Written by: Marsha "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times…" Who knew that I’d be living the first line from Charles Dickens’ classic, A Tale of Two Cities? How could something so joyful be so stressful at the same time? Why do people fall apart instead of coming together? And how was I going to fix everything? So what’s my problem? I’m in the midst of planning the happiest day of my life, my wedding! Of course, I’m dealing with all the typical stuff - how many people to invite, what to serve, and where to seat my guests. But on top of that, I have two bridesmaids, who used to be best friends, who aren’t speaking. Yes, it feels like I’m back in junior high. Luckily, I was teaching Project Management for Trainers recently, and was reminded of our "5-Step Model to Resolve Conflicts." Stay tuned for the results! Step 1: Identify each party’s grievance. Meet individually with each person and listen calmly to the grievance. Empathize with the individual but don’t take sides. Step 2: Encourage each party to resolve the dispute through negotiation.  Emphasize the importance of resolving the conflict to keep the project on track. Explore options the individual would be willing to accept. Step 3: Identify common interests. Establish ground rules for the mediation and ensure each party has a chance to be heard. Control the discussion and defuse altercations before they develop. Ask each person to summarize the other party’s grievance and explain what is motivating him or her. Step 4: Negotiate an agreement based on common interests. Identify and build on common interests between both parties. Agree to disagree on differences. So what do we mean by common interests? Last year, I had an opportunity to negotiate an agreement for my niece, Hillary, when she started her first year of university. Early on, Hillary complained about her roommate, Jennifer. You see, Hillary wanted the lights on at night and Jennifer wanted them off. Those were their positions. If we changed our focus to interests, Hillary wanted to read at night while Jennifer wanted to sleep. How could we negotiate an agreement? Get Hillary a night light and Jennifer a sleep mask. Problem solved! Step 5: Monitor compliance to the negotiated agreement. Ensure both parties clearly state they will follow the agreed upon actions as negotiated in the agreement. Back to the "Bridesmaids" - my life, not the movie! I met with each of them separately and listened to their complaints. I encouraged them to resolve the issue (yes, I pulled the bride card) and brought them together. At first it was awkward, but after setting the ground rules, they began speaking AND really listening to one another. By the end, they were laughing, talking, and joking as if no time had passed. All was calm in my world again. Of course, I will be monitoring their compliance up until the big day. But for now, it’s just the best of times!

Written by: Alan No one’s perfect. That doesn’t mean we should stop striving to improve. Even the most seasoned, confident trainer can make mistakes in the classroom. After coaching thousands of trainers, I have found there are five common mistakes that instructors make. Here they are, with tips on using a variety of instructional techniques to avoid them: 1.  Starting Late The most common reason a trainer would start late is to wait for stragglers. But then everyone who made the effort to arrive on time realizes it wasn’t worth the trouble. No one has ever entered a training session late and said, "Why didn’t you wait for me?" How to avoid it: Start with an activity that involves people but doesn’t lose the stragglers. Examples include puzzles, icebreakers, or reviews of prior content. 2.  Talking Too Much It’s so easy to include more than was originally planned in a training session. But those extra examples and experiences you share take up time. You don’t just lose time when you add the extra talking, you lose learner focus. How to avoid it: At the start of every exercise or activity, ask yourself, "How did I do in that presentation segment? Did I convey the right content? Was the focus where it should have been?" Asking yourself these questions regularly will keep your talking time to a minimum. 3.  Getting Off Track As learners ask questions or share experiences, there’s a risk of straying from the objectives of the training. Those tangents can eat up precious time and put you way behind in your lesson plan. How to avoid it: Put your agenda on a whiteboard or a flipchart page on the wall. Look at it often. When people start to veer off course, point to the agenda to get things back on track. This simple instructional technique can come in quite handy! 4.  Answering Every Question This mistake has a double impact. It reduces interaction because learners have fewer opportunities to share their own experiences. It also puts more stress on you, the trainer, contributing to your nervousness and anxiety. How to avoid it: Redirect questions to the audience once in a while. Ask if anyone has any thoughts before you share your own. You’ll get more thorough answers overall, and feel less stressed about handling questions in your training. 5.  Avoiding Corrective Feedback This is a very common mistake. Trainers are often hesitant to point out where learners went wrong. We’re afraid of shutting people down or making them uncomfortable. How to avoid it: Start your feedback with positive comments and then make a diplomatic transition to corrections. Some of my favorites are, "If there was anything I would suggest…" or "The only thing that would make it even better is…" Even after 17 years of training people, I have to be vigilant about these five mistakes. I hope this list helps you fine-tune your own training style. Are there any instructional techniques you use to help avoid these common trainer mistakes? I’d love to hear them…happy training!

