instructor led training

Building a Human Library Collection – Part 2

In my last post, I introduced the idea of using a Human Library as a training event – to either share institutional knowledge or to simply build relationships, communication skills, and understanding between your employees. (Use the link I enclosed if you need a review on the concept and basics of a Human Library.)

With the second (of two total) posts, I’ll resume my idea for the Human Library. Here’s we’ll review scheduling, logistics, communication, administering the event, and post event follow-up.

1) Schedule your event, considering participants (books and readers), promoting your event, and other logistics.

Of course, you’ll want to pick a date that is suitable and relatively convenient – don’t forget to reserve an event space. (We’ll discuss the space for hosting the Human Library in more detail later.)

If your event focuses on building organizational knowledge, you may work with your organization’s supervisory staff to determine where participants may need to grow. For example, if the participant isn’t working with the MIS staff, there may be minimal need for the participant to “read” book 1. If a participant works in an area that struggles with customer relationships, it may be vitally important for him / her / them to read book 3.
After your supervisor’s have selected where participants should converse with a human library book, consider how you will notify the “reader” of the event and his / her / their assignment.
If you event goal is to build relationships, you may want to allow readers to sign up to the topics (books) he / she / they are interested in learning more about. You can use any application or site to allow participants to sign up, or even a simple sign up by posting a piece of paper in a convenient location. Don’t forget to assign a deadline for registration.
If the event is open for any person in the organization to attend, you might have a variety of options to communicate regarding the learning opportunity. How would you usually announce instructor-led training? That may be an option for your Human Library

One more comment on scheduling – if there are topics that may be sensitive for your “books”, be sure he / she / they will have a chance to step away on occasion, to decompress or collect himself / herself / themselves between guests or readers.

2) There are other logistics you’ll want to consider, too.

Be sure there is adequate space for your event. You will need chairs for your “books” and other participants. Also, be sure there is enough space to separate your books, so other conversations do not spill over or becoming distracting.

Regarding your room setup, you may want to label each “book”, maybe with a sign above his / her / their seat or space. You could also create a map of the room’s layout for participants to reference upon arrival.

You may want to establish ground rules to ensure participants stay on topic. If you’re worried about conversations failing to kick-off your “human books” could prepare a brief statement or introduction, or you could share a few suggested questions with your readers.

Set a time limit – not too long or not too short. Be sure to sound a warning and call for wrap-up a few minutes before the conversation time expires.

Also, be sure you (or other training staff or trusted organizational staff) are available to circulate in the room. You will want to be available to address any participant questions or step-in should there be any question or concern with a book / read conversation.

3) As with any training event, your last step is to take participants’ pulse and collect feedback.

This may be especially important if the event is focused on organizational knowledge. Remember, you should keep the survey simple and maybe focus on a simple rating and a few open-ended questions. Keep the learning goals you established with the “readers” supervisor in mind when you are creating your survey questions.

“During the human library, I learned __________”
“When I return to my work-space and tasks, I can apply the following information that I learned from __________ (insert book’s name here): __________”
“I would like more information regarding the __________ procedure / process __________ (insert book’s name) mentioned during the human library.”

Lastly, check-in with your “book” participants, too. He / she / they may have heard something from a reader, an interesting idea or questions, that you can use to grow your human library and training plans. Of course, you will want to offer your thanks, that he / she / they were willing to share their knowledge and experience to benefit others.

I miss instructor led events and being in the classroom with others and learners. Until then, you could even conduct a smaller library (one book, multiple readers) in one Zoom, Teams, or other virtual meeting format. When the pandemic passes, when social distancing ends, or when you need a relatively simple event to kick-off training, share knowledge, and grow your organization’s training agenda, consider hosting a human library.

Resource: Daily Agenda and Learning Goals

When hosting instructor led events, I often include an abbreviated agenda with the invitation. Since plans and schedules may change in the weeks leading to the training session, I’ve learned it is easier to distribute the detailed agenda when the event begins than make revisions to what has already been communicated. Usually, I handout a simple document- the specific schedule, presenters’ names, and a brief synopsis of the topic. For a three to four day event, this would be three to four pages of details.

A few weeks ago, I realized a daily agenda might be a better format, and I don’t think this would be any more complicated to prepare than the document I currently provide to learners. Most likely, I would supplement this with a basic agenda that simply lists presentation titles and times, presented as a handout or as a wall chart.

