Light the Spark

PowerPoint Slide Design Lesson #4

2011-05-25T11:23:00.000+01:00

Your slides are not an all-you-can-eat buffet!

This is a replica of a genuine slide from a recent talk I attended. The knowledge of the presenter was fantastic, the delivery okay - the presenter closed his eyes when he faced the audience - but the slides....

Each slide was a visual feast -in the style of an "all you can cram onto your plate" buffet, and our eyes definitely overate!

There were too many clashing elements: large uneven boxes with harsh black lines, a mishmash of fonts and tiny, irrelevant images. And just how many synonyms do you need for Scholarship and Wisdom?

To my mind, all the slide needed to have on it was this.

Then you narrate around the elements, guiding your audience through the cycle. The presenter clearly knew his stuff, so why he put so much on the slides, I may never know.

PowerPoint Slide Design Lesson #3

2011-05-18T12:27:00.000+01:00

Your slides are not your resume nor your CV.
Establishing your credibility at a presentation is not about telling them what you have done and how important you are. Your presentation is not about you at all.

It is all about your audience.

You will be credible if you

connect with your audience
demonstrate you understand their needs and their challenges, and
give them practical solutions to their problems.

Make their life better and you will gain all the credibility and respect that a slide like this simply will not.

this is a genuine example from a recent presentation in the UK by a corporate coach. I have removed personal details and the corporate logos to maintain their anonymity.

PowerPoint Slide Design Lesson #2

2011-05-14T12:07:00.005+01:00

Your slides are NOT your handouts.

Sure PowerPoint has printing options that let you print 3, 6 or more slides per page of handouts, with or without lines alongside for your learners to make their own notes.

But if your slides contain enough information to be great handouts, then they are lousy slides.

Slides are not written materials - they are not handouts, booklets, or reading matter. They are visual stimulation to add a new communication mode to your oral presentation or narration.

In the opening scenes of a movie, the narrator doesn't describe the scene ("the camera hovers over the roofs of buildings in New York...."). What would be the point?

PowerPoint Slide Design Lesson #1

2011-05-14T12:07:00.004+01:00

In a presentations, your slides are NOT your presenters notes - they should not be written to remind you what to say!

If you want to remember what to say...
* learn the story of your presentation
* jot a few reminders on small postcards, just in case you forget
* practise, practise, practise

Keep your slides for powerful images that enhance your narrative and connect with your audience.

Playing Pays Dividends on Profits

2011-04-20T15:36:00.002+01:00

Easter is just around the corner and the sun is shining - time for some fun and games. Whatever your age, child-like qualities such as a sense of fun and a vivid imagination can not only make your life more enjoyable, they can make your business more profitable too!

Take laughter - adults laugh on average 15 times a day - children do that before breakfast, laughing on average 20 times more often than adults. Laughter is indeed magical - it creates an instant feelgood boost, but has hidden benefits to your health: it strengthens your immune system, lowers blood pressure, stimulates blood flow and boosts cardiovascular fitness.

Whilst laughter and work don't often seem to go hand in hand, perhaps they should....

The Proven Benefits of a Lighter Workplace:

Research has shown that humour and play in the workplace can have a dramatic impact on both people and profits:

* Improved morale
* Improved relationships
* Increased creativity (up to 50% at science giant Monsanto)
* Breakthroughs in productivity
* Increased job satisfaction (and thus reduced staff turnover)
* Better and faster decision-making
* Reduced customer complaints

So today, over Easter and then, hey let's go for it, for the rest of your life, your mission if to be light hearted at work.

To laugh. To share jokes. To dance and sing in the corridor (try it in the loos, it really freaks people out!). To instigate a 'worst holiday photo ever' competition. To have a 3pm dance-off in the elevator. To skip to your next meeting - preferably arm in arm with someone else. To have an impromtu picnic in the park and play frisbee. To go out and buy a round of ice-creams for your team. To prefix everyone's names with King, Queen, Prince or Princess next week in honour of the Royal Wedding.

To find a steep grassy hill and roll down it - it'll take your breath away! To see how giddy you can get on a roundabout looking up at the sky. To stop calling it 'work' and start calling it 'paid-play' - and watch the expressions as you tell people you're off to "paid play" in the morning!

Not enough suggestions? Get out your crayons, sit on the floor and brainstorm some more... or if you're really stuck in the mud visit this website which lists 101 of them...

The question is this - how old would you be, if you didn't know how old you are? Me? Somewhere around 12 and three quarters, going on 21!!!

Vivid Visuals Bring Words to Life

2011-04-11T17:01:00.001+01:00

A vivid visual is one of the most powerful and universal means of communicating with impact. Whether it's sharing a photograph of a special event, or explaining how to assemble your flatpack furniture, nothing beats great a picture (or frustrates as much as a bad one!). But instead of just telling you about them, let me help you experience it for yourself....

Think of an elephant.

No, not one like that.

An especially vivid one: a tiny, purple and silver striped elephant, shiny and crinkly, about 2 inches tall and standing in the palm of your hand right now. She's called Betsy and is trumpeting, pa-pah pa-pah as she stomps around in a circle, which kind of tickles your palm a little bit and makes you smile. She keeps looking at your for reassurance - with her deep black eyes and soft eyelashes, and her big ears billowing. How cute is she? Did the image of her make you smile? Did you (almost) hold your hand out to look at her more closely (I did!).

How real is this elephant to you now? When it comes to your brain, the purple Betsy elephant you have imagined is just as real as if she had really been in your hand - you used the same bits of your brain to imagine her as you do to see her for real.

And will you remember her? You bet!

Imagine then, how a few simple words, specifically designed to create clear and vivid pictures can transform the impact you have when you communicate with other people. A few words can literally bring something alive inside their minds.

So before you start crafting a letter, an email, a presentation, decide on the image you want to create in the minds of your audience. And if you can link a number of images to make a story, or movie, even better.

The Story of Stuff

2011-01-19T14:33:00.002Z

Amazing facts that blew me away:
* 99% of things purchased in the USA are trash within 6 months.... 99% !!!!
* it takes 70 dustbins of waste to produce 1 dustbin of household waste....

Watch how some simple graphics, mind-blowing facts and a clear story with action steps create a powerful "story of stuff"....

Hmmm, I feel some decluttering (via freecycle) coming on...

Dear Santa..... My Christmas List for 2010

2010-12-17T16:35:00.004Z

This year I have been generally good, with a few episodes of overindulgence all to report on the bad girl front. Whilst I know this is the season for giving, could you do some taking instead? If you take a few features in PowerPoint away, you will be giving back thousands, if not millions of hours of life to those who might otherwise suffer from Death by PowerPoint next year. I know they are big asks, but if anyone can do this, you can.

Please, please delete the Word Art function - it's about as clever as writing your name using an etch-a-sketch.

Ditto clipart - those bean men might have seemed clever in the days when an electronic typewriter was the height of fashion, but honestly, have you seen technology nowadays? Would the iPad have clipart?

Please delete the function that lets people print out their PowerPoint slides as handouts - it only panders to lazy presenters and bores us all with prose-ridden slides (when did the "visual" part of a presentation become a page of a book?)

Please also delete all the hideous PowerPoint design templates - which I think is pretty much all of them - a blank white screen is preferable in many cases, especially that one with the annoying ball that moves across the screen for every single bleeding slide.

Please also delete the following functions:
* adding sound effects - unless operated by a skilled sound effects guru
* animating words so that they spiral in front of our eyes - unless part of a Derren Brown hypnosis
* and finally bullet points - nuff said

Thank you very much in anticipation of a much more inspiring year of Presentations.
Yours humbly
Sparkie

I am sure I will think of a few more, but these would make me very happy in 2011.

The Story Develops for Pecha Kucha Night

2010-09-23T15:19:00.004+01:00

Last time I had decided to present on the topic of communication - it's history etc. Pecha Kucha is too fast for a "this is the history of communication" presentation. In putting ideas onto post-it notes, I counted dozens before I have even reached cave paintings.

Tip #1 - Pick a topic small enough to fit into 6 minutes (+) yet with enough substance to satisy your audience

Playing with various ideas involved intense and active pondering - despite outward appearances!

Tip #2 - Try talking off the cuff about your chosen topic and see how much you have to say - time yourself and then work out what to cut out.

After much editing, revising and some practices that helped me learn just how little I can say in 20 seconds (without a machine-gun delivery), I came down to using the Seven Deadly Sins of Presentations.

Tip #3 - Practice the timing after you've done your slides - does the story flow?

For each sin, there is a virtue, so without effort I had 14 topics/ slides at my fingertips. I searched the net and found images of slides, and presenters and some random images to suit the presentation. With a few more hours refining and altering the build-up and finale, it was done (phew!).

Tip #4 - Practice the story - do you stumble over any of your ideas or phrases?

As I did a dry run, the actual names of the sins and virtues was causing me too much anxiety, so after creating the slideshow, I ditched the Sins and changed the title to "Presenter Heroes and Zeroes". Perhaps another night to think would have improved that one!

Tip #5 - Remember, it is only Pecha Kucha night!

Today is the day that I present at Huddersfield Pecha Kucha night #2. Wish me luck!

The Art of "Chit Chat" - Pecha Kucha

2010-09-15T19:10:00.004+01:00

Pecha Kucha is a time limited format for presentations, with a similar twin in Ignite - each allows just 20 slides, with either 20 (for PK) or 15 (for Ignite) seconds per slide. The talks are therefore either 6min 40 seconds, or 5 minutes dead.

It is fast paced, and fun (I hope!)

And instead of going along to one to see what it's about and gradually building up, I launched myself into the deep end by volunteering to present at the second Huddersfield Pecha Kucha night next week.

This is the one time that I can present on anything. It is not a sales pitch, but an evening of discussion, enlightenment, enjoyment......So I am blessed (or cursed) with total freedom.

Reading up on some advice I came across these nuggets: "it should be about passion" and that if I don't have "too much to say" I had chosen the wrong topic. In clarifying that, this Pecha Kucha presenter suggested that I talk about something I have stayed up late at night arguing or discussing with friends etc.

