Gestures can, and should be, an integral part of a trainer’s speaking skills for many reasons. First, using gestures adds meaning to our course content. Second, using gestures allows us to connect more with our learners. And finally, using gestures allows us to release any excess tension we may be feeling while we are in front of a group.

Every gesture we use should have a purpose while still appearing natural and smooth. For example, using an open hand gesture while walking towards a learner who is asking a question shows the learner that you care about them and their question. At the same time it communicates respect.

Gestures certainly play an important part when it comes to being an excellent instructor and facilitator. However, if you teach outside of the United States you may find that it pays to do some homework. There are many cultural differences when it comes to the meaning of gestures. I recently purchased a book entitled, “Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands” by Terri Morrison and Wayne A. Conaway which provides some interesting and valuable information about conducting business in sixty different countries. The book points out many areas to consider when working abroad and includes information about the meaning of gestures in these countries. I learned many things and I plan on applying many of the tips I discovered when I teach outside the U.S.

As a Langevin Instructor, I typically greet learners by shaking hands with them as they enter the room. I can safely continue this gesture in Argentina, Belgium, Canada, and France, but in India, as a female instructor, I will not initiate handshakes with male learners. Also, if I teach in Belgium, Sweden, or Japan I will refrain from using expansive hand gestures.

So, if you teach primarily in the United States, keep perfecting the use of gestures as part of your teaching style. However, when working with learners from other countries, take care to research what hand gestures are appropriate for each particular culture so you do not inadvertently offend!

Lynne

I have always been diligent about following the lesson plans created by the designers. After all, lesson plans are there to ensure I cover all the necessary content and in the right amount of time. And of course, this all needs to be done while meeting the needs of the learners. Right? Therefore, I must follow the lesson plan, without deviating from it in any way whatsoever. Or so I thought.

When I found myself in the middle of a particularly noisy and somewhat exuberant training class, where the learners were participating and sharing a great deal of information, all of a sudden I began to panic. As the clock ticked away and the learners continued to interact, I became more and more anxious. The reason? I was getting further and further behind on the lesson plan and if I didn’t do something quickly there was no way I was going to catch up.

As the learners were happily chatting and exchanging information, I took another look at the clock and abruptly said, “Okay, that’s enough. It’s time to get back on track. Turn to page 95 in your manuals.”

You could have heard a pin drop. Just like that I had completely altered the atmosphere of the room and, at the same time, turned a group of happy, interactive participants into a room full of sullen prisoners.

There were no difficult participants in this workshop, in fact as I mentioned before, this was a class full of highly interactive, eager-to-learn participants. There was only one difficult person in that training class that day, and that person was me.

With my newly subdued group of learners quietly paying attention, I managed to get the workshop back on track. We covered all the material and we were able to finish on time. I did not deviate from the plan.

But at what expense? Yes, I covered everything in the lesson plan. And yes, the learners got everything they needed. But was this a successful workshop? Absolutely not.

I had become so obsessed with following the lesson plan and presenting the content exactly the way I was supposed to, that I didn’t even consider some of the things I could have been doing to keep this group happy and interactive while still managing to stick to the agenda, and ultimately, the lesson plan.

In retrospect, I realized there were a lot of options available to me. If I had allowed myself to be a little more flexible and in-tune with the learners’ needs, I would have taken the opportunity to build on the interaction and provided different methods to present the content. Yes, it might have meant deviating a little from the lesson plan, but as long as the content was covered and there was value for the learners, I could have made the class much more successful.

So, the next time I have a class full of excited and eager learners, I will tap into that energy and use more interactive methods, such as brainstorming, peer-teaching, role-plays, or any other method that encourages interaction while still presenting content.  And if you want more useful tips for managing class time and the value of lesson plans, take a look at these other blog posts.

Ron

Have you ever awakened in a hotel room to discover that you need a minute to recall which hotel and in what city? Have you ever been too tired on the weekends to do anything and before you know it, it is Monday morning and you are off to the airport headed for another location?

I know I am dating myself here, but I often hum a song made popular by Peter, Paul, and Mary as I’m on my way out the door. I’m sure you are familiar with it – “I’m leaving on a jet plane, don’t know when I’ll be back again.”

In order to maintain my enthusiasm for the work I love, I know that I have to find ways to make traveling physically, emotionally and mentally effortless.

