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TRAIN
SMART
Second Edition
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For Duke . . .
Friendship at its best
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TRAIN
SMART Effective
Trainings
Every Time

Rich Allen Second Edition

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Copyright © 2008 by Corwin Press

All rights reserved. When forms and sample documents are included, their use is authorized
only by educators, local school sites, and/or noncommercial and nonprofit entities who
have purchased the book. Except for that usage, no part of this book may be reproduced or
utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publisher.

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Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Allen, Rich (Richard)

TrainSmart: Effective trainings every time/Rich Allen.—2nd ed.
p. cm.
Previously published: San Diego, CA: Brain Store, c2001.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4129-5577-5 (cloth: alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-4129-5578-2 (pbk.: alk. paper)
1. Employees—Training of. 2. Training. 3. Employee training personnel.
I. Title. II. Title: Train smart.

HF5549.5.T7A469 2008
658.3′124—dc22

2007007913

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

07 08 09 10 11 12 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Acquisitions Editor: Cathy Hernandez

Editorial Assistant: Megan Bedell
Production Editors: Denise Santoyo and Jenn Reese
Copy Editor: Susan Jarvis
Typesetter: C&M Digitals (P) Ltd.
Indexer: Judy Hunt
Cover Designer: Lisa Miller

Cartoons on pages 8, 10, 14, 17, 25, 47, 66, 96, 115, 127, and 133 © Education Illustrated,
LLC. Used by permission.
FM-Allen (Smart)-45293.qxd 6/25/2007 12:13 PM Page v

Contents

Preface to the Second Edition vii

Acknowledgments ix
About the Author xi

PART ONE: Prepare for

Effective Trainings Every Time 1
Overview 2
The Five Pillars of the TrainSmart Model 2
The Bricks and Mortar of the TrainSmart Model 6
A Sample TrainSmart Schedule 18

PART TWO: Twenty-Five Key

Concepts for Training Smarter 21
TrainSmart Key Concept Matrix: The Twenty-Five Key Concepts 22
1. Acknowledgment 23
2. Bridges and Zones 28
3. Comfort Levels 32
4. Task Completion 36
5. Contrast 41
6. Precise Directions 44
7. Resource Distribution 49
8. Teach It Standing 53
9. Participant Inquiry 56
10. Adequate Response Time 60
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11. Specify Response Mode 64

12. Question/Clarify/Question 69
13. Managing Disruptions 73
14. Creative Note-Taking 78
15. Positive Language 82
16. Involve, Don’t Tell 86
17. Ownership 90
18. Pause for Visuals 94
19. Press and Release 98
20. Purposeful Body Language 102
21. Visual-Field Variations 106
22. Vocal Italics 110
23. Music Matters 113
24. Guiding Attention 118
25. Verbal Specificity 121

PART THREE: Tools for Training 125

Six Powerful Parables 125
A TrainSmart Checklist 131
TrainSmart Lesson Plan Template 134

Bibliography 137
Index 141
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Preface to the
Second Edition

O rganizational training has moved on a quite a bit since I first

wrote TrainSmart in 2001. I was startled to discover the original
version featured pictures of overhead projectors and the music
section had no mention of MP3s!
But it’s not just technology that has changed our lives as trainers.
As organizations have pared costs to the bone, the spotlight of “value
for money” is well and truly shining on the training dollar. Just think
about how evaluations have changed in the last few years. Remember
the days of “did you like the facilitator’s jokes?” check-box sheets at
the end of the program? Now we have sophisticated, embedded eval-
uation processes to check whether participants actually learned any-
thing and whether their productivity has improved as a result.
So I figured it was time to revise TrainSmart, both to help trainers
rise to the challenges of this new, performance-focused environment
and to reflect the new technologies now at our disposal.
If you’re a previous reader, in addition to discussions of new tech-
nologies and my latest training strategies, you’ll find more examples
and tips, and a matrix that pulls the concepts together. I also hope
you like the new images that support the concepts. I included them
because if we’re not having fun, we’re not learning—right?
To new readers: welcome! You’re about to join a worldwide
community of TrainSmart facilitators. People who train smarter, not
harder. People who create dynamic learning experiences and produce
amazing results.
TrainSmart is about making you a more effective trainer. But it’s
also about making training more enjoyable for YOU. I hope it renews
your enthusiasm for learning and teaching.

vii
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viii TrainSmart

Once you’ve tried out a few of the strategies, feel free to e-mail me
at rich@educationillustrated.com and let me know how your work-
shops are going!
FM-Allen (Smart)-45293.qxd 6/25/2007 12:13 PM Page ix

Acknowledgments

O ver the past twenty-five years, I have had the opportunity

to work with a number of extraordinarily gifted individuals.
I am grateful that each of them has been such an important part of my
professional life.
Susan Adams Duke Kelly
Tim Andrews Kellie King
Scott Bornstein Pete LaGrego
Laura Bowen John LeTellier
Linda Brown Dee Lindenberger
Phil Bryson Dr. James McCray
Craig Bulmer Doug McBride
Dr. Stephanie Burns Dr. Cristal McGill
Peter Coldicott Jim Moore
Bobbi DePorter Kate Neal
David Edwards Bill Payne
Dr. Billie Enz Mark Reardon
Dr. Donald J. Freeman Tiffany Reindl
Judy Green Timothy Giles Rickett
Sean Hall Richard Scheaff
Michael Hann Sarah Singer-Nourie
Allison Helstrup Lance Tomlinson
Jan Hensley Nic Veltman
Eric Jensen Laura Wilde
Rob Jensen Larry Wilson
ix
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x TrainSmart

Two people have greatly contributed to the process of updating

this book, and deserve special thanks: Dr. Cristal McGill for review-
ing and updating the research, and Karen Pryor for helping me alter
the book’s tone so it more accurately models the strategies. Finally,
thanks to my new St. Croix family: Alonzo, Deb, Judi and Scott, Val
and Denny, Ted and Sam, Jed, Henry, Lori, Paulie G., and the entire
staff of Duggans—class acts all of you!

Publisher’s Acknowledgments
Corwin Press gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the
following reviewers:

Curtis A. Cain, Director of Curriculum &

Professional Development
Park Hill School District, Kansas City, MO
Mollie S. Guion, Professional Development Specialist
Austin Independent School District, Austin, TX
Mary Ann Hartwick, Instructional Coach
Litchfield Elementary School District, Litchfield, AZ
Betty Roqueni, Principal
William V. Wright Elementary, Las Vegas, NV
Nancy Skerritt, Assistant Superintendent
Tahoma School District, Maple Valley, WA
Robert Sylwester, Emeritus Professor of Education
University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
FM-Allen (Smart)-45293.qxd 6/25/2007 12:13 PM Page xi

About the Author

Rich Allen is an international consultant with

more than twenty-five years’ experience coaching
trainers and educators. Cofounder and President
of Education Illustrated, he has taken the
TrainSmart strategies beyond the United States
and Canada to such diverse countries as the
United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Hong
Kong, Singapore, Brunei, Russia, Jordan, and
Brazil. Allen is also a popular keynote speaker at
international conferences and facilitates motivational and teambuild-
ing workshops for the top management of such prominent organiza-
tions as PriceWaterhouseCoopers, L’Oreal, IBM, the New Zealand
Defense Force, Action International, General Motors, KiwiBank,
Dupont, and Porsche.
Dr. Allen first took to the stage as an off-Broadway actor before
starting his educational career as a high-school math and drama
teacher. In 1985 he became a lead facilitator for SuperCamp—an
accelerated learning program for teens—and has since worked with
more than 25,000 students worldwide. He completed his doctorate in
educational psychology at Arizona State University, where he studied
how the human brain receives, processes, and recalls information—
knowledge that informs all aspects of his training strategies.
The author resides in the U.S. Virgin Islands on the sun-kissed
paradise of St. Croix, and can be reached at his e-mail address:
rich@educationillustrated.com.

xi
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“If the bum is numb, the brain’s the same.”

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PART ONE
Prepare for
Effective Trainings
Every Time

Overview
The Five Pillars of the TrainSmart Model
1. Engage—Prepare the Mind for Learning
2. Frame—Establish the Relevance of the Learning Material
3. Explore—Involve and Engage Participants in the Material
4. Debrief—Consolidate the Learning
5. Reflect—Embed the Learning
The Bricks and Mortar of the TrainSmart Model
The Bricks . . .
1. Teach People, Not Content
2. Awareness Leads to Choice
3. Learning + Enjoyment = Retention
4. Application Is Everything
5. Stories Work

(Continued)

1
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2 TrainSmart

(Continued)

. . . and Mortar
1. Crest of the Wave
2. Frames Create Meaning
3. Make It Memorable
4. Open Loops
5. Train Directly to the Point
A Sample TrainSmart Schedule

Overview
Although TrainSmart covers a great deal of territory, you’ll find you
can internalize the principles and strategies swiftly because they’re
inherent to how the brain naturally learns best. Therefore, they should
make perfect sense to you. And, perhaps most important, they will give
your participants a better chance of learning and even allow them to
enjoy the experience.
As you begin journeying into TrainSmart territory, you’ll probably
start thinking about how to apply the strategies to your own training,
so the book includes spaces for you to jot down your ideas as you go.
Part One introduces you to the TrainSmart approach—the pillars
and foundation upon which the model is built.
Part Two outlines the twenty-five Key Concepts that transform
the model into practical applications you can implement immediately.
Part Three presents a handful of powerful parables that will
linger in the minds of your learners long after your closing remarks.
It also concludes with a checklist and a lesson plan template to help
you build the TrainSmart strategies into your own training.
The TrainSmart strategies are based on my twenty-five years
of experience as a trainer and educator; they have been tested and
proven by teachers and trainers all over the world. Together, they
form a model that reflects the art and science of training smarter, not
harder. Let’s take a closer look.

The Five Pillars of the TrainSmart Model

TrainSmart uses the term model to mean “a preliminary construction
that serves as a plan from which a final product is made,” so you need
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Part One: Prepare for Effective Trainings Every Time 3

Figure 1.1 The Five Pillars of the TrainSmart Model

The Five Pillars of

The TRAINSMART MODEL

Engage Frame Explore Debrief Reflect

2–5 min. Less than 5–30 min. 5–15 min. 2–5 min.
1 min.
Engage Establish Introduce Reinforce Reflect
participants’ frame of conceptual learning broader
attention reference activity relationships
through
stories or
parables

to customize it to meet the requirements of your particular train-

ing situation. In other words, the TrainSmart model gives you only a
basic framework: it requires your creativity, planning, and purposeful
action to make it work.
The five pillars in Figure 1.1 represent the action steps of the
TrainSmart model. Ideally, you should include them in every training
plan. Of course, how and when you incorporate them will depend on
your own personal style, objectives, environment, and experience.

1. Engage—Prepare the Mind for Learning

This step doubles as an energizer and/or an icebreaker if needed.
However, its primary purpose is to mentally prepare participants
for the learning session ahead. In this step, we bring participants into
the moment, screen out distractions, remove the anxiety of being in an
unfamiliar setting, and focus their brains.
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4 TrainSmart

2. Frame—Establish the Relevance of the Learning Material

This step allows us both to address participants’ concerns, so
they can concentrate on learning, and explain the immediate learning
objective(s). It should answer such questions as:

• Why am I here?
• What am I supposed to learn?
• How is this information important to me?
• How will this new knowledge benefit me either personally
or professionally?

3. Explore—Involve and Engage Participants in the Material

This active step introduces participants to the key content of
our training—not by telling them about it, but by involving them in it.
Good exploration activities involve sensory experiences and attention
to a variety of learning styles and multiple intelligences. This type of
active exploration is vital because when we stimulate participants
on multiple levels—physically, mentally, socially, and/or emotionally—
we improve their comprehension and recall.

4. Debrief—Consolidate the Learning

This step highlights and reinforces the key points of our training.
It typically involves facilitating participant dialogue and/or interac-
tion relating to the prior exploration activity. This step also helps us
to determine what content participants have internalized and where
we need to elaborate further. The key in this stage is to guide partici-
pants toward a clear understanding of the content.

5. Reflect—Embed the Learning

The reflection step often incorporates a parable, personal
example, or metaphor to illustrate the concept in a real-life context.
It’s where we help participants identify the broader meaning of the
content. Ideally, it should leave learners with a deep and lasting
impression of the material.
The real-life example on the following page illustrates what
the TrainSmart model might look like when incorporated into a sales
seminar for realtors.
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Part One: Prepare for Effective Trainings Every Time 5

A Real-Life Training Example

What:
A sales seminar for realtors

Purpose:
Train new realtors in the art of building relationships with
customers

Action Steps:

Engage
Ask participants to pair up and simulate a situation in which
they’re meeting each other for the first time. Have the pairs
decide which of them will play the part of the realtor and which
the client. Either meet with the realtors briefly or pass a card
to each of them explaining their specific role—that of a very rude
salesperson. When the role play gets under way, the client is
baffled as she or he attempts to make a positive contact. This
unexpected exercise gets everyone laughing and helps to release
the anxiety inherent in a new learning environment.

Frame
Use a PowerPoint slide or flip-chart diagram to illustrate “The
Anatomy of a Real Estate Sale.” The diagram reflects the areas
of content that will be covered in the training. Explain the value
of the skill they are about to learn and how it will be of benefit
to them.

Explore
After a brief explanation of the brainstorming process, divide the
audience into small groups to brainstorm the essential elements
of a successful first contact between a realtor and potential client.
Ask a volunteer in each group to record the ideas generated
by the group. Afterward, have the groups share their responses
with the entire class. Then ask for volunteer pairs to demon-
strate a refined first contact for the class, this time incorporating
as many positive elements as possible.
(Continued)
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6 TrainSmart

(Continued)

Debrief
As a follow-up to the exploration activity, ask the seated partici-
pants to evaluate the scene they’ve just observed. Provide guid-
ing questions such as, (1) What worked? (2) What didn’t work?
(3) Would you have done anything differently? (4) Would you
have been impressed if you were the client? Then pose broader
questions such as, (5) Is there a single correct way to greet a new
client? (6) What might you want to consider when sizing up the
client and steering the interaction? Rather than telling them,
guide participants toward the appropriate shifts in thinking.

Reflect
Write an astronomical sum up on the board. Explain that the
figure represents the amount of money lost in the deals that
fell through as a result of the groups’ ineffective initial contacts.
Then distribute a synthetic million-dollar bill to each member of
the group and say, “Now this reflects your subsequent financial
success as a result of your newly perfected greeting skills.”
Conclude this part of the training with an account of a personal
experience in which a friendly greeting you extended to a seat-
mate on a flight to Hawaii resulted in a five-million-dollar sale
(or your own version of a related story).

The Bricks and Mortar

of the TrainSmart Model
This section introduces ten fundamental aspects of the TrainSmart
approach to training. It is divided into two parts. First, we’ll look at
five critical beliefs that comprise the building blocks of the model—
the “bricks.” Then we’ll examine five guiding principles of effective
training that hold it all together—the “mortar.” These beliefs and
principles are the foundation of the TrainSmart model. Let’s review
them one brick at a time.

1. Teach People, Not Content

Undeniably, content is important. After all, it’s the primary reason
why companies invest in training. However, TrainSmart recognizes
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Part One: Prepare for Effective Trainings Every Time 7

Figure 1.2 The Bricks of the TrainSmart Model

The Bricks of

The TRAINSMART MODEL

Awareness Learning + Application Is Stories Work

Teach People,
Leads Enjoyment = Everything
Not Content
to Choice Retention

that content means very little outside a human context. It’s based on
the idea that learners are, first and foremost, people, and their needs
come first. The point is, people simply won’t learn until we truly take
their needs into account. If we are sensitive to the needs of the group
and respect each individual, we will foster the type of safe and trust-
ing environment that supports optimal learning.
To teach people, not content, we must ensure they

• are physically and socially comfortable;

• can see how the content is relevant to their life and work; and
• feel emotionally safe.

Maintaining a focus on people first requires us to shift our thinking

away from the traditional view of learning where “pupils” listen to
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8 TrainSmart

their “teacher.” In other words, we don’t teach to people, we teach

with them. Training to a group assumes instruction happens only
in one direction—from the trainer to the participants. Training with
a group acknowledges that learning is bilateral—it’s an exchange
between individuals. Thus the TrainSmart framework acknowledges
that the trainer’s viewpoint is not the only valid one.

2. Awareness Leads to Choice

Given all they know, people always make the best choice available
to them.

This statement introduces the idea that our job as trainers is

to give participants additional “choices.” The way participants choose
to approach a problem will depend on the number of ways they
are aware the problem can be tackled. If they are aware of only one
approach, that’s the one they’ll use.
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Part One: Prepare for Effective Trainings Every Time 9

Consider the analogy of a tool kit. If we have only a hammer, we’ll

try to use it to solve every carpentry task. But if someone gives us
a screwdriver and shows us how to use it, we’ll get a lot better at
putting in screws!
When we teach, we broaden the range of choices participants
have by making them aware they have other options. In other words,
we add to their “skills tool kit” by showing them new ideas and how
to apply them.
This idea is important to us as teachers. It focuses us on the
fundamental point that if participants have an alternative way of
doing something that seems better to them—or that they are more
comfortable with—they will choose this. Therefore, if we want them
to learn to do something differently, we must demonstrate the use-
fulness of the new approach and show how it complements their
existing skills.

3. Learning + Enjoyment = Retention

Cognitive scientists agree that emotions have a significant effect

on our recall. Think about it: what do you remember from your own
childhood? If you’re like most people, your most durable memories
fall into one of two distinct categories: times of great pleasure or
great pain.
As trainers, we rarely use negative emotions to influence recall—
unless, of course, we’re running a boot camp! However, we can
greatly improve participants’ recall by connecting content with posi-
tive emotions by using humor, joy, and playful interaction within our
training.
For example, instead of teaching a concept by merely talking
about it, try introducing participants to its relevance using an intrigu-
ing interactive exercise. You’ll find many of these illustrated through-
out the book.
A word of warning: we need to handle people’s emotions care-
fully. For example, many people may have had bad experiences with
humor in the teaching environment. While people love to laugh at a
joke, they don’t want to be one.
So be sure to keep playful interactions meaningful and work to
create a learning environment based on emotional safety and mutual
respect. Then you can use positive emotions to help participants make
deep and powerful connections with the content. Think back to your
childhood: did you ever truly master anything that you didn’t enjoy?
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10 TrainSmart

4. Application Is Everything
Learners need to apply new knowledge to their own, unique
situations. Demonstrating the validity or usefulness of the knowledge
through association with concrete examples and real-life encounters
not only helps participants understand and apply the content, it also
helps them remember it!

Nothing is taught if nothing is learned.

And nothing is learned if nothing is applied.

You can show participants how to apply content through small-

group exercises, games, case studies, brain twisters, and role plays.
Facilitating such interactions frequently helps participants understand
how to use their new knowledge.
I sometimes open a lesson by posing a problem. I might say, “Please
help me identify what’s wrong with the following situation.” In this case,
the application becomes the starting point of the presentation. Then we
look at variations on the problem and discuss ways to address it.
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Part One: Prepare for Effective Trainings Every Time 11

5. Stories Work
Long before there were books or movies or computers, there were
stories—metaphorical tales that acted as the repository of a culture’s
collective wisdom. The storytellers of ancient communities were
among the most revered and venerated of citizens, because civiliza-
tions depended on the verbal tradition of passing knowledge to the
next generation. Today, stories remain a powerful means of trans-
ferring knowledge. Good trainers use them all the time when sharing
case studies, personal experiences, news articles, metaphors, and jokes.
All of these story devices can teach us something about the world,
while simultaneously triggering our emotions, tapping into our uncon-
scious, and stimulating visual images that foster recall. Of course, we
can always use more stories—and you’ll find some at the back of this
book. But remember: our own lives are full of potential parables—all we
need to do is see through the eyes of a storyteller.

Now let’s take a look at the principles that hold the bricks of the
TrainSmart model together.

1. Crest of the Wave

Way out in the distance, a swell begins to build. It is slow and
steady at first, gradually gaining height and momentum as it moves
ever closer to shore. Arching to a crest, the wave reaches critical mass,
peaks, and crashes down over itself. The water rolls forward and
finally dissipates as it washes up on the sandy shore. This is the nat-
ural rhythm of the learning process in the training room.
Simply put, much like waves building, peaking, then crashing
down, there are swells, crests, and tumbles in the training environ-
ment. When learners reach the end of their ability to draw useful
information from a given mode of instruction, they reach the crest of
the wave. At this point, we need to change the manner of instruction
to refocus their interest and attention.
This means we need to observe and listen to the room. What is
the sound level? Are participants on or off task? Are they sitting on
the edge of their seats or rocking back and forth in them? What is the
energy level? Is it time for a change of pace? Do learners need to move
around or take a break? These are questions we must ask ourselves
moment by moment. If we ignore these vital cues, participants may
grow increasingly uncomfortable, hesitant, and resistant.
The point is: training is a dynamic art. We need to be constantly
responsive to the waves of interest in the room, stay present in the
moment, and respond to the energy and reactions of the participants.
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12 TrainSmart

Figure 1.3 The Mortar of the TrainSmart Model

The Mortar of

The TRAINSMART MODEL

Crest of Frames Create Make It Open Train Directly

the Wave Meaning Memorable Loops to the Point

Even when the many environmental factors that impact a training

session are perfect—the room temperature, furniture arrangement,
and type of equipment—the question still remains . . .

How long can participants effectively pay attention?

