I got up at 5 a.m. to have FUN! At 6 a.m., I did a Skype video call to the Intercontinental Hotel in Tokyo, Japan where the launch party for the Japanese version of The Fun Minute Manager was being held. (The English version of the book I co-authored with John Newstrom and Robert Ford was published last summer. Now, just a year later, the Japanese version was published by the Japan Management Association!) For almost 45 minutes, we had a lively dialogue around 10 of the ways we could put more fun in the work place, while reducing stress and improving productivity. All of these were from chapter four in the book.

Next was the question and answer period. The two questions they asked were: where are you right now – at home or at the office?  They could see books and framed golf objects in the background on my side of the video.  The other question was: Can you name all of your grandchildren? (One of the 10 ways to add fun in the workplace is the recognition of personal milestones. I mentioned that our 21^st grandchild had just been born (Kennedy Grace Davis) and  grandchildren 22 and 23 were due in November and March. I said I could, but not to ask me all the birthdays! I’d never remember those without the excel spreadsheet my daughter Liz put together with all the key family dates: births, anniversaries, etc. Seldom during a Q&A period am I asked personal questions. I later found out why.

After the call was over, I got an email from Ayako Nakamura, our Japan licensee, who had put together the event and who had overseen the translation of the book. She said in part:

Thank you so much for being with us today. It was a great time with you and we enjoyed talking to you and seeing you via Skype. It also helped increase my credibility for what I do.

I saw they were impressed by you, who you are, and how you have “fun at work” yourself. It might seem unusual for you to be asked such personal questions, but this is a great sign. They wanted to ask those questions because they wanted to get to know you more personally – which is critical in the Japanese culture to build relationship.

Relationship – it is crucial to creating a great place to work, to increasing productivity and reducing stress, and to increasing the impact of everything we do. It is also critical to participant-centered training programs.  Since training is a process, not an event, it is important to help participants build connections with one another that will last beyond the class. Do you want to break down barriers in an organization?  One way is to help people see each other as people, rather than simply their roles within the organization.

I finished the session by asking Ayako to get another translator for a minute. Then, through that translator, I told the group how grateful I was for all the work Ayako had done not just with getting the book translated and published, but for all the work she is doing in Japan helping Japanese companies utilize creative training techniques to develop participant-centered training.

William James, the American psychologist, said the greatest need of every human being is the need for appreciation. Who will you show appreciation to this week – both in your personal life and your professional life?  Think about it – and then take action. Show appreciation today!

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

Bob Pike

P.S. What’s one question you’d like to ask about this article? Send me your question at BPike@BobPikeGroup.com.  I’ll answer the top 10 questions submitted in a webinar on Monday, September 13.  With a $95 registration fee, it is free to subscribers. Details are available on the membership website: CreativeTrainingTech.com.

How do I know? Throughout the convention, I had various people come up to me and tell me they had been in a program I led three years ago, five years ago, and one even said 20 years ago. Each of them said something like, “That training changed my life.” Now most of the time when someone says that I simply respond, “Thank you very much.” This time, for some reason, I asked, “How?” And the responses were eye opening.

One person said it changed their focus. Instead of focusing on the end-of-course evaluations, the focus shifted to what each participant took away and ensuring that they had an action plan. Another said they still remembered the phrase, “Just because I said it, doesn’t mean you learned it.” As a result they put more focus on having participants revisit key content to ensure that it moved from short-term memory to long-term memory.

Nice feedback to receive to be sure, but certainly not of the magnitude to warrant the comment, “That training changed my life.” Right? Wrong. Each person went on to share with me, in one way or another, that training had become their profession as a result. They saw they could really make a difference by helping people develop skills and gain knowledge. And that they could see results on the job after the class, not just receive wonderful scores on end-of-course evaluations.

Several all said they had used what they learned in doing volunteer training for nonprofits and in teaching their Sunday school classes. Lives were being touched and transformed because their professional skills transcended the workplace.

