Category: HR AND TRAINING TIPS

What’s the difference between an average trainer and an excellent trainer? Facilitation skills. After all, anyone can gather information on Google, create bullet points in a PowerPoint presentation and then yap away at an audience. But great trainers never do this. Superb trainers are subject-matter experts, so they know far more than a simple Google search can reveal. Fabulous trainers know enough about the ‘what’ of their topic to fully focus on the ‘how’ of delivery. This frees them to use the most powerful training technique humans have developed. Experiential learning.

I first studied adult education in the mid-1990s. Back then, UTS was renowned for its expertise in experiential learning theory and methodology. Studying with top researchers in this area was an exciting experience. I quickly became fascinated by adult learning theory and experiential learning techniques. My passion for this field led to me studying many of the origin points of experiential learning techniques. These included psychodrama, Rogerian group work and applied psychology.

The point about experiential learning is that it engages students in both hands-on doing and reflecting on the results of that doing. It’s a highly interactive and engaging way to prompt learning. At its best, experiential learning provides a methodology for helping course participants turn ‘negative’ experiences into rich sources of wisdom and knowledge. In fact, experiential learning processes are very similar to those adopted by advocates of growth mindset techniques.

Sadly, many trainers are not familiar with experiential learning methodology. This is partly because our modern certificate in training and assessment qualifications focus on presentation skills rather than group work skills. In a way, this is good news for those of us who want to excel in our field. By learning to use experiential techniques, we can easily enrich our practice.

If you like to master group work and experiential learning tools, attend one of my intensive programs for trainers and presenters. For now, though, here are a couple of thoughts to get you started.

Professional framing means your experiential activities will stay on track

Skilled facilitators know that high quality briefing leads to high quality learning experience. Always clearly explain the purpose and the process of experiential activities before starting them. Make yourself available throughout the activities for participants to refer to. This is particularly important for more concrete learners, who sometimes need guidance in the reflective part of experiential debriefing.

Let go of meaning

The whole point of experiential techniques is to enable participants to create their own meaning from experience. This means, that as a trainer, you need to make space for learner interpretation. Often the messages participants gain from activities are far more meaningful than those you wish to impart. Accept this and use your debriefing skills to ensure that learning translates into behaviour change in the real world.

Remember that fast training isn’t necessarily effective training

Don’t give in to pressure to condense your session into a 30-minute format. Experiential techniques require time for processing. Ideally, design your activities so you can scale the timings up and down according to the needs of the group. And remember, great trainers are flexible and respond to learner needs in the moment.

Of course, using experiential learning techniques does require you to be confident and ready to adapt. To achieve success, spend time honing your facilitation and debriefing skills.

About the author: Eleanor Shakiba

Eleanor is a consultant in the areas of positive psychology training and solution focused coaching. She partners with HR and L&D teams to build vibrant cultures where ‘positive deviants’ thrive. Areas she specialises in include positive mindset, proactive communication and purposeful leadership. Eleanor is qualified in Social Anthropology, Positive Psychology, Counselling, Coaching, Adult Education and Neuro Linguistic Programming. Her passion is working with positive deviants to build success. Download a copy of her free ebook Positive Psychology Toolkit for HR and L&D Practitioners .

Everyone learns at their own pace. And savvy facilitators factor this principle into every session they present. Blended learning techniques are your best friend here. As you know, they use a combination of face-to-face instruction and online or digital learning tools. However, you need to design your blended learning programs exceptionally well. Taking shortcuts and simply ‘mashing’ content together will confuse learners rather than fostering skill development.

In the best blended learning programs, trainers consider the best method for delivering each component. At a minimum, learners receive both in-person instruction and digital content. More advanced programs include coaching (online or face-to-face as required), peer support groups and action learning projects. Coherence is created through careful program design and briefing. This is why blended learning is not a ‘cheap option’ and trainers should stress this to senior managers when they are asked to ‘just put something online’.

Blended learning started as an educational model for adolescents, but it quickly gained popularity in the corporate world. Research has found several indicators of positive learning outcomes in blended learning. With the right techniques, anyone can benefit from a combination of digital and face-to-face training. However, trainers and facilitators need to ensure their blended programs cater to a wide range of learning styles and technical abilities.