While answers will always vary among individuals and situa-

tions, my experience is that adults can fully pay attention in a new
learning situation for only about fifteen minutes at a time. In fact, if
we expect participants to sit still for too long, they quickly become
tired and find it hard to focus.
So what does this mean to us as trainers?
It means we need to provide strategic brief energy breaks in
the form of mental or physical “state changes” about every fifteen
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Part One: Prepare for Effective Trainings Every Time 13

minutes—or sooner if we sense the room beginning to “crest.” To

do that, it helps to think of each session as a menu with hors d’oeuvres,
a main course, and dessert. Between courses, provide state changes
and movement activities to avoid overloading participants with
information.
It is vital not to overload participants. Given the volume of infor-
mation trainers have to deliver, it’s tempting to continue to speak
past the point where participants can effectively absorb new content.
Instead, once the wave crests, we need to allow participants the time
to process new information through a variety of modalities (talking,
reading, editing notes, brainstorming, or watching a video). This
sets up a win-win situation: on the one hand, participants make con-
nections and consolidate information for long-term memory; on the
other, we trainers can assess learning progress—not to mention
taking a break ourselves!
As a result, everyone comes back refreshed and refocused. This is
what training smarter is all about.

If you’re not riding the crest of the wave,

chances are you may find yourself beneath it.

2. Frames Create Meaning

Consider the following scenario. A trainer introduces an exercise
with only one brief remark, “Welcome to The Maze! Here’s how the
game is played.” He then explains how to play the game, but learn-
ers are skeptical and hesitant about participating. Why might this
happen?
On closer inspection, we can see the trainer did not effectively
frame the activity. Learners are busy wondering: why should we do
this? What’s the point? How does this relate to me, the topic, or my
work? Without a frame, participants understandably decide the activ-
ity is irrelevant and turn their attention elsewhere.
The next day, the trainer decides to try a different approach.
He introduces the activity to a new group like this: “Welcome to The
Maze! The Maze is a puzzle. As we solve it, some issues may emerge
that we can talk about later as a group and learn from.”
With this frame, participants are able to grasp the learning
purpose and significance of the exercise. They prepare themselves for
the activity and the discussion to follow. The frame has successfully
provided meaning.
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14 TrainSmart

3. Make It Memorable

We need to present material in a way that helps participants

to remember it easily and naturally. This sounds self-evident, but
the problem is that our own familiarity with the material gives us the
edge in creating a memory strategy suitable for retaining it. Learners,
on the other hand, must first comprehend the new material before they
can remember it.
You’ll find memory strategies throughout TrainSmart, but here’s a
quick synopsis.
We’ve already talked about the value of storytelling and engaging
emotions. In addition, you can help learners remember important
concepts by linking the concepts with images or with mnemonic
strategies, such as acrostics and acronyms.
For example, the acronym HOMES has helped many U.S. children
learn the names of America’s five Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario,
Michigan, Erie, and Superior. Similarly, almost every American
youngster, for example, has learned the alphabet to the tune of
“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” While primarily used today by
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Part One: Prepare for Effective Trainings Every Time 15

younger learners, mnemonic techniques work with people of all ages.

Everyone remembers more when the brain is provided with addi-
tional connections and cues.
Another memory strategy you’ll discover in TrainSmart is involv-
ing participants in the learning, rather than telling them about it. You
can involve people through discussion, role plays or exercises that
allow participants to “discover” the content themselves. Or you can
involve them in the teaching process itself.

If you really want to know something, teach it.

Asking participants to teach or lead aspects of the training is a

highly effective technique for enhancing recall. Even getting partici-
pants to share their level of prior learning or experience with the sub-
ject early in the training will engage and stimulate recall by building
on prior knowledge.
Finally, one of the best things you can do to help participants
remember is to limit your content to what is digestible in the allotted
time. Remember: when the wave crests, people stop learning.
Before you finalize your training plan, ask yourself the question:
how memorable is it?

4. Open Loops
It was the first morning of a two-day technical training seminar.
Participants were learning to repair a new walkie-talkie that would
soon be sold in stores. At the start of the session, the trainer passed
out a walkie-talkie to each person. When all the participants had
received one, she asked that they turn them on. None of the units
worked. She then said, “Each device has some sort of problem: I per-
sonally saw to that. Now, here’s a twenty dollar bill. If you can fix
your walkie-talkie, or anyone’s around you in the next five minutes,
the money is yours. Your five-minute countdown begins now.”
The trainees launched into the repair process—taking their
walkie-talkies apart, interacting with others around them, and problem
solving. When the five-minute time period was up, none of the units
had been repaired. “OK,” said the trainer, “now let’s learn how to
make some money fixing these things.” All eyes were on her, and it
was clear that she had successfully employed the powerful training
strategy known as an open loop.
An open loop is any statement, action, visual device, or other
event that gives participants foreknowledge of what is coming.
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16 TrainSmart

Trainers use open loops to set the stage for what is about to happen,
elicit curiosity, and build suspense.
There are many ways to achieve this effect. You can do it with
visuals, such as signs or posters placed around the room, or with a
message displayed on the board or screen. A guitar placed in plain
view, but not mentioned, can serve as an open loop until it is used
later. Or perhaps you might leave a box in plain view with a variety
of colorful supplies poking out. You can use any event that arouses
anticipation to create an open loop.
Open loops are wonderful training devices because they create a
dynamic that participants find irresistible: they need to “close the
loop.” Consider this metaphor: have you ever been in a car listening
to one of your favorite songs when, just before it ends, the DJ fades it
out or begins speaking over the ending? Isn’t that annoying? What
annoys us is that the loop doesn’t close. The longer we listen to the
song, the stronger the loop becomes, and the more dissatisfaction we
feel when it is cut short. Once a loop has been opened, it is human
nature to want to close it.
Open loops have universal appeal. They form the plot of most fic-
tional best sellers and are exploited by advertisers. For example, col-
orful advertisements for exotic destinations can create the desire to
travel; the only way to close the loop is to book a vacation.
While open loops come in many shapes and colors, their common
denominator is that they alert participants to what is coming and its
potential value. This both focuses their attention on receiving the new
information and helps them remember it.
A couple of warnings: using loops can be an effective component
of your learning strategy, but they are never the entire strategy. Most
important, remember that when you open a loop, you’ve eventually
got to close it!

5. Train Directly to the Point

A little knowledge, as the saying goes, can be a dangerous thing. In
the training setting, however, a lot of knowledge can be an even more
dangerous thing. Why? Because we forget one of the basic rules of
effective instruction: train directly to the point! So limit your information
with a simple question: does it support participants in understanding
the topic? If it doesn’t, no matter how entertaining or interesting, it
probably doesn’t need to be there. The following example illustrates
this important principle.
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Part One: Prepare for Effective Trainings Every Time 17

The class was billed as an introduction to the company’s revised

e-mail system. It was geared toward staff members who had little or
no experience working with the new program. The trainer was a
young man who had been working with computers for most of his life.
As participants filed in, he guided each of them to a computer station.
“I’d like to start by saying that using this program is really easy.
You’ll get the hang of it in no time at all, and pretty soon you’ll be able
to move right on to some of the more interesting aspects of it, such as
creating multiple client lists you can simultaneously e-mail, creating
a personalized signature, and building databases where you can cross
reference the critical needs of some of our important companies. Why,
you can even . . .”
However, by this point he had already lost the attention of
most of the participants. Although he spoke with enthusiasm, they
were intimidated and unfamiliar with the trainer’s language. He had
intended to create a sense of excitement in the room. However, by
introducing too much new information too rapidly, he had uninten-
tionally created the opposite effect.
After the lack of success in his first session, the trainer decided to
make some changes. The next time the training was conducted, he
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18 TrainSmart

was better prepared and decided to use the principle of training

directly to the point. The first thing he said was, “Welcome. Thank you
for coming. Please begin by opening the new e-mail program on your
computer. Here’s how that’s done . . . ”
At this point, he waited patiently while participants located the
appropriate icon. It took a little time, but finally everyone had the
new program open and running on their computer. Next he showed
them how to send a message, and asked that they all send one to him.
When this had been successfully accomplished, he had them send a
brief message to each other, and showed them how to send a reply.
He continued like this throughout the session, at each point intro-
ducing only what the participants needed to know, and not moving
forward until everyone had successfully completed each step. In the
end, 100 percent of participants achieved the course objectives!
How were the original and revised approaches different? In the
revised approach, the trainer took into account the needs and experi-
ence levels of the participants, and geared the instruction accordingly.
The bottom line? Avoid the temptation to add unnecessary informa-
tion: train directly to the point.

A Sample TrainSmart Schedule

Morning Session (Part 1)

• Arrival: Have upbeat music playing as participants enter the training

area and get themselves settled.
• Welcome and Greet: Create involvement through various activities
in which participants meet each other.
• Content Introduction: Introduce the colorful posters on the walls
and have participants take a quick trip around the room to review
them. The posters should reflect the key concepts of the training.
• Opening Parable: Tell a story that sets the scene or mood for the day.
For example, you might share “The Traveler” (see parables in Part Three)
to symbolize the importance of being open to new ideas and not
rushing to judgment.
• Distribution of Resources: Before the training begins, hide the
workbooks somewhere in the room. Now have participants “gather
their first gem” by standing up and finding a workbook. This activity
doubles as a state-changer and as a way to get the blood moving a
little bit.
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Part One: Prepare for Effective Trainings Every Time 19

• Plant an Open Loop: Mention to participants that they might surprise

themselves before the day is done. Hint that something intriguing
will happen after lunch.
• First Exploration: Introduce/frame the activity before you begin.
• Debriefing: Ask the participants to write down at least three emo-
tions they experienced while engaged in the exploration activity.
Afterward, ask for volunteers to share their ideas. Record these ideas
on a flip-chart.

–Morning Break–

Morning Session (Part 2)

• Engager: Bring participants back and refocus their attention with a

brief two-minute energizer.
• Second Exploration: Introduce/frame the activity.
• Application: Have participants pair up and consider how they might
apply the learning to their work or home lives. Subsequent to the
pair share, regroup and ask participants to share their responses
while you once again record them on a flip-chart page.
• Make It Memorable: Give participants the last five minutes of the
morning to make notes about the most important concepts they’ve
learned and how they might apply them personally and professionally.

–Lunch Break–

Afternoon Session (Part 1)

• Engager: Engage learners physically with a brief activity that is

mildly active and encourages social interaction.
• Close Open Loop: Remind participants about the intriguing after-
lunch activity, and then tell them they—not you—will be teaching
the rest of the session.
• Exploration: Have participants meet in small groups. Provide each
group with an index card describing a pertinent concept learned in
the morning session and with instructions for planning a five-minute
lesson based on that concept. Allow a set period of time in which to
plan and practice the lesson they will be presenting to the rest of the
group.

–Afternoon Break–
(Continued)
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20 TrainSmart

(Continued)

Afternoon Session (Part 2)

• Final Energizer: Have learners create and post “mind maps” related
to the material they’ve been learning.
• Application: Have the groups present their five-minute lessons.
• Debriefing: After the presentations, ask the class to provide feedback
about what they felt worked and what didn’t. This is also the time
when the various pieces of the training are pulled together for a final
recap.
• Review: Have participants stand up and review all of the posters on
the walls. Provide index cards for them to record any final questions
that they have. This is also a good time for participants to answer
each other’s questions as they walk around and discuss the posters
and mind maps.
• Ownership: Ask everyone to complete a session evaluation that
focuses on what they felt they received the most value from, and that
elicits ideas for how the course could be made even better in the
future.
• Closing Parable: End with a story that reinforces your underlying
theme. For example, you might tell the “Animal School” parable (see
parables in Part Three) to reinforce the importance of training to an
individual’s strengths as opposed to forcing a square peg into a round
hole. We all have natural gifts, we just need to recognize and
strengthen them.
• Closing Remarks: Play some upbeat, inspiring music as you thank and
acknowledge participants for their energy, enthusiasm, and attention.

This hypothetical training schedule demonstrates how the

TrainSmart model looks in practice. Certainly, there are thousands of
ways to translate the principles and/or modify them. The bottom
line? Engage, Frame, Explore, Debrief, and Reflect!
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PART TWO
Twenty-Five Key
Concepts for
Training Smarter

TrainSmart Key Concept Matrix: The Twenty-Five Key Concepts

1. Acknowledgment
2. Bridges and Zones
3. Comfort Levels
4. Task Completion
5. Contrast
6. Precise Directions
7. Resource Distribution
8. Teach It Standing
9. Participant Inquiry
10. Adequate Response Time
11. Specify Response Mode
12. Question/Clarify/Question
13. Managing Disruptions
14. Creative Note-Taking
15. Positive Language
16. Involve, Don’t Tell
(Continued)
21
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22 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

(Continued)
17. Ownership
18. Pause for Visuals
19. Press and Release
20. Purposeful Body Language
21. Visual-Field Variations
22. Vocal Italics
23. Music Matters
24. Guiding Attention
25. Verbal Specificity

TrainSmart Key Concept Matrix:

The Twenty-Five Key Concepts
You’ll find most of TrainSmart’s Key Concepts useful throughout your
training. However, some of them are particularly important in certain
phases of the training cycle. The matrix below highlights when you
should be most aware of them when creating your training plan.

Key Concept Engage Frame Explore Debrief Reflect

Acknowledgment


Bridges and Zones



Comfort Levels



Task Completion


Contrast



Precise Directions



Resource Distribution


Teach It Standing



Participant Inquiry


Adequate Response Time


Specify Response Mode


Question/Clarify/Question


Managing Disruptions Whenever they arise!
Creative Note-Taking



Positive Language All the time!
Involve, Don’t Tell

Ownership



Pause for Visuals


Press and Release



Purposeful Body Language



Visual-Field Variations Frequently!
Vocal Italics



Guiding Attention


Verbal Specificity



02-Allen (Smart)-45293.qxd 6/25/2007 12:20 PM Page 23

Key Concept 1

Acknowledgment

What It Is
Acknowledgment—the art of recognizing and affirming achievement—
is an important aspect of promoting learning. Think about it: when
your own efforts are positively acknowledged or affirmed by others,
doesn’t your motivation soar? At the very least, it makes you feel
good. And if participants “feel good,” they will be more open to
learning and more likely to attach content to positive emotions, which
will help them to remember.

Why It’s Important

Consistently encouraging participants by acknowledging their
efforts, regardless of the results of those efforts, is essential to the
learning process. Consider the image of a sailboat out on the open
water. Imagine what happens to it as it encounters heavy seas. If
the boat has steady winds to push it along, it can handle those seas,
but if the wind is inconsistent and swings around wildly, the boat will
be in trouble. In a training room, the same idea applies. Steady encour-
agement will keep your participants moving forward, even in the
face of strong resistance or challenging circumstances. By contrast,
if acknowledgment is inconsistent—or worse, if participants are
ignored or reprimanded for their best efforts, the “ship of learning”
can be thrown off course. The ideal learning and training environ-
ment is when the ship of learning encounters a steady breeze of
encouragement to fill its sails.

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24 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

How to Incorporate It
The best way to create a steady breeze of encouragement is to use
multiple forms of acknowledgment. This acknowledgment must be
genuine, focused on an individual’s specific efforts, and provided
frequently enough to keep learners on course.
That means we, as trainers, need to respond positively and
with enthusiasm to a solicited answer—even if it wasn’t exactly what
we were looking for. This includes many situations, such as thanking
individuals for their responses, congratulating pairs for completing
role plays, and acknowledging groups when they have completed an
assigned task.
However, this trainer-to-participant flow of reward and praise,
although useful, rarely gives participants the frequency of acknowl-
edgment they need—especially when the ratio of learners to trainer is
high. To achieve that frequency, we need to spread the responsibility for
acknowledgment to include participants by setting up opportunities
for positive peer reviews and encouraging peer support at all times.
Encouraging participant-to-participant acknowledgment helps
involve participants more deeply in the learning and creates a more
dynamic (and hence more effective) learning environment; it also
lessens the trainer’s load.
Here are a few acknowledgment strategies to consider when
designing your next training program. These are just a handful of
possibilities—you’ll find many other opportunities for participant-to-
participant acknowledgment in your particular training activities.

Self-Acknowledgment
Ask participants to assess their own learning by completing a
questionnaire or survey on a recent topic. However, avoid presenting
it as any sort of “test” that participants could “fail.” Instead, empha-
size its role as a feedback mechanism for learners to assess their own
strengths and weaknesses and to increase their understanding.

Peer Acknowledgment
Compliments between participants go a long way toward building
learner confidence. So, whenever participants work together, encour-
age them to acknowledge each other for their contributions to the
team. For example, after completing an activity, you can encourage
learners to review each other’s work and identify the positive aspects
of it.
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Key Concept 1: Acknowledgment 25

Physical Acknowledgment
A physical acknowledgment, like a handshake or a high five,
can be a powerful means of acknowledging others’ efforts. This
simple technique for quickly giving peer acknowledgment is espe-
cially effective when the group has been engaged in a physical
activity.

When to Use It
We need to use acknowledgment as often as possible. That means
looking beyond the obvious moments when participants succeed or
give what we think is the “right” answer.
The most important time to provide acknowledgment is when
participants achieve small successes or make honest endeavors that
nevertheless fall short of mastery. Regardless of results, honest effort
itself is commendable. After all, it’s the only way some people will
master anything—so we need to encourage it. If we reward honest
effort with steady encouragement and positive feedback, participants
will try again—perhaps even harder. They will also be more likely to
stay mentally, physically, and emotionally involved—which is essen-
tial for mastering any new and challenging task.
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26 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

When Not to Use It

While it’s important to consistently acknowledge the efforts
of learners throughout a training, doing so excessively can reduce the
impact of this technique. If we provide constant praise, learners may
perceive it as contrived or disingenuous. They may even become
distracted and annoyed, which could break the cycle of learning.
However, don’t miss the opportunity to acknowledge any participant
exerting honest effort in a learning activity, regardless of the result.

A Real-Life Training Example

The setting is a weeklong training for people who have been

with the organization for at least five years and are looking to
move into management. As the training winds down, partici-
pants are given a questionnaire. The final question is baffling. It
asks, “What’s the name of the head custodian responsible for the
building that houses our organization?”
Most of the participants are stumped. Since the question
appears to be random, most of them decide it must be a joke and
leave it unanswered. When everyone has completed the assess-
ment, someone asks the trainer whether the final question was
important. He replies, “Definitely! Success comes not just from
what you know, it also depends on who you know. In your life-
time you will meet many people. Each of them is significant and
deserves your attention, even if all you do is smile and say
hello.”
The trainer in this situation was attempting to broaden partic-
ipants’ horizons as to the power and importance of acknowl-
edging everyone’s contribution at work. His point was that this
heightened awareness of the value others bring could be valu-
able in a many situations—certainly professionally, and perhaps
even personally.

Hey, well done . . . you’ve just completed Key Concept 1!

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Key Concept 1: Acknowledgment 27

My thoughts about applying this concept:

02-Allen (Smart)-45293.qxd 6/25/2007 12:20 PM Page 28

Key Concept 2

Bridges and Zones

What It Is
Bridges and zones provide participants with cognitive and
emotional connections that help them learn. They set expectations for
the type of instruction that is about to happen and guide participants
into an appropriate state of learning readiness.
Zones are physical locations in the learning environment that we
can use—much like actors use areas on a stage—to stimulate partici-
pants’ unconscious expectations. The three most common zones are
shown in Figure 2.1.
Bridges are the connections from these zones to our learners.
We create them by intentionally altering our tone of voice and ges-
tures as we move to a new zone and a different mode of learning.
Figure 2.1 also shows the way to create a bridge from each zone to
our participants.

1. The instructional zone is the area nearest the screen or

whiteboard—the space farthest from the participants—where we
deliver content and use most of our visuals. When you move to this
location, participants know that new information is about to be pre-
sented and that it’s time to focus their attention, organize materials,
and prepare to take notes.
2. The facilitation zone is closer to the participants—a space from
which you can interact with them more casually. You can use this
zone to respond to participants’ questions or when soliciting answers
from them. When you shift to this area, learners immediately expect

28
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Key Concept 2: Bridges and Zones 29

Figure 2.1 Bridges and Zones

Screen or White Board

Bridge: Modulate your

voice evenly for content
Instructional Zone delivery and use gestures
that clarify and support
the explanation
Bridge: Make your
tone of voice more
Facilitation Zone Lectern
conversational and use
inviting gestures

Directional Zone

Bridge: Use a clear and

commanding voice with
gestures that are large
enough to encompass
the entire room

a different level of interaction and adjust their thinking accordingly.

For example, they start mentally preparing to think about and answer
questions on the material just presented.
3. The directional zone is the area closest to the participants (or
even among them). Here’s where you give instructions or mobilize
the group. Being this close to participants as you move among them
will intensify the impact of your information.

Why It’s Important

Bridges and zones set the stage for learning, create a constructive
and focused climate, trigger positive emotions, and provide smooth
transitions from one task to another. Importantly, they also help us
create a predictable learning environment. Just as children depend on
regular schedules and rituals, adult learners find comfort in them too.
By giving participants predictable cues for transitioning to another
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30 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

mode of learning, we provide a sense of security, thereby freeing up

the brain for learning.

How to Incorporate It
• To create a sense of relaxation and emotional safety at the start
of your training, consider using the facilitation zone to initiate
casual conversation and interaction between you and your
participants. Maintain a relaxed posture and informal tone
of voice.
• Establish your zones early in the workshop and be consistent
in the way you use them. Don’t wait, for example, until the
workshop is half over to start using the facilitation zone.
• Use each zone at least three times to make participants familiar
with the areas and their respective learning modes.
• Make the transition from one zone to the other smooth and
casual, rather than abrupt or overt. Practice switching from one
zone and its mode of learning to another before the training.

When to Use It
Try to shift between zones

• at the beginning of a session when establishing rapport;

• when you change learning mode;
• at the close of a session;
• when providing important instructions;
• when making a critical point; and
• when soliciting audience participation.

Using bridges and zones clearly, deliberately, and consistently

throughout your training can make a world of difference to learning
readiness.

