"It was a model experience that I plan to use in every customer service class I teach. Thank you for exceptional products and superior customer service"!
--Bethany Auriel-Hagan, Talent Development/ Trainer, Electrosonic, Inc.
Glance through previous issues for training tips, links to great articles and mentors, new products and ideas.
June 2013 Feature Article: Use new tools for tried-n-true "stickiness" by Barbara Carnes We should be using our "LMS" (Learning Management System), or our email and social media networks, to reinforce learning after training sessions have ended. Her suggestions that support better transfer of learning include: Use email to send pre-training notes, Send pre-training notes to the student's supervisor as well,..." more
May 2013 Feature Article: Ask Open Questions! by Thiagi How do you ask questions not just to get an answer and move your presentation forward, but to promote thinking and and understanding of the principles you're teaching? Thiagi differentiates between questions that drill in on those fundamental-but-necessary facts and questions that promote discussion, evaluation, and deeper thinking..." more
April 2013 Feature Article: New Research suggests that Effective Trainers can help Make Training Stick! by Barbara Carnes "In her recent article, Ms. Carnes cites a study by Paul Donovan and David Darcy, which reports that survey participants identified trainer effectiveness as having a strong link to transfer of training. With that data in mind, Barbara offers a handful of reminders for actions trainers can take in face-to-face and live virtual training, which will help make the training long lasting..." more
March 2013 Feature Article: To use Icebreakers . . . or NOT by Sue Landay "Lots of people hear the word "icebreaker" and cringe. Icebreakers are perceived as touchy-feely, frivolous, and a waste of time. Some say that learners from different cultures and countries may be even more averse to icebreaker activities than skeptics in the U.S. Despite their bad reputation, icebreakers remain a highly valued component of many learning sessions...." more
February 2013 Feature Article: 4 Steps to High-Powered Relationships with "SMEs" by Kathi Edwards "Sometimes, it seems like "SME" is a four-letter word," says Kathi Edwards expert trainer, consultant and facilitator.
In fact, "SMEs" refer to Subject Matter Experts and trainers have a notoriously challenging time making those relationships work. Although SMEs may have different priorities, timelines, or facilitation capabilities, Edwards expains you can work with them quite effectively using 4 simple steps
...." more
January 2013 Feature Article: A Resolution for the new year: After Training use the Zeigarnik Effect by Barbara Carnes "In Barbara's latest article, she explores the challenge of learners moving on to the next challenge after a training event ends . . . and realizes that participants' reluctance to review and reengage with material can make the learning less "sticky."
...." more
November 2012 Feature Article: How can we Engage Reluctant Learners? by Scott Enebo "Scott Enebo hones in on the reason the learner is reluctant:
• Participant sees no value in the training
• Participant sees no management support for the training
• Participant sees training as boring and ill-conceived
...." more
October 2012 Feature Article: Use that Back-to-School Feeling by Barbara Carnes "As we head into the last quarter of 2012, it's a good time to take stock and think about her tips to refocus our own efforts.'...." more
August 2012 Feature Article: Focus on BE-ing! by Jack Canfield "When you ask most people what it would take to become better teachers and trainers, it's normal for them to jump straight to critiquing their skills. 'I'd have to get over my fear of public speaking.' 'I need to get better at organizing my presentation.'...." more
July 2012 Feature Article: The Halo Effect: Are we giving our teams room to grow?by Lou Russell "What happens when we "learn" something that isn't true. If it's something innocuous like whether the earth is closer to the sun during a New England summer or winter, no harm is done. But what if the "mis-learning" relates to the skills and capablities of our employees...." more
Follow Us:
June 2012 Feature Article: Use Threaded Discussions to Make Training Stick Better: by Barbara Carnes "Research on training transfer has found that trainee interaction, especially in e-learning, increases learning and transfer. Threaded discussions are a relatively quick and easy way to provide opportunities for interaction." more
May 2012 Feature Article: What to do when the equipment fails by Joyce Newman "Okay, there's no electricity, you can't run the presentation portion of the training session with slides, so tell me what you'll say without them." Uh, mm, ok . . . ..."more
April 2012 Feature Article: Make Learning Stick -- Cool Stuff or Good Enough? by Barbara Carnes "In Barbara Carnes' lastest article, "Cool Stuff or Good Enough Training," she warns that while these latest technologies are "truly amazing," we should be sure to stay focused on engaging learners. She says, "A 'good enough' design includes some 'bells', 'whistles', and 'sparkle' to keep the learners engaged, but does not include extraneous 'glitter' that does not serve a purpose." more
February 2012 Feature Article: Inspiration: by Sue Landay "A few months ago, Les Watson posted a discussion on LinkedIn asking for inspirational posters or words of wisdom to post around the room. The popularity of this discussion has been wild, as folks have shared their favorite quotes relating to attitude, leadership, effort, learning, risk taking, success, and more. View collection of Motivational Quotes here..."more
January 2012 Feature Article: 10 Creative Ways to Form Groups by Barbi Honeycutt, Ph.D. "Group work is an excellent way to build community, enhance collaboration, increase engagement and improve critical thinking skills," The challenge is how to divide participants into effective working groups in a way that is efficient, effective, and sometimes fun..."more
December 2011 Feature Article: Take a Stand: Connecting Learners to Learners and Learners to the Topic by Sharon Bowman "In traditional training sessions, learners remain seated while participating in small group discussions about topic-related issues. With "Take-a-Stand", learners move around the room and choose a designated place to stand before engaging in small group discussions." In this exercise, Sharon explains how learners can use higher order thinking skills to engage more deeply in the concepts they're learning..."more
September 2011 Feature Article: Stop Presenting, And start engaging by Robin Hatcher "Face it. Your meetings and presentations are boring," says Robin Hatcher in a recent article featured in American Express's Open Forum. Hatcher warns, "It's easy enough to blame PowerPoint....but blaming the slides for a boring presentation is like blaming the dining room for a boring dinner party."..."more
August 2011 Feature Article: Valuing Teachers and Trainers “You’re a teacher, Bhaarati. Be honest. What do you make?”