That got me thinking - learning (which I love)? presentations (my life's work to save the world from Death by PPT)?

Then I thought, let's get back to the real issue - this is all about communication - from cave paintings to PowerPoint, this is all about our desire to understand and be understood.

Now to create a story about that that will take my listeners on an enjoyable and potentially thought-provoking journey.....

Watch this space for how things develop....

How Enjoyable Should Learning Be?

2010-09-09T17:03:00.003+01:00

Watch any episode of Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (where the celebrated chef spends time with a failing restaurant to help them out) and you will observe some of the following stages of learning:

* Unconscious incompetence - the moments before Gordon arrives, when the owner/ chef is looking forward to Gordon "helping them out"
* Conscious incompetence - just after Gordon has sampled their food, when Gordon subtly informs the cook/ manager of how poor their restaurant is (watch their faces as they learn)
* Conscious competence - after days of changing the menu, redecorating as the team puts new ideas/ menus etc into practice successfully (if they get that far)

The final stage is unconscious incompetence, which will happen after Gordon has left (sometimes) - the sort of "do it in your sleep" capability that experts exhibit.

Now any of you who have watched this programme (or others like it) will recognise that few owners find this process either enjoyable or easy in the short term. As Gordon bluntly explains just how bad things are, they quickly reject the painful process of going from where they were to their new level of understanding (going from unconscious to conscious incompetence).

This is the real heart of the programme - the people reject suggestions, they argue that Gordon doesn't know what he is doing, they blame everyone else but their own incompetence. There is anger, tears, trantrums, you name it. What you are watching is the the painful process of learning how much you don't know. They demonstrate just how difficult transformatory learning can actually be.

It is very tempting as a facilitator to ensure that your learners enjoy themselves throughout your workshops/ presentations. Learning can be, and should be in many instances fun. But fun rarely gets your learners leaving their comfort zones (which by definition would be uncomfortable), nor will it transform their attitudes, knowledge or skills.

If you really want to create change, then you have to be prepared for your learners to be uncomfortable, to be challenged, to hear things that are difficult to hear.

If what you design leaves them enjoying their learning too much, they might learn nothing at all.

As William James once said "A great many people think they are thinking when they are just rearranging their prejudices". To me, the word thinking can be replaced with learning to describe that lovely safe learning experience where nothing much changes.

So go on, I dare you.
I dare you to create discomfort in your learners and move them into conscious incompetence.....

Why Should Your Audience Listen to You?

2010-07-24T14:27:00.003+01:00

Everytime you present to an audience, you are entering into a bargain with them - they are swapping their time to listen to what you have to say.

What is it that you have to say that they are going to value?
Do you know what the What's In It For Me (WIIFM) factor is?

Why should they listen to you? Are you going to....
* Save them money?
* Save them time?
* Reduce their stress?
* Make them richer?

I was working with a fantastic coach, with a great product and she wanted market her programme to potential clients using some free presentations. Her working title was "Time Management" but it had no WOW, no promise, no WIIFM. By the end of our session, she got crystal clear on the benefit to her audience - and decided to promise that she could save her audience an hour of time every day if they used these techniques.

That is some WIIFM factor!
Would you spend a few hours listening to a presenter who can save you an hour every day of the week?

Think about this when you are designing your presentations - why should your audience listen to you?

Selecting Images that Speak to Your Audience

2010-07-14T15:48:00.003+01:00

This week I've been creating a very 'Zen' style presentation on the topic of Parent Advocacy.

I love 'Zen' design and my slides were looking good.....

Simple.

Stylish.

Strong beautiful images.

Powerful phrases.

I was feeling pretty chuffed with myself until I noticed one thing.....

I had tin cans connected with string for communication.
A power of books for information and advice
A megaphone for parent voice.

But not as single picture of either a parent or a child.

This entire presentation is based on reminding parents how important they are, and how we want to give them a new voice in our region. How could I have missed that?

A few minutes later and the revised version is much stronger - showing images we have taken at our events, and people (young and old) my audience will relate to.

Now, all the powerful phrases such as "Giving Parents a Voice" are next to images of a parent holding a microphone.

I put the audience in the picture, so to speak!

Start A Conversation

2010-04-20T23:04:00.010+01:00

Presenting is no more difficult than having a conversation. You simply open your mouth and talk- something most of us do every day with ease.

Ask someone for a natter over tea and they rarely break out into a cold sweat the way they might if you asked them to present for a few minutes at the next team meeting.

Why?
It's not physically difficult - it's only as hard as talking.
It is our mind that tricks us into thinking it's difficult.

Our mind plays out disaster scenarios of tumbling over simple words - words we say faultlessly everyday- of embarrassing ourselves, of not knowing what to say.

Our thoughts create uncertainty in our mind - an uncertainty not present in water cooler chats.
Uncertainty breeds nerves and suddenly a simple act of talking becomes the momentus task of presenting.

The nerves tell us it's a big deal and stop us having a simple conversation with just a few more people listening in.

Instead of presenting to crowd, start to think in terms of conversations- with friendly people you like, where a few people (even a few hundred people) just happen to over hear it. Be your normal, charming, funny self.

No over exaggerated stage persona required.
Try it, you never know how the conversation will end.

Say What You Need to Say

2010-04-20T17:51:00.004+01:00

"Nobody cares if you can't present well. Just get up and present. Great presenters are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion!" ~after Martha Graham

Martha's quotation was about dancers, but the same thing applies whether its painting, science, yoga, cooking or presenting.

The message is simply to start.

All too often we let our need to be perfect get in the way - we wait until we are sure, or ready, or some such thing that is far away....

Don't expect to be the best presenter in the world straight away - just get in touch with the passion you feel; the words and skills and knowledge you yearn to share with the world, and get out there and share.

Share it because people need to hear it.
Share it because you need to say it.
Share it because someone needs to hear you say it in order to really hear it.

Start NOW: book a room, phone someone and offer to speak for free. Just get out there and share. You might just find you fall in love with it!

Storytelling - Words, Song and Dance

2010-03-28T19:27:00.006+01:00

When you are getting ready to deliver a workshop, a lecture or a presentation, what do you spend the most time preparing?

Chances are you spend the most time preparing what you are going to say. In fact, apart from your slides and handouts, which are just notes to enhance or supplement what you are going to say, many of us spend 100% of our time on this aspect of our presentations.

Yet a huge percentage of our message and our impact comes from not WHAT we say, but HOW we say it - our body language, and our tone.

Great storytellers practice their delivery in detail:
* where and how long to pause
* words to stress
* phrases or elements that are whispered, shouted, or just said
* when it is appropriate to add physical movements or acting to draw the audience in
* when to use facial expressions to enhance the story

Not only that, but a story teller is acutely aware of their audience and uses feedback to modify their story telling. So why not think like a storyteller for your next presentation and spend a little more time on HOW you deliver it, as well as WHAT you will say?

Curiosity Might Have Killed the Cat....

2010-03-22T16:33:00.002Z

But it is without doubt one of the most important states that you can create in your audience before any sort of training, meeting, presentation or event.

How do you create curiosity?
I'll tell you in my next post............

Do the Opposite of What They Expect!

2010-03-10T17:42:00.006Z

Today I saw a wonderful article on a children's art programme - all about Green Graffiti - where an artist sandblasts a dirty wall (in this case at Brighton's marina) using some templates to create a work of art. The shapes are formed from "clean wall" against the lichen, moss and dirt of the wall.

What a genuinely novel idea - a wonderful example of reversing ideas and coming up with something better..... Burnley has also reversed ideas about art - by creating works of art called Invisible that magically comes alive in the dark, as it is painted in UV paint.

It is the same for presenters and trainers - the very people you wish to engage and inspire have probably seen and been to dozens of presentations and training events. It all becomes rather predictable - been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

So how do you get their attention?
How do you make them curious?

Simple - do something different.

I can remember the excitement and curiosity when I brought a room full of trainers into a room that was pitch dark, using torches to light their way. It was eight o'clock in the evening after a full day's work and they were at an evening class - tired and just dying to go home. But the dark signalled that something different was about to happen and they perked up brilliantly.

Think of the "norms" and turn them upsidedown:
* If they are expecting 127 PowerPoint slides, give them none.
* Instead of sending them an invite - send them a puzzle to solve
* Instead of starting off with an energiser - give them a really difficult task to solve
* Instead of giving out handouts - get them to write they key points on a credit card sized piece of paper and laminate it as a ready reminder
* Instead of using a happy sheet - get them to design a quiz to test their own knowledge at the end of the day and use a "runaround" quiz to explore what they are thinking and feeling

Today - think of just one thing that you "normally do" during your presentation or training, and then think of the opposite. Then work out how that might work to grab your audience's attention and engage their hearts and minds.

Watch Your Attitude as You Train or Teach - Believe!

2009-10-05T17:14:00.001+01:00

This is an amazing, emotion, powerful, inspirational appeal to anyone who works with other people....

Dalton reminds us about how much we work together to make a difference to the young people in our communities. But the message works for all organisations, all people, all companies.

Perhaps it's time to consider how often we ask ourselves what we are passing onto the next generation.

Do we believe that every person we teach can reach their potential? Because ultimately it is in our hands and minds to make that happen.

The Perfection Trap

2009-09-21T19:58:00.004+01:00

How many of us are waiting - until we are ready? until we know it all? until, until.... It doesn't matter what you are waiting for, the time is never right....

You'll never find (read "just happen upon") the perfect moment to ditch your annoying boy/girl friend.
You'll never be totally ready to have children/ leave your job/ quit your job/ start a business.

Waiting for the perfect time is a way to save ourselves from venturing into the unknown (read "scary place"). A way to stay in our comfort zone (read "safe but boring").

But life marches on. I mean honestly - do you really want to get to the end of your life and have carved on your tomb "Here lies XXX. She/ He was waiting to be great".

Here's something to think about... every great presenter, once wasn't.

I know the lure of waiting. Of spending more time researching. Of studying for more qualifications. Of going to more workshops on designing workshops. Of being stuck and not feeling ready.