When Not to Use It

As you practice using the bridges and zones concept, you’ll see
the key is to use the strategy consistently. If we wander around the
room unconsciously between zones, for example, we give the learner
permission to wander (mentally) as well.
The more purposeful our delivery, the more we focus participants
on acquiring the information. To be effective, use bridges and zones
in a well-planned, consistent, and purposeful way.
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Key Concept 2: Bridges and Zones 31

A Real-Life Training Example

It’s the start of a two-day corporate workshop in which team-

work is the primary focus. All the participants have arrived and
the trainer is ready to begin. She signals the group by casually
approaching an unoccupied desk near the front row. Sitting
comfortably on the edge of the desk, she says, “Good morning.
Welcome to today’s workshop. I’d like to begin by providing
an opportunity for us to get acquainted with one another. As we
go around the room, let’s introduce ourselves to the group and
share why we’re here. Feel free to share any experiences, good or
bad, in which teamwork has played an important role in your
personal or professional life.”
The participants and the trainer spend a few minutes intro-
ducing themselves, and sharing their thoughts and experiences.
The trainer thanks the group and heads back toward the white-
board. As she points to some text written on the whiteboard, she
says, “Now let’s focus on the five key principles of effective
teamwork. These principles will form the framework for every-
thing we learn today, so you may want to take notes.”
The trainer is effectively leading the group’s focus as she uses
bridges and moves between zones to make a smooth transition
from one learning mode to the next. Learners unconsciously
follow her lead, becoming more and more comfortable as the
trainer demonstrates an expert command of the audience and
learning environment. She has successfully established an initial
level of connection between the zone she is using and the mode
of instruction within that zone.

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 3

Comfort Levels

What It Is
Maintaining comfort levels means paying careful attention to the
physical and emotional concerns of learners during activities that
require them to interact with one another. This may sound like a tall
order when we consider the extent to which interpersonal skills, social
and cultural norms, and comfort levels can greatly vary among indi-
viduals. However, despite these differences, we can incorporate a host
of techniques to help people feel safe in the learning environment.

Why It’s Important

Interactive exercises can potentially create physical and psycho-
logical discomfort among participants; if not handled with the utmost
respect and sensitivity, this can lead to a breakdown in learning.
While this may seem obvious, it should never be taken lightly. When
students are even slightly uncomfortable, their enthusiasm and co-
operation decrease rapidly. In extreme cases, they may even rebel.
However, if we create an environment where participants can relax
and feel emotionally at ease, bonds of trust will develop quickly
between trainer and participants, and among participants them-
selves, allowing us to stretch the boundaries of learning.

How to Incorporate It
Here are some techniques you can use to establish a sense of
safety in the learning environment.

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Key Concept 3: Comfort Levels 33

• Always give participants the permission to “pass” if they wish

on any aspect of an exercise or activity.
• Always establish ground rules before starting an exercise
(i.e., when it’s appropriate to ask questions or give feedback,
time expectations, transition instructions).
• Provide a road map of the exercise before starting, so learners
know what to expect.
• Be sensitive to how groups are organized/selected. Everyone
should always feel included. For example, in most situations
where groups are formed, we should preferably allow them to
decide who will be in their group. However, if you notice one
or more of the participants not “fitting in” with everyone else,
try to find a way to control how groups are formed so these
individuals are naturally included. One option might be to ask
the whole group to count off by fours, and then split them by
numbers so the ones are all together, and so on.
• If a group activity requires a leader or other facilitation roles,
organize your method for establishing them prior to the activ-
ity and with sensitivity to involving everyone.
• Establish trust incrementally between trainer and participants
before plunging into potentially emotional situations. Start
with gentle, nonthreatening activities and progress to more
challenging ones as trust is established.
• Preface activities that might potentially bring up strong emo-
tions with an acknowledgment that it is “okay” to move through
them in whatever way emerges. Have tissues readily available
for exercises that might elicit tears.
• If the setting is not appropriate for people to express strong
emotions—and in many business environments it is not—avoid
activities that may stimulate them.
• Always debrief an exercise at the end. This allows participants
to deal with any unresolved questions or concerns and provides
some closure on the experience.
• Many people feel uncomfortable closing their eyes in large
group settings. Minimize activities that require learners to do
this until trust has been established, and initially limit the time
to approximately ten seconds. Always provide the option of
doing the activity without eyes closed.
• When an activity requires invading the normal boundaries of
personal space, be sensitive to the distress that this can cause
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34 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

some individuals. Watch participants carefully for signs of stress

and adjust the physical parameters of the exercise if necessary.
• When an activity requires participants to sit in pairs facing each
other, the arrangement can quickly turn awkward. Watch for
signs of discomfort or idle conversation, and provide participants
with a reason to turn away from each other in such instances.
Give pairs instructions about what to do once they’ve completed
the task (i.e., move on to the next one, take a break, sit down).
• Don’t put learners on the spot unless there is a clear, productive
reason for doing so. Learners who feel embarrassed or threat-
ened will not have the focus necessary to listen and learn.
• Always acknowledge or apologize to a participant in private
should an unexpected, embarrassing, or uncomfortable situa-
tion occur. Let participants know you care about their feelings.

When to Use It
While ensuring the physical and psychological comfort of
participants should always be a priority, perhaps the most important
time to use this concept is during group activities—especially physical
ones that require touching and close contact. Such exercises intensify
the potential for discomfort for many learners, often because they fear
looking foolish in front of their peers or because they have had bad
past experiences in similar situations.

When Not to Use It

Occasionally (depending on the nature of the training), we pur-
posefully want learners to experience the tension and bodily sensations
of “fear” or “anxiety.” However, even in rare cases like this, we need to
take precautions so learners know they have a choice and the freedom
not to participate. Thus, even in these situations, we still need to lay the
groundwork for “comfort” and safety to create a foundation of trust.

A Real-Life Training Example

In a workshop on teamwork, the trainer was leading an exercise

commonly known as The Human Knot, in which clusters of par-
ticipants join hands randomly, creating a tangled knot of arms.
The task is to figure out how to untangle the knot while staying
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Key Concept 3: Comfort Levels 35

connected to each other. After asking the groups to join hands,

the trainer announced the following: “I bet you’re all wondering
what you’re about to do! Well, actually, this activity is called The
Human Knot! But before we begin, let me tell you a little bit
about its background.” The trainer then launched into a three-
minute history of the activity.
What’s wrong with this picture? The problem, although
probably obvious to you, was not so obvious to this trainer.
Introducing the exercise while participants were left standing in
awkward positions, holding sweaty hands with someone they
didn’t know, did not enhance the participants’ sense of emo-
tional safety and comfort. Not surprisingly, it wasn’t long before
the participants released each other’s hands and the exercise lost
momentum. Worse still, the participants—now slightly embar-
rassed or impatient—were less inclined to trust the trainer in
future activities.

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 4

Task Completion

What It Is
Task completion creates a sense of closure before moving from one
topic to the next. It both helps embed the previous learning and gives
the brain a little time to prepare for transition to the next topic. Just as
you might give a youngster a warning that the TV will go off in five
minutes, we need to prepare adult learners for the next step in the
learning schedule before arriving there. We also need to deal with any
lingering issues, questions, or concerns from the previous activity
that might otherwise distract individuals and divide their attention.

Why It’s Important

Most of us have experienced a training or seminar that felt
disjointed, awkward, or even frustrating, without being able to
put a finger on why. In contrast, when a lesson is well planned and
includes task completion and smooth transitions, learners glide
through the process easily and naturally. Therefore, as trainers, we
need to plan actively how to make each session flow from one stage
to the next.
This means keeping participants aware of where the current activ-
ity fits into the session flow. For example, when presenting an exercise
or activity to a group, always explain what your time expectations
are, what learners should do when they’re finished, and what the
following agenda item will be. Afterward, debrief the group and
answer any remaining questions or concerns. This process reinforces
important conclusions and provides closure while also developing
interest in the next step of the learning process.
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Key Concept 4: Task Completion 37

How to Incorporate It
Whether completing a single topic, a task, or an entire training
session, keep the following key elements in mind:

• Closures and task completions can range from a simple, one-

sentence instruction to a complex set of activities and rituals. But
completion is so crucial to meaningful learning that it’s worth
setting aside at least 10 percent of your entire presentation for
this purpose. Even if you’re rushed or running out of time, don’t
omit this important part of learning. If your presentation is ten
minutes, your closure should be at least a few minutes. If you’re
doing a fifty-minute presentation, conduct your closure in the
last five to eight minutes. By contrast, a one-day training might
have a closure that is twenty to thirty minutes in length.
• Write down in one or two succinct sentences the primary
goal(s) of the exercise or activity. Then make sure these are
among your final words when you close the learning session.
Since our attention bias is strongest at both the beginning and
the end of a session, it’s a good idea to take advantage of learn-
ers’ expanded memory capacity during these windows.
• Focus learners’ attention on a sense of accomplishment.
Participants are more ready to leave a learning segment if they
feel they’ve learned something new and useful. If they don’t
have this sense of “cognitive gain,” participants will be less
likely to “follow” as you lead them through the next learning
task. Instead, they’ll still be wondering about the relevance of
the previous session—and not concentrating on the next topic.
• If participants are to remember new learning, they must inter-
nalize it—a concept also known as a “self-convincing” state. In
other words, participants not only need to understand the
concept in principle, they also need to know how it applies
specifically to them and believe it. Closings, therefore, are most
effective when they help the learner embody and apply new
concepts to themselves.

Closing Questions to Focus on

Accomplishment and Internalize Learning
• What did I learn?
• How does what I just learned apply to me or the circumstances
in my life, now or in the future?
• How much of the lesson (in percentage terms or on a scale of
one to ten) did I follow and understand?
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38 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

• Where might there be holes in my understanding?

• How might this new skill/information benefit me personally/
professionally?
• What memory tool might help me remember what I’ve learned
today?
• How do I feel about what I’ve learned?

Even simple instructions require task completion. For example,

when you invite participants to raise their hands, remember to tell
them to put them down. While this instruction may seem unneces-
sary, it’s amazing how often participants wait for it! Similarly, when
inviting participants to take a deep breath, be sure to instruct them to
exhale as well. Again, this may seem an unnecessary step, but many
training participants have been seen patiently holding their breath
while waiting for a cue from the facilitator to exhale.
When closing a multiple-day session, or when disbanding for a
break, be sure to inform participants of what they can expect when
they return. Unless there is a specific structural reason not to do so,
prepare learners for what’s ahead.
Since people work and think at different speeds, always provide
adequate time for most (if not all) participants to complete an activ-
ity. While we can’t always give every participant time to fully accom-
plish a task, we can be careful not to cram too many learning goals
into a single session. Teaching too much information in a limited time
frame rushes everyone through the learning process and bombards
participants with more content than they can reasonably digest in the
time allotted.

When to Use It
At the very least, initiate a final closing exercise or activity after
almost every learning session—whether it’s an hour-long, day-long,
or multiday training. In addition, use closing rituals between learning
segments to clear the air for the next topic. Perhaps the most impor-
tant time to emphasize completion is at the conclusion of an entire
training—this is an important time to tie all the loose ends together
and relate the parts to the whole. This simple act can dramatically
reinforce recall.

When Not to Use It

There are occasions when we might purposefully leave an
activity or exercise unclosed. For example, we might want learners to
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Key Concept 4: Task Completion 39

brainstorm ideas overnight or assimilate a concept on their own

before drawing conclusions about it later. When used sparingly and
purposefully, this can be a good strategy for stimulating critical
analysis. However, for the most part, learners won’t tolerate lack of
closure for very long.

A Real-Life Training Example

Be careful not to leave learners hanging at any given stage of an

exercise or activity. The following example reflects how an
uncompleted action can leave some learners in an uncomfort-
able position and negatively impact the learning of the entire
group.
At the front of the training room, a large piece of paper is
taped to the wall, stretching from floor to ceiling. Two partici-
pants are invited to come forward. Each is given a pen and asked
to mark the highest point they can reach on the paper. The
trainer than asks them to close their eyes and visualize them-
selves reaching higher. After a minute, the participants open
their eyes and try again. Both are able to reach even higher the
second time around. The group applauds the demonstration and
the trainer spends the next several minutes discussing the power
of positive thinking.
The trainer is passionate about his topic and provides
examples—both current and historical—to support his beliefs
about the power of visualization and positive thinking. However,
despite his considerable enthusiasm, it becomes apparent that
the audience’s attention has wandered. Can you guess why?
What became of the two people who participated in the
demonstration? Both of them were left standing at the front of
the room. Since they had not been asked to return to their seats,
they remained where they were, wondering whether they would
be needed again. As the trainer continued his presentation, they
became fidgety and restless. One eventually sat cross-legged on
the floor. The audience’s reaction finally alerted the trainer that
he had forgotten to thank and excuse the volunteers. He paused
for a moment and asked the class to give them a round of
applause. At this point, he regained the group’s attention; how-
ever, he had lost a considerable amount of time and learning
opportunity while everyone was distracted.
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40 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 5

Contrast

What It Is
Contrast is the brain’s tendency to identify certain elements that
are different from others in the immediate environment. For example,
black letters stand out against a white background. A large red ball is
easily distinguishable in a field of green grass. One person standing
still in a crowd of moving people is easy to single out. A car alarm
sounding off in an otherwise quiet parking lot can be heard at
considerable distance. Degrees of contrast depend on the level of dif-
ferentiation between the elements, with differences based on color,
movement, texture, auditory cues, or any variety of sorting variables.
As trainers, we can harness the power of contrast to help focus
and guide learners’ attention, emphasize key concepts, and reinforce
recall.

Why It’s Important

During a learning session, participants are bombarded with
masses of sensory data. Somehow we need to make the target infor-
mation (or learning goals) stand out in the learners’ minds. We can
use contrast to spotlight the central ideas and to increase comprehen-
sion and recall. Contrast helps encode key concepts into long-term
memory, building a strong foundation to sustain the next stage of
learning.

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42 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

How to Incorporate It
• In addition to using contrast to highlight single key points
within a training segment, use it to create a differentiated learn-
ing environment on a larger scale. For example, follow a quiet,
more focused portion of instruction with a more active session
and you will make both sessions stand out in comparison with
each other.
• Suppose a brief lecture contains one central idea. Consider
having all participants stand and listen for one minute to this
important point. Then ask them to remain standing while they
spend a moment briefly discussing this point with people near
them. This change of physical posture will serve to differentiate
the piece from the rest of the information. Another option is for
participants to stand and discuss this idea after you have intro-
duced the point.
• Take the group outside or to another location at a key moment
in the session. Once there, teach the primary idea, facilitate a
brief discussion, then return to the training room. While the
decision to physically relocate the class may seem a somewhat
dramatic choice, this drama is the very element that will help
participants remember what they have learned.
• Turn the lights down and set a reflective mood when you want
participants to relax. This provides contrast for a closing activ-
ity or visualization exercise by changing the emotional tone of
the room.
• Integrate color, music, humor, and movement to highlight
critical information.

When to Use It
Use contrast whenever you want to emphasize a key point. When
you’re planning your training, identify the most important informa-
tion you want to convey and spotlight these learning goals with con-
trasting moments throughout your training plan.

When Not to Use It

If overused, contrast loses some of its power. This is why it
is so important to isolate in advance the most important informa-
tion and create a plan for emphasizing it. Be sure to use contrast
consistently—that is, purposefully. Spotlight only the information
you deem imperative.
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Key Concept 5: Contrast 43

A Real-Life Training Example

During a session on workplace safety, the trainer found an effec-

tive way to maximize the impact of a key point with the use
of movement. He presented the point initially in a fast-paced,
exuberant way, using plenty of large gestures, a dramatic tone
of voice, intense facial expressions, and physical comedy. Finally,
when it was clear his point had been made, he stepped into the
center of the room and stood completely still for several seconds.
While pausing, he made eye contact with the participants and,
with a minimum of movement, restated the original point. The
contrast between the two styles of presenting, reflected in the
trainer’s tone of voice and physical gestures, and the pause
before speaking, clearly had a dramatic impact. Participants
were mesmerized, their attention focused, their recall solidified.

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 6

Precise Directions

What It Is
Giving precise directions is the art of providing clear, sequential,
and succinct instructions. It’s a unique mode of instruction with
a specific purpose—to mobilize learners into some sort of action.
Precise directions are useful at each stage of a learning segment—the
opening, frame, group activity, debriefing, and closure all require us
to give directions. When we transition into direction-giving mode, we
need to signal this to participants—perhaps by moving into a differ-
ent zone (see Key Concept 2) or by shifting our sentence structure and
rhythm, tone of voice, or body language.

Why It’s Important

Even in a conventional classroom, teachers need to give directions
surprisingly often. In a highly interactive training, we use even more
directions. Whether an activity requires only a brief explanation or a
whole sequence of steps (outlined on the whiteboard or screen), we
can’t expect participants to move smoothly and effectively through
the learning activity unless they clearly understand their role in each
step of the process.
Unclear directions cause a variety of problems. Participants who
are unclear about a process may hesitate to involve themselves for
fear of doing something wrong. They may quickly wander off task or,
worse, think they are on task when they’re not. Few trainers enjoy
the moment when a participant raises a hand in the middle of a pro-
cess and utters the dreaded question, “What are we supposed to be
doing?”
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Key Concept 6: Precise Directions 45

Moreover, if we give unclear directions too many times (or

even once), we put our credibility at stake. It might not be long before
learners start thinking: “What else is he going to say that won’t make
sense? Who is this guy? Could he really be an expert?” Obviously, no
trainer wants these thoughts filtering through the minds of partici-
pants. The key is to realize before your training even starts just how
important it is to provide precise directions in all situations.

How to Incorporate It
The way we deliver directions should be congruent with the
message. This means our tone of voice needs to support the primary
message and our gestures should aid understanding. Our wording
needs to be clear, succinct, and vivid, and we need to stand where we
can command the highest level of attention from participants. Each of
these elements can add to or detract from participants’ understanding.
Here are some tips for making your directions both congruent
and clear.

• Be brief, precise, and specific. Practice directions in advance to

cut out any unnecessary words. For example, instead of saying,
“I want you all to turn to page 42,” simply say, “Please turn to
page 42.” Similarly, instead of saying, “OK now, everybody,
what we’re going to do is we’re going to start by taking out the
next case study, which is number 12,” simply say, “Please take
out case study number 12.”
• Give instructions one at a time. Do not bombard participants with
multiple instructions. Instead, give them one instruction and allow
ample time to complete that task before giving the next instruction.
If you have a lengthy sequence of instructions, consider providing
them in writing. Otherwise, in the time it takes participants to com-
plete one step of a process, they will forget the next. Each situation
is unique, so you will have to look at your material to determine
what is best—whether to go step by step, giving one direction at a
time, or to provide participants with written information.
• Wait until everyone’s attention is focused before giving direc-
tions. If participants have just arrived, or are just finishing a task,
or they are looking at notes or textbooks, get their full attention
first. If necessary, deal with any lingering issues, then again
request everyone’s full attention before introducing the next task.
• Make your tone of voice and body language congruent with the
type of directions you are giving. For example, when asking
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46 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

participants to stand up, you might increase the pitch of

your voice on the word “up” and raise your arms in an inviting
gesture. When asking learners to close their eyes for an activity,
you might want to lower your voice, turn down the lights, and
perhaps even close your own eyes before speaking.
• Make eye contact with as many (if not all) of your participants
as possible as you deliver the directions. Check with the group
to ensure they understand the steps involved and the purpose
of the activity before starting.
• As described in Key Concept 2, Bridges and Zones, make sure
you move to the directional zone when delivering instructions.
This is the area closest to the participants where your proxim-
ity helps focus learners’ attention and prepare them for action.
• Establish precise time frames when providing directions.
For example, if a trainer says, “We’ll be moving into groups
shortly,” participants may immediately begin mentally sorting
themselves into groups and miss any subsequent information.
They might start wondering, “How long is shortly? I’d better
hurry; there’s not much time get organized! Who do I want (or
not want) in my group? And what are we going to have to do
then?” All this internal dialogue divides and reduces partici-
pants’ focus. A better approach is to say, “In two minutes, you’ll
be moving into the same discussion groups you were working
with an hour ago.” This is a much more precise direction.
• Allow sufficient pauses between each step in the sequence of
instructions. To determine whether you’re leaving enough
time, check in with your audience frequently and regularly, and
watch and listen carefully.
• Make the language you use when giving instructions as
clear and vivid as possible. For example, instead of saying, “Let’s
have all the new employees in one group, and everyone else in
another group,” say, “All the new employees gather together at
the back of the room under the clock, and everyone else gather
together at the front of the room near the whiteboard.” Or,
instead of saying, “Turn in your writing assignments” say, “Place
your writing assignments on the front table in the wire basket.”

When to Use It
For maximum impact, provide directions and explanations for
each step of the process. For example, when preparing learners to take
a quiz, instruct them about what supplies they should have in front
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Key Concept 6: Precise Directions 47

of them, where to put their books and other extraneous materials,

and what the time expectations are. While providing verbal instruc-
tions at every juncture may occasionally appear excessive, it’s better to
err on the side of clarity than to create chaos. Imprecise directions may
confuse, disrupt, and divide participants’ attention, ultimately making
the training less effective.

When Not to Use It

Giving directions constantly, repeatedly, or indiscriminately—
especially during activities that demand intense concentration—is
likely to distract, disengage, and frustrate participants. It’s very tempt-
ing to continue to talk or repeat directions after students have begun
concentrated work, particularly if you see someone who obviously
didn’t understand one of the instructions. However, at this point it is
much better to check in with those people one-to-one, or answer indi-
vidual questions quietly, without disturbing the rest of the group.
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48 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

A Real-Life Training Example

At one training, I was observing the proceedings from the back of

the room when the trainer asked participants to read a specific
line from their workbooks. She opened her own book to the
appropriate page and said, “Please turn to page 12 and follow
along with me.” However, as she began to discuss the designated
line in the book, I noticed that something wasn’t right. While some
of the participants had rapidly located the correct page and were
following along, many had just found their workbooks, but had
yet to find the correct page or line. The rest of the participants were
still looking for their workbooks. They were busily looking under
their chairs, checking their tables, or turning to see whether they
had left their workbooks at the back of the room. How much
learning do you think was happening at this point? Not much!
A vital step in giving effective directions is to verify that every
participant is following along at the appropriate pace. Instead of
continuing forward while leaving some members of the audi-
ence behind, this trainer could have paused and said, “If you
have found page 12, please raise your hand.” At this point, she
could have carefully looked over the group to verify that every-
one was ready to continue.

