Podcasts

Think before you speak!  That’s the moral of a very embarrassing personal story Becky shares in this week’s podcast.  It’s a lesson you’ll want to apply to your next classroom session.

When do you delegate and how do you do it correctly? Becky goes over the do’s and don’ts so everyone can share in the success.

Are you telling your clients what they need instead of asking them?  Becky says you need to listen — including the criticism.  You don’t always have to be right, but you do want to be happy.

One of the core values at the Bob Pike Group is creativity: Keeping it fresh and new instead of tired and true. Becky talks about how to bring that same commitment to creativity to your own classroom.

Heavier workloads are driving people away from their jobs.  As a manager, you can make a difference with managing that workload and showing appreciation. Becky has some thoughts on how to do both.

What makes you anxious? Can you write it down? Becky helps you visualize the problem and how you might solve it.

Suffering from procrastination and paralysis because you’re a perfectionist?  Becky has experience of overcoming all these and getting the project out the door.  Ready, fire, aim!

Becky has a checklist for doing co-facilitation that will have you and your partner singing off the same page and dancing the same direction.  Don’t worry, you don’t actually have to sing or dance. We’re dealing with metaphors here

Becky has a story about stress.  How can you take distress and find the silver lining?  There’s a way.

Any presentation is going to have its ups and downs. It’s how things flow.  So don’t beat yourself up over the lows.

There’s a lot going on in our fractious world. All the more reason to bring humanity, grace and kindness into your presentations.  Compassion starts with understanding.  Becky has some tips on how to get people to share.

Becky has a way to help you design any presentation fast. 

Becky has a trick to help you focus your presentation and a checklist that will help you remember all the little details you’ll need while on stage.

It’s OK to get nervous when you speak.  It’s normal and just shows you care about what you’re going to present. Becky helps you get those butterflies in your stomach to fly in formation!

Do you have what it takes to give a great presentation? You will if you listen to Becky’s tips.

Becky has a story with a lesson.  Remember, the little things you do make a difference.

As the world returns to something more normal, we hope to be face-to-face again in the classroom.  Since it may have been awhile since you’ve done that, Becky has a list of nine things you should check before you teach in person.

Training takes time and money. Sometimes it’s hard to find either.  Becky has three tips to find funding and resources to launch that training program.

You may be more stressed out than you think you are. Considering what’s happened in the world, that’s not unexpected. Becky has five things you should or shouldn’t do to help relieve that stress.

When we’re working from home or with fewer people, how do we manage ourselves and become leaders?  Becky has eight different areas to focus on that can transform your leadership skills.

Your personal style impacts you as a trainer and as a person. Becky walks you through four styles and helps you decide which one is you.

We all want to get more done in less time. Becky says there’s a formula to changing how you manage your time.  Your first step is to stop procrastinating and listen to her podcast.

Becky has five areas you can work on as a coach. Surprisingly, one of them is about how coachable you are.

Research shows that observers decide in about five seconds whether they want to listen to you. It’s not just what we say, it’s what we do.  Becky has eight tips on how to prepare to engage your virtual audience.

The pandemic has taught us that online learning is different than face-to-face learning. So which one is better? Can you apply lessons from one to make the other better?  Becky teaches us how to embrace and improve!

By now, you’ve heard of or likely used Zoom or Microsoft Teams, but many other virtual platforms may be better suited for what you’re trying to do.  Becky compares 14 different platforms and rates them on factors such as difficulty to learn, fitting the group size, breakout rooms, chat, file share and more.   Pro tip: try the free trial version first!

Platforms compared include Adobe Connect, WebEx, Go To Webinar, Zoom, Google Classroom, Google Meet, Blackboard Collaborate ULTRA, Demio, Webinr Jam, Webinar Ninja, Click Meeting, Any Meeting, Get Response, and of course, Microsoft Teams.

When you’re counting down to the start of your next webinar, your producer should have a pre-launch checklist to make sure all goes well. Becky talks about the tech, the questions, and the techniques that a good producer should command.

What’s the difference between a presenter and a producer?  Presenters are the center of attention in a webinar. But producers are the ones who make the star shine. They connect, communicate and focus on all the technical stuff so the presenter can focus on the material.

Where are Indy 500 races won and lost?  Any race car driver will tell you it’s in the pits, where skilled mechanics and crews make all the difference. Webinar producers are like your pit crew. They can make the difference between a checkered flag and running out of gas before you get to the finish line.

Before you can zap the gaps, you need to figure out where the gaps are.  Why are people performing at a lower level? Once you know why, you — the performance consultant — can help them be at the top of their game.