You also need to choose the right format for blending face-to-face training and digital material. A common blended strategy involves distributing digital training material before a face-to-face training session. This means people can familiarise themselves with key concepts in advance. The in-person training can then focus on a discussion of the content and practical exercise. When done well, this reduces the time spent explaining concepts and increases the time available for experiential activities and groupwork.

Another strategy involves virtual training as an extension of the workforce’s regular duties. For example, employees may complete digital courses to learn new skills that aid their current job responsibilities. The digital material provides additional knowledge while they gain practical experience at work. Organisations may also use digital material as supplemental content for an in-person training program. Most of the training is completed face-to-face, but employees need to complete additional assignments through a digital platform. This strategy blends both methods to accommodate a wider range of preferred learning styles.

It’s obvious that blended learning is here to stay. As we learn more about human interaction with technology, trainers will develop better ways to enhance engagement and retention in blended programs. My hunch is, these will be underpinned by firm knowledge of education psychology, positive psychology training and experiential learning methods. So don’t let your facilitation and design skills get rusty!

Want to boost your training and facilitation skills? Enrol in a trainers’ master class with Eleanor Shakiba today.

About the author: Eleanor Shakiba

Eleanor is a positive psychology trainer. She designs bespoke programs for organisations and individuals who want to promote ‘positive deviance’ in business. Her expertise in teaching social and emotional intelligence skills makes Eleanor a highly sought-after facilitator. Eleanor’s qualifications are in Positive Psychology, Social Anthropology, Counselling, Coaching, Adult Education and Neuro Linguistic Programming. Eleanor is the author of the Positive Psychology Toolkit for HR and L&D Practitioners.

When I started my business, I designed my own logo. It was a clumsy construction, created by combining clipart elements in Word. It showed a stick figure leaping in the air, reaching for the moon. It was badly proportioned and inelegant. Yet, looking back I can see it expressed something important about my vision for the business. Ironically, I don’t think that unique energy was captured in the professional logo I subsequently commissioned.

This year, I decided to go back to my core purpose in starting the business. Why? Because the stresses and strains imposed by the pandemic era had me questioning the worth of my work. This meant revisiting my origin points became important. As part of this process, I found that first logo popping into my head.

Unfortunately, I seem to have destroyed all traces of it. Still, I have a firm recollection of what it was trying to communicate. Beyond all my self-doubt and fear for the future (which I’m assuming many of us are facing at the moment), that logo captured my essence. Here are the key messages it embodied for me back then. Interestingly, these remain my core messages to this day.

I believe in the capacity of all humans to stretch to new levels of excellence. Reaching for the moon was a symbol of this for me in my early days. It’s still a powerful concept, which I hope is embedded in all the work I do with my clients.

I know that when people live with purpose, confidence soars and happiness increases. That stick figure leaping towards something important was a symbol of the energy inspired by purpose and passion. As an introvert, I’ve learned the importance of reaching out. When I first started my business, I wanted to do everything myself. Even stuff I was really bad at, like book-keeping. Nowadays, though, I recognise that even the most driven person cannot do everything themselves. It is by reaching out and connecting with others that we can achieve our best.

To me, the most compelling aspect of being human is our capacity for positive deviance. Even in the most challenging times, people have the capacity to solve problems and find moments of joy. When I designed my first logo, I hadn’t even heard of positive deviance. Yet somehow that first concept captured the idea perfectly.

About the author: Eleanor Shakiba

Eleanor is a trainer and coach, with a passion for unleashing the power of positive deviance in talented people. She has taught more than 50,000 people how to excel professionally. An expert in the field of Positive Psychology, Eleanor is also qualified in Social Anthropology, Counselling, Coaching, Adult Education and Neuro Linguistic Programming. She specialises in helping HR and L&D practitioners to unleash the power of positive psychology in business. Her major focus in developing three key areas that support positive workplace cultures: positive mindset, proactive communication and purposeful leadership. Eleanor is the author of the Positive Psychology Toolkit for HR and L&D Practitioners. Download your free copy here.

Storytelling is in my DNA. For my 10th birthday, my father gave me an electric typewriter. I’d been nagging him for this for months. I remember the thrill of sitting at the keyboard, producing my first professionally typed story. That typewriter turned out hundreds of pages of creative content over the years. At 16, I received my first paycheck: for publication of a play I submitted to the Department of Education for their school magazine. That experience confirmed that I wanted to be a writer.