I’ve attached an example here. Pay close attention to the space on the right side of the document. In addition to listing details regarding the day’s events, the blank space provided for questions and follow-up goals will hopefully prompt your participant to think strategically about the knowledge he/she/they gain and how they might apply to make performance improvements in the workplace!

Agenda-and-Learning-Action

Virtual Training in a Socially Distanced World

I don’t know about you, but prior to the coronavirus outbreak, I would not have been ready to quickly transition instructor-led training to online instruction. Even though I have worked in a large classroom that would allow for socially distance learning, I would not expect participants to travel or gather during quarantines, risking their health during a global pandemic. Not only have my corporate training counterparts addressed the challenges presented by expectations and realities, I see many friends and neighbors who work at all levels of public education working diligently and creatively to help students learn from home and online.

I have collected a few ideas that may help you plan and prepare as you re-design training to present your content in a virtual classroom setting.

As always, it is important that your training include interactivity. Time and again, it has been proven this can improve engagement and retention, and now, you’re having to compete with the distractions that sometimes occur when a person is working and learning from home.
- Why not present scenarios and then use a survey feature in your webinar or training platform to solicit feedback from participants on how they would respond to the situation?
- Be sure you are using the online meeting platform’s interactive features. Is there a chat function? Is there an annotation feature that would allow participants or presenters to write and draw on the screen for everyone to see? How can you make those features work for you?
- Why not use roleplay? This will not only allow participants to practice their new skills, it can be an entertaining way to hold learners’ attention.
  - As an example, I previous presented progressive discipline training with one participant in the role of supervisor and another participant playing the employee whose performance is lacking. You could easily send the details regarding each role to volunteers via chat functions or email when you’re training in a virtual space.
- Instead of table or group discussions, utilize the break-out group or room features in your online meeting platform.
Do not require participants to be on camera, unless appearing is vital while he or she presents. First, some people may be camera shy, and others simply may not want to share while working from home.
If available, you might want to enlist someone to help “drive” the training session. This person can manage break-out rooms, respond to chat questions, monitor survey responses, and take care of logistics and other concerns. This will allow you to focus on your presentation.
Allow times for breaks. Like the classroom experience, your participants will need time to go to the restroom, refill their coffee, respond to calls or emails, or even check in on other family members who are working and learning from home.
Don’t forget ice-breakers and chit-chat. I always enjoyed the conversations that happened between classroom sessions and have noticed those conversations continue to build relationships and camaraderie in an online space. Just be sure you don’t allow this to take over; stay on schedule.
- If your typical ice-breaker may be difficult to facilitate in a virtual space, why not have a show-and-tell? Invite (but do not require) participants to share a unique knick-knack, picture, or other object in their home that they can easily bring to their desk. It is a great get-to-know-you activity, and your participants may enjoy sharing a favorite vacation picture, a special collectible, or even introducing a pet who rests near their home office.
- A great conversation starter I’ve been hearing a lot lately asks others about what podcast, movies, series, or other media they’ve been streaming during quarantine. Your colleagues may will excited to share how they are spending time during socially distancing, and you (or another person within the session) may find your next favorite podcast or show!

As mentioned, I’m not sure those of us who were not already conducting virtual training were ready to convert our instructor-led pieces so suddenly, and I hope we can use this as a lesson to be prepared for almost anything. While I expect we will all continue to learn more about virtual training and its best practices, I highly anticipate the day we can return to the classroom spaces. Whether you use Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google platforms, or another system, I hope you find these suggestions helpful. If there is an idea you would like to share, be sure to leave a comment!

Show me, don’t tell me

There have been a few highlights of quarantine and social distancing, one being frequent walks through our neighborhood. During my treks, I like to listen to a podcast. I have recently spent time catching up with Marty Smith’s America, and the episode I listened to this morning offered commentary ranking the greatest songs by county music legend George Strait. As the discussion progressed Marty referenced his experiences writing and editing a book and offered a gem of wisdom for those of us in creative professions or roles. Show me, don’t tell me.

My publisher continually beat on me: “show me, don’t tell me.” Put me there, immerse me in the details you are offering me. Show me, don’t tell me.”
Marty Smith (Marty Smith’s America “King of Country”, 24:44)

You may wonder, “what does Marty’s experience as a sports reporter have to do with my work designing and developing training?”