What if you got a bonus for getting things done on time?  Becky says performance consulting is a little like that—but instead of you getting things done, you’re helping others get things done.

Life these days can be one big long online meeting. So how do you make sure your learners don’t tire of having the cameras on?  Becky has some tips as well as a free webinar that may help.

If you don’t know what your audience wants, what you present won’t resonate. Presenting virtually adds another layer of difficulty.  Becky has eight techniques you can use to get to know your audience, even though you can’t be in the same room.

Pauses can be powerful…or pregnant. There are good reasons to pause during your presentation, including giving people time to laugh.  But when you’re virtual, is it still important to pause?  (Of course it is!)

Transitions can make your presentation more powerful.  They can make your audience more curious and engaged.  Becky has some tips on how to do better transitions, including your content, preparation and managing your body language.

People like order.  Structure helps people remember. Becky outlines five structures you can use to make your presentation clear and memorable.

Master presenters know that powerful hooks and anchors make a big difference.  Your most important real estate is what your learners hear first and last.  Becky has some techniques that will help you be a master presenter — even on your bad days.

When designing your next session, it’s important to consider your strategy. Becky says you want to be so prepared that it feels impromptu. Don’t try to cram in content. Consider value, engagement and energy. Get your content down to a few impactful words.

Even though 2020 is behind us, you’re likely to be doing virtual presentations for some time. So why not get better at it? In this podcast, Becky helps you do self-diagnosis on your virtual presentation skills including this challenge: can your presentation be memorable 10 to 20 years from now?

Since everything is online these days, your image depends very much on how you look on your webcam.  Lighting, sound, motion…your presentation is like a TV production and you’re the director. Becky has some tips on how to make it look good and work well.

People like to be part of games. Becky says it helps them learn. She has some great games and puzzles you can use to help learning retention.  Oh.. and it’s also fun.

How do you engage your learners? Becky says dull material does not need to be dull. Only presentations are dull.  Your challenge is to be specific and bring your presentation to life with stories.

Teaching to a small audience is different than working with a big group. Becky says there are four things you should keep in mind when working one-on-one with learners.

You may have heard the myth that people are only auditory or tactile learners.  Don’t believe it. Mentally visualizing content really helps with teaching. Bad visuals can hurt you!  Becky helps you figure out what visuals to use, where to find them and how to make them reusable.

90% of organizations use end-of-session evaluations. But higher ratings don’t always mean more learning. Becky explains why some sessions get high ratings even when most of the presentation was dull and boring — and what’s the most effective way to really measure learning.

People are more comfortable and are more effective learners when they’re with friends. Becky says you can help people become friends during your session with one-on-one work pair shares.

Virtual learning is fast. So much information goes zipping by that your learners may miss things. Becky says stopping every 20 minutes can be the key to letting people use what you’ve presented before they lose it.

When you give people control, they are most open to learning. When you give them a sense of belonging, they feel safer, which reduces tension and increases learning retention. Becky has some ideas on how to do that.

What’s in it for me? Most people don’t read the description of a course. Becky encourages you to start your session by helping them find the value by giving them a roadmap.

You have one minute to engage me… go!  How are you going to do it?  It’s a situation we’re faced with every time you have to present online.  Becky says this is an easy puzzle to solve. In fact, solving it involves puzzles, doodling and other fun activities.

We're revisiting some of Becky's most popular podcasts.
Some things sound so right, they must be true…but they’re not. Have you fallen victim to using facts and figures that are completely made up with no evidence behind them? Becky debunks some of the more common training myths and exaggerations.

This week we're revisiting one of Becky's most popular podcasts.
Friends don't let friends create PowerPoint puke — it can ruin any presentation. How do you avoid making your PowerPoint presentation a poster child for "don't"? Becky comes to your rescue in the first of two podcasts about perfecting your PowerPoint presentations.

A successful client meeting requires you to take action before, during and after the meeting.  Becky offers some lessons she learned (sometimes the hard way) that will make your meeting a success.

You’re a speaker, but you’re also a writer…or at least you should be. Becky has nine tips for building your blog.

Humor can help you in so many ways when presenting.  It engages your audience, makes things more memorable and it’s fun getting laughs.  But as any standup comic will tell you, it’s real easy to bomb or worse yet — alienate your audience. So how do you walk that fine line?  Becky says the game of rock, paper, scissors can be your guide.

Is work creeping into your home life? Becky shares some boundaries, perspective and other advice that will keep you sane during your work day.

A trainer does more than just train. Becky talks about the five “faces” of a trainer.  And because it’s Becky, she gives us a sixth one as well.

