Author: Guila

“I started talking, and then I kept talking, and then I lost my point and didn’t know how to stop. And then I felt like an idiot.”

Does this sound like you—at least sometimes? Many of us struggle to be concise—especially when we get nervous.

But What About Tacos?

I’ll use use the PRES frame (below) to talk concisely about tacos. PRES is simple and easy to use. It prevents you from getting lost in a muddle when speaking.

P: Point

Begin with the key point: “I believe tacos are the best food around.”

R: Reason

Explain what drives your comment: “The reason I think that is because tacos are inexpensive, full of protein, come in many flavors, and are delicious.”

E: Example

Provide an example to expand on why your comment is important: “For example, my family ate take-out tacos from our favorite restaurant on Sunday. We ordered five different kinds, the kids loved them, and we spent a fraction of what it would cost for a fancier meal.”

S: Summary

Reiterate your main point: “In summary, tacos are the best food around because they are inexpensive, taste great, and are nutritious!”

PRES: A Non-Taco Example

Now that you are familiar with the four parts, check out this more elaborate example:

P: Point

Begin with the key point: “The best use of our $30,000 would be to contract an on-call technical producer for online workshops.”

R: Reason

Explain what drives your comment: “A technical producer troubleshoots from behind the scenes to ensure that online meetings go right. We’ve noticed that participants are much more satisfied when we’ve used a technical producer.”

E: Example

Provide an example to expand on why your comment is important: “For example, Facilities has been presenting a series of online training sessions using a producer. We’ve recruited volunteers for that role, and surveyed meeting participants. People reported 75% more satisfaction with online experiences when a producer was used.”

S: Summary

Reiterate your main point: “In summary, we believe that the best use of the would be to hire an on-call technical producer to improve our delivery of online workshops across the organization.”

The PRES frame makes it easy it is to make a concise point and succinctly support its rationale. Try using it the next time you present. Then, consider rewarding your conciseness with a taco or two!

 

 

I have moderated dozens of panels throughout my career.

Unfortunately, I have also been in the audience for many panels.

I say “unfortunately” because panels can be the laziest, least educational format on earth.

These tips will transform your panel presentations into brilliant and memorable experiences.

Tips for Moderators

1. Do your homework! When planning the panel, ask multiple representatives of the audience what they want to learn. Rank those answers and create questions (and perhaps even a panel title) based on this information.

2. Clarify if this will be a series of short presentations, a free-flowing discussion, or a combination of the two.

3. Create a written goal. (Be sure to state it aloud when the panel begins.) Some examples:

• Our goal is to better understand what makes Puget Sound so special.
• Our purpose is to explore how several cities have increased transportation options.
  

4. Craft an agenda that includes one kick-off question you will ask ALL panelists.

5. Prepare the panelists. Share the goal and kick-off question, provide time limits, and be very pointed in what you want each to accomplish.

6. Ensure all technology works and the panelists are visible to everyone.

7. Begin and end on time and manage time throughout.

Tips for Panelists

1. Ask who the attendees are. What is their experience and level of expertise? What do they want to know? Why is this panel being given?

2. Review the agenda, the panel goal, and any questions the moderator has gathered. Ask yourself how you can best achieve the panel’s purpose.

3. Research the expertise of your fellow panelists. What questions do YOU have for them? How can you build on what they say?

4. Practice. DON’T allow the event to be the first time these words have come out of your mouth, or the first time you’ve used the technology.

5. Highlight lessons from your own experience. Connect those to the audience’s interests and needs. Examples:

• How we got 3,500 people to participate in our annual fund drive…
• What were the most important 3 steps we took to accomplish…
• Mistakes we made; things NOT to do…

6. Sit tall and speak directly to the audience, even when answering an individual’s question.

7. Be ready and eager to learn. Don’t be a blowhard, but allow your passion to shine.

Done right, panels can be incredibly rich with interest, learning and fun–a memorable experience instead of the lazy way out.

 

During our recent long spell of online presentations, I noticed something important.

In the first few minutes of air time, presenters often either:

• Launched a poll. This often took longer than expected, and could dilute participants’ focus on the topic itself.

OR (more often)

• Presenters didn’t try to hook their audiences at all. Instead, they launched into introductions or dove straight into content.

If the goal was to elicit engagement, commitment and interest in the topic, both these strategies sadly miss the boat.

