Training facilitation

Facilitating Text Heavy Slides

It is one of the hardest and most frustrating functions in my job- coaching Subject Matter Experts who will make presentation on their PowerPoint and presentation design. These people have an impressive amount of knowledge- both company specific and industry related- and they are also very passionate about what they do. Are you also struggling to convert your text heavy presentation to a more facilitated, activity-based, and engaging event? I’ve provided a few suggestions below, but the possibilities are near endless!

Is there any portion of your presentation where you’ll make a list? Instead of presenting this as an organized list on your PowerPoint, why not have the group brainstorm the correct items for your list? Have a volunteer write down the correct items your group brainstorms onto a whiteboard or flipchart. Once the group has brainstormed all the correct answers, you can move to subsequent PowerPoint slides to explain the details of the list. Better yet, design a non-linear PPT so you can discuss each topic as the group suggests it!
Do you have slides that include a lot of text?
Have the learner silently read the slide or text, underlining or highlighting key words and phrases on his/her handout while they are reading. You remain silent when they are reading. When they are finished reading, discuss the text as a group.

OR
You can split the group into 3 or 4 teams to discuss what they have read. Be sure to walk around the room to provide guidance, facilitation, and ensure each group remains on topic. Have each group make a list of the top three to five takeaways from their reading. (Select an appropriate number based on the length/complexity of the text.) After a few moments of discussion, take charge again, and the whole classroom can discuss the reading. Each breakout group can speak for a moment regarding one of the key takeaways, and each group should present a different idea. You can certainly elaborate and provide further guidance on what they learned in the reading.
Is the group going to read a text introduction before moving into any activity?
Have the group stand up when they have finished reading the introduction or instructions. Once each learner has finished reading, they’ll be standing, and ready to move into the more kinesthetic portion of the lesson.

Again, there are countless ideas you can try to take your presentation text-based to activity-based. Think outside the box, and if necessary, adapt an idea you like to make it better suit your needs and your audience. Search for other suggestions until you find what works for you. Just keep trying- like any other skill, working as a facilitator instead of a lecturer takes practice, practice, and more practice. The sooner you begin, the sooner you can master your facilitation skills!

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.

Using activities to take your instruction from insipid to inspiring!

Once again, I’m in a last minute scramble, finalizing the details for an instructor lead training session next week. (We’re preparing to host 11 managers at headquarters for four days of training on corporate functions.) And once again, I’m reviewing our subject matter experts’ (SMEs) presentations and asking, “WHERE IS THE INTERACTION?” To simply summarize the situation, despite my constant lobby to make simple changes to presentations, I deal with a lot of SMEs and presenters who want to walk into the room, lecture and spew information, and then leave the room.

I think training “buzz words” such as engagement, activity, and facilitation (among others) can be intimidating to someone who is not accustomed to thinking about instructional design. That’s okay- it’s his/her job to master his/her department’s functions and fill the SME role. It’s my job to think about the best possible design to increase learners’ engagement and knowledge retention while meeting an organization’s strategic learning objectives.I also think including an activity during a training presentation or event is easier than some people realize. Here are a few simple ideas that can create a more engaging learning experience by facilitating knowledge discovery (instead of delivering dull, boring lectures).

1) Does any portion of your presentation require building a list? Don’t display that on your presentation via the projector. Instead, use a flip chart or tablet to have your group brainstorm the list with a volunteer from the group writing down each idea! Once you’ve collected each necessary item/point in the list, return to your presentation and prove details and support information. (It may be wise to leave out the list and details in any prints or handouts to prevent learners from peeking ahead, revealing an answer too soon. This would also hopefully prompt him/her to take notes regarding information he/she finds valuable.)

2) Do you have a slide during your presentation that is text heavy or requires reading a lengthy passage? Instead of having a presenter or instructor lecture on the text, have the group read silently with each person circling/underlining/highlighting passages that he/she recognizes as vital information. After the group has finished reading, ask what they have highlighted, and begin the discussion. This will allow the presenter or SME to provide even more detail, information, and insight regarding the topic. If the group missed a point that should have been highlighted, ask a question about this portion of the text to facilitate discussion on the topic.

3) Does any part of your presentation require looking up information at a website? Why not have the group look this up for you? Using their smart phones or tablets to search for the necessary material, the first person to find the information at the site can stand and read this aloud to the group. Next, progress to the saved or bookmarked link/site with your projector and computer to begin discussing this topic.

The possibilities are nearly endless. If describing the training design includes an action or (safe!) verb, you’re on the right path to more engaging facilitation and activities!

And here’s one final tip- if your activity will require a person to volunteer to read, make a list, role play, build, etc make sure there’s a “prize” for him/her after the activity is finished. It can be as simple as a company branded stress toy, a water bottle stuffed with snacks, movie passes, or playing cards. (The dollar bins and seasonal aisles at chain pharmacies and other major retailers are great places to shop for these simple prizes.)