Written by: Steve Preparing for the virtual classroom (synchronous training) is critical for a virtual trainer. Failing to consider all that could happen could mean an unsuccessful session. Sure, there are the obvious things that need to be done, such as checking that your computer is plugged in, the internet connection is wired and reliable, and you have thorough knowledge of your virtual platform and content. Here are five additional tasks you can complete so you are not caught off guard when facilitating a virtual classroom session: 1)     Make sure any scheduled updates, automatic syncing, and virus scans are delayed for the duration of the virtual session, including the hour before and after training. Auto-scheduled tasks can slow down your computer and may interfere with your virtual session. 2)     Turn off any pop-up blockers and firewalls as they can affect your ability to share files, screens, and applications in your synchronous training session. (Tweet this tip!) 3)     Verify there are no heavy bandwidth devices or users sharing the same connection. For example, if you are leading a virtual classroom session from home, make sure no one is downloading a movie on another computer. 4)     Make sure your cell phone and other electronic devices are far enough away from your computer to avoid causing interference. A cell phone too close to your computer can produce a "buzzing" sound in the virtual classroom audio. 5)     Use a second "side-kick" computer to log on as a guest. This allows you to see what the participants see, and aids in troubleshooting. (Tweet this tip!) Well, these are five practical tips for success in the virtual classroom. These tips might not be as obvious, but they are simple. Keep these tips in mind when you prepare for your next synchronous training session.

Written by: Jeff I recently read a book called 136 Effective Presentation Tips by Tony Jeary and David Cottrell. The book is filled with 136 practical tips to improve your public speaking and presentation skills. I received the book as a gift and have found it to be quite helpful. In addition to the tips, the book also includes a page titled, "Top Ten Ways to Kill a Presentation." As a trainer, I’ve delivered numerous presentations throughout my career and I couldn’t agree more with the items on the list. I’ll share my perspective on five of the top ten presentation killers and what you can do to improve your presentation skills. Killer 5: Apologize for not being prepared Practice and preparation go a long way to increase your confidence and credibility as a presenter. If you can devote some quality practice time before taking to the platform or podium, I’d highly recommend it. However, I realize there are times when you’re notified about delivering a training session or presentation at the last minute and you simply can’t practice. Trust me, I’ve been there. If you’re forced to speak at the last minute and you’re short on practice time, the last thing you want to do is make excuses and apologize for being ill-prepared. Your audience members didn’t come to hear an apology; they came to hear a presentation. Although it may be tempting to humanize yourself by sharing how you were asked at the last minute to replace the original speaker or how you forgot to include some additional information, I wouldn’t suggest it. Simply do what you were tasked to do (which is to deliver a presentation) and never let the audience in on your secret. Killer 4: Read every word As a speaker, it’s good protocol to have a safety net such as an instructor guide, presentation outline, or note cards. However, don’t bury your head in your notes and read every single word. It’s a big audience turn-off. Again, it goes back to practice. I find the more I practice my presentation, the less note-dependent I am. My recommendation is to practice your delivery and speak compassionately from your heart. When I so this I find I only have to glance at my notes periodically. Killer 3: Tell a long story that has nothing to do with the presentation Incorporating a story into your presentation can be a very effective way to grab the audience’s attention, prove a point, or connect with auditory learners. However, the stories you tell must be relevant. If the story isn’t relevant to both your topic and your audience, it simply becomes a time waster and an air filler. An irrelevant story also leaves your audience wondering how the dots were supposed to connect. Killer 2:  Forget the opening sentence The opening is perhaps one of the most critical components of a presentation. It sets the stage for everything else to follow. If you botch the opening sentence it doesn’t leave much room for recovery. Forgetting the introduction not only has a negative impact on your professionalism and credibility, it can also make you more nervous. If there’s one part of a speech that I’d recommend knowing forward and backward, it’s the opening. A strong, solid opening allows you to make a significant impact from the very start. Killer 1: Show the wrong slides The use of multimedia during a presentation is commonplace and often expected. Not only are we expected to use multimedia, but we are expected to use it properly. Try to practice using your multimedia projector and remote long before your actual presentation. Familiarize yourself with issues like proper slide sequencing and screen muting. Make sure your PowerPoint slides are relevant, in the correct order, and support your presentation’s overall message. As a trainer or professional speaker, our job is to breathe life into a presentation, not to kill it with these or other common mistakes. Make sure you avoid these presentation killers and master your presentation skills! What are some of the worst presentation killers you’ve observed?

