Written by: Melissa

It’s been a while since the beginning of 2013. How are those New Year resolutions going? Do you even remember them? (Did you even make any?)

Well, even if you didn’t set goals for yourself at the start of the year, it’s never too late to start. In fact, New Year resolutions might just be another form of procrastination when it comes to setting the goals that will last you a lifetime. (“I know, I’ll do it next year!”) So, let’s get down to brass tacks…what will it take for you to accomplish the goals you’ve set for your life: starting a new job, a new hobby, getting that certification, or learning a new skill set? In other words, what will it take for you to be successful?

As luck would have it, I recently came across an article in Investor’s Business Daily (one of my husband’s favorite publications) on what makes people successful. IBD spent years analyzing leaders and successful people in all walks of life and put together a list of the ten traits which, when combined, can turn dreams into reality:

1. How you think is everything. Always be positive. Think success, not failure. Beware of a negative environment.
2. Decide upon your true dreams and goals. Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them.
3. Take action. Goals are nothing without action. Don’t be afraid to get started. As Nike says, “Just do it.”
4. Never stop learning. Go back to school or read books. Get training and acquire skills.
5. Be persistent and work hard. Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up.
6. Learn to analyze details. Get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes.
7. Focus your time and money. Don’t let other people or things distract you.
8. Don’t be afraid to innovate; be different. Following the herd leads to mediocrity.
9. Deal and communicate with people effectively. No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others.
10. Be honest and dependable. Take responsibility. If you don’t, numbers 1-9 won’t matter!

Do you already possess some of these traits? Have you had success as a result of these traits? Finally, do you have any secrets to success you would like to share? I’d love to hear them!

My wife and I recently had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica. It was a memorable trip to a beautiful country. The volcanoes, the beaches, and rainforest are spectacular. After a few days of lounging by the pool we decided to take a tour of the rainforest. We left the resort in a vehicle that could drive through rivers and go up and down steep and bumpy dirt trails. Our tour group consisted of a few couples and a family with two inquisitive teenagers.

Once the tour was under way, it didn’t take long before the teenagers started to ask our guide lots of questions. “What would happen if that monkey in the trees jumped into the truck?” one of them asked. “What would we do if one of us fell into the river near that crocodile?” asked the other.

The “what if” questions continued for some time and seemed to annoy the guide. To put the teenagers at ease the guide told us how he was trained for the job. He was trained by his father when he was 17 years old and was only allowed to drive the vehicle on flat, dry roads at first. Once he was operating the vehicle comfortably, he was allowed to drive it on bumpy roads and dry river beds. He went on to explain that his father would challenge him by presenting different situations. These situations included wildlife approaching the vehicle, crossing fast-moving rivers, and challenging tourist situations. The guide assured everyone he was very prepared for any situation.

Our guide’s on-the-job training made sense, probably because it’s the same three-step process that we use when training employees for more traditional jobs:

1. Teach the basic skill first.
2. Add real life conditions.
3. Reinforce to ensure retention.

Once the basic skill is mastered under ideal conditions in training, we must try to simulate as many real life conditions and “what-if” situations as possible. The learner may never face some of these situations on the job, but if they do, they have been prepared for them in training. I’ve heard it said that if we are training people properly, the training should be harder than the job.

By following this three-step process, we can prepare our learners for just about anything, and build their confidence and ensure their success both in training and back on the job.

What instructional techniques do you use to ensure your learners are prepared back on the job?

Imagine you are the instructor in a classroom when one of your students falls asleep. Quick! What is your immediate reaction? “That student is so rude” or “OMG! Am I that boring?” The human mind is such a complex thing, that even with today’s scientific and medical advances, we still don’t have a complete understanding of how it works.

We are always making immediate judgments or impressions about the situations we find ourselves in based upon our own histories. Those who claim they don’t do this are not being honest with themselves.

Becoming aware of this human tendency to make first impressions or judgments when in the classroom is a difficult skill for instructors to master. We all know that when a group of people get together, some amazing human dynamics can occur. A good instructor will be aware of his or her surroundings and strive to be in tune with his or her judgments. Quickly and objectively evaluating a situation before reacting will allow us to respond appropriately rather than jumping to a conclusion. This is a skill that is rarely taught in instructional techniques courses.