Bhaarati, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...) "Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could..."more
July 2011 Feature Article: Training or Educating? by Bob Pike Are we Teachers? Trainers? Facilitators of learning? What DO we call ourselves? Bob Pike explores the question...more
June 2011 Feature Article: Are you even listening to me? by Betty Lochner Lochner says, "when you really listen to someone to hear what they are saying, you make them feel appreciated, interesting, and respected" -- what a great way to set the tone for an effective learning event..... more
May 2011 Feature Article: Using Video in Training This article that appeared almost a decade ago in Entrepreneur magazine reminds us how to do video training well, including: 1. Find the right video 2. Prepare the equipment! 3. Know the video inside out 4. Prepare for discussion ... more
March 2011 Feature Article: Turn your content into a high-impact webinar! by Jean DiGiovanna Seven great tips on converting your best and greatest training sessions into effective webinars. 1. Finding the right topic, time, and price 2. Setting direction before diving into design.... more
February 2011 Feature Article: 6 great mnemonics for trainers! by Sue Landay Following is a selection of our all-time favorite mnemonics for teaching and training... B.R.E.A.D. How to facilitate icebreakers (Brief, Rules, Engage, Answer, Debrief .... more
January 2011 Feature Article: Adding humor to training is not for dummies! by Elaine Biech Use humor to defuse unexpected situations. Here are some examples you may want to try. If you lose your place or pause too long, you can say, "I just wanted to wait a moment in case any of you have lost your place." .... more
November 2010 Feature Article: 35 ways to use an iPhone in a workshop by Dwayne Hodgson We've all been lamenting the menacing impact of cell phones and smart phones during learning sessions. We've discussed favorite ways of asking participants to kindly put them away.In his article, Hodgson takes a different approach .... more
October 2010 Feature Article: 6 Trumps: The Brain Science that Makes Training Work by Sharon Bowman This fresh article offers a summary of 6 brain science principles that trump traditional learning methods. In a nutshell, the six principles that make learning stick are: 1. Movement trumps sitting 2. Talking trumps listening 3. Images trump words 4. Writing trumps reading." .... more
September 2010 Feature Article: Intermission is Over by Juggling Elephants The folks at Juggling Elephants bring us a thoughtful and timely article with a handful of tips to get us "back in the ring." They advise, "Before you find yourself juggling elephants and screaming for another intermission (summer vacation), consider these tips to run your circus instead of letting your circus run you." .... more
August 2010 Feature Article: EIGHT STRATEGIES "How to Use Stories to Increase Learning & Facilitate Trainings" by Terrence Gargiulo "We communicate, think, and learn through stories," says Terrence Gargiulo. Stories come in all different forms including personal experiences, anecdotes, metaphors, analogies, or jokes. The guiding rule for using stories in trainings or workshops is to be sensitive to the group. By staying tuned in to the group’s ever changing needs, you will be able to find the right stories to tell at the right time, elicit group member’s stories and increase learning." .... more
July 2010 Feature Article: eLearning 101 by Susan Landay, Trainers Warehouse President The article breaks down the myriad of eLearning tools into four comprehensible categories that "Any Goofball Can Learn."-- it's a great mnemonic to understand eLearning, where the A is for Authoring; G is for Games; C is for Conferencing and L is for LMS.... more
June 2010 Feature Article: Icebreaker Challenge: 100 people. All indoors. Dynamite experience by Tom Wujec "It's a tall order to find an engaging experience for a large number of people that sets the tone for your learning event, is related to your topic area, and offers a "debrief-able" experience. Tom Wujec's Marshmallow Challenge is one such exercise that was recently featured in a TED Talk... more
April 2010 Feature Article: 7 Ways to Keep Audience Attention by Olivia Mitchell "Trainers and teachers often don't consider themselves to be "presenters," so much as "facilitators of learning." But every so often they have a body of new material they need to present to their group. Olivia Mitchell's blog entry "7 Ways to Keep Audience Attention in a Presentation" will help you maximize the effectiveness... more
March 2010 Feature Article: Trading Places - an Active Training Tool by Mel Silberman "In celebration of Mel Silberman's life and contributions, we wanted to share one of the tools presented on Mel's website--the Trading Places exercise--a great technique to help participants get acquainted; exchange opinions; and consider new ideas, values, or solutions to problems.... more
February 2010 Feature Article: Suggestions for the First Hour of a Training Session by Trainers Warehouse "The more than 100 comments posted on LinkedIN were so chockfull of wonderful suggestions that we thought it would be interesting to share them... more
Join our group Effective and Fun Training Techniques
A place to exchange tools, tips, and techniques to improve the effectiveness, innovation,
and fun of training, teaching and learning. (Sponsored by Trainers Warehouse)
Items: 0 | Subtotal: $0.00
group