I’ll use a common training topic as an example. As a portion of OSHA compliance, many workplaces offer training on ergonomics. You could simply tell your staff their computer stations and workspaces should be adjusted to prevent injury. Unfortunately, this message is vague and meaningless without more detail, especially if your audience has never heard about ergonomics before. It will be more effective to show them what this work station looks like:

In an instructor-led environment, let each person practice the new skill as the presenter or subject matter expert provides guidance and feedback.

With the study of ergonomics, each person could adjust a computer, desk, and chair in a workspace to make it suitable for him or her. (Remember, when you’re studying ergonomics what each person needs may vary.)
In printed communication, consider a detailed and well-designed infographic. Be sure to check any sites relating to compliance for ideas on print and visual resources (just be sure to cite your source).

With this specific subject, I would check the OSHA site and would also consult my organizations Workers’ Compensation or Risk Management staff. You could also reference professional organizations such as the American Chiropractic Association or American Orthopedic Association.
In computer based training, you could design an interactive image, where a user needs to click on each area of the screen to learn more.

The OSHA website has a great example on ergonomic computer work stations here (look for the image of a young woman, with her hair styled to a ponytail, located on the right side of the screen). A similar interaction could be easily produced using Articulate Storyline, or almost any other training software. I would take this a step farther by also including another image, quiz slide, or other interaction where the learner would have to identify areas of a workstation set up inappropriately that may need to be re-adjusted (ie- the user identifies what is wrong with the picture).

It is a fine line when you’re creating training- how do you provide enough information without burdening the learner? The detail and information you provide can take your topic or idea from directive to true training and instruction. You can start by simply remembering Marty’s publisher’s five word statement- show me, don’t tell me

The Shirt Color Game

Even though my new role focuses on computer based training and online learning, I still pay close attention to any classroom style activities that would be helpful tools for a designer’s or presenter’s arsenal. I participate in a community choir, and this past weekend at our fall retreat the event organizer had our group play an ice-breaker game, and I immediately recognized it as something I would re-create in a classroom setting.

The presenter would select a color, then persons wearing a shirt that color would stand. Each standing person would take turns answering the same simple, get-to-know- you questions: where would you take your dream vacation? What was your favorite live concert? If you could have an unlimited supply of any food, what would it be?

I also realized this could be formatted for more strategic interaction. After a detailed presentation, divide into teams based on shirt color. Then the presenter can give each group a strategic, critical thinking question based on the information that was just reviewed. A few broad examples are listed below:

Based on the information you just heard, how would you respond to scenario X?
When you are applying or following the procedure we just discussed, what challenges should you expect? How can you prevent or resolve that challenge?
When you are applying or following the procedure we just discussed, what resources or tools are available to help you better succeed?

Like any classroom activity you will need to fine tune this to your group, their needs, and their learning objectives. This might not work as well in an environment where you training participants wear uniforms. I would focus on primary colors, so you may want to be prepared on how you address non-primary colors. (Persons wearing prints or patterns should be assigned to the predominant color.)

When I was in a role where I would help coordinate and plan classroom training events, I often heard pushback from presenters- it will be too chaotic to divide into groups, I don’t know how to add an interaction, it just sounds too complicated. I don’t know if it could get an easier than the exercise I described above. Your group divided themselves into “teams” when they dressed for work- all you have to do is build the questions and let the student teach themselves!

Good luck!

Quick Tips To Help You Think More Like A Designer

With my previous employer, preparing for instructor led events felt like it was never ending- even though we only hosted training on a quarterly basis. With each training session, I looked at a lot of PPTs prepared by our subject matter experts. Professionally speaking, I adore these people. They’re knowledgeable, passionate, and ready to share their vast amounts of information and ideas. Unfortunately, they are not designers, and it is hard to think of PowerPoint as a visual media when you haven’t been trained to do so. Sometimes this shows in their PPT work.

I’d like to tell you about something unusual that happened as we prepared for a session earlier this year. A speaker who had been added to the agenda contacted me with his drafted presentation. He’s one of those above mentioned SMEs who could go for days and days and has forgotten more about the industry (transportation) than I’ll ever know! He stated he’s not a strong PPT user, and he asked for ideas to improve his design.

This got me to thinking- what simple tips could I pass on should a similar situation occur? Here are 5 quick reminders to help you get started with more solid design.

1) THINK BEFORE YOU START:

Before you even open PowerPoint, think about the engaging and well-designed presentations you have witnessed. And don’t limit your thinking to presentations- consider billboards and magazine advertisements, flyers, movie or concert posters, and other visual media that have captured your attention lately. What can you do to make your own presentation look that nice or flow that well? Think about the themes and tone and appropriate colors, backgrounds, fonts, and images related to that tone.

