Focus Magazine - Winter 2015 - (Page 15)

FRONT OF THE ROOM Brian Lange 'Where Is This Going?' 'Different' and 'unexpected' are good! I had something memorable happen recently, and want to share it as a reminder-and an example-of how important "creative" or "compelling" openings are in a presentation. During a recent review activity where I gave each table team one topic from the workshop in order to prepare a five-minute recap presentation, I found myself stumped and intrigued during each of their openings. It turns out the teams each incorporated a "creative" opening by telling a story; referencing a current-event from a periodical/newspaper; or otherwise including the audience in an interactive discussion. ese openings served to deliver something diﬀerent to the audience - to take them out of the classroom in a figurative way - in order to generate a personal connection to the topic as well as create context for the coming content. What I came to realize during the opening of each of the four presentation, was that I couldn't recall - or initially tell - what topic I had given each particular group! What I found fascinating was how I had to really listen and participate in order to see where they were heading and which topic I had assigned to them. is was in stark contrast to what happens typically: e presenter gives an intro to the specific topic being covered and outlines exactly how the topic will be explored. is is predictable - and quite frankly, expected - and may not pull me away from checking my phone for texts or email. One facet of each of the presentations was how the presenters engaged with the audience throughout the openings. If they referenced an article, they asked if anyone in the audience was familiar with it - and then invited the person to expand on the subject. When they asked audience members whether they had experienced a particular situation in the past, they invited some to share the example (while the remaining folks were able to "connect" with their own experience, and "use" it moving forward in the activity). In each presentation, the presenters accessed the knowledge and experience in the room and put it to work. is serves to make learning more personal: If I passively observe a slide and partially listen to a speaker run through the outline of content, I'm not really personally connected or invested in the topic. However, when the presenter engages me to consider my experience, and bring it into the classroom, I become a part of the learning experience. I can then adequately compare the new knowledge being shared with my own previous experience: it becomes twodimensional, versus one-dimensional. It's easy to view a presentation as, "OK, I need to get through this, this and that. And, I'll wrap up by reviewing key points, and then asking if there are any questions." However, if we think about the audience - and try to figure out how we can get them to care and connect with our material - we might find that the usual approach may not cut it. "Diﬀerent" and "unexpected" are good! If I tilt my head as a participant to ponder what the speaker is communicating - and why they're communicating it - it pulls me in. By the time the speaker makes the "bridge" to the real topic at hand, I'm committed. My curiosity compels me to follow-along to attempt to guess where the speaker is headed. As the bridge is revealed ("...and this is what got me thinking about our time together: how in this workshop we will be..."), I may nod my head with the realization of the intention of the speaker and - voila! - I may be hooked and ready to learn. Certainly more so than if I just read an objectives slide with multiple bullets, no pictures and no part of me in the equation. ■ 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 | WINTER 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 - Winter 2015

Focus Magazine
From the President: Put a Bow on It!
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Guest Editor: Mastering Connections of the Construct
Directions: New Year, New Opportunities
Front of the Room: 'Where Is This Going?'
Neuroscience: The Neuroscience of Messaging
Carol Wells: Training's Shining STAR
LTEN Events: Connecting Members
The ACO Opportunity: Defining the Value
Cloud-Based Collaborative Platforms: Raising Productivity
Transformational Leaders: From Fear to Followership
Field Development: 4 Steps to Success
Delivering Messages that Drive Business
Virtual How: The Learning Technology Landscape
Ad Index
Focus Contacts
5 Questions with Thuy and Milo Sindell

Focus Magazine - Winter 2015