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 7

Resource
Distribution

What It Is
Resource distribution is a simple but smart technique that elevates
the otherwise nonproductive downtime required to hand out materi-
als to a higher plane. Instead of leaving participants in an idle holding
pattern while we laboriously pass around resources, we can make this
time purposeful and productive by providing a little humor, a brief
energizer, or a touch of novelty while still achieving the original objec-
tive. Such unexpected elements can provide contrast, boost attention,
increase motivation, and ultimately enhance comprehension.

Why It’s Important

When the distribution process takes more than thirty seconds, we
run the risk of losing learners’ attention to restlessness, sedation, or
boredom. And once a group’s concentration has been lost, it may
be difficult to reestablish. Also, since materials are often distributed
at the beginning of a learning session, this is the very place where we
want to engage learners.

How to Incorporate It
At the very least, request participants’ help to distribute
resources. Or, better yet, surprise participants by taking a novel,
funny, or energizing approach to the task. Here are some ideas to get
you started.
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50 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

• Ask a few participants to help you distribute the materials.

Position them at different places in the room and tell the remain-
ing participants they must go “earn” their materials by paying
one of these people a compliment.
• Distribute handouts (two alike to each learner) to half of the
room. Then ask these learners to stand and deliver their extra
handout to a learner on the opposite side. Give them a specific
period of time (i.e., thirty seconds) to introduce themselves to
each other before returning to their seats. Next time, reverse sides
and have learners select someone new to introduce themselves to.
• If you plan to review and/or discuss a handout immediately
after distributing it, organize the material in four or five sepa-
rate stacks and place them in various parts of the room. Divide
participants into groups and ask each group to choose a stack,
read the handout, and discuss its content. Then reconvene for a
large-group discussion.
• Ask participants to move tables to the periphery and then
arrange the chairs in a circle in the center of the room. Pass out
materials and ask for volunteers to read aloud before following
up with a group discussion.
• Arrive early and place resource packets around the training
room so they are only slightly visible (i.e., under a table, behind
a curtain, or beneath a ledge). When it’s time to distribute them,
announce that the course materials are hidden in strategic
places around the room. Hold one up so participants know
what they look like, and tell them that when you say “go,”
they’ll have one minute to find a workbook for themselves and
to make sure everyone around them has one as well.
• Put on some high-energy music and ask participants to get up
and take a handout from each of the stacks you have set up at
the front of the room prior to the session. At the end of the
“assembly line,” have a stapler or binder available.

All these strategies get learners moving, interacting, and using

their brains while also accomplishing the mundane task of distribut-
ing resources.

When to Use It
Distributing materials can be an effective way to incorporate a
productive state change. Integrate distribution needs with a stretch
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Key Concept 7: Resource Distribution 51

break, a surprise, or another energizing activity whenever time

allows.

When Not to Use It

If you plan to distribute materials immediately following a
fast-paced, energetic learning activity, consider taking a more con-
ventional approach. Rather than energizing the group in this case,
you’ll want to give them time to catch their breath, relax a moment,
and transition into the next learning segment.

A Real-Life Training Example

It was the first day of a training. Participants had arrived and taken
their seats. The trainer had introduced herself, and was prepared
to get the session under way. She picked up a stack of papers and
faced the audience. Holding them up so everyone could see
them, she said, “Here is the schedule for this training—the syl-
labus.” She then approached the first row of participants and
was about to pass them out when she paused. She announced,
“Actually, if you’re really interested in what’s going to happen,
it’s up to you to get a syllabus!” With that, she threw the stack of
papers high in the air, scattering them everywhere. The stunned
participants stared at her for a moment, then quickly moved to
pick up one of the papers strewn about.
Why did she behave in this bizarre way? Was it merely a
random act of strangeness? Was she close to suffering a nervous
breakdown? Or was there a larger purpose behind her actions?
In fact, when preparing for this course, this trainer had decided
to let the participants know right from the start that not only
were they going to have to take some responsibility for their
own learning, but the training would be unusual. She could sim-
ply have said that, but she knew this surprise tactic would have
more impact.
In this instance, the trainer realized that distributing the syl-
labus represented an opportunity to do something ordinary or a
chance to do something extraordinary. The participants were
startled into being fully awake, and she could now build on the
energy generated by this creative jump start to her training.
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52 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 8

Teach It Standing

What It Is
Teaching it standing is a technique that boosts comprehension by get-
ting participants out of their seats and onto their feet. Traditional learn-
ing environments have somehow become erroneously linked to sitting,
when in fact standing or stretching stimulates blood circulation, which
in turn enhances learning. Conversely, sitting for extended periods of
time has a sedating affect and can become physically uncomfortable—
factors that impede concentration. In an interactive learning environ-
ment, there are plenty of opportunities to encourage standing rather
than sitting. Teachers and trainers stand, so why not learners?

Why It’s Important

Why do so many learners dread the training room? Perhaps one rea-
son is that, based on their previous experiences in trainings, they know
they’re going to be sitting in a chair for most of the day. Certainly there
is a time and place for sitting in the training environment, such as while
taking a test or note-taking. However, making learners sit for extended
periods will very likely decrease their attention, motivation, and recall.

How to Incorporate It
• At the start of each training session, facilitate some deep
breathing, stretching, and movement exercises to energize and
prepare learners. For example, at the start of each session you
might have everyone stand, stretch to the right and left, then
back and forward. Repeat this several times. End by asking
everyone to raise both hands to the ceiling while taking in a
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54 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

deep breath and exhale as they allow their arms to come down.
This whole process might only take thirty to forty-five seconds,
yet in this short time your participants will wake up and be
able to focus more clearly on the next section of the workshop.
• Conduct a “getting to know you” ritual in which participants
stand and introduce themselves to two or three other participants.
• Ask participants to get up and form circles for small-group
interaction activities.
• Conduct a short demonstration at the front of the room and
have learners gather around to watch.
• Break up forty- to sixty-minute segments of seatwork with
a brief energizer. For example, invite participants to get up
and walk around the periphery of the room with a partner, dis-
cussing the content, while you play some fast, upbeat music.
• As discussed in the previous section, ask participants to gather
supplies themselves instead of handing them out.
• Create opportunities for “carousel” activities. For example, have
participants add their contributions or ideas to sheets of paper
hanging on the walls around the training room.
• If possible, provide a space (usually at the back of the room) that
is conducive to standing and moving about during the session.
• Use clipboards to allow participants to take notes while standing.
• Conduct a closing activity that gets participants up and out of
their chairs. For example, have the group gather in one large
circle while offering and inviting individual acknowledgments.

When to Use It
Invite participants to stand, stretch their limbs, and energize their
brains any time during your training when you see attention start to
wane. Regardless, if appropriate, try to facilitate a standing exercise,
activity, or break approximately every thirty minutes.

When Not to Use It

Of course, there needs to be a balance between standing and
sitting activities. Some learning activities, such as test-taking, note-
taking, essay writing, and extensive reading, are obviously better
suited to sitting. However, we need to intersperse these tasks with
standing breaks and activities. Make sure participants have the option
to sit if they are unable to stand or don’t want to participate in the activ-
ity. Try to limit standing activities to three to five minutes, as longer
periods can be tiring for some and thus counterproductive to learning.
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Key Concept 8: Teach It Standing 55

A Real-Life Training Example

It seems like a typical training setting. The participants come into

the room and take a seat, prepared to remain there for the dura-
tion of the day. The trainer is at the front of the room arranging
stacks of papers and workbooks, which the participants antici-
pate receiving shortly. Instead, as the remaining participants
arrive and take their seats, the trainer introduces himself and asks
the members of the group to quickly move their chairs to the
sides of the room. Bewildered, the participants comply, buzzing
questions to one another about why they’re doing this and what’s
coming next. The trainer then asks the participants to stand in a
large circle in the center of the room, where each member is asked
to introduce him- or herself to the rest of the group. The trainer
then thanks the participants and leads them through five minutes
of deep breathing and stretching activities. As he concludes this
energizing movement, he asks the group to return their chairs to
their previous positions and to take a workbook and syllabus
from the front of the room before returning to their seats.
In addition to providing an element of surprise, the trainer in
this example was able to effectively energize and prepare his
participants for a full day of learning. In addition, he created a
sense of emotional safety by allowing participants to get to know
one another at the start of the training. Thus the trainer was able
to accomplish two tasks at once: to stimulate and prepare the
minds and bodies of his learners; and to foster a sense of cama-
raderie and group cohesiveness.

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 9

Participant Inquiry

What It Is
Participant inquiry is a technique whereby the trainer poses
carefully worded questions to involve learners early in a training while
minimizing emotional risk. Such questions encourage participants
to reveal information about themselves and their experience with
the subject matter in a way that does not “put them on the spot.” As
learners are encouraged to share, they feel valued and acknowledged.
We need to know who our participants are before we can effectively
train them. Participant inquiry not only helps you determine the
extent of your learners’ knowledge and experience, it facilitates a
sense of group cohesiveness as participants discover common ground
and open up to each other.

Why It’s Important

Even a minimal level of threat can throw the brain into survival
mode at the expense of concentration and higher-order thinking. By
contrast, a sense of group cohesion can facilitate an immediate sense
of safety. The training environment (indeed, any new learning situa-
tion) can be scary for many people. Unless we dispel this sense of
fear quickly and replace it with a sense of commonality, learning can
suffer. What is considered threatening varies between individuals;
however, when nervous learners realize they will not be embarrassed
or ridiculed before the group, and that they are valued and acknowl-
edged for who they are and what they have to contribute, they begin
to feel safe. This leaves the brain free to focus on learning.

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Key Concept 9: Participant Inquiry 57

How to Incorporate It
• Preface group questions with words and phrases that elicit
brief hand responses, yet still acknowledge individual experi-
ences. Here are a few examples:

Raise your hand if . . . ?

How many of you . . . ?
How many of you would like to . . . ?
How many of you have ever . . . ?
How many of you are going to one day . . . ?
How many of you believe that . . . ?

• Prepare a series of questions to ask at the start of your training

and at various points during the session. You’ll want the ques-
tions to be relevant to the learning objectives, as well as to the
participants themselves. For example, “Raise your hand if you
can already see some ways you can incorporate this idea into
you next sales presentation,” or, “How many of you have ever
faced an awkward moment with a client similar to what I’m
describing right now?”
• Design safe questions that invite participants to talk about
themselves, their experiences, where they’re from, what they
want to gain from the training, and why they’re there. Ques-
tions that are too personal or not clearly related can embarrass
participants and cause withdrawal—the opposite response
from the one you’re seeking. For example, a safe question might
be, “Share with your group how you came to be working for
this company.” By contrast, “Describe your most embarrassing
moment in a professional situation” might be too personal.
• Think of the kind of information you’d like to elicit from learn-
ers prior to asking the questions. For example, you might ask,
“Does anyone have a personal experience related to this exam-
ple that might be productive to share with the group? Great,
Alex. Can you give us a one-minute synopsis of what hap-
pened to you in this situation?”

When to Use It
We can use participant inquiry throughout a training session; how-
ever, it is especially important to initiate early on in a session as trust
and rapport are being established. The technique is also effective for
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58 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

• bringing the audience’s focus back when they’ve been

distracted;
• revitalizing a passive group;
• increasing participation;
• shedding greater light or perspective on a topic; and
• determining participants’ background or level of exposure
to a topic.

You can also use participant responses to transition the group

from one topic to the next or to conclude a learning segment.

When Not to Use It

Used too often, participant inquiry can feel contrived and unpro-
ductive. So we need to establish a balance between trainer input and
participant responses. Remember to set time expectations on how
long a participant should speak, and try to tactfully cut short partici-
pants who don’t know when to stop talking. This can be very disrup-
tive and frustrating for the rest of the group, and erodes the trainer’s
authority. A good way to curb people who tend to dominate the
response time is by mentioning in advance how long you want them
to speak, such as saying, “In thirty seconds or less, share with us
how you handled that situation,” or, “In two or three sentences, please
sum up what helped you to succeed in that situation.”
Also, be careful not to ask overly engaging questions when time
is limited or when you are seeking a specific response. And be aware
that, if participant inquiry is not purposeful and skillfully guided, it
can diffuse participants’ focus, rather than sharpening it.

A Real-Life Training Example

The trainer welcomed participants to the beginning of a week-

end workshop. She introduced herself, made a few brief opening
remarks, then asked the following series of questions:

“I’m interested in knowing where some of you traveled

from to be here today. Please raise your hand if you’re from
the local area.”

[Some participants raised their hands.]

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Key Concept 9: Participant Inquiry 59

“Thank you. Now please raise your hand if you’re from

within the state of California.”

[More participants raised their hands.]

“Great, now, how many of you have traveled from some-

where outside the state of California?
“It’s nice to know that we have people here from so
many different places. Whether you’re from near or far,
thank you for your efforts in getting here today. Let’s give
everyone a hand.”

In the above example, the trainer immediately shows interest

in her learners. Participants begin to relax and warm to each
other as they find common ground. And, most important, they
unconsciously begin to trust that their trainer cares about them
as individuals.

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 10

Adequate
Response Time

What It Is
The human brain needs adequate response time to shift gears
between different mental tasks such as listening and verbalizing.
Although the brain operates very rapidly, occasionally during a pre-
sentation it must make a distinct shift in how it is processing infor-
mation, and these shifts do not happen instantaneously. For example,
moving from listening to a lecture to responding to questions is a dis-
tinct change from one task to another. In this case, first the brain must
shift from a passive listening state to one that is conducive to active
participation. Second, it must process the new information in relation
to the question posed. Third, it must generate the appropriate words
necessary for verbally expressing the response. And, finally, it must
deal with the emotional aspects of offering an opinion in public.
Simply put, this process takes time!
So how much time should we give participants to go through
this process when soliciting a response from the group? Clearly, this
will vary from individual to individual and be influenced by the
complexity of the information and the learner’s prior knowledge.
However, a good rule of thumb is to consistently lean toward
providing too much (versus too little) time for learners to shift their
thinking. If you apply this concept consistently, you’ll notice an
increase in the quality of responses, as well as a wider diversity of
respondents.

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Key Concept 10: Adequate Response Time 61

Why It’s Important

The downside of asking for responses too quickly is that it
may encourage participants with extremely efficient mental processes
and/or prior knowledge of the subject to dominate the interaction.
Once this pattern is established, it is difficult to undo and has poten-
tially dangerous consequences. For example, participants who take
more time to process a response may come to believe they aren’t as
sharp as their peers, despite the fact that they may be making more
connections and thinking more critically than the faster responders.
Perhaps worse, if they know they are unlikely to have a chance to
share their ideas, they won’t even bother to think about the question.
Thus, if we allow the verbally quick participants to dominate dis-
cussions, we may unwittingly create a counterproductive cycle. More-
over, since the thinking process itself is vital to meaningful learning
and long-term recall, we need to encourage it!

How to Incorporate It
Whenever you ask participants to shift mental gears in the course
of a training session, give them sufficient time to mentally prepare.
Here are some suggestions for helping your participants transition
smoothly from one thinking task to another.

• Before asking for questions at the end of a lecture, invite par-

ticipants to spend one minute talking to each other about their
reactions to the concept being presented. Then ask them to see
whether anyone has a specific question concerning the mater-
ial. Finally, have them thank their partners, face to face, and
present their questions.
• Break up a lengthy lecture or other passive presentation by
asking participants to turn to the person next to them and
summarize what they’ve heard or learned in the previous ten
minutes. Give them a specific time frame within which to con-
clude the exercise.
• Give participants two to three minutes to write down anything
they want about a topic—thoughts, questions, concerns, or
insights—before facilitating a group discussion.
• Prepare several different types of questions to elicit supportive
responses. For example, if the phrase, “Any comments or ques-
tions?” does not elicit a response, have some more pointed and
specific questions prepared. Here are a few examples:
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62 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

– Which parts of this concept need to be clarified?

– How might you apply this principle in your own life?
– How does this lesson relate to the concept we discussed
earlier?
– Has anyone used this concept before to solve a problem?
If so, how?
– How many of you agree that . . . ? How many disagree? Why
or why not?

When to Use It
The more complex the learning and the less exposure participants
have to a topic, the more mental processing time they need. Try to
break up large chunks of learning time with activities that require
a mental shift of focus. For example, after a lecture invite partner
interactions or small-group discussions. Or facilitate a question-and-
answer time before asking learners to write about a topic. Or break up
independent learning activities with group discussions. And when
you want participants to transition back to listening mode, remember
to give them adequate time for that as well. A good way to ensure that
everyone is ready to move ahead is to ask for a physical signal, such
as, “If you feel like you have a fairly good handle on this concept, and
are ready to begin the next section, please give me a thumbs up.”

When Not to Use It

Adequate time is a relative term. If most participants are ready to
respond quickly, less wait time would be appropriate. The key is
reading your audience accurately—not just those in the front row or
those closest to you, but those at the back of the room as well. If you
notice that a wide variety of learners are volunteering responses and
you like the quality of the responses you’re getting, you’re likely pro-
viding adequate time. If, however, the responses don’t meet your
expectations, try extending the response time.

A Real-Life Training Example

At the end of a fifteen-minute presentation, a trainer says

the classic words, “Any questions?” When this overly used and
trite request is answered with the classic blank group stare, she
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Key Concept 10: Adequate Response Time 63

quickly returns to lecturing. At the end of the next segment, she

repeats the line, “Now, are there any questions?” She waits a few
seconds, looks up at the clock and continues, “Come on, people!
Weren’t you listening? Don’t you care? This is important mater-
ial! You must pay attention!”
By handling the situation in this way, the trainer is not creat-
ing a positive atmosphere for learning. Even if someone is brave
enough at this point to tentatively pose a question, the situation
is strained. This result is not what the trainer hoped for, and her
chance to generate a lively discussion has passed.
How would you have handled the situation?
The trainer should have realized that the learners’ blank stares
were quite possibly external expressions of a complex internal
process occurring within the brain. Had she done so, she might
have had the patience to guide them through the mental shift
necessary to process the information, prepare a response, and
articulate their questions.

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 11

Specify Response
Mode

What It Is
Specifying response mode—or stating how you want questions
answered—is a useful strategy for establishing a sense of certainty
among learners, which is a fundamental precursor to facilitating a
lively group discussion. Put simply, if we merely ask, “Are you ready
to begin?” we might not get much of a response. However, we’re
much more likely to get a higher level of response when we are very
specific about how we expect learners to respond, such as saying,
“Raise your hand if you’re ready to begin.”

Why It’s Important

While there are many reasons why participants fail to speak up in
a group setting, occasionally it’s because they are uncertain about how
we expect them to respond. When our brain is concerned with how
to respond to an inquiry, our verbal responses may be more hesitant.
This is because, when uncertainties sift through our unconscious
mind, higher-order thinking and verbal communication functions
end up taking a back seat to the more immediate concerns of status
and appearance.
Participants left to play a guessing game in the training room will
digress to basic human operating principles—that is, no response is
safer than the wrong response. In other words, if we leave participants
to judge what’s right or wrong about how they respond, which means

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Key Concept 11: Specify Response Mode 65

facing the possibility of looking bad, many of them would rather not
respond to a trainer’s question.
By contrast, when we clearly communicate our expectations, we
create a more relaxed environment in which learners feel safe, secure,
and certain about what we expect of them, and are therefore more
likely to respond. Once we’ve established a basic level of trust, par-
ticipants are more likely to involve themselves in the discussion.

How to Incorporate It
Questions that include a specific direction for how to respond,
such as those listed below, help shift learners into the appropri-
ate response mode and increase participation. You should be able to
rephrase most questions to specify a response appropriate to your
specific context, audience, and topic. In the following comparison, the
questions on the left omit the response mode, while the alternative on
the right includes it.

No Specific Response Imperative

Is everyone ready to begin? Smile if you’re ready to begin.

Have you got the right page? Nod if you’re on page 16.
Did you have a good lunch? If you had a good lunch, stand up and stretch.
Does this make sense? If this concept makes sense, give me a
thumbs-up.
Who’s finished? If you’re finished, look up toward the front
of the room.
Does everyone have If you’ve received your handout, hold it up
the handout? in the air.
Are there any questions? If you have a question, please raise your hand.

For the best results, phrase your questions using positive language
and consistently incorporate physical gestures that support the request.
For example, asking, “Who doesn’t understand?” does not indicate
what physical response is being asked for, and also focuses on the neg-
ative side of the question. It would be more appropriate to ask, “Raise
your hand if you feel as if you have a fairly good grasp of this concept.”
Focusing on the positive means participants will feel more comfortable
about responding. However, it still provides you with the information
you need to know—if some participants do not raise their hands, per-
haps you could get most people involved in an activity while focusing
on assisting these people privately to gain a better understanding of the
material so everyone can move forward to the next step in the process.
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66 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

When to Use It
Specifying the response mode is particularly important in the
early stages of a training session when you are establishing a basic
level of trust in the room. Providing clear expectations right from the
start helps foster a sense of safety and supportive risk-taking. Later—
perhaps when the “crest of the wave” has arrived—one way of chang-
ing the state of the participants might be to ask questions where
the specified response mode is something novel, such as asking
participants to “Stand up if . . . ” or “Point one elbow at the ceiling
if . . . ” or “Wiggle your pen in the air if . . . ”
This technique is also helpful for warming up breakout groups,
mixing up modes of participant involvement, involving participants
quickly and efficiently, and transitioning from one learning task
to another—such as when moving a group from viewing a video to
discussing it.