I’d like to share a few traveling tips that have worked for me:

Packing

The biggest challenge is not to not over-pack which I used to do. Eventually I discovered how practical sweater sets were. They are light and easy to pack.

• Color - when traveling 2 or 3 consecutive weeks, I find having weekly color themes quite useful. One week black, the next week blue, etc.
• Shoes – I understand and appreciate that some women love to wear heels when they train, I am just not one of them. I prefer comfort. The heels look good they just don’t feel good at the end of the day. I think it’s important to be comfortable when teaching.

Diet & Exercise

This has been my biggest challenge and the most difficult to be consistent with while on the road. Nevertheless ten pounds later, I knew it was time to be proactive. It was no longer cost-effective to have a gym membership because I was rarely home to use it. However, most hotels have a fitness room – I just have to make sure to use it. I also invested in an exercise machine to use at home during my work-at-home weeks. I can’t say it is 100% effective but it is working better than doing nothing at all. Let’s just say it is not collecting dust!

Considering that I love to eat, food is a major challenge when on the road. So instead of partaking in those delicious danishes that are often served for breakfast, I pack oatmeal and add that to some fruit for breakfast. It is also useful to scout out your destination in advance and research the restaurants that suit your dietary needs. Also inquire if the hotel has a refrigerator; oftentimes they will provide one at no additional cost.

Take Time for You

After 2 or 3 weeks on the road I find it necessary to indulge myself in a much-needed massage. It is relaxing and is a great stress reliever.

After my first year as a traveling trainer I began to notice that I was losing touch with my family and friends and special occasions and events were passing me by. I was beginning to feel isolated and I realized I had to do something to take control over my time. The solution was to purchase a wall calendar. I never realized how a simple calendar on the wall could become such an effective tool to reactivate my social life. I can now plug in dates with family and friends and make plans for special events weeks in advance.

And what about those Friday nights at the airport waiting to go home? This is definitely one of those times when we must take care of our mental and emotional well being. Rather than getting ourselves worked up about something (for the most part we can’t control) why not just turn it around and perhaps use that time to catch up with people either on the phone or through email? Perhaps you can just use the time to be quiet and read a novel, listen to music or watch a movie if you travel with a DVD player. The bottom line is we must find a way to take a breath, relax and let it go.

Finally, don’t forget the importance of a vacation, a time out. I have met so many people who say they are just too busy working to take a vacation. I used to be one of them until I became ill and realized that the work continued without me. After a vacation, you return to your duties refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to go.

I don’t travel as much as I used to, but now when I do it is an effortless experience. I hope that some of my experiences and tips will be as useful to you as they have been for me in striking a healthy balance. And since there are so many of us who are out there doing this wonderful work and traveling while we do it, I would love to hear about your experiences and any tips that you can offer as we all strive for this balance in our lives.

Also, for more great travel tips, check out Lynne’s Top Ten Travel Survival Tips for Trainers.

Linda

Tip #1 Move that Furniture!

Space permitting, periodically have your learners move their chairs away from their computers and gather around you and your flipchart. You are now free to use the flipchart to play a game, to do some brainstorming, or to use a creative lecture technique like graphic association to review knowledge associated with your computer training.

Tip #2 Make your Learners Instructors!

From time to time, ask your learners to volunteer and demonstrate a skill on your PC in the front of the room. This way, you can stand in the back of the room or on the side of the room to monitor the class while also ensuring the volunteer is demonstrating the skill correctly on the projection screen. This technique increases class participation and gives your learners a break from hearing your voice all of the time.

Tip #3 Use Peer Tutoring!

In every learning situation you typically have learners who “get it” faster than others. Take advantage of this situation! Pair up your employees and let them teach each other. First, you need to demonstrate the skill on your PC so that everyone sees how things are done and then let the pair teams work together to do some practice exercises. One person can be the coach while the other person practices the skill. Then have the learners switch places so that each person has a chance to play each role. You are now free to monitor your group, answer questions, and prevent internet surfing!

Tip #4 Play Short Games!

Who says you can’t play Jeopardy in a computer lab? First, create the game board on a power point slide or a flipchart and write up your content-related questions ahead of time. Group your learners into teams and tell them to log off their computers. Play the game after lunch or at the end of a training day to present content or review key material.