A great practice is to “mind map”- brainstorm and then visually organize your ideas and thoughts on the topic before you begin your true design work. (You can simply use “mind map” as your search term to learn more or to find templates to help with this process.)

After your mind map sessions are completed, create a storyboard. This doesn’t have to be complicated or artistic. It is merely a rough draft or rough sketch of how you want each slide to look and flow. Sometimes, I truly draw a slide complete with sketched images and graphics. Other times, my storyboard may only be a few sentences about the graphics, text, and ideas I want to include on each slide.

2) CONSIDER YOUR SCREEN RATIO:

I feel like I talk about this a lot, so please bear with me as I repeat it (again). Most modern technology uses a wide screen format. Think about tilting your phone or tablet into landscape mode when you stream a video. If you’re watching a modern production, it will fill the screen. If you’re watching an older video you’ll see two dark bands at each side of the screen to fill the margin.

Similarly, if you use the inappropriate screen ratio with your presentation, the computer/device will fill the margins with a dark color. It is not the most visually pleasing, and it is wasting space you could be using for your design and content!

To format your PowerPoint to a widescreen format, visit the DESIGN tab and click PAGE SETUP. A dialog box will appear, and in the drop down labeled SLIDES SIZED FOR select 16:9

3) REDUCE TEXT, REDUCE TEXT, AND THEN REDUCE TEXT SOME MORE:

I get it. You have a lot to say, and it is an important topic. But it is important to remember your audience will listen to you or read the slide; they cannot do both. (This isn’t an insult to their intelligence; it is simply how science has proven the human brain to work.)

It is a common mantra among skilled presenters and designers, and I wish I knew who thought and said it first: “Your slide is complete when there is nothing else to remove!”

Opinions varying, but I prefer to limit slides to 20 words or less. It can sometimes be difficult for SMEs who like to copy and paste from their policies, procedures, or manuals and guidebooks (yes, that happens) to grasp this design principle. One solution is to create more slides with less text. Another option is to create keyword only slides and provide great handouts for note-taking.

Instead of using statistics in a text format, add images and graphs. One of my favorite solutions to a statistic or number is demonstrated here, using an icon or symbol to represent a figure. This is example shows a money icon to represent a revenue figures.

If you’re insistent on text heavy slides, there are ways to still have a creative and engaging presentation. (We talked about that in an earlier post.)

4) HIGH QUALITY IMAGES

Some things from the 1990s are cool again. (Or maybe the grunge look and sound never really went away.) Some things from the 1990s, like clipart, should not be resurrected.

You can create a big impact by choosing high quality IMAGES and PICTURES. Invest in a subscription to a stock art sight. Use public domain images. If there is a hobbyist photographer on staff, ask him or her to help you capture some solid pictures.

5) AVOID CHEESY ANIMATIONS AND NOISES

Well-crafted animations and transitions take time to master. Similar to clipart, animations, transitions, noises, and other effects can easily fall flat, feel dated, or feel forced. Don’t give up on developing this skill, but think carefully about what you choose to publish or present. Also, if you’re limiting your content as mentioned above in point 3 (reduce text!) you shouldn’t need too many animations since there will be a limited about of information on your screen already.

Simple “tools” to pack for your instructor led training sessions

I spent some time late last year traveling to a company orientation event, based at a hotel just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. Let’s face it- hosting an event at a hotel conference center is convenient. Your learners “commute” down the elevator each morning to the event, where hot coffee and fresh pastries away. At lunch, the catering staff arrives with your lunch, and at the end of day the group “commutes” again back to the safety and comfort of their hotel rooms. (Or in our group’s case, we commuted to steakhouse across the street for dinner!)

During the training and on-boarding sessions I realized there are a lot of things readily available in the office that can also come in handy when you’re training off-site. Unfortunately, you can’t take the entire office with you when you’re on the road. You can drop a few essentials into a reusable grocery bag or other tote to make your event easier to administer (or to be better prepared for the unexpected).

Power strip– Whether it is the presenters’ laptops, projectors, or tablets, there never seem to be enough outlets. Drop a power strip into your bag to ensure everyone can charge the plethora of electronic devices we all carry.

A few sheets of color paper or color sticky notes– These can comes in handy in so many ways- taking notes; collecting and sorting ideas based on different themes, options, or answers in an interaction; grouping and labeling different ideas or participants for an interaction. The possibilities are near endless.