There have been many times when I have misinterpreted a person or situation, only to find out later how “off the mark” I was. Think about the last time you met someone you initially did not care for, but are close friends with today. It is critical that we stay open-minded to people and situations, trying to see things from their perspective. I am not saying that you must agree with everything that is surrounding you. However, if you are too preoccupied with your own thoughts and views, then you risk closing yourself off to new ideas. I learn so much when I stay focused on the events around me and do not allow myself to become consumed with my own feelings or prejudices about the event or situation.

Listen and observe carefully and try to stay as objective as you can. That’s all you can ask for. Then you will be able to respond accordingly instead of making a snap judgment and reacting inappropriately.

And by the way, regarding the student who falls asleep in class – maybe he or she had little or no sleep due to a new baby or other crisis at home and the sleeping has nothing to do with either you or the course. You will never really know unless you keep an open mind.

Our Instructional Techniques for New Instructors course can help you develop this skill as well as many others.

Written by: Paul

We’re always looking for icebreakers to get a workshop up and running. Here’s one that gets people interacting with each other, acknowledges participant experience, and provides the facilitator with a quick look at the background of the group.

At the beginning of the class, hand out a sheet of paper with a bingo card on it like the one below. The card should be five squares by five with a free cell in the middle. Populate the squares with statements relating to the content of the workshop.

For example, if I were using this icebreaker for a design workshop, I might fill each of the 24 available squares with statements like:

• I have conducted a task analysis
• I have attended Langevin’s Training Needs Analysis workshop
• I have been on an instructional design team
• I have participated in a virtual classroom session

Tell the participants to go around the room, briefly introduce themselves to their classmates, and see which squares their colleagues can help them fill. Give the participants a maximum of five to ten minutes to write the names of the colleagues who meet the descriptive phrase. The first person to get five squares in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, shouts “bingo” and wins a “not so fabulous prize.”

If no one is able to fill five squares in a row in the allotted time, the winner could be the person who fills the most. When selecting statements, it is a good practice to have a row that will most likely be filled with the expected experience of people in the room.

The activity debrief would be to have the winner validate the win by describing each square and mentioning the name of the participant who matched the statement.

Meanwhile, the participants have gotten to know each other and the debrief gives the trainer an idea of the experience level of the group. Fun and effective!

Any icebreakers you can share that you find to be fun and effective?

Imagine this: You’re driving on a long car trip and you get lost repeatedly because you did not put your final destination address in your GPS! “That would never happen,” you might be saying to yourself! “I would never forget to put the destination address in my GPS! How silly!” Well trainers, believe it or not, some of us can get lost when training others because we do not properly write and include training objectives in our design process! Perhaps you’ve heard the expression, “If you don’t know where you’re going you might end up someplace else!” See what I’m driving at?

In our Instructional Design for New Designers workshop we teach you the three main components that make up a well-written objective. First, you need to explain to the learner what they will be doing in that lesson or class (task statement). Next, you need to explain under what conditions they will be performing the task (condition).  Lastly, you need to explain how well they are supposed to perform the task (standard). How you write these three parts is up to you, but here are three additional tips on writing objectives:

1. Keep them short! My journalism teacher once said to me, “Why tell them the story in 100 words when you can do it in 50!” The same principle applies to objectives. Use as few words as possible.
2. Avoid using words that end in the letters “ly” as these words tend to be subjective. For example, when you write objectives avoid words like “successfully” or “efficiently.” These words can have different meanings for different people.
3. Keep the SMART goals acronym in mind as the same principles apply to writing objectives. When you write objectives, keep them specific, measureable, attainable, relevant, and timely.

It is important to spend some time writing objectives with all these things in mind, but do not get carried away. If you are designing instruction, trust me, you have bigger fish to fry! Some learners ask me how many objectives you should include in a course and where should you put them? The number of objectives should directly match up with the number of tasks you are teaching students to perform in the course. You can put the objectives on slides, on flipcharts, or in your learner guides. Typically you would include one primary course objective and then you would have groups of lesson objectives that explain what students will be doing in each individual task.

So there you have it! If you follow these tips when writing your course objectives you will keep both yourself and your learners on the path to enlightenment without getting lost along the way! So, when going on a long car trip, don’t forget to type in your destination address, and when you are designing training, don’t forget to include well-written objectives!

