Knowledge and Skill Regarding Course Content

While some people believe that you need to be a subject matter expert (SME) in a specific area to teach a course on that content, the reality is that an excellent facilitator can teach any course with a combination of knowledge, skill, and facilitation techniques.

To gauge this truth, consider how much knowledge and what level of skill a participant will possess after completing a training course. We, as facilitators, need at least that same level of knowledge and skill to deliver the course. To achieve this, we can take certain steps such as thoroughly studying the course content. This means reading all the content in the lesson plan, as well as performing the activities and taking the assessments that the participants will take during the training. It also entails making notes regarding any questions that come up as we study and preparing to answer those same questions for our participants. This level of studying pushes us past our “basic” knowledge and can increase our confidence and comfort level in the classroom. To further strengthen our knowledge and skill, we can work as a designer for a course we will later teach – should the opportunity present itself. This work can provide us with an even greater depth of knowledge and skill than that of the participants who attend the training.

Facilitation Skills

Given the choice, I’d rather have a great facilitator who has moderate knowledge and skill levels about the subject matter being taught than a SME who lacks facilitation skills. The facilitation skills I’m referring to are the ability to converse with a group, follow a lesson plan, and being willing to explore questions and issues.

Conversing with a group is different than lecturing to a group. The focus when using a conversational style is on the group rather than the presenter. Keeping a group engaged is about talking with them rather than at them. Remember, people listen individually, so we need to address a group like we’re really talking to one person. Consider it a conversation, not a presentation.

Following a lesson plan can be a struggle when you know far more about a topic than what the course is intended to teach. There are times in my own teaching opportunities where I have to pull back the reigns of what I’d like to say to keep the group focused on what they “need” to learn. Having a lesson plan that identifies what key points to make, how to facilitate activities, and even timeframes for how long each teaching segment should take is a fantastic tool used to create consistent training even with multiple instructors. Remember, this is training not theater. What I mean is that we don’t have to memorize what we will say and do – we can take that pressure off. Instead, we can let the lesson plan be our guide in the classroom.

Lastly, we need to be willing to explore questions and issues. Keep in mind that none of us knows “everything.” If a question gets asked to which we don’t know the answer, we can post it on a parking lot chart with other issues to be addressed at the end of the day or the course. We can then go and research the answer so we can provide it to the group. The parking lot approach also works well for issues that go beyond the scope of the course by avoiding the derailing of our content. We can offer to stay at the end of the day to discuss those issues.

Prep Time

I once spoke with a participant who said, ”Yeah, we do on-the-fly training. We’re told what to teach, when to teach it, and then we prep on the plane.”  Upon further discussion, I was told that this approach doesn’t work so well because the instructor feels unprepared. I’m not surprised.

Whenever we are teaching a class for the first time, we can let the course length be our guide. If we are teaching a one-day class, then we need at least that much time to prep. Industry averages and unofficial surveys in my classes have revealed that facilitators usually get about two times the course length to prep a “first-time” course. Teach-backs, co-facilitating, and rehearsing on our own can be valuable methods for preparation.

Once we’ve taught a course for the first time, it’s important to go back and review the lesson plan to adjust our actions so we are even more prepared the next time we teach. Once we’ve taught a course, conducting the same course again and again will not require much prep. It might even be as brief as looking over the lesson plan the night before, just to get our bearings before we teach.

I feel it a great privilege to train trainers. When I teach our facilitation skills classes, I have an especially targeted focus on practicing what we teach. I would not expect our participants to do anything that we ourselves are not prepared to do. It is with this same passion that I encourage you to truly prepare to teach. After all, how can we expect our participants to succeed if we ourselves are not first given the knowledge, skills, and time to succeed?

Jim

What else is there to classroom setup?

Working for Langevin is very nice. Invariably, we are sent to a venue the day before training.  Whether the training I am to facilitate is in a public venue or within an organization, my classroom is mostly set up when I walk in—yet I still spend one to two hours settling in. Here are some of the “tweaks” I’d like to share with you that help to make a non-technical classroom well organized and functional yet comfortable for both me and the participants.