But ultimately, the fastest and best way to being a great presenter is to start. Now. Start even if you are imperfect. Learn. Develop. Gain experience. Get great.

So what are you waiting for?
Go out there and talk to people, share what you know.

Learners' Charter: Learn by Doing and Making

2009-09-15T19:13:00.001+01:00

One of the other requests on the Charter for Learning was that "We want to learn by doing and making".

A quotation that I have used many times when talking about training and learning is this: you didn't learn to ride a bicycle by reading a book.

The same can be said for working a computer, writing a letter, cooking a meal, asking a girl out... you name it.

Our lives, our lifestyles, our jobs, our hobbies are mainly skills-based. Whatever job or business you are in, you will need some knowledge to do that job well. But nearly always, that knowledge and data is translated into actions before it has real impact. It is turning concepts and ideas into action that really counts.

As a trainer, for instance, you might learn about the different learning styles, but that knowledge is useful to help you design experiences that satisfy those different styles.

Is it more useful for me to tell you the step-by-step process of designing a presentation, or to ask you to use the process to design one of your own?

In many cases, learning becomes knowledge and experience, only once you put it into practice, try it out, reflect on what worked and start to create new pathways in your brain.

How many times do you tell people what to do, when instead you could either show them, or get someone to do it straight away?

So go on..... help people learn by doing and making!

Learner's Charter: Real Things That Matter to Us

2009-09-01T15:31:00.005+01:00

Have you ever wondered what people would say if you asked them what sort of learning experiences they would like?

What would you say, if you were asked? What experiences have you had where you were inspired, motivated, energised, curious about a topic?

Well last year 170 young people from diverse schools and backgrounds were asked and the simplicity and authenticity of their answers is illuminating and inspiring.

One of their requests was "to learn real things, that matter to us."
Note - no desire to learn for simply the sake of it, nor to learn abstract ideas or concepts, nor things that matter to other people.

Research into learning in adults echoes these results - that relevance is one of the most important aspects of learning.

However many times you have communicated about your area of expertise, the one thing that changes every single time is your learners. And when your learners change, so does what matters to them.

How do you find out what matters to them?
The simplest way of all is to simply ask them: "why do you want to learn how to do X?"

This is not about showing your ignorance, it is about listening to them. About involving them in their learning. About making sure you give them what they need: real things that matter to them.

So before you teach them anything, ask them.

Find out more at http://www.childrenscharterforlearning.org.uk

It's not what you do that counts...

2009-08-21T16:16:00.004+01:00

As an entrepreneur building your connections through socialising and networking, how many people ask you this question: "So what is it that you do?"

How do you respond?
Do you sigh and reel off your standard response? I wouldn't blame you if you did. After all if I were to answer that honestly, it would sound something like:
"I listen and observe people, I type keys on my computer, then I stand up and talk to people."

Here are a few others ways I could answer it:
* I am a presentation skills coach (my job description)
* I am am CEO of Light the Spark (my position)
* I coach people who want to improve their presentation skills (what I do but not really what they want to know)

If I leave it like this, the person listening will make their own mind up about how I could help them (or why they don't need to talk to me anymore!).

What people actually want to know is the answer to this question:
How do you help people like me?

Think about it.
People do not spend money on diet food - they spend money to feel better about themselves when they look in the mirror, or to be able to climb a flight of stairs without being out of breath.

People don't hire a dating coach - they spend money to find someone they can spend the rest of their lives with (and to avoid excruciating dates with totally unsuitable people)

People don't hire a presentations skills coach - they spend money to make sure that when they make that sales pitch, they get the sale.

So work out what it is that you do that helps people. And the next time someone asks you "what do you do?" give them a powerful, succinct summary of who you help and how their lives improve by working with you.

Let Your Audience Teach You

2009-08-10T09:10:00.003+01:00

Today's blog is inspired by a quotation I recently posted on Twitter by Marva Collins:
'The essence of teaching is to make learning contagious, to have one idea spark another.'

To be a great teacher or trainer you could do worse than let your audience teach you. To do that, you must create opportunities to interact with them, and them with you.

The more you can interact with your audience, the more you will learn from them. They will spark off new ideas in you and enhance your teaching a thousand fold.

Teaching is not about filling someone's head with facts - such as the seven different leadership styles.

Teaching is about inspiring people - about setting off a spark in them - a curiosity to learn more, to observe others, to reflect on their own experiences, to help them see through new eyes the world that has always been around them.

One of my favourite lecturers was a man who rarely gave me information, or answers. He almost always posed questions and let us debate our views. When we stated our point of view (so confidently, awaiting his agreement, for him to validate our position), he normally responded with a counterpoint- another question. He made me think more deeply, made me go beyond the obvious, the superficial and really work things out for myself.

He sparked more thoughts in me than he could ever have managed by telling me things.

Ask questions.
* Open questions.
* Controversial questions.
* Challenging questions.

Treat all your students as teachers and you will be amazed at how much more everyone will learn as a result.

Beautiful Simple Images combined with Powerful Words

2009-07-22T10:00:00.002+01:00

This is a great example of a mid-week pick-me-up.
What's not to like?

* Beautiful, simple, high quality photographs of gorgeous scenery that echo and enhance the phrases
* Touching, inspirational words that really connect with all our lives - who hasn't ever felt like quitting and needed support to keep going?

In just two minutes, without rushing, this presentation speaks to us personally (notice the prevalence of the word "you" in the poem).

Please post your comments below - what would you improve?

What Does Your Typeface Say About You?

2009-07-20T10:31:00.002+01:00

I am a big fan of fonts - from my earliest days tracing over letters and fonts from a hardcopy catalogue, I still love to explore and experiment.

I choose fonts that appeal to my own personality - quirky perhaps, avoiding the predictable. Although in presentations it pays to use something like Arial or the words take on a life of their own when you play it back (been there!)

This is a great video about typefaces, looking at how different restaurants might use typefaces in their signage and menus to represent the food style.

The presentation uses a great combination of strong visual elements, music, matched words and the big daddy of them all - repetition, repetition, repetition.

Present Material to Suit the Way Our Brains Work

2009-07-15T11:35:00.001+01:00

This presentation by Garr Reynolds (of Presentation Zen fame) shows how Dr. John Medina' rules on how the brain works should drive our preparation of presentations and workshops.

Rule #1 - Exercise boosts brain power.
So why do we tend to present to people who are sitting down in one of the most passive physical conditions in the world?

Rule #4 - We don't pay attention to boring things. So why do people still design presentations that are slide after slide of bullet points?

Rule #10: Vision triumphs all other senses. And a PowerPoint slide full of words or text doesn't really count here!

I was so inspired by this presentation and the lessons I can learn as a presenter, I bought the book...!

Brain Rules for Presenters

View more documents from garr.

Learning Through Play

2009-07-08T08:36:00.001+01:00

This is a great talk about the creativity, the ingenuity, the inherent desire to create new things and try new things within children. To my mind, we need Tinkering Schools for adults - with no set agenda, with plenty of raw materials and allow ourselves to just play and learn as we go.

We need to give ourselves space to let our imaginations fly, without the rigid rules or expectations we frequently place on ourselves.

How can you use this?
Do you have space in your workshops to give people time to tinker?
Do you have too many rules about what a workshop is or is not?
Could you invite people to a workshop where everyone present teaches in small bursts the very best of what they know? Where there is no set agenda, no learning journey laid out in advance?

Using PowerPoint for Comedy

2009-06-26T08:59:00.001+01:00

Comedian Tim Lee is a fantastic example of how to use PowerPoint to great effect.

He uses very simple visual information to enhance his humour and create a more complex story than would be possible using just words, as in traditional stand-up.

Presenting is all about playing to your strengths:
* You are great at talking, describing, body language, gestures.
* PowerPoint is great at diagrams, photos, graphs, visualising complex data.

So when you are thinking about what to put on your slides - let PowerPoint do the things you cannot do!

Sparkie's Ten Commandments #10

2009-06-17T10:08:00.003+01:00

Thine presentation is not about you, tis about thine audience - how will they benefit from what you are saying?

Firstly, let's cover nerves. Nerves are vanity. If you are feeling nervous then where is your focus? Your focus is probably on making an idiot of yourself, or your mouth drying up, or you forgetting something.

If you focus on your audience, on how you can help them, or make their lives better then your nerves will calm down significantly.

This brings us to the What Is In It For Me (WIIFM)? factor.
Every speech, every presentation, every workshop you deliver should explain how it will benefit your audience. Speak about how their lives will improve and watch them sit up and pay attention!

However interesting your life story, or your battle to succeed in business, or your ten minutes of fame on Big Brother, your story needs to connect with people, to tell them something new, even change their minds or inspire them to action.

WIIFM might include:
* reducing some pain (costs, bills, time, hassle, junk mail...)
* increase some gain (money, clients, leisure, happiness)
* creating more good feelings (pleasure, joy, energy, inspiration)
* reducing less pleasurable feelings (sadness, frustration, anger)

So how does what you say improve the lives of those listening to you?
What Is In It For Me if I listen to you?

Sparkie's Ten Commandments #9

2009-06-08T14:55:00.002+01:00

Thou shalt do something more than just entertain thine audience when thou speakest - thine audience should learn.

Don't get me wrong - people relax and learn when they are enjoying themselves. But your speech or workshop should do more than just leave your audience with a warm fuzzy feeling.

If you're an "after dinner" speaker, then ramp up the jokes and anecdotes and feel free to aim for entertainment or inspiration, or whatever your audience has hired you for.

But in many other situations, people want and deserve more than just being entertained. They want some value, some purpose, some new information or skills.

If you have read commandment #6, you should be clear on what your audience really NEEDS TO KNOW. Structure your talk (off the computer if you can) around that information. Follow commandment #2 and avoid long dreary elements. Mix it up. Make it fun, make it enjoyable, and make sure they get it (follow commandment #4 and include plenty of variety in your session to ensure everyone gets a chance to learn at their best).

If your speech is there to challenge behaviours or entrenched attitudes, then having your audience feel uncomfortable for a while might be a much better solution to jolt them out of their status quo than warm fuzziness.