These days, my storytelling flair is expressed in every training session I present. As an introvert, I don’t leave my stories to chance. They’re usually crafted well ahead of a session. This ensures that I not only get the plot right, but that the story fits the purpose of the training situation.

You see, here’s what I’ve learned about storytelling in learning situations. Trainers should never use stories simply for their entertainment value. Instead, they should master the craft of creating teaching metaphors. These are stories which subtly embed key learning principles so that participants will remember them.

There are 1001 ways to use stories in your sessions (thanks Scheherazade!). To get you started, here are a couple of suggestions.

• Use personal anecdotes to subtly reinforce your authority in a subject. Sprinkle your war stories and learning experiences throughout a session. This has the added advantage of making you a more authentic trainer, as well as keeping your audience engaged.
• Improvise by taking an example from the group and constructing a similar story, in which the key character overcomes a problem. This is a great way to show resistant learners that they can change their perspective on the situation.
• Study the NLP Milton model. This is a set of language patterns for creating hypnotic impact. Using it in storytelling helps your audience to suspend disbelief and take your message onboard.

Once you’ve mastered the structure of a good story, of course, your next stage of development will be learning how to deliver your tales effectively. Watch out for my sessions on storytelling for trainers, which I deliver regularly throughout the year.

About the author: Eleanor Shakiba

Eleanor is a specialist in positive psychology training. Her core strength is creativity, which she expresses in the training room through storytelling and visual design. She has dedicated her career to helping experienced professionals break through glass ceilings by developing their confidence, communication skills and leadership mastery. Eleanor is qualified in a range of fields including Social Anthropology, Positive Psychology, Counselling, Coaching, Adult Education and Neuro Linguistic Programming. She is also the author of the Positive Psychology Toolkit for HR and L&D Practitioners . This is a free resource for trainers and facilitators.

Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher. His believed that shared dialogue between a philosopher and a learner prompted critical thinking and fostered the development of wisdom. Trainers and trainers who use Socratic techniques ask probing questions. Why? To uncover the assumptions and beliefs which create mental models. In effective Socratic learning scenarios, learners ask questions as well – both of the facilitator and each other.

You can’t create a Socratic dialogue without knowing how to use Socratic questioning techniques. Here’s a quick look at how they work and how to apply them in training and facilitation contexts. Remember they are a great tool for positive psychology trainers, as well as organisational development consultants and coaches.

The aim of using Socratic questions is to promote open dialogue and prompt learning. As a trainer, your questions should prompt learners to think deeply and question their assumptions. By asking Socratic questions, you can lead course participants to the answer instead of giving it to them. However, you need to do this artfully. Always aim to create ‘productive discomfort’ and avoid triggering shame or fear reactions. This, of course, is a key principle that any positive psychology trainer keeps in mind at all times!

Indeed, many positive psychology practitioners consider the Socratic method the cornerstone of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). According to Clark and Egan, both practices involve asking open-ended questions that promote reflection. Michael Neenan has also explored the connection between Socratic questions and CBT. He believes that these methods work best when there isn’t a predetermined goal. In corporate training contexts, the facilitator continues to ask probing questions to help learners unlock the answers.

Of course, to help people unlock answers, you need to know what questions to ask. Socratic questions are typically open-ended and (as much as possible) devoid of assumptions. The learner needs to actively participate in the discussion. The facilitator needs to respond to what is happening in-the-moment. So don’t try scripting your Socratic sessions! You need to be flexible to promote self-discovery. When asking Socratic questions, remember that silence is a positive sign. Learners need to process and think before responding – the consequence of a great question is silence.

As your group interacts with you, continue to come up with new questions. Resist the temptation to tell, give advice or issue instructions. Be ready to rephrase questions that receive a vague or ambiguous response. This encourages group participants to elaborate. When asking for clarification, you may ask, “What do you mean when you say ‘X’?” Your questions should also challenge assumptions. This helps learners to consider other points of view and encourages them to step into growth mindset mode.