• Reposition tables. I often move them just a few inches to make sure there is space to walk in between the tables comfortably and for the chairs to slide back without hitting the wall or other tables. Additionally, I like the tables in front to be a bit closer to the walls than the ones in the back to make it easier for me to work the room and for the back tables to see the screen. Furthermore, if possible, I set the rear tables for more participants than the front so there are less people to block the view. If any table has fewer seats for participants, it will be the one closest the door to make it easier to get in and out of the room during breaks.
• Reposition chairs at the tables. I like the chairs arranged in an arc facing the front of the room, instead of equally distributed around the table, to help eye contact and hence group management and participation.
• Add table ingredients. I make sure there are extra supplies (markers, paper, post-its, etc.) at each table. I also believe in table toys for the kinesthetic learners.
• Add a resource table. I like a resource table at the back of the room for references and additional supplies. That gives me a place for the nice-to-know information that some participants want and some extra supplies they may need.
• Add a facilitator’s table. I like a table pretty much out of sight for my supplies and handouts so I can easily retrieve them as needed throughout the course.
• Orient the A/V Table. I like the Audio-Visual table oriented so the narrow end faces the participants as I want as little as possible to physically separate us. Additionally, I try to mount my computer low so as to not obstruct the participants’ view of the screen.
• Reposition the easel stands. Often the flipchart easels are set up in a row or to the sides of the tables. I prefer them to the front of the front tables and to the rear of the back tables. It closes down the space for a cozier feel and allows good visibility around the room. I also position one or two easels in front of the facilitator’s table to hide any clutter.
• Remove chairs. I remove or place any extra chairs on the side of the room to control where the participants can sit.
• Add chairs. I make sure I have a couple of extra chairs spread around the side of the room to accommodate any unexpected participants and so I can sit at the table when monitoring activities.
• Attend to “cordology.” I make sure that A/V cables are neatly secured and hidden as much as possible to present a more professional appearance. I also tape any exposed extension cords. Many of our participants have a safety background and trip hazards appear unprofessional to them (and embarrassing to me).

The end result of these “tweaks” is that the room presents a very organized, comfortable, and user-friendly appearance. The room, therefore, quickly becomes more of a home to the participants and enhances the learning environment. As a final bonus, all this has made the room my own and raised my comfort level in what may be a new environment for me as well as for the participants.

What do you do to “tweak” your training room to make it well organized yet comfortable? I’d love to hear from you.

Paul

Little things mean a lot in the world of training as well. We trainers work hard to develop our broad skill sets – interpersonal skills,  instructional design skills , and instructional skills – so it’s easy to sometimes forget the little things.

I would like to share with you of some of the little things we can do during our day-to-day training activities that make a difference. I have broken down these tips into three categories: interpersonal tips, instructional tips, and design tips.

So, here are my thoughts!

Interpersonal Tips

• Send thank you notes to people who make a difference to you; SMEs, managers, IT staff, and administrative staff.

• Send hand-written thank you notes instead of emails. There is more power in the written word and it really shows you care!

• Praise learners when they get things right! All too often it’s easier to focus on the things they do incorrectly.

Instructional Tips

• Try to talk to all of your learners at least once a day, every day. It helps keep them involved and makes them feel important to you.

• When using audio visual aids like flipcharts, PowerPoint slides, and whiteboards, use only dark colors for text and large enough font sizes so that everyone can see, otherwise, learners can become disengaged.

• Make eye contact with everyone during instructor-led sessions so no learner ever feels excluded.

Design Tips

• Design the course to include a short icebreaker or introductory activity during the first 30 minutes of class on the first day; it gives learners a chance to get comfortable with each other and with you.

• Design the course to include a variety of teaching methods so everyone can learn regardless of learning style. Mix some lecture with small group activities and demonstrations to keep people engaged and interested.

• Design end-of-training summaries with impact so learners walk away with key take-a-ways and positive feelings about what they have just learned.

Individually these things may not seem like much but when you combine them they add up to training success for you, your learners, and your department.

What little things do you do that add up to learning success?

Lynne

Apparently PowerPoint has crept into the lives of military commanders and reached the level of near obsession. (I guess we should be thankful that we’re not the only group overusing this tool!) In April 2010, at a military conference in North Carolina, General James Mattis of the Marine Corps said, “PowerPoint makes us stupid.” Further, Brig-General H.R. McMaster followed up by likening PowerPoint to an internal threat. He said, “PowerPoint is dangerous because it can create the illusion of understanding and the illusion of control. Some problems in the world are not bullet-izable.”

Commanders say that behind all the PowerPoint jokes are serious concerns that the program stifles discussion, critical thinking, and thoughtful decision-making. Aren’t these the exact behaviors that we hope to achieve in the classroom?