Written by: Steve I’ve seen a lot of changes in the training industry over the last 20 years, from the days of the overhead projector and acetate slides to smart boards, iPads, and e-learning. We were just starting to get our heads around rapid e-learning and along comes social media for trainers. The biggest challenge I have faced in my training career is to accept, and even embrace, the new technologies and their role in training. I’ve worked hard to develop an online mindset by realizing this new technology is not going away. Regardless of your role in training, the impact of technology is, and will continue to be, huge! Training managers are encouraged to convert traditional instructor-led courses to the web. They need to hire instructors and instructional designers with the skill set to design and deliver e-learning and virtual classroom sessions. They also need to partner and speak the language of IT professionals on these projects. Performance consultants are told by clients that, by default, the training solution is an e-learning one. Consultants are being asked to provide suggestions to deliver the content quickly using the technology that is available. Instructional designers must develop a skill set to use rapid e-learning tools and incorporate various types of media. They are required to design training that meets the needs of a young workforce where technology is a major part of work and personal life. Classroom instructors need to develop a set of instructional techniques that will allow them to be successful in a virtual classroom environment. Live, synchronous training really challenges the classroom management skills of instructors. Even simple Q & A, giving feedback, and managing a difficult participant require a new set of skills. As for me, the world of blogging, Twitter, and LinkedIn is a relatively new one and has brought about an adjustment in how I perform my current role and manage my workday. When not instructing in the classroom, I am conditioning myself to delve into social media as part of my regular work day. Blogging and participating in online discussions are activities I need to do to stay tuned into the training world. I will continue to work at it so it becomes second nature because I don’t want to get left behind. How about you? What are you doing to stay current?

Written by: Melissa Let’s face it, live, synchronous, virtual learning is not just a trend, it’s a training delivery strategy that’s here to stay! It’s extremely effective, economical, and geographically desirable! If you’ve never attended a virtual classroom training session, you might think it a bit scary. I must admit, I was a little nervous when attending my first virtual classroom session. I’ve found the best way to eliminate those pre-class jitters is to know what you’re getting yourself into and be prepared. To get the most out of your virtual classroom experience, expect to interact with your instructor, producer, and fellow learners. In addition, the following seven tips will help make your virtual classroom training experience a successful (and oh, so enjoyable) one: 1.   Prepare your equipment at least one day ahead. There’s nothing worse than logging in to your online training two minutes before it starts only to find out your corporate firewall won’t let you in. Also, complete a virtual classroom software connection test on the computer you’ll be using to access the course. Finally, ensure all software, including Adobe Flash, is up to date. 2.   Use a hands-free headset. Free up your hands and improve your audio quality at the same time! Beg, borrow, or steal a headset, or just cough up the dough to buy your own (they’re relatively inexpensive). 3.   Turn off email, phones, and devices and clear all distractions from your work area. This is important because it’s easy to answer the phone or pick up some work and lose track of what’s going on in the class. The trainer will not know that you have "checked out" so he or she won’t be able to re-engage you successfully. 4.   Log in 10-15 minutes early. Logging in early gives you time to test your audio, get familiar with your surroundings, and meet your fellow learners. 5.   Participate and prepare to be called on by name. As I mentioned above, the virtual classroom lends itself to interaction. Participation will keep you engaged and move the class along. 6.   Raise your hand if you have an immediate question or comment. When you click the "raise hand" button on your screen, an icon appears next to your name. This is important because the trainer cannot tell by looking at you (like in a traditional classroom) if you are confused on a particular point or have something to add. 7.   Send a private chat message to the trainer or producer, or use the status icons to indicate you’ve stepped away if you leave the virtual  classroom. This is important because the trainer must know whether he or she can call on you - and that you are not having technical difficulties. Follow these guidelines and I can just about guarantee you’ll get the most from your synchronous virtual classroom experience. And, speaking of experiences, Learning in the Virtual Classroom and The Virtual Trainer are now available from your favorite train-the-trainer company, Langevin Learning Services. Check out the details on our website!

