Training, Top Tips

Preparing to explain, to present, teach, train or offer a workshop. "Presenting with Pizzazz".

I discovered a new book! 
It just comes when I need it. 

Well, it did not drop from the clouds on my lap: I was looking, searching for books about Presenting, Training. "Facilitating" - strange expression for me, but I hear it often nowadays.

As Sponsor of a new online club, named Global Trainers Online, I needed to understand the different (other then in name) between the Trainers and the Workshop leaders, Presenters and so on. So as usual I went to find the answer in a book. Finally, I cracked and bought it.

Showing a book cut in two pictures is strange, but I thought it shows more what it is about and could talk better about it.

At first, looking at the pictures I believed it is not serious: it is! And it has indeed Terrific Tips for Topnotch Trainers. For any of us who want to pass information that Sticks Remains and is Used to a group. Call them as you want. 

I call myself usually Workshop leader, not Trainer. But reading the book: no difference really seems to me and at any way Sharon Bowman, you is ok to speak of her content if we do attribute it to her, tell from where it comes is a Top Trainer. After reading her book, thin and clear and easy to read with 10 Tips, in fact 10 Chapters full of tips (in each chapter are similar suggestions with variations). 

Just three here to give a taste. I hope, many of you will read it for themselves.

1. What we remember? 

What we read. What we hear. What we see. Well, some of it. 10 - 20% she wrote.
We do remember more when we hear and see. Read and see and so on. 40% perhaps.
We remember better when we DO and best, when we teach. 90%

2. Personal stories are very important : use them.

We remember a lot less facts, a lot better stories that touch us. We have lots of small stories that happens to us day after day, those are, Sharon does say the most human and general. I would add also some of our deep stories, things that make us happy and others that make us unhappy, things we finally conquered in some ways. "And we are here to tell" This stories can illustrate what we want to say, can be used to make remember different points, depending what we are teaching, presenting.

Going farther, Sharon tells us: yes, we can tell and should tell our stories. We remember even better the stories we tell. Let them tell each other and sometimes the whole group, their stories, that makes a great cohesion between the group, brings them nearer.

3. We teach what we love, love what we teach (that is my interpretation)

We remember best when we teach it! So, let them teach it to each other. 

Taking this three out of the whole book, I immediately applied it, for the moment in my mind, to the Pathways Ambassador task. 

How we can make the attendees remember most? Not only by telling, reading or, listening, but experiencing it. Once understood, immediately teaching it to someone else. Passing it from one to the other. Making feel the experience first, so then they can help someone else in their turn. That is when they will have really mastered and understood and will never forget. 

From here, lot of scenarios come to my mind. Will have to try which works best. Or try a few depending on the place and situation. 

Guide or Ambassador difference? I finally figured it out. Let me know if I am right. The Guide helps the Vice President of Education of the clubs. The Ambassador is there to help and explain to all the other Members. That is how I see it now at least.