I’m sure we all have attended some less than optimally run meetings. You know the ones; they seem to go on and on forever and still do not accomplish anything. I know I’ve been in a few of these. Yet running a successful meeting – or session – doesn’t just happen.  In fact, successful meeting/session facilitation takes place in four phases: planning the session, opening the session, facilitating, and closing the session. In this posting, we’ll explore the planning phase.

A good meeting/session requires good planning. But how much planning? I’ve heard it said that a typical model is 10% planning, 80% meeting, and 10% follow-up. A much more effective model is 50% planning, 30% meeting, and 20% follow-up. One of my favorite quotes is, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” No one has time to waste, so putting a bit of time and effort into planning can help ensure your meetings/sessions are meaningful and productive. Below are suggested guidelines for planning effective meetings:

Determine the Purpose or Desired Outcomes of the Session:

Survey the people who will attend the meeting for topics they would like to have included in the meeting and ask for a brief description of their topic. Upon receipt, look for commonalities among the topics and prioritize accordingly. Better yet, once you’ve obtained a list of proposed topics, let the attendees prioritize the list! (Our Facilitation Skills for New Facilitators course has some excellent techniques for doing just this!)

Create an Agenda:

Once you have prioritized the topics, create objectives or agenda points for the entire session. Langevin emphasizes that clear, simple objectives should be written as an action verb followed by a noun. Also, declare start and end times for the session along with time limits for each topic as a courtesy for those attending. Generally, you can stay on track and achieve your outcomes if you adhere to time limits and keep the discussion flowing in an orderly fashion!

Post a “Parking Lot”:

Trainers use “Parking Lots” in their classrooms as a way to “bench” an issue/question until it can be addressed.  This technique works well for meetings, too. Plan to use a flipchart page or whiteboard on which attendees can write their issue/question until the end of the meeting. This keeps the session flowing more smoothly, allowing attendees to have their questions answered at specified times of the meeting.

Consider Room Set-up:

Believe it or not, this is an essential part of planning your session. The room set-up can make or break your meeting by allowing it to flow the way you need it to—or not! You have a few options:

1. Round Tables: great for brainstorming sessions.  Fosters a ‘team’ environment and encourages participation among small groups.
2. “U” Shaped: use this set-up when you want the attendees to see each other and interact only when needed.
3. Lecture Setting: chairs are in rows, like a theater. This set-up establishes the speaker as the main focus and works well when the main purpose of the session is solely imparting information.

Finally:

I encourage you to send out reminders about your meeting.  They should go out a day or two before the meeting.

Whether you are a manager, team member or HR professional, you may be called upon to facilitate/lead a meeting. So remember, it all starts with planning. And I’d love to hear what you’re doing around the Planning phase. Feel free to share! For more how-to’s on facilitating meetings, consider our new Facilitation Skills for New Facilitators workshop. The press is that it is a winner!

Melissa

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

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

Here are a few tips to prevent or mitigate that situation:

Recognize when time is becoming a problem

Time markers may already be in your leaders guide, however if they are not, indicate in your notes or your agenda where you intend to be incrementally throughout the day. And, speaking of an agenda, a great time-management technique is to have one posted as a visual reference for the participants to see where they are in the day. An agenda is also a cue sheet for you.

It’s a lot easier to pick up the pace when you are a few minutes behind at the end of the first hour, than to find you have 20 minutes of training left at the end of the day. Some people use an event guide with the events that should occur during training with the estimated amount of time required (e.g. icebreaker – 9 minutes, housekeeping – 5 minutes, etc.) or the time of day they plan to be at each point.

Finally, make sure you have a time piece visible. Check your watch or cell phone (with ringer off!) when your participants begin an activity. A wall clock in the back of the room is a great classroom accessory.

Be familiar with your leaders guide

In addition to time markers or an event list, there may be suggestions in the instructor notes section of your leader’s guide about what to do if you are falling behind (or are ahead of time). For example, the notes may identify lower priority content that could be covered in less detail, pushed to the next session, or omitted if time is tight.