Sparkie's Ten Commandments #8

2009-05-29T08:33:00.003+01:00

Neither shalt thou get thine audience jumping around after lunch, nor shalt thou put on a long video in the dark

As a facilitator or presenter, one of your core jobs is the manage the energy of both the group and yourself.

To do this well, you need to be able to assess energy levels: to know when your audience are bouncing and when they are slumping. Here are a few signs to look out for:

1) Body language - are they slumped, doodling, eyes vacant? Or are they alert, engaged and following your movements with their eyes?
2) Level of interaction and engagement - what happens when you ask a question or set a task?
3) Your own energy levels - if the room has low energy you might find your own levels are drained as you try to raise theirs.... Conversely when their energy is full-on it tends to make you feel great too!

There is always a balance to be struck, as reflected in the title. After lunch there can be a significant lull in energy levels, as blood moves to the digestive system (if you can, choose a lunch with less stodge). Don't put the lights out and show a video unless you want them to have a snooze. After lunch is a great time to get them working on a case study or interactive exercise.

What signs and evidence can you find or have you noticed that reflects the energy levels of your audience when you are presenting? Post your comments here....

Sparkie's Ten Commandments #7

2009-05-26T11:28:00.002+01:00

Thou shalt not show thine audience how much thou knowest.

No-one likes a show off. Not since school days.

There's a saying that seems appropriate here...
People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care.

Really, I couldn't care less what celebrities you have coached, until you have shown me a simple tip that will make my life better.

I don't want to know how many qualifications you have, or letters after your name, unless you can give me a piece of sage advice that I can use straight away.

An expert knows alot.
A teacher knows how to break down something complex into simple steps that anyone can master. A teacher can take something other people find hard and make it easy.

Be both an expert in your topic and a great teacher - so that your audience can benefit from your years of experience in a way that will transform their life.

Sparkie's Ten Commandments #6

2009-05-21T08:55:00.003+01:00

Thou shalt not bore thine audience with irrelevant fluff - thou shalt concentrate on the real NEED TO KNOW data.

This commandment is easily demonstrated using an example - let's use Swine Flu as the topic of your presentation.

Think about what your audience really needs to know about this potential pandemic.
If your audience is the general public, then what they really NEED TO KNOW must be about the symptoms, treatment and what to do if you think you have it.

If that is the NEED TO KNOW information, how do the recent news reports stack up:
* Information on the genetic make-up of swine flu
* That swine flu is a variation of the H1N1 virus
* How the disease spread from pigs into the human population and why
* What the difference is between an epidemic and a pandemic

Lots of this is fluff. It's not offensive, but it's not NEED TO KNOW either.
It confuses the issue and overloads us with facts that are not going to save us.

For everything you are thinking of saying in a presentation put it through the NEED TO KNOW filter.

It doesn't matter how interesting the story is, or how funny your statistics are, or how much research it took some lab rat to discover the origins of the theory. If your audience, in this situation do not NEED TO KNOW, then leave it out. Please.

Sparkie's Ten Commandments #5

2009-05-20T08:07:00.005+01:00

Thou shalt prepare for (nearly) every eventuality and be flexible in thine approach to thine event.

It doesn't well you have laid your plans for your presentation, or workshop - the law of sod will sometimes intervene.

As a presenter, it pays to be adaptable. To be flexible. To go with the flow.
The more you consider and even plan for such changes, the better you are likely to react when at the last moment:

* swine-flu puts half your audience into quarantine the night before your event
* the electricity fails five seconds before you power up an incredible video clip (or more likely the bulb blows in the projector)
* the person before you overruns and your time is cut in half and what's more they nearly killed your audience with PowerPoint and they are now semi-comatose
* you find out that your delegates have just been given 30 days consultation before the organisation closes for good

The key to being a great presenter is to be able to think on your feet, and change your direction.

For each of the elements you have planned in your session - your chunks of talking, discussions, interactive exercises, planning or coaching sessions - consider the "what if" options.

What if I have twice or half as long to do this - what would I do?
What if I have more or fewer people at the event - what would I do?
What if the technology fails - what would I do?

By thinking through these options, and having an answer in most cases, then you will be a whole lot better prepared and able to respond if (not when) something does change.

If you have designed your session around core NEED TO KNOW information or skills, then making these changes is much much easier than if you have a long script that rambles. But more of that in commandment #6.

Sparkie's Ten Commandments #4

2009-05-18T09:00:00.003+01:00

Thou shalt honour the fact that all people are different & create variety at the heart of your talk.
People are magical. They are wonderfully diverse in what they like and how they prefer to learn. Some people sit in silence, absorbing the content, without ever needing to hear their own voice. Some people like to get engaged with a topic, and start trying things out from the getgo.

I know that until I learnt about the different styles, I tended to design workshops that appealed to me. Fine for those with similar styles, but with little to appeal to the rest of the people present. Appreciating the differences and how they want to learn was a huge eye-opener for me and improved my presentations and workshops beyond all recognition.

There are alot of different ways of characterising people, and today we are just going to discuss one - the preferences we have for how we communicate - our VAK or VARK style. Are you a visual person, an auditory person, a read-write person or a kinaesthetic person?

If you don't know, then follow this link to find out: http://tinyurl.com/yajq53 (on one of my personal favourite websites)

A visual person will benefit from slides, flipcharts, video and colourful handouts.
An auditory person will benefit from discussions, brainstorming and music.
A read-write person will benefit from quizzes and handouts.
A kinaesthetic person will benefit from touching things, movement and interactive elements.

We are a wonderfully diverse people and the more we appreciate our uniqueness, the better our presentations and workshops become. If you design in variety at the very heart of what you do, you increase your chances of inspiring and engaging everyone who is listening - in fact you can Light the Spark in everyone.

Sparkie's Ten Commandments #3

2009-05-17T12:18:00.003+01:00

Thou shalt not talk to thine listeners or treat them as if they are your troublesome children

It is amazing what adults can do. They hold down a job, run a household, pay into a retirement fund, look after their parents and children... So why is that some presenters treat them like they are four years' old?

A smatter of condescension, some "guidelines" (read rules) at the start to keep everyone in their place... It's enough to bring out the worst in your learners. Drone on like a school master of old and watch as people start to fiddle and play up!

Your adults know an incredible amount and have decades of life experience. They might not be experts at what you do, but they are experts in their own right. If you choose to treat them as experts (in another field) then your focus grows. Not only do you think of how you can help them, but also, what you can learn from them.

I used to teach a short module on data protection - despite knowing very little about it. At the start of each session I would get groups of around six people to write down everything they knew or thought they knew about Data Protection. Without fail someone in each team would have plenty to say, because either it was or had been part of their role. All I had to do then was to correct any misunderstandings and draw out their own expertise.

The best way to use the experience and knowledge already present in your audience is to ask them questions, set them tasks and get them working in groups. The person with the most relevant knowledge then teaches the rest of the group and you simply correct or add in where there are gaps.

Plus, you treat them like the knowledgeable experts they are.

Sparkie's Ten Commandments #2

2009-05-15T11:59:00.003+01:00

Thou shalt not drone on for more than fifteen minutes or thou wilst lose thine audience's attention.

Adults are independent, self-determining beings. We are used to being in control of our lives. Until it is evening and men go to watch the tv (fire) after a long day at the office (hunting), few people want to sit (without moving) and listen (in silence) to someone talk for hours on end. With a few exceptions (comedians or entertainers).

If your speech or workshop lasts more than about 15 minutes, then you need to chunk it down. Split it into segments, with some talking, some discussions, some exercises or interactions - with none of the talking bits lasting more than about 15 minutes.

Even with an audience of 500 people, you can intersperse your session with:
* discussions - ask them to talk to their neighbour/ the person in front or behind
* questions and answer segments - how might they do X? what is their experience of Y?
* polls - use either hands up, or a jack-in-the-box (stand up for yes, sit for no) approach to get people thinking about the questions and information
* small movements - even if it's something as simple as getting your audience to cross their arms, notice which arm is on top, then asking them to do it with the other arm on top. An old faithful for pointing out how new things always feel weird at first.

Think about the attention span of your audience before you plan your session. Last thing on a Friday (for instance) you may decide to have no speaking longer than 10 minutes. Whatever the time of day, design in sections to get them involved, get them thinking for themselves, get them moving and you will not only help keep them awake, alert and attentive, but you'll stimulate the blood flow to their brain and support their learning.

Sparkie's Ten Commandments #1

2009-05-13T11:06:00.002+01:00

Thou shalt not shoe-horn thine favourite activities into every workshops thou runneth.

Tempting as it is, your favourite activity or exercise may not going to be relevant nor appropriate for every workshop you deliver. I urge you not to get lazy and rely on your old faithfuls.

Sure, it's better to include a brainstorm that just to talk non-stop, but rely on the same thing all the time and your workshops will suffer from the "Law of Diminishing Astonishment" - or being boring in other words.

Would you teach a child to ride a bike with 57 PowerPoint slides and a brainstorm?
Not if you wanted them to be able to ride it anytime soon!

Teach people about writing, by getting them writing.
Teach people about making difficult choices, by outlining a situation and helping them make a choice.

Try this combination to build confidence in any new skill: some step-by-step instructions (concepts), observation (watching someone else) then doing (practice), then reflection.

What Would You Say To Sum Up the Lessons in Your Life?

2009-05-08T18:08:00.001+01:00

This video is amazing and emotional and it touched me deeply. Randy uses simple images, simple phrases and powerful messages to help us all connect with our dreams and what life is really about.

I loved the image of him pouring soda over the back seat of his new car - he knew the difference between stuff and what really matters.

Powerful, persuasive, passionate. If I am half the speaker Randy is here, I will be a very blessed one.

Simplify your slides and data

2009-05-05T12:02:00.001+01:00

This short video is a great example of using the principles of simplicity in getting information across.

A new drug called Despondex is revealed...

2009-05-01T07:58:00.001+01:00

This short video is similar to Steve McDermott's book on being a complete and utter failure. You both laugh and learn by stealth at the same time. Loving this.

How to Send Shivers Down Spines

2009-04-22T12:41:00.001+01:00

Earth day 2009 from Zoltan Ladanyi on Vimeo.