As an answer to this problem, I’m dedicating this blog to all the PowerPoint users out there who feel this is the ONLY way to impart information. Guess what? It isn’t. Here are just some of Langevin’s favorite techniques to present information in an interactive and enjoyable way:

1. Abbreviated Lecturette: Learners list everything they know about a topic and the instructor provides the missing content.
2. Graphic Association: The instructor shows a picture or symbol to represent a key idea/topic and then explains its significance.
3. Mock Interview: A volunteer participant “interviews” the instructor using a list of questions or a script provided by the instructor.
4. Multiple Choice: The instructor delivers a segment of content, using a series of multiple choice questions.  Learners guess the correct response.
5. Search & Learn: Learners are given a series of questions and work in small groups to research content provided.
6. Fill-in-the-Blanks: Learners fill in words or short phrases on a worksheet that summarizes the key ideas covered in the presentation.
7. Cooperative: The instructor randomly distributes numbered topic cards to learners who are called upon to read them aloud.
8. Examples/Exceptions: Learners, in small groups, are asked to create an example or analogy of the content presented or to identify exceptions.

Each of these techniques helps learners do the exact opposite of what the commanders attribute to the misuse of PowerPoint: they involve the learners, foster discussion, aid retention—plus they are fun ways to learn! And isn’t this what training is all about? (Want to learn more about these techniques? Check out our Advanced Instructional Techniques or 25 Creative Ways to Add Excitement to Your Training courses.)

Now it’s your turn. What techniques do you use to present your content? Can’t wait to hear your creative ideas!

Marsha

What were we talking about? You don’t have a clue!

But, first, a reality check. Is this just something that happens to “senior” instructors? Absolutely not. It happens to all of us. Fatigue is a factor that all trainers live with. Distractions in and out of the classroom can put that train of thought right off the rails. The tangential question can also take you right out of the zone. There are many reasons for the trainer’s mind momentarily looking like a blank slate, so the real question is, “What to do when it does happen?”

Here are some recovery techniques that I’ve used.

• Keep the focus on the learners. One easy way of doing that is to make your next statement a question such as, “What’s your opinion on the key part of this process?” At a minimum, this gives you some precious time to think—out of the spotlight.
• You might defer a question to the table groups (e.g. “I’ll give you two minutes to discuss this in your groups.”) The processing time for learners to consider a question or have a brief discussion is probably more than the time you need to get yourself back up to speed. And, if you monitor the table discussions, chances are you will pick up a key word or phrase to jump start your memory.
• Consult your notes. Most trainers have their lesson plan or notes to refer to during class. If you’re stuck, take a moment to look at your notes and collect your thoughts. Your notes should be a road map for the course; maybe they will help you get back on course. In my opinion, you lose no credibility referring to notes; the learners expect it.
• On the subject of road maps, do you have a posted agenda? If so, glance at the agenda. It may get you back on track, but, if not, it may give you an idea of where to transition for the next subject area—again, getting through the blank spot.
• Use a central graphic. If there’s a central graphic you use frequently in the class, use it to refocus the group—and yourself. Display the graphic and it will remind you of things to say.
• Admit guilt. An aircraft pilot is taught to handle a difficult situation with the three “C”s—climb, communicate, and confess. For pilots this means that altitude is always a good thing but they need to get in touch with flight service or air traffic control to let them know if they’re in a predicament. For some pilots, the communication of a problem they can’t handle is difficult. I could stretch the analogy a bit, but let’s just take the confess part. For many instructors, it is difficult to say, “Oops, let me regroup here for a moment.” Still, do your learners expect you to be perfect? Mine definitely don’t. When all else fails, just take a moment to “reboot.”

A final comment…most trainers devote a fair amount of time establishing a good climate for learning in the classroom; this includes rapport with the students. If our learners really believe it is a cooperative and safe learning environment, then it is probably alright to have the occasional lapse where the perfect word or phrase just doesn’t come.

What additional survival tips do you have for other instructors who might find themselves in this situation?

Paul

Relevance

When people come to training, their main concern is learning skills they can use in their jobs. No matter how interesting a fact may be when you design a course or prepare to deliver a course, if it doesn’t focus on how to perform work, it probably shouldn’t be in there. This is at the heart of the lean training approach. It has been said that in every fat course, there’s a thin course trying to get out. What this means is that your course content should focus on job tasks, and avoid topics or non-relevant information as much as possible.