Do you have any other tips on writing good objectives to share?

We know, as trainers, how important it is to prepare. We must prepare and learn our content, we must prepare our classroom to make it inviting for our participants, and we must prepare ourselves and practice our delivery. And yet, how does all this preparation help us when unexpected events occur and rain down upon us? We are all familiar with Murphy’s Law, “If anything can go wrong, it will.”

I often like to reflect upon my experiences as an actress. I was once in a play when I had an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction during one of the performances. I could have panicked (inside I did). Instead, staying in character, I improvised and my fellow actors improvised with me. We had to be in the moment and go off script. The audience, of course, was clueless and just thought it was part of the scene. This was an unexpected event.

I’m sure, as trainers, we all have stories to tell about the unexpected situations that occur in training. However it begs the question, how do we handle these situations effectively and with grace?

1. Know your content – As an actor I knew my lines and the overall script so well I was able to improvise, be in the moment, and eventually get us back on script without the audience having a clue. We actually have more freedom as trainers because we are not “locked into” a script. However, the more we know our content, the better prepared we are to deal with any unexpected occurrences and get back on track with ease. It’s also important to know that if we do forget something, the participants don’t have our lesson plan.
2. Know your classroom – Blocking is a term we use in theatre which identifies where everyone should be on the stage at any given time. We also need to know our props and where they should be. Knowing where everything and everyone was on the stage during my mishap allowed me to improvise with confidence. It is no different for us as trainers.  We should know where everything is in the classroom and we need to check that it is working, particularly when technology is involved. We should also know our “blocking” in the classroom. Walk around, sit, stand, and become so familiar with the room that it almost feels like home. This may be challenging if you are in different rooms or traveling to different spaces. In these situations, I always ask to see the room the night before, or arrive early to get familiar with the space.
3. Practice your delivery – Actors rehearse extensively before actually getting on the stage to perform. This type of preparation allowed me to improvise and think quickly on my feet. In addition to knowing our content, it is important to practice our delivery. We must remember to smile, use inflections, project our voices, use gestures and eye contact.
4. Plan for contingencies – We have all experienced a fire drill which prepares us in the event of a fire. We should also plan for the unexpected “what ifs” by accessing previous experiences. For example, after my wardrobe malfunction, I always had a second and third look before entering the stage. Identify what has happened to you in the past that caught you off guard and create a plan to prevent it from happening again or prepare ways of handling it if it should. If you anticipate issues with technology, having handouts to distribute as backup is an example of being prepared for the unexpected.

It’s impossible to predict everything that can happen; life would be boring if we could.  However, if we prepare, remain present and in the moment, we will discover that there is always something to learn from the unexpected.

What instructional techniques do you use to prepare for the unexpected?

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not one to quickly and lovingly embrace change. There is something very comforting about ordering the same dish at my favorite local restaurant. I’m more confident and assured when I take the same route to work each day. My pantry and refrigerator are both stocked with many of the same products I’ve been using since I was old enough to purchase them on my own.

One area of my life that I am very hesitant to change is air travel. Since 1995 I’ve been flying the same airline for leisure travel, and whenever possible, business travel. For my 17 years of loyal patronage I have been rewarded with elite frequent flyer status. My frequent flyer status entitles me to benefits such as complimentary first class upgrades, free checked baggage, and a yearly membership to the executive lounge.

Recently, I traveled out of town to deliver a 3-day training workshop. Due to the location of the workshop I was not able to travel on my preferred air carrier. Another carrier had a direct flight to the workshop destination and the cost of the ticket was several hundred dollars cheaper. Because it made more geographic and economic sense, I decided to fly on this airline. I completely understood the reason for the change in carriers; however, the change pushed me far out of my travel comfort zone.

From the moment I set foot in the airport, nothing felt right. I found myself in a different terminal. The self-service kiosk functioned differently. All my frequent flyer perks vanished.  I was so out of sorts, I sent a Tweet that stated, “Something just feels off today. I was forced to fly a different airline.”

One of my good friends responded by saying “Just go with it. You’ll be okay.” Her direct yet simple response got me thinking. Why am I so resistant to this change? If I just “go with it,” will I indeed be okay?