When necessary, ask for the evidence or the reasoning behind a point-of-view. Do this gently, so that learners know you are helping them and not challenging aggressively. Throughout the Socratic dialogue, summarise the key points that emerge. Reinforce insights and encourage shifts in perspective. After all, that’s the point of using dialogue in learning and organisational development contexts.

If you want pointers on how to start using Socratic questions enrol in a trainers’ master class with Eleanor Shakiba today.

About the author: Eleanor Shakiba

Eleanor is a specialist in positive psychology training. Her core strength is creativity, which she expresses in the training room through storytelling and visual design. She has dedicated her career to helping experienced professionals break through glass ceilings by developing their confidence, communication skills and leadership mastery. Eleanor is qualified in a range of fields including Social Anthropology, Positive Psychology, Counselling, Coaching, Adult Education and Neuro Linguistic Programming. She is also the author of the Positive Psychology Toolkit for HR and L&D Practitioners. This is a free resource for trainers and facilitators.

I’ve always loved stories. As a positive psychology trainer, I know stories are powerful vehicles for learning. There is ample evidence that humans learn far more effectively from a good narrative than we do from logical presentations. This has certainly been the case throughout my life.

My first memory of being at school is sitting on a mat during story time. I was enchanted by the characters my teacher played out as she flipped through the colourful pages of a storybook. Around the age of 13, someone gave me my first copy of One Thousand and One Nights. There I discovered my earliest role model: Scheherazade. She was a savvy Persian woman who saved lives by telling stories. I’m sometimes tempted to change my name to Scheherazade, because she’s been such an influence on my life.

As a trainer, I was always fascinated by the craft of designing and presenting teaching metaphors. I first discovered this concept when I studied neurolinguistic programming. There, a whole new world of clever storytelling techniques opened up. I’ve become an avid collector of tales and narratives. Out of all of these, though, I have one favourite. I heard it at a Women in Leadership conference at the University of Sydney. I cannot remember the name of the presenter, but her tale remains firmly fixed in my mind.

It was called The Owl Weaver. It told the tale of a little grey hen who wants to have a cloak as beautiful as that owned by a peacock. The hen visits the owl weaver, an artisan weaver who creates the most beautiful cloaks in the world. The owl agrees to create the cloak, on condition that the hen brings her the yarn to weave it from. This, it turns out, are the most joyful and the most despairing days of the hen’s life.

Like many learners, the hen does not pay attention to instructions. She heads off and gathers all her happiest memories and brings them back to the owl weaver. The cloak that is produced from this materialis a disappointing, unattractive mess. When the hen questions why this has happened, the owl instructs her to complete the task of gathering unhappy memories. With a despairing heart, the hen does so. Ultimately, the cloak produced by the owl is magnificent. The point of this story is that life is a rich tapestry of positive and painful moments. It is by weaving these together that we create beauty in our lives.

This is a story using many different contexts. To me, it embeds the essence of positive psychology. It is useful for people who are lacking in optimism and confidence. It helps us see that negative experiences can be transformed. And, most importantly, it teaches the power of seeing your whole life in perspective.

About the author: Eleanor Shakiba

Eleanor is a positive psychology trainer and coach. Her passion is teaching skills for positive thinking, proactive communication and purposeful leadership. Her clients work in academia, education, IT, engineering, finance and health. Eleanor is qualified in Social Anthropology, Positive Psychology, Counselling, Coaching, Adult Education and Neuro Linguistic Programming. She’s the author of the Positive Psychology Toolkit for HR and L&D Practitioners, a free resource for trainers.

In high school, I studied an unusual mix of subjects. I scrapped math classes early on, in favour of drama, filmmaking and even busking skills. In 2020, I finally had an opportunity to capitalise on all that learning. It turned out my mix of performance experience was ideally suited to delivering training on Zoom. While other trainers struggled to keep audiences engaged, I revelled in the opportunity to use my stagecraft and video production know-how.

If you’re not quite so experienced in these areas, here are some tips you can use to improve your Zoom presentations.

1. Get your lighting right. Invest in a cheap lighting kit and leave it set up at your desk.
2. Get off your butt. Don’t deliver from a seated position. Stand up and perform in the same way you do in the training room.
3. Alternate between having your video on and focusing purely on the slides. This adds a bit of visual variety for your audience.

