Written by: Alan Wrapping up a course seems like a no-brainer: you revisit the objectives, ask if there are any final questions, and hand out (or link to) the course evaluation form. What else could you possibly need to do? Here are four other activities that can increase the impact your training has on the job. 1.  Help your learners prioritize the changes they intend to make It can be daunting to implement several days’ worth of new skills back on the job. Trying to change too much too fast can lead to frustration and disappointment. Get learners to decide which ideas they will try first. Ask them to consider which ideas will produce the best results with the least effort or change. 2.  Get them to write down the things they will implement Give your learners a document with a significant name related to their goals. At Langevin we call ours an "Action Plan." Other names I’ve seen include "Implementation Plan," "Performance Contract," Change Worksheet," and "Job Improvement Sheet." Ask them to write down the actions they will implement on the job as a result of the training. Get them to add specific details, name projects, write names of others who will be involved, list dates, etc. People are more likely to take action if they write their plan down. 3.  Ask your learners to consider barriers that will prevent them from implementing their new skills Change is rarely easily implemented. If your learners will be affected by other people, ask them to consider that issue. Instruct them to brainstorm all the barriers that could hamper the implementation of their new skills. This is best done as a group activity. The second part of the brainstorm, the organizing and prioritizing of ideas, can be done individually. Get them to write their conclusions in the document described in the previous paragraph. 4.  Ask your learners to prepare a list of ideas for overcoming the barriers to skills transfer If your learners have considered the barriers that may prevent them from using their skills, they can also explore ways to overcome those barriers. This is also suited to group work. Get learners to consider what actions might be needed to prevent those barriers from occurring in the first place. You can also ask them to think about what to do if the barriers materialize anyway. Ask learners to consider what they need to say or do, and whom they need to involve. If the goal of training is to actually improve the way employees do their jobs, let’s make sure it wraps up with that end in mind. The course summary shouldn’t be so brief and unmemorable that it doesn’t contribute to the training’s success. These ideas can make those final minutes more practical and realistic. Showing that you’re concerned about what happens to learners outside your training can be the extra nudge that gets them to implement more of what they’ve learned.

Written by: Langevin Team This review is from our Instructional Design for New Designers workshop: "This workshop came highly recommended to me by my cousin, and I couldn’t have asked for better. Alan Magnan, our instructor, kept things upbeat, interesting, engaging and fun! He had an excellent grasp of the material, and the course design made it easy to understand and follow, all the while leaving the participants feeling empowered. The hands-on activities were pivotal to grasping key concepts, and learning how to apply them in an instructional design setting. Thanks Langevin. Thanks Alan!" - Emilie Bedard, Royal Canadian Mounted Police The instructional design process requires many steps, from determining needs right through to evaluating the training. We have compiled five of our most popular blogs, written by our very own course leaders, to provide you with tips and best practices relating to the instructional design process. Learn the fundamentals of instructional design and how to put them into practice, the Langevin way! 1) How to Incorporate Principles of Adult Learning into Training 2) The Why, What, Who, What, and How of Instructional System Design 3) 5 Ways Learner Analysis Will Impact Instructional Design 4) 4 Tips for Working with Subject-Matter Experts 5) Instructional Design Time Ratios As an added BONUS, check out this list of 12 Tips for Instructional Designers! We’ve provided you with some useful tips and best practices, but for the full step-by-step design process, and to learn how to incorporate time-saving shortcuts to simplify your job and produce better courses, have a look at our Instructional Design for New Designers workshop. If you have any instructional design tips you’d like to share, we’d love to hear them!