Good Hooks

GOOD hooks help people “get into the boat”. They are fast, meaningful, and interactive.

• FAST: Your hook should last 30 seconds to one minute.
• MEANINGFUL: Your hook should relate to your topic. The best hooks elicit emotion in the audience, whether it is intrigue, anxiety, laughter, or any other feeling.
• INTERACTIVE: Your hook should demand engagement from ALL audience members. Physical engagement is great, even online.

Three Good Hooks

IMPORTANT: Make sure any hook you create meets the criteria above.

1. Ask a question that participants must answer in chat immediately . Give only 15 seconds to respond. Answers can be simple yes/no, true/false, or anything else short and sweet. Don’t belabor the answers or read them aloud.

2. With cameras on, ask participants to raise hands as you ask questions fairly rapidly. Again, don’t belabor. Insist that people respond.

3. Use “Perspectives”:

• Tell participants to point at the ceiling with their index fingers, arms above their heads.
• Now, tell them to start moving their index fingers in a clockwise direction, keeping them perpendicular to the ceiling.
• Tell the participants to begin to move their index fingers downward, keeping the circle going and perpendicular to the ceiling.
• When the fingers are at about at chest level, still going in a circle, instruct the participants to look at their fingers.
• Ask: “Which direction is your finger going?”
• Participants will look confused and say, “counterclockwise.” Keep asking until some bright soul says “It’s still going clockwise! Our perspective changed, that’s all!”
• Wait for the “ah-hahs.” Connect this experience to taking on a new point of view/perspective regarding the concept you are about to present.

I provide more ideas for good hooks in my book, “Instructional Design That Soars”.

Remember, a good hook is fast, meaningful and interactive. Good hooks go a LONG way in making your presentation a success.

 

 

 

 

 

Most staff participate in an average of 15 meetings a week, and 71% of senior managers say that meetings are unproductive.

So I created 3 GRRRs:  “Guila’s Roars to Rehabilitate our Rendezvous”. These GRRRs will improve your meetings immediately:

GRRR #1: Clearly Identify and State the Meeting’s Purpose

The leader or group must determine beforehand “what will have changed” as a result of the meeting. If you can’t say what will change, scrap the meeting. Always use an outcome-based agenda.

GRRR #2: Do Not “De-Risk” Your Meetings

Unhealthy peace is as negative as unhealthy conflict. A meeting full of smoothers-over lacks effectiveness. A facilitator should ask the hard questions and welcome disagreement. Stick to the stated outcome and actively use behavioral agreements.

GRRR #3: Know That “Meeting Recovery Syndrome” is Real, and Toxic

Even if they seem fine during the meeting, many people seethe and ruminate afterward. This affects their work and their environment. Facilitators, ask for honesty and authentic feedback, and be ready to change what you do as a result.

We must stop accepting bad meetings as a “cost of doing business”. Let’s roar together for better meetings!

Additional Resources

• Freakonomic’s “Meetings” podcast: Season Nine, Episode 20
• Books:
  • The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
  • The Surprising Science of Meetings by Steven G. Rogelberg
• Guila’s 2-hour Workshop: How to Lead Stellar Online Meetings

This session changed our lives. Thank you!

Participant,
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

We can lose much of our dynamism when we sit and speak. People can’t see our hands, our internal organs are “squished”, and we’re inhibited by lack of movement.

If you must sit in this Zoom world,  these guidelines will help you exude energy:

• Scoot your hips toward the edge of the chair. Remove your back from any support.
• Roll your shoulders down your back, opening your chest.
• Feel your sitz bones, (the bones at the very bottom ends of each side of your pelvis) sitting squarely on the chair. These form your anchor.
• Ensure that your feet lie parallel to each other, flat on the floor, facing forward. Your knees should be bent at 90 degrees.
• Make sure that your hands remain shoulder-distance apart. Gesture with them just like you would when standing up. Do not close them in front of your body. Let them animate you!

There-you’ve got it. You now feel and appear direct and energetic. You’re presenting with power!

A few years ago, Adam Bryant of the New York Times interviewed 525 diverse CEOs. These leaders came from all walks of life and many ethnicities, but they all seemed to share five definitive characteristics.

If you, like most, have struggled over the last year to keep your head above water, I believe these five characteristics also describe YOU (and me, and anyone who has dealt with challenges such as working while schooling children, learning new technologies, struggling to maintain careers, getting sick, etc.).