BONUS- I like to print handouts on colored paper to make it easier to reference what learners should be looking at. (Example: “The interview questions to avoid or re-phrase are printed on the orange handout.”)

Fun size candy– Fun size, individually wrapped candies are easy to pack, and who doesn’t need a treat or sugar kick at the end of a busy training day?

Egg timer– Even though most smart phones have a timer, remember the above comment about having enough outlets to keep devices charged? An egg timer is small, expensive, and can come in handy when other devices have low batteries.

Smart home device or speaker– And even though it is another device to connect plug in, I’ve realized in the past few weeks (since I started working remotely) how helpful an smart home device could be in the office or classroom. At our home, we currently use the Amazon Echo Dot.

“Alexa, set a timer for ten minutes.”
“Alexa, play background music.”
“Alexa,…”

The possibilities are near endless.

Fresh batteries– Since we’re using a tote bag, why not toss in some spare batteries for your computer’s wireless mouse or remote? It would be inconvenient to have to “pause” your presentation because the remote control dies, and you can’t move your presentation forward. This simple addition to your packing helps you be prepared.

Bluetooth or External Speaker– If you don’t have a smart speaker (as mentioned above), you may have a Bluetooth or other external speaker lying around. During last quarter’s training event, we played a video from the training leader’s laptop. Unfortunately, his laptop speakers were not strong enough to project the audio to the entire room. Thankfully, he carries external speakers to plug into the computer to address the issue.

Scissors- Why not? Compact, easily tossed into your tote bag, and you never know when you may need them!

Painter tape– As mentioned, a hotel conference center makes an excellent location to host your event! Hang any posters and tears offs from your flip chart using painter tape to prevent damaging the walls.

Safety pins– It is easy to hang material to the wall using the painter tape until the room has “walls” made of drapes. Yes, I encountered this once, and have traveled with safety pins packed even since!

Paper clip- Similar to scissors, tape, and the other items listed, a small pack of paper clips won’t take much space in your tote bag. You never know how they may come in handy during a training session.

Hole punch– Buy one of the small hole punches designed to fit into a binder to save on space.

Stapler– Be sure to grab a compact stapler from a vendor’s table at the next professional conference you attend!

Small printer/scanner– I had never considered this until the fall event. One of the field managers in attendance carries this device any time he travels to our varying offices, customers, and events. Easily attached to a laptop, we were able to print certificates and other handouts and scan the new hires’ required paperwork and information back to the Human Resources office easily.

Is there some other small items to you like to pack to be best prepared for a training event that takes place away from your home base?

Get To Know You Bingo

As I’ve mentioned on several occasions, I’m charged with planning and hosting instructor led training, which includes organizing team building activities. With each training event, we’ll visit an off-site facility such as an escape room or adventure course, but we’ll also use free time between presenters to further build the team’s camaraderie.

Occasionally a subject matter expert will finish his/her presentations early, or sometimes, the group won’t use all the time allocated to their breaks (included in the schedule to allow participants a chance to check work emails, return phone calls, or network with their corporate office contacts). To be prepared for any free time with our April event, I developed a simple “get to know you” bingo game. Feel free to use and edit this file, maybe adding industry or company specific traits. You can tie those organizational bingo blocks back to you larger learning goals, or you can simply use this to game encourage conversation and get the group up and moving around- almost always a positive experience in your classroom environment.

Get To Know You Bingo

Text heavy versus visual PowerPoint (and my favorite beach)

We recently completed our first instructor led training session of 2018, which means I spent an unfortunate amount of time in the weeks prior coaching our presenters regarding PowerPoint design. (I’ll continue this coaching in the coming week as the participants’ feedback is distributed to the presenters/speakers.) During these consultations, we often discuss the impact of a visually engaging presentation versus a presentation that is text heavy.

I do not mean it as a slight to students, but learning science has proven the human brain cannot read a text heavy slide while simultaneously listening to what a presenter has to say. While there are learning activities you can facilitate for text heavy slides, in this post we’ll discuss using a visually engaging slide as a talking point. To help demonstrate my point, I designed a basic presentation with two quick topics, two slides per topic. Using an image or photo to craft a story can create emotion, or as demonstrated in the first topic of the attached slideshow, an image can better demonstrate statistics, numbers, or other data (when compared to listed data). Above all, this improved design and presentation method can increase learners’ retention!

