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That's the (Training) Spirit!
April 10, 2008
The role of the trainer should be to set a magical stage, manage the total experience, and then choreograph the show to allow joy to emerge.
By Chip R. Bell
"Amen!" The word burst from a participant near the back of the training room. An awkward silence, sideways glances from others in the session, and a muffled apology from the overly enthusiastic participant followed.
That one-word pronouncement preached an entire sermon. It was not a religious outburst—this was no church. It was not a problem participant—the class was polite. It was a misplaced expression of passion. Someone in the middle of learning got too excited about a new discovery … and loudly proclaimed it to everyone within earshot.
In our modern day era of metric-driven, result-oriented, criterion-referenced learning, we have pushed concepts such as spirit, charisma, passion, and evangelism to the back of the class. We want our participants to be instructed, not necessarily inspired; educated, but maybe not captivated. We like enthusiasm as long as it stays within the proper bounds of rational classroom decorum. And if a trainer moves participants to tears or makes them giggle or say "Amen," that trainer is labeled an "edutainer," not a serious, card-carrying change agent.
The late Malcolm Knowles, the father of adult learning, was fond of saying the greatest gift a trainer could give his or her students was a love of learning. "Your primary goal is not to help people learn," he would say to his students and colleagues. "Your goal is to help people fall in love with learning." It was his way of saying, "Get your participants to say 'Amen' out loud when a new insight or discovery gets them excited." Learning is temporary; learning to learn is permanent. And the first step of learning to learn is a passion for finding out what's not known.
When I was training director of a large bank, I had all the instructors in the department attend worship services at an African-American Gospel Church. They were given a list of specific things to watch—style, timing, body language, rapport, use of metaphor, theater, personalization—all tools for fostering inspiration, if not religious conversion. The goal was to learn techniques the minister used to communicate in a manner that both taught and inspired. It was not to turn trainers into preachers—trainers encourage insight. It was not to become more of a teacher and less of a facilitator. It was to learn the role that spirit and a sense of "cause" play in enhancing the learning experience.
They left the church with new ideas for making their classes a magical experience, not just a stoic passage of content from brain to brain. As one trainer reported, "I never realized my job was to manage the spirit of learning." Our next field trip was to the theater to witness a dramatic play that took the audience’s emotions on an extreme roller coaster ride. As a result, a few trainers volunteered to read stories to children in a hospital. One learned magic tricks to incorporate in her class.
Before long, their corporate classrooms contained more props, costumes, and surprise guest appearances. They paid attention to the ambience they created with all types of sensory stimulations. They began decorating their classrooms with the fervor of a new first grade teacher. One trainer attended a workshop on storytelling and returned to share his experience with his fellow trainers. The once “pooh-poohed” smiley sheets returned alongside more quantitative evaluation devices. Trainers now cared about how participants "felt," not just the relevance of what they learned.
What were the results of the instructors' departure from the "training as instruction only" world? No miracles happened. But participant enthusiasm increased dramatically. Participants who were unexpectedly pulled out of class expressed regret rather than relief. Participants stayed around the classroom to talk during breaks and after class rather than rushing to check phone messages. Discussions were livelier, questions sharper, and emotions more pronounced. But there also were subtler changes. Participants were more open about their concerns, more authentic about their inadequacies, and more supportive of other classmates. The sense of "learning as a community" spread to the work site, reinforcing the classroom experience.
Consider these ideas as tools for managing the learning experience:
• Treat the learning environment as part theater. Pay attention to the entire set, including props, sounds, smells, and lighting to match the ambience to the feelings you hope to stimulate in your participants. If Starbucks or Cabela's were in charge of staging your classroom environment, what would it change or add? What color are your coffee cups and handouts? What if you replaced the bagels with unique tropical fruit? What do participants hear when entering the classroom? When was the last time you imbedded sound effects in your PowerPoint slides? What would happen if you allowed participants to bring their pets? What "touchables" are on their tables during the class? What can you bring from home as a great "discussion starter" related to your topic? What role could Silly Putty, gold fish, modeling clay, or Tinker Toys play in the experience? What if you asked participants to wear their favorite hat or bring a children’s book related to the topic?
• Start the learning experience long before the class begins. The entire "getting ready for" that precedes the learning experience can help support the motivation to learn. You would not send invitations to a baby shower, birthday party, or wedding as an e-mail. You didn't learn the circus was coming to town from the post office. Create excitement through a bit of mystery and intrigue. Advertise your class in novel ways. Since some participants arrive earlier than others, let the early birds dive into some type of learning experience as soon as they arrive. This "raggedy start-in" should always link the appetizer activity with the learning objectives.
• Make full use of imagery. We live out of "pictures in our head." Trainers who use stories, metaphors, and parables help learners convert words into mental pictures and pictures into meaningful insights. Posters, illustrations, props, and simulations all enrich the learning process. Make the learning experience diverse, exciting, and even adventurous. Don’t be afraid to be silly, bold, and daring. What if you wore a costume or used lots of fun props? What if you invited unique people to drop in during your class—a mime, a comedian, or a clown? Ever notice that famous people voice the airport announcements at the Las Vegas airport? How could that idea apply to your learning experience? Get as carried away as you hope your participants will get.
• Take blended learning to a new level. Blended learning seeks to combine myriad delivery methods. But too often, the focus is on channel and not on curiosity. What would an adult version of "show and tell" do to the learning experience? How would a field trip add to understanding? What would happen if you shifted the classroom venue to a museum, the local diner, or a city park? How many cartoons have been included in your e-learning program? What if the handouts were done as a comic book, as a collection of colorful postcards, or a large map? What if you converted the entire learning experience into a board game, a scavenger hunt, or a one-act play?
The best trainers care about what happens inside the learner, not inside the LCD projector. The best trainers recognize the force of theater and communication magic for creating the mental experiences that generate zeal not just wisdom. Learning should be a joyful experience. The role of the trainer should be to set a magical stage, manage the total experience, and then choreograph the show to allow joy to emerge. And, if that joy occasionally spills out as a loud "Amen," view that as a welcome sign valuable learning has begun.
Chip R. Bell is a keynote speaker and the founder of The Chip Bell Group headquartered near Dallas. He is the author of several best-selling books, including "Managers as Mentors." He can be reached through www.chipbell.com.
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