Limit discussion if behind timeline

Don’t solicit questions if you’re running late. Don’t refuse questions, but encourage people to ask questions that may be unique to them during the breaks or after class has ended. For activities that involve group discussion, allocate less time than your lesson plan normally calls for. Sometimes tight timelines can lead to more effective discussions. If you have someone in the group who needs “air time” politely use low-intervention techniques (such as changing your physical location) to manage the “over participation” problem.

Communicate the problem to the class

Without apology, let the class know “we” are a bit behind schedule. Fewer questions will come and the group will work to manage disruptions. Everybody wants to get out on time!

Never go back

If you feel you’ve missed some content, don’t let it disrupt your training. If you feel it is critical, smoothly introduce it later in the day. The learners don’t have a copy of your lesson plan. In any case, make a mental note (or highlight it in your lesson plan) to cover it the next time you’re presenting the training.

Don’t go beyond scheduled completion time

You may not hear the loud “click” at 4:30 (or whenever your scheduled completion time is), but in my experience, the learners are as aware of the time as you are and the “click” is the sound of the brain transitioning to the post-training mode. Some may still be with you, but most are mentally gone. While it is OK to finish early, finishing late is not the mark of a professional and the extra time is usually not productive. Wrap the training up as gracefully as you can, get them out at the assigned time, and figure out how to do better next time.

And don’t worry; the next class will go more smoothly!

Paul

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

There are so many variables that can impact time management in the classroom: a large or small class, discussions that go off track or go on too long, difficult situations, a fire drill, etc. The list can go on and on.  I am sure that you have probably experienced at least one or two classes where your time management skills were challenged. I know I have and I’d like to share one of those experiences with you and let you know what I learned from that experience.

There I was on this particular day and I was faced with a crisis that made it imperative that I end the class a half hour earlier than scheduled. It was a one-day course so I didn’t have the option of moving any content to the next day. I remember thinking how much of a challenge this would be, because it is always important for me to do my best and give the client more than they expect. Well, I ended up surprising myself by getting through everything and ending the class when I needed to. I didn’t skip any content, nor did I skip any of the learner exercises. In fact, everything went well. So, what did I do? Read on to find out…

My manager uses two interesting terms to describe timing in the classroom: camping and hiking. There are courses where we can camp and others where we must hike. My style for the most part is to camp as I like a nice easy flow. However, I’ve learned that in some courses there are times when I have to hike, which takes me out of my comfort zone. Nevertheless, it’s coming out of our comfort zone that allows us to grow. And grow I did from this experience. I took a hike. When hiking you need to…

• Focus on the need to know content
• Use an economy of words therefore minimizing talking time
• Be very succinct, yet clear, in instructions for activities
• Keep discussions on track
• Use the parking lot more often

These discoveries may appear pretty basic and are probably skills that you practice most of the time. However, when your back is against the wall, these skills become more potent. In my case using these skills really helped with my time management and I’ll remember to use them the next time I am faced with a similar situation.

Time management is a constant balancing act. Camping and sitting around the fire is great but it’s important to know when to pack it up and continue the hike if we plan to make it to our destination and meet our objective.

Linda

My personal definition of feedback is: “Providing someone with praise and encouragement when something goes well, and suggestions for improvement when it does not.”

Feedback, when paired with Presentation and Application make for an integral part of training. Effective feedback can be a powerful training tool. It acknowledges competence, reinforces appropriate performance and behaviors, fills knowledge gaps and promotes self-awareness. Because feedback can be so powerful and often has a lasting impact, I’d like to share some tips to consider when it comes to delivering feedback.

It’s not what you say, but how you say it…

In her quest to groom me as a decent person, my grandmother used to say this to me all the time. I feel the concept is fitting for the classroom as well. A trainer can (and should) tell someone they messed up or completed a task incorrectly. However, when doing so, we need to be very mindful of our approach and delivery. From my experience, a helpful, caring tone of voice is much better received than a snide, sarcastic tone.

Your video must match your audio…

In addition to tone of voice, be mindful of your other non-verbal behaviors such as facial expressions and body language. When delivering positive feedback, a smile, expressive eyes, and a few head nods, can seal the deal. The same holds true for delivering constructive feedback. Also keep in mind, it might be wise to avoid standing with your arms crossed, rolling your eyes or sighing when suggesting “opportunities for improvement.”

