Think of all the jobs that require facilitation skills: trainers/facilitators, team leaders, project managers, teachers, parents, and all levels of politicians. The facilitation tools and techniques covered in this workshop can be applied in business, the community and in your personal life. The core element of this course is built around the facilitation process: generate ideas, analyze and prioritize ideas, and make decisions.

There is a lot of skill involved in running a facilitated session. One of the key elements to set the session up for success is to select the appropriate facilitation tools to achieve the goal of the session. From the 45 facilitation tools in the workshop, described in the “tool book,” the skilled facilitator must choose a combination of tools they will use to make the process easy for the participants because, after all, that’s what facilitation is all about – generating ideas, solving problems, and resolving disputes as smoothly as possible.

For those of you who follow my blogs you know I usually talk about the soccer team that I coach, so here goes. You might remember that my team is struggling; we haven’t won a single game this season.

When teams aren’t winning, competitive athletes are not happy and often problems will arise among the players. This is the case with my team. I decided to arrange a team meeting that I would facilitate to see if we could resolve some of our issues. In preparation for the session I got out my facilitation tool book to select the appropriate tools for my session. For the first phase of the session I chose a tree diagram to explore the cause and effect of the relationships on our team. The players, young men between 18 and 23 years old, were able to provide input and took a leading role in building the diagram. We dismantled a big problem into manageable units and were now able to move to the next phase.

In the analysis phase of the facilitated session I chose the “5 Why’s” technique. Using this tool, we were able to examine the potential causes of the problem and quickly isolate the actual cause. (Oh, by the way we didn’t have to ask all five why’s to get to the cause; this group did it in 3).

For the decision-making phase I chose a decision- making tool that would get buy-in from all players—consensus building. Keep in mind that consensus building doesn’t mean that everyone agrees with the solution, but the decision is one that everyone can live with. I used the “5 finger” consensus building technique to get 18 young men to come to a decision. So after two hours of discussion, debate, give and take (as well as lots of pizza), we were able to come up with a decision that the team agreed upon is the best way we can address our issues.

Sometimes we don’t like to bring our work home with us but this time I will say that I enjoyed applying the skills from my professional life to my community coaching life. I enjoyed the process and the end result. The players did lots of high fives and left the session with a sense of accomplishment and optimism for the next game. My coaching colleague said, “That was cool, then asked, “How did you do that?”

All of the techniques and tools that I used in that facilitated session are covered in the Facilitation Skills for New Facilitators workshop and I can honestly say that I have had several situations where this skill set has been very useful.

Why don’t you check out our Facilitation Skills for New Facilitators workshop so you, too, can benefit from these valuable tools and techniques?

Steve

Oprah was able to connect with her audience (which was billions of people, in 150 countries around the world) and encourage people to be their best selves. As for her influencing skills, she changed what people read (and got people reading again), what clothes they bought, the gadgets they needed, and, some would argue, played a part in electing the current US president!

But what was I going to do without my daily dose of Oprah? It didn’t really hit me until her final show, where Oprah delivered her most inspirational and impassioned message, to date. It was these words, in particular, that resonated with me:

“But what I want you to know as this show ends: each one of you has your own platform. Do not let the trappings here fool you. Mine is a stage in a studio, yours is wherever you are with your own reach, however small or however large that reach is. Maybe it’s 20 people, maybe it’s 30 people, 40 people, your family, your friends, your neighbors, your classmates, YOUR CLASSROOM, your co-workers. Wherever you are, that is your platform, your stage, your circle of influence. That is your talk show and that is where your power lies.

In every way, in every day, you are showing people exactly who you are. You’re letting your life speak for you. And when you do that, you will receive in direct proportion to how you give in whatever platform you have.”

So there was my answer. I could continue Oprah’s work, show people who I am and let my life speak for me. I could continue influencing others, in my own small way. As trainers, how lucky we are to have this platform, this stage, this circle of influence!

How ironic that I was teaching our workshop, “How to Influence People and Events,” just five days after the final show aired. In that workshop, we discuss the importance of managing your sphere of influence on a daily basis, to always think about enhancing your image, increasing your power base, and improving your relationships.