Written by: Jeff  "A smile is happiness you find right under your nose." ~ Tom Wilson Smiling is the body’s natural, physiological response to things we find funny, cute, or endearing. How many of you find your laughs accompanied by a big smile when you hear a joke told by your favorite comedian? Or, who can resist casting a warm smile at the sight of a newborn baby? Smiling may seem like an involuntary response that happens when we’re happy. However, there’s more to it than that. Many scientific studies have concluded that smiling can actually benefit your health. In addition to the health benefits, I believe that smiling can benefit our classroom performance as a trainer. 1.  Smiling makes you appear more trustworthy As trainers, we’re tasked with leading our learners and taking them on a journey of discovery and learning. Trust and credibility must be established before our learners will follow. In addition to sharing your accolade-filled introduction with your audience, you might consider flashing your warm and genuine smile as a way to gain trust and build leadership credibility. Two university studies suggest that smiling makes you appear more trustworthy and increase your credibility as a leader. Participants in a University of Pittsburgh study rated people who smiled more trustworthy than people with non-smiling facial expressions. Also, a group of researchers from the University of Montpellier in France concluded that smiling is just as effective when demonstrating leadership as other characteristics such as confidence and compassion. 2.  Smiling releases endorphins Smiling can help you manage stress and anxiety by releasing endorphins. Endorphins are natural chemicals in the human body that make us feel upbeat. They are the same chemicals released while working out or running, resulting in what is sometimes known as a "runner’s high." While I know it’s not always easy to smile during stressful situations, studies suggest that doing so just might help you calm down. Based on research conducted by the psychology department at the University of Kansas-Lawrence, research participants who smiled during highly stressful events had lower heart rates than those with neutral facial expressions. So the next time your multimedia projector doesn’t work properly, or you have to compete with "Chatty Cathy’s" sidebar conversation, literally grin and bear it. That grin (also known as a smile!) might help you handle the situation with a bit less stress. 3.  Smiling is contagious It doesn’t take a research scientist to know that smiling makes you appear more friendly and approachable. I’ve even found that if you smile at someone, they will often smile back. As a matter of fact, the results of a recent study conducted by a German university suggest that smiling is contagious. Researchers at the University of Tubingen found that complex brain activity occurs when you see someone smile. Simply seeing another person smile activates the area of your brain that controls your facial movement, which ultimately leads to a smile on your face. While instructing in the training room, or delivering a presentation, your very own smile might just be the best tool to help you connect with your audience or encourage your learners to embrace a new policy or procedure. If you smile, it’s likely they’ll smile back! So the next time you take to the platform or the podium, consider flashing the pearly whites; it just might have more benefits than you expect!

Written by: Melissa It’s early 2014 and my husband is in our living room, pacing to and fro, anxious about his presentation skills and about giving a presentation for "the powers that be" at his office. As many organizations do in the first few months of a new year, they ask department heads to share their goals and plans for the upcoming year. When I asked him what was making him so nervous, he said, "Unlike you, I don’t speak in front of people on a regular basis - it’s nerve wracking!" I assured him that even experienced speakers (and trainers, like us) get nervous. The trick is to harness the nervous energy; make it work for you! Incorporate that energy into your presentation - it’ll make you appear passionate about your topic. In honor of my anxiety-ridden husband, and anyone else who fears speaking in public, I’ve put together a few tips to help with your presentation skills and to combat speaker’s anxiety. 1.  Get the Blood Flowing If you are a fan of exercise, then go for a run or walk the day of your presentation. Studies have proven that the benefits of exercise have a positive effect on the nerves, lasting up to 12 hours. If you know you enjoy the endorphin rush that comes with exercise, make sure you perform your activity within 12 hours before your presentation. 2.  Rehearse, Don’t Memorize Practice will build your confidence and reduce your anxiety. However, please note that there’s a significant difference between being well-rehearsed and coming across as memorized. Rehearsed implies you are prepared, confident, and can speak on the fly if needed. Memorized implies you are dependent, lack confidence, and are controlled by your talk, rather than you controlling it. Plus, memorizing your presentation word for word can actually lead to more anxiety. If something out of the ordinary happens, or you lose your place, you’ll put an extreme amount of pressure on yourself to get back to where you were. A better approach is to commit concepts (not words) to memory. Never, never, never write out your presentation word for word unless absolute accuracy must be maintained (e.g. legal situations). Simply make brief notes. A little spontaneity adds a tremendous amount of character to your presentation. 3.  Drop your hands Your hands and your gestures can add great impact to your delivery. When you are not using your hands, just drop them to your side (the "neutral" position). It will feel awkward at first, but dropping your hands to your side is the most natural gesture you can use. For instance, when you walk down the hallway at your office, do you cup your hands in front as you walk? Probably not. In most situations, it is natural to just let your hands drop to your side. When you do this, it will allow you to make more purposeful gestures when you need to. Realize anxiety exists. Know what your fears are, and make a list of those fears. Then, look at what’s realistic and what’s not. Do you really believe your audience would begin pointing, laughing, and mocking you? Probably not. So, plan how to respond to realistic fears. Even better, consider attending our one-day workshop, Polish Your Presentation Skills, to get hands-on practice speaking in front of an audience.

