Establish Your Personality

I am putting together a workshop about Fun in Facilitation and one of the things that I realized made my work fun is leading with my personality.

I think today a lot of work and worry goes into content, how to present it, how much to present, etc, and not too much goes into format and style.

So I say start off with your own personality shining and the group will follow you more readily.

After all the group knows it will have to listen to you or work with you for a couple of hours, so why not invest some time in showing them who you are, how you work and that they are in for a fun/interesting/stimulating time.

I always put a short science demonstration up front to establish the tone. This could be something like rope handcuffs or a swirling tubes or anything short and sweet. This establishes my tone, wakes them up and allows them to see my style. I make sure it leads to an interesting point about the topic and on with the day.

So that's my 2 cents today. Not all will agree with me and that's okay, just think about it.

Training Treasures

There is a great magazine on the block and it is called Training Treasures. The 11th issue is just out and it is hot, hot, hot.

The mag says "The Visual Idea-Book for Creative Trainers and Presenters"

This edition is titled:

Smokin' Delivery Ideas from the Industry's TOP TEN creative trainers.

Then it has pages and pages of ideas. I have to admit I am one of the trainers and I have my own list of 10 ideas.

For information visit : www.trainingtreasures.com

Keep the Pace

In order to keep your workshop on schedule, make sure people are happy to come back frm breaks on time. When dismissing the group ask them to return on an odd minute, for example at 2:26 or 4:12. Then, just as they do on TV, give them a glimpse of what they are coming back to.

Example: “When we return, your secret identities will be revealed” or

“After the break we are going to hear from our expert on five stocks you never want to touch.”

Give them a reason to come back on time and they will.