Written by: Martha There are times we all need a break and this may not be possible when we are conducting a training class. Additionally, a 15 to 20 minute "power nap" is not an option. Caffeine works well, but can decrease memory performance. What can you do to get a boost of energy? Exercise! The gym may be too far away (or you don’t want to get sweaty) so here are some of my favorite quick exercises/stretches you can do at your desk or in the training room. These quick exercises can be done whenever you have several minutes to spare. Make sure you have checked with your doctor before doing any type of exercise. 1.      Back Exercises When my back is feeling tense, side stretches help me to loosen up. These can be done standing or while seated at your desk. Variation 1: With your arms over your head, lean gently to your right side. Keep your body straight and lean as far as you comfortably can. Bring your upper torso to the upright position and repeat with the left side. If you are doing this while seated, make sure the chair is balanced. If you are doing this while standing, make sure to stand with your feet planted firmly and about shoulder width apart. Variation 2: Conduct the side stretches as above but with your hands placed on either side of your waist. Variation 3: Conduct the side stretches with one arm extended over your head and one hand on your waist. For example, place your left arm in the air and your right arm crossed at the waist and lean gently to the right curving the left arm over your head. Bring your body back to center and repeat with the other side (right arm extended over your head and left arm crossed at the waist). Complete several repetitions per side. The number of repetitions will be determined by the time you want to take and how your body feels. 2.      Arm/Shoulder Exercises My shoulders often show the first evidence of stress so the next three exercises will help to relax your arms and shoulders. Arm swings: Stand with your arms at your side and your body straight. Swing your arms forward trying to bring your hands together, then swing your arms to the back as far as you can trying to bring your hands together. Bring your arms back to your sides. Use slow deliberate movements, stretching as far as you comfortably can. Shoulder rolls: Stand or sit with your arms relaxed at your sides. Using wide circular movements, roll your shoulders to the front ten times. Rest for two counts, then repeat with wide circular movements to the back ten times. Shoulder raises: Stand or sit with your arms relaxed at your sides. Lift your right shoulder and raise it upward trying to touch your ear, hold for a count of five, and then relax. Repeat with the left shoulder. Try not to bend your head to meet the shoulder or hold your neck tense as you raise your shoulder. Complete several repetitions. The number of repetitions will be determined by the time you want to take and how your body feels. 3.      Leg Exercises Standing and walking can make your legs feel heavy. The following exercises/stretches will help to lighten them up. Leg extensions: While sitting in your chair, lift your left leg until it is level with your hip. Hold for ten seconds. Lower your leg to the floor. Repeat with the right leg. Complete several repetitions. The number of repetitions and how long you hold each leg extension will be determined by how your body feels. Calf raises: Stand with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart. If necessary, use the back of a chair or a desk for support. Raise your heels off the floor by standing on the balls of your feet and then slowly lower them. For added benefit you can squeeze your glutes as you lift your heels off the floor. Hold for ten seconds and then release your glutes as you lower your heels to the floor. Ankle circles: While seated with both feet flat on the floor, extend your right leg in front of you. Raise your leg a couple of inches off the floor, circle your ankle five times to the right, then reverse and circle five times to the left. Lower the right leg to the original position. Repeat with the left leg/ankle. Complete several repetitions. The number of repetitions will be determined by the time you want to take and how your body feels. You’ll be surprised how much better an exercise break can make you feel!

Written by: Paul Without management buy-in training doesn’t occur, the right people aren’t in the classroom, and training is not reinforced in the workplace. Here are nine strategies that may work for you and the two levels of management where they might work best. Top Management (e.g. "C-level" executives or directors) 1. Demonstrate the return-on-investment for some of your training programs. Show that the benefit of training far outweighs the cost (Langevin’s Training Needs Analysis or Evaluation of Training workshops have some great tools to help such an evaluation occur). 2. Align your training department objectives, and the courses that result from those objectives, directly with organizational objectives. 3. Stress the value of more rapidly mastered standardized processes to the organization. 4. Find a high level "champion" for training and use that person as a center of influence for the other executives. Line Level Management (e.g. the people whom your learners report to back at work) 5. Show them how better-prepared employees (i.e. your learners), can affect their performance goals. Make sure they know what’s in it for them (line management) as well as for the people who report to them (your learners). 6. Involve some of the line managers in the instructional design or delivery in the role of: •Subject Matter Experts •Pilot Course Validators •Presenters 7. Publically acknowledge the participation of line management in the project team. 8. Conduct a brief session, perhaps a "lunch and learn," for line management showing: •The key elements of the course and how those elements support their performance goals. •A quick outline of the processes to be trained. •The key job aids to the managers capturing the processes to be trained. These job aids are the same ones that would be provided to the learners during training. 9. Finally, for all levels of management, publicize your successes. Spread the good news!