Tip #5 Conduct Question & Answer Sessions with a Twist!

Take a break from computer work and conduct periodic Q & A sessions. Ask learners questions like “How might this software improve your job performance or help our customers?” or “What are some key things to remember about correctly using the ABC software program?” Toss a Koosh^® Ball or some other fun, safe object to the employee who answers your question and have them toss it back to you. If a question has multiple answers, instruct your learners to give one answer while catching the ball and ask them to choose another employee in the room to toss the ball to who must give a different answer. This technique adds fun and motivation to the session. Be sure to monitor the employees closely to make they have fun but toss the ball safely to one another.

Remember, do not overuse any specific training technique or it will lose its effectiveness. So, give these tips a try and let me know how you’re doing! What are some other ways you can design interactive and motivating sessions in a computer lab?

Lynne

SET

Set participation expectations right from the start. Using a brainteaser is a great way to do this. Get the participants to talk with each other, come up with answers, write those answers in their books, and respond with an answer when asked by the instructor. These are all things we’d like our participants to do during class, so give them an opportunity as you begin the day. For brainteaser ideas, you may want to explore some of the books and other resources on our website.

GET

Getyour participants to be active at low points during the day. I’m sure you’ve heard about the “Post-lunch coma” that participants may experience right after lunch. To minimize the impact, be sure to immerse them in an activity when they return from lunch. One way to do this is with a jigsaw discussion. Let’s say you have 4 groups of 4 participants. Have each group split up so one person from each table is now part of a mixed group. We’ll call those groups A, B, C, and D. In their newly formed letter groups, they research some content, and answer specific questions like these:

• In your opinion, what are the key points within the content?
• How will you use this information back in your work?

Each participant needs to take notes while in their letter groups, so they are prepared to share what was discussed.  Once the letter groups have completed their discussions, members return to their original groups. Then, they each share their findings, so all groups get the perspective of each letter group. This makes for a very “active” experience in the classroom.

LET

Let your participants get comfortable with a subject before discussing it as a large group. Have you ever led a discussion that felt more like talking to an oil painting? That may happen if the participants are not comfortable or confident in the subject matter. If this happens, or to avoid letting this happen, have your participants first talk about the topic in small groups. There they can share ideas and gain confidence in the subject. Then, transition to a large-group discussion. You will find your participants will contribute more freely and openly because they are more confident and comfortable. I have used this technique many times, and it is especially impactful when the participants are culturally diverse or they hold varied positions within an organization.

Training is not a spectator sport. If you SET expectations, GET participants to be active, and LET them gain comfort and confidence along the way, they will be set up for even greater success in the classroom and on the job.

Jim

“The show must go on” is a well-known phrase in show business, meaning that regardless of what happens, the show must still be put on for the waiting patrons.

The phrase was first made famous in the 1950’s by British playwright and actor, Sir Noel Coward. I strongly feel that it’s still applicable today. And not only is it appropriate in show business, as trainers we must often adhere to the very same phase while in the classroom.

I recently had to live by this phrase when a series of unusual events happened while I was conducting a training course this summer. No matter how out-of-the-ordinary the incident, I still had a class of paying participants expecting the show to go on.

I had a feeling I was in for an interesting week, when the night before my class started, I discovered there was an issue with my shipped materials. As I was setting up my training room, I realized I had fewer materials than I did registered participants.

As the instructor, this meant for me a late night trip to the local 24 hour copy/printing store to make photocopies of handouts and various training materials. For other needed materials that could not be photocopied, such as folders and mini DVD discs, I luckily had some extras stored in my home office.

With a little quick thinking and some stock piled extras, the problem was solved. After all, the show must go on!

The course started like any other and my learners were none the wiser to the earlier problem with the shipped materials. About two hours after giving my housekeeping announcement about emergency exits in the case of a fire alarm, what did we have? A fire alarm!

Airing on the side of caution, we all quickly exited the building. Never seeing flames or smelling smoke, I figured it was a false alarm. Still, I had to wait patiently for the “all clear” before directing my participants back into the building. Thirty minutes later we got the message that it was indeed a false alarm.

Thirty minutes may not seem like a long time when you’re watching your favorite television sitcom. However, to lose 30 minutes from a fully packed training day can be close to disastrous. Luckily, I was teaching a multi-day course, so I simply carried some content over into the next day and made adjustments accordingly.