Rationale

People love when instructions are clear-cut, but they also tend to question things a lot. Employees seem to constantly be asking themselves, “Why should I do it this way?” Don’t allow your learners to begin doubting the reasons for the work processes taught in the course; begin every lesson with a rationale for the process. Describe the personal and professional benefits people will gain from using the new process.

Realism

Look at any training that teaches skills where lives are at stake. How realistic is the practice in that training? Consider the training an airline pilot gets, or a firefighter gets, or a soldier gets. Guess how much of their graded activities are paper-based tests versus practical simulations of their work. We should be emulating that philosophy whenever possible. Rather than prepare written tests or oral quizzes, we should be creating practical exercises that resemble the learners’ real jobs as much as possible.

GRRREAT!

Yes, three “R”s in “great” because that’s what your training will be if you apply Relevance, Rationale, and Realism to your training. There are hundreds of ways to implement these concepts in your courses; you’re limited only by your creativity. But it’s nice to have something catchy that keeps that training design and delivery philosophy anchored in our minds. That way we don’t lose our way when we’re eyebrows-deep in the details of a specific course.

Alan

Why? Because working from home allows us to find a haven in our home office.

If we consider all the time spent in longer-than-necessary meetings, playing phone tag, trying to pin down people we need information from, and dealing with the distractions created by “interoffice dynamics” (sometimes simply boiled down to socializing at best), we may find that a significant chunk of our working time is lost each day. Additionally, our ability to focus on a single task for a block of time can be seriously impacted. In a home office, we are able to scurry away from all the constant distractions usually found in the office environment. And, if we know how to manage our time and ourselves, this can result in higher productivity.

Welcome to MY World

As a Langevin Course Leader, I travel all over the world to deliver our workshops. When I am home, I have many business tasks that I must attend to. Though our main office has a standard 8:30 am to 5:00 pm schedule, I do not. I have a flexible one—something for which I am truly grateful. I get the opportunity to focus on those emails, voicemail messages, and reports that need to be handled. I get to offer support to our clients who have attended courses and want ongoing feedback. And these days I also get to blog – which is a creative process I truly enjoy. But WHY, oh WHY is my flex schedule so meaningful to me? Well…let’s look at it from both the professional and personal perspectives.

Professionally, there are tasks that need to be completed by a certain deadline. Not having any office distractions allows me to focus on them and get them done. I have nobody stopping by my “cubicle” to talk about how their date was last night or their frustrations about their football team not winning. Having the ability to work from home allows me to follow my natural, internal clock. I am more of a night owl and am, therefore, more productive between 11 PM and 2 AM than I would if I worked from 8 AM to 7 PM in an office.

Personally, having a flex schedule allows me to catch up with family and friends whom I have not seen due to my busy travel schedule. I can take my parents to lunch and catch up on reading important industry literature that I might otherwise not have the opportunity to do. I go to the gym, get re-acquainted with my TiVo, and can rest and sharpen the saw since I can sleep late (which is impossible when I am facilitating a course).

Yes, there are tasks that need to be scheduled during the regular office hours that the Langevin head office and our clients keep, but other than that, I am able to create greater balance and productivity in my professional and personal life as a result of my flex schedule.

Making It Work

I consider having a flex schedule a privilege and making it work takes discipline. I DO have to follow a task list, a calendar, or some form of guideline to keep on track. I also have to coordinate with my supervisor to ensure that deadlines are met and that I am supporting the organization as necessary. But I KNOW, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I am still as passionate and excited about my job today as I was 10 years ago when I first started because my flex schedule allows me great work-life balance and THAT has a direct impact on my motivation and performance.

It also helps to know that, if I sit down to work on something and my brain is not responding as it needs to, I can go with my natural flow and come back to that task later when my ability to focus is there. I can then get it done in one sitting in a shorter period of time than if I push and push myself to complete it when my brain is just not really wrapped around it.

If YOU work with a flex schedule where you get to work from home any amount of time, I would enjoy hearing from you. Tell us about how you stay on track, how you manage your time and how you decide which tasks will be best for you to work on at the office and which to take home. In these times of “doing more with less” it is crucial we all share our best practices on how to stay productive as well as energized. I look forward to your input, comments and ideas.