Written by: Marsha Someone once told me that I have a "GLAM JOB" and they were absolutely right! I meet interesting people every day, put on a show, AND get to travel across North America. No, I’m not a supermodel but sometimes I feel pretty close. I’m a trainer and proud of it. Well, I guess I’m really an "accidental trainer" - I didn’t know about this profession when I was planning my career - I just fell into it. The good news is I’ve never looked back. I’m passionate about what I teach and I get to work with clients from all over the world. Yes, it’s pretty glam! But it’s not always champagne and caviar. Being a trainer does have its challenges. Some trainers experience burnout because they’re on the road 40 weeks out of the year. Others get bored because they’re teaching the same course over and over. Some say they reach plateaus and feel stagnant in the position. I’ve heard others complain that their work appears to be of little value. Can you imagine teaching a room full of prisoners all the time? Finally, it can feel somewhat isolating because you’re usually on your own. Keep in mind, the life of a trainer can range anywhere from 2-5 years. Obviously, this is a concern because we want good trainers to stay in their positions. Luckily, over the years, Langevin has developed different strategies to overcome these negative concerns and have reaped the benefits. I have been with the company 13 years and many of my colleagues have been there even longer. So, what’s the secret? Here’s what they do. We typically spend, on average, 50 - 75 percent of our time in the classroom each month, so as not to suffer from burnout. We’re able to work from home when we’re not teaching. We also have other responsibilities outside of the classroom. We’re blogging, initiating discussions on LinkedIn, and working with on-site clients. Recently, we developed a mentor program where instructors chat a couple of times a month, sharing new ideas and insights. I am also lucky because I have developed a very close friendship with one of my colleagues, Melissa Satterfield, based out of Los Angeles. We usually like to plan a trip together, at least once a year. We have an opportunity to talk about work and personal stuff and it actually recharges me every time we get together. This year, we met in Las Vegas for the weekend, and I’ve never laughed and eaten so much in two days. I guess it’s true that we tend to like people that are similar to ourselves and Melissa is exactly that person. Having a colleague as a friend has helped me feel connected and part of the team. With all of these mechanisms in place, I have thrived and survived as a trainer. They help me to recharge my batteries! What mechanisms does your company have in place to retain its trainers? What do you do to prevent burnout? I’d love to hear from you. Oh, and if you ever take a workshop in Los Angeles, be sure to ask Melissa about "Thunder from Down Under." Tell her it’s our secret!

Written by: Ron I am sure we are all tired of hearing about the recent global financial crisis, depression, or whatever you want to call it. I’m also sure that many of us have been personally impacted in some way. Many people lost their training jobs or had their wages frozen. Training managers saw budgets slashed and were not able to fill new or replacement positions. All of these issues have caused us to face one of the biggest challenges in our training departments which bring to life the famous phrase, "Doing more with less." How do we accomplish all the critical objectives that have been identified for us, with a reduced staff? The next three paragraphs will provide a few useful tips on doing more with less. One of the biggest reasons people do not perform adequately in their jobs is due to a lack of clear and concise standards. I see this problem occurring all the time. As training managers we need to write out all of our employees’ job standards, and most importantly, communicate these standards to our staff. People need clear direction from their leaders as to what is expected from them, and the consequences of not meeting these standards. Consequences are one of the most efficient means of impacting behavior. Appropriate motivational techniques can also provide the stimulus for people to "rally" together and get a job done. Ask your staff to share what motivates them and then work very diligently to meet their individualized needs. Employees are much more engaged when they work with a boss who is looking out for their best interests. From an external perspective, I always suggest tapping into community colleges for free labor. Community colleges are called "community" for a reason. Developing a strong relationship with your local colleges or universities can be a super win-win opportunity.  I am sure there are more outreach-type organizations that you could rely on for free, or almost free, labor without any hiring obligations that permanent employees require. Internships are an excellent way to accomplish this. Do you have any other resources or suggestions to add? I know times are challenging, and this current work situation could very well be the new norm. All you can do is try your best, and stay positive and motivated as a leader!