I have always loved teaching that class and now I understand why. Perhaps for those three days, I was able to channel Oprah, in my own small way, and convince others to think about their circle of influence. My own “AHA moment” is that I can influence others every day, in every workshop, to be their best and do their best! And my fellow trainers, you can do the same. Now if only we could give away our favorite things!

Marsha

• You
  Writing directly to your reader commands attention. Trainers have done this in training materials seemingly forever. We can write in the second person in our course descriptions as well.
• Results
  How perfectly does this match up with our fourth level of evaluation? We shouldn’t just limit this word to evaluation reports, though. Describe expected changes in business results in your needs analysis proposals, for example.
• Health
  Perfect for safety training. You can express outcomes in terms that mean more to your audience using this word.
• Guarantee
  Some of the guarantees we may be able to offer in training are: “Our training is performance-based.” “You will get to practice real life situations.” “You will enjoy a safe learning environment.” Just make sure you’ve designed the training to deliver on your promises.
• Discover
  As an example, in your course descriptions, invite your learners to “Discover new, more efficient ways to get more work done with fewer resources.”
• Love
  If you love training, exclaim that you love what you do. Tell your learners that this improves the odds that they’ll love their training experience. Also sounds like a good element to add to the pre-course email learners receive.
• Proven
  First ensure your training is based on job tasks that were documented in thorough detail and were well validated. Then you can confidently proclaim your training will teach proven processes guaranteed to produce significant results.
• Safety
  I’ll defer physical safety to the third bullet (“Health”) listed above. Instead, let me focus this word on social safety with an example: “Enjoy the chance to practice and master new skills in the safety of a training room without negative consequences.” How’s that for a course description item?
• Save
  Granted, employees may not be saving money of their own because of a training course. But they might be able to save time, or effort, or their department’s operating budget as a result of the new skills they learn.
• New
  Sure, our content is often new. But how about our instructional methods? If you’re trying new training techniques, make that part of your internal advertising. People can be excited about the process as well as the content.

As trainers we deal with a lot of technical writing. Procedural documents tend to be dry and to-the-point. Hopefully, in all our other forms of writing, these words can help make our messages more compelling and further our cause: improving employee performance by giving them more knowledge and skills.

Alan

Too often we witness what could otherwise have been a stellar speech or presentation totally flop or, at a minimum, fall short of being a great delivery because of the speaker’s overzealousness or overconfidence in their knowledge of the subject-matter. The result: a choppy, disconnected, uninspiring program that leaves the audience wishing they had signed up for a different breakout session, presentation, or perhaps not shown up at all.

What is the core of this problem? Often it is because too many speakers may think it a waste of time to write out their speech or program prior to actually presenting it. Most people jot down some key points or quick thoughts on a Post-It® note, or scribble some random ideas on a piece of paper. Have you ever seen someone look at their notes on the palm of their hands to recall what they’re supposed to say? What effect did that have for you? For me I am always left with the feeling that the speaker or presenter took my being there for granted and did not care enough to deliver the goods.

So what is one to do if you want to show your audience that you care about their being there and want them to receive what they came to get?

Whenever I have to deliver a keynote or a presentation, I write down my content exactly as I will be delivering it. Yep – that’s precisely what I mean – exactly as the words will come out of my mouth. And, yes, it is the most time-consuming, labor-intensive, and challenging part of the process. But why do this? There are numerous reasons but I will focus on only two.

First, when I take the time to write my thoughts down as I am planning to express them verbally, I have the opportunity to examine how they will actually sound to my audience – the people who will be coming to hear me speak. This means I am not writing with the same format and guidelines that I would follow if I were writing an article for a trade publication. I write as I will speak the words. This increases my chances that, as I rehearse and further develop the final touches of my program, I am making sure I am crafting it so I can connect with my audience at a personal level. I sound like a person, not a report, to them. It makes it more personal.

Second, it also helps me to identify terminology that, while it may position me as an authority, may alienate me as a pompous, detached, and/or conceited individual who is only interested in sounding as expensive as the price of admission. When I write my speech down, I have an opportunity to identify wording that can be simplified and turned into everyday language so that everyone may get the benefit of the information I am providing.

