Extract from Better - Best - Brilliant! Your comprehensive guide to excellence in training delivery

It was a lot of hard work and many late nights - but finally my book, "Better, Best, Brilliant" is on the shelves and shortly will be available in e-book format as well in the Amazon store.
Here is another extract with some straightforward advice on how to use a full range of tools and techniques to ensure that sessions are engaging and that participants know how to apply their skills once they leave the training room.

Tip Number 33:     Establish your own personal branding Whether you work in-house as part of a training or facilitation team or whether you are in your own consultancy, personal branding is becoming critically important. Branding, broadly speaking, is vital to leading organisations because in a crowded marketplace it is essential to be on-message and to deliver this message in a consistent way. Personal branding is about ensuring that people remember who you are and what you stand for.  Think about personal branding as a way of ensuring that your training and facilitation stands out from the rest and that you are the go-to person in the organisation. Some tips for how to achieve this level of being able to stand out from the crowd: ·         Make sure that you have an elevator pitch – this is a your way of introducing yourself to your colleagues, clients and students.  You need to be able to state in a few words what you are known for and why they should be talking or listening to you.     Here are some of the words that I use in my own elevator pitch and I adjust these based on who I am talking to: “I am Denise and I work for an organisation that cuts through language and behavioural barriers to get people performing at their best.”  OR “I am Denise and I design and deliver innovative training for companies wanting their management teams to function in a cohesive way.” Think about these questions when forming your elevator pitch –     1.       What is my central purpose?     2.       Why do I make an impact on the people I encounter?     3.       What differentiates me from the rest?     4.       What can I do for others that will resonate with them?     ·         We have said it before, but will repeat it here – first impressions do count, whether you like it or not, and so ensure that when you are on a face to face basis you are well presented in terms of your appearance..  nothing sloppy or outrageous, and if you need a make-over, get one done!     ·         Ensure that you have a positive on-line presence.  Often potential clients or students will have done their research on you and you need to come across in a professional way.  In order to do this:      1.       Conduct an on-line search of your own name on the internet and see what emerges.  We have had had a case of a trainer who discovered that she had the same name as a criminal and their name appeared before hers when a search was conducted.      2.       Ensure that the way in which you come across is with your professional background as the number one listing and not a disastrous photo of yourself at a social event.  In order to achieve this, ensure that you are listed on professional sites such as Linked In or that you have your own blog which publishes content where you have expertise.  This is irrespective of whether you are self-employed or work in an organisation.     3.       If you choose to be even more pro-active in establishing an on-line branding, start to use social medial sites such as Twitter to create an image that is professional and demonstrates that you are an expert.  It is also worthwhile in this regard spending money on a professional photo so that you look at your best.

Tip Number 34         Make ‘high quality’ your mantra Here are some suggestions for maintaining a high level of quality:       ·         Constantly ask for feedback – I know it is not always easy to accept the feedback but it does push you to review materials and seek better ways of doing things.      ·         If you have access to some form of advisory board, either in-house or external, it is also worthwhile meeting to validate your materials, your methodologies and your assessment tools if you are using these.  This form of validation is often required if you are being formally audited by an educational authority and is a way of double-checking that you are in fact delivering to the standards that you promise to your students.      ·         Keep an eye on the competition – there is nothing like working hard to out-do the competitors!  It drives your own standards higher and ensures that you are constantly on your toes.  Set those benchmarks high and you will achieve them in all respects.      ·         Mark yourself on some of the following criteria and keep a log-book of what improvements you are making:     1.       How well was the program organised from a logistics point of view?  What could I have done better in this regard?      2.       How well prepared was the group – had they understood the need for the training and had they arrived at the session, well-motivated and prepared.  What could have been better at this level of preparation?     3.       What could have been done to achieve even better delivery of the program?  Did I tap in to as many tools and techniques as possible or as appropriate?  What would I do differently next time in order to ensure that change takes place post-training?

