April 10th, 2010
Posted in Blog
Three Workshop Tips for Trainers
My brain is filled with new insights brought back from San Francisco. I attended two workshops last week and both sent me away with food for thought.
From a presenter and workshop provider’s viewpoint, my critical eye often focused on workshop format and execution, in tandem with content. I was looking for:
Strategies that created engagement and easy discussion
Tools that inspired & build confidence in new found skills
Understanding how memorable take-aways are built.
Engagement and Easy Discussion
How do you create an environment where your audience is comfortable enough to interact through discussion, questions, and deep learning? By making them welcome and providing a true learning environment.
Welcome is not just the initial handshake and hello. Know where your attendees are arriving from and acknowledge it – if you cannot personally meet them have someone who will. Let your audience know that you appreciate them taking the time out to come and how energized you are to share your information with them. Welcome envelopes your entire offering.
When your guests (yes, you are the host) are comfortable they can more easily learn. They will be willing to take chances and ask questions. They will be prepared to make mistakes. But only if you provide an environment that is not judgmental but open to new learning.
New learning is accomplished when you show that you are in control, know your topic, and have every detail and problem taken care of. Your audience will be responsive to you when they know they can trust your competence – done through being a diligent and confident host.
Inspiration 101
True learning is not done by sitting in a seat and being a one way receiver. Concepts are deeply learned by execution. Get your attendees up and moving, interacting with their seat mates, and practicing concepts in small groups. Yes, this is situational and of course breaking into pods won’t work for large audiences.
Three attendees were chosen before event day for one of the workshops. They came with one minute speeches. Each was filmed after a new technique was learned and we watched a playback and compared. At the end of the day we viewed a before and after which showed remarkable improvement.
The impact of the new skill achieved remains top of mind. After each skill was demonstrated all of the attendees broke into groups and practiced together. Everyone felt comfortable (because of the trust in the facilitator) making mistakes and taking suggestions.
One of the techniques learned was to drop the tone of the last syllable – aka no Valley Girl speak. I’ve been practicing on the Cinch recording software and I am improving, but as always, there is room to tighten it up.
Create Memorable Moments
The most memorable learning in the four days I was in California was that
Vangelis Thomaidis
Three Workshop Tips for Trainers
My brain is filled with new insights brought back from San Francisco. I attended two workshops last week and both sent me away with food for thought.
From a presenter and workshop provider’s viewpoint, my critical eye often focused on workshop format and execution, in tandem with content. I was looking for:
- Strategies that created engagement and easy discussion
- Tools that inspired & built confidence in new found skills
- Understanding how memorable take-aways are built.
Engagement and Easy Discussion
How do you create an environment where your audience is comfortable enough to interact through discussion, questions, and deep learning? By making them welcome and providing a true learning environment.
Welcome is not just the initial handshake and hello. Know where your attendees are arriving from and acknowledge it – if you cannot personally meet them have someone who will. Let your audience know that you appreciate them taking the time out to come and how energized you are to share your information with them. Welcome envelopes your entire offering.
When your guests (yes, you are the host) are comfortable they can more easily learn. They will be willing to take chances and ask questions. They will be prepared to make mistakes. But only if you provide an environment that is not judgmental but open to new learning.
New learning is accomplished when you show that you are in control, know your topic, and have every detail and problem taken care of. Your audience will be responsive to you when they know they can trust your competence – done through being a diligent and confident host.
Inspiration 101
True learning is not done by sitting in a seat and being a one way receiver. Concepts are deeply learned by execution. Get your attendees up and moving, interacting with their seat mates, and practicing concepts in small groups. Yes, this is situational and of course breaking into pods won’t work for large audiences.
Three attendees were chosen before event day for one of the workshops. They came with one minute speeches. Each was filmed after a new technique was learned and we watched a playback and compared. At the end of the day we viewed a before and after which showed remarkable improvement.
The impact of the new skill achieved remains top of mind. After each skill was demonstrated all of the attendees broke into groups and practiced together. Everyone felt comfortable (because of the trust in the facilitator) making mistakes and taking suggestions.
One of the techniques learned was to drop the tone of the last syllable – aka no Valley Girl speak. I’ve been practicing on the Cinch recording software and I am improving, but as always, there is room to tighten it up.
Create Memorable Moments
The most memorable learning in the four days I was in California was that the show must go. Of course there was glitches. The sound system speakers shorted out during an afternoon session. The presenter was completely nonplussed. Because he was so well practiced – he hardly took a breath and simply carried on.
The presenter did not deliberately foresee this learning opportunity but showed his prowess while being calm during a small storm.
a world of ideas
Vangelis Thomaidis
Tags: audience, Confidence, presentation, success