Written by: Marsha I hear it all the time… "The session went horribly." "It was the worst class of my life." "They didn’t pay attention and weren’t engaged." Yes, it’s true. Sometimes we have unmotivated learners and that can be very challenging. It’s interesting though, how we like to blame the learners when a class goes badly and rarely question ourselves. Could we have prevented the failure? Did we do everything we could to make it a successful session? So, how do we motivate our learners? Of course, we all know the course has to be relevant, beneficial, and enjoyable. In addition, we want to give our learners opportunities to express themselves, work together, and be active. But have you also tried to address their individual needs in the classroom? Let’s face it, when it comes to training, one size doesn’t always fit all! We need to think about every person in class and tailor the session for them as much as possible. In our Advanced Instructional Techniques workshop, we suggest many tips to address individual needs. Here are just five to consider: Administer a brief survey to find out what needs exist and which objectives learners are most interested in. Schedule after-hours sessions (e.g. 5:00-5:30) to discuss individual concerns and answer questions. Encourage phone calls/visits from learners after the course to provide extra assistance. Rather than having all learners do the same exercises, have a few exercises they can choose from, based on their needs. Give each learner two colored cards (one red and one green). Periodically pause in the course and say, "If everything is fine and you wish to continue, hold up green. If you are not ready to proceed, hold up red." If red, slow down, review, take a break, etc. So my fellow trainers, are you doing everything you can to individualize your training? Are you going that extra mile before, during, and after the session? Personally, I have used these instructional techniques and have benefited greatly. Now trust me, I realize that Langevin learners are the BEST and always come motivated to class! Yet, I still know these techniques have made me a better instructor. At the beginning of every Langevin class, we circulate a survey asking learners to select their top three objectives of the session. We also ask them to identify other subjects of interest that are not listed in the objectives. Finally, we ask them to share their biggest challenge or obstacle back in their job. I read every survey and do my best to address their concerns either during class, at break, or after the session. During housekeeping, I let the class know that I am available before class, at lunch, and after class, to privately discuss any questions, issues, or concerns. Of course, we also offer follow-up service at Langevin, free of charge. By the way, I love to get follow-up questions from learners because it tells me they are using what they learned back on the job. It doesn’t get any better than that! So, what have you done to address your learners’ needs in the classroom? I’m looking forward to hearing from you and remember, one size doesn’t fit all. Let’s tailor and deliver the highest caliber training!

Written by: Lynne Well, we’ve recently finished tax time and this is the time of year I think about money! I think about budgets, what I spend on things, and how I can save money over the next year. I think about what I pay for health and dental insurance but then I realize that it buys me tremendous peace of mind for an entire year which means a lot. I think about how much I pay for gasoline and the mileage I get out of a full tank — which varies, of course. Have you ever thought about what you get for money that you invest in training courses and how long the benefits last? I have the answer for you. The money you spend on training and education is worth every penny. Why? Because the benefits you receive for the additional knowledge and skill last a lifetime! What else can you spend money on that lasts a lifetime? Clothing does not last a lifetime, food does not last a lifetime, cars don’t last a lifetime, and money certainly does not last a lifetime. The knowledge and skills you receive through training classes can bring you many things. Here are some lifetime benefits: You will be eligible for more work opportunities and possible promotions. You may earn a greater salary with your increased skill set and job performance. You will be more knowledgeable at business meetings with training professionals. You will be able to mentor and teach less experienced co-workers. You will never be bored at work because of all the new skills you will be busy implementing! So, how about that! It is difficult to find things and even relationships that last a lifetime but training and education are definitely worth the investment! The time and money I spent on Langevin Learning Services workshops early in my training career helped me gain all of the benefits I listed above, and so many more! How about checking out the Langevin Learning Passport to see how you can get a lifetime of training benefits! I hope to see you at a workshop soon!