Written by: Jeff Let’s face it, not all participants come to training motivated to learn. Whether they are "prisoners" forced to attend a course or simply just not interested in the subject-matter, it’s likely that you’ll encounter an unmotivated participant a time or two in your training career. So, how do you get them motivated? Luckily, there are a variety of instructional techniques to increase motivation among your participants. I’ll share three tips that have worked for me in the past. According to a recent online article in Psychology Today, humans are motivated by three basic factors: Stimulation, Identity, and Security. As trainers, if we can find a way to tap into the psychological aspect of motivation, we might just convert a "prisoner" to an "explorer" and encourage the disinterested to become interested. 1.      Stimulation Humans desire to be challenged and stimulated. Most of us welcome opportunities to be engaged and interested. Having attended a few courses in my day, nothing bored me more than sitting through a 200-slide presentation. When I realized that my training experience meant sitting silently among my fellow participants, while listening to the instructor read each slide aloud, I immediately shut down. To tap into the stimulation factor, I’d suggest we rethink the "Death by PowerPoint" scenario. Instead, include numerous opportunities in our training courses for our participants to express themselves, work together, and be active. When participants have an opportunity to speak and contribute, work together with their colleagues, and complete various tasks, motivation returns to the classroom. Training that is full of activities and exercises goes a long way to promote and restore motivation. 2.      Identity Humans are driven by the need to identify with things they care about. Tapping into the identity factor brings me to the famous acronym of WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?). Participants in training may ask themselves, "How is this going to personally benefit me?" I’ve found that if I point out why or how the training is important to them, they always seem to be more motivated. I try to home in on real-world, personal benefits my participants will find important or useful. At a former job, I conducted many sales courses for our sales staff. Sales people are often motivated by money. To get their motivation and buy-in, I’d usually ask a rhetorical question like "How many of you want to make larger commission dollars on your next pay check?" From that point on they were all ears. I realize that not everyone is motivated by money. As trainers, it’s our job to find out what motivates our participants. For some people motivation might be reward and recognition, for others it could be certification or career advancement. Once you know what that motivational factor is, I’d suggest you capitalize on it, in an effort to answer the age old question of "What’s in it for me?" 3.      Security Whether it’s at home or in the workplace, humans want to feel safe and secure in their surroundings. The training environment is no different. Most people need to feel safe, secure, and comfortable before they can give their full attention to learning. I suggest doing some adequate climate building as part of the overall training process. This can be done by conducting an icebreaker, so your participants can begin to establish rapport with their fellow learners. Secure climate building can also be done by describing your role as a leader. I always introduce myself by sharing my background and credentials as it relates to the subject. In addition, I take my introduction a step further by suggesting that my role is that of a facilitator. I stress to my participants that I’m there to whole-heartedly assist them in their learning process. Psychology plays a significant part in the learning process, especially as it relates to motivation. Hopefully you’ll consider the factors of stimulation, identity, and security, and incorporate my personal tips and instructional techniques when attempting to motivate your participants. What are some of your best motivational tips and techniques?