José

Some of my pet peeves about how some presenters and trainers use PowerPoint:

• Information Overload – let’s cram as much as we can on the slides so people leave and don’t have a clue about what just happened.
• Reading Slides – I’ll stand and read slides because the audience can’t read. How insulting to them and how insulting to me. Is that why I took this job? To stand and read to people??
• Boredom – How boring to watch a lengthy slide show – we’re killing people with this stuff!

Now, having said that, using multimedia slides in training can be beneficial. Typically, the course content requires a visual representation to enhance its meaning. Heck, visual learners love to see graphics and pictures. And lastly, seeing the content can increase retention for the learners.

So, the idea is to incorporate the slides properly. I’m sure you’re familiar with some of the basic ideas around using slides. Here are some Langevin tips:

• Keep it simple.
• Less is more – stick to key messages.
• Use caps only for a key word or phrase.
• Use 28-point font for headings.
• Use no more than 5-7 lines per slide.

But imagine my surprise to learn that there was a field of study around slides and even a book called Slide:ology – The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations by Nancy Duarte. These are just some of her suggestions:

• The 3 Second Rule – your message must be processed effectively within 3 seconds – about the time it takes to read a billboard.
• It’s okay to have clear space; clutter is a failure of design.
• Go for a very low word count and use bullets sparingly.
• A slide’s value is determined NOT by the amount of information it contains, but by how clearly it communicates its message.

Remember, slides are meant to enhance the session to aid learning, not BE the session! And isn’t that what training is all about?

Marsha

HANDLING QUESTIONS RESPECTFULLY

In all of our Langevin courses, we address the topic of questions as a part of our housekeeping. We invite the learner to ask questions and even challenge us respectfully. We also post a parking lot, a technique used to “park” questions that can be dealt with at a later time. I often tell participants that I respect that some people may be shy and perhaps not comfortable posing questions in front of a large group; so I invite them to write their question(s) on a post-it-note without their name, if they prefer to remain anonymous. We also offer learners additional time after class to ask questions. Obviously the learners’ questions are important to us and, therefore, we must inform them that questions are not a sign of ignorance, but an indication that they want to broaden their scope and sharpen their skills.

On the flip side, as instructors, we need to examine our own feelings about learner questions. Often we are concerned that we may not have the answers and for some reason feel that we are supposed to know everything. Obviously we should know what we are tasked to train but it is inevitable that there will be questions that we cannot answer. The text book approach clearly states, “Don’t fake an answer,” as this will surely damage the instructor’s credibility. It is best to be honest and transparent when you don’t have an answer and to do your best to get an answer to the learner as soon as possible. Another technique for dealing with questions for which you may not have an answer is to relay the question; many times other learners may have the answer. Remember, they are adults who bring experience with them to the classroom. Not knowing the answer provides a teachable moment for us as instructors to broaden our knowledge and scope. I am always picking up new information and nuggets from our participants. And, if the same question is posed again in another class, guess what? I’ll have an answer.

A good training environment should create a climate where there is two-way communication and mutual respect. Questions keep us in touch and represent an opportunity to create and build resources. We truly want to avoid the scenario that my friend experienced, so let’s embrace the who, what, where, when, why and how and, as the proverb states, never lose our way.

Linda

But NOTHING is more valuable to me than learning whatever I can about the people who are in attendance as early on in the workshop as possible. Finding out as much about my learners is of greatest significance to me because it helps me to create the best possible learning dynamics and experience for everyone in the classroom. What information do I look for?

I like to find out each learner’s role in his/her organization, challenges he/she is interested in discussing during the workshop, and what he/she would like to get out of the training he/she is attending. Finding out what workshops or skills training he/she has had in the past gives me an idea of his/her disposition towards the current training, what he/she should already know a little about, and what modules may be of higher interest to him/her.

Knowing that someone has been exposed to certain concepts during previous training sessions, or is currently dealing with certain frustrations that the course content addresses, opens the door for me so I can let him/her shine by sharing his/her experiences and achievements and/or challenges and frustrations during the course. This will almost always motivate other learners to share, ask questions, or shift their level of involvement in the course.

The more I know about my learners, the better equipped I am to help them succeed in the classroom and in their on-the-job application of what they have learned. This is why the opening introductions, warm-up activities, and general “schmoozing” with participants before and after class, and during breaks, are so important to me.

What are you doing to get to know your learners before, or as, they arrive in your classroom? Write to us and share your techniques, strategies, and tricks for getting to know your learners early on and how that has opened doors for you, and your learners, in the classroom. I look forward to your comments.

José