When Not to Use It

It may not be necessary to continue specifying the desired res-
ponse after you establish expectations and/or they become inherent.
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Key Concept 11: Specify Response Mode 67

For example, once you’ve embedded the pattern of raising hands,

you don’t need to provide additional prompting unless you wish to
shift learners to another mode. However, if you do shift to a differ-
ent expected response, you’ll need to repeat it several times until
everyone knows what is now expected of them when a question is
asked.
Be sure to specify a response mode that is suitable for the type of
participant you’re training. For example, specifying a response mode
that carries the potential of embarrassing some individuals (such as
asking a group of police officers to sit on the floor) could be counter-
productive. The role of the trainer, in most circumstances, is to increase
the level of comfort and trust in a group.

A Real-Life Training Example

Participants in a technical writing seminar were at the tail

end of a thirty-minute writing exercise. The trainer wanted to
conclude the exercise and initiate group discussions. He asked
participants to spend the next two minutes completing the
assignment.
The trainer proceeded to busy himself with paperwork, then
looked up and said, “Is everyone ready to get into groups?” No
one responded, and he noticed that a few participants were still
bent over their papers. Immediately recognizing his mistake, he
rephrased the question and the response was immediate.
“We’ll begin group discussions in thirty seconds, so please fin-
ish up your writing at this time.” After waiting until every one
had put down their pens, he said, “Thank you, move your chairs
into a small circle and wait for the next set of instructions.”
What happened? Initially, the trainer failed to anticipate
what kind of transition would be necessary to move learners
from a high-concentration task with an internal focus to one that
required an external focus and an inherent understanding of the
trainer’s response expectation. Some learners were so involved
they didn’t even hear the question. When, however, the trainer
realized what was happening, he was able to rephrase the ques-
tion and include clear expectations. Thus he eliminated the
guessing game and replaced paralysis with purpose.
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68 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 12

Question/Clarify/
Question

What It Is
The question/clarify/question sequence increases meaningful group
dialogue by priming participants’ brains properly for this task. It con-
sists of the following three distinct components:

1. Ask the discussion question to provide an overall perspective.

2. Provide clarifying details or examples to model the type of
response you’re looking for.
3. Repeat the original question or instruction to serve as a launch-
ing point for the discussion.

Each element in the formula plays an important role in priming

the brain for higher-order thinking, lively dialogue, and a clear and
productive group focus.

Why It’s Important

Engaging a group in lively and productive discussion is a valu-
able tool for teaching adult learners. However, this is easier said than
done—especially when some participants are introverts, nervous, or
perhaps even overawed by more senior members of the group. Even
with an extrovert, confident group, if we aren’t clear about what we
want to achieve or we fail to engage participants and keep them focused,
the discussion can lose valuable momentum.

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70 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

To create a productive discussion we need to make sure partici-

pants have a

• basic understanding of the topic to be discussed so they can

start thinking about it for a few moments in advance of the
discussion actually beginning;
• precise understanding of the trainer’s line of thinking about the
topic so their discussion can more closely adhere to the intended
focus; and
• reminder of the original question so discussion does not fixate
on the most recent detail or example the trainer has provided.

If participants are not clearly informed about any of these three

factors, the discussion can easily turn unproductive. Thus, using the
question/clarify/question format can set the stage for a stimulating,
successful, and focused discussion.

How to Incorporate It
• State the original question cleanly and carefully, making certain
the central point of the upcoming discussion is clear to everyone.
• In the second section, use only three or four examples. Too
many details at this point may confuse the original issue. And,
when choosing which clarifying examples or details to include,
make them as distinct from each other as possible. For example,
suppose the original question is, “Discuss how this strategy
might be useful to you.” The clarifying examples might be,
“How could this be used with you team at work?”, “How
might it be helpful when dealing with your boss?”, and “Might
it even be an idea you could share with your family?”
• To initiate a successful discussion, repeat the original question
and say nothing more! Anything further added here will most
likely confuse the situation. End cleanly by repeating the origi-
nal question and then simply say, “Begin.”
• Using language in this manner requires precision. Before you
incorporate this technique into your trainings, plan and prac-
tice exactly what you are going to use for each of the three
steps. Explore several ways you could do it and then, in the
actual training, present the most thorough, yet most precise,
version you can generate.
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Key Concept 12: Question/Clarify/Question 71

When to Use It
In general, follow the question/clarify/question format whenever
you are setting up a group discussion. Although the technique can be
used effectively at any time during a training, it is especially helpful in
the early stages of a session when trainers are seeking to establish a
relationship of trust and safety within a group. Carefully applying the
strategy early on sets the tone for productive discussions. This foun-
dation of having had successful group interactions is particularly use-
ful later in the session if topics become more complex or challenging.

When Not to Use It

You don’t have to use this technique with instructions that
are very short and explicit. For example, if you are using the prior
key concept, specify response mode, with a simple instruction such as,
“When you’re done writing, please put down your pen or pencil,” no
further elaboration is needed. If you can make your point clearly in
one sentence, do it!

A Real-Life Training Example

It was during a workshop for staff trainers at a large corporation

that I first realized the need for this technique. Ironically, I was
conducting a segment on how to give effective instructions when
I made the connection.
My training plan involved facilitating several brief activities
with an involved set of directions. After the group completed the
activities, I asked them to break into small groups to discuss
what they had noticed about the way I had provided the initial
instructions. Each group noted comments on a sheet of paper
and then chose a spokesperson to read them to the whole group.
The purpose of the follow-up discussion was to increase
awareness about the specifics of giving effective instructions,
such as word choice, length, structure, vocal tonality, and the use
of supporting body language. While a few of the comments were
related to the specifics I had in mind, most were vague and
nonproductive, such as, “Your instructions were very good and
clear.” Since an answer like this does little to move the conver-
sation forward, valuable time was wasted as I tried to gently
weed out the misguided comments. Finally, I narrowed the
(Continued)
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72 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

(Continued)
responses down to those that were instructive, but had I been
more clear about what I wanted learners to focus on, the exercise
would have been much more productive.
Later, I thought about the experience and considered how I
might stimulate a more dynamic discussion next time. I decided
I would share the objective of my questioning with the group,
rather than expect them to read my mind. I also realized that I’d
been encountering this hurdle at several other points in my
workshops.
At that point, I began to use the question/clarify/question
format as a way to organize my thoughts to ensure complete-
ness. In the very next workshop, I initiated the same group dis-
cussion using this technique:

1. “As trainers I’m sure you all understand the importance of

clear and specific directions. When participants understand
what you expect of them, your lessons have significantly
greater impact. As groups, please use my own instruction
delivery as a case study, and consider what aspects of it
impacted your understanding, clarity, and follow through.”
2. “For example, what did you notice about the words I chose,
the tone of my voice, or the gestures I used in leading the
activities we have done in this workshop?”
3. “Please discuss in your group what aspects of my instruction
impacted your understanding, clarity, and follow through.”

This approach—offering a rationale coupled with specific

expectations and a reiteration of the initial instruction—has since
produced significantly better results.

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 13

Managing
Disruptions

What It Is
Disruptive behavior is an unwelcome guest at the training table.
Regardless of age, stage, or setting, there will occasionally be those
who seek attention at the expense of others. And yet there’s a fine line
between seeking attention and contributing. The key, therefore, is to
recognize and find a productive way to handle these attention seek-
ers before they have the chance to upstage the trainer. Most of the
time these individuals are natural-born leaders whose energy, if chan-
neled properly, can enhance rather than disrupt a training session.
One technique for managing disruptions is to provide a sanctioned
forum whereby participants can share the spotlight for a time. Interest-
ingly, when attention seekers are recognized and legitimized, the
problem usually dissipates. By integrating time for participant
humor, sharing, and leadership into your training plan, you not only
put an official “stamp of approval” on appropriate ways to receive
attention, you reduce the problem of inappropriate responses that
divide and disrupt a group.

Why It’s Important

Disruptions test our credibility as trainers because, for at least
a moment, we lose control of the room. The way we handle such
moments determines both how quickly we regain control and
whether we go up or down in the group’s estimation. So, even when
remarks are relatively harmless, we need to manage disruptive
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74 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

participants by being firm yet diplomatic, and taking back control

as quickly as possible.
TrainSmart trainers maintain control of a group with a subtle but
strong guiding hand. The most effective way to accomplish this is to
provide a forum for attention-seeking learners in a trainer-controlled
activity that reinforces positive humor, leadership, and participation.
This will provide an outlet for the people who would otherwise seek
attention by hijacking your agenda.
Perhaps the most debilitating form of disruption is sarcasm—
a Greek word meaning to “tear out the flesh with the teeth.” While
good-natured joking and harmless humor can enhance group cohe-
siveness, sarcasm can alienate participants very quickly. Rather than
ignoring sarcastic comments, consider how you might bring these
inappropriately vocal constituents into the fold. People who are
“quick-witted” are often quite intelligent and, if guided correctly,
have the potential to make a powerful and positive contribution.
Humor that does not rely on stereotypes or poke fun at others can
help focus attention, build group cohesion, increase recall, break
down resistance, and reduce stress. And it can add an element of joy
to an otherwise routine learning task or topic.

How to Incorporate It
Here are some ideas for channeling disruptions and fostering
humor in the training environment.

• Right from the start of any training, share with participants how
the day/session will proceed, what your expectations are, and
how they can actively contribute. Knowing immediately that
they will have plenty of chances to participate may lessen the
need of some people to seek attention at the start of a training.
• Provide time early on in the training for participants to share
something about themselves and/or an opportunity for them
to get acquainted with one other and you. Sometimes being the
center of attention within a small-group context is enough for
some potentially disruptive participants.
• Disruptions may be a signal that it is time to move on to the
next activity. The first time a participant exhibits potentially
disruptive behavior, you may wish to ignore it. However, if it
continues, immediately initiate an activity. For example, you
might transition into small-group discussions if it is appropri-
ate, or facilitate a quick energizer.
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Key Concept 13: Managing Disruptions 75

• Provide a “funny-bone forum” in which participants have the

opportunity to share a joke or funny observation with the rest
of the group. Provide a set of ground rules before initiating
this activity (i.e., no disparaging remarks or jokes that rely on
stereotyping).
• Give groups an opportunity to perform content-related skits or
role plays. Ensure that individuals who like the limelight have
an appropriate outlet to showcase their abilities.
• Give participants an opportunity to voice any concerns or
objections. Sometimes just providing time to “clear the air” can
offset potential problems.
• Avoid preaching to or engaging with an argumentative partic-
ipant. If the remark is relatively harmless, just say, “You might
be right,” or, “I see your point,” and move on. Simply acknowl-
edging individuals rather than allowing them to upset you
keeps the focus on the training and the task at hand.
• Project self-assurance with relaxed but focused body lan-
guage. Have a plan but remain flexible so that extenuating
circumstances can be accommodated with ease. Remain calm
and self-possessed when interacting with attention seekers.
The goal is to maintain control of the group climate, not neces-
sarily individuals.
• Use peer pressure to diffuse inappropriate behaviors. For
example, if a participant continues to be a problem after you’ve
tried other techniques to productively channel his or her
energy, defer to the group. Say, for example, “What do the rest
of you think about John’s position or opinion on this?” Or ask
them, “If you were a trainer and had to handle a heckler, how
would you do it?” At the very least, this technique gives you
time to strategize your next step.
• Always confront remarks that hurt others, regardless of who
made them or why, when, and how they were made. Deal with
these individuals firmly and directly. Ask them to refrain from
other offensive remarks in your presence and during the train-
ing. If they do not comply, you may have to ask them to leave.

When to Use It
Although some behaviors or comments may not distract you,
they may be distracting to participants. Therefore, it is best not to
ignore them. There are appropriate times to use subtle techniques to
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76 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

diffuse disruptive behavior and appropriate times to use more direct

ones. When making this judgment call, consider the situation and the
persistence of the problem. For example, if a participant has been dis-
ruptive on several occasions, and none of the more subtle strategies
you’ve tried have worked, perhaps it’s time to take a break and speak
privately with that person about the issue and the behavior you
expect in the training room.
Channeling disruptions into appropriate forms and forums is an
ongoing process that begins in the early planning stages of a training
and continues throughout. Once you have established a respectful
and credible command of the group, disruptions usually cease to be
a problem. Just remember that some personalities are compelled to be
in the limelight, so respond with appropriate opportunities for every-
one to shine.

When Not to Use It

Do not discourage light-hearted, good-natured humor. There is
no better way to break up the tension of an intense learning environ-
ment than with a good laugh. Be careful not to be too controlling or
overly sensitive; occasionally, even poking fun at yourself can be an
extremely effective way to earn respect. In fact, it’s not a bad idea to
keep a few jokes up your own sleeve for moments that call for humor.
If someone’s remarks are cutting or hurtful, don’t use subtle channel-
ing strategies. Instead, ask the person directly and firmly to cease
making the remarks. If that person can’t comply, ask him or her to
leave.

A Real-Life Training Example

Early on in a staff development workshop, a trainer realized she

had a few sarcastic males in the group and their remarks were
getting slightly out of hand. At the earliest opportunity, she
asked the audience to form small groups and discuss the follow-
ing question: “What do you think are the most common causes
of lost productivity in the workplace?” She asked the groups to
record their top five reasons. And she added, “Here’s the catch:
at least one of these reasons must be sarcastic or funny!”
As they went to work generating responses, one could hear
bursts of laughter erupting from various areas of the room, and
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Key Concept 13: Managing Disruptions 77

there was a palpable rise in energy. When it came time to give

their responses, the trainer asked that they share only the humor-
ous ones. When the comedic interlude reached a crescendo, and
the participants began to wind down, the trainer said, “Those
were great. Thanks. Now, on a more serious note, what other
causes of lost productivity did you identify?”
The group could sense a clear shift in expectations. The trainer
indirectly, although quite clearly, channeled the sarcasm into an
appropriate activity while also setting some parameters to limit
its use. The strategy worked: the trainer supported some good-
natured humor while also making the group explicitly aware that
more joking at this point would be inappropriate.

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 14

Creative
Note-Taking

What It Is
Absorbing, analyzing, and storing new information in the brain
is a complex enterprise—one that is greatly aided by the process
of transferring information to paper. Most people recognize that
note-taking is one way to reinforce memory, and many of us depend
on this learning tool. But did you know that creative note-taking—
sometimes referred to as mind mapping—further enhances compre-
hension and recall?
Mind mapping is a process where learners depict major themes
and concepts from the learning with colorful symbols, images, nota-
tions, and connecting lines that represent relationships. Creative note-
taking optimizes learning and recall because it moves us through the
process of analyzing information (left-brain function) with a creative
emphasis (right-brain function), thus encouraging connections across
brain hemispheres.

Why It’s Important

Traditional note-taking, where we try to write down everything
we hear, can put the brain into “scramble mode.” The more hectic this
state becomes, and the longer it is sustained, the less time we have to
process and thus retain the information. However, when participants
discover more creative and effective note-taking techniques, the brain
relaxes and learning increases!

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Key Concept 14: Creative Note-Taking 79

Mind maps are made up of the images, ideas, or stories that

give context and meaning to the trainer’s words. Words are much
easier to remember when associated with symbols, colors, and concrete
images. Drawing notes in the fashion of mind mapping frees up the
brain to pursue other higher-level cognitive functions, such as linking
new learning to prior knowledge, recognizing patterns, and critically
analyzing information from various perspectives.

How to Incorporate It
Give learners a brief overview of the mind-mapping process.
Show them a few examples of mind maps or other creative note-
taking techniques before starting your presentation.

• Supply the appropriate materials: color markers or pencils and

oversize paper. Consider taking participants through a brief
mind-mapping process to clear up any confusion.
• Pause often when delivering content. Every fifteen minutes,
provide a few moments for learners to review their notes
and ask questions. During this time, encourage participants to
add lines, words, or symbols to their mind maps to clarify and
organize their thinking.
• Create your own mind map, depicting the key concepts related
to your presentation and share it with learners early on in the
presentation and/or at the conclusion. This provides a valuable
overview or road map of the ground you expect to cover, then
summarizes it again when you close.
• Encourage participants to share their mind maps with each other.
The more they discuss their interpretations, the deeper the mate-
rial will be encoded in their memory. Incorporate small-group
mind mapping in which the emphasis is on teamwork, or have
individuals discuss their respective mind maps in small groups.
• Hang participants’ mind maps around the room and have
everyone walk around and view them.

When to Use It
Make time for creative note-taking whenever you present
new content. Nurture the process by allowing participants adequate
time to record the material. And introduce them to techniques, such
as mind mapping, that encourage crossovers between right and
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80 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

left brain hemispheres. Encourage participants to review and clarify

material with you and each other during brief but regular breaks.

When Not to Use It

Discourage participants from taking notes during activities
that involve their active participation or discussion. If you are about to
shift from a note-taking mode to one that’s more conducive to verbal
participation, help participants make the transition by facilitating an
informal interaction with a neighbor, a brief break, or a quick move-
ment activity.

A Real-Life Training Example

The setting was a four-day personal and professional devel-

opment seminar facilitated extensively throughout the United
States, Asia, New Zealand, and Australia. Right from the start,
the trainer delivered the content with an unusual pattern of
speech. He would pause just before the last word of a sentence
and wait for participants to complete it (in their minds, if not out
loud). For example, he might say, “Hopefully it’s now clear what
I’ve been trying to . . . explain.” He would not actually say the
word explain until someone in the audience had said it. If no one
responded out loud, he would sometimes just continue with the
next sentence, never completing the last.
It was a curious approach to content delivery. In a conver-
sation during a break, someone asked the presenter why he did
it. He explained that the technique encouraged participants to
stay more involved in the learning process. From a theoretical
perspective, the idea made some sense. From a personal per-
spective, however, I confess that I found it mildly irritating—
although not enough to significantly impact my experience in
general.
Early on the third day, however, I witnessed an occasion
where the approach definitely did not work. The trainer had
been lecturing about a topic that was of considerable interest to
the group: how to make lots of money! At one point, he pre-
sented an idea that especially captured the attention of partici-
pants. Everyone was furiously scribbling in their workbooks.
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Key Concept 14: Creative Note-Taking 81

At that exact moment, the trainer paused at the end of a

sentence—waiting, as usual, for the audience to fill in the blank.
This time, however, no one responded. When his pause was
greeted with silence, he glared intensely at the audience and
said, “Come on, people! You can do better than this! This is
important information, and the only way you’re going to get it is
to stay awake!”
Strong words, yet I was chuckling inside. As a trainer, he had
made a serious miscalculation. He’d failed to recognize why
people had not responded: they were actively engaged in note-
taking! In this case, the trainer interfered with the learning process
by disengaging participants, rather than engaging them.
Since the trainer wanted to facilitate interaction, it would have
been better to either discourage note-taking or allow a transition
time for participants to mentally shift gears. A thirty-second
pause to allow them to complete their notes would have made
a dramatic difference to the audience’s response.

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 15

Positive
Language

What It Is
Positive language maximizes the chances of participants’ under-
standing and responding positively to a request by making it in posi-
tive terms. Consider how you feel when somebody tells you what to
do rather than suggesting a plan. For example, how do you think you
might react internally to the directive, “I want you to introduce your-
self to the people sitting next to you”? Compare this with the request,
“Let’s take a few minutes to introduce ourselves to the people around
us.” Most adult learners would prefer the second form—especially as
the relationship of mutual trust and respect is being established.
A person’s most likely internal response to overly aggressive
command language—although it is often unconscious—is to resist
the trainer’s directions regardless of their potential value. Positive
language, on the other hand, can open up learning as quickly as
aggressive language can shut it down. If you want to empower par-
ticipants while increasing productive training time, get into the habit
of communicating requests in a cooperative fashion using positive
terms and diplomatic language.

Why It’s Important

When our words trigger a negative response in participants,
they lose critical concentration and focus. Conversely, when we use pos-
itive and cooperative language, it engenders a sense of sincerity, trust,

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Key Concept 15: Positive Language 83

and a willingness to follow our lead—all essential factors for successful

trainings. Creating a positive environment leaves the participant’s mind
free to focus on what’s truly important: the learning at hand.

How to Incorporate It
Carefully crafted language is a powerful vehicle for helping
participants to achieve learning objectives. Here are some examples.

Positive Language Alternatives

Language Choices That Might to Create a More Positive,
Trigger a Negative Response Cooperative Feeling

1. “I want you to find your group “Please find your group and sit
and sit down with them.” down with them, and we’ll be able
to get started promptly.”

2. “Raise your hand if you’ve lived “If you have lived in this state for
in this state for only two years or less.” more than two years, please raise
your hand.”

3. “I need all of the teenagers to “Those of you slightly under twenty,

form a group there, while you please join me in this group, while
adults gather over here.” those of you slightly over twenty
join the group near the door.”

Commentary
In example 1, the phrase “I want you to” implies a relationship of
dominance or power over participants. When we use dominant
communication patterns with participants, we tend to elicit internal
resistance—if not external rebellion. In the alternative positive lan-
guage, the simple word please motivates participants to respond. By
being courteous, we prime them (subconsciously) to respond posi-
tively to our request.
In example 2, the word only has a negative connotation. Simply
altering the request by dropping the word only, or rephrasing it in
positive terms, makes a world of difference.
In example 3, the word teenagers is sometimes construed as a neg-
ative label, so if we use it to distinguish or set apart the group, younger
participants may feel insecure, if not threatened. For the older group,
just as many teenagers would rather be adults, many adults would
prefer to be much younger! The use of the word slightly, accompanied
by a tone of gentle humor in the trainer’s voice, should achieve the
same result with significantly less potential resistance.
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84 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

When to Use It
Given the objective is to turn learners on, not off, there are few
times when it doesn’t pay to craft our language throughout a session
more sensitively. However, it is especially important to consciously
use positive language when using a word to which some participants
may be sensitive.
When first working with a new group, we need to be as diplo-
matic and gentle as possible. While it may seem overwhelming to do
this consistently, once you experience the positive and productive dif-
ference it makes in your training environment, you’ll embed positive
language into every interaction. Eventually it will become a valuable
addition to your training tool kit.