Written by: Paul Every year, major league baseball players, people who may be paid millions of dollars for their skills, go to spring training. At spring training the team reviews the fundamentals of batting, throwing, catching, and running. As trainers, it might be useful to review the fundamentals of our profession in relation to the instructional design and delivery of training, whether in a virtual classroom or brick-and-mortar environment. Let’s start by reviewing the three fundamentals of successful training: Content should focus on the "need-to-know" details of the learners’ job. The training session should focus primarily on practice of the job. There should be mechanisms in place to reinforce application of what has been practiced in the classroom. Now let’s examine each of these fundamentals in more detail: Focus on "need-to-know." While many things such as benefit statements, overviews, and examples are covered during the presentation of content, the focus should be on the step-by-step process required to complete a task. While knowledge about a task is necessary, the knowledge-based pieces can often be incorporated in performance of the task. For example, if the task is to connect with a wireless access point, the knowledge of how networks function is nice-to-know, but the way to use a WiFi network utility on a wireless device is need-to-know. Identifying the need-to-know versus nice-to-know not only saves time but also maintains learner attention by covering content that is relevant to their success in the workplace. Focus on job-related practice. Ideally, the most effective training involves a majority of the time focused on learner practice. Knowledge checks are a good way to make sure they "get" what we’re saying. However, successful job-related practice of skills in the classroom is more relevant and, for the trainer, is a better indicator of the learners’ ability to perform back in the workplace. This type of practice shows that the learners can do it. Ensure reinforcement mechanisms exist. This will increase the likelihood that the learner will do it back in the workplace. While there are many low-cost, high-impact reinforcement activities (such as action plans or post-course activities), the strongest reinforcement is line-level management support of the training effort (more on that in a later blog). If the line manager says "Do it like they showed you in the classroom," that’s the way it most likely will be done. If your training reflects these three fundamentals, I guarantee you will receive a return on your training dollar investment.

Written by: Melissa Since the launch of our newest workshop, The Virtual Trainer, I’ve received quite a few questions about how to make the transition from traditional classroom training to the virtual classroom. People tend to focus on the technological and content changes that are required; however, one of the most common challenges during this transition is preparing yourself to train in this new platform. To help address these questions, below I’ve included an excerpt from our virtual trainer course where we cover this very topic. Moving to a new training delivery approach and platform is a big change, not only for you, the trainer, but for your organization as well. This change can bring up feelings of unease or uncertainty.  As the trainer, you’ll play an important role in making this transition successful. So, as part of your preparation to become a virtual trainer, complete the following three key steps: 1.     Adjust your Attitude. Believe in the effectiveness of online learning (i.e., that it is as effective as a traditional classroom environment). Be prepared to adapt/develop your instructional skills required for the virtual classroom environment. 2.     Do your Homework. Participate in a virtual classroom course to understand how the online learner’s experience differs from a traditional classroom experience. Talk to an instructional designer to find out how the course design differs for a virtual classroom course. Master the virtual classroom technology and tools so your delivery appears seamless and you are able to provide adequate support to learners. 3.     Obtain Organizational Buy-in and Support. Confirm that you’ll be given time to acquire the skills needed for the virtual classroom environment. Secure support for adequate rehearsal time (i.e., you should be given time to practice for every virtual classroom course). Secure management’s support to use the human resources required for successful virtual classroom courses (e.g., a producer and IT support). Inform your manager that you will need time to decompress after each virtual classroom session (e.g., no meetings after class, no back-to-back classes). Inform your manager of the extra time you will need to devote to the asynchronous aspects of the course and administrative duties. (Note: for every hour of synchronous facilitation, there will be at least one hour required for asynchronous tasks and administrative duties.) Your first homework assignment is to take a tour of the virtual classroom, get a feel for using the synchronous collaboration tools and features, and enroll in our sixty-minute introductory session, Learning in the Virtual Classroom. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, "It is not often that a man can make opportunities for himself. But he can put himself in such shape that when or if the opportunities come he is ready." Are you ready for the virtual classroom? For more great tips and techniques to ensure success in your virtual classroom sessions, check out these blog posts!