Of course, these are just a few tips to get you started. To really deliver an impressive performance on Zoom, you need to constantly upgrade your skills. The good news is doing this is fun. If you have a strong creative streak, like me, you’ll find it an amazingly inspiring journey.

About the author: Eleanor Shakiba

Eleanor is a positive psychology trainer. She designs bespoke programs for organisations and individuals who want to promote ‘positive deviance’ in business. Her expertise in teaching social and emotional intelligence skills makes Eleanor a highly sought-after facilitator. Eleanor’s qualifications are in Positive Psychology, Social Anthropology, Counselling, Coaching, Adult Education and Neuro Linguistic Programming. Eleanor is the author of the Positive Psychology Toolkit for HR and L&D Practitioners .

Many of the most powerful training techniques have their roots in therapeutic techniques. For instance, psychodrama techniques morphed into role play techniques. Solution focused questions moved from hypnotherapy into training room via solution focused therapy. Even the simple process of ‘breaking into groups’ comes from a therapeutic technique: groupwork.

In therapy, groupwork techniques are used to help people address issues they hold in common (such as addiction or eating disorders). The idea behind groupwork is that by connecting with – and supporting – others, an individual will find their own strategies for success. In training and organisational development contexts, the same idea applies. Thus, positive psychology trainers can benefit from adding a few standard groupwork practices to their toolkits.

How can you do this? First, you must be clear about your role. During groupwork, your job is to guide the thinking and problem-solving activities of your group. You need to provide method and structure so the group can focus its energy and creativity on the issue at hand. The following techniques help you do this.

Setting ground rules

Never start a groupwork session without explaining the ‘rules of engagement’. This safeguards group members from unnecessary attacks by others. It also gives you a format for addressing group dynamics issues. If you’ve set clear ground rules at the beginning of a session, you can later say, “Remember our rule about being respectful” or “Remember we’ve agreed to stay solution focused today.”

Blocking

This is a technique for addressing disruptive behaviours. It is particularly useful in situations where group members are aggressive or argumentative. In group therapy, counsellors use ‘I’ statements when blocking. Positive psychology trainers can do the same. Here are some useful phrases for blocking unhelpful behaviour in your sessions.

• I notice that you’re getting off topic. What’s behind this?
• I need to intervene here because some very personal comments are being made
• I would like to move us back to the key issue.
• I hear a lot of anger in your voice right now. What are you most concerned about?

Linking

Linking is an advanced form of reflective listening. It involves pointing out group members that share the same concerns, drawing out common themes and highlighting shared values. Linking is often used by mediators. It is also useful for facilitators who are leading problem-solving sessions. To link, make a simple statement such as “I notice the theme of …has come up several times today.” Then invite comments from the group.

Delegating

Positive psychology trainers use delegating to boost group accountability and individual self-efficacy. The point of delegating is to prompt experiential learning and increase consensus. As an experienced trainer, you know that people learn best by doing. Delegating tasks is a simple way to prompt action. If you’re delegating a complex task, consider documenting the steps before your session. This makes it easier for your group participants to experience success.

After all, setting people up for success is what positive psychology training is all about. If you want to create engaged and vibrant learning environments, you need to tap into the positive deviants in groups. Using groupwork techniques is a simple way to do this.

Want to boost your groupwork skills? Enrol in a trainers’ master class with Eleanor Shakiba today.

About the author: Eleanor Shakiba

Eleanor is a specialist in positive psychology training. Her core strength is creativity, which she expresses in the training room through storytelling and visual design. She has dedicated her career to helping experienced professionals break through glass ceilings by developing their confidence, communication skills and leadership mastery. Eleanor is qualified in a range of fields including Social Anthropology, Positive Psychology, Counselling, Coaching, Adult Education and Neuro Linguistic Programming. She is also the author of the Positive Psychology Toolkit for HR and L&D Practitioners. This is a free resource for trainers and facilitators.

Signing up to a theatre group was an unusual choice for a shy, awkward teenager. I suffered badly from stage fright, a factor I first realised when I joined the school debating team. While other teenage girls were rolling their skirts up at the waist to shorten them, I insisted on buying the longest skirt I could find. Why? It meant I could cover my shaking knees while standing onstage.