When Not to Use It

With the exception of a few hard-core training environments
such as boot camp or military school, it is always a good idea to use
positive and inclusive terms such as we, let’s, and our, rather than
preachy, dominant directives like You should, I want you to, or You need
to. The only time a command using these words is more productive is
in the event of an emergency or potentially dangerous situation. If,
for example, an unexplained fire alarm sounds, a command like,
“Leave your things and file out the back door immediately!” is per-
fectly appropriate.

A Real-Life Training Example

A visiting principal is organizing a room full of school teachers

for breakout discussions. He decides that spreading the newer
teachers out among the groups will facilitate the most produc-
tive discussions. Thus he inquires with a smile, “How many of
you here are just rookies?”
The principal is quite surprised when his slightly sarcastic
comment is not received with much enthusiasm. Rather, he
experiences a number of silent stares and mildly hostile facial
expressions. Some of the participants even look downright mad.
After a few seconds, a bold participant raises her hand and
remarks, “How do you define ‘rookie’? I’ve been a teacher for
only three years, but I certainly don’t feel like a rookie!” The prin-
cipal realizes his mistake, apologizes, and eventually rephrases
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Key Concept 15: Positive Language 85

his request with more diplomacy. “Please raise your hand if

you’ve just recently begun bringing your talents to the field
of education.”
In this case, why should the principal single out participants
for lack of experience when he has the perfect opportunity to
recognize the value they will bring to many students for years
to come? The principal’s second attempt made many more par-
ticipants shine with pride, and he avoided making them feel
inadequate or under-recognized.

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 16

Involve,
Don’t Tell

What It Is
The concept of involve, don‘t tell moves away from the tradi-
tional education model that simply tells participants, “This is what
you need to know, now repeat (memorize) it.” Transmitting informa-
tion in this way sacrifices involvement on a deeper level and doesn’t
allow participants any personal processing time. However, when we
encourage participants to analyze concepts and make connections
through their own mental efforts, their recall increases significantly.

Why It’s Important

When people are actively involved in the learning process, they
encode the information along multiple memory pathways—physical,
mental, and emotional—which embeds it more deeply into their
long-term memory. Active involvement can also increase heart
and respiratory rates, thus raising mental and physical energy.
Participants who have journeyed actively through a learning process,
rather than just being on the receiving end of it, walk away from the
session with more than just a hazy cerebral sense of a topic: they take
a physical—and likely emotional—memory with them. This estab-
lishes a solid foundation of meaning and enthusiasm on which we
can build the next level of learning.

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Key Concept 16: Involve, Don’t Tell 87

How to Incorporate It
• Pause regularly and ask participants what they think the key
points are. If the responses you’re aiming for aren’t provided,
facilitate a process of deduction by posing additional pointed
questions to guide the group’s thinking.
• At various intervals during a presentation, organize participants
into small groups to complete a relevant task or exercise, and then
regroup for a debriefing.
• Occasionally stop and ask participants to write down their
thoughts and/or questions and address these issues as soon as
possible.
• When feasible, give participants the opportunity to learn through
experimentation. Applying new learning increases comprehen-
sion and recall.
• Performing role plays, skits, and other theatrical games and
creative activities taps into the right cerebral hemisphere—the
area of our brain that synthesizes information.
• If you want to ensure recall, “get physical.” For example,
second-language teachers have discovered that students learn
foreign vocabulary better when new words are attached to a
consistent movement. Thus, rather than standing at the front
of the room and telling students that the way to say jump in
Spanish is “brinca,” the TrainSmart educator would ask the
group to stand and jump in place while shouting “brinca.”

When to Use It
Try to involve participants as much as possible throughout a train-
ing. While lectures have a place in the training environment, other
modes of learning with frequent active involvement will be more suc-
cessful at reaching the full spectrum of learning styles. Involvement
is especially important when participants have minimal background
and/or experience in the subject or skill set. And, because openings
and closings are critical junctures in the training process, you can be
especially influential by actively involving participants at these times.

When Not to Use It

There is a fine line between presenting too much information
and not enough. Learners clearly need some content to put the new
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88 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

learning into context. For example, you certainly can’t expect learners
to engage in a productive discussion about a subject they know very
little about. The key is to find an effective balance between content
delivery and active learning.

A Real-Life Training Example

Arizona’s Junior Miss was touring her home state giving a series
of brief presentations. The topic of her speech was “Domestic
Violence in the State of Arizona.” During her talk, she threw
a question out to the audience: “Did you know that last year
35% of women who visited Arizona emergency rooms were
there as a result of domestic violence?”
Her goal in posing the question was to emphasize and rein-
force the most important point of her presentation—the depth
of the problem and the lack of awareness about it. But did
her delivery maximize the potential impact of this important
message? She shared a shockingly high statistic—at least, it
was shocking to me. Yet some of its force was lost because the
speaker told the audience, instead of choosing to involve them in
discovering it.
Later, we brainstormed different ideas for presenting this key
fact in a way that would engage the audience more meaningfully
and actively. This is the one she chose:
At the next presentation, she asked all participants to raise
their hand. Then she posed the following question sequence:
“What percentage of women do you think visit Arizona emer-
gency rooms as a result of domestic violence each year? If you
think it’s 5 percent, go ahead and put your hand down. If you
think it’s 10 percent, put your hand down.” She continued along
this line of questioning, increasing the statistic in 5-percent incre-
ments. By the time she reached 25 percent, most of the audience
had lowered their hands. When she announced that the number
was even higher, the effect was dramatic. By involving the audi-
ence physically and mentally in the learning process, she increased
the likelihood of their recalling this statistic.
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Key Concept 16: Involve, Don’t Tell 89

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 17

Ownership

What It Is
Ownership refers to the value participants derive from being
included in decision-making processes during a training. When partici-
pants feel their own voice matters, a subtle yet important shift in per-
spective and energy occurs. They move from being a passive receiver to
an active explorer.
When participants are given the opportunity to be involved at
the decision-making level, they no longer sit back and expect the trainer
to train them: they become stakeholders in their own success. This group
dynamic not only produces a more stimulating training environ-
ment, it balances the onus of responsibility between the trainer and
participants.

Why It’s Important

Nothing drives progress faster than vesting everyone in the
process. Commerce has capitalized on this concept for many years:
some of the most profitable businesses are employee-owned cor-
porations or companies that offer stock options or profit-sharing
incentives.
In a training, when participants feel empowered they tend to
accept more responsibility for the conditions around them. This shift
in perception makes them more receptive, and it improves cognition
and recall. This is because ownership gives learning meaning, which
plays a critical role in cognition.

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Key Concept 17: Ownership 91

How to Incorporate It
To create ownership, we must begin with an attitude of deep
respect for others’ experiences and for the collaborative process itself.
This means emphasizing, in both words and actions, that everyone
plays an important role in the training process. Here are just a few of
the ways you can foster collaboration and show how much you value
everyone’s contribution.

• Ask the group to create their own list of ground rules at the
start of the training.
• Let participants alter seating arrangements as they see fit for
the particular exercise or task at hand. For example, rather than
saying, “Group A will meet at the back of the room,” ask the
group to determine where they would like to meet. Provide loca-
tion boundaries if necessary.
• Rather than defining a set of terms for participants, provide a
“fill in the blanks” worksheet that offers clues—perhaps like a
crossword puzzle. Ask participants to meet in small groups or
teams to complete the exercise, then regroup for a debriefing
and answer-sharing session.
• Invite teams or individuals (depending on time constraints) to
facilitate a portion of the training. It could be as simple as lead-
ing a two-minute stretch break or as involved as asking teams
to plan and facilitate a complete lesson.
• At the beginning of a session, share a schedule outline with
participants and ask them whether it seems reasonable. Ask
them whether the break and lunch times are sufficient, whether
the learning goals are clear, and whether they have any ques-
tions or concerns. Take into account their issues and, if possible,
adjust the schedule to reflect their needs.
• Frequently solicit others’ viewpoints. If time is a factor (it almost
always is), break into small groups so more people have the
opportunity to be heard.
• Near the end of the training, give participants the opportunity
to share their perspectives on what was effective and what
wasn’t. Perhaps use a brief evaluation or feedback form.

When to Use It
Establish a sense of ownership early on, and then consistently
and appropriately reinforce it throughout the training. Once you have
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92 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

empowered participants with a sense of ownership, you’ll need to

continue providing opportunities for them to experience it. While
there may be some decisions that are not negotiable or appropri-
ate for class involvement, most aspects of a training session are or
can be.
For example, you might allow participants to decide how they will
be evaluated. You can prevent this from eating into training time by
providing a narrow list of choices and facilitating a quick vote.

When Not to Use It

Of course, we can’t involve participants in all the decisions. In
fact, this would practically guarantee a less than optimal training. We
have to make many decisions about content, delivery, and the setting
itself long before the day of the training. So determine in advance
what aspects of the training are appropriate for participant involvement,
and include participants whenever possible.

A Real-Life Training Example

A trainer walks to the front of the room. She smiles and says,
“Good morning, my name is Cristal. As we begin, I thought it
might be appropriate for us to take a few minutes to get
acquainted with each other. First I’d like to answer any questions
you may have about my background. Perhaps, you’re wonder-
ing what qualifies me to facilitate this training today, or maybe
you want to know why I do what I do or for how long I’ve been
doing it. I’ve found this process works best if you write down
your questions on the index card in your packet. Please take one
minute to do this. When you’re done, place your card here on the
table. I’ll address as many of your questions as I can in a ten-
minute period.”
Rather than telling the audience about herself, the trainer has
effectively involved the participants in the first process of the
workshop. They now have a vested interest in what happens
right at the start of the day. She has provided very specific
instructions, in a tone that is inclusive and cooperative.
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Key Concept 17: Ownership 93

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 18

Pause
for Visuals
What It Is
Pausing for visuals (e.g., PowerPoint slides, flip-charts, handouts)
reflects the brain’s need for time to free itself from competing stimuli
before it can organize incoming visual data. The more novel or com-
plex the visual data, the more time the brain needs to organize it.

Why It’s Important

Pausing for visuals avoids forcing participants to divide their
attention between two competing stimuli. When competing stimuli
split learners’ attention, they tend to tune out. The learning brain can’t
possibly pay full attention to both elements at once, so it shuts down
one or both sensory streams.
For example, have you ever been in a situation in which some-
body attempts to explain something to you while you’re trying to
read about it? The experience is frustrating at best, and at worst stops
your learning. We can avoid this learning impediment by allowing
participants’ brains a moment of quiet contemplation to process new
visual information before we tell them about it.
This not only increases learning enjoyment, it improves partici-
pants’ comprehension and recall.

How to Incorporate It
If you are in the habit of talking as soon as you click on the next
slide, pausing for visuals may initially prove a little challenging. One
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Key Concept 18: Pause for Visuals 95

way of working around the habit is to explain a concept before you

bring up the slide. Since many people are primarily visual learners,
however, it is usually best to let participants study the slide in silence
for a minute or two. While you pause, breathe deeply and think
“SWAE (Show, Wait, Ask, Explain).” This approach may feel awk-
ward at first, but soon it will become automatic. The following tips
can support this process.

• Once learners have had a moment to process the new informa-

tion, ask them what they think they do and don’t understand.
They may surprise you with some very relevant questions. Not
only will you have encouraged them to use their brain, you will
have actively involved them in the learning process (see Key
Concept 16: Involve, Don’t Tell).
• Provide additional processing time if you’re not providing a
copy of your PowerPoint presentation, since many learners feel
compelled to take notes or diagram them.
• When appropriate, supply participants with a copy of your
PowerPoint slides with the training notes so they can review
them while waiting for the session to begin.
• Post flip-chart pages on the walls around the training room
so participants can review them during breaks or between
activities.
• Before you talk about new visual material, ask learners to dis-
cuss it in pairs or small groups.
• Avoid Death by PowerPoint: give participants plenty of regular
and frequent pauses to allow them sufficient time to process the
material. Also, try not to rely on PowerPoint to drive the entire
training session.
• Remember that when using PowerPoint or overheads, lights
will often have to be dimmed, and this may make some peo-
ple sleepy. Avoid leaving the lights lowered for more than ten
minutes.
• In general, people can process only a limited number of visuals—
perhaps ten to fifteen—before their effectiveness diminishes.
To increase participant recall, use visuals only as needed, and
be sure to keep participation as interactive as possible.
• One way to maintain interest when using visuals might be to
occasionally add some variety in terms of the type of visuals
being shown, such as adding in photographs or cartoons, or
anything that might bring some novelty into the presentation.
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96 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

• How long to pause between visuals is a judgment that you’ll

have to make moment by moment, depending on factors such
as the complexity of information, learners’ experience with or
background knowledge of the subject, and the apparent degree
of understanding displayed by participants.

When to Use It

Make a habit of always pausing for visuals. The length of time will
vary, but you should apply the practice consistently.

When Not to Use It

A long pause may not be necessary when visuals are reviewing

a topic or when you’re displaying uncomplicated images such
as photographs. However, even these circumstances warrant a brief
pause to allow the brain to reorient itself and register the image.
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Key Concept 18: Pause for Visuals 97

A Real-Life Training Example

A corporate trainer presents a series of very impressive

PowerPoint images intended to familiarize department heads
with a new business model the company is eager to implement.
The managers furiously scribble notes while the trainer flips
from one slide to the next, supplementing the images with
thoughtful explanations.
The presentation is flawless, except for one thing. The trainer is
completely oblivious to the fact that participants are falling farther
and farther behind. When he finally stops talking long enough
to observe the audience, he notices that quite a few people look
confused. He realizes they may have some questions. He solicits
them, but only one manager responds. Her question clearly illus-
trates that she didn’t process the information on the slides.
This experience reminds the trainer how important it is to
provide intermittent pauses between visuals. He decides that, at
the very next training, he will tape a postcard with the acronym
SWAE on his computer stand to remind him to Show, Wait, Ask,
and then Explain!

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 19

Press
and Release

What It Is
Press and release reflects the natural ebb and flow between partici-
pants’ ability to concentrate and their need to relax and mentally
refresh themselves. While press represents the intense focus required
for participants to acquire new information, release represents the sub-
sequent “letting go” period that both supports participants in consoli-
dating the new material and diffuses their mental and physical tension.

Why It’s Important

Although some individuals may be able to sustain longer periods
of deep concentration, continuous mental effort is generally not good
for learning.
If we don’t carefully balance concentrated study with time to
relax and consolidate the learning, participants may feel frustrated or
bored. Eventually, they may even become exhausted or feel like fail-
ures for not being able to grasp the material. Such feelings, especially
when occurring regularly, can hinder learning.
Without regular release, participants are likely to feel stressed and
strained, and may fall off task by daydreaming or “spacing out.”
Worse, they may simply choose not to come back to future sessions.
Conversely, when trainings are well-balanced between press and
release activities, participants not only rate sessions more enthusias-
tically, they comprehend and remember more.
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Key Concept 19: Press and Release 99

How to Incorporate It
• The more complex or novel the material, the more frequently
you’ll want to incorporate release activities.
• During lengthy press periods, introduce intermittent opportu-
nities for release. For example, ask participants to turn to a
neighbor and briefly share what they’ve gleaned so far from the
lesson. Provide guiding questions to keep it simple, quick, and
relevant. Perhaps follow up with a large-group discussion and
address any lingering questions, concerns, or comments.
• Mediums such as journal writing, small-group discussion,
role-playing, mind mapping, games, or art are useful for both
releasing and debriefing after new learning.
• Encourage release within work groups by inviting them to
include debriefing periods in their team meetings. Suggest
a simple question-and-comment period, an acknowledgment
activity, or a team ritual.
• Give participants who are learning in a language other than
their native tongue extra release activities to balance the addi-
tional learning effort. You could also relieve the pressure by
offering opportunities to discuss the new learning in the partic-
ipant’s first language if possible.
• Provide regular, brief, unstructured breaks.
• Use energizers or other movement activities to introduce or
debrief new learning.
• Prepare a variety of physical energizers to throw in if the wave
crests before you were expecting it to. Even simple techniques
such as asking participants to stand or turn their chairs to face
a new direction can serve to reenergize the group.
• In a free-form learning environment such as group activities,
mature learners tend to create their own releases. If participants
seem to temporarily fall off topic, don’t be too quick to push
them back into the group—they may need a moment of release
and will rejoin the group with renewed focus after a minute or
two.
• Visualization or brainstorming exercises generally constitute a
press activity as participants concentrate and focus inward.
After such exercises, provide a release by encouraging partici-
pants to share their experience in writing or in a small-group
discussion format.
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100 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

When to Use It
Introduce a release activity of some kind before any learning
session that requires focused concentration. As a general rule for
adult learners, break up press periods every twenty minutes with a
release activity; however, if you’re presenting in a lecture format, if
the material is unusually complex or novel, or if participants aren’t
learning in their native language, provide additional opportunities
for release.

When Not to Use It

Think of press and release as a mutually inclusive dynamic that
works like a teeter-totter. It is natural for one end of the teeter-totter
to rise while the other falls, but a shift in weight is necessary to restore
balance. However, temporary imbalances are not necessarily bad: they
can induce moderate levels of stress, which actually drive learning
and augment retention.

A Real-Life Training Example

Participants were about to start the first phase of an activity

challenging them to solve a difficult problem. Although they
were organized into small groups, the trainer asked them to con-
sider the problem independently first in silence for two minutes
before beginning the group-work phase of the exercise. “When
I start the music, please consider it a signal to refocus your
thoughts here in the room and chat quietly with your group
while you wait for my next set of instructions,” he explained.
After two minutes, the trainer began playing a selection from
a Mozart CD and continued writing a series of questions on
the chalkboard. While participants waited for their next set of
instructions, an air of mystery filled the room and they began
talking to each other. Assuming the trainer understood the
concept of press and release, what do you think he intended to
accomplish during this unexplained pocket of time?
In this case, he had enough experience to know that if he did
not allow individuals the opportunity to debrief with each other
for a few minutes, their attention in the large-group discussion
would be greatly reduced. Talking informally was the release
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Key Concept 19: Press and Release 101

the trainer knew participants would need after a few minutes of

concentrated effort. Thus he wisely chose to encourage a period
of informal exchange, effectively preparing participants for the
next phase of the exercise.

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 20

Purposeful
Body Language

What It Is
Our body talks, and often it speaks louder than our words!
Do you know what yours is saying? Our body language can either
reinforce the information we are presenting or distract participants
and interfere with their learning process. Purposeful body language
means supporting content delivery by aligning it with integrated
verbal and physical cues. Training smart means communicating on
multiple levels to deliver a well-integrated, believable message.

Why It’s Important

Body language is critical in the training environment because
the brain registers visual cues such as facial expressions, body move-
ment, eye contact, and hand gestures on a subconscious level. While
we read body language unconsciously in a training, we can con-
sciously use our body language to help communicate critical ideas,
and focus participants’ attention in a given direction.

How to Incorporate It
A trainer’s body language, when orchestrated purposefully, can
help to maintain learners’ attention, facilitate a particular pace, high-
light important points, enhance recall, and build trust. It is critical,

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Key Concept 20: Purposeful Body Language 103

however, that it be done in a natural, relaxed manner. Here are some

ideas to help you align your verbal and physical communication
styles.

• Watch a videotape recording of yourself and identify which

gestures you feel support your message and which (if any)
negate your message or are not in alignment with what you
are communicating. Also, if possible, watch a video of a public
figure you admire and respect. Almost all effective speakers
reinforce their verbal ideas through their body language.
• Practice your presentation in front of a mirror, and experiment
with various supportive gestures and facial expressions.
Determine which key points you want to emphasize and incor-
porate a specific technique for achieving this effect at these
junctures.
• Adjust the magnitude of your gestures to reflect the level of
emphasis you want to achieve. For example, when you deliver
the most important facts in your presentation, use large body
movements, dramatic gestures, and direct eye contact.
• Complete stillness can also grab learners’ attention and high-
light an important point, especially when it is in contrast to
your usual movements. Pause for a few seconds, make direct
eye contact with the audience, tell them you are about to reveal
a key piece of information, and then make the point.
• Consider your position/location in the room and your posture
relative to the type of atmosphere you wish to create. These
cues represent significant aspects of communication. If, for
example, you’re facilitating an intimate activity such as a
poetry reading, sit among participants on their level rather than
stand over them. If you want participants to listen carefully,
stand up front and walk back and forth as appropriate. Pause
occasionally to emphasize key concepts.
• Rather than holding your fingers up to indicate a first, second,
and third element, use broader, more obvious gestures such as
the following to clearly distinguish one element from the next:
(1) first hold both hands clearly to the left of your body to repre-
sent the first element; (2) then hold your hands in front of your
body to emphasize the second element; and (3) then hold your
hands clearly to the right side of your body while introducing the
third element. Alternatively, you could move to three different
places in the front of the room while introducing the elements.
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104 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

• When moving from one subject to another, visually demon-

strate the transition by shifting your body movements or your
position in the room (see Key Concept 2: Bridges and Zones).

When to Use It
While it may be impossible to be completely aware of every
nuance in your body language all the time, it is quite possible to
purposefully incorporate gestures that support your verbal message
most of the time. This is the goal of using purposeful body language.