Written by: Langevin Team This review is from our Instructional Techniques for New Instructors workshop: "Great course for those who are new to being an instructor. This course gives you the tools needed to be a good instructor from the start. This course is quality! Going into it I had my doubts, knowing how I was when speaking to a group, but after the class I’m undoubtedly better at speaking in front of my learners, dealing with issues that arise, and executing the courseware I’m presenting." - Casey Lee, Allfax Specialties As an instructor, there is a wide variety of instructional techniques you can incorporate into your training. We have compiled five of our most popular blogs, written by our very own course leaders, to provide you with tips and best practices for delivering successful training. Learn how to use a variety of instructional techniques, set up your classroom to maximize learning, and be the most effective, engaging trainer!    1)  10 Instructional Techniques to Start a Course Successfully    2)  7 Tips for Building Climate and Rapport in the Classroom    3)  Make Your Training Room Learner-Friendly: How to Set Up a Classroom    4)   How to Get Learners to RAVE about Your Training    5)  7 Tips for Giving Effective Feedback As an added BONUS, check out this list of 20 Practical Tips for Instructors! We’ve provided you with some valuable tips and best practices, but to become a polished and confident instructor, enroll in our Instructional Techniques for New Instructors workshop where you will gain the key "survival" skills you need as a new instructor. Expect the most highly participative and interactive course you’ve ever attended! If you have any tips for instructors, or a favorite instructional technique you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you!

Written by: Linda I recently had a lengthy discussion with a client regarding the purpose of an agenda and what should be included. The client did not understand its purpose or value and consequently had not been using an agenda in her training programs. This blog will highlight some of the key points discussed with the client and why I think they are important. When introducing a session, there should always be an overview or "big picture" of what will take place during the training program. The agenda is simply the roadmap broken down into detail indicating what will take place during the session each day. Adult learners want to know what’s going to happen, when it’s going to happen, and how it’s going to happen! The agenda not only supports the learner but it also aids the trainer. It helps keep the session on task and on target. I am often asked about how much information should be included in the agenda. The agenda should not include too much information with long run-on sentences. The recommended format is to KISS…Keep It Short and Simple. Use bullet points to serve as a checklist of what will be covered in the session. The instructor can verbally expand on each topic when covering the key points of the agenda. Another issue that is often raised concerns the inclusion of time on the agenda. This is a matter of style, the company culture, and the type of session that is being facilitated. Based on the types of trainings I conduct, my personal preference is to stay away from listing times. However, as trainers, it is important for us to know our time frames and where we should be hour by hour. I believe it’s okay to give time frames to the participants that indicate what will occur in the morning and afternoon session. This allows for flexibility and minimizes being held to rigid timelines by the participants. In summary, a prepared agenda should be referred to at the beginning of each day and periodically throughout the day. It should be visible to both the instructor and the learner via flipchart, PowerPoint slide, handout, or workbook. Susan B. Wilson offers a quote, "Meetings without an agenda are like a restaurant without a menu." And, fortunately my client had many light bulb moments and now includes agendas in all her training programs! Do you use an agenda in your training? How has using an agenda helped in your training sessions?