Holding Fierce Conversations

I attended an interesting session last week on how to hold fierce conversations. There were some really strong points made about how to go about dealing with conversations that we tend to put off holding for a number of reasons.
If you, as I do, tend to avoid these tough conversations here are some very good guidelines on how to prepare and how to use the right wording:

1. In team conversations, accept that there are different and sometimes competing realities.

Companies are often highly matrixed and there are so many silos - like airtight containers with no windows. There are also competing objectives. Sometimes there are power struggles. It is often more about ego and someone has to win.

Everyone owns a piece of the truth. It is up to us as managers and leaders to pivot our viewpoint and see all the multiple viewpoints so we can make best possible decisions.

2. It is up to us to encourage others to speak up at these meetings. Give them the space to talk by inviting them in to the conversation.

Say things like: "Help me see this from your perspective. What else can you add to this discussion?"

3. Some other strong questions to ask and good statements to make in a real consultative discussion with your team:

"The way I see the issue is as follows..."

"It is significant because .... is at stake"

"My ideal outcome is .... because...."

"What I have done so far is...."

"These are the options I am considering:..."

"Push back on anything I say that does not match your view of reality. Tell me what I am missing or not seeing clearly. Did I miss anything essential?"

"What would you do if you were in my shoes?"

"What values do we stand for and are there gaps between those values and how we in fact behave?"

"What is impossible for us to do that, if it were possible, would change everything?"

4. In one on one conversations, please avoid that dreadful feedback sandwich.... saying something positive with the negative sandwiched in-between. Rather, be upfront about the issue and avoid using the word, BUT.

Try to say what you have to say in the initial 60 seconds of the conversation and then listen and elaborate later:

Name the issue

Give an example of what you are saying - make it real and concrete and not a broad statement

Describe your emotions around the issue

Clarify why it is so important and what is at stake for you, the other person and the team

Identify your own contribution to the problem and apologise if appropriate

State how you wish to resolve the issue

Invite the other person to respond and say you will be listening closely to their point of view

Book extract -training guidelines

What a feeling! My book is in the final stages of editing and will soon be available to all novice and seasoned trainers and facilitators.
I need a title please that is catchy and captures the essence of the book, so anyone who is really good at creating something fun and attention-grabbing, rewards will come your way....
Here is a brief extract from the book to provide you with the essential tips and guidelines for professional training design and delivery of sessions with that WOW factor:

YOUR TOOLBOX OF RESOURCES

Before we begin, let’s be clear on what physical tools you need in your kitbag. An electrician does not arrive at your home to do his work, without his tool-kit and so too trainers need essential items to bring along with them to sessions.

It is simply not sufficient to count on the venue or the client to have these available – they need to be part of how you show up at the session.

Markers – buy the best quality! There is nothing worse than ink that is running out.The’ Mr Sketch-It’ markers, if available, are really good for this purpose

Flip-chart paper – always carry extra sheets with you. Unless you are doing visual graphics, the quality of the paper is not that important

Tape – there is good artist tape that does not destroy walls. Check that the venue allows you to paste up the paper on to the walls. You might need pins for walls that are made of fabric. Some countries have ‘Blu-tak’ and this is a very useful product that you can use to attach flipcharts to walls without destroying the paint on the wall

Your laptop and good speakers to play music during breaks or if you want to show videos.If you have an Ipod, there are great speakers that you can purchase for this purpose. Ensure that the speakers are easily transportable so that you can move them easily if you travel. For those facilitators who are travelling off-site, check to see what equipment including projectors is available.

If using any powerpoint slides, please buy a good ‘pointer’ that moves the slides along so that you do not have to stand next to the lectern or podium.

A stash of coloured post-its – always useful for different activities and to engage the group. Buy different colours, shapes and sizes. There is so much variety with these, so try not to be limited to plain yellow.

A pile of white and coloured paper – always useful for guiding participants through the day. This does not need to be high quality paper and can be in different sizes. You might also need to provide writing equipment such as pens, crayons or markers.

Name tags for participants – with your company logo on them if needed. We prefer name tags to the name tents that are sometimes placed on tables because when people are standing or moving tables, it is easier if they have name tags. If you are using name tags that stick to their jackets or shirts, ensure that you have good quality tags that do in fact stick well. Have your own name tag as well – participants often forget your name if it is not repeated. Your personal branding is also important.

