The Basics: Content, Time Management, and Encouraging Participation
As a trainer, you are responsible for delivering content in an accurate, organized and timely manner. In order to accomplish this enormous feat, use your voice and body language as part of a “trainer’s toolkit.” Practice controlling your delivery, while varying the basics, to get your point across. Each tool has a direct impact on the success of any training program.
Verbal Skills:
- Volume, Inflection, and Enunciation
- Delivery rate, use pauses
- Do not “read the slides”
Non-Verbal Skills:
- Eye Contact
- Facial Expressions
- Gestures, Posture, and movement
Personality:
- Confidence
- A positive attitude toward the topic and system
- Portrays self as an agent of change
- Enthusiasm/Energy
- Emotion/Humor
Time Management and Encouraging Participation
A frequently overlooked aspect of facilitating is the ability to keep on track and on schedule, while still encouraging participation. Remember that at the onset of your training, you’ll be informing your trainees of what they will learn and the timeframe that you’ll use.
It takes a lot of practice and a good amount of intuition to manage your instructional time. Course developers will give you a timeframe for completing your presentations. This will help you to achieve the agenda’s goals. However, it’s up to you to perform a quick audience analysis. Introductions, questions and answers and other forms of feedback provide you with valuable information. Pay attention to how your learners are reacting and then pace yourself appropriately.
A frequently overlooked aspect of facilitating is the ability to keep on track and on schedule, while still encouraging participation. Remember that at the onset of your training, you’ll be informing your trainees of what they will learn and the timeframe that you’ll use.
It takes a lot of practice and a good amount of intuition to manage your instructional time. Course developers will give you a timeframe for completing your presentations. This will help you to achieve the agenda’s goals. However, it’s up to you to perform a quick audience analysis. Introductions, questions and answers and other forms of feedback provide you with valuable information. Pay attention to how your learners are reacting and then pace yourself appropriately.
Tips to Successfully Manage Time:
- Prepare
- Practice, Dry Run
- Get Organized
- Be on time!
- Control behaviors – yours and theirs
- Give clear directions – beforehand!
Tips To Encourage Participation:
- Smile, nod, etc.
- “I See” – “Go on...”
- Write trainee comments on flipchart
- Add-on to trainees remarks with your own experiences
- Remember your manners – say please and thank you
- Give compliments
- Don’t be a stage hog!
- Don’t play the blame game
Evaluating Your Behavior
There are many behaviors that can actually discourage participation and learning in a classroom. Some are used inadvertently; others are directly related to your personality and preferences. Give yourself an honest evaluation. Try to recognize any negative behavior in your own performance. Then practice eliminating them and replacing them with a more positive and encouraging demeanor.Some Negative Behaviors to Avoid:
- Shaking your head (indicating the trainee is wrong)
- Rolling your eyes
- Showing the speaker a sarcastic smile
- Wrinkling your nose
- Squinting over your glasses
- Smiling or winking at others (in a negative manner)
- Turning away from the speaker
- Folding arms tightly and scowling
- Drumming on the table or tapping feet
- Not "seeing" trainees with questions
- Ignoring trainee comments or answers