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 oen, "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 oen 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 oen outweigh the advantages. us, aer 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. Shiing 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 fih 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 http://www.WorkplaceInfluence.blogspot.com 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