I’d like to elaborate this idea using the second topic in the sample presentation I’ve included. The simple way to tell a learner about my favorite beach would be to list attributes about the under developed, quiet South Carolina town. The second option isn’t as easy- it requires a designer to think a bit more creatively, and the presenter must also be comfortable speaking on a topic without the “crutch” that a text heavy slide may provide. (Although, shouldn’t any subject matter expert be able to speak on his/her topic with minimal guidance/cue?)

Using lovely pictures to create meaning and emotion, I could tell a learner about the small town where golf carts and bicycles are primary means of transportation. I could detail the delicious meals served on screened patios of mom and pop restaurants, struggling ceiling fans offering some reprieve from the South Carolina heat and humidity. I could offer stories about dolphins playing at sunset, alligators sunning on marsh banks, or egrets swooping over the water to catch his/her meal. I could (verbally) list the animals I’ve watched fishermen and women pull in from the surf, horseshoe crab that once dotted the sand during one of my visits, or the boneyard beach. I could even facilitate an activity where participants would learn about and then demonstrate the ability to build temporary fencing, which island volunteers construct seasonally to protect the nests of loggerhead turtles, a vulnerable species that lays eggs on the island each summer. I could go on and on.

Unfortunately, the odds are slim that I ever get to teach my adult learners about this haven (near Charleston, SC), but I hope the ideas I’ve shared here make you think twice about how you use PowerPoint and inspire you to take a more visual approach when you begin contemplating the design of your next presentation.

Text Versus Visual Presentations

PowerPoint Tips

We’re preparing for our final corporate orientations of 2017, which means I’m handing out a lot PowerPoint tips. I become the proverbial broken record leading up to these events, reminding presenters and subject matter experts that simple and small changes to a presentation can yield big results. I thought these same simple ideas would make an excellent post here.

If you haven’t done so, change the format of your PowerPoint to 16:9. Most devices are in widescreen format, and this will format your presentation to fill the screen. BONUS- you’ll have a bit more space to work with on your screen! (Check under the “Design” tab.)
When your presentation is running in as a slide show, you may notice some icons near the lower, left corner of the screen- left arrow, pen, slide, and right arrow. Don’t forget this pen feature would be available to call attention to information on your slide or make other notations during your presentation.
Consider using a dark background with light text. This format can prevent eye strain for your learners, especially during long presentations or extended days of learning. (It is easier for the human eye to focus on the dark background and light text.)
Try your best to keep each slide’s word count to 10 or less. You see, if your slide is text heavy, there’s a possibility the learner is reading instead of listening to what you’re saying. The learner CANNOT read and listen to you at the same time! I do not mean that as an slight to your learner- it is simply the way the human brain works. This may mean you need to create more slides, but that’s a simple solution to text-heavy slides. Limited text with strong visuals allows you to present extemporaneously, and there’s a higher probability your learner will retain what has been said.

If you’re insistent on including text heavy slides, use the following tips to make the verbose portions of the presentation more engaging:

Instead of revealing the information all at once, use a carefully selected animation to present the information in small pieces. (So many times I receive finalized presentations that show all the information on a cluttered slide at once versus slowly revealing it using animations or triggers.)
The possibilities for reading comprehension activities are near endless, If you must use the text heavy slide, include some sort of extended group discussion. (You’re going to need to comfortable asking leading questions, facilitating learning with Socratic questioning to encourage critical thinking and problem solving during the conversation.)
1. Present the information all at once, have the audience read the slide, and then each learner should complete some sort of action or gesture when he/she has finished reading. (Examples- raise his/her hand, stand up, bookmark but close their notebook/textbook, face the front of the room, etc.)
2. Next, you can simply discuss the text. You could have the group as a whole involved in the discussion, or you could divide the group into smaller sections to discuss a specific section of the text. You can easily kick this off with simple questioning-What new idea did you learn? What are the pros/cons of this idea? How would you implement or apply this idea at your work location? What questions do you have about what you just read?

There are many resources you can easily access to see other suggested improvements. Watch the webinar and online videos/presentations from the many, many skilled facilitators and PowerPoint gurus out there. Register for a design class. Ask for help- there’s probably someone within your organization with strong presentation skills that might be willing to help you polish your own presentation.
Lastly, think of presentations where you were excited and engaged. Is there any method the subject matter expert or presenter used that you could apply to your own presentation? Don’t be afraid to try something new! If it doesn’t work you can keep practicing or make more changes until you find the solution that’s best fitting to you and your material.