For most of us, working from home is relatively new — which can be stressful.  Becky has some new habits for less stress, better health and better presenting.

How do you reduce the unwanted noise in your head and the unwanted noises coming out of your mouth?  Becky says the says they both have a root cause you can address — tension.

We're revisiting some of Becky's most listened to podcasts.

Ken Blanchard’s “One Minute Manager” is a legendary book for helping people become better managers. Ken has shared with Becky four important tips to creating learning champions within your own company.

We're revisiting some of Becky's most listened to podcasts.

Becky learned sign language when she was growing up. You don’t need sign language when you’re in a video conference, but you need to be aware of your gestures. Becky tells us how to avid your having your hands speak louder than you do!

We're revisiting some of Becky's most listened to podcasts.
Neuroscience is about how brains are wired. Psychology is about behavior. Which one will help you teach? Becky looks at how to take advantage of both of these schools of thought.

We're revisiting some of Becky's most listened to podcasts.
At the end of your session how do you know if learning has really occurred? Was your presentation effective? Becky says you need measurable objectives when teaching and fair and accurate tests to measure those objectives.

We're revisiting some of Becky's most listened to podcasts
Is stuff piling up on you? Too many things to read, too many things to do, too many emails in your inbox? You’re not alone. Becky talks about how she uses OHIO (Only Handle It Once) and other techniques to get rid of the clutter in her life.

We're revisiting some of Becky's most listened to podcasts.

Got something to sell? A product? A class? Yourself? Whatever it is, Becky says to be effective you need make your pitch in just one page. She has some tips on what to include and leave out.

We're revisiting some of Becky's most listened to podcasts.

Want to make your training sessions more “aha” and less info dump? Consider flipped learning. Becky walks us through how flipped learning works, when to use it and best practices.


Purchase Becky's new book here: http://store.bobpikegroup.com/bk-creative-training-a-train-the-trainer-field-guide/

We're revisiting some of Becky's most listened to podcasts.

What turns a good presentation into a great one? Planning, preparation and polish! Becky has a five-step plan to make your next presentation memorable.

We're revisiting some of Becky's most listened to podcasts.

Can you rattle off the names of everyone you had in your last class like you’ve known them for your entire life? Probably not. Becky will be the first to admit she doesn’t have the talent for remembering names like her dad Bob Pike can. But she says there are ways to make up for not having that natural talent.

We're revisiting some of Becky's most listened to podcasts.

Stories are one of the most memorable ways to communicate and teach. But not all stories are created equal. Becky has eight tips to make your story more memorable.

Nearly everyone has done a video meeting lately. But a video meeting isn’t the same as a learning session. Becky says if you want to be an effective teacher, you’re going to need an effective training platform and some rules.

Becky learned sign language when she was growing up. You don’t need sign language when you’re in a video conference, but you need to be aware of your gestures. Becky tells us how to avoid your having your hands speak louder than you do!

Grooming matters when you’re on camera. Becky has some simple things you can do to look your best.

Clothing matters…at least the part that people can see when you’re doing an online video conference. So what are the do’s and don’ts?  Becky has the answers for men and women.

Eyes are the window to the soul. They can express a lot. So how do you make that work in your favor when you’re live on camera online?  Should you wear glasses?  And where should you look? Becky has the answers.

It’s allergy season. But sneeze right now and people think you’re a pandemic victim. What’s a teacher to do? Becky has you covered with five ideas from the obvious to the ingenious.

A video conference is like a TV show where you’re the star. And just like TV, you need to be very aware of how you look so it enhances and doesn’t distract from your performance.  Becky talks about three things you can control about how you look. And guys, we’re talking about make-up for you, too.

Virtual meetings aren’t like face-to-face meetings. They can be harder — particularly if you’re the presenter. Becky’s checklist can help save you from looking bad and bombing online.

You’re probably used to doing your teaching face-to-face. Now there’s no audience in the room.  How do you teach when there’s no encouragement or feedback from the audience?  Becky has faced this situation more than 5,000 times doing webinars. She outlines four common mistakes people make when doing webinars and how you can avoid them.

Social distancing may be forcing you to move your teaching online, but Becky has been doing webinars for more than 15 years. She has seven tips that can make your presentation easier, smoother and more useful.

Do you know the jargon of your business? Becky says while it’s important that you understand the jargon, there’s more to it than that if you want to be successful. She has five things you can do to be a better partner and grow your talent success exponentially.

When Becky was 25, she thought she knew everything. Then she went to work for Target and found out she didn’t know as much as she thought.  She needed business savvy. How can you be a little more savvy in your business role? Becky shares three important things she learned.