Written by: Jim That is the question. The answer may surprise you. There seems to be a popular perception that training is the corporate band-aid. No matter what’s wrong, training can fix it. However, the reality is that more often than not, it’s not a training issue. I’d like to ask three questions to provide some perspective on whether it is necessary to conduct a training needs analysis (TNA). Is something new? Whenever any component is new (people, processes, equipment, products, etc.), training is required. Why?  Because if it is new, it is unknown. This change will require new knowledge and skills. As a result, if something or someone is new, there is no need for a formal training needs analysis. Instead, we can begin some high level work on a task list so we know where training is needed. The issue becomes part of the instructional design process not the training needs analysis. Is the performance issue isolated to one person? Typically, if only one employee is performing below expectations, training the entire group of employees will not solve the problem. This will require some exploration on the part of that employee’s manager in order to determine the cause of the performance gap (e.g. lack of motivation, knowledge and skill, knowledge of standards, proper equipment, etc.) and to develop a solution to address the issue. In this situation, a training needs analysis is not necessary because the performance gap is limited to one person. Is there a baseline? If there is no baseline measurement, one of two things is probably going on. Either something is new or the current level of performance isn’t being measured. If performance measures aren’t in place, there is no way to prove that a performance gap exists. If no gap exists, we have no basis for a training needs analysis. Determining what to measure, and how to measure it, will help establish a baseline. Once the measurement tools are in place, collecting three to six months of data will help form the baseline and at that point you can then proceed with a TNA. By examining each situation before diving in, you will actually increase your credibility. You are simply asking for more information so you can improve performance in the most effective and powerful way possible. These three questions will help you avoid designing a training program when training may not be the solution. When you are approached with a request, you aren’t saying "No," you are simply saying "Not yet."

Written by: Jeff A learning style is defined as an individual’s natural pattern of acquiring and processing information in a learning situation. As individuals, we all learn differently. Thus, a learning style is an individual’s preferred way in which to learn. The idea of individual learning styles has been around for decades and has had an influence on both training and education. From Howard Gardner’s "Theory of Multiple Intelligences," to David Kolb’s "Experiential Learning Theory," there are many learning style models in existence. However, due to its practicality and simplicity, the VAK Theory is widely used in both the corporate and educational classroom alike. Dr. Neil Fleming, a New Zealand educator, has been credited with the research and design of the VAK learning style model. The VAK Theory includes the sensory modalities of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning. Sensory modalities are the basis of Fleming’s learning style model, as he suggests that individuals have a dominant or preferred way to learn based on either their sense of sight, hearing, or touch. However, research has shown that some people have a mixed or evenly balanced blend of all three styles. So how does this apply to training? Visual Learning Style Visual learners learn through seeing. They tend to think in pictures by visualizing mental images, and they may prefer viewing graphs, charts, and other visual aids. The visual learning style has two sub-categories: linguistic and spatial. Visual-linguistic learners tend to learn through written language, such as reading and writing actual words. Visual-spatial learners learn better with visual images such as pictures and diagrams. As trainers, we can best connect with our visual learners by: Using icons and graphics to reinforce learning Using color to emphasize important points in text Providing written instructions to activities and exercises Auditory Learning Style Auditory learners learn through listening. They tend to think in words rather than pictures, and they may prefer to listen to lectures, participate in discussions, and talk aloud. As trainers, we can best connect with our auditory learners by: Using mnemonic devices to assist with memory and retention Using metaphors, analogies, and stories to demonstrate key concepts Carefully explaining instructions to activities and exercises Kinesthetic Learning Style Kinesthetic learners learn through hands-on touch. They express themselves through movement and body language, and they may prefer to use their hands to create, build, or complete an activity. As trainers, we can best connect with our kinesthetic learners by: Facilitating hands-on activities and exercises Encouraging them to take notes during classroom instruction Providing them with table toys such as koosh balls, Play-Doh®, or pipe cleaners to keep them engaged Despite its widespread acceptance and application, the VAK Theory is not without its critics. Opponents of Fleming’s model suggest there is little evidence that adapting classroom methods to suit a learner’s preferred learning style actually improves the learning process. One such critic is Susan Greenfield, a neuroscientist and professor of pharmacology at England’s Oxford University. Greenfield argues that adopting such approaches is "nonsense" from a neuroscientific point of view. She insists that human beings have the ability to make sense of information because our senses work in unison. She states, "It is connectivity within the brain that enables us to make sense of the world, and therefore any attempt to separate the senses would be detrimental (if indeed it were even possible)." I encourage you to be the judge on the validity of the VAK Theory. As a trainer who uses the model, I feel it does work. I can honestly say that I connect better with my audience when I incorporate various instructional techniques geared toward all three learning styles. As a self-professed kinesthetic learner, I know for a fact that I learn better when I have an opportunity to do something. One can demonstrate and explain to me how to do a task until they are blue in the face. However, it’s not until I roll up my sleeves and actually do the task myself, that it makes complete sense to me. What are your thoughts on the VAK Learning Styles Model?

