~~Presenters and trainers learn from their experiences just like everyone else. You take pieces of what you consider to be successful training and apply it to your own work. A lot of the time this is lecture-based instruction. The good thing is, you know you want your class to be more engaging. The secret, according to Bob Pike Group training consultant Scott Enebo, M.A., MPCT, is to have fun, because if you’re not having fun or enjoying your own training, can you really expect your participants to want to learn?
Scott’s first lesson to a more engaging training session is don’t assume your learners aren’t interested in your topic because it might seem “boring.” As Bob Pike often says, “There is no such thing as dry, boring content, only dry, boring presentations.” Scott equips his learners with tools and techniques that consistently and effectively translate any content to be more accessible and engaging for participants. By doing so, it helps drive better retention and ultimately encourages greater transfer on the job.
Scott’s second lesson is the sooner you realize that it is not about you, it is about your learners, the better. “Once you take the pressure away from yourself, it’s much easier to realize that the learner is the one who needs to do the work in order to fully comprehend the content and truly articulate how to make it a part of his or her work,” Scott remarked.
The third and last lesson from Scott is to make sure you involve your learners. Once participants get the chance to talk and share around a particular topic, it is then that other people, or learners, start to understand what sort of impact the content can have on them, their work, and thus, why they should pay attention and want to learn.
In the end, Scott follows one rule: “Do what you love in the service of people who love what you do.” Steve Farber, author and leadership guru, made this statement and it has guided Scott’s career. It helps him understand that when you tap into something that brings you joy and you share it, other people will recognize that and will want to share in your passion.
