What’s the best way to assure your training participants to “turn off” the first second you open your mouth? Just follow conventional wisdom and open your session by introducing yourself and providing your credentials. Instead, generate curiosity, interest and motivation from the outset. Use a “Hook” before introducing yourself. Three Ideas for Engaging Hooks Quickie …
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Articles to Boost Your Training Skills
3 Ways to Involve Participants from the “Get-Go”!
How to “Pump Up” What Students Remember
As a trainer, have you ever wondered why the information you provide doesn’t always “stick?” What do you know about memory? Take this quiz to find out
Enthusiasm in Training
As a trainer or presenter, enthusiasm goes a long way in making you the best you can be. As your joy excites your participants, their energy rises to meet yours. People feel good. Work gets done. But what if your enthusiasm has taken a hit? How can you regain a sense of joy while giving …
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The Myth of the Facilitator
Here’s a pet peeve of mine: Adult educators who call themselves “Facilitators”…and then go on to give a traditional, one-sided, PowerPoint-heavy training session. I estimate that 87.5% of trainers who call themselves “facilitators” are lying. Why? Because they model few skills of facilitation. Well Then, What is a Facilitator? A facilitator is content-neutral. Because of …
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Not Just Your Grandmother’s Pun!
My grandma was “word-clever” almost until the day she died. I especially remember her corny puns and plays on words, which made me both laugh and groan. Researchers Alan Seidman, of Johnson and Wales University, and Stephen C. Brown, of the University of Alaska, say “Puns are a humorous way to get adult learners to …
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Get ‘Em Moving!
Anyone who jogs regularly will tell you that they feel sharper both emotionally and mentally after a run. But did you know that exercise also “pumps up” learning? The science is clear. Not only can exercise work at least as well as antidepressants to improve moods, it improves people’s learning ability. One recent study showed …
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When a Trainer is a Presenter: Five Top Platform Skills
Great trainers must be great presenters as well. I believe that participants learn most from highly active classes that imbed great design and content. However, I also know that the trainer’s presentation skills can help or hinder learning. What are Platform Skills? Platform skills are presentation behaviors that a trainer uses to transmit content effectively. …
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Which is More Important? How You Design or How You Present?
After observing trainers for years, I realized one counter-intuitive, yet powerful, truth. Design (the way you organize your training session or presentation) often trumps “how” you present it in terms of effectiveness. That is, the rational, linear, and creative planning you used to develop your session may ensure your success MORE than the way you …
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Transform Your Training with This Easy Tool
Does your training environment sometimes feel dull (or even dead) as you deliver content? Does the environment itself feel uninspired? Wouldn’t it be great to have a magic wand you could use to inject your training with energy! Such a “magic wand” exists. Called Pair and Share, it is arguably the easiest and most effective …
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What’s To Love About Training? A Selfish List for Trainers
Training is expensive and energy-intensive. In Robert Mager’s words, training should be considered an “intervention of last resort” to fix a problem. And as more and more organizations adopt a Human Performance Technology (HPT) orientation, training can play a progressively diminished role. So, trainers, let’s be selfish for a minute. Even in the larger HPT …
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How To Build “Home-Grown” Trainers
Have you ever wished you could reduce your organization’s dependence on outside trainers? How about developing your own workshops? Join the ranks of organizations that have benefited from developing their internal resources, saved money, and improved the relevance and quality of their training! What’s Not Working Over the last few years, I’ve worked with dozens …
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How Do You Know They Know? Evaluating Adult Learning
by Guila Muir info@guilamuir.com I continue to be surprised at the use of “Happy Sheets” as evaluation tools in training. Beyond letting the trainer know if he or she was loved and if the room was too cold, what else do they tell us? In 1959, Donald Kirkpatrick developed his famous model of training evaluation. …
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The Curse of Knowledge
by Guila Muir info@guilamuir.com Think of a skill you have, (such as driving, swimming, writing, reading…) Would you say you are unconsciously competent with this skill? That is, Can you do it without thinking about it? Is it part of you, like an instinct? Would you have a hard time explaining the steps of this …
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How a Hook Can Save Your Presentation
by Guila Muir info@guilamuir.com I have discovered that my clients all love a good hook, and are always looking for new ones. Let’s review what a Hook is and isn’t. Then I’ll provide two dynamic Hooks for you to use in your next presentation or training session. What a Hook ISN’T: Fluff. Never make the …
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Are You a Super-Trainer?
Assess Yourself and See! What attributes do all super trainers share, no matter how different their styles? Rate yourself from 1 (I’m not so great at this) to 3 (I do this every time!) on the guidelines below. Then read the strategies, which will transform YOU into a Super Trainer. Three Essential Attributes of Super …
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