The Bob Pike Group has four learning principles it uses to teach adults that are based on neuropsychology. Becky covers all four principles — including a simple way of getting people’s attention.

You’ve got three lives going on. There’s you as a person, you with your family and you at work.  Becky says if you neglect one of your lives, the other two suffer. She has some tips on how to make them all work together.

When you’re selling training, your customer is at the C level. How do you get them to buy in? Becky says you need to know your audience, know your industry — and most important, know your ROI.

New people get training. Everyone else? Not always. How do you make your training program inclusive for everyone? Becky has four ideas you can use.

Ken Blanchard’s “One Minute Manager” is a legendary book for helping people become better managers. Ken has shared with Becky four important tips to creating learning champions within your own company.

New management. New team. When that happens, how do you bring about the change and develop your talent? That’s the challenge Becky faced when she bought the Bob Pike group.  She shares four things she learned (sometimes the hard way) that you can apply to your situation.

People love to learn through video and movies. Becky has five quick tips that will help you be successful when using videos in your next presentation.

No one likes to sit through a lecture. But what if that’s the only way to deliver your lesson? Becky has five tips that will help you out.

Adults learn differently than kids. Becky outlines four principles you need to keep in mind when designing your class. Structure is important… and for that reason, there will be a quiz at the end of this podcast.

Hecklers? Cell phone addicts? Becky has seen it all when it comes to difficult participants.  She shares some of her secrets on how to get the upper hand and keep your class on course.

We all get nervous about speaking. But how do you gain the confidence you need to overcome that nervousness? Becky has some tools and tips to minimize the sweaty palms, shakes and filler words.

Are you teaching a knowledge, skill or an attitude? Becky says the answer determines how you will present. Good news: there are ways to teach all three at the same time.

Lectures are really dull. Don’t be dull. Becky has 11 ideas you can use instead of lecturing — including magic tricks!

How do you know if the test questions you write are written well? Becky has six quick tips to help you, including one thing you should absolutely avoid.

At the end of your session how do you know if learning has really occurred?  Was your presentation effective? Becky says you need measurable objectives when teaching and fair and accurate tests to measure those objectives.

What kind of exercises will facilitate the learning you want to achieve in your classroom?  Becky runs through some examples that might help you.

What can toddlers teach you about learning?  They learn through discovery. Adults can learn that way too, and it’s more memorable. Becky has some ideas on how you can work discovery into your sessions.

As a leader, you know when there are tough issues that need to be worked through.  But how do you address the conflict? Becky has an exercise that will help you develop an action plan that gets people on the same page.

What do training sessions and parties have in common?  Icebreakers!  You need them to get people comfortable. Becky has some great icebreakers that will make it easier for all to be ready to learn.

People demand credibility from their leaders. Becky says honesty, competency and being inspiring are the ingredients for building credibility. So how does consulting fit in?

Are your PowerPoint presentations stuck in the ‘90s? Do your slides have more words than white space? Becky has four tips that will add electricity and impact to your presentation.

You may be right, but people won’t listen to you. How do you break through the resistance when people are listening to their hearts and not their heads?  Becky says you need to tread carefully and you can still win them over.

You know change is hard. Convincing others to change is even harder. How do you do it? First step is to listen to Becky’s podcast where she has some great tips on how to persuade an audience to change.

You’ve probably heard the term blended learning. So what is it really?  Is it old-fashioned face-to-face, on the job or online?  Turns out it’s that and at least four other things. In this week’s podcast, Becky shows us how to come up with a plan to incorporate it all.

Neuroscience is about how brains are wired. Psychology is about behavior. Which one will help you teach? Becky looks at how to take advantage of both of these schools of thought.

When so much of instruction can be done through devices or online, does it really matter if you’re in the classroom? Becky tells us what scientific studies have found.

Over your career, you’ve probably created a ton of content. Even though it may be a decade or more old, there are portions that are tried and true that don’t really change over time. In this week’s podcast, Becky will help you identify those best nuggets that apply to today that can be turned into new digital content such as videos, webinars and podcasts.

Becky has written nine books. In this week’s podcast she tells you three writing secrets she wished she knew sooner. The first two are important decisions you need to make before you start writing. The third secret is simple.

If your company is like most companies, a growing number of people are nearing retirement age. Locked inside their brains are gobs of experience and most of their knowledge is not documented anywhere. Do you find that a little bit scary?  Good! Becky is ready to help you with a solution.

Got one person you need to train in?  Becky says you can use some of the same techniques you use in a full classroom. But there are some differences… including one that Becky admits is a “well duh!”

