Focus Magazine - Fall 2015 - (Page 15)
FRONT OF THE ROOM
Brian Lange
Delivering the
Unexpected
The easy thing to
do is the expected,
the routine.
W
e tend to be creatures of habit. We
develop routines and replicate them
with great consistency. I recall hearing
a motivational speaker years ago proclaim that,
"If you haven't changed your alarm clock waketime setting in more than a week-you're in a
rut!" is tendency to develop and repeat
patterns definitely carries over to the
workplace, and can lead to an o-heard
exchange:
Question: "Why do we do this?"
"I don't know. We've always done
it that way."
Let me suggest that if you ever provide that
answer in a conversation, you might want to do
some soul-searching and really re-think the
answer in order to come up with something
more credible and more meaningful!
In the PrimeTime! For Trainers workshop,
we take aim at those training practices in which
the answer for why they are done (handing out
detailed agendas with specific times on them;
asking the class, "What topics are you hoping to
address in this class?", etc.) is oen, "I don't
know. We've always done it." is requires us to
become critical thinkers ... assessing and
challenging the ways in which we work, and
always with an ultimate focus on the learner.
When I make my pitch for not giving
participants detailed, time-bound agendas, I
oen lead with the question, "How does a
detailed agenda help the learner?" When you
dig in, you quickly see that an agenda with
times can help certain learners have a needed
overview of the upcoming experience ... but,
upon even deeper review, we learn that the lists
of cons (attendees critiquing the trainer for
Answer:
being "behind"- or a facilitator cutting-off
good class dialogue because of the "schedule,"
etc.) can oen outweigh the advantages. us,
aer really thinking about why something is
done a particular way, many folks have
transitioned to sharing topics that will be
covered - but, not the times anticipated for
each. Shiing our focus toward the learner's
overall experience can help us deploy critical
thinking skills that can enhance our deliveries.
For example, I recently had an opportunity
to provide development for new summer
interns at one of our client organizations. eir
internship was going to culminate in individual
presentations of findings and ideas from a
special project that each was going to complete.
We talked about what it was going to be like
for the executives who were going to hear all of
the presentations during a full day. By the fih
or sixth presentation - with a likely very
similar format - the executives were probably
going to be feeling things were fairly
monotonous. So, the opportunity was to deliver
the unexpected - something different (format;
means of engaging, etc.). We talked about
asking questions of the audience at the
beginning to get them thinking (and involved!)
about the topic at hand. is would likely be a
welcomed and unexpected change to actually
include the audience members in the delivery.
e easy thing to do is the expected, the
routine. As folks who are tasked with creating
engaging learning, let's remember to challenge
ourselves and really see the experiences we
create through the eyes of our participants.
Here's to delivering the unexpected! ■
Brian Lange, blange@perim.com, is with Perim Consulting and serves as lead facilitator for LTEN PrimeTime! For
Trainers Core and Masters workshops. He blogs at www.WorkplaceInfluence.blogspot.com.
FOCUS | FALL 2015 | www.L-TEN.org
15
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http://www.L-TEN.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Focus Magazine - Fall 2015
Focus Magazine
From the President: Training's Transformative Power
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Guest Editors: The Role of Tension Management
Directions: More Ways to Connect
Front of the Room: Delivering the Unexpected
Neuroscience: The Neuroscience of Mindfulness
AstraZeneca: Creating a Blended Learning Curriculum
44th LTEN Annual Conference: The Power of Networking
Executing a Key Account Management Strategy
Member Solutions: Managing Global Learning
The Making of Great Leaders
Developing Reps: 5 Critical Steps to Success
Reaching Potential: Two Essential Skills
Virtual How: Medical Device Training Priorities
Ad Index
Focus Contacts
5 Questions with Anthony Caliendo
Focus Magazine - Fall 2015
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