When Not to Use It

Not every word, phrase, or sentence requires an accompany-
ing gesture or movement. In fact, they can easily be overdone. In addi-
tion, not every gesture needs to be carefully calculated and precisely
timed. Rather, your goal should be to develop a natural style in front
of the room, which is contrasted by moments where the body lan-
guage highlights and adds emphasis to certain key moments in the
presentation.

A Real-Life Training Example

A trainer was addressing the three most important principles of

effective communication. She told the participants a story about
a manager who had successfully employed these principles in
the workplace. While explaining the example, she sat casually
on the edge of her desk and assumed a very relaxed posture and
conversational tone.
At the end of the story, she stood up, walked over to the
whiteboard, picked up a marking pen, and in a slightly louder
voice said, “Please raise your hand if you recognize any of the
communication techniques I’ve just demonstrated. Let’s discuss
the impact they made.” The responses came fast and furious.
The audience’s attention was definitely focused. From the qual-
ity of responses she received, the trainer knew that, in fact, the
most important parts of her presentation had been clearly
demonstrated.
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Key Concept 20: Purposeful Body Language 105

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 21

Visual-Field
Variations

What It Is
The visual field is a person’s entire view from a particular vantage
point. In the seminar setting, a participant’s visual field is the trainer’s
“stage.” The concept of visual-field variations reflects the idea that we
need to use this stage to its full potential. How many seminars have
you attended, for example, where the walls are bare, there are neat
rows of chairs, and a simple podium or table is at the front of the
room—all of which remain unchanged throughout the session?
Maximizing the visual field means attending to the total training
environment, including walls, bulletin boards, ceilings and windows,
using props, displays, images, and posters. When we use our entire
teaching stage, our training becomes akin to a surround-sound expe-
rience, advancing learning to a new level.
We can vary the visual field by repositioning ourselves, reposi-
tioning participants, or modifying the room.
Take another look at your training room.

• Are the walls and display areas full of colorful and relevant
images and information?
• Are the visual aids attractive and easy to read from a distance?
• Is the room full of interesting objects, models, and manipulatives?
• How often do they change relative to the content presented?
• How frequently can participants shift their seat or position in
the room?

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Key Concept 21: Visual-Field Variations 107

Why It’s Important

Using the full spectrum of a learner’s visual field and changing
it often create higher levels of concentration and recall. Shifts in the
visual field wake up the brain and keep learners alert. Because par-
ticipants naturally shift their range of vision from the presenter to
others around them, to close-up material, to surrounding displays,
we need to make sure that what they see supports the learning. If they
see interesting, relevant, and novel images around them, their con-
centration is more likely to remain focused on the learning at hand.
Support materials of this type can positively impact a participant’s
implicit memory—a mental process whereby information and images
are registered in the brain and encoded without conscious effort.

How to Incorporate It
Planning
Incorporate visual-field changes into your training plan using
the ideas below. Plan to change participants’ view often and create or
assemble a set of visual materials you will use to support each teach-
ing segment.

Preparing
When preparing a training room, walk around and view it from
multiple perspectives to make sure your displays and support mate-
rials attend to participants’ entire visual field. Be sure your posters
or images use color as much as possible. If the information you are
covering allows for it, use a variety of types of images, from humor-
ous ones to graphs, charts, and photographs.

Training
Here are just a few ideas to help you vary the visual field during
your training.

• Participants tend to sit in the same location in a room once

they’ve established it as “theirs.” This makes them comfortable;
however, it can eventually lead to a feeling of stagnation or
detachment in a training session. To keep the setting fresh and
participants mentally alert, occasionally suggest participants
change their position in the room. Explain the value of doing
this and tell them they are welcome to find a new seat or move
their chair any time they begin to feel bored or distracted.
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108 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

• Use activities that require various room arrangements. For

example, ask participants to move their chairs into a circle
for a group discussion. “Circle time” can help break the ice in a
new group or support a check-in or get-acquainted activity.
Consider what participants see while sitting in rows of chairs
versus a circle. How does viewing others’ faces versus the back
of their heads potentially impact learning?
• Periodically change the direction from which you are presenting.
For example, ask participants to stand and turn their chairs 180
degrees toward what has so far been the “back” of the room. This
unexpected request, coupled with the physical effort it entails and
the shift in visual field, stimulates anticipation and renews focus.
If you are using flip-charts, consider having one already set up at
the back of the room to make this shift as easy as possible.
• Place visuals in every area of the room so when participants’ atten-
tion inevitably shifts, they see material relevant to the presentation.
Hang items from the ceiling, on the door, and on the windows.
Pay special attention to bulletin boards and display areas. Provide
visually stimulating handouts and make them very accessible.
• If using PowerPoint, remember to include “holding” slides to
support the times in a training when you’re not directly refer-
ring to the screen. For example, for breaks include a slide that
reminds participants when they’re expected back or, if you’re
moving into an interactive activity, use a cartoon or photograph
to introduce and act as a backdrop to the event.
• Post the flip-charts created through small- or large-group dis-
cussions around the room.
• In a multiple-day training, post photographs on a bulletin board of
participants engaged in learning activities from a previous session.
• Provide opportunities for participants to present to the rest of
the group from different parts of the room.
• If possible, occasionally use the outdoor spaces surrounding
the training area. Going outside briefly creates a novel varia-
tion in the visual field and refreshes the brain.

When to Use It
Plan on implementing visual-field shifts throughout the training
session. However, in case you need to refresh the group more often,
have a host of visual-field variation strategies at your fingertips to use
when you sense the need. Regardless of how interesting or compelling
you are as a trainer, learners do inevitably look away. The TrainSmart
presenter understands this dynamic and is well prepared for it.
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Key Concept 21: Visual-Field Variations 109

When Not to Use It

It is sometimes a good idea to suggest rather than direct partici-
pants to make a visual field shift. And there are times—such as while
testing—when a shift would not be appropriate. The goal, of course,
is to support, not disrupt, the learning process.

A Real-Life Training Example

A staff-development trainer was well into the third day of a four-

day training when she noticed a lower-than-usual energy level
in the room. A number of people looked glassy-eyed and others
seemed distracted. She also noted that most participants had
continued to sit each day in the same chair. The seating was
typical—rows of chairs facing the front of the room.
The trainer decided a visual field shift might help restore
learners’ attention, so she offered the following: “Let’s take a few
minutes to stand, stretch, and breathe.” After leading a few deep-
breathing and stretching exercises, the trainer added, “Great.
Now, everyone please move your chair into the center of the room
in a large U shape with the top of the U open to the chalkboard.”
As the participants rearranged their chairs, the trainer noticed
a significant energy shift. Participants were talking to each other,
and their faces looked more animated. Once the chairs were
moved, the trainer positioned the flip-chart at the top of the U.
Every person now had a clear view of the presenter, the visual
aids, and each other. As she resumed her presentation, the
trainer noted she had reclaimed the group’s focus.

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 22

Vocal Italics

What It Is
Vocal italics is the art of supporting new learning by

• providing time for participants to comprehend new terms;

• emphasizing new terms with a change in volume and/or vocal
tone; and
• repeating new terms verbally several times if needed.

When we introduce unfamiliar concepts or technical terms, vocal

italics give participants the additional time they need to process and
understand these new ideas.

Why It’s Important

A trainer’s primary goal is simple: we want participants to
remember the material we present. Otherwise, why teach it? For
learners to understand new concepts and remember them, they need
to internalize unfamiliar terms. Accommodating and supporting
this process is critical to comprehension. By using vocal italics, we
alert participants’ brains to listen more carefully, thus supporting the
learning process.

How to Incorporate It
• In the planning stage of your presentation, highlight poten-
tially unfamiliar terms and concepts.

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Key Concept 22: Vocal Italics 111

• During the training, punctuate new terms with pauses and

vocal shifts. For example, the following fact might be italicized
in this way: “When government hunters in Africa cull a herd
of elephants, they kill certain members to ultimately benefit
the herd. Culling is a resource-management practice whereby
the size of the herd is balanced with the available geographic
resources.” In this example, the trainer pauses just before and
after the italicized words, clearly stresses the pronunciation,
and then repeats terms for further emphasis. Here’s another
example: “This is known as oxidation. Oxidation is the process
by which oxygen causes some metals to form rust.”
• In addition to using vocal italics, monitor your audience care-
fully for signs of confusion or frustration. If you notice vacant,
puzzled, or anxious facial expressions, slow down, repeat new
terms and concepts, and facilitate a partner-share or question-
and-answer period to ensure all participants understand the
new terminology.

When to Use It
This concept is most critical when the content you’re presenting
is unfamiliar to your participants. The more prior knowledge your
participants have regarding the subject, the faster you can present.
If you have a mixed group, aim your delivery toward the middle of
the experience range, rather than toward the top or bottom. Ask your-
self how familiar the average participant is with this content. Then
proceed accordingly, always adjusting as you go. If participants seem
confused, slow down, vocally punctuate new terms and concepts, use
terms repeatedly, and then check in with your audience again.

When Not to Use It

Don’t use vocal italics to subject matter experts, as it may appear
patronizing. In general, however, you can use this technique to aid
comprehension when explaining any concept you believe will be
unfamiliar to the average participant.

A Real-Life Training Example

A large manufacturing firm held a training session on electri-

cal safety for all of its employees. The trainer was an electrical
(Continued)
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112 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

(Continued)
engineer with a graduate degree and many years of experience
in the field.
During the presentation, he used terms such as amperes, watts,
and volts. Although he provided a brief definition of these and
other industry-related words, his delivery was rapid. Some
of the employees, many of them nonprofessional-level staff,
were familiar with the terms, but others had little reason to use
them.
Eventually, one dismayed participant raised her hand and
said, “Could you please slow down and explain some of the
terms you’re using? I’m a little confused.”
Several other participants nodded their heads in agreement,
alerting the trainer that he’d lost much of his audience. Good-
naturedly, he apologized to the group and recapped what he’d
presented. This time he slowed down, paused frequently, used
vocal inflection, and repeated unfamiliar terms in a variety of
contexts. Before proceeding, he facilitated an exercise in which
small groups were asked to brainstorm common workplace
safety dangers and precautions. During the exercise, he walked
around and answered individuals’ questions.
The trainer’s initial inclination—to direct the training to the
highest common denominator (i.e., those participants most
experienced with the content)—was clearly off base. However,
when he altered his course and employed vocal italics, the
trainer reclaimed his audience.

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 23

Music Matters

What It Is
The fact that music can facilitate a state change in our mind/body
makes it a potentially powerful tool for trainers. Not only can music,
when it is used purposefully, help reduce stress, it can enhance cog-
nition, memory, and emotional intelligence. We also know that music
can induce relaxation, creativity, self-discipline, and motivation.

Why It’s Important

Since music has an immediate physical, emotional, and psycho-
logical effect on human beings, it can help build social connections,
heighten awareness, and provide a sense of safety. It floods the brain
in rhythms and beats that induce a wide range of states from ener-
gized to relaxed. What better way is there to tap into the emotions
and consciousness of a learner than with the music they love?
As trainers, we can tap into music’s ability to enrich the training
environment. At the very least, music can enhance motivation, atten-
tion, and feelings of vigor. Beyond this, research in recent years has
suggested it may also improve various brain functions such as spatial-
temporal reasoning skills. Other studies suggest that music listening
can increase levels of norepinephrine and epinephrine—two neuro-
transmitters linked to emotional arousal—in the brain. While particular
music rhythms may stimulate the right hemisphere of the brain (cre-
ative thinking, synthesis), other rhythms tend to predominately stim-
ulate the left hemisphere (analytical thinking). Still other researchers
note that music’s memory- and image-evoking ability stems from its

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114 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

tendency to overlap the auditory cortex with the part of the visual
cortex that deals with visual association. Although this body of sci-
ence is still young, there’s very little downside to playing music—so
give it a try!

How to Incorporate It
Here are a few easy ways to integrate music into your trainings.

• Play an up-tempo selection to energize a group or set a lively

mood.
• Play a slow-tempo selection to calm a group or set an inspira-
tional mood.
• Play nature-inspired music or a Baroque selection to focus par-
ticipants or to set a mood for concentrated study.
• Play music during transitional activities—for example, while
participants pick up handouts or reorganize their chairs.
• Use a particular song to call a group back from a break or cue
participants that the next part of the session is about to begin—
much like the theater does when intermission is over.
• When choosing a stereo system, consider the parameters of your
particular training milieu (i.e., volume requirements, training
room acoustics, remote-control feature, load capacity, and ease
of use).
• Individual preferences regarding music type and volume always
vary. Either direct your choices toward the norm or play a vari-
ety of selections at varying levels to accommodate the widest
range of listeners.
• CDs are certainly a convenient medium for music in the train-
ing environment. However, if you have access to a digital music
player—for example, an iPod—you will have even greater con-
trol over your music. Digital music players allow you to store
an incredibly large number of songs, so you’ll have more to
choose from than if you just brought a stack of CDs. You can
usually find a particular song very rapidly. You can also easily
create playlists—a sequence of songs you’ve chosen to use for
a particular module of your training. These are just a few of the
many additional aspects of music that a digital music player
will allow you to explore.
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Key Concept 23: Music Matters 115

When to Use It
• Before a training session begins (while waiting for participants
to arrive), play mood-setting music to encourage friendly
exchange among learners. A quiet room can be intimidating
and impersonal. Music at the start of a session can also set a
positive tone for the rest of the training. In addition, it provides
the opportunity for a clear, nonverbal starting point when it’s
time to begin: simply turn the music off to seize the moment
without having to say, “Okay, it’s time to stop talking and direct
your attention toward me.”
• During transitions or break activities, energize a group with an
upbeat tune.
• During small-group discussions, soft background music without
lyrics can “pad” conversations and reduce distractions.
• Close a session with an inspirational tune that carries a memo-
rable message. Participants will walk away from the training
with this as their last impression.
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116 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

When Not to Use It

Don’t play music, even softly, during testing or content-heavy
presentation periods that require intense concentration. At such times,
it is best not to introduce any competing stimuli.

A Real-Life Training Example

In a large one-day workshop for school administrators, partici-

pants were divided into two groups. Group A was instructed to
meet in the Amber Room, while Group B was directed to meet in
the Blue Room. After a logistical briefing, participants were told
to take a five-minute break before joining their respective break-
out sessions.
The two seminar rooms were set up exactly the same, except
that the Amber Room contained a portable stereo playing upbeat
tunes moderately loud. As the group filed in from their break,
music sent a wave of positive energy through the room.
The Blue Room, however, had no music, so when participants
entered all that could be heard was a dull hum generated by a
couple of participants talking quietly among themselves.
The trainer in the Amber Room incorporated music through-
out the breakout session, while the Blue Room’s trainer did not.
Otherwise, the same curriculum was addressed in the two
sessions. Two participants in each group were asked to be silent
observers—to sit back, observe, and take notes on the group
dynamics and degree of involvement.
Participants in the Amber Room bounced in and immediately
began talking to others in the room. The trainer used music on
and off throughout the session. Participants in the Blue Room,
on the other hand, shuffled in and sat down quietly. No music
was incorporated.
Afterward, participants were asked to return to the general
session, where they were debriefed on the structural differences
between the two breakout sessions. The participant observers
were asked to share their notes and then the larger group was
asked to share its impressions. The differences were striking.
Participants in the Amber Room clearly got more out of the
session than those in the Blue Room.
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Key Concept 23: Music Matters 117

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 24

Guiding Attention
What It Is
Guiding attention is the technique of facilitating smooth transitions
from one learning task to the next by inviting learners with verbal and/
or nonverbal cues to shift their focus gradually toward the next activity.
Guiding attention helps stop participants from tuning out and recap-
tures learners’ attention after small-group exercises, breaks, and/ or
independent-learning periods.

Why It’s Important

Guiding attention ensures the brain has sufficient time to transi-
tion from one learning activity to the next. Guiding attention is par-
ticularly important in a highly interactive environment where the
training plan calls for frequent shifts—for example, from a lecture
presentation to a dyad interaction to a small-group activity, and so on.
While a range of learning modes is highly beneficial to learning, if we
don’t manage these frequent transitions carefully, they may disrupt
the flow of the workshop.
For example, after an activity such as an independent learning
task or break, we can regain learners’ attention by emphasizing mean-
ingful relationships between learning activities.

How to Incorporate It
The following techniques are just a few of the ways to gain, main-
tain, and/or regain participants’ attention during transition periods.

• When giving instructions for an upcoming learning activity,

include a precise time frame and wrap-up cue. For example,
118
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Key Concept 24: Guiding Attention 119

you might say, “At five minutes to three o’clock, I’ll announce
that you have five more minutes. Please start wrapping up
your small-group discussions at that time. At three o’clock,
we’ll regroup to discuss your conclusions.” Note that a precise
time frame was provided as well as a specific cue—the announce-
ment—for initiating the transition.
• Make requests instead of demands. A directive such as, “Okay,
everybody, stop talking and look up here now” is jarring and
lacks sensitivity to a participant’s own learning process. Rather,
prepare the group ahead of time, and then ask a question or
make a request that is germane to the assignment. For example,
you might say, “Over the next thirty seconds, as you bring your
group discussion to a close, please consider what three ele-
ments you personally feel are most important to managing a
successful learning organization.”
• To regain a group’s attention, initially use a voice that is slightly
louder than the noise level in the room. Then immediately
lower your voice so participants have to pay attention to hear
you. The key is to synchronize the momentary break in noise
level with a reduction in your own volume.
• Always give participants a heads up a few minutes before they
need to conclude their present activity. This gives the brain
time to prepare for the necessary mental shift. When you use
music to alert participants, you avoid having to raise your
voice and/or the possibility of being perceived as overbearing.
• If you need to unexpectedly gain participants’ attention, con-
sider standing on something to make you higher than they are.
Moving a chair to the middle of the room and standing up on
it is one option. Raise your hand above your head and ask par-
ticipants for their attention. Wait patiently while conversations
are wrapped up. As soon as the room is quiet, put your hand
down and make your announcement.
• Rather than making an abrupt shift to a new topic, bridge the old
with the new. For example, you could invite participants to share
what insights they gleaned from the activity being wrapped up
and then briefly relate their responses to the upcoming activity.

When to Use It
Try to incorporate guiding strategies right from the start of a
training session. If you use this strategy at the very beginning, partic-
ipants will come to expect it as a natural part of the rhythm of your
presentation style. If you handle these early transitions clearly and
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120 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

cleanly in the opening moments, the group will naturally be inclined

to follow this pattern for the rest of the training. Continue to use these
strategies as consistently as possible whenever a transition is needed.

When Not to Use It

Try not to rush closure, especially if the group’s energy level is
high and participants are deeply involved. While we can’t give every
activity extra time, try to remain flexible throughout a training and
don’t pack too much content into any one learning session.

A Real-Life Training Example

Participants in a workshop were divided into small groups for

a brainstorming activity. They were told they had thirty minutes to
complete the exercise, and they would be alerted halfway into the
allotted time period. Fifteen minutes into the activity, the trainer
was pleased to see that most of the participants were fully engaged
in an animated discussion and rapidly jotting down notes.
A few minutes later, a very faint, almost imperceptible level
of classical music could be heard. About five minutes later, the
music became a bit louder, at which point the participants
realized they were nearing the closing time. The trainer steadily
increased the volume over the next five minutes as discussions
wound down. Finally, the trainer lowered the volume slightly
and said, “Please take the next minute to wrap up. Let’s recon-
vene at five after the hour to discuss your responses.”
By steadily increasing the volume of the music, while keeping
it appropriate at all times, the trainer allows participants to expe-
rience a smooth transition to the next activity.

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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Key Concept 25

Verbal
Specificity

What It Is
Verbal specificity maximizes comprehension by communicating
accurate details with precise, positive language. This type of explicit
detail helps the brain translate content into concrete, easy-to-grasp
images that paint an accurate and intentional picture in the mind’s
eye. For example, the word not can conjure up the very image one
wants to avoid. If we say to our participants, “Do not imagine a huge
pink gorilla,” what actually happens , of course, is exactly the oppo-
site of our intent. Thus we can see the importance of using positive
and precise language in the training environment.

Why It’s Important

Since new learning is often accompanied by feelings of frustra-
tion and/or stress, anything we can do to reduce confusion and
improve communication is beneficial. For example, imagine you are
going bird watching for the first time. The binoculars you have are
old and don’t stay focused, so you get frustrated and give up. How
do you feel about bird watching? You think it’s annoying and not
very rewarding. Now imagine your first bird-watching trip was with
an experienced guide who brought along first-rate equipment and
quickly helped you learn to spot and identify birds. This time you
enjoyed the experience, remembered it in detail, and wanted to repeat
it. When we’re learning something new, clarity and understanding
both keep us on task and reduce frustration and/or confusion.
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122 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

Verbal specificity is also important when we’re giving instruc-

tions, as demonstrated in the following example.
Midway through a CPR certification course, the instructor dis-
tributes a handout that summarizes the key points discussed so far.
He asks participants to spend the next five minutes reviewing the
handout to prepare for the certification test later in the day. He pro-
vides the following instructions:
“As you review this handout, pay particular attention to the case
studies on page two. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the recom-
mended sequence of steps for each kind of emergency. The test today
will definitely cover this material.”
With these precise directions, participants are now clearer about
how to prioritize their study time.

