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A Sense of Humor in the Workplace ... Is it me? Or, was that not funny?
When I was first initiated into Corporate America, I had a sense of humor that went unmatched by any mortal soul. I was quick-witted, smart, sharp, and knew every gag and joke available to humanity. Most of it, I learned in college....
Credibility + Exposure = Adult Ed Teaching
How can you gain credibility and exposure for you and your business, reach a motivated audience, develop a far-flung network, hone your presentation skills -- and get paid to do it? Many executives and entrepreneurs have found an answer: they teach...
Get Outsiders on Your Side
Especially good advice for business, non-profit and association managers whose job success depends in large part on the behaviors of their key external audiences.
I refer to behaviors like inquiries on the increase, new waves of specialized...
Virtual Office - Communication Choices With Internet Based Business
Communication Choices With Internet Based Businesses
Fortunately the Internet provides online business entrepreneurs
a wealth of choices when it comes to communicating. Your primary
mode of communication will likely be e-mail when you set...
What is "Confianza" and Why is it Important?
What is Confinanza and Why is it Important? Tried-and-true training methods can fail in a multi-cultural, multi-lingual environment, and can leave an unprepared trainer wondering what to do. In this article I share what I learned while leading a...
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How to Help Adults Learn Best
How to Help Adults Learn Best Three Keys to Help Them Stretch!
"Everything must be made as simple as possible, but not one bit
simpler." -- Albert Einstein
Here's something for you to try. (C'mon, I'll wait for you to
get out of your chair!)
Stand up and stretch your right arm out behind you, as far as it
will go. (You may turn your body as you do so.) Now, come back
to center and relax your arm.
Next, visualize doing this again. Think about taking your arm
further back. Then do it again, but really "stretch" your eyes
back as far as you can as you do it.
Did you notice this time that you could take your arm back much
further? To many, this exercise illustrates the powerful force
that our intent exerts over perceived reality. (It can change or
"stretch" our limits.) To me, as a teacher of adults, it serves
as a metaphor for adults and learning. As learners, we thrive on
challenges that are slightly beyond our reach, but reachable. In
fact, research is clear that adults learn best when provided
with learning tasks that really make them stretch. (Thank you,
Dee Dickinson, for this exercise.)
Here are three ways trainers can help adult learners stretch.
Make it challenging, but present it simply. One of the biggest
challenges we have as trainers is to present complex subjects
simply. Strive to say things in the simplest possible way. This
involves real practice for trainers, not just a quickie
"run-through." One way to challenge learners is to periodically
"shut up" during the training. Provide opportunities for
learners to discover things themselves. Don't feel compelled to
explain everything. Act as a facilitator to their process.
The excuse trainers often give for lecturing is "I have to cover
the material!" Interestingly, this phrase can be taken in two
ways. One of the meanings of "cover," after all, is to "cover
up", or obfuscate. By trying to cover everything, we confuse,
muddy and even lose the core, "must-know" content elements.
I encourage you to use the Acid Test when developing a workshop:
When time limitations and a desire for simplicity mean you can
only include the "must know" elements of a topic, first figure
out what those are. Then identify the "nice to know" elements.
Strip them out. Leave them behind. You can inject meaningful
small-group activities into the class time you
gain.
Make it fun. A great trainer once said: "I make 'em laugh, and
when their mouths are open, I throw something in for them to
chew on!" Humor and creativity come from, and create, the same
chemicals in the brain. People are much more open to learning
when they're having a good time.
How to ensure the learning process is fun? Part of the answer is
to have a good time yourself. If you consistently don't enjoy
what's happening in the classroom, something's wrong. When you
provide engaging, relevant learning activities (NOT "fluff")
students have more fun. You will, too.
Organize chunks of material into one larger chunk. Research
shows that people's brains can only hold on to a maximum of nine
items at a time. So trainers need to create meaningful chunks of
training that condense several pieces of information into one.
In their excellent book, "Telling Ain't Training," Stolovitch
and Keeps provide this example:
The four cardinal points of a compass are north (N), east (E),
west, (W), and south (S). (four items to store in memory.)
Remember this acronym: NEWS (one item to store in memory, so
it's easier to retain.)
Identify which parts of your training your can "clump together"
to make easily-managed, larger chunks.
Helping adult learners successfully stretch directly correlates
to the amount of preparation we do. How willing are you to truly
think things out, develop helpful metaphors, and ensure your own
thinking is clear and logical? If you experience any "fog" about
any portion of your topic, your learners will, too. One of
Malcolm Knowles's essential principles for adult learning is
"Respect." We trainers respect learners by truly being
prepared--not only to "cover the material," but also to help
them stretch their limits.
How do you help adults learn? Let me know what you're doing to
make learning fun! Write to me at guila@guilamuir.com to share
your experiences. See other articles of interest to trainers at
Article Copyright 2004 Guila Muir and Associates
About the author:
Guila Muir pumps up your presentation skills! Helping people to
present dynamically since 1989, Guila provides tools, tips, and
techniques to master any speaking situation. Sign up for her
free e-newsletter, full of strategies to improve your
presentation skills, at
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