Written by: Steve A very important, but often overlooked, part of a facilitated session is the closing. In some cases, session time runs out causing the facilitator to abruptly close the session. When this happens participants can be unclear as to whether the session objectives have been met and are left wondering, "What’s next?" Here are eight tips to effectively close a facilitated session: 1.      Review the agenda Confirm with participants that all agenda items have been covered. Summarize the main points of the session and review key decisions that were made. 2.      Deal with parking lot items Ask the group if each parking lot item has been covered. If no, facilitate the discussion; if yes, move on to the next item. 3.      Restate the objective(s) Confirm the objectives of the session have been met. Participants need to leave the session knowing that the objectives have, or have not, been met. 4.      Review action items Confirm that participants who are responsible for action items are committed to complete the action item. Confirm the date by which each item will be completed. 5.      Confirm session documentation Determine who will provide the session documentation and how it will be provided. 6.      Evaluate the session Conduct a formal or informal evaluation of the session to determine the participants’ level of satisfaction with the process and the facilitator’s skills. 7.      Arrange the next meeting If necessary, determine the next meeting date for follow-up or to address action items. 8.      Thank group members for their participation Make a point of thanking participants for their time and input to the process. By following these eight simple tips you will be able to effectively close a facilitated session. The participants will leave with a clear understanding of the outcome of the session and your credibility as a skilled facilitator will be enhanced. If you’re looking to hone your facilitation skills for your next staff meeting, planning session, community-based meeting, brainstorming session, etc. be sure to check out our Facilitation Skills for New Facilitators workshop.

Written by: Melissa 8 Tips for Virtual Trainers In a recent Training 101 workshop, one of my clients asked for tips on conducting virtual classroom (synchronous on-line) training. While live instructor-led training is still the most widely used method of delivering training, studies indicate that training delivered in a virtual environment is rapidly gaining traction. Travel restrictions, budget cuts, and a technology-savvy workforce have led many companies to rethink how they continue to meet the training needs of their employees. There are oodles of books, online tutorials and blogs for trainers looking for tips to sharpen their virtual training skills. My best and favorite resource just happens to be my workshop attendees! So, here I’ve assembled eight easy tips I’ve picked up from the SME’s, a.k.a., my participants! I’m happy to share. 1.    Establish ground rules for participation. Ask for agreement from your participants - they might not know what’s expected. A few good ground rules to include are: please resist distractions, close your office door, don’t check email, contribute to discussions by typing in the "Chat" box, and respond to polls. Ask your group, "Does everyone agree to engage and fully participate during the next hour?" 2.    Master the software. Know all the tips and tricks of your preferred virtual classroom software. Some of the more common features include: document sharing (display PowerPoint slides), chat, polling, annotation, virtual white boards, raise hand/change status, breakout groups, and application sharing. 3.    Plan for contingencies. Things can and will go wrong. Consider having a producer or co-pilot on the session who can assist with all technical details and/or help solve the problem. Have a second computer at your desk to glance at periodically. You can see what the participants are viewing at any given time - like a side view mirror when driving. Good virtual training facilitators don’t magically avoid all problems, but they recover from them well. Always have a Plan B. 4.    Pare down text. Don’t include your entire script on your slides. Stay focused on key tasks or ideas (one idea per slide). Create a downloadable handout or post-course job aid for additional or "nice to know" information. 5.    Prompt for participation. Participants need to be encouraged and reminded to participate, especially in a virtual environment. Tell your participants that everyone will be expected to participate right up front! The general rule of thumb for a synchronous virtual training class is to engage participants at least every three to five minutes. 6.    Ask questions, wait for the responses. Questions should be specific with an emphasis on how participants should respond ("Let’s have everyone respond to this next question in the chat window."). Use your participants’ names when only one person should respond ("Joe, could you elaborate on your comment in the chat window?"). 7.    Harness your voice. Voice is a key component of your virtual training delivery. Pay attention to your volume, rate, tone, and overall sound. Speak fast enough so the participants don’t get bored, yet slow enough that they understand (150 words per minute is a good guideline). Ultimately, your voice communicates who you are as a virtual trainer. 8.    Use feedback to improve. Becoming an effective online trainer is an evolutionary process. Own your mistakes and learn from them. Solicit feedback (via a reaction survey) on the following elements of your delivery: voice, word choices, rate of speech, and clear activity instructions. Take part in virtual trainings whenever possible; it’s a great way to find out what works and what doesn’t. As Albert Einstein once said, "If you keep on doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep on getting what you’re getting." One of my favorite quotations, from American football coach Vince Lombardi goes, "Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect." What are you doing to perfect your virtual training skills?