Does this mean the presenter/speaker has to say the words exactly as they’re written? No, of course not. It means that when the presenter is in the process of delivery, they have a better chance of being spontaneous, relaxed, and confident because they know what they have to say; all they have to worry about is connecting to the audience.

Do you write your speeches and presentations down before you deliver them? If so, tell us about the benefits you get from doing it and what processes you follow to make sure you sound like a star! I look forward to hearing from you.

José

In boxing, the referee starts every bout with some basic rules: no holding, pushing, tripping, biting, hitting below the belt, etc.; if only that could be true of arguments. Whatever your arguing style is, some tactics are fair and constructive while others are just plain dirty. Here is a breakdown of some unfair and usually counter-productive arguing tactics.

Generalizing

People often say “Our clients are saying that …” because it supports their position. In reality they know that three people out of a thousand recent clients have actually expressed views that support the arguer’s position.

Entangling

Bringing an unrelated issue into a discussion is a popular way to “muddy” the waters or complicate the proceedings, which can serve an arguer’s interests at the time.

Avoidance

People might verbally detour an issue or avoid answering a question because it does not support their position. This can be done by entangling or by nitpicking an irrelevant detail about the issue.

Personal Attacks

A common use of intimidation during an argument, this involves referring to an adversary’s personality and using name-calling as a way to invalidate his or her position in the discussion.

Exaggerating

An arguer may present the opponent’s position with exaggerated terms to show how that point of view becomes invalid under what are really unrealistic suppositions.

Minimizing

Someone might trivialize or reduce the perceived value of outcomes that support the opponent’s position or that devalue his or her position.

The best way to handle one of these tactics when you come across it is to become the referee. Diplomatically explain how that person’s last statement does not help address the issue. You can then call it what it is: a generalization, an exaggeration, or so on. Finally, follow up with a short rundown of the points on which you agree and the ones on which you still don’t. Hopefully, this will help resolve disputes in a more objective way.

There are more in-depth analyses of unfair arguing tactics online. Consider this an “everyday guide” to identifying the most common ones. Keep in mind, people aren’t usually aware that they are using these tactics; it is often a subconscious process. If you calmly and objectively address them, you stack the odds in favor of a solution, rather than in favor of one of the fighters in the verbal boxing ring.

Alan

“Nothing is as necessary for success as the single-minded pursuit of an objective. “ ~Fred Smith

We know that in training our role is not just to “stand and deliver;” we need to have PAF (presentation, application, and feedback). However, on occasion, we are asked to just give a presentation. And, one of the biggest challenges we then face is to define the purpose of the presentation and determine how to reinforce this purpose. To illustrate how to do this, I’ll walk you through an experience my daughter had.

Marie was excited; she had been asked to give a presentation. She had completed some preliminary work. She knew her audience, length of the presentation, place for the presentation, etc. Now she wanted to know how to structure the presentation. Between phone calls and emails, I was able to coach her through the process.

Her topic was on track and field, specifically the hurdles. Marie was selected because she ran the hurdles in high school and college. What she needed to do was determine the purpose of her presentation: did she want to inform, persuade, inspire, or entertain her audience? Once identified, she could then build her presentation accordingly. Put another way, Marie needed to define what she wanted the audience to think, feel, or do at the end of the presentation. Let’s take a closer look.

An informative presentation gives the audience information about the topic; this could be information that is interesting or useful. Marie could provide detailed information about the hurdles that would clear up any misconceptions, or take this as an opportunity to tell the audience that the hurdles are not as dangerous as they look. Here, she would provide the strongest pieces of information needed to get the audience to this mind set.

A persuasive presentation is an effort to change/influence the opinions, beliefs, or behaviors of the audience. For example, Marie’s presentation could be an effort to get the audience to try out for the hurdles or petition to have the hurdles as a track and field event at the high school level. Here she would present her most convincing arguments.

An inspirational presentation is an appeal to the feelings, emotions, values, and thoughts of your audience. Marie could use the quote, “No pain – no gain” as an example of how she ran with pulled muscles and back pain to achieve her track goals. Here, the emphasis is on the use of the most inspirational quotes, stories, or anecdotes.

An entertaining presentation is a presentation that is light hearted, casual and fun. The emphasis is catching and holding the attention of the audience. Humor, stories, or subtle irony could be the focus. Marie could share the time she fell over a hurdle and was more embarrassed that her father ran onto the field than she was with the fall.