Written by: Lynne If I were a SME, what kind of SME would I be? You’ve probably read about difficult types of learners and seen techniques on how to deal with them but did you know there are different types of subject-matter experts as well? If you are an instructional designer you know how important these people are to you. So, it is critical to be aware of these SMEs and to have some survival tips on how to deal with them. First I will introduce you to several types of SMEs and then I will offer some tips on how to deal with them! The Hostage SME. This SME does not want to spend any time with you and tries to rush you through the meeting so he or she can get back to work. Tip: Use a specific agenda with the SME so they know you are being efficient with their limited time. (Tweet this tip!) You can also show them a sample task analysis so both of you can stay on task and complete the document together. The Hidden Agenda SME. This SME doesn’t really want to work with you either but they are bidding on a job upgrade and think that working with you will just be another feather in their cap. Tip: Fine with you! As long as they give you what you need so you can do your job, you can then contribute towards their hopeful promotion by giving them an autographed copy of your learners’ guide as a parting gift! You can even give them public recognition for their contribution as part of a "Credits" or "Acknowledgments" page in the learners’ guide. The Wannabee SME. This person is an up-and-coming SME. They are not the real expert you need to work with but their manager assigned them to you because they were available and the real SME was not. Tip: This one is challenging. You really want to work with the true SME to get the most reliable and accurate information to help you build your course content. Meet with the SME wannabee and get the most out of them that you can. Let them know you may be seeking additional opinions (from the true SME) to help you fill in any gaps. Be sure to emphasize that their contribution is no less valuable than anyone else’s. So there you have it! Hopefully these tips will help you work with these three specific SMEs on your next instructional design project. I know there are other types of challenging SMEs out there. How do YOU handle them?

Written by: Paul The most common complaint I hear in our instructional design workshops, from people working for technical companies, is "We have to design training before the software is finished!" It’s always a challenge with unstable (changing) content, and a major frustration for those who have to design or deliver training around a product that doesn’t exist yet. Having been a technical trainer as well as an instructional designer, here are some thoughts on how to handle that really uncomfortable situation: 1.      Look at version 1.0. Is there a previous version of the software? If there is, and you’ve designed training around it, most of your work is done. Sure, you’ve got some updating to do, but your training is probably designed around the most common tasks performed on the software. Have those tasks changed that much from the previous version? If so, you can keep the skeleton of the previous version and concentrate on the changes. You will probably have to modify the presentation section, but the scheme for the application and feedback portions will remain pretty much unchanged. 2.      Don’t worry about the 6th sub-menu. Software menus often have sub-menus to sub-menus, to sub-menus, to …well, you get the idea. When software is updated, the changes often happen in those sub-menus. If those areas are not visited often, don’t address them in your initial training. If the sub-menu item is something the target audience needs to know, but is not yet fully developed, distribute a job aid later, or refer to the sub-menu in an appendix to the participants’ manual which can be labeled "to be published." 3.      You are not the fountain of all knowledge. Even though you are a trainer, you really don’t need to have all the answers. There are some areas where you will not have the final, definitive answer, especially if the programmers don’t either. It’s okay to say that a particular area is out of the scope of this training, as it is still being developed, or is not a part of this training module. 4.      FAQ. Do you have a Frequently Asked Questions page on your learning portal? Is it drilled down to course level? If the answer to those questions is yes, then you have a platform to introduce minor changes or additions to your hurriedly produced training product. 5.      e-Learning. Is your course an e-learning tutorial? If yes, you have a single point of update when the software comes out in the final version. Proceed with the tips above and update when the course is finalized. I’ll leave you with a quote from Theodore Roosevelt, "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Not a bad motto for any instructional designer or instructor of training!

