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The last thing a trainer wants to think about during a training session is the phrase, “I see dead people,” used by the kid in the movie, The Sixth Sense. Even a solidly designed course might fall short if the trainer doesn’t keep the right focus. Here are ten phrases I’ve used in my in-person workshops that are guaranteed to keep learners interested and focused. Most of them can be adapted for the virtual classroom as well!
“I want to make sure you get what you came for today.”
This is a great way to solicit learners’ input into the course objectives as you start the session. Ask them to rate each objective according to importance. Then you can post the results somewhere in the room. This simplifies the process for getting back on track. You just need to point to the list and say, “Based on your priorities, let’s give the other objectives the time you would like them to get.”
“Let’s keep our focus on the reality of your jobs.”
Any time the discussion goes astray, this little phrase gets everyone back on track. I’ve noticed people nodding approvingly as I’ve said this to steer away from tangents or when people have started sharing too many “war stories.”
“How can you adapt these processes to your environment?”
When someone says, “That won’t work.” or “Yeah, but…,” I throw this out to the group. I’m often amazed by the great ideas people generate on how to adapt best practices to their own jobs. The best part is that learners are using their experience to persuade each other to embrace these new ideas. And this takes some of the onus off the instructor.
“Let’s come back to our agenda and see where that relates.”
How many times have you seen learners jump ahead in the course content? You’ve likely had to say more than once, “We’ll be tackling that later.” I find the technique of revisiting the agenda helps people feel confident that we will get to their pressing issue. It also helps them note when to ask their question again, at the appropriate time.
“Are you ready to move on? Can I check this off our agenda?”
I can’t tell you how many people love this technique. Place the agenda on a flipchart page or whiteboard to allow people to quickly see where we are in our day and note the progress we’ve made. To make it really obvious, I place a checkmark next to an agenda item after asking the questions above. The sense of closure and progress learners feel contributes to a positive atmosphere. It’s a nice change from, “Any questions before we move on?”
“I want to make sure you succeed. Not only here, but back on the job.”
I usually use this phrase as I’m introducing an exercise. This lets me explain the details of an exercise in a way that shows how relevant it is to the learners’ jobs. I also use it while presenting course content, so I can focus on the truly important content and avoid getting mired in the less important items.
“That’s an excellent point. Here is specifically what I agree with about your comment.”
In my experience, this is the best way to handle a learner’s objection. By agreeing with their point or, at least, parts of their point, I open the window for people to agree with my response. At other times, it’s just a great way to acknowledge a good idea.
“That’s a great question. Before I respond, does anyone have some thoughts they’d like to share?”
A colleague of mine used to say the following: “Never do for the learners what they can do for themselves.” If I suspect others in the room know the answer to a question, I try to get them to share it. It creates more interaction, and boosts self-esteem and cooperation. It’s also a great way to gather your thoughts and wrap up with a more complete, well thought out answer.
“Although that’s a valid issue, it isn’t part of our agenda. How about we tackle that in a working lunch, and anyone interested can participate?”
Although the working lunch only happens about 50% of the time, this allows me to defer issues that will take time and weren’t on the agenda in the first place. For the other 50% of the time, I think it’s safe to assume it wasn’t such a burning issue after all.
“How are we doing?”
Here’s a catchy quote: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Ask learners how things are going. This can impart that you truly care about them. Ask them about the pace of the course partway through the day. Ask them if the temperature is comfortable. Ask small groups how they’re doing as a way to interject and offer advice or get them back on track.
The phrases above are not substitutes for good course design or good facilitation skills, but they can help you improve your game by creating more interest, cooperation, and confidence among your learners. That can make the difference between, “That was a good course.” and “Wow, what a great course!”
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