According to a recent online article I read about Change Management, people resist change for various reasons, some of which include:

Fear of the Unknown
This was my first time flying this particular airline. Granted, I knew I’d get from Point A to Point B. However, outside of that, I didn’t know what to expect. I’d never been to their concourse. I’d never flown on their aircraft. I’d never experienced their service. All of these unknowns made me long for the airline with which I was most comfortable and familiar.

Low Trust
As a new customer, this airline had not yet earned my trust. All sorts of questions were swirling through my mind. Were we going to depart on time? Would the aircraft be clean and well-appointed? Would my luggage be lost or would it arrive when I did?

For the most part, most major airlines follow a similar business model, are subject to the same federal laws and regulations, and all fall victim to common mishaps and mistakes.

I’ve experienced late flights on my preferred carrier. I’ve walked onboard a hurriedly cleaned aircraft. And my luggage has certainly been lost. However, with my preferred carrier, I know who to complain to. I also know how they typically rectify various problems. With this new carrier I was unfamiliar with virtually everything (fear of the unknown) and they hadn’t yet proved to me that I’d be treated satisfactorily as a paying customer (low trust).

Lack of Benefits and Rewards
By not flying with my preferred airline, I lost several perks that, in my opinion, make air travel worthwhile. I was not able to bypass the lengthy security line. I was unable to relax in the executive lounge. I was not eligible for a first class upgrade. And the most painful blow of all, I missed out on about 1,000 frequent flyer miles! For me, outside of basic transportation, there were no tangible benefits or rewards to flying this particular airline.

As I waited to board my flight, I reflected on my friend’s Tweet response: “Just go with it. You’ll be okay.” Although I wasn’t feeling very “change friendly” at the time, I do realize that embracing change can actually be good.

One of my favorite self-help authors Dr. Wayne Dyer says, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Psychologists agree with Dyer, suggesting that when we embrace change, the following benefits can occur:

Personal Growth:  It’s possible to learn lessons—even from the changes that lead you to where you didn’t think you actually wanted to be.

Flexibility:  With practice, change makes you adapt more easily to new situations, new environments, and new people. As a result, you may not be as likely to get upset when something unexpectedly shifts.

Opportunities:  One never knows what change may bring. When you deviate from your usual path, different opportunities could potentially be waiting for you.

As I settled into my window seat, I tried my best to follow Dr. Dyer’s advice and change the way I looked at this new travel experience. I quickly realized it really wasn’t so bad after all. The aircraft seemed new and had a fresh smelling scent. The flight attendants at the boarding door greeted me with a warm smile. The flight departed on time. Thanks to the in-flight entertainment system I was able to watch my favorite news channel the entire flight. Most importantly, when I arrived at my destination, so did my luggage!

So what’s the training-related moral of this story? Stay tuned for Part 2 to find out!

It happens every four years in the United States; it’s time for the presidential election. A crucial part of any election campaign is the debate between the candidates. This is the candidate’s chance to persuade the voters, inspire trust, and ultimately get votes. A debate can be highly competitive, and when competition is fierce, projecting confidence can tip the scales in the speaker’s favor.

As a speaker myself, I found myself critiquing the public speaking skills of the candidates rather than their policies. After watching (and critiquing) the first two debates during this recent presidential election cycle, I felt compelled to research public speaking (specifically, speaking with confidence), to see what the experts had to say. One such expert is Carole Hale Alter, author of The Credibility Code (one of my favorite books on public speaking).

Her book outlines five simple steps for speaking with confidence. And while you may not be planning on running for President of the United States, chances are you’re a training professional and/or a public or motivational speaker who not only needs to be competent, but has to look competent. Below are Ms. Alter’s five essential tips for projecting confidence and competence:

Keep your head level. This means no raising or dropping your chin, which can appear either aggressive or submissive.

Speak with optimal volume. If you’re a Seinfeld fan, you’ll remember the “low-talker” episode. Even in business, people often speak too softly or drop their volume at the end of sentences. Recognize the difference between adequate and optimal volume. Use a microphone if you’re soft-spoken (like the Presidential candidates do).

Hold eye contact for three to four seconds. Eye contact is a key indicator of confidence. Yet there is a difference between making eye contact and holding eye contact. Duration is critical! In the Western world, holding eye contact for three to four seconds is optimal.

