Creative Training Techniques Newsletter

If you’ve been following along over the past months, you know that I’ve answered 15 of the 20 most frequently asked questions that have come my way over the years. Here are the last five which concludes this series. Short videos which also go into more detail and offer CORE (Closers, Openers, Revisits, Energizers) are on our website at CreativeTrainingTech.com. If you need your login information, email us at support@CTTNewsletters.com.

What does EAT mean, and why is it so important?

EAT is one of the models we use in designing participant-centered training. It stands for Experience-Awareness-Theory. You provide someone with an experience. Through that experience they become aware. You then solidify the learning with the theory.

For example, when people walk into our training center, they see a classroom set with round tables and five seats arranged on the side that faces the front of the room. As soon as others join the table they start conversations, or there is an activity to be accomplished as a group, etc. They are experiencing how the physical room arrangement helps facilitate participation and involvement. They may even talk about how much better this room arrangement is compared to classroom style or a large U shape. They are becoming aware because of their own experience.

Later we talk about group dynamics, the ideal group size being five to seven in the classroom, but only three in an online or webinar environment. The theory solidifies what they already know from their own experience. It is the most powerful of models because people don’t argue with their own data.

What tips do you have for helping prevent trainers from getting bored when teaching the same content over and over?

The more you move toward participant-centered design and delivery, the less bored you are ever likely to be. Why? Because the more your participants are involved, the more different each class is. An activity may be the same, but the way people experience it, the way the articulate their thoughts and feelings, the specific takeaways they gain from the activity–all of these are different. And this provides spice and a change of pace for you as the instructor. We also encourage each of the trainers we work with to have at least two to three ways to deliver each piece of content. This enables them to change up their delivery and minimizes the likelihood that key content will be glossed over because of trainer boredom.

If you were just starting in the training and performance field today, what steps would you take?

First, I would probably consider an undergraduate degree in the field. Second, I would become active in associations like American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI), and National Speakers Association (NSA). Here I could find people with more wisdom and experience who would mentor me if I were willing to be teachable.

Next, I would always be a voracious reader, especially in the field. I would ask people for recommendations on books and authors. At conferences, I would create a shopping list of people to meet, exhibits to see and questions to ask. I would never go to a conference without a game plan – and if possible, a learning buddy. This is someone I could divide up sessions with and exchange notes, handouts, and action ideas with later. These things would give me a quick start in the profession.

How can you tell if something in our field is a trend or a fad?

The first question I ask myself is, “Who is talking about it?” Is it the originator, or is it others who are talking about the idea, concept, or product because of personal enthusiasm and experience?

The second question is “Does more than one source exist?” For example, webinars are here to stay, but all platforms are not alike. Is somebody pushing the platform or the concept?

Thirdly, what kind of press is the idea getting? Am I hearing about it in Training magazine, T&D (the official journal of ASTD), the Creative Training Techniques Newsletter and other professional publications? I also take absolute raves about anything with no draw backs with a grain of salt. I remember in the mid-90s, elearning was going to replace everything, including the classroom. Well, Thomas Edison said motion pictures would make books obsolete back in 1920 – but we still have books, don’t we?

What keeps you doing this after over 40 years?

I am and always have been a lifelong learner. So learning is my passion. Yet, not everyone knows how to learn, and few of us were ever taught to learn. Instead, we were told to learn. I get excited about helping people unlock the power to learn and as a result unleash their power to perform.

We live now in the information age and the learning is never going to stop. When we help people learn how to learn and help them learn faster, better, easier and allow them to have fun when they do it – we’ve given both the participants and their organizations an enormous gift! So I’ve been blessed to live my passion for more than 40 years.

I work all over the world and see our techniques, processes, and principles work in all kinds of industries and in all corners of the world. Zig Ziglar said on his 75^th birthday that he wasn’t retiring, he was refiring! That’s what I plan to do!

And now help me to help you. Follow this link for a video message from me – and a chance to ask me a question – but just as importantly to tell me what you’d like to see more of, less of, or different that would increase the value of your membership: http://bit.ly/CTTmem. Your feedback is important to me.

Until next month – add value and make a difference!!

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