Acknowledge your own ingenuity, agility, and resilience over the past year. Then, make a pact to continue to cultivate these five characteristics. You are a leader, and you will “get through”.

Passionate Curiosity

Engagement with the world, relentless questioning of the status quo.

What it might sound like:

•  “What are people’s stories?”
• “What’s the big picture?”
• “Why?”

Battle-Hardened Confidence

A track record of overcoming adversity.

What it might sound like:

•  “I have the ability to shape events and circumstances.”
• “I don’t quit.”

Team Smarts

A highly-honed understanding of people and group dynamics.

What it might sound like:

• “_____ has an important point here. Let’s listen to him/her.”
•  “Let’s reflect and come up with a solution together.”

Simple Mind-Set

Speaking concisely; synthesizing information to ‘connect the dots.’

What it might sound like:

• “Let’s cut to the chase.”
• “Here is the core point.”

Fearlessness

Being comfortable being uncomfortable.

What it might sound like:

• “This is an opportunity.”
• “I’m willing to take a chance.”
• “I’m hungry for change and can manage it.”

All five of these characteristics can be developed through attitude, habit and discipline. Let’s continue to demonstrate them as we move and pivot together into the next unknowns.

Sincerely, Guila

PS: This post never mentions the words “trainer”, “facilitator”, or “presenter”. But I created it especially for you, the leaders in my world.

Do meeting participants have any responsibility beyond showing up, reporting, and trying to sound reasonably on top of things? Here’s my guiding principle:

When we decide against trying to influence the quality of a meeting, we make the choice to live with the consequences.

I understand that challenging a meeting leader can be difficult, especially when that person is your boss or a senior manager. However, by not speaking up, you accept badly-run, ineffective meetings. It’s your choice.

Small Acts of Courage

If you decide to intervene, you may not be successful. But doing so is a valuable first step. It may also help create a safer environment for other participants to speak up.

Consider these two levels of intervention.

“Pebbles”

Toss a pebble into the meeting, and watch the ripples. This gentle intervention may be all you need.

Examples

After several minutes of unfocused talk, ask “Does this issue need to be put on the agenda?” or “What meeting outcome are we discussing right now? “Let’s make sure our discussion helps to achieve that.” “Let’s get back on track.”

You can ask the facilitator beforehand if they mind if you introduce the idea of “pebbles” to the group. You can also check your pebble with the facilitator after the meeting. You may be surprised how grateful they are for your support.

“Rocks”

Consider tossing in a rock if the ripples went nowhere. Rocks often take the form of one-on-one communication with the facilitator outside the meeting. The gentler and more direct, the more effective the rock.

Examples

1. Suggest that the group have a meaningful discussion of what works well and what could be improved. This can occur in real time or through a survey.
2. Offer the leader an easy meeting process assessment checklist or survey for everyone to use. Create one using Survey Monkey or another tool.
3. Suggest that two minutes be saved on each call to assess how the meeting went.

Remember, “geological change” takes time.

What Will You Do?

With the amount of time and energy that meetings demand, it’s crucial to remember that even if you’re not in charge, you can contribute to a meeting’s effectiveness. What will YOU do the next time you’re in a meeting that’s going nowhere?

Thanks to Nancy Bacon for suggesting I write this post.

Learn the skills to lead stellar online meetings.

Like you, I participated in so many Zoom meetings and webinars over the years that I thought I really got it. So when it came time to create my first training session on Zoom, I knew I had it in the bag.

I was wrong.

Comfortable in My Passion

My professional career has been about participatory learning. I started teaching adults using versions of Paulo Freire’s Popular Education approach. Over the years, I morphed those skills into interactive teaching, and prided myself that my classrooms were bright, noisy, vibrant, and effective.

For years in my Train the Trainer classes, I espoused that learning equals change. This explains why adults often resist learning new things—who really ever wants to get out of their comfort zone?

The irony is that, once I had discovered my passion as an adult educator, I didn’t have to change too much. My task was solely to get better at what I did.

Zooming is Not Training: Three Lessons

1. PowerPoint Finally Catches Me in Its Jaws

Since its inception, I have pried subject matter experts (kicking and screaming) away from using PowerPoint. I prided myself in teaching people to transmit content and achieve learning outcomes primarily through the use of meaningful activities.