Written by: Jeff One challenge that instructors often face when facilitating an instructor-led training course is appropriately handling the diverse experience levels of their participants. Instructors, have you ever found yourself teaching a group of learners that is a mix of both seasoned, veteran employees and those who are virtually new to the organization? The most ideal solution to that scenario would be to offer both beginner and advanced level courses with the hope that the appropriate level participants register for the appropriate level course. However, the more likely scenario is simply having one course available that everyone attends, regardless of their experience level as it relates to the course content. If you find yourself dealing with the latter scenario, one possible solution is to incorporate the technique of Peer Tutoring. At Langevin, we define Peer Tutoring as "participants helping each other to learn under the guidance of a group leader." Peer tutoring can also be used to give advanced participants an opportunity to help their less experienced peers. I have used peer tutoring (or peer-assisted learning, as I sometimes call it) with a significant amount of success. However, like any other instructional technique, it has to be done in an appropriate manner to ensure maximum results. Below are three tips to effectively incorporate peer tutoring in an instructor-led training environment. 1.      Seek Permission Before simply assigning an advanced participant(s) the task of being the coach/mentor of a less experienced participant(s), you need to get their permission. I once made the mistake of not doing this. I recall having a class of mostly less experienced participants with a handful of experienced participants. To utilize the concept of peer tutoring, I purposely arranged the seating so there was one veteran sitting among each group of new associates. I then assigned the veteran the task of being the "Coach" to each table group. I never asked the veterans’ permission, I simply assigned them the task. Reluctantly, the experienced participants did what I asked of them, but I received several complaints from them on the end-of-course evaluation. I specifically remember one person writing "I didn’t feel comfortable babysitting the new kids all day." I also got feedback from the less experienced participants about the poor quality of the coaching they received from the seasoned participants. I eventually realized that without participant buy-in, the veterans were not willing to be a coach/mentor and the quality of the coaching and mentoring suffered. 2.      Choose Selectively Not every seasoned veteran is qualified to be a coach or mentor. I recall one new associate privately telling me, "My coach is confusing me by showing me too many shortcuts." At that point, I realized that the mentors were not necessarily trainers. They were simply subject-matter experts (SMEs) who were perhaps a bit over-zealous about their content knowledge. Due to their higher level of knowledge and expertise, they shared way too much information with the beginning learners. While the coaches thought they were being helpful in showing shortcuts and alternatives, the new learners were struggling to simply learn the standardized procedure. After that experience, I learned that careful selection of the peer tutor is necessary. With future attempts at peer tutoring, I also found it beneficial to have a brief conversation with the specially selected veteran. I discussed "do’s and don’ts" of their coaching, as well as providing them with a checklist of specific information to cover. 3.      Position Appropriately Proper positioning of the peer tutoring experience needs to be considered to ensure the most effective results. I once made the mistake of not properly positioning the peer tutoring activity when I facilitated a customer service course years ago. Having an even number of participants, I paired the veteran employees with the newer associates. The feedback on the evaluations suggested that the less experienced participants felt inferior to their more seasoned colleagues. Instead of viewing the pairing as an opportunity to learn from their seasoned peers, the less experienced associates viewed the experience as somewhat of a punishment or belittling. Moving forward, I learned to re-position the experience as a "beneficial opportunity to observe and ask questions of your experienced colleagues who have a wealth of real-world experience. So take full advantage of this opportunity!" With a few modifications and adjustments, I eventually found success in incorporating peer tutoring in my instructor-led courses. If you find yourself challenged with handling the diverse experience levels of your learners, I hope you’ll consider using this instructional technique as well. I’m confident these tips will set you up for success in facilitating a peer tutoring experience.

