I would like to share with the group my experience of how critical it is to share expectations of training with trainees PRIOR to them attending training. As an in-house trainer, perhaps I see this more often. I know I've been guilty of it myself. My point is that we are almost setting folks up for failure in training when we aren't clear in why they are expected to attend, what they're supposed to get out of the training, and what the expectations are when they return. We need to establish, for example, will they use it now, use it in the future, use it often, will they be held accountable for the training, will their direct supervisors also be reminding them of what they learned to help the training be more effective, will they be expected to share what they've learned with others when they're back at work?

Also, I blatantly stole the following from a trainer I saw present to a Chamber group in Freeport. She used multiple choice questions (some of the wrong ones were, of course, way off and humorous) to switch from topic to topic in the presentation. She also had the group introduce themselves to questions that Regis might use, such as, if your autobiography was written, what would the title be? What actress would you want to play you in the movie about your life? If you won a million dollars, what would you do with it? While I don't think she presented what some of us in the audience came there to hear, her presentation style and delivery were very good!

Also, one other thing, which I imagine techies already do. I saw a speaker who used hyperlinks to do his presentation. This allowed him incredible flexibility to go where the audience led him. I wish I would have seen him do this prior to a session I led with a group where the discussion went so incredibly well that I skipped over most of my presentation and chose not to include a couple of things because I didn't want to search around for some other little detail in some particular slide. He used lots of different stories, and these mini-PowerPoint links took him to each story.

NIU Lunch 'N Learn

"Dealing with Jerks at Work"
featuring Rock Valley College's Management Institute Director Mike Mastroiani

Are you intimidated by conflict? Can you really change the way people think? Mike will educate and entertain you as he talks about constructive confrontation, coping with change and solving problems with others. Plus:

· Enjoy a delicious lunch buffet and network with fellow colleagues.
· Walk away with tips for office relations.
· Win prizes.

Event-day check in begins at 11:45 a.m. and seminar runs 12 - 1 p.m. SEATING IS LIMITED, so make your reservations early. The cost, including lunch, is $9/person if you register before October 31 or $11/person after October 31.

Contact us for details and to make reservations:
· Visit our Web site at www.niurockford.niu.edu under "meeting and training facilities."
· E-mail pking1@niu.edu. or Call (815) 332-7339.

IMC Meeting
Nancy Tomlin
"Whining vs Winning"

Date: Tuesday, September 18, 2001

Location: Hoffman House 7550 East State Street Rockford, IL 61108

Seminar Time: 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. ($45 for members - $60 for non-members)

Dinner Time: 7:00 p.m. ($25 for members -- $35 for non-members)

Contact: (815) 229-1800, ext. 193

Training Tips and Techniques -
By Steve Weech

Ice Breaker "Lottery Winner"

Purpose: To allow participants to easily introduce themselves to the other participants and help break the tension at the start of a course or workshop.

(Optional) Hand out a lotto ticket to each participant.
Ask participants to: "Please introduce yourself and tell us what you would do with your winnings if you won the lottery."

After the introductions have been completed, transition into the course objectives and expected results. "The odds of winning the lottery are very small, but you never know, we may have a lucky winner among us! Something that does not require luck, only a little hard work on our part, is achieving our course objectives, which can also provide financial benefits to us, the company and our shareholders." (Review the course objectives and expected measurable results.)

Combination Ice Breaker and Training Technique "Actor for Your Movie"

Purpose: To help participants get to know each other better, create a little fun in courses that are heavy in content and information, and more importantly - help facilitate returning on time from breaks.

At the beginning of the course or workshop hand out blank 3" X 5" cards.

Ask the participants to…
"Please print your name on one side of the card I have just handed out."

"On the reverse side of the card, write the name of the actor you would want to play the role of you (and why) if a movie were being made about your life."

"When you have completed your card please place the card, name side up, on the front edge of your table and I will collect them."

(Instructor note: Complete a card for yourself at the same time participants are completing their cards.)

Collect the cards and then read the name of the actor/actress you have chosen to play you and the reason why. Ask the participants if they can guess the person this may be. (Allow/facilitate a few responses, before giving out the answer.) If someone guesses the correct answer, hand out a small reward such as a snack item, a company promo item, instant lottery ticket, etc.

Explain to the group…"Several cards will be read at the scheduled startup time after each break, so you don't miss out, be sure to be back on time."

Ice Breaker "My Workshop Partner"

I have used this exercise successfully in Outplacement and Job Search workshops where I have a classroom setup with 2 participants to a table.

Purpose:
1. To ease the tension;
2. To create a positive workshop atmosphere;
3. To facilitate the seating arrangement through selecting a table partner that each participant will feel comfortable sharing personal information with;
4. To gain input on workshop wants and desires so the workshop will be successful for each individual.

Ask participants to pair up with someone they would feel comfortable working with during the workshop. (Walk among the group, conversing with participants to ensure this process occurs, works smoothly and people make choices they feel ok about.)
§ Once everyone is paired up and seated, ask the participants to take turns and interview the person they are seated with to find out the following:

1) Their hero (someone they respect and admire) or someone who has had a positive impact on their life.
2) Something positive that has occurred in their life recently.
3) One skill or personal characteristic that describes one of their strengths.
4) What they hope to learn and take away from this course.

(Instructor note: While the participants are conducting their interviews, try to assess in your mind how willing the participants might be to introduce their partner to the rest of the class.)

Option One - Have each participant introduce the person they interviewed providing their name, hero, positive event, strength and what they hope to learn and take away from the workshop.
Option Two - Solicit class input on what they hope to learn and take away from the course.

(Instructor note: Record "what they want to learn" on a flip chart or board. Use this information in conjunction with course objectives at the beginning of the class, explaining any differences and making any necessary additions; then review at appropriate times during the workshop to ensure individual learning outcomes are achieved.)

Training Technique - Helping people obtain the "power and energy" to change behavior.

As a trainer you may be confronted with situations that require participants to change behavior. Your training class may have discussed the changes required and taught participants how to use the appropriate behaviors, however when participants return to work, no change occurs. Behavioral change requires us to "get out of our comfort zone." Regardless of what we learn or know we should do, it is easier for us to continue to do what we have done in the past.

One technique that can help participants gain the power and energy they need to break out of their comfort zone is designing and using exercises with challenging group or individual feedback. This approach allows participants to personally realize and internalize the need to change.

Example: Managers with poor listening skills who tend to act before understanding the situation or real issues. Create an exercise requiring the use of listening skills to achieve a good result. Since the managers will tend to do what they have always done they will not achieve the result they wanted to achieve in the exercise. Then facilitate feedback showing what went wrong and why. When the managers realize what really happened they will be open and willing to "move out of their comfort zone" to learn and try new behaviors, which can now be presented and taught.