Once Marie determined its purpose, she would continue to build the presentation. To inform, she would use the strongest pieces of information. To persuade, she would use her most convincing arguments. To inspire, she would use her most inspirational quotes, stories, or anecdotes. To entertain, she would use humor or engaging stories to involve the audience. And, of course, she would still need a great opening, closing, and delivery. But now she knew where to start.

What kinds of presentations have you been asked to deliver and what have you used to inform, persuade, inspire, or entertain your audience?

Martha

So, what makes a candidate stand out? What are employers looking for in an interview? After hours of research, I’ve assembled my top 5 interview tips, aimed at making you an employer’s first choice.

Think P.A.R.!

P.A.R. is an acronym for Problem, Action, Result. Be prepared to share two or three well-prepared P.A.R. stories which outline your most significant accomplishments and worth. As I mentioned in my previous article, like a resume, your interview needs to focus on your accomplishments.

Before your interview, take the time to write out all the details you can remember about your accomplishments. In the pressure of an interview (especially if you’re nervous), these details may not be easily recalled. The details make the story much more impactful and create the visualization that is so important, so being prepared to discuss the details is critical.

Use this simple format to describe your accomplishments:

PROBLEM. Clearly outline what was going on in the company that needed to be addressed (i.e. a performance gap or new initiative).

ACTION. List, step by step, what you did to affect the problem (i.e. conducted a training needs analysis, designed/delivered training, created job aids).

RESULT. Ultimately, how did your actions impact the company? Talk about how you increased revenues, reduced costs, saved time, increased efficiency, etc. (i.e. level 4 evaluation data). These quantifiable results may ultimately be the reason you win the job over someone else.

Create and Use a Portfolio.

A great interview is all about visualization, and a well-crafted portfolio with examples of products/deliverables you’ve created will truly enhance the interviewer’s ability to “see” your work. Bring examples of job aids, participant manuals, and leaders’ guides if interviewing for an Instructional Designer position. If you’re interviewing for the position of an Instructor/Facilitator, bring a video-recorded example of your facilitation skills in the classroom.

You wouldn’t deliver training without visual aids, and an interview should be taken just as seriously. Plus it’s fun and helps the interviewer get a much better idea of you and your work!

Research, Research, and more Research.

Everyone’s time is compressed nowadays, so you may have a 30-minute interview instead of an hour. Don’t waste time by asking basic questions about the company – do your research on-line before going to the interview. Tools like LinkedIn allow you to research the background of your interviewers and key management. Also, review the company website to understand their history, products or services, clients and mission. Read through their press releases. Ask your ‘network’ what they know about the company, read industry-specific magazines and anything else you can get your hands on so you can walk into the interview armed with information.

Ask Probing Questions.

One of the number one complaints heard from interviewers is that the candidate didn’t ask enough questions. In our Successful Training Manager workshop, we offer a list of “Questions from the Candidate”. Here’s a few of those ‘probing questions:’

• What are the main issues facing the department?
• What are the short-term and long-term goals of the department?
• How will I be trained for the position?
• How will my performance be measured?

Write Handwritten Thank-You Notes.

Last but not least, there’s no better marker of a consummate professional than sending a handwritten thank-you note to the person who interviewed you. Yes, email is cheap and easy, but your interviewers probably get 50-100+ emails per day. Nowadays, it is special and unique to get a piece of personal, handwritten mail at the office – especially one that says “Thank you for your time!” Try to write and mail it the same day as your interview.

I’d love to hear from you if you’re on the job market and able to use any of these tips! Drop me a line and let me know how your job search is going and/or if you have any other suggestions for making an impact in an interview!

Melissa

I’m sure we all have attended some less than optimally run meetings. You know the ones; they seem to go on and on forever and still do not accomplish anything. I know I’ve been in a few of these. Yet running a successful meeting – or session – doesn’t just happen.  In fact, successful meeting/session facilitation takes place in four phases: planning the session, opening the session, facilitating, and closing the session. In this posting, we’ll explore the planning phase.