How to Incorporate It
• Use positive rather than negative phrasing whenever possible.
For example, replace words such as can’t, won’t, don’t, and never
with their positive opposites, such as can, will, do, and always.
• Avoid using “legalese,” “trainerese,” or other industry-specific
jargon unless you’re presenting to an exclusive group in a spe-
cific field that understands the terms explicitly. Nothing makes
participants tune out faster than being repeatedly confronted
with incomprehensible terms and concepts. As a trainer, it is
almost always better to err on the side of using simple, direct,
and widely understood language.
• Avoid using vague language unless you’re doing it for a
particular reason.
• Add increased meaning to content by using words that paint a
mental picture. For example, incorporate storytelling, metaphor,
clarifying examples, and role-playing whenever possible.
• Language that perpetuates stereotypes or can potentially
disenfranchise certain groups of people (i.e., genders, cultures,
religions, socioeconomic class, lifestyle, age, ethnic background)
is never okay. Don’t use it, and gently correct others if they use
it. Be sure that you use both male and female pronouns when
referring to people in general. Consider what stereotypes you
may be perpetuating yourself and make a conscious effort to
avoid this kind of language.
• Whenever possible, use a conversational approach, rather than
a lecture format or reading from a text. Establish structure in
your presentations, but avoid making formal speeches.
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Key Concept 25: Verbal Specificity 123

• Employ all the senses, using colorful and vivid words to

describe how an image or scene looks, feels, smells, sounds, and
perhaps tastes.

When to Use It
Use positively phrased, detailed language whenever possible,
and especially when delivering instructions or feedback. Choose
words that are positive; paint an accurate mental picture; provide
real-life examples. Always respect the power of your words—use lan-
guage to help participants learn rapidly and easily.

When Not to Use It

Of course, there are exceptions. For example, there are times
when broad, abstract terms are beneficial. For example, you may want
participants to think for themselves in solving a problem or making
a connection. In these types of situations, spelling out every detail
would probably reduce the benefits of the cognitive process. In
addition, using negative rather than positive phrasing may occasion-
ally be helpful when highlighting a key point through contrast or
comparison.

A Real-Life Training Example

Verbal specificity is also important when we’re giving feedback,

as demonstrated in this example.
A participant in a presentation skills training had given a
presentation. When she was done, the group applauded and
the trainer offered the following acknowledgment: “Well done.
Thanks for your excellent effort in putting this very interesting
presentation together. Some parts could use improvement, but
in general it was great!”
This response, although positive, falls short of verbal speci-
ficity. While it may bolster the participant’s confidence, it won’t
help her become a more proficient presenter. A response employ-
ing the concept of verbal specificity might be: “Excellent presen-
tation. I enjoyed your use of metaphor and the interaction you
generated with the audience. However, I had a hard time seeing
your visuals, and I wasn’t sure whether I should take notes or if
(Continued)
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124 Part Two: Twenty-Five Key Concepts for Training Smarter

(Continued)
you were going to give me a handout. You might consider these
issues for future presentations.”
The trainer’s second response not only acknowledged the
participant’s areas of strength, it identified ways the participant
could improve her presentation in the future.

My thoughts about applying this concept:

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PART THREE
Tools for Training

Six Powerful Parables

1. Animal School
2. The Strawberry
3. The Traveler
4. Two Seeds
5. The 1958 World Series
6. Caterpillars
A TrainSmart Checklist
TrainSmart Lesson Plan Template

Six Powerful Parables

When we use analogies, parables, personal stories, and metaphors,
we take participants on a vivid and colorful journey that extends their
learning to another level. Stories have always been used to convey
deep truths and understandings. The Bible—the most comprehensive
storybook of all time—makes extensive use of this principle. Perhaps
the greatest value of storytelling lies in its ability to involve the
listener on multiple levels—engaging the brain, visual system,
125
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126 TrainSmart

imagination, and memory. Discerning relevancy through our own

mental efforts pays high dividends; thus, storytelling represents a
powerful tool for trainers. Whether using personal examples, folk-
tales, poetry, or parables, the skilled storyteller does double duty—
inspiring as well as teaching.
The parables offered in this section are some of my favorite train-
ing stories, collected over the years in encounters with other trainers
and trainings. They were shared with me in the spirit of passing on
knowledge, and I offer them to you in the same way. Feel free to add
them to your own repertoire if they work for you.

1. Animal School
Once upon a time, a community of animals decided to organize
a school to meet the demands of their increasingly complex society.
Wanting a well-rounded curriculum, they decided each student
should take classes in running, climbing, swimming, and flying since
these were the basic behaviors represented by most of the animals in
the community.
In the first school year, the duck proved to be an excellent swim-
mer—better, in fact, than the teacher. She was also a very good flyer.
However, since she proved less than proficient at running, she was made
to stay after school to practice. The duck was even told to stop swimming
to make more time for running. Eventually her webbed feet were so badly
damaged that her once-excellent swimming technique was reduced to a
barely passable level. Nobody, however, worried—except the duck.
The rabbit started at the top of his class in running, but finally had
a nervous breakdown due to his dread of swimming, the subject he
could not seem to master.
The squirrel was an excellent climber; however, when the teacher
insisted she start flying from the ground instead of the treetops, she
developed a psychological block that reduced her to a below-average
student.
The eagle was the school’s worst discipline problem. In flying and
diving class, he excelled, but he insisted on using his own method to
get where he wanted to go. He received an “F.”
The gophers ditched school and fought the education tax levies
because digging was not included in the curriculum. They appren-
ticed their children to the badger and later joined the groundhogs to
start a private school that offered alternative education.
At the end of the first school year, the animals held a meeting
to discuss how their educational system had failed to produce well-
rounded learners and successful citizens.
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Part Three: Tools for Training 127

Guiding Questions:
• Why did the animals’ education system fail?
• Can you see any of these errors in thinking within your
organization?

2. The Strawberry
One morning, a monk was gathering fruit in the jungle when
he came upon a tiger. Not wanting to be breakfast for the tiger, the
monk ran away. Unfortunately, the tiger pursued him. After running
hard through the dense foliage, the monk suddenly burst out of the
jungle and found himself teetering on the edge of a cliff. With the
tiger almost upon him, the monk had little choice but to grab a vine
hanging from the cliff top and jump over the edge. The vine held!
Halfway down the cliff, the monk saw another tiger waiting below!
As he clung to the vine, trying to decide what to do, a tiny mouse
emerged from a hole in the cliff side and began nibbling away at the
vine. In this moment of crisis, the monk suddenly noticed a strawberry
plant growing from a crevice in the cliff. On it was the biggest, most
luscious strawberry he’d ever seen. Temporarily ignoring his plight,
the monk reached out, plucked the strawberry, and took a bite. All his
fear was suddenly forgotten, for the monk could experience nothing
but the intense pleasure of the most succulent, sweetest-tasting fruit he
had ever eaten.
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128 TrainSmart

Then, just as the mouse finished nibbling through the vine and it fell
away, the monk found a tiny ledge to cling to. He held on to it for so long
that both tigers became bored and went away. Very slowly, the monk
made his way up the cliff, through the jungle, and back to his village.
As he walked, the monk thought to himself: “I learned an impor-
tant lesson today: Life is precious and time is short. Too often I spend
my time worrying about what has happened in the past (tiger at the
top of the cliff), what might happen in the future (tiger at the bottom
of the cliff), and about the nibbling, nagging problems of each and
every day (mouse). With all this worry, I sometimes become blinded
to the wonderful gifts life has to offer (strawberry). My fear prevents
me from seeing or relishing these gifts. So not only should we wish
for many strawberries (gifts) in our lives, but also for the wisdom to
recognize them, pluck them, taste them, and fully enjoy each and
every precious bite.”

Guiding Questions:
• What are the tigers, mice, and strawberries in your life?
• How might you apply the monk’s learnings to your life?

3. The Traveler
A traveler was on a long journey. One morning, he noticed his chosen
path was becoming increasingly narrow and difficult to navigate. Sensing
he may have taken a wrong turn, he decided to ask the next person he
encountered if this was the case. He soon entered a clearing and saw a
very old man sitting in the center of it. The traveler hurried over to him
and said, “Excuse me, but I was traveling along the path this morning,
and it became very narrow. Can you tell me if I’m going the right way?”
The old man answered very softly, “You’re on the right path. Keep
going. But gather all that you find before crossing the river.” The trav-
eler was confused—what did the old man mean by this? But the old
man wouldn’t say any more, so the traveler continued on.
Late in the afternoon, the weary traveler rounded a bend and
found himself in front of a river. As he started to wade to the other
side, the old man’s words echoed in his mind. He paused and looked
around, but noticed only trees, shrubs, and pebbles by the river’s
edge—nothing of any value. Shrugging, he picked up a few pebbles,
put them in his pocket, and continued across the river.
After reaching the other side of the river, the traveler trudged
aimlessly on through dense forest for hours before discovering a new
path. He was too tired to go any farther and began to prepare a fire. As
he knelt down, something hard dug into his thigh and he remembered
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Part Three: Tools for Training 129

the pebbles in his pocket. “That old man was crazy,” the traveler
thought to himself. “I don’t know why I’ve carried these stones
around.” However, as he cocked his arm to throw them away, a glint of
color caught his eye. He looked closer.
“It can’t be!” he declared. With the moonlight now shining on the
pebbles, the traveler could see that the objects he held were not mere
rocks. They were diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds! The dirt
on the stones, he thought, must have rubbed off when he crossed the
river. Astonished and dismayed all at the same time, the traveler real-
ized that had he gathered more stones before crossing the river, he’d
never have to worry about money again. But there was no going back
now: the traveler knew he would never find his way back. At that
very moment, he made a vow to himself: From now on, I will always
try to see the true nature of something before judging it.

Guiding Questions:
• What meaning does this story hold for you?
• Have you ever misjudged someone or something?
• What happened?

4. Two Seeds
One spring, a young woman planted her garden. Two seeds
ended up lying in the ground next to each other. The first seed said to
the second one: “Think of how much fun this will be! We will send
our roots deep down into the soil and, when they’re strong, we’ll
burst from the ground and become beautiful flowers for all the world
to see and admire!”
The second seed listened, but was worried. “That sounds nice,”
he said, “but isn’t the ground too cold? I’m frightened to put my roots
into it. And what if something goes wrong and I don’t turn out very
pretty? Then the lady may not like me. I’m afraid.”
The first seed, however, was not deterred. He pushed his roots
down into the ground and started to grow. When his roots were
strong enough, he emerged from the ground as a beautiful flower.
The lady tended him carefully and proudly showed the fragrant
blossom to all of her friends. Meanwhile, the other seed lay dormant.
“Come on,” the flower said to his friend every day, “it’s warm and
wonderful up here in the sunshine!”
The second seed was quite impressed, but remained frightened
and only tentatively pushed a root out into the soil. “Ouch,” he said.
“This ground is still too cold and hard for me! I don’t like it. I’d rather
stay here in my own shell where I’m safe and comfortable. There’s
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130 TrainSmart

plenty of time to become a flower.” Nothing the first seed said chan-
ged the second seed’s mind.
Then one day, when the lady was away, a very hungry bird
flew into the garden. It scratched at the ground looking for something
to eat. The second seed, lying just below the surface, was terrified of
being eaten. But this was his lucky day; just in time, a tomcat jumped
from the windowsill and scared the bird away. The seed sighed with
relief! And at that very moment he came to an important decision:
“I’m going to stop taking my short time here on earth for granted,” he
said. “I’m going to follow my hopes and dreams instead of my fears.”
Then, without another thought, the second seed began to spread his
roots, and he too grew into a wonderful flower.

Guiding Questions:
• Do you follow your dreams and hopes or do you follow your
fears?
• Have you ever had an experience in which you had to push
through your fears in order to grow?

5. The 1958 World Series

During the 1958 World Series, the New York Yankees and the
Milwaukee Braves were dueling it out in game six. Warren Spahn was
pitching for Milwaukee late in the deciding game. His team was up by
one run when the Yankees’ star catcher, Elston Howard, came up to bat.
Milwaukee manager Fred Haney came to the pitcher’s mound and
told Warren Spahn, “Whatever you do, don’t throw it high and out-
side. If you do, he’ll get a hit for sure.” Spahn, sending a wet stream of
chewing tobacco to the ground, wound up and threw his pitch. It was
high and outside. Elston Howard hit a clean single, and was eventu-
ally able to score the winning run in game six. The Yankees then went
on to win game seven and the World Series, four games to three.
After the game ended, as Warren Spahn walked back to the dugout,
he threw his mitt down in disgust. He was heard to have said, “Why
would a manager ever tell a player what to do by saying what not
to do?”

Guiding Questions:
• What do you think happened here?
• Have you ever been in a situation similar to that of the
Milwaukee pitcher?
• Have you ever told somebody what to do by saying what not
to do?
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Part Three: Tools for Training 131

6. Caterpillars

Processionary caterpillars feed on pine needles. They move in an

undulating parade-like fashion across tree limbs, one after another,
each connected to the tail of the preceding caterpillar.
Jean-Henri Fabri, a renowned French naturalist, decided to exper-
iment with a group of these caterpillars. Patiently enticing them to the
rim of a large flowerpot, he connected the first caterpillar to the last,
forming a fuzzy, circular cavalcade with no beginning and no end. He
expected the insects to eventually catch on to the joke, tire of the end-
less march, and start off in some new direction. But not so: through
sheer force of habit, they circled the rim of the pot for seven days and
seven nights.
An ample supply of food was close at hand and plainly visible,
but it was outside the range of the caterpillars’ self-imposed limits.
Realizing the creatures would not stop or redirect themselves, even if
faced with starvation, Jean-Henri gently broke the chain and led the
hungry procession to the nearby food and water.

Guiding Questions:
• Why didn’t the caterpillars move out of the line and eat?
• Did they mistake activity for accomplishment?
• Do you think there are any areas in your life where you might
be circling like a caterpillar?

A TrainSmart Checklist
When preparing your training plan, the following checklist will help
ensure you’ve covered the key concepts of the TrainSmart approach.
It is important to note, of course, that not all of the elements included
will apply to every training session. Again, the checklist merely rep-
resents a framework that requires you to tailor it to your needs.
Amend it however you feel is appropriate.

Do you have a variety of visuals prepared that support your

training content?

What will appear on the walls around the training room?

Which areas of the room will be designated for various learn-
ing tasks?

What strategies will you implement to put learners at ease
and foster lively interaction?
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132 TrainSmart

What engagers will you use early in the session to prime

participants for learning?

What framing strategies will you incorporate to orient learners?

Have you reviewed and practiced verbalizing your instruc-
tions for each activity? Are they succinct, sequential, and clear?

Have you eliminated overly technical terms and provided
clear explanations for potentially new ones?

Do the word choices you’ve made enhance your role as
facilitator?

Will you provide participants with a brief explanation of
creative note-taking techniques?

What strategies do you have planned for creating state
changes when needed?

How do you plan to accommodate breaks and/or state-change
activities throughout the session?

What strategies will you use to ensure the physical and emo-
tional comfort of participants during group activities?

How will you ensure participants feel empowered? What
strategies will you use to instill ownership and personal
responsibility?

Does your training schedule incorporate the concept of press
and release?

What role will music play during your training?

Have you chosen the music and practiced using the sound
equipment available?

What strategies will you use to ensure participants receive
sufficient acknowledgment?

In what ways might contrast help highlight the critical points
of your presentation?

What strategies will you use to distribute resources efficiently
and productively?

What learning activities will you incorporate?

Are your activities followed by a debriefing?

At what points in the training will you use open loops? When
and how will you close them?

What strategies will you use to maintain or recapture partici-
pants’ attention during transition phases?
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Part Three: Tools for Training 133

What thought-provoking questions and clarifying examples

will you use to facilitate debriefings and group interaction?

Have you included activities that engage the body? What
movement activities will be incorporated? Are any of the acti-
vities conducted outside or standing?

Does your body language and verbal timing support the key
points of your presentation?

What memory strategies have you incorporated to help
participants recall the key concepts?

What parables, personal examples, metaphors, or stories will
you include?

How will you ensure learners have fully understood the
content?

How do you plan to close the session?

A thorough review of this checklist will not only help you avoid
the common pitfalls that trap many trainers, it will ensure partici-
pants learn what you want them to learn. Go on and give yourself a
round of APPLAUSE!
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134 TrainSmart

TrainSmart Lesson Plan Template

Time ENGAGE FRAME EXPLORE DEBRIEF REFLECT

MORNING BREAK

LUNCH

AFTERNOON BREAK

Copyright © 2008 by Corwin Press. All rights reserved. Reprinted from TrainSmart:
Perfect Trainings Every Time, Second Edition, by Rich Allen. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin Press, www.corwinpress.com. Reproduction authorized only for the local
school site or nonprofit organization that has purchased this book.
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Education makes us what we are.

—C.-A. Helvetius
Discours xxx
1715–1771
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Index
Acknowledgment Debriefing, 4, 33, 87, 91, 99
strategies, 23–27 Decision-making skills, 8–9, 90–93
Acronyms, 14 Directional zones, 29, 46
Acrostics, 14 Direction-giving skills, 44–48,
Action steps, 2–6 69–72, 118–119, 121–124
Adequate response time, 60–63 Directness of training
Aggressive language usage approach, 16–18
See Positive language usage Discomfort
Allen, R., 134 See Comfort levels
Animal School parable, 126–127 Discussion-leading skills, 69–72
Application skills, 10 Disruption management, 73–77
Attention-seeking behaviors, 73–77
Attention spans, 11–13, Effective instruction-giving
94, 118–120 skills, 69–72
Audience involvement, 86–89 Emotional concerns, 9, 32–35
Awareness, 8–9, 11–13 Empowerment, 90–93
Encouragement, 23–27
Balanced training, 98–101 Engagement, 3
Body language, 102–105 Exploration, 4
Bridges and zones, 28–31, 46
Facilitation zones, 28–30
Caterpillars parable, 131 Feedback, 23–27
Checklists, 131–133 Framing skills, 4, 13
Choice-making skills, 8–9
Closure guidelines, 36–40 Group activities, 56–59
Cohesiveness, 56 Guiding attention strategies, 118–120
Comfort levels, 6–8, 32–35, 67 Guiding principles, 11–18
Commanding language
See Positive language usage Honest effort, 25–26
Concentration abilities, 98 Human needs, 6–8
Congruency, 45–46 See also Comfort levels
Content Humor, use of, 9, 74–77
attention spans, 15
relevance, 6–10 Implementation guidelines
unfamiliar concepts, 110–112 acknowledgment strategies, 24–26
Contrast, 41–43 adequate response time, 61–63
Cooperative language audience involvement, 15, 87–88
See Positive language usage body language, 102–104
Creative note-taking skills, 78–81 bridges and zones, 30–31
Critical beliefs, 6–11 comfort levels, 32–35, 67

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contrast, 42–43 Negative emotions

disruption management, 74–77 See Emotional concerns
guiding attention strategies, 1958 World Series parable, 130
118–120 Note-taking skills, 78–81
mind mapping skills, 78–81
music, 114–116, 120 Open loop strategy, 15–16
ownership, 91–92 Ownership, 90–93
participant inquiry, 57–59
positive language usage, 82–85, Parables, 11, 125–131
119, 122–124 Participant inquiry, 56–59
precise directions, 45–48, 118–119, Participant involvement, 4, 15, 86–89
122–124 Pausing for visuals, 94–97
press and release activities, 99–101 Peer acknowledgment, 24
question/clarify/question format, People first philosophy, 6–8
70–72, 122 Physical acknowledgment, 25
resource distribution, 49–52 Physical locations, 28–31
specified response modes, 65–68 Playful interactions, 9
standing activities, 53–55 Positive emotions
task completion, 37–40 See Emotional concerns
verbal specificity, 122–124 Positive language usage, 82–85,
visual-field variations, 107–109 119, 121–124
visual presentations, 94–97 PowerPoint presentations
vocal italics, 110–112 See Visual presentation guidelines
Inappropriate behaviors Precise directions, 44–48, 118–119,
See Disruption management 121–124
Instructional zones, 28–29 Press and release activities, 98–101
Instruction-giving skills, 44–48, 69–72, Prior knowledge, 15, 111
118–119, 121–124 Productive discussions, 69–72
Interactive exercises, 32 Purposeful body language, 102–105
Internalization, 37–38
Involvement formats, 86–89 Question/clarify/question format,
69–72, 122
Key concept matrix, 22
Real-life examples
Learning environments acknowledgment strategies, 26
acknowledgment strategies, 24–26 adequate response time, 62–63
bridges and zones, 28–31 audience involvement, 88
cohesiveness, 56 body language, 104
comfort levels, 6–9, 32–35 bridges and zones, 31
contrast, 41–43 comfort levels, 34–35
disruption management, 74–77 contrast, 43
music, 113–117 disruption management, 76–77
press and release activities, 98–101 guiding attention strategies, 120
standing activities, 53–55 mind mapping skills, 80–81
visual-field variations, 106–109 model, 4–6
Lesson plan template, 134 music, 116, 120
ownership, 92
Memory strategies, 14–15 participant inquiry, 58–59
Metaphors, 11, 122 positive language usage, 84–85
See also Parables precise directions, 48
Mind mapping skills, 78–81 press and release activities, 100–101
Mnemonic devices, 14–15 question/clarify/question
Music, 113–117, 120 format, 71–72
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resource distribution, 51 Storytelling skills, 11, 122, 125–131

specified response modes, 67 Strawberry parable, 127–128
standing activities, 55 Student-teacher relationships, 6–8
task completion, 39 SWAE (Show, Wait, Ask, Explain)
verbal specificity, 123–124 approach, 95
visual-field variations, 109
visual presentations, 97 Task completion, 36–40
vocal italics, 111–112 Teacher-student relationships, 6–8
Recall, 9 Templates, 134
Reflection, 4 Training approaches, 16–18
Regaining attention, 118–120 Training momentum, 11–13
Relevance of content, 6–10 Training schedule model, 18–20
Resource distribution, 49–52 Traveler parable, 128–129
Response modes, 64–68 Two Seeds parable, 129–130
Response time, 60–63
Retention skills, 9, 14–15 Verbal specificity, 121–124
Visual-field variations, 106–109
Sarcasm, 74 Visual presentation guidelines, 94–97
Self-acknowledgment, 24 Vocal italics, 110–112
Sense of accomplishment, 37–38
Specified response modes, 64–68 Zones
Standing activities, 53–55 See Bridges and zones
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