in this issue
	Opener: The Bad Intro Debriefing: Managing Team Reporting Closer: Revisiting Objectives Training Reinforcement

Opener: The Bad Intro

Here's a fun way to begin a workshop on Training or Presentation Skills. It gets across the point that starting strong is important, and brings out some of the things to avoid when delivering training. This activity works if you have 2 trainers teaching the workshop, or have another trainer available to assist you in the kickoff. Here's how it works. Have one trainer begin the session, covering the usual information you would cover (name, background, course objectives). But instead of delivering this opening with style and pizzazz, he or she will demonstrate the wrong way to open a session. For example, speak softly, don't make eye contact, face the slides instead of the audience, tremble, stumble over your words, forget what you were going to say. Continue with this approach for 2-3 minutes (it will seem like an eternity!). Then have the second trainer interrupt you and comment about how poorly you are doing (If you're supposed to be demonstrating good presentation skills, we're in trouble). Then have a short exchange about why you're so nervous, responding with some of the common reasons people give when presenting poorly. Wrap it up by explaining to the group what you were doing. Then ask, "What did you think when I began the class as I did?" (One response I've heard: "I thought this was going to be a long two days.") Explain that you will be teaching them techniques so that nobody ever thinks about them what they just thought about you. And once you've started so badly, they will feel more comfortable because they know they won't be as bad as you were!

Debriefing: Managing Team Reporting

Have you ever needed to have teams report their work quickly, but found some people wanted to elaborate endlessly on the work they did? Now, I realize we often want that elaboration, but sometimes it isn't necessary, especially if the activity itself included some type of debrief within the team. When you want quick reporting, try this technique. Explain to teams that they will be sharing their work by speed reporting. This means that each team will have one minute to share their work. You will need a timer for this. Set the timer, then have the team begin. When the timer indicates that one minute is up, the team must stop speaking. You will find that teams share their work quickly, and you also add some energy to the reporting as they try to rush through before the timer goes off. You can even have a competition to see who gets through their report in the shortest amount of time while still covering everything on their charts. Everyone will have some fun and you will save a little time as well.

Closer: Revisiting Objectives

Trainers often begin a workshop by asking participants for their objectives. We should also close a session by finding out how those objectives have been met. Here are two ways to make this happen: 1. Record participant objectives on a flip chart at the beginning of the workshop. Keep them posted throughout. At the end of the session, divide the class into teams and distribute the objectives among the teams. Instruct teams to identify at least one tool or technique taught in the workshop that would address each of their assigned objectives. Then have teams report their work. 2. Begin training by asking participants to record on a 3x5 card one or more questions they would like to have answered by the end of training. At the end of training, have teams swap cards and answer the questions from another team. If there are any questions they can't answer, you can first offer them to the rest of the class, or answer them yourself. Whatever approach you take, remember to ask people what they have learned and how they will use it. It's a great way to reinforce to them that training time was well spent.

Training Reinforcement

Did you know that the number one influence on training application on the job is the manager of the trainee? It's true. Getting the manager involved both before AND after training has the greatest impact on training application. So how can you do this? Incorporate pre- work and post-work into your training design and provide people with tools to guide them in discussions with their managers about the training. Here's how we approach it. Prework: We instruct participants to meet with their manager prior to training to discuss three questions: What skills they expect to gain, what they think the manager wants them to learn, and how the training might help them on the job. Participants are told that they should initiate the discussion and that they should drive the conversation. Managers are advised that they will be contacted about this discussion and the questions they should be prepared to answer. They are also advised that the participant should be leading the discussion. Postwork: We instruct participants to meet again with their manager to discuss these questions: their insights from the training, useful tools they received, their strengths and weaknesses, their action plan, and the support they need from their manager. Managers are again advised of the questions, and that the participants should be leading this discussion as well. We also provide managers with some information about the importance of their involvement in the training process, and we give them some suggestions about how to reinforce the training on the job (noticing progress, redirecting behavior, giving positive feedback, etc.). We tested this system and found that those who had management discussions before and after training were much more likely to actually change their performance on the job. Try it with your training and see if you get the same results!