Written by: Linda I recently had a boisterous discussion on LinkedIn regarding how to spice up "dry material" during training. This discussion struck such a chord of interest that I was compelled to share some of the ideas in this blog. Here are five tips that I walked away with from this discussion: 1.    Highlight the benefits. Stating the benefits early on addresses the WIIFM (What’s In It For Me). When learners can identify the relevance of the content and how it will help them, it allows them to change their perception of the material being "dry" because it matters to them personally. 2.    Use a variety of methods and avoid "Death by PowerPoint!" We all know that we learn by doing and not by someone giving us a chalk and talk. We must be creative and incorporate methods that allow interaction and participation. Popular methods are interactive lecture methods, teach backs, games, role plays, and case studies, just to name a few. We have a glossary of 50 presentation and application methods that are addressed in many of our Langevin courses. Using a variety of methods will surely add spice to dry material. 3.    Incorporate stories and analogies. In a recent blog, I talked about the power of using stories in training. Stories and analogies allow the learners to engage with the content on a visceral level. When this occurs, it deepens the retention and the learning. I once heard that a two-minute analogy can be worth sixty minutes of lecture. Often it is the story that the learners remember when applying the content, not just the facts. 4.    Never tell the participants that the material is "Dry!" Ok, maybe it is dry! This is where we, as trainers, must deliver the content by identifying the juice in the material and making it live! It is important that we set the tone and deliver the content with enthusiasm, energy, and excitement. Doing this will surely engage the learners. 5.    Use Humor and Have Fun! Incorporating appropriate humor adds levity to material that may be dry and allows the participants to have fun while learning. Incorporating these five instructional techniques will surely add some spice to any training that was once perceived as "dry." What have you used in your training to spice things up?

Written by: Jim In a recent 25 Creative Ways to Add Excitement to Your Training workshop, I enjoyed a very energetic conversation with the participants about motivational openings - cartoons, stories, facts, analogies, and even quotations - and how they can aid the learning process. For now, I’d like to focus on some key quotation sources. Whose quotations can I use anyway? I have a few ideas I’d like to share with you. 1.  Famous People You can quote presidents, entertainment celebrities, sports stars, historical figures, and even business leaders. Your participants will be drawn to what was said, and as a result, they’ll be involved with your content. The use of a relevant quotation is a powerful instructional technique. Of course, the quotation doesn’t need to be serious or intense. It can be funny or ironic, and that may actually grab the attention of your learners even more quickly. One quotation I use when teaching presentation skills comes from old time radio comedian, Gracie Allen. She said, "When I was born, I was so scared, I couldn’t talk for a year and a half." Everybody has a good laugh, and we begin our delivery skills discussion. 2.  Songs You can quote rock bands, country bands, and even Broadway show tunes to get your point across. Your participants might have the song you quote on their MP3 player and some participants may even start singing. Use of a relevant lyric is a great memory tool. The quotation can be serious or funny, but use the "radio edit" version in class. One lyric I like to use when talking about cost-benefit analysis comes from Kevin Cronin, lead singer of REO Speedwagon. When discussing ROI, I use the line from the song where he sings, "If you want to talk to someone, you’ve got to learn to speak to them in their own language." This is very appropriate when talking about the impact of training on an organization. What does management look at to gauge success? Find out, and use those same reports to show the positive impact training has had. 3.  Your Participants Whenever I teach, I really listen to what is said in class. Some of those key moments are when participants say something so clearly or profoundly that you just want to repeat it…later. One quotation I’ve used for years came from an instructional design participant who came to the realization that, "Training is not an event, it’s a process." I use this quotation in so many workshops that when I saw it as the tag line for a former participant’s email, I was pleased to see just how powerful a quotation can be. I’ve given you a glimpse into the use of quotations in the classroom. Feel free to explore the various quotation sites online to uncover some relevant gems for your content. Oh, did I mention that you can also quote yourself? When considering whether a quotation is appropriate, I always say, "Hey, it’s a family show. Let’s keep it that way."

Written by: Lynne "Order in the court! Order in the court!" Perhaps you’ve heard that phrase before. There’s an order to just about everything. Order in a courtroom as well as order in a training course. Here are just some of the many decisions we have to make during the instructional design process. We have to decide how to: •   start a course •   deliver the course content •   have the learners practice applying the content •   apply the appropriate reviews and summaries With all these decisions we have to make, it is easy to overlook another decision that is equally as important. We have to decide how to order our lessons within our courses. In our Instructional Design for New Designers workshop we discuss the following three options and the benefits of each. 1.   Order your lessons in the same order employees perform their tasks back on the job. A benefit to using this technique is that learners get a chance to practice their job tasks the same way they will do them back on the job, making it easier to transition from training to real life. 2.   Order your lessons from the easiest to the hardest tasks. A benefit to using this technique is that learners gain confidence early in the course, before they delve deeper into the more difficult material. 3.   Order your lessons using the "whole-part-whole" technique. A benefit to using this technique is that learners get motivated early and stay engaged in your course. You start by showing them where they are going to end up at the end of the course and then proceed to teach them bit-by-bit how to put all the pieces together. With these options available, you can pick the best technique or combination of techniques that will make your courses successful. Most times your choice will depend on your course content and your audience. How do you ensure order in your courses?