Do the Opposite of What They Expect!

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!

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

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

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

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...

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

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.