And that’s why we create this newsletter content each month–to empower and equip each of you to get results in the training that you do. And I hope we’re succeeding. Until next month–add value and make a difference!

By Bob Pike

On the Thursday before the event, my guest had to drop out because of a family conflict. To most golfers, this may not sound like a major problem except that a substitute has to have an established handicap and be available to play for three straight days on seven days notice.

Others might say that I should just withdraw and play next year. However, the waitlist of members wanting to get into the event is so long I might be in my 80s before I got in the event again.

I think there is application here to both training and to life. Both are messy. You can plan and prepare – be ready to deliver that perfect program – and suddenly you’re thrown a curve ball. Materials don’t show up, equipment doesn’t work, participants drop out or send substitutes you didn’t know about.

What we need to be able to do is to take it all in stride. And how do you do that? Here’s some tips that have helped me over the years:

1. Don’t expect perfect. Expect the unexpected. Then if it happens you’re less surprised.

2. Take a deep breath and think. Stop right now and do nothing for 15 seconds. It seems like a long time, doesn’t it? You can think of a number of alternatives to any situation in a couple of minutes if you’ll simply focus and give yourself the time to think.

3. Act. Not to decide is to decide. Taking any action at all can allow you to evaluate whether you’re taking a step in the right direction – or not. It is easier to adjust when you have momentum than when you’re at a standstill. Ask any ship’s captain or a child trying to balance on a still bicycle.

So back to Hazeltine. On less than a week’s notice, air travel is cost-prohibitive. Most of my friends that golf have schedules as busy as mine. So I reasoned that it would have to be somebody in town.

My first choice was a buddy that had played several years before. The weekend of the Invitational was his wife’s parent’s 60^th wedding anniversary.

Then I thought of my son-in-law, Brad Pluth. As a PGA teaching professional he had a full calendar of lessons. But instead of deciding for him, I called and asked. He did some checking, rearranging, and was able to make it happen.

We had a terrific event, finished seventh out of 94 teams, and had a ball. So, write those three tips on a 3×5 card, and the next time the unexpected happens in training or in life:

1. Realize that you didn’t expect perfect – you expected the unexpected.

2. Take some time to think – don’t simply react.

3. Then act.

Until next month – add value and make a difference.

Bob Pike

How do managers view training right now? Is training a punishment? (You’re doing a lousy job – I’m sending you to training!) Is it a reward? (You’re doing a great job – I’m sending you to training!) Or is it an investment in skills and knowledge to help improve performance? Do we even know?  What are you doing right now to ensure that managers view training as an investment, not a cost?  As an integral part of the job – not an interruption?

How are participants prepared to attend a training program? Are they simply sent?  Do they have a course outline?  Do they understand the objectives?  Do managers sit down with employees and explain why the training is important both for the participant and the team? Do they set personal learning goals before they attend the program?

What happens during the program to get participants ready to use what they learned back on the job? Is there skills practice so they get comfortable applying the knowledge and using the skills? Is there reflection time so participants can think about what they’ve learned and how they can apply it to their jobs? Is there time for action planning? Do we have participants think about the barriers they might face so that they can problem solve during class in order to improve transfer back home? Do we help them get accountability partners from within the class so they can support each other for the first 90 days after the class?

What is the environment like when participants return to their jobs after the training? Is the manager supportive? Does the manager set up a post training appointment to hear about what the participant learned and review the 30-, 60-, 90-day action plan for applying the skills and knowledge to the job? How about coworkers? Are they supportive? Is there time allowed for the learner to apply the skills and use the knowledge?

All of this is common sense, but it does not make it common practice. But here’s my suggestion for getting started.  Take one program and implement one thing from each of the four areas above to improve the transfer of training. Track it, get feedback – and then improve the next time.

Until next month – add value and make a difference.

Margie Blanchard said something very profound that I have long valued: “Keep your ‘I love yous’ up to date.” You and I have no guarantee that, when we get around to it, the people we want to acknowledge, appreciate, or celebrate will be around to receive it. So do it now.

