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 "Spare me!" How many times have I said those words to myself sitting in a training class? Spare me your embarrassment as I watch you do the things that drive us all crazy while you try in vain to teach us something. My arms get folded and my mind takes a vacation unless, of course, you are really bad - then I just get up and walk out. To avoid this embarrassment, trainers, listen up and heed my words - here are the nine things you do that drive me and others absolutely crazy:
1. You tell lame jokes
We all know that there are only ten original jokes in this world and most of us have heard at least nine of them. Sure humor is great in training, but let it come from the class. If you were really Henny Youngman, you would have been born with a violin and better timing than you really have. Let Leno and Letterman handle the jokes. Give your audience permission to use their natural humor, then watch the class come to life and stay there. If you try to get all the laughs, their response will be "get the hook!" If you let them be the funny ones and play off their sense of fun, you will become a star.
2. You use the same material again and again
Please don't give me nine dots and ask me to connect them using four straight lines ever again. I already think outside the box. I live and work outside the box. You have no idea what shape my box is in, so don't encourage me to do something with that exercise that I already do. This is one example of overused training material. You probably have your own favorite. So here's the tip: If I take the time to attend your class, keep it real and make it fresh, just like my orange juice. Be original - your students will thank you for it and better yet, you won't bore yourself.
3. You talk too much
Believe it or not, Carl Sagan, most adults learn billions and billions of times faster by experiencing than by listening passively. The sound of your own voice may thrill you and your mother, but as for me, I like the sound of my own voice better. I even like the sound of my table mate's voice better than yours. So give us a few instructions, maybe 10 minutes on the model or formula you are trying to teach, then get us engaged with an activity that is directly related. Sit down, take a breather, and prepare for your next 10 minute lecture.
4. You use too much jargon
Jargon means inside code words. Every company has it and every company over uses it. If you are a new comer sitting in on a class being taught by a twenty-year company vet, you will need a decoder ring to cut through the acronyms that will be flying around after the introductions. As the instructor, you should be mindful of how difficult this is on the new folks. Take time to explain the jargon for the class and encourage participants to minimize their use of it during your discussions.
5. You tell boring stories
As troubled as your marriage/childhood/relationships/work experiences have been, I am probably not interested. The best story I every heard was told by a Beefeater at the Tower of London. Just after our tour began, he stopped the crowd on the steps and told us that he had two wonderful stories about the history of the Tower - one that involved romantic love in full bloom and one that involved blood and guts and tragedy that had occurred in the court yard just to our left. He then asked the crowd which one we wanted to hear. "Blood and Guts" screamed the majority of the crowd members. "It figures" he said, and then continued with a wonderful story that kept us all hanging on his every word. So remember two things. First, blood and guts always trumps romance, and two, no one cares about your troubled childhood. These two tips will help you tell much better stories. If you need help in this area, consult your nearest Beefeater.
6. You don't take enough breaks
If you are going to hold us hostage for 90 minutes at a time, pass out the Depends in advance, give us all time to put them on, and then you may procede to rattle on. However, you can save some time by just taking a "bio" break every hour. That allows those among use who have peanut sized bladders to take care of business before we need to sprint to the restroom. When your group comes back on time, compliment them and thank them for returning in the five minutes that you agreed to. Promise them more time later for returning calls etc. But for now, remind them, you have important material to cover.
7. You don't do your homework
Good trainers and teachers spend hours in preparation for each and every class. They don't wing it or make it up as they go. They respect their audience enough to prepare in a professional manner. If you are in a class and you don't see a file that says "teaching notes" or something similar prepare to visit I'manegomanicandIdon'tcareaboutyou Land. Great trainers are very well read in their area of experitise. Most have written and read more articles and books on their subject than would ever fit onto the cinder block bookshelves in our doublewides. Once you find a trainer like this, stay with him or her until you have tapped their knowledge. If they truly love to train, this will be a pleasant experience for both of you.
8. You start late
My time is precious, even if yours isn't. Respect my time and I will respect you and probably give you better instructor ratings at the end of the day. Sure people will be walking in late, but so what. They are figuring that they'll miss your lame jokes and a few boring stories so they try to time their entry with when the class really begins - which is usually about a half hour into the program. Get started on time and develop a reputation for getting to the meat of the matter quickly. Over time, people will start coming early, just to meet the one trainer who lets the class be funny, who always has fresh material, who doesn't use jargon or talk too much, who tells great stories, does their homework, and gives the class enough breaks and starts on time - can you imagine such a being?
9. You lack enthusiasm
"Nothing great was every achieved without enthusiasm." I'm not sure who said that but man is that the truth - especially in the classroom. Great teachers generate excitement just because they love their subject. If they give you the impression that this day is special and important and wonderful just because they have a chance to turn you on to Gardening Techniques, Alternator Repair Tips, or the basics of Jai Lai - then sit back, relax and enjoy it. You have found yourself a great teacher, trainer and possibly a mentor. Enthusiasm can carry the day on any subject.
Concluding Thought
So there you have it. No trainer that I know of gets a 10 on all nine elements each and every time, but it is a noble goal. Keep working at it. After nearly twenty years as a corporate trainer and consultant, I still have days where I bore the pants off myself. But those days are happening less and less often, mainly because I have started wearing shorts - so now I just bore the shorts off of myself. Anyway enough about me, go get 'em tiger and show 'em how to work the crowd - follow the advice above and rave reviews are sure to follow.
TDP
7/16/02
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