Be timely…

If you see a person make a mistake today, you need to tell them about that mistake today. If poor performance is not addressed until later down the line it’s harder to remember and eventually correct. Plus, the learner may get the impression the poor performance is actually desired performance, because of the fact it was never addressed.

Be specific…

Stand alone phrases such as “good job” or “that’s not right,” may not have much value. Instead, I’d suggest telling your learners exactly what they’re being praised for or why they’re being corrected. Whenever possible, try to give specific examples of what you’ve observed. Example: “During the debrief of our customer service discussion, you contributed some great ideas that would be beneficial in handling an irate customer.” Or, “I noticed you scrolled through the entire directory to locate the patient information screen. You might find it helpful to press the F2 key, which will automatically locate the same screen.”

Don’t make it personal…

Your adult learner desires to keep his/her self-esteem intact, so when delivering feedback it’s usually best to keep it focused on performance or behaviors. Addressing personality issues or incorporating our own personal bias usually does more harm than good. Granted, you may not be fond of a particular learner’s fashion style or color choices, but what does that really have to do with helping a person improve on specific job skills (unless, of course, you work in an industry where such choices are relevant to job standards and performance).

As you can see, most of these feedback tips are based on common sense. It becomes a trainer’s personal challenge, however, to be mindful of them and commit to practicing them each time we’re in the classroom doing what we do best.

Langevin Team

From the design standpoint, assigning pre-course work, branching of content or application during the course, or using post-course assignments can help.  The designer may choose a method that capitalizes on the more experienced learners by pairing them up with one or more less experienced learners (peer tutoring). Or perhaps the designer will use some other discussion technique to reveal content.

But what other strategies can an instructor use on the fly in the classroom?

I recently instructed a Web Based Training (WBT) design class where I had participants who published web-based training products, multi-media developers who programmed training products, and people who had never even seen a WBT – all in the same class. Challenging!  Here are some of the things I did:

• I acknowledged up front the value that the participants brought to the workshop.
• Projects were done in small teams of 3-5 people.  The more experienced could help the inexperienced and, in so doing, also have their competency acknowledged.  Win-Win.
• I made sure that the more experienced participants’ expectations were met by surveying them early in the class and tying their particular concerns to specific pieces of content being covered.
• I used some of the technically adept participants as a resource during our discussions of authoring tools and LMSs (Learning Management Systems).
• I offered to use some of the more experienced participants’ products as examples during breaks and after hours to illustrate some of our teaching points.
• I allowed a limited amount of “air time” to the more experienced participants.

Perfect solutions that made everybody happy?  No-o-o-o-o, but, I think the workshop was much better received than if it had been a “one-size-fits-all” – despite the diversity of experience that was in the class.

Whether designing or instructing, I’d love to hear about what has worked for you when you are dealing with diversity in the classroom.

Paul

Since content is king, I let it drive the way I start every course. I think about content as being one of three types. There is technical content that deals with equipment or a physical process. Then, there is interpersonal content which is all about how we relate to each other as people. Some people call it “soft skills” but that’s another story.  Finally, there is conceptual, or what I like to call “Mental Gymnastics.” Yeah, it’s that brain activity where we think about things, but we may not be physically involved in a task or interacting with another person. Each type of content inspires me to create a unique icebreaker. I’d like to share some that I’ve used.

One type of technical training is related to software and system updates. An icebreaker that I’ve used in this type of training really helps the participants accept organizational and technological changes. In groups, have your participants pick one gadget they currently use that wasn’t around 20 years ago – like a cell phone for example. Have them write the name of the gadget on a chart. Next, have them list all the things they love about it. Once they have completed their lists, have them share their ideas with the large group. You will find that the ideas on the lists outline some of the great benefits of our changing technology. You can wrap up the activity by offering the perspective that the benefits they have listed are the same benefits driving the changes that will be talked about in class.