Similarly to how I refused to take typing in high school so I wouldn’t end up as a secretary,  I dug in my heels and resisted learning PowerPoint—for more than 25 years. I absorbed and espoused anti-PowerPoint research, and could do a reading of Edward R. Tufte’s work with dramatic flair.

What I Learned (Ouch)!
Only in some sharp-toothed nightmare would I have dreamed I would depend on PowerPoint myself. Well, I’m in that nightmare now. Using Zoom to teach, I learned quickly that if I didn’t share my screen, participants would only see me yakking away at them. In order to enable annotation and other participatory activities, I’d have to show something on my screen. And that thing is often PowerPoint.

Now, I must not only learn to use PowerPoint, I must accept it as a foundation for aspects of interactive online learning. (Do you hear my silent scream?)

2. Maybe I Need TikTok!

Now, I don’t really know how TikTok works or even if you could use it to train. What I do know is that it allows you to video your whole body in motion, and see others’ bodies in motion as well.

The sedentary nature of Zoom made me realize how dependent I have become on physical movement (both my own and the learners’). I use movement and music to “zing up” energy, indicate transitions, and for reflection, relaxation, and celebration.

Taking away movement in training feels like being robbed of a favorite food.

What I Learned:
Yes, I realize I can stand up when I use Zoom. I will try it one of these days. I will also gesticulate, use music more regularly, and dream up ways to enable online students to use their bodies. But Zoom’s two-dimensional space will always lack the vibrancy, vividness, and (sometimes even) the abandon of a three-dimensional learning experience. And I mourn that.

3. Easy to Tell, Hard to Do

In 2013, feeling very “early-adopter-ish”, I devoted several pages in my book to how to make online training interactive. To do so, I talked to experts, did research, and even created a couple of webinars (that others produced). I patted myself on the back and believed that my tips could make a difference for other trainers as they entered the world of remote training.

I was full of it. Until I struggled to learn the technology itself, and then tried to figure out how to use it to make my sessions active and meaningful, I hadn’t entered the new world at all. Though it was easy to TELL clients to use specific tools to elicit participation, it is painful to use the technology to do just that.

What I Learned:
The title of this section says it all. Easy to tell, hard to do. A foundational principle of adult learning.

What Does Swimming Have to Do With It?

As an “adult onset swimmer”, and now a coach, I found that the struggles I experienced while learning to swim eventually enabled me to better teach new swimmers. Could it be true that the challenges I personally experience with with online training can likewise heighten my skills and empathy with learners?

I heard something recently. To stay relevant, one must “make the familiar unfamiliar, and the unfamiliar familiar”. If you see me struggling, yelping, sometimes singing, that’s exactly what I am trying to do in this new world.

Great online training is magic. The good news is that you only need to perfect two steps to train like a wizard–not a troll.

Step 1: Design

Learning outcomes

Create clear learning outcomes before doing anything else. They should say what the learner will be able to DO as a result of your session. State these aloud and upfront to your students. This helps guarantee how the session will benefit them.

Each outcome should sound something like: “By the end of this session, you’ll be able to (VERB)…” Only use verbs that you could see or hear when the learner does them. You can use these to test for knowledge at the end of class.

Examples:

• Describe
• Prioritize
• List
• Develop

Your outcomes are the stuff of magic for you as you develop the training. They clarify both the content and the activities to include.

Activities

After providing the content for each outcome, instruct the learners to do each outcome. For example, if you said they’d be able to “list the three steps of…” have them do that. Use breakout rooms, drawing tools, chat, etc. Certainly, you can include other activities as well. But be sure to have the students perform each outcome.

Step 2: Deliver

We’ve all seen how horrible we (and others) can look online. These five aspects will make you look GOOD while delivering your content.

1. Place your computer on a stack of books or box so that the camera is above your eyes- nearly in line with the top of your head.
2. Make sure your lighting comes from the front.
3. Make eye contact by looking straight into the camera. This is tough to do, since it is natural to want to connect with learners’ faces and eyes. Remember that you’ll be looking MORE at them if you’re actually looking at the camera.
4. Build in meaningful learner engagement throughout. Do at least one activity per outcome. Learners should be active at least 50% of the time.

The third optional element is TECH–make sure you use a technical producer to back you up. Know your program!

Use these steps of Design and Delivery and you’ll experience training magic.

See the textbook.

See Guila’s workshop.