This is the most amazing video - Disney knows how to sell us on the importance of the Earth and capture our imagination whilst tugging at our emotions...

When I'm 50.... what and who will you be?

2009-04-20T11:44:00.001+01:00

In just over one minute, here are some people reminding us of what we might want in our lives when we are fifty years old...

Watch and comment - what really resonated with you?

Sixty Seconds to Sell Yourself

2009-03-30T09:28:00.001+01:00

Below is the wildcard favourite entry in the "World's Best Job" website competition. Instead of a resume, applicants submitted a sixty second video for a job in Australia Tourism. Could you pitch such a persuasive argument in sixty seconds or less?

A great monday morning pick-me-up....
to see other entrants visit: http://www.islandreefjob.com/

Simple, Powerful and Inspiring - Watch This!

2009-03-18T08:45:00.001Z

This is an amazing, short piece that made the hairs on my neck stand up and a shiver go down my spine.

How to Remember What to Say

2009-03-09T11:29:00.002Z

As a presenter you want to remember what to say during your presentation or workshop. The more nervous you are, the more you may want to use extensive notes, or even a script to make sure you remember it all. But please put the script down if you really want to connect to your audience.

There are only two occasions when reading off a script is acceptable:
1) If you are a political or business leader such as President Obama
2) If every single word or nuance must be spoken exactly as written

The rest of the time, it is far better to be spontaneous and ad-lib. Here's why:
* Your tone and pace will be more natural
* You will have more eye contact and connection with your audience
* Your personality and natural charisma will shine through

The problem with a script is that it is rarely written in words or phrases that you would use naturally when speaking. Sentences are too long. By reading it out you may stutter or sound stilted, never mind lose your place as you talk.

One of the worst solutions is to write a series of PowerPoint slides with bullet points on to remind you what to say. Sure, lots of people do it, that doesn't mean it's a great idea.

These are some great options to help remember what to say:
* Use brief notes on A5 paper, or blank cards - just a few reminders will do
* Create a brief plan of what to say and when (with times to ensure you stick to your timings)
* Practise, practise, practise until you know what you need to say and can say it in the time allowed, without any reference to notes at all. The sooner you start practising each element of the presentation, the more confident you will be when push comes to shove.

A passionate, authentic delivery of any information is better than a stilted script-driven reading without eye contact. So go on, put the script down and back away from the podium.....

Real-life stories to capture the imagination

2009-02-25T07:04:00.004Z

I recently watched a great channel four documentary on the Hudson River plane crash (watch it on-line at channel4.com/4od in the next 25 days...) This story is emotional, has a happy ending and many of your audience will be familiar with it from the news. Being current it can really help bring your presentation or workshop bang up to date.

Here are some interesting themes that you could highlight:
* the importance of training for 'what-if' scenarios
* the importance of being creative and finding alternative solutions fast
* the prevalence of video and cameras in the modern environment so that live videos exist (see YouTube)
* how the public are trumping journalists in photos/ videos of events
* design of planes for double engine failure at 3000 feet
* the effect of a near death experience on the passengers
* the response from people watching/ phoning 911/ ferries who went to rescue the passengers

With some video clips or photographs, some quotes from the programme or other sources such as newspapers and a clear set of learning objectives, modern news can be used as an interesting and vibrant addition to your presentation or workshop.

So keep your eyes and ears open for interesting news stories that you can use to stimulate discussion, especially if you can find a unique or interesting angle to it!

Dare you go Handout-free?

2009-02-17T08:28:00.003Z

I have been pondering the issue of handouts of late. Handouts are something that many people ask about - what do you handout, and when do you hand it out (at the start, or at the end?)

I worry about the folders of training courses that just gather dust on shelves, never to be opened again. It seems almost criminal to be printing full colour pages that use the world's valuable resources if they are not going to be used.

Have we created an expectation that handouts MUST be provided?
Have we taught our learners to want and expect handouts - so they have something to doodle on or flick ahead to see what is coming?

What if we dispensed with handouts all together?
What if we relied up powerful presentation from the person at the front?
What if we spent much more time helping people understand the story or flow to the information - going back to our aural tradition?

I am on a mission to wean us all (trainers and attendees alike) off handouts, wherever possible. Let us save the trees for something more important that looking good on shelves before being finally recycled years later.

Save yourself hours of preparation too.
So who is with me - are you ready to go handout-free?

Impact and Passion, but the graphs.....!! oh dear

2009-02-06T10:07:00.001Z

I love the bit where he contrasts spending on malaria and baldness.... but some of his graphs, even at huge scale are clumsy, gaudi and could be much much better.

Watch. Then reflect on what you would like to emulate and what you would like to avoid in your own presentations

Humour in Creating Groups

2009-02-04T09:54:00.005Z

One way to lighten the mood, open people's minds and de-stress people during presentations and workshops is by using humour.

There are very gentle, subtle ways of encouraging a playful or light-hearted attitude during your workshop that don't rely on telling jokes or things outside your natural personality.

It is an essential element of learning that everyone gets a chance to apply new knowledge or practise new skills. As they say "you don't learn to ride a bike by reading a manual."

When using interactive exercises, you will need to create pairs, or small groups for these interactive elements, and in doing that you easily add humour. Here are some suggestions for creating groups:

1) Using sweets - especially retro ones that cause a stir and get people talking. Have a bag with different kinds of sweets (say four of each kind if you want groups of four) and hand them around as a lucky dip. Things like refreshers, lover hearts, gob stoppers for example. If you do this at the beginning when people arrive, you can then ask them to remember the sweet they have already eaten!

2) Using badges - by badges of 70s, 80s, or even 90s bands (ebay is the perfect place to find them) and do a lucky dip again, or lay them out for people to choose. Choose the decade depending on your audience - some will remember swooning over David Cassidy or the Bay City Rollers and some would just go "who?"

If you have created pairs and want to determine who goes first, instead of just asking the group to decide, why not use the following statements to determine who goes first:

* the person with the most vowels in their full name
* the person with the longest fingernail (any finger on any hand)
* the person who has the most nieces and nephews (aunts and uncles etc)
* the person with the biggest watch
* the person with the most unusual thing in their pocket or purse

Think of some unusual methods to form groups and pick who goes first and you will add an element of surprise into your workshops, that automatically raise them above the run-of-the-mill expectations.

Good luck and please share your own ideas for forming groups here on the light the spark facebook page....

When the Slides Should Have Been Handouts

2009-01-28T16:06:00.001Z

Mary Meeker Web 2.0 Presentation

From: hblodget,
2 months ago

Mary Meeker Web 2.0 Presentation

View more presentations or upload your own. (tags: trends web)

SlideShare Link

Decluttering Your Materials

2009-01-21T09:48:00.004Z

Continuing on the theme of paring down your presentations and workshops, so that you can focus on the NEED TO KNOW information, it is now time to reflect upon your materials...

We've all seen presentations containing tens or hundreds of similar slides with a handout the size of Encyclopaedia Britannica as we leave...

We've all laughed at Don McMillan's brilliant parody of cluttered PowerPoint slides on YouTube (and if you haven't, just follow this...http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cagxPlVqrtM )

But in the spirit of decluttering, ask yourself these questions:

* What information do my listeners or learners really need to take away from this event? ... Can I fit it only a credit card as a takeaway?
* What slides or images do my learners really need to look at during my event?... Can I eliminate slides all together?
* For each piece of NEED TO KNOW information, what would be the simplest way to convey that to my learners?

Don't think that if you have shunned PowerPoint for flipcharts then you are off the hook. Last weekend I saw some dreadfully cluttered, overly colourful flipcharts where the presenter was trying too hard...

Let's say that you have presentation with a year's worth of figures (broken down monthly) that you need to present - perhaps your instinct is to choose a bar chart to display them. But it might only be a single month that counts - a peak in August, or tumble-weed blowing through the cash tills in February.

So do you display them all, then use your laser pointer to highlight the key month...
Or, do you have a single figure or percentage next to the name of the month on a slide and tell your audience why that figure is important?

Which is most likely to grab their attention? Which one tells the most powerful story?

Look at all the materials you use during your presentations and workshops and eliminate any that do not 100% enhance your learners' experience during your event.

Then you can use the fire test. When decluttering your house, you pick a single box of items you can save in a fire. So in a similar vein if you had only a handful of slides/ notes/ handouts which of these would you pick?

Now look at the ones you didn't pick - how could you either eliminate them, or make them great enough to be in your final selection?

Remember - what your audience takes away from a presentation is not determined by the pages in your handouts.....

Keep your message simple and strong and they will take it away in their minds and hearts instead.

Decluttering Your Message

2009-01-12T09:56:00.006Z

The New Year is a great place to start putting some new habits into practice, so let us have a little clear out - or in some cases a really big clear out....

Let us start by decluttering your message.
Many of you will have heard of the 80/20 or Pareto rule...

Well the same applies in presentations and workshops: 80% of your impact will come from just 20% of your message,

So now is the time to declutter your message so that you get clear about the 80% that really makes a difference. Using the Pareto rule, mandatory training could be cut to 20% of the time it usually takes by cutting to the chase.

Using Post-It notes, write down all the key things you normally say in your presentation (that last a few minutes at least). Count the notes and work on getting down to one-fifth or 20% of that number.

There are two rules now for dealing with each note: Ditch It or Do It.

If you feel it falls into the 80%, ditch it.
If you feel it falls into the 20%, keep it and keep doing it.

This is a great method for getting clear about what you should be saying and what you pretty much can leave out with very little detriment to your listeners....

Now you have something sleek and elegant - and can design some interactive exercises that reiterate your core message, rather than adding in non-core fluff.

Keep an eye out for part 2, where I will talk about decluttering your materials.

Go the 2nd December 2008 to find out more about the NEED TO KNOW basis for content design.

Memorable Body Language

2008-12-12T12:30:00.001Z

If you want to know how to use your body language and facial expressions to convey feeling, emotion and story, then look no further than this video. It is surprising and humourous, combining into a short yet powerful experience.