Is what you do presenting, training or facilitating? In this podcast, Becky covers the main differences between the three and how you can employ them depending upon the situation. Bonus: she tells you how you can be Switzerland!

As a trainer, you’ll probably have to manage projects even though you’re not certified to so do. Becky says you can do it with the help of five steps and four questions.

Can you remember a presentation that knocked your socks off?  I bet it had power and purpose. Becky tells you all about the importance of PIE - persuade, inform and entertain, and helps you manage those nervous butterflies to power your own great presentation.

When do you use a formative assessment and when do you use a summative assessment? Becky has three key questions you need to ask to decide which one to use.

Truth? Common Sense? Silence? They all mean different things in different cultures, which can make teaching internationally a challenge. Becky has some thoughts on how you can break through those barriers.

Game-based learning gets results. So, how do you convince your boss to make gamification part of your offerings? Get your your pen, because Becky has four key things you’ll want to tell your boss.

Video is becoming more and more popular for training. It’s also incredibly effective. Becky says to make a good video, you need to put your learners’ needs first.

Virtual training follows a lot of the same best practices as in-person training, but there are some extra things you need to do make absolutely sure your session is a smashing success. Becky has five tips, including one that involves a candle and a bottle of water.

Leadership is a competitive advantage. Will your company maintain its competitive advantage as your current generation of leaders retires? Becky has some thoughts on how to develop the next generation.

How many choices should you give people in an evaluation? Do you want a scale with a midpoint? Becky says it all depends on what you want to measure.

Are you one of the millions of Americans who don’t use all of their vacation days?  Then you need someone to convince you to take some time off.  Good news!  Becky is ready to convince you with some facts and strategies that will make it easier for you to avoid burnout.

Not sure where you’re going? Got too much stress in your life? Perhaps it’s time to take a sabbatical. Becky tells us her personal story about how she took time off and how it made her more successful.

Everyone wants to be on a winning team, but how do you build one? Becky has three practices you should use to make a huge difference.

Your brain is an incredible learning machine, but only if you teach it correctly.  Becky explains the neuroscience behind learning and the simple ways you can apply it to your next class.

Is your inbox full of unwanted emails? Conversely, are you filling up other people’s inboxes with unwanted emails? Becky has some tips on how to put a stop to it all, declutter and give yourself some needed “white space.”

Purchase Becky's new book

Podcast available on iTunes

How is a marriage like a classroom session?  They’re both likely to involve conflict that needs to be successfully resolved. Becky has some tips on dealing with the big conflicts that crop up in classrooms that you can practice at home.

Purchase Becky's new book

Podcast available on iTunes

There is so much information available on most topics you can spend a lot of time doing research before making a decision. Becky says if you use critical thinking, you can speed up the process and reach a better decision.

Purchase Becky's new book

Podcast available on iTunes

The answers to a lot of questions are just one Google away. That’s a blessing and a curse at the same time. Becky says because the Internet has become a crutch, most graduates these days can’t dig in on their own and critically think. She has some tips on how to become better at finding solutions that just can’t be googled.

Purchase Becky's new book

Podcast available on iTunes

Becky says good negotiating takes a little guts. You need to keep in mind the true interests of both parties and create a positive atmosphere. She has some tips on how you can get better at this critical skill.

Purchase Becky's new book

Podcast available on iTunes

When people feel in control and included, they’re most open to learning. Becky has some tips on how you can make people feel important about themselves to help increase their learning.

Purchase Becky's new book

Podcast available on iTunes

No one likes someone who is too pushy. So how do you get what you want without damaging a relationship? Be assertive. Becky has specific examples of what productive assertiveness looks like and how you can practice it.

Purchase Becky's new book

Podcast available on iTunes

What’s the most important part of communication?  Listening!  As Becky’s been told many times, we have one mouth and two ears, so listen twice as much as you talk.  Becky has several tips and tricks that will make you a better listener.

Purchase Becky's new book

Podcast available on iTunes

Do you have a list of projects that never seem to get done because they’re too hard?  Becky says if you don’t tackle the hard stuff first it never gets done.  She has three tips on how you can “eat the frog first” which then makes everything else taste better.

Links

Brian Tracy “Eat That Frog - 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating And Get More Done in Less Time”

Purchase Becky's new book

Podcast available on iTunes

You really have to understand a subject to make a movie about it.  If you have a mobile phone, you likely have a movie camera.  Becky has some tips and resources you and your learners can use to make movies.

Movie making resources

iMotion HD

Hyperlapse from Instagram 

PicPlayPost

iMovie

Purchase Becky's new book

Podcast available on iTunes