A good meeting/session requires good planning. But how much planning? I’ve heard it said that a typical model is 10% planning, 80% meeting, and 10% follow-up. A much more effective model is 50% planning, 30% meeting, and 20% follow-up. One of my favorite quotes is, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” No one has time to waste, so putting a bit of time and effort into planning can help ensure your meetings/sessions are meaningful and productive. Below are suggested guidelines for planning effective meetings:

Determine the Purpose or Desired Outcomes of the Session:

Survey the people who will attend the meeting for topics they would like to have included in the meeting and ask for a brief description of their topic. Upon receipt, look for commonalities among the topics and prioritize accordingly. Better yet, once you’ve obtained a list of proposed topics, let the attendees prioritize the list! (Our Facilitation Skills for New Facilitators course has some excellent techniques for doing just this!)

Create an Agenda:

Once you have prioritized the topics, create objectives or agenda points for the entire session. Langevin emphasizes that clear, simple objectives should be written as an action verb followed by a noun. Also, declare start and end times for the session along with time limits for each topic as a courtesy for those attending. Generally, you can stay on track and achieve your outcomes if you adhere to time limits and keep the discussion flowing in an orderly fashion!

Post a “Parking Lot”:

Trainers use “Parking Lots” in their classrooms as a way to “bench” an issue/question until it can be addressed.  This technique works well for meetings, too. Plan to use a flipchart page or whiteboard on which attendees can write their issue/question until the end of the meeting. This keeps the session flowing more smoothly, allowing attendees to have their questions answered at specified times of the meeting.

Consider Room Set-up:

Believe it or not, this is an essential part of planning your session. The room set-up can make or break your meeting by allowing it to flow the way you need it to—or not! You have a few options:

1. Round Tables: great for brainstorming sessions.  Fosters a ‘team’ environment and encourages participation among small groups.
2. “U” Shaped: use this set-up when you want the attendees to see each other and interact only when needed.
3. Lecture Setting: chairs are in rows, like a theater. This set-up establishes the speaker as the main focus and works well when the main purpose of the session is solely imparting information.

Finally:

I encourage you to send out reminders about your meeting.  They should go out a day or two before the meeting.

Whether you are a manager, team member or HR professional, you may be called upon to facilitate/lead a meeting. So remember, it all starts with planning. And I’d love to hear what you’re doing around the Planning phase. Feel free to share! For more how-to’s on facilitating meetings, consider our new Facilitation Skills for New Facilitators workshop. The press is that it is a winner!

Melissa

I realized that it all started with something that I learned from a former Langevin Trainer, Achim Nowak, in his book “Power Speaking: The Art of the Exceptional Public Speaker.”  He breaks it up into a simple 3 level approach:

Level 1: The Craft Level

This level focuses on the basic skills of a presenter – what actors tend to call their “instrument.” This would include working on your voice, body movement, gestures, eye contact, and personal energy. (Be sure to check out Melissa’s and Lynne’s blogs for more detailed tips at this level. Great ideas, ladies!) Obviously, we need to incorporate these basic skills as public speakers.

Level 2:  The Connection Level

This level focuses on our relationship with the learners and how we can engage our audience. So, how do we connect with our learners? Through the use of stories, questions, and humor. This level is where we begin to separate the beginner from the advanced presenter.

Level 3: The Flow Level

This level examines how we “come across” to our audience and this is where the magic begins to happen. For example, if you are delivering a “canned speech,” the listeners can pick up on this and it signifies that you don’t respect your audience. The key is to be spontaneous, go off the script, and speak from the heart. This kind of spontaneity is a “state of flow” where your presentation unfolds effortlessly.

The more I reflected on the session, the more I realized that I had gone “off the script” at times during the training – meaning, I was so comfortable with the content and structure of the course, that I was able to speak in the moment and  in my own words. I was able to react to comments and be myself while still respecting and staying true to the overall design of the course. As a result, we all shared, laughed, and learned from each other. Obviously, the group was a big part of my success. We all know that having a motivated, lively, and fun group can make all the difference in a training session.

So, remember the levels. Focus on your craft, make a connection, and be spontaneous. It’s amazing what can happen when you just let it flow!

And for a really great coaching experience as well as a copy of Achim’s book, you may want to take our Polishing Your Presentation Skills course!

Marsha