Editing Your Content: the NEED to know basis

2008-12-02T15:21:00.007Z

Last week I sat through a number of presentations at a networking event. The event was designed to help women grow their business and one of the topics was marketing.

The presenter had great charisma and personal style - she was passionate and enthuiastic about her topic, which she obviously knew a great deal about. She spoke without notes, which meant she could engage with us directly. She even made her talk interactive by asking questions of the audience to demonstrate how some of us had approached marketing for our own businesses.

But she talked about nearly every aspect of marketing known to man: from blogs, to social networking, local and national media, radio interviews, direct marketing and so on and so on. I knew we were in trouble when I saw her handouts - copies of her bullet point ridden slides (never a good sign).

I left in feeling totally overwhelmed - and I was not alone. Various people made comments about how they needed a break now to take it all in.
I was left with that feeling "I am sure I have learnt something, I am just not sure what".

She was suffering from an inability to focus and edit her ideas down into manageable chunks.
As a result her NEED TO KNOW ideas got lost amongst the rest of what she said.

Whatever the presentation or workshop you are designing, before you start cramming in every thing you have learnt in the last ten, twenty or thirty years, think about this...

What does your audience really NEED TO KNOW?

You might brainstorm lots of ideas, but it is vital that you pick out just one thing that you really feel is the most important thing for your audience to learn. You can add in a few more (depending on the time available), but do make sure that you know what thing or few things you really want your audience to leave with.

Presentation Visuals

2008-11-21T09:59:00.005Z

This week I have been putting into practice and experimenting with new approaches to presentations and the design of PowerPoint (or Keynote) slides... Whilst I know that you can create workshops and presentations without ever touching a computer (and sometimes they are all the better for it), I know that PowerPoint is embedded within the cultural mindset.

So I feel that if you are going to use slides, they had better be brilliant and enhance what you are saying rather than repeating it (and hence distracting the audience's attention, see yesterday's blog)....

PowerPoint itself does not exactly help you to design great slides - it contains ghastly templates that encourage gruesome colour combinations that are way too busy, with a whole host of bullets or text over the top. Whatever you do, please leave all that alone.

The most important approach is one that says: less is more.
There are three key questions to ask yourself about each visual that you use:

1) Is it simple? Can anyone understand the point you are trying to make easily? That means that large amounts of text or data or points on graph or images are out. Think one key point per slide.

2) Is it beautiful? Does anyone want to look at ugly or cluttered images, clipart or fonts? Why not strive for a beautiful image that people will want to look at?

3) Does it add to what I am saying? The images should be a powerful way of enhancing what you are saying, focussing in on key messages that you want your audience to remember.

Step away from the PowerPoint templates and backgrounds.
Step away from bullet pointed lists.
Step away from clipart.

Embrace full slide photographs.
Create your own simple graphs and diagrams (or even better get a designer to do it).

Making PowerPoint Powerful

2008-11-20T11:41:00.003Z

Where are people going wrong when they design slides that result in the muttered phrase "Death by PowerPoint"?

There are two basic mistakes:

Mistake 1 - Designing Slides as Handouts.If you have enough information on your slides for them to work as handouts, then your slides are wrong. Why not simply print out the slides and circulate them, instead of becoming the voice in your audience's heads as they read them?
These slides are Death by text.

Mistake 2 - Designing Slides as an Autocue.The next mistake, is to design your slides to help remind you what to say. Your audience will still read your slides, as you fill in some extra gaps.
These slides are Death by Bullet Point.

Research has proven that it is more difficult to process information if it is coming at your both verbally and in written form at the same time.

So your audience should not be both listening to you and either reading handouts or reading slides. If they are, then they will be doing neither well.

The point of slides is that they provide a strong visual backdrop to complement your words, with the audience focussing on listening to you, your passion and knowledge. They are the stills and you are the narrator.

To avoid these mistakes, you must design your slides, your prompts and your handouts as separate items. You can use PowerPoint for all three, but they are likely to be separate files not the same one.

Next time you are designing a presentation, see if you can think of the slides as a visually exciting film, which you are narrating.

The Power of Passion

2008-11-03T16:09:00.002Z

I watched an incredible speech over the weekend, by a 12 year old girl.
She spoke with simple phrases to an audience at the United Nations.

This would daunt even the most extrovert presenters, yet she spoke calmly without a hint of nerves.
What is most extraordinary about her short 6 minutes is the strength of her passion.

She talks about flighting for her future, and how it is not like losing an election or a few points on the stock market. She pleas for us to stock breaking things we cannot fix (like a desert that was once a forest). She asks us why we are so greedy, why we cannot share. Simple questions that perhaps we forget to ask anymore.

Watch this and learn how to write a great speech that could also silence the world.

Watch it by following this link:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TQmz6Rbpnu0

The video is rightly entitled: The Girl Who Silenced The World.

Leave Your Comfort Zone behind

2008-10-30T09:28:00.003Z

The most amazing events that I have ever delivered were the ones when I felt nervous. I was going to do something new, something different, something outside of my comfort zone.

I was excited about the possibility of finding a new, even unique, way of creating a learning zone, whilst still nervous about it all going rather wrong.

For one event, I wanted to teach my students about communication through real experience. Instead of some dry exercises about words, or tone, or pace I wanted them to have a direct experience that impacted on their minds and challenged their perspectives. Before a break, I asked them to clear the room and place their seats in a circle then come back in silence.

Even those instructions changed their mood: they came back curious, attentive, charged up (which is no mean feat at 8pm after a very long day). We started with silence and darkness. And I let that experience be savoured before adding in anything else.

I then added in elements gently, one at a time. They listened to some music. We handed around a torch for them to shine beneath their face as they shared what they had experienced. Gradually we built in new elements - for them to feel first hand the impact of various elements such as light, music, images, video, sounds and language.

I gave them no handout for this session, asking them only to write a reflective piece for their own records. The results were amazing - their reflections showed how inspired they had felt and how it had shown them new and different ways of thinking about their impact on their learners.

I challenged every single element of this event - no plan, no notes, no slides, no light even, nor much discussion at first, as I wanted each of them to feel and be fully involved in their personal experience not that of the others in the group.

If you never feel nervous, never feel that you are taking a risk, never wonder if your new exercise will bomb or boom, then you are probably not being creative enough.

Creativity is a risk - but whatever happens you will gain greatly from taking that risk - in learning, in new skills, in new confidence, in a whole new approach.

So next time you are designing a learning event, don't ignore that amazing idea that you have (that gives you butterflies). Embrace it. Go with it. Leave Your Comfort Zone behind and soar.

The Girl Effect

2008-10-21T09:53:00.003+01:00

I have just been watching the most amazing clip on the internet and it moved me deeply.
In less than one minute I had a powerful, emotional experience.

It combined two very powerful aspects of learning:
1) the WIIFM factor
2) the story factor

WIIFM is the 'What is In It For Me?' question that we all have when we are learning.
Why should I learn this new skill or information? How will my life benefit? How will I benefit?
Learning is a process that involves creating new thought processes and getting rid of old ones, so it is vital that your learners know how that effort will be rewarded, for them, personally.

This video clip doesn't tell you WIIFM, it helps you experience it, at an emotional level.

Stories are incredibly powerful ways to help embed learning and create powerful WIIFM elements. By sharing your own experiences (or those of others) you can demonstrate how these skills or information have effected your own life or those of others.

Use great story telling principles, so instead of using a phrase such as "by mastering these skills you could save an hour a day", use a character instead. Your story might then become:

"Sally was feeling overwhelmed juggling all the things she had to do. By using the simple steps you will learn today, she was able to save an hour every day and got to spend that in the park with her young son, having fun and relaxing."

The video I am talking about can be found at www.girleffect.org, so please check it out.
It will give you a first hand experience of the power of a simple story to engage and inspire people.

Yawnbuster - great idea, wrong solution

2008-10-16T10:16:00.003+01:00

Today I read with a mixture of astonishment and horror about a new product that has been launched called Yawnbuster (visit www.yawnbuster.com to find out more)....

This product (costing several hundred dollars) is designed to help create a more interactive learning environment. They have (rightly) recognised that some presentations can bore for [insert country where you live]. But they have (wrongly) decided to design some add-in facilities so that you can use PowerPoint to run quizzes/ polls and so forth.

The principle is sound. People do need to interact with information, share their experiences, discuss and debate approaches to certain situations, and generally get involved.

But is reading more colourful images from a projector really the way to add variety and interaction. The most jaw dropping option is the "Show of Hands". For goodness sake!

When did you need a slideshow add-in to get people to put their hands in the air?
For me, that is time completely wasted on pointless pretty technology, which should be spent thinking about what your learners need.

I despair sometimes that trainers are like technological magpies - looking for the newest, shiniest answer to their problems, instead of looking to themselves for the answer.

Great training does not need any of this stuff.
It doesn't need technology.

It needs passion, enthusiasm.
It needs someone who cares about their topic and wants with all their hearts to pass that onto other people.
It needs consideration for your learners, for where they are, what they know and what they really NEED TO KNOW.

Step away from the computer.
Put the mouse down, slowly, on the floor.
Raise your hands up, tie them behind your back, and now design your training event.
Hands-free.

email me at emma@lightthespark.co.uk for a copy of my free ebook "Beyond PowerPoint".

Beyond PowerPoint

2008-10-01T18:21:00.004+01:00

Today I have been pulling together some tips on Beyond PowerPoint. In mentioning creative training and the need to avoid PowerPoint, one person reacted by saying "I'd be interested to see what she does instead"....

Are we really so wedded to this software that we cannot think of anything else?
Do we really believe that the best way for people to learn is to absorb facts and information through their eyeballs?

So here are my suggestions when it comes to taking your training Beyond PowerPoint:

* firstly aim only to cover NEED TO KNOW information. Think about this in advance and you may find that your event is substantially reduced. The best trainers are ruthless editors.
* next get your learners to tell you what they need to know about the topic. Use a cocktail party style icebreaker where everyone stands up and when they meet someone else, shares one thing they would like to learn from the session. Combining all these at the end on a flipchart gives you a great focus for your session.
* next find out what people already know about your topic. So ask small group of around 3-4 people to brainstorm things that they know (perhaps about specific elements) and to write these on a flipchart. You may be amazed at how much they already know - one person within a group might know quite alot and they will have already taught their colleagues, and by asking each group to summarise their flipchart, they teach the rest of the class. Anything that is inaccurate or wrong, please correct at this point and add key missing items to.