Written by: Marsha Many training departments are expanding their role to include performance consulting. Some trainers are even referring to themselves as performance consultants. Now, right off the top, let’s address the negative connotation associated with the term "consultant." I’m sure you’ve heard it before—a consultant will borrow your watch, tell you what time it is, AND charge by the hour! Of course, true performance consultants are agents of change, have excellent interpersonal skills, and are able to solve problems. (Tweet this!). Here’s a typical scenario for a performance consultant: a client approaches with a training request. The consultant determines WHAT is needed to improve performance. He/she will give training, if it’s needed, and help the client select and implement non-training solutions, if also needed. If any of you were bold enough to approach a potential internal client, I can’t think of a better scenario to offer, than this: "Hi Client, I can work with you and your department, find out what’s not working well, identify the causes, offer the right solutions, AND measure the results of what I’ve done." Sounds too good to be true, right? Well it’s not. Luckily, in our Consulting Skills for Trainers workshop, we provide a five-step model that sets you up for success. The Collaborative Performance Improvement Model, as it is called, covers the following areas: Engage Client, Identify Needs, Determine Causes, Implement Solutions, and Measure Results. We also review how to manage your interactions with clients to prepare yourself, interact with others, reflect on the interaction, and adjust your approach. Now, keep in mind, you may face some obstacles when making this transition. Some clients may not be open to this new position and may not support it. Let’s not forget that you were a training department and that’s how everyone identifies you. But there’s good news! In Consulting Skills for Trainers we also discuss how to overcome these obstacles. Here are five tips to build support and minimize the politics around the transition: Build awareness in the department and throughout the organization. Hold "brown-bag" lunches to explain performance consulting, show the benefits, and give examples. Start slowly. Commit one half-day per week to performance consulting tasks. Use performance language at all times. For example, ask, "What is the performance need?" instead of "What training do they need?" Don’t underestimate the amount of time required to build strong client relationships. Plan extra time to meet with clients in order to learn more about the jobs and processes in their departments. Develop or amend the department’s mission statement to emphasize its commitment to improving performance through training and non-training solutions. Making the transition to performance consulting is just one way to increase your credibility and add value to your organization. Some of you may already be doing this work, without the title. So, have you made the formal transition? How did it go? Let’s hear your success stories and don’t worry, there’s no need to share your hourly rate! For tips on researching your organizations needs through performance consulting, have a look at this blog from my good friend and colleague, Melissa!

Written by: Alan There’s nothing worse than reading materials you wrote months before and finding a bunch of writing errors in them. You were sure they were fine at the time. Now you see them the way your learners do: flawed and awkward. Here are six things to keep in your writing skills toolkit to reduce the chances of it happening again. 1.     Use imperative sentences There are four kinds of sentences: declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory. The point of training materials is to help people perform their jobs. Use imperative sentences (make a command or request) as the body of your learner materials. Write declarative sentences (form a statement) for introductions and summaries. Put interrogative sentences (form a question) in lesson plans as a useful tool for instructors during the training. 2.     Write simple sentences There are three basic types of sentence structure: simple, compound, and complex. Simple sentences contain one main clause that stands alone. Compound sentences contain multiple clauses that each stand alone. Complex sentences contain multiple clauses that depend upon other clauses. Stick to simple sentences as much as possible. They reduce your chances of writing errors by a huge margin. Use one verb per sentence for best results. 3.     Keep sentences short Short sentences are easy to achieve if you follow the tip above. But even simple sentences can get long and convoluted. Short sentences highlight an idea, while long sentences hide it. Aim for a sentence length of no more than 15 words. The average sentence length should be around 12 words. 4.     Use simple words Training materials involve technical writing. Unlike literary writing, its main goal is to convey instructions. You don’t need to be fancy. You just need to be accurate and direct. Use the simplest words possible in your writing. Rather than "utilize," write "use." Instead of "facilitate," use "help." Strive for words that fit the bill and have fewer than three syllables. 5.     Use bullet points At times, you will see many imperative sentences in a row. Format them as a list of bullet points. They’ll be easier to read. They’ll be more memorable. They’ll be easier to use as a reference after the training. Make sure you use parallel construction. All items in a bullet list must have the same structure. 6.     Use a consistent style Not all writing rules are clear-cut. For example, should you place a comma before the last item in a list near the end of a sentence? Should you use one space or two after the end of a sentence? There is no general consensus on these and many other writing rules. The trick is to be consistent. Ensure you use the same approach to a disputed rule throughout your materials. This also applies to margins, spacing, and heading styles. You might dread having someone proofread your materials for fear of the red wave of edits. If you apply these six writing tips, you can greatly reduce that problem. The big bonus is that it will save you, your editor, and all your learners a lot of time as well. Happy writing!