Prizes to award participants for contributing – these could be anything from the less healthy chocolate option to small surprise toys. We are always surprised at what participants will do to win a small prize and the effort they go to for this. It sets up a good feeling in the room and if the group is large enough, there is a positive sense of competitiveness.

Raid stores such as the $2 Shop for fun stickers saying ‘well done’ and ‘congratulations’. It sounds childish but again we generally find that in most groups, people are starved of recognition and these stickers do a great job of giving the ‘feel good’ factor. I have attended sessions where these rewards were on the tables and participants have rewarded each other.

If you are working off-site, please check the arrangements for refreshments. We always carry our own bottle of water with us and you should be aiming to drink at least 6 glasses of water per day to keep your energy levels up. You might also need to pack your own lunch if not available so have some snacks or fruit with you in case you need it.

We also like to use a rolling bag for storing the equipment if possible. No use injuring your back by dragging heavy satchels or bags on your shoulder. There are some great ones designed for trainers and you will find them on various training tool websites.

Any device that indicates the time – sometimes there is no clock on the wall and you might not be able to see your watch. Mobile phones are also good as long as it does not appear as though you are waiting on a call. We have attended programs where mobile phones are very much part of the training and participants are encouraged to research on the internet or send text messages to the trainer asking questions. They could also be using various devices for different social media interactions.

If you are using a laptop and a projector, it is a good idea to download a timer off the internet. If you place ‘timer’ into the search engine, several free ones that are available will come up. We find this useful because it keeps the participants on track and gives energy to the session. Put the timer up for activities that you are asking the groups to do. There is nothing worse than having a day drag on when groups are waiting for other groups to complete an activity. In fact, not completing the activity provides just as much learning...

Make sure that your laptop is in good working order and always have a back-up! Recently one of our training team was at an off-site and his laptop crashed. Fortunately he had a USB with his slides saved on them so that he could quickly load them on to another person’s laptop. He also had a hard copy of the slides so that if required he could have used flip chart paper to document the key messages of his session.

If you work as a contract trainer, you might also need your own projector. These are far less costly than they used to be several years ago and it might be a requirement for your contract work.

Generally in large venues, there is audio equipment and it is not usually necessary to have a lapel microphone. Decide whether you need to purchase this equipment if your work dictates that it is a requirement.

If you have the budget, spend some time looking at the on-line stores for more sophisticated games and activities. They always have deals and it is worth keeping an eye open for new products. There are often new games that are developed by the most creative designers and that become available in the marketplace. There is no doubt that these activities enhance sessions, create an energy in the room and all the research points to the extent to which they engage participants.

These activities range from simpler card games to more sophisticated games that rely on specially devised rules and equipment. The key to using these games effectively is to ensure that they are briefed and de-briefed clearly and that the participants know why they played, what lessons they learnt from the games and what they need to apply in their workplaces.

Recommended websites for purchasing training games are:

www.trainerswarehouse.com

http://www.training-wheels.com

www.trainerslibrary.com

www.training-games.com/

If you are going do visual facilitation, go to this major website for supplies.

http://www.grove.com/site/ourwk_prods.html

It is also worthwhile signing up to the newsletters of these companies so that you are aware of new releases and different ways of utilising the games that you have.

If you are working off a budget, think about selecting games that you can re-cycle and re-use in different contexts and with different groups so that you get more bang for your buck. It is also worthwhile thinking about how you can adapt usual household utensils or office supplies to create your own games and activities.

The message though is:

Your toolbag needs to be filled with possible games, activities and techniques so that groups are involved in their learning and participate fully, whilst at the same time embedding their learning through actions and ‘light-bulb’ moments. It is a vitally important part of your design and delivery that your toolkit is bursting at the seams with activities that you have developed, read about or seen in action so that the engagement of the group is fully alive, vibrant and conducive to learning.

What this means in practice is that you never stop learning and I hope to never hear the excuse that your type of training is only suited to lecture mode.