Now you have a clear focus for your event and you haven't even touched your projector.

When it comes to covering the information that bridges the gap between you have a number of alternative options:

* Card Exercises. Here small groups (2-3) are given a set of cards with words or phrases on them. They then have to either put them into some sort of order (first to last, most important to least important) or categorise them (true/ false). Even with little prior knowledge of a topic, people will start thinking, discussing and will do most of this without help. You can then coach them on a few cards they are unsure about. This is a powerful way to interact with information and works for a wide range of topics.

* Case Studies. You provide some scenario or case study for small groups to discuss. If need be, you can also give them some summary information, books or reference material, where they can search for further help. This helps people get to grips with what they already know or don't know and you can provide the information or skills they need to improve dramatically.

* Stories. Find someone who has a powerful, emotive story relating to your topic. If you cannot actually invite them to the session, then video their story. Imagine the power of someone who has your widget keeping them alive in their artificial heart to inspire your technicians to tighter manufacturing tolerances. Imagine the impact from a mother who has lost a child to gang violence.

* Quizzes. By setting simple or complex questions, you can test and evaluate what people know. By providing clear answers, you can teach them a whole range of vital information. Quizzes are very flexible and you can ask questions aloud (preferred as you can alter the questions to suit your learners on the day), and then ask teams to hold up cards with their answer, move to somewhere in the room based on a multiple choice answer (a, b or c for instance) or write their answer down.

Here I have shared just a few techniques to help you go Beyond PowerPoint. I hope you are inspired the next time you are designing some training to step back from the keyboard, and write some cards, or a quiz and a case study, to inspire your learners in new ways.

Make Your Information Come Alive

2008-09-19T12:33:00.002+01:00

When it comes to learning new information or skills, one of the things that any learner benefits from is knowing that people like them have already been there and done that.

Your learners need to connect with your expertise during any learning event. One of the easiest ways of doing this is to use names and personalities to create mini stories that help illustrate how other people (like your learners) have used your expertise in your own life.

In order to protect the innocent, I would recommend having a composite character who you name and talk about.

If your audience tends to be mainly female, then use a girl or woman's name, such as Agnes, or Amelia or Annie.
If your audience tends to be mainly male, then use a boy or man's name, such as Arthur, or Adam or
Alex.

After you have decided on a suitable name, then flesh that character out - with an age, a business, a lifestyle that relates to your ideal learners.

If you tend to talk to retired people about financial planning, then use a 65-75 year old character called Agnes or Ethel who is worried about how she will manage if her arthritis gets any worse.

If you talk to young people about career choices, then use a hip-hop boy called Dizzle who would like to emulate his hero (say 50 cent) and go into the music bizness.

Then use this character throughout your seminar or workshop. You can use them to introduce each new section - at the start the character has a similar problem to the group you are teaching. As you tackle and resolve each issue, then your character moves on and is curious about what comes next. At the end, you can finish the story with what happens next. To make that ending really powerful, if you can then show a photograph of the real Dizzle or real Ethel and give a little more information on how successful their lives have been, that would be fantastic.

There are two main reasons to use a named character:
1) It is far more personable - your learners will feel like they can relate to someone with a name, a background, with the same problems or issues as their own. By showing how that character has benefited, they can see how your topic will transform their own lives.

2) A character can be used to introduce subtle humour into your event. For instance, if your event is around business finances and you wish to illustrate a calculation of your hourly rate, you may introduce a character named Ms P Hilton, who wants to earn one million pounds/ dollars a year, but only wants to work 20 hours a month, 10 months of the year. How much does she need to charge to do so?

So think about your area of expertise.
What sort of character will be most similiar to your ideal learners, those who attend your training events?
What name would they have? How old would they be? Where would they live? What problems might they be facing? What story might they follow from where they are now to where they want to be?

If you have some real case studies, then feel free to borrow from these, whilst protecting the personal information of your clients or customers.

So bring your topic or expertise come to life using real characters, real people, real stories to really connect with the people listening to your information. Capture the journey in a simple story and you have a powerful tool to help people remember and help inspire them to use your information to transform their own lives.

Let's Start at the Very Beginning...

2008-09-16T01:41:00.004+01:00

If we are on a mission to design and deliver fantastic and awesome training, then we need to design every step to inspire and engage our learners.

So think about it - what is their very first experience with your learning event, be it a workshop, presentation or seminar?

In many instances, you first chance to inspire your learners is with the invitation you send, or any advertising you do.

So you could just send out a blanket email, giving the time and place of your event.
But is that really creative? Does that really say to them: "This event is going to be different"?

Here are some ideas of ways in which you could make that first impression really stand out:
1) Send out personalised invitations, with handwritten names, by snail mail, that look like an invitation to a wedding or a party. Give your event a sense of occasion or fun.
2) If you have an event for people who work together, why not put up some posters that hint at what is to come, before anyone is even invited. For example for a session on Work/ Life Balance, you could print out posters of different aspects of Work and Life and ask people to choose which are most important to them.
3) Send out a small item that is related to your event - a photograph, a map, or a quotation perhaps. Before an event on creativity, you could send out a large brightly coloured paperclip, with the words "can you think of a thousands uses for this?" on a piece of paper. That will get people thinking and curious about it.
4) Use a quotation or cartoon to associate your event with fun or laughter - why not use Dilbert cartoon strips to get people talking about great leadership or bureaucracy for example?
5) Use a powerful, emotive poster. The "Your Country Needs You" poster would work well in a number of different circumstances. If you are running an event on Health and Safety, you could use a photograph of a spanner falling over the head of someone and point to the person below with the words "She/He needs you".

Think about your next event or workshop.
How could you do something different in the way you both advertise and invite people to your event?
What prop or item could you send them by post that is related to your topic?
What could you ask them to bring to the event, which would get them thinking or curious about what will happen?

Do Something That Scares You

2008-09-03T17:51:00.005+01:00

This week I had the serene pleasure of spending some time in Wales in a cottage with some friends. There were no modern conveniences: no mobile signal, no phone, no tv, no WiFi, no laptop. Just a stream, a swing, a lovely lush garden, stunning scenery, a few sheep and the luxury of complete peace and quiet.

On our last day, I had been paddling in the stream, toying with the idea of having a swim. This was my last chance, yet I was reluctant. I kept telling myself that paddling was fine, was enough.

I went inside to dry off and something inside me snapped back. I couldn't shake off a feeling of disappointment in my gut. I knew that if I didn't do it now, I would miss my chance. Suddenly all my lovely logical reasons for not swimming were just not enough. The scales tipped in favour of going in.

So I dashed up to my room, put on my swimming cossie and dashed out again (before I changed my mind).

My friends were just coming in, having paddled like me, perhaps wanting to swim but not having the courage or needing some encouragement.

As I launched myself down the grassy bank, I shouted "turn around, we are going in"....

I kept up my momentum, throwing down my towel and wading in as fast as the current and pebbles would let me until I just sank down, drenching myself from head to frozen toes.

As I lept into the water, I gave the reason for my madness - a phrase I knew: "they say you should do one thing every day that scares you. This is mine....(yeee hah)!!!"

We let the water flow over our bodies, as our goose bumps rose in miniature peaks over our skin. We splashed and played like children. We all laughed and screamed at the cold. It shook us to our bones. And it was utterly magical - a sensation I can still feel on my skin as I smile in remembrance.

What things are there in your life that you are putting off?
What are you waiting until the right time to do?
What are you going to do when you are (fit, slim, old, rich) enough?

Why are you really not doing it already?

Go on - live a little.
In fact - live a lot.

You can live a life full of reasons and excuses (like nearly everyone else), or you can have a life full of life and stories and magical experiences.

Which would you like?

Know and Use Your Strengths

2008-08-29T09:36:00.002+01:00

I have been putting alot of time and effort into swimming of late, as I am due to swim in Lake Windermere as part of the Great North Swim in a few weekends, so have been pretty motivated to make sure I do not have to be rescued.....

My problem is that I tend to forget how many lengths I have swum - I count them all up and then miss count or get unsure about half way through. So usually I just swim a few more for good measure at the end.

I am trying to remember the numbers by just saying them to myself in my head.
Then I had an ah-ha moment as I swum effortlessly along. I know that I learn most through visual means and kinaesthetic means rather than listening. My ears are not my strongest learning mechanism - my eyes and movement are.

I have known this for years, which is why I take notes in meetings, whereas those with a strong auditory sense can just listen and learn without any notes at all.

So instead of just saying the number of lengths in my head and listening, I start creating a huge bubble number in my mind at the same time. And remembering what length I am on starts to feel much easier - so I can spend more time concentrating on my technique and less on whether I am on 33 or 35 lengths.

Do you know your preferred learning or communication sense? If not, then search on-line under VAK or VARK (standing for visual- auditory - read/write and kinaesthetic) and find out. You may be amazed at what you learn.

So I guess I have learnt something too - that if I am strong visually, I need to make sure that I use visual methods wherever possible to help me learn and remember information.

What do you have problems remembering?
How can you use your strongest sense to help you remember?

Natural Success

2008-08-27T10:58:00.005+01:00

This weekend I had the pleasure of going to Duncombe Park, near Helmsley in North Yorkshire, to relax and catch up with friends at the National 2CV rally. I watched some fantastic B movies, howled appropriately at the No Talent Contest, drank beer, cooked on my camping stove, and sat in the sunshine until my nose went red. And once again promised to have a 2CV by next year's rally.

It was all very jolly. I was very relaxed and chilled. At one point a new friend called Jonathan asked me what I do. After a brief pause as I considered my options for summarising what Light the Spark is all about, I said:

"I save people from Death by PowerPoint".