I was reminded of that when I found out that a friend, colleague, and golf buddy, Mel Silberman (best known for his work on Action Learning) had passed away after a very long bout with lung cancer. During one golf game, we had joked that the cancer would have been even worse had he been a smoker! While I was saddened for his family and others that had known him and would miss him, I also knew that he knew exactly how I felt about him. My “I love yous” had been up to date. I will miss him, but we had no unfinished business.

Over the years, as I’ve developed as a training and performance improvement professional, there are many people I’ve wanted to meet, to get to know, and to learn from. And at conferences and other gatherings, I’ve taken the time to do that. It was how I first met Mel. And Peter Drucker, Geary Rummler, Dugan Laird, Malcolm Knowles, Ron Zemke–all of whom have passed away.

My life is better, both personally and professionally for having known them. But with some of them, my “I love yous” were not up to date. I hadn’t taken the time to really let them know the value that they added to my life. As I’ve grown older, I realize more how important that is. So let me challenge you to keep your “I love yous” up to date–both personally and professionally.

Another, different kind of loss also hit the training community when Nielsen Company announced it was ceasing publication of Training magazine (and the operation of all related activities) at the end of February.

I have been a speaker at the annual Training Conference ever since it started back in 1976. I have known the various editors and publishers since the beginning of the magazine and have been friends with many of them. I was part of the advisory board that helped start the first Training Director’s Forum and was on the selection committee for the HRD Hall of Fame. As saddened as I was to learn that something that had been a valuable resource to me for over 35 years was gone, I was more saddened to realize that the annual Training Conference would also go away.

Originally under the direction of Phil Jones and more recently Julie Groshens and Leah Nelson, this annual event was a highlight in my year. Not so much for the many opportunities to present, but for the opportunity to catch up with friends and colleagues–and attend a few sessions to sharpen my own ax.

When you’ve attended something every year for so many years, its demise leaves a hole. More than the event, I will miss the opportunity to connect.

So what is the application of all of this for you? Are there people you need to connect with to keep your “I love yous” up to date? Are there people you want to connect with, either personally or professionally, but have not taken the time? Do it now–while there still is time. Are there events you want to attend or be a part of, but you’re waiting for a “better” time? Make plans now; there’s no guarantee that the gathering or event will exist when you’re ready.

This next month, do something each day to celebrate a relationship that’s been important to you–or to make a connection that might lead to a personal or professional relationship you would value.

Until next month – add value and make a difference.

P.S. In June, when the newsletter and membership are all digital, you’ll be able to leave a comment about any of the articles. In the meantime, send your comments directly to me – BPike@BobPikeGroup.com.

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If you are a Gold or Platinum Member you can view the teleseminar by clicking here.

At Training 2010, I reconnected with people that always add value. Trainers who have become friends like Sharon Bowman, Carolyn Balling, Allison Rossett, and Thiagi. People I can sit with for a few minutes or an hour, catch up with what they are doing and how life is going in general. Often we’ll talk about projects we’re involved in or books that we’re working on and maybe brainstorm a bit.

As we’ve talked about it, these “stolen” moments are often the most useful of the conference. Why? Because we connect, albeit briefly, with someone that we know, someone that really cares, and someone that understands. And that connection can be maintained through email, phone calls, etc. It doesn’t always need to be face to face.

And that’s why the newsletter is evolving. We want it to not only be a source of information for you, but a point of connection. A watering hole where you can come and connect. Where you can pop in, post a question, or a comment, and then rapidly receive input and responses. This membership site is one where you can know and be known – it is a place of connection as well as a place for information.

I hope to connect with many of you face to face this coming year as I travel around the U.S. – and around the world (I’ve already been to Saudi Arabia and have China, Brazil, and Australia on my schedule). So take advantage of every aspect of your membership. Get connected so we can connect with you.

Until next month – add value and make a difference.

If you are a Gold or Platinum Member you can view the teleseminar by clicking here.