About mid-week, I got perhaps the biggest shock of my training career. While my participants and I were at lunch, some deviant individual(s) entered our training room and stole my company-issued laptop! Yes, my beloved laptop vanished without a trace. Once my initial shock wore off, the feelings of anger and violation set in. If something like this has ever happened to you, I’m sure you can relate to how I felt.

Not only did the incident take a toll on me emotionally, but it took valuable time out of my training day (yet again) to complete incident report forms and make telephone calls to my management and tech support teams.

During the ordeal, one of my participants remarked, “you sure are handling this very well.” Consequently, I also try to live by the phrase “never let ‘em see you sweat.” I’ll be honest though, it took everything in my power to hold it together that day!

Since the show had to go on, it was my responsibility to pull it together and soldier on. I somehow managed to adjust my time even with all the extra writing I now had to do. Not having my computer, I had to scribe on a flipchart the course content that would have been projected courtesy of my laptop and multi-media projector.

Just when I thought nothing else out-of-the-ordinary could possibly happen during this particular class, one of Mother Nature’s representatives paid us a visit. Almost as if on cue, right during the middle of my instruction, a Palmetto Bug, the size of a Chihuahua scurried across the training room floor.

Native to the Southern United States (I train primarily in Atlanta, GA) Palmetto Bugs look like giant cockroaches – with wings! Although harmless, it caused quite a scare to my unsuspecting participants. I’ll spare the gory details, but let’s just say the show did not (italics) go on for the poor Palmetto Bug!

Despite the shipping issues with my materials, a lengthy fire alarm, a stolen laptop, and a gigantic bug, the show did indeed go on. My participants got the skill and knowledge they came for, plus a little extra excitement. I even got some pretty positive remarks on my end-of-class evaluations.

It’s unlikely you’ll find these scenarios addressed in a job description, but as trainers, we train. Oftentimes we train regardless of the unusual circumstances that can, and do, arise from time to time in our classrooms. Because after all, the show must go on!

We’d like to hear some of your unique or out-of-the ordinary situations that have occurred in your training classroom. Feel free to comment.

Langevin Team

Have you ever had someone:

A.____ Fall asleep in your class?

B.____ Check their email with their mobile device?

C.____ Say, “I don’t want or need to be here?”

D.____ Hold side-bar conversations?

E.____ Read material not related to your program? (e.g. the newspaper)

So, honestly how many items did you check off: one, two, or maybe all of them? Don’t feel bad, I used to experience many of these things in my own class, until I discovered the power of the “Q” for “Questions“ – an excellent technique to gain involvement and interaction in a class. Not your typical, “Do you have any questions?” cliché, but the real power of the “Q.”

You need to get people sold on your topic BEFORE you are going to present it. People need to see the value and personal benefit of the information. Your learners will pay much better attention to you when they see the value. So, how does the question (the power of the “Q”) accomplish this challenge, you may ask?

Unleashing the power of the “Q” is all about asking WHY and HOW questions. Let’s use a scenario to clarify this point. We have a group of unhappy campers on our hands – let’s call them prisoners. They do not want to be there, nor do they have any desire to listen to anything we have to say. We can introduce the topic by asking them WHY they feel the topic is important. Place them into smaller groups, and have them brainstorm as many reasons as possible. We can even turn the exercise into a friendly game/competition. This exercise will erase their “stinkin-thinkin.”

The beauty behind this approach is that they, and not we, came up with these benefits. It is vital for people to come up with their own benefits, because people do not argue with their own data. Now that we’ve got the group energized, involved, and most important, sold on the topic, we can all learn in a very positive and enjoyable fashion. The group will have no desire to fall asleep or check their emails.

Now that w have experienced the positive impact WHY questions can have for our audience, let’s look at the second half of the power of the “Q” – that is asking HOW questions. Let’s continue with this scenario by explaining how we can use the power of the “Q” AFTER we’ve covered some of our need-to-know content.  We can ask the group HOW the information will benefit them back on the job. Once again, we are allowing the group to sell the benefits. This approach is far more effective than asking, “Are there any questions?” and all we get is blank stares.

I have used HOW and WHY questions for years, and have had incredible success. Give the power of the “Q” a try then re-take the brief exercise above. What’s that you say? You did not check any of the boxes?! Congratulations!!!

Ron