Instead of launching into my mission statement or about transformational learning experiences, I deliberately used a phrase that people know and dread. Sure I backed that up a little by saying that I help people design and deliver interactive sessions (or words to that effect). But it was the first sentence that got the reaction. Two people went "Oo" (in a genuinely interested fashion).

Chris was especially interested, as he has recently pulled the short straw of running his work's induction process. He knows its pants (but getting better apparently). But he doesn't know what to do about it. I said that I could help as I passed him a business card*.

Being relaxed and just talking about stuff is a brilliant way to network. I felt no pressure to impress or to be anything I am not. I just talked to them about what I do and then left it at that.

Yet often at formal networking I feel stifled or as if I am playing a role (as in the successful corporate businesswoman or something). Yet there is no real point in my pretending to be someone or something I am not, as my clients will then be disappointed by my products and services. I am me. I am proud to be me. I can do certain things well (and others not at all).

I believe the name for what happened is "Natural Networking".

So I can take what I learnt this weekend and choose events and places to meet new people that are most likely to replicate that experience. I can have fun and talk to people and just be my natural self: extrovert, playful and passionate about what I do.

*It might seem weird to carry business cards on a camping weekend, but in my experience you cannot predict where or when I might meet someone who wants to Light the Spark in others.

The Power of Experience

2008-08-13T17:53:00.003+01:00

Last night I watched "The Secret Millionaire". In this series, so far, the millionaires typically come from girl-made-good or boy-made-good environments, and as a result of their own experiences, tend to have firm beliefs at the outset that since they managed to work hard and make it good that anyone can.

We get a glimpse into their beliefs from the things that they say, the thoughts they speak aloud. Sometimes they will come out with things such as "this is a business decision" or "I am not giving my money to people who don't deserve it", or "I have to know that the money will not go to waste". It is also clear that many simply have no idea how young people in deprived areas live, survive, or what they have to deal with. Some are shocked by the money they survive on, the bars on their doors, the graffiti. These are obviously streets they never even drive down.

I am sure that they have heard about inner cities, about crime, about poverty, about poor housing. Perhaps they have listened to both sides of the story, but their views that if they can anyone can, seem initially entrenched.

As the programme progresses, these millionaires have direct and first hand experiences that change their beliefs and thoughts. They soften. They become emotionally involved with the people, the poverty, crime, pregnancy, destitution, even hopelessness. They start to glimpse the situations that create powerlessness in these people, that trap them into a certain environment (perhaps elements that they have never considered or experienced for themselves).

At first they might feel it is hopeless. That there is too much to do, that nothing could make a difference in this place. Then they happen across the angels of the community: people who are giving their time, their homes, their money, their resources to make a real difference.

It is this journey, this experience that is the most powerful for them.
The experience of connecting with other humans, who are making a difference. Of looking into the eyes and hearts of people on both sides - those trapped and those handing them a lifeline.

I believe that there is little prior to their ten days immersed in this environment that could have changed their minds - because in the end this is not a logical nor a rational experience. Information on the poor is simply that: data. But humans are not statistics, not bare figures to use for headlines.

This experience, is human. It speaks not to our minds, but to our hearts.
That knowledge in our hearts will stay with us forever.
It can change us overnight.
It is more powerful than any amount of words, of stories, of photos, of videos, of second hand knowledge.

Sinking In Time

2008-08-06T11:01:00.003+01:00

Today I start my holiday camping with my bestest friend Mags. Watch out Oxford.

So will I be learning whilst I am holiday - apart from reading books that is?
Sure, by the magic that is Sinking In Time.

Some of the greatest thinkers of our world knew and lived by the importance of Sinking In Time. Those Eureka moments that were had in the bath (Archimedes), under an Apple Tree (Newton), dozing and daydreaming (Kekule) and perhaps most famous of all in this respect the brilliant Edison. It is said that he spent each afternoon sailing. A brilliant way to help the mind consider, analyse, process and eventually come up with an unexpected breakthrough or so. It is well known that the creative part of our brain cannot function under stress, so that it is no surprise really that new ideas and thoughts come when we are truly relaxed (and it is at its most powerful).

If the best scientists and thinkers on this planet had never turned off, daydreamed, sat in the bath or under apple trees, then we would be a poorer world for it.

So I am devoting this holiday to the creative process of Sinking In Time. Letting my brain consider all the information I have been feeding it of late, and letting it come to some conclusions, or come up with some brilliant new ideas.

The question I have for you is this - when is your Sinking In Time?
If you design workshops or learning experiences, do you deliberately give your learners or audience some Sinking In Time?

Today you have my permission to do nothing for as long or short as you can manage. Sit in a chair, in peace and quiet and let your mind daydream. Don't judge the thoughts it has, or try and direct it. Simply watch as it daydreams and know in your heart that this is just as important as any work you do in your day, if not more so.

Leading by Example

2008-08-04T11:46:00.003+01:00

Yesterday I was watching one of my favourite all time TV shows - Extreme Makeover Home Edition. As the tears poured down my face and my heart melted for the family whose dreams had come true, I realised that this show teaches me things, without even trying. It powerfully connects with my emotions, so will stick with me for a long time.

I learn about dreams, about everyday people who just want a house over their heads that is safe, yet are still giving to others and putting others before themselves.
I learn that having a terrible thing happen, or being diagnosed with cancer puts a new perspective into our lives that most of us need. It helps me reconnect with things I know and have forgotten.
I learn that doing something good for others is a great way to pay it forward in this life.
I learn that it is important to me that I pay it forward and make a difference in this world.
I learn that by setting a great example and telling a story, can inspire me to new heights.

and I learn that you can never have enough tissues for an episode with Ty and his friends.

Apart from being a very uplifting way to reconnect with the magic and wonder that humans can create when we work together, by the end I was thinking how I personally can pay it forward with Light the Spark. By passing some of my profits to others, by offering reduced rates to those working in the charitable sector.

For now, I am going to let those thoughts stew. Watch this space to see how I resolve it.

Learning By Stealth

2008-07-30T09:01:00.003+01:00

Humour is a fantastic asset to any learning environment. It's a great way to help people learn - opening their mind, fostering creative and imaginative thinking, reducing stress, encouraging people to risks and make mistakes and it creates natural stickiness.

But boy, can it bomb.
I recall watching a new trainer deliver her first presentation. We had introduced the concept of humour as a learning tool, and she had taken that rather too literally. So she started her presentation with a joke. She was very nervous, the joke was poorly told and I am sure you can imagine the learners' reactions. Embarrassed tittering. They were now in a right state, rather than the right state.

Humour in learning does not demand that you become a stand-up comedian (or comedienne), or that you tell a stream of knock-knock jokes. It is about creating playful and imaginative scenarios, surprising your audience with the unexpected, perhaps even (if you are able) telling the occasional funny story or witty quotation.

To my mind, humour comes best when it is a reflection of your own attitude to the learning process. If you want to be playful and enjoy yourself, then your learners will generally join in. If you set yourself a goal to have fun, then you will design exercises and find materials that support that aim.

There is a great book by Steve McDermott* where he exemplifies the principles of learning by stealth. The entire book is written as series of instructions not to do. So there are suggestions as such:

don't stop having a deep fear of failure and of making a fool of yourself
if you do have goals (you shouldn't), don't put them in writing and if you do, don't think too big
don't know what you value in life (and if you do, lose sight of it)

I loved this book and was reading it at a station in London, waiting for a train home, laughing so much that a man bought me a drink for cheering up his day. We talked and laughed and I missed at least one train connecting with this random stranger, who was drawn to someone laughing (or was it the way a smile makes anyone look ravishing?).

A few years ago, I designed a brief sketch on sexual discrimination at work. Instead of following a predictable path, we designed in some subtle twists. First we placed the scene in the pub, at a Christmas party (by law still a place of work) and two women made innuendos towards a male member of the audience (who we knew would respond in character). It raised some eyebrows as well as making people laugh. I am sure they remember it all the more for the twists.

You can use humour in very simple ways. If you create pairs in exercises, you can pick the person to go first (A) using suggestions such as the one with the longest little finger, the one with the most celebrity sitings in their life, the one who has the biggest head, the one with the most expensive unused kitchen gadget.... These are not necessarily inherently funny, but they are a surprise, they are lighthearted, they are playful.

Here is your challenge then - how can you be more playful in what you teach or train or learn? How could you use the opposite to help people engage in your subject?

*"How to be a complete and utter failure in life, work and everything. 39½ steps to lasting underachievement" by Steve McDermott.

Inspire or Inform or Both

2008-07-28T08:47:00.002+01:00

Today I want to let you know my thoughts on information or inspiration.

I have attended too many learning events (workshops, presentations and the like) where talented and gifted individuals informed me of many things. They shared their knowledge and experience. They gave me principles, guidelines, handouts and more handouts.

A few of these I actually remember.

What made these stand out of the many hours spent learning?
They inspired me. They touched my heart and my emotions and grabbed the whole of my attention.

Legislation is one topic that too many people highlight as a "boring" topic. You can choose facts - such as the dates of all the legislative statutes, the history of the legislation, what the law says. Or you could use a story, a case study and inspire people to truly understand.

One great session on discrimination used photographs of people set to the music of Christina Aguilera - her song Beautiful. In two minutes it had us all engaged and inspired and somewhat humbled as we considered our own beauty and those of the various images displayed. I remember that over three years later.

Did it inspire me? Without a doubt. Do I remember all the information given - not completely. But I do remember my own reaction to the video (revelling in the sheer diversity and wonder of the human race) and that I learnt how it important it was for me to treat every single person as a person - with respect, with dignity, with compassion. Probably the most important thing they could have taught me.

Welcome to My New Blog

2008-07-25T14:33:00.003+01:00

This week I set a mission: to change the way one million people learn - moving into a new realm of learning which is interactive, engaging, memorable and even fun!

I want learning to be:

imaginative - using all our creative juices to grab the attention of our learners
inspiring - so that our learners leave the room full of enthusiasm and wanting to learn more
sticky - I want the learning to stick in their minds, for all the right reasons
passionate - I want teachers and trainers to be passionate about what they share and to pass that passion on

If you think you already do this, get in touch and I might even award you with the coveted Sparkie award.