Unless we are all replaced by robots (HA HA!), we work with people. There are many skills required to do this well, so the key to success here is to identify what you are teaching the group to “do.” For example, in a team building course, have the participants introduce themselves in teams. Invite them to create a group resumé. Have each person on the team take responsibility for a different component. Let’s say you have four people on a team. Maybe you want them to share years of experience, areas of expertise, course expectations, and hobbies. I know what you’re thinking, “Hey, isn’t that the same old tired intro?” Nope. While the information may be similar, the technique used really drives home the team element allowing each of the four team members to collect information, document it, and share it with the large group. As an additional challenge, have each team create a team name that captures a common theme among the team members.

When it comes to conceptual content, it’s not as abstract as you may think (pun intended). When training sales people, for example, you will find that they will need to communicate product information to their customers. The conceptual opportunity comes from their ability to analyze a customer situation, and offer the right product for the right situation. One of my favorite icebreakers comes from my time in improvisational theater. It’s called, “The Prop Intro.” Find a unique prop such as a tennis racket. Have participants introduce themselves by name, and then use the prop to illustrate something about themselves. I might hold the racket like a guitar and tell the group that I play guitar. Someone else might hold it like a frying pan and say that they enjoy cooking. The icebreaker will get the group thinking creatively, and offer a subtle reminder that each customer is unique.

I suggest you check out some of our resources for more icebreaker ideas. You can also Google “icebreakers,” and after you sift through the mint pages of the candy websites, you’ll find many great sites for classroom icebreakers. The mints remind me of another technique. Get some packages of “Icebreaker Mints,” have each participant take as many as they would like, tell them not to eat them yet, let them count how many they have taken, and then invite them to share that many things about themselves with a small group or the entire group.

Selecting a variety of icebreakers related to course content can create unique training experiences. This will be a welcome and “refreshing” change in any classroom.

Jim

• Am I making eye contact?
• Are my gestures appropriate and convincing?
• Is my stance balanced?
• Am I using speech fillers?

Below are some of my favorite skill and improvement tips.  Some of these techniques may seem obvious, but they’re often neglected or forgotten — especially when under pressure.

Make random eye contact.

It’s the most powerful means of conveying non-verbal messages and the single most important aspect of connecting with an audience.  Scan the entire room and allow your gaze to rest on one person for approximately two seconds before you “scan and lock” again.  Try to create a casual flow from front to back, side to side.  Eye contact makes your audience feel included and acknowledged.

Smile!

It seems obvious, but a smile is the first thing that goes when you are nervous.  But smiling is a great method to break the ice and put your audience at ease.  Become aware of the degree to which you smile (or don’t) when you’re nervous.

Use gestures for emphasis.

A gesture is a hand movement that is as much a part of language as speech!  The bigger the audience, the bigger the gestures need to be.  Try to scale your gestures to match the size of your audience.  Gestures need to start at the shoulder and stay above the waist – so everyone can see them.  Low gestures can draw the audience down and away from your face, and then they become distracting.  Penguins can be cute, but they’re not good presenters.

Assume the “Ready Position.”

Place your feet hip-width apart to create a solid base.  Position your weight over the balls of the feet and relax your knees.  Finally, rest your arms at your sides.  Resist the urge to fidget!

Move with purpose!

Focus on someone in your audience.  Move toward that same person as you are speaking, and maintain eye contact.  Stop in the “Ready Position” and stay in one spot for awhile.  Don’t move too soon, or you’ll look like you’re pacing.  From here, you can focus on several people, one at a time, for 3-6 seconds each.  (3-6 seconds translates into a complete thought or sentence per person.)

Make listening easy.

By incorporating silent spaces between thoughts, you give listeners time to absorb the idea you just stated.  Best of all, it gives you an opportunity to breathe!

Reduce filler words.

Become aware of the fillers (uh’s, um’s, you knows, etc.) and replace them with the silence of a pause.  Listen to your own voice-mail messages to help identify your particular fillers.

Finally, don’t hide your hands in your pockets!

If both of your hands are in your pockets, it says your usefulness is in suspension!!  Literally translated, “I can’t give you a hand.”

I enjoy learning about and gathering new tips and techniques to add to my “Trainer’s Toolbox,” so I’d like to hear from you.  What are some of your favorite tools/techniques to polish your presentation skills?

Melissa