Written by: Lynne I saw a television commercial the other day advertising an energy drink. The commercial claimed the drink will help you focus so you can achieve your goals in life. How funny! All this time I thought ambition, drive, dedication, and hard work helps you achieve your goals in life. Now I can forget all of those things and just drink more caffeine! The TV commercial is right about one thing though. It shows how important mental concentration and focus are to achieving anything. Mental focus is important in the classroom too, whether it is instructor-led or in the virtual classroom. If you are an instructor you know how challenging it can be to control your learners’ focus and attention. There are so many potential distractions that can interfere with learning. Work conflicts, family issues, childcare emergencies, and smartphone problems are just a few examples. How are we trainers supposed to compete with all of these things and still ensure our employees leave our classrooms with the knowledge and skill they need to succeed on the job? We apply instructional techniques to control their focus and attention, that’s how! In our Instructional Techniques for New Instructors workshop we talk about these tips. They really work and I want to share some of them with you: When you want to focus the class on you, rather than on your slides or audio visual aids, blacken the screen or cover your flipchart items. When you want to help learners focus on your flipchart or white board information, stand to the left of the chart or white board. This way, after they focus on you, they can then easily scan your data from left to right. When you want to stop sidebar conversations, move near the offending participants and continue delivering your content. The other participants will then focus not only on you but on the chatting learners as well, making the chatters self-conscious and hopefully stopping their conversation. When you want the learners to have the limelight, sit down and have them stand up to strut their stuff! When you teach in the virtual classroom, call on people by name to keep them engaged and focused on your session. (Want to learn more about virtual training? Visit the Langevin website and consider attending our new course, The Virtual Trainer.) You can control the focus and attention of your participants just by employing these simple, yet effective instructional techniques! How do you keep your learners focused?

Written by: Paul In the world of training, what do you have without management support? Most of us would answer quite correctly, "Nothing." This is especially true if the management you’re talking about is first-line supervisory management, the person your learners report to. You can be as persuasive as possible in the classroom, but if the words we have all heard ("Yeah, that’s what they said in training, but let me show you how we do it here.") are spoken by the person who manages your learners, I know which way they’ll go. So how do you increase the likelihood of support for training? Here are a few tips: Ensure the training objectives are in line with the performance objectives of the supervisor. For example, if your training deals with handling customer complaints in a call center and the supervisor is expecting a de-escalation of customer complaints, you will most likely have that supervisor’s support. Seek top-down support for your training. If the supervisor’s manager sends out an email stating how important your training is and how it relates to the success of the manager, you have a persuasive argument from the supervisor’s manager. Identify the link between training and performance objectives. Even though you are a trainer, it’s not enough to design and deliver training well. You also need to market your training to your "true" customers; namely, those who pay for the training. It is the supervisors who will lose the productivity of their employees while they are in your classroom. Internal marketing material aimed toward the line supervisors should be part of your marketing plan. Involve line supervisors in the design team. Using subject-matter experts (SMEs) as part of your validation group brings valuable expertise to a project. Additionally, having them as part of the design team contributes to their personal buy-in to the training product. It also may contribute to buy-in from their colleagues. In your training materials, a personal "thanks" to those team members is a valuable pat on the back. Involve supervisors in the delivery of training. Using the supervisor as a SME, presenter, or coach during the training has the same effect as using them in the design team. Make sure supervisors are aware of the content of the training. "If an employee knows what it is they are supposed to do and how well they are supposed to do it, they will," is a saying often used in the world of performance improvement. This saying applies to supervisors as well. Inviting supervisors to the training or giving them a brief session or job aid covering the content of the training are ways of letting them know what their employees are supposed to be doing on the job. In essence you are giving the line supervisor a tool to help them do their jobs. Encourage supervisors to brief and debrief their employees. If a supervisor has a meeting with his or her employees before and after training, you will have a motivated learner. The meetings can cover things like the key take-aways from training and implementation challenges. Involve management in training evaluations. Let supervisors know that they may be contacted to find out how well the training worked for their employees. This will provide a degree of accountability for the supervisor as well as a sense of being part of the "process." "I don’t care how much you know until I know how much you care." Using some of the tips listed above will show how much you care about the supervisors’ opinions and about their ability to influence what happens in the workplace. I will personally guarantee that if you implement any of these tips, you will get more return on investment for your training dollar.