Why do Training Experts Say "Less is More"?
May 17, 2008
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Prevent the Fire Hose Effect!
Picture it: You’re a student in a classroom. The instructor is throwing out fact after fact. At first, you listen intently, trying to grasp everything that’s going on. After about 15 minutes, your attention drifts. You try to attend, but your mind starts to wander. After trying to focus a few more times, you feel so overwhelmed (and possibly irritated and bored) that you just give up.
What happened?
You just experienced “fire hose training.” Did you like being on the receiving end? Are you drenched?
Hey, have some sympathy. The instructor was just trying to “cover the material.” (How many times have YOU used this line?)
Hosing learners down with information only drowns them. Here’s why.
The Mystery of Memory
Get a pencil and a piece of paper. When ready, stare at the number below for seven seconds, then look away and write it down. Ready? GO!
9217053
Check the number you wrote down. Chances are you got it right. Now try it again. Stare at the number below for seven seconds, then look away and write it down. Ready? GO!
4915082637
Again, check the number you wrote down. Did you get all 10 of the digits in the correct sequence? Probably not. Because the digits were random, you had to treat each digit as a single item, and your working memory just ran out of functional capacity.
So what?
Brain research shows that adults can only keep up to seven pieces of information in their working memory at one time. Furthermore, we can only hold onto each piece of information for 10-20 minutes unless we do something new with it (like physically using it, playing a game with it, or connecting it to other learning.) If something new is not done with the information, it will nearly always fade from working memory.
What does this mean for you as an instructor?
Strategy: Narrow the number of informational items in one lesson to fit students’ memory capacity limit. When you package lessons into several 15-20 minute segments, students are more likely to remember and maintain interest than in one longer, 40-minute session.
Does “Less is More” Mean I Must “Dumb it Down?”
NO!
The key to preventing fire hose training is to identify the material’s absolute “must knows.” Grant Wiggins, in describing his Backward Design approach to training, suggests that instructors ask, “What is it I hope that students will have learned, that will still be there and have value several years after the course is over?”
When you answer this question honestly, you discover the “meat” of your training. By converting this “meat” into learning outcomes, you’ve created your training’s structure. Now just include content that helps to achieve each of those outcomes. Don’t add anything more.
“Less is More” Allows More Time to Process the Information
Remember that adults learn best through active learning. By focusing solely on several “must-knows,” the instructor discovers that there IS enough time to do much more than just cover the material. Here is a short list of instructional strategies you can use to bring your lesson’s content alive. Remember that each of these strategies can be done in small groups to enhance cooperative learning:
- Hands-on activities
- Surveys
- Contests
- Case studies
- Drills
- Reflective writing
- Imagery
- Mind maps
- Jigsaws
- Field trips
- Brainstorming
- Role-plays
- Simulations
- Discussions
Fire Hoses are for Fighting Fires, Not for Training
No one wants to be drenched with information. If you want your students to change their behavior as a result of your training, this motto is for you:
Less IS More!
Read more articles about Training Development and Presentation Skills. Learn about Guila Muir’s Trainer Development Workshops or Individual Coaching.
Guila Muir is the premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters on the West Coast of the
© 2007 Guila Muir. All rights reserved.
Flip Flop Training
May 13, 2008
By Gail Yahner
Trainers- the odds are stacked against you.
How can I say that? I don't even know you or your training style
Wow- I guess you better get hopping. You have a huge job ahead of you!
90% of what they say as they do
70% of what they say or write
50% of what they hear and see
30% of what they see
20% of what they hear
10% of what they read
If the information retention rates above are correct, it would appear that the best results would come from a trainer that understands that training must include the whole person. The person needs to hear it, read it, say it and do it to actually have the best odds at retaining the information
Have you heard or tried the 70/30 method?
At my last site we flip flopped the percentages to 30/70 with the trainers training 30% of the time and the class self training the other 70%. While it sounds odd, this actually made a tremendous difference in the agent's performance and reduced training attrition.
While this is no magic pill to aid all that ails training, it is a fresh idea that most of my trainers loved. You can't win everyone over and that is fine.
The trainer divides that days topics/lessons (using the curriculum outline) into manageable segments
The class is divided into small groups that are for the current day only.
The groups change each day to stimulate increased participation of all trainees.
To determine group size follow this simple formula: divide the days topics into the class headcount = group size
The groups are given approximately 45 to 60 minutes to research the topic, prepare flip charts, PowerPoint presentations or create an activity in which to train the rest of the class.
The groups have full access to all needed materials i.e. computer systems, lesson plan, training manual, white boards and flip charts with markers.
The group line up is posted in the class with approximate time lines
Each group then trains the class with their presentation.
The trainer and training assistant are present at all times and are available to assist the groups during the preparation time.