Where we point our cameras is very important because that’s the direction we’re heading. Thoughts are things, and the mind thinks in pictures. Are the pictures you are focusing on positive or negative? Because what we focus on is what we think about—and what we think about is what we become. Positive thoughts have positive results as they are impressed on our lives. Negative thoughts have negative results as they are impressed on our lives.

Whenever you train, you have an opportunity to set a tone or a mood in your classroom environment. Ask yourself what kind of mood exists in the work areas your participants are coming from. If it is fear and worry because the economy is not responding as quickly as we would all like–then you have a chance to change that when they come into your space.

Will you help them to focus on the potentials and possibilities, or will you allow your classroom to become one more pity party? This is your chance to lift people up and help them focus on what can be done, rather than worry about things they cannot control.

I love this quote. It’s attributed to Will Rogers, but I wish it was original with me: “Worrying is like paying on a debt that may never come due.” We can’t change anything by worrying. We don’t make things better by worrying. We don’t feel better by worrying. Worry doesn’t change anything. Action does.

Try this as an experiment. What are some things that you’ve worried about in the past year? Did you worry about one of your children? Job security? A relationship gone bad? Finances? Health?

Make a list. Then ask yourself, “What is the current situation with each of these things?” Better? Worse? About the same? And how did the time you spent worrying impact your list? I can honestly say that 90 percent of the things I’ve worried about in my life never happened. Worrying is just a waste of energy.

This year, try spending more time focusing on the positive, and get those that show up in your programs to do the same thing. It will make a difference. I’m positive (pun intended)!

Until next month – add value and make a difference.

P.S. As always, I welcome your questions. Starting this month, I’m going to do a live teleseminar addressing your most pressing questions. You’ll find the schedule on your CTT newsletter membership site so be sure to log on and make sure that your profile, including email, is up to date. And it is not too late to submit your own question; just use this link: http://bit.ly/CTTmem

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!!

How was 2009 for you? Was it your best year ever? Personally? Professionally? Are your relationships deeper and richer? Are you really adding the value and making the difference you want to in your job?

Here’s an old saying that is still true: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.” So what can you do differently that will make 2010 your best year ever?

Next year will be our 23^rd year of publication. At the end of the year, I want you, our members, to say that this was our best year ever because of the value we’ve given you. To be able to make that happen, and make your experience richer, we’re going to go all digital beginning March 1. It will allow us to provide you with more of what you need without the constraints of eight pages. Links will be active, templates easily downloadable, reviews and questions easier to post with more people interacting. And there will be more checklists, guides, and how-to tips than ever before.

By the end of 2010, you will also receive our top ten CORE strategies – Closers, Openers, Revisit, and Energizers, and they’ll be enhanced with video clips that will provide more information and application! We’ll be interviewing our top 10 icons of the training and performance improvement profession, and be asking them the questions you’ve always wanted answered and posting the audios online! Our first one of these will be Donald Kirkpatrick on January 5.

We’ll also be asking more from you. What’s working for you? What’s not working? Have you read a book others should know about? Give us a review! This is your year to get your name in print!

Those who subscribe after January 1, 2010 will have a different subscription structure. As a current and loyal subscriber, you’ll get all the new enhancements at no additional fee until the end of your current subscription so now would be a great time to extend your subscription. As an extra incentive, we’ll also have bonuses available for download after you extend your subscription.

To extend your subscription, log into your account at www.CreativeTrainingTech.com, and click on the “account details” link in the Client Log-in section. This will bring up the page with subscription options. If you don’t know your login information, contact us at Support@CTTNewsletters.com, and we’ll get you set up!

You can also help me help you by telling me what you need to help make 2010 your best year ever. Just tell me what you need – and we’ll do our best to respond. Go here now: http://bit.ly/askBob

By the time you receive this newsletter, you should already have received a letter from me explaining this transition in more detail. That letter will have given you more information on how to join our teleseminar with Donald Kirkpatrick on January 5 at noon CST which is free for our paid subscribers. If you need more information, email me at BPike@BobPikeGroup.com.