But there was something about performing that intrigued me and inspired me to overcome the discomfort. I loved the work involved in rehearsing and refining a performance. Connecting with an audience inspired me. I became obsessed with getting better at stagecraft. Of course, as I practised my craft, the fear gradually subsided. It never fully disappeared, but it was more manageable now.

So, I joined a drama class during school holidays. That’s where I met my first mentor. Her name was Mary Spicer, and she was co-director of the local theatre company. I was fascinated by her tales of producing and touring plays in England before she moved to rural Australia. I questioned Mary on every aspect of performance I could think of. I wanted to know how to write plays. I wanted to learn how to stage them. I was torn between directing and acting. And I wanted to learn everything I could from my new role model.

Mary spotted something in me. She invited me to visit the theatre during one of their rehearsals. I was so excited as I walked through the stage door. A musty, dark space greeted me. The smell of theatre makeup anchored itself in my memory. I recall the lights on stage and the echo of the actors’ voices in an empty auditorium. I was mesmerised.

Mary signed me up as the youngest member of the company. I spent my weekends and evenings backstage, becoming the props assistant and then a stage manager. Occasionally, I got to play bit parts. However, most of my time was spent observing the dynamics backstage. The actors adopted me and answered all my eager questions with patience and wisdom. The lessons I learned in those conversations have lived with me for life.

As an introvert, this group was the first that I truly felt I belonged to. In the Lieder Theatre, I discovered the power of connecting with like-minded people. I encountered the resonance of positivity, which Barbara Fredrickson describes so well in her work. As a teenager, I didn’t recognise that I was immersed in a positive space. However, I did know this was something that made me feel happy and optimistic.

Looking back, I don’t think it’s a coincidence I became a specialist in group dynamics and facilitation. I modelled the brilliance of Mary, and her husband John, as they drew out star performances from their casts. I soon began writing and producing my own plays, which gave me an opportunity to try out what I’d observed in the theatre. All that experience became encoded in my work and life.

So I am grateful for the kindness and inspiration of those early role models. I also hope that I will be a similar role model for the people I meet. What I’ve learned through the dynamics of performing is that everyone has wisdom to express. We are all capable of taking our place onstage. And anyone can build the confidence and performance skills they need to express the unique blend of strengths that make them special.

About the author: Eleanor Shakiba

Eleanor is a specialist in positive psychology. Her passion is teaching talented people to use social and emotional intelligence to excel in business. These skills centre around building positive mindsets, proactive communication habits and purposeful leadership behaviours. Eleanor’s qualifications include degrees and diplomas in Social Anthropology, Positive Psychology, Counselling, Coaching, Adult Education and Neuro Linguistic Programming. She is also the author of the Positive Psychology Toolkit for HR and L&D Practitioners. This is a free resource for trainers and facilitators.

Presenting on Zoom adds an extra layer of complexity to any training course. Not only do you need to manage the tech issues but seeing yourself in action can distract you from doing a good job. That’s why I always turn my ‘self-view’ off before starting a session.

Most presenters don’t even realise they can do this. Yet its remarkably easy. Right click on your video panel. This will display a menu which includes the option ‘hide self-view’. Then voila! No more distraction.

Here’s another tip. Tell your audience about this setting. Many people turn their cameras off because they dislike looking at themselves. This impacts group dynamics during training. So if you quickly brief the group on how to ‘switch off self’, you will often find that people are much happier leaving their cameras on. It’s also useful to know that this improves the dynamic of conversations in breakout groups. This is probably because participants focus on each other, rather than admiring their own faces.

Who would have known that improving Zoom sessions and reducing fatigue could be so easy? This is the sort of tip that can make a huge difference to your performance as a presenter or trainer. As is often the case, a simple change can reap a huge result.

About the author: Eleanor Shakiba

Eleanor is a positive psychology trainer and coach. She consults to a range of sectors – including higher education, health, finance and local government. Eleanor has been running training and coaching sessions for people in high intellect professions since 1994. She is qualified in Social Anthropology, Positive Psychology, Counselling, Coaching, Adult Education and Neuro Linguistic Programming. She is also the author of the Positive Psychology Toolkit for HR and L&D Practitioners . This is a free resource for trainers and facilitators.