The groups are encouraged to create interactive hands on activities to reinforce the lesson they are training— and they did!
The trainer manages the time and informs the group as they near the end of their allotted time.
The trainer aids the groups when a question is presented and they have are stumped, stepping in to assist when it is apparent that no answer is available.
Trainer reinforces the material at the end of the day with an end of day review.
Having the trainees so deeply involved in their training shifts the responsibility of learning from the trainer to the trainee. We found that the small groups were so creative in their presentation that the other students were able to understand and relate to the material very quickly (this was validated with higher test averages). We also noted that the trainees were more apt to bond with each other and show signs of becoming an actual part of the company faster than with our old training style. We also found that with the increased interaction and investment on the part of the trainees, they came out of training more knowledgeable and better able to grasp the concepts from class. This was validated over and over through higher quality scores, lower handle times and lower attrition rates over previous classes.
Give it a try and see what you think of our Flip Flop Training. I would love to hear your feedback and results.
Gail is a contributing writer for Call Center Cafe, the Community for Call Center Professionals. As the self professed Call Center Quality Queen, Gail shares her experiences in Quality and Training with readers. If you are would like to read more of Gail’s articles please visit: http://www.callcentercafe.com While you are on the site, sign up for the free e newsletter: The Call Center Café Newsletter at http://www.callcentercafe.com/call-center-newsletter/
Don't Crash the Plane
May 7, 2008
By Guila Muir
How to Conclude Your Session with Panache
Malcolm Kushner, a specialist on the use of humor in presentations, warns that many presenters “run out of gas,” or dribble weakly away, at the end of their presentations. Worse yet, many “crash the plane.” When the audience desires a smooth landing, many trainers and presenters manage to deconstruct much of what they worked so hard to lift off and keep in the air.
Why are Conclusions Important?
A closure is not just “where you stop.” Many speaking professionals say that the conclusion is the most important part of any presentation. A great conclusion reinforces, summarizes, and “ties up” the session. Let’s take action to prevent YOUR crashing the plane the next time you present.
How to Close Effectively
Some basic rules:
- Close just once. Don’t bounce around.
- Don’t just stop. (”That’s all, folks!”)
- Give a hint you will conclude (”In conclusion…”) and then DO it.
Because training sessions and presentations are different animals, each demands a different form of conclusion. Let’s look at what is appropriate for each.
How to Conclude Presentations
Concluding a presentation should take less time than concluding a training session. Make sure that your closure is short, that it relates to the body of your speech, and is inspirational. Remember to close after you do a Q-A session, not before.
(Tip: For an even more powerful closure, try combining a Call to Action with any of the other suggestions below.)
Call to Action. Passionately seek commitment to a new or changed course.
Examples: 1. “When you do ________and _________, you’ll see a huge improvement in your staff’s attitude.” 2. “Join me! Be a part of the solution. Sign up right now.”
Return to the Opener.
Example: “Well, what happened to Mr. Albright, who you met at the beginning of my talk? (Tell them.) “… and it’s all because of the services we provided.”
Look to Past and Future.
Example: “Five years ago, the consulting industry…. Today, things have changed substantially. To meet those changes, we must…” (briefly summarize points.)
Use a Quotation, Joke, Poem.
Example: “As I close today, I’d like to quote Margaret Mead. She said, ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’ Let’s keep that in mind as we move forward with this challenging new project.”
How to Conclude Training Sessions
Most trainers do not adequately close their sessions. By not doing so, they unwittingly cheat their participants out of an opportunity to reinforce learning. A well-crafted training conclusion provides a spectacular opportunity to reinforce learning points–interactively. Try one of these methods at the end of your next training session:
Partners Test Each Other: Tell participants to work with a partner. Each partner chooses 1-4 learning outcomes from the course and develops a test question that relates to each outcome. (Examples: “What are the five essential guidelines for developing web-based training?” “Please describe three different ways you could approach an inebriated civilian.”) Have the partners verbally test each other using these questions. (Optional: each pair could then choose its highest-quality question and test the class as a whole.)
Snowball Fight: Ask the participants to legibly write one question about the material on a piece of paper. Have them crumple it into a “snowball” and then, simultaneously with the whole class, stand and toss it at another workshop participant. After picking the closest one up, the participants all find a partner and read the question to that person. Each participant must answer the question to their partner’s approval.
Application: In pairs, each partner describes to the other what s/he particularly learned in the workshop and how s/he will use it.
In Conclusion…
Whether you are training or presenting, an effective closure should take 8%-10% of your total platform time. Plan this chunk carefully, and participants will remember your session with excitement and gratitude.
Read more articles about Training Development. Learn about Guila Muir’s Trainer Development Workshops or Individual Coaching.
Guila Muir is the premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters on the West Coast of the
© 2007 Guila Muir. All rights reserved.