Keep your hands in the gesture box. In poker, a “tell” is a subtle signal revealing the strength or weakness of a player’s hand.

Gestures can be telling to others. The most effective hand gestures happen inside the “gesture box,” no higher than your sternum, no lower than your hips, and no wider than your shoulders.

Avoid using speech fillers or uptalk. Fillers are superfluous sounds or words, such as “um” and “you know.” Uptalk is misplaced upward vocal inflections that sound like question marks at the end of sentences. Today, both vocal patterns are widespread in our culture. Be vigilant in not picking up these habits, as both can erode your credibility.

Experts agree that watching and critiquing other speakers (be it the Presidential candidates or others) can be helpful for your own growth and development. But when it comes right down to it, there’s nothing like actually doing. Practice, Practice, Practice! Consider attending our one-day workshop, “Polish Your Presentation Skills,” for practical application and valuable feedback. I, uh, hope to, uh um, see you in a workshop like, uh, soon!

How do you use instructional techniques or presentation skills to project confidence?

Written By: Steve

Your accounting department has policies, your HR department has policies, and IT has policies, so what about your training department?

Training managers and departments in many organizations do not have policies that guide the operation of training and provide a reference for decision making. A lack of policies can leave us open to rash decisions and poor practices.

Keep in mind that policies outline nothing more, and nothing less, than the way the training function operates. Policies indicate what the training function wants done and why it wants it done. Without policies, issues can arise from the planning of training to the development, delivery, and evaluation of training.

Training department policies should be clear and well written. By following the 5 steps below, your policies will be complete and also reduce the chance they will be open to interpretation.

Here are the 5 steps to writing an effective training department policy:

1. Describe what the rule is. Be clear, concise and direct.
2. Explain why it exists. The rule exists usually to ensure something or to prevent something from happening.
3. State when the rule applies. Outline the conditions under which the rule becomes active.
4. State to whom the rule applies. Consider the people who might be affected by the rule; employees, supervisors, trainers, training managers, etc.
5. Describe the consequences (if any) if the rule is not followed. Consider what should happen if an important policy is not followed.

One thing to keep in mind is not to formalize everything. Never create a policy just to have one; policies should accomplish something. Well-written policies will provide a clear definition of the authority and limits of the training department. In addition, proper policies will add credibility to your training department.

Written by: Ron

My first experience with personal creativity came when I was asked to design an evening management course for a university. I took the task very seriously as I wrote up a few lesson plans for the dean to review. He reminded me that I would be teaching an evening class for adult learners who had been working all day and would probably be coming in a little tired. I did not understand the relevance of this statement until after he looked at my lesson plans and bluntly said, “If you were a student, would you want to sit through what you just created? Be honest.” When my response was “No,” he quickly responded, “Why?” This is when it dawned on me that the lesson plans I had generated lacked creativity and were BORING.

What great advice I received that day when the dean said, “Boring you say? Precisely. Now do it over. Just because we are an accredited university it doesn’t mean learning can’t be fun.”

Albert Einstein stated that the average human mind uses only 3% of its capacity for creativity. Wow! Only 3%. Why do you think that is? It’s not because of the lack of creative techniques available. We all have access to books, websites, and other people for creative ideas. I believe we are responsible for constructing our own barriers by not allowing ourselves to be creative for fear of looking foolish and tarnishing our reputation. Fear can make us joyless souls!

Many times I have convinced instructional designers that it is okay to let go and have some fun when creating material. I don’t want to give the impression that an instructional designer’s job is not important. I just feel that any program can benefit from creativity. Besides, most people are savvy enough to know if their creativity is going too far. If you are not sure, then run it by someone you trust. We are all undoubtedly creative at home with family and friends, so why not in the workplace as well? Even if your company culture is more traditional when it comes to training programs and instructional techniques, you can start slowly. Incorporate just one slightly creative technique into your next training program and see how it flies. If successful, add a second one to your next training and so forth. As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Convincing a corporate culture to accept creative, yet effective training programs can take time.

Keep in mind that appropriate creativity can, in fact, increase your credibility and your reputation by providing your learners with a very positive and rewarding learning experience. So, take the plunge and try designing something new, unique, or different. It will be fun, and might also help you prevent your own burnout due to designing the same old thing over and over!

What techniques do you use to infuse your training programs with creativity?