Written by: Linda As a trainer, I have had the honor of frequently witnessing groups come together as strangers and evolve to become a support group for one another well after the training has been completed. My heart smiles when I open my email a week or two following a training program and discover that participants are chatting with one another regarding their key learnings from the course but, more importantly, how they are applying the skills in their workplace. Unfortunately, we sometimes hear the opposite. Participants attend a training program, return to work, put out fires, and resort to old habits with very little motivation, reinforcement, or accountability. This is why it is always a breath of fresh air to witness learners who are excited about learning new skills, and are motivating and supporting one another to implement the tools back on the job. In one of my recent programs, a participant was quite surprised at how quickly everyone gelled in a three-day course. I recall hearing him say how he felt as though he had known the other participants for years. He also stated, "This clearly doesn’t happen in all of your classes." I responded honestly, "Of course not, however, it happens more often than not." There is so much that goes into making a successful training experience, but it does not happen on its own. There are some things that we simply don’t have control over. However, when we add the following five key ingredients (or instructional techniques), which are the foundation for all Langevin training programs, it makes for a successful training experience. Create a safe climate that is conducive to learning. Create opportunities for learners to network and get to know each other on a professional and personal level. Present content that is relevant! Provide frequent opportunities for hands-on practice and immediate feedback. Make learning fun (without going too far). Hopefully we will see you in one of our instructional techniques workshops soon - you’ll definitely experience the rewards of a successful training experience!

Written by: Lynne We all take risks every day. We drive our cars on the highway, invest in the stock market, and ski down mountains. Do you take risks in the classroom to facilitate learning? For example: Do you use icebreakers when they haven’t been used before? Do you let participants lead discussions instead of you? Do you sit down at student tables instead of standing up in front of them? Do you let students choose the activities? These are just a few of the many examples I could give you. Risk means giving up control and putting it in the hands of your class, not knowing what may happen, but being prepared and confident to handle whatever develops. Now that you know what I mean by risk, do you know why it’s important for learning? When you stop being the star and begin to focus the attention on your learners, they become empowered, motivated, and excited to learn and keep on learning! Learners take more ownership in not only what they learn but how they are learning it. This creates buy-in and reduces or eliminates problem learners and/or situations. Are you ready to take some risks? Here are some tried-and-true instructional techniques to adopt in your classrooms. We share these, and many other tips like them, in our Advanced Instructional Techniques Workshop. Have your students sit in a circle, with just their chairs, when you want to promote a close-knit, cohesive, and open class discussion. Let learners review and summarize course material with each other. Poll the group often for opinions and adjust your course content accordingly to match the needs of the group. Let learners ask and answer their own questions during class. Use small-group activities to allow everyone to stay engaged. Now that you have some instructional techniques and tips on how to take risks, I hope you will take the plunge! Don’t be afraid to have fun either. If risks don’t work out as planned, you can just brush them off and keep teaching! Your learners will roll with you as long as you stay composed and lighthearted about the learning process. How do you take risks in the classroom?