I’ll finish up my Top 20 Questions series in the January issue. Until next month – add value and make a difference.

Here are 10 of my top 20 (I’ll give you the other ten next month):

How do I get management support for training?

How do I improve the effectiveness of distance learning?

What do I do with a dull, depressing training room?

How do I handle disruptive participants?

How do I improve training evaluations?

How do I keep adult learners motivated?

How do I improve needs assessment?

How do I best use visual aids?

How can I improve the use of video in training?

How do I compare the merits of technology-based training versus classroom training.?

We’ve put a special link on the newsletter website so you can ask me one of your own questions, and we’ll provide answers to as many as we can in the coming months. For these, I’ll provide a short answer to the first five. Then, about once a week, we’re going to post a 3-5 minute video providing a longer, more in-depth answer on the CTT newsletter membership site at www.CreativeTrainingTech.com. I want each reader to understand that their membership in the CTT Newsletter site is more than just the newsletter; it’s a host of other great and valuable resources.

So here we go:

How do I get management support for training? The best way is to start seeing managers as partners in the training process. Training is a process, not an event. And managers, participants and trainers alike have a great deal of impact on whether any kind of training is implemented. If managers see that what is being offered to their employees is equipping them to perform faster, better, easier – they’ll support training and other solutions that you recommend. Make sure you involve managers in both the needs assessment and evaluation processes and consider creating an advisory board of managers that can loan expertise and credibility to your efforts.

How do I improve the effectiveness of distance learning? Even today, much of the e-learning and webinars that are being produced are largely ineffective. Why? Because poorly created content that bored in the classroom will be even more boring online, whether synchronous or asynchronous. Material has to be in shorter chunks. The size of the group for breakouts needs to drop from the 5-7 we recommend in the classroom to just 3. It will take you 25 percent longer to deliver the same content unless your participants are really knowledgeable about using the tools available on your delivery platform. The closer you can match what’s required in participant-centered classroom delivery, the more effective your online efforts will be.

What do I do with a dull, depressing training room? When I hear this, I think of a training room with no windows that is painted an extremely depressing color and is long and narrow. You may not be able to change these things for the class you’re doing today, but you can make some changes for the long run. Paint the room, improve the lighting, get more comfortable chairs, etc. But what about today’s class? First, create colorful flip charts that you can place strategically on each of the walls. Second, get some fun manipulatives that you can put on the tables: Koosh balls, stress balls, and colorful post-it pads can liven up the room. Play music designed for learning, but make sure that you don’t violate copyright. We’ve designed 30 minutes of perfect music based on research done by Steven Halpern for walk-in, exit, discussion, reflection, games, and breaks. You’ll find a link on the newsletter site that will give you more information.

How do I handle disruptive participants? Make sure you use small groups of 5-7 people. Rotate the leadership so no one person can “own” the group. Have small groups periodically generate questions rather than simply asking, “Are there any questions?” which may allow the domineering to take over. Also, toss questions to the group to answer, rather than either calling on someone or allowing volunteers. By engaging more people, you minimize the possibility for disruptive behavior.

How do I improve training evaluations? First, think beyond the level one, end-of-course evaluation most people think of. Management is not interested in whether people liked it. They are interested in knowing the people used it and that the applied skills and knowledge added value and made a difference to the organization.

To improve evaluation you need to improve preparation. Prepare managers to prepare their people to come to the course with the right mindset: a learner versus prisoner, vacationer, or socializer. Have people set personal objectives early in terms of what they want to learn. Ensure that each person develops an action plan while they are in class. Help create short-term (60-day) accountability groups (3-4 people) who will support one another in applying what they learned to their jobs. Enlist the support of managers in ensuring that adequate time is given to participants in the first 60 days after the training to really apply what they’ve learned on their jobs.

So these are starters, but there is even more in the short videos I’ve prepared. Look for the first one on the membership site with more to follow weekly, and let me know what you think. Reach me at BPike@BobPikeGroup.com.

Until next month – add value and make a difference.

Bob Pike