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Remember that adults learn in different ways. Some people can learn how to play golf by picking up a set of clubs and hitting the links. Others need the help of a pro. Still others can read a book or watch a video and know what to do. The thing to keep in mind is that we all have different ways of learning so your training effort should mix sights and sounds. Come at your subject from a lot of different angles and you’ll get through to more people.
Convey technical things through stories. There are no boring subjects. You can talk about anything and make it fascinating if you explain the technical aspects through people stories. This is easy to do if you pay close attention to life. Just gather stories from day to day and use your imagination. Your students will give you their full attention.
Add colors and flavors and smells to your speech. Talk about the way the place smelled, what it looked like and the sounds you were hearing while you were looking around. Describe the people in detail. Imitate their voices. Walk like they walked. Mimic their gestures. Create a dialogue where you repeat the questions they asked you and the way you answered them. Your students will hang on your every word. Don’t talk too long at a stretch. Long ago, I learned this truth: The mind can only retain what the butt can withstand. Never go longer than two hours without a 20-minute break. Tell them up front how long you’re going to talk, and when you’ll be giving them that break. When the break time arrives, shut up. Consider where you’ll be at a particular time. This applies more to long sessions than it does to short ones. When I’m putting a full-day seminar together, I pay very close attention to what I’ll be talking about right after lunch, for instance. My students’ bellies will be full then and I don’t want them falling asleep so I save some of my fastest-moving and funniest material for that time. Be sensitive to the time just before the breaks as well. Try to roll up to the break with a great story that will send them away smiling and talking to each other about how much they’re enjoying your lecture.
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Choose low tech over high tech. I use overhead slides because they’re easy to make and easy to use. I know trainers who love to use laptop computers and PowerPoint software and video projectors and all sorts of high-tech gear. But when the computer freezes or the bulbs blow, they’re in big trouble. I’ve trained over 50,000 people, and under just about every horrible circumstance you can imagine. Believe me, the simpler you keep things, the better off you’ll be.
| Dan Holohan - [Intro] | [Email] | [Website] |
| The views expressed in this article are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the management or staff of MasterPlumbers.com |