Written by: Paul Return-on-investment (ROI) is one of the most common buzz words in the training industry today. Given limited training budgets and minimal availability of employees for classroom training, how do you, as an organization, get the best performance improvement for the money spent on training? Here are eight simple suggestions to increase the ROI for your instructor-led trainings. Success - ensure the content and activities brought into the classroom are relevant to the learners’ success back in the workplace. If you have done this, you have given the learners, and the organization, a real gift. Benefit - make a strong benefit statement for each task brought into the classroom. The intent of the "What’s In It For Me" (WIIFM) statement is to ensure the learners see the link between what is covered in the classroom and success in the workplace. Realism - structure activities in the classroom to be as realistic as possible so the participants can easily see the connection to the workplace and therefore, the relevance of the activity. Action Plan - give the participants some reflective time during the training to consider the content, and specifically how they can use the content back on the job. This "action plan" time may be just a few minutes in the morning and afternoon, but it is a proven transfer-of-training technique. Action Plan Prioritization - at the end of the training, invest a few moments and have the learners consider their action plans and identify which activities should be undertaken first when they get back to their jobs. Relapse Prevention Strategy - relapse means doing things the old way. Have your learners consider possible obstacles to the implementation of the newly learned procedures or action plan items. Learners can then identify possible strategies to overcome the obstacles. Support group - have the learners exchange contact information so that when obstacles arise in the workplace there is a way of gaining peer support for implementation of the strategies learned in training. Reminder - make a copy of the participants’ action plans. Have them fill out their address on an envelope. Two weeks after the training, mail the participants a copy of their action plan as a reminder of the actions they intended to take. One of our jobs as trainers is to help the individuals and the organization realize that potential value. To learn how to build and communicate a compelling case for the effectiveness of your training programs, check out Langevin’s Evaluation of Training workshop!

Written by: Marsha So a panda walks into a café, orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air. The waiter asks, "Why did you do that?" The panda tosses him a wildlife manual and says, "I’m a panda. Look it up." The waiter opens the manual and finds, "Panda. Large black and white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves." This joke is the premise for a book called Eats, Shoots & Leaves, written by Lynne Truss, a former editor, about the poor state of punctuation and grammar in North America. Now, this topic is near and dear to me, and I will admit, I’m a bit of a writing snob, myself. I judge when I see people using there/their/they’re or your/you’re incorrectly. And don’t get me started on "irregardless." There is no such word! Luckily, in our Writing Skills for Trainers workshop, we review punctuation, active vs. passive sentences, noun-pronoun disagreement, incorrect parallel structure, subject-verb disagreement, and dangling participles. Let’s be honest, when was the last time you even thought about a dangling participle! And that’s not all. We discuss commonly misused words like, affect/effect, e.g./i.e., that/which, and who/whom, to name a few. We also take your writing to a whole new level, in just one day. We show you how to translate job-related knowledge and skill into clear, concise, and complete terms for your target audience. We also examine the priorities of an instructional designer: to design instructionally effective and graphically appealing materials. Here are five quick tips to consider for more effective writing: 1. Sentences need to be short - use 15-20 words. 2. The best way to highlight sentences or words on a page is to bold them. 3. A simple, single-column format is the easiest to read, create, and edit. 4. Two-column formats are best for job aids. 5. Margins should occupy 40% of the page. Let’s face it. In today’s world, most of our communication is done via writing. With emails, texts, and instant messaging, who even has face-to-face meetings anymore? Although we don’t like to admit it, people form impressions when they see a punctuation or grammatical error. Come on, do tell! What writing tips can you share with your fellow instructional designers? What’s your biggest challenge in writing? And don’t worry, I promise not to judge!

Written by: Langevin Team We certainly live in a time where technology has created an environment of incredible change. Techniques, methods of operation, and even ideals become outdated almost as fast as they get introduced. However, there are certain products that are still as relevant, and of the same high quality now as they were decades ago, when they were first invented. Some things do not need to change; we often refer to these as "oldies, but goodies." The adult learning principles, which should be incorporated into the instructional design and delivery of your courses, fall into this category. So, here are five adult learning principles that are relevant for you today, and will be for years to come. Adults want to know what there is to gain, and to see progress being made. Adults want to focus on real-life problems. Adults want to be active by participating in their learning. Adults wish to speak, participate, and contribute. Adults need to have their self-esteem maintained. The great thing about these principles is they are not overloaded with complicated theory and explanations. Instead, they are the common-sense basics. In our hectic worlds isn’t that what we all are looking for anyway? As a classroom trainer and/or instructional designer, always incorporate these five principles and you are guaranteed to be successful! This is a very powerful statement, "guaranteed to be successful." Many of the problems and challenges we’ve heard over the years, from instructors, instructional designers, and managers, have been solved by these "oldies, but goodies."