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Whenever I go to a conference, I set up 2 column notes for each session or class I attend. On the left side, I take notes on the content being discussed. On the right side I jot down presenting or training tips. At a recent conference, I had the opportunity to learn from some of the best presenters, and some of the “not quite ready for prime time” presenters. While I am still learning lots from skilled presenters, even after 20 years on the stage, I find that I also learn from presenters who are not yet the best. Their methods provide me with an opportunity to reflect on my own practices. Here are screen shots from my notes that show 3 things I learned (and you can, too!) from this second group.      For more ideas on how to make your presentation or teaching the best it can be, check out my latest book, “Caffeinated Learning: How to Design and Conduct Rich, Robust Professional Training.”
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 Last night I had the strangest nightmare. It was wintertime, with blustery snow outside and frigid temperatures. I had arrived a bit early for a presentation I was going to give at a national conference. I ducked into a nearby restroom to shed my winter coat. When I did, I realized that I also had on a bulky jacket. Taking that off, I found that underneath I was wearing a thick wool sweater. I pulled that over my head and found another layer, and so on and so on and so on.
Waking in a sweat, I tried to figure out what I could learn from this presenting nightmare (pick out my clothes the night before? arrive even earlier than I think is necessary? take a winter vacation?) In my personal nightmares, and in those that other presenters have shared with me, I have found 3 common themes. 1. Being unprepared 2. Arriving late 3. Encountering a difficult participant or group The good news is that all three of these nightmare types can be addressed through detailed planning. 1. Being unprepared. If you are having this type of nightmare, it is probably because you are unprepared! I schedule at least 10 hours of preparation time for every hour of new material I am presenting. With familiar material, I average about 3 hours of prep for every hour in front of a group. If you put in similar time, those nightmares should decrease or disappear altogether. 2. Arriving late. When I was a teenager, my mother told me that if I had an important interview or appointment, I should leave enough time to have a flat tire on the way, fix it, and still arrive with minutes to spare. Of course, her exaggeration was a bit overboard, but I usually plan to arrive at the presentation site 1 hour and 15 minutes in advance of my start time. This allows plenty of time in case of travel delays, and allows me to set up and maxi-mingle before I start. 3. Encountering a difficult participant or group. Difficult participants can run the gamut from passive to hostile, off-task to inappropriate. Whatever the behavior, there are dozens of strategies for proactively avoiding these or effectively reacting to them. Take the time to learn these strategies and then create a cheat sheet to clip to your notes. Eventually these strategies will become second nature to your and the nightmares will go away. For more ideas, check out my latest book, “Caffeinated Learning: How to Design and Conduct Rich, Robust Professional Training.”  We’ve all been there – a room filled with colleagues, listening to a presenter talk about the latest idea. But this time is different. What’s different is that the presenter is not only good – they’re GREAT! Everyone is engaged (translate this as “mobile devices are down”), the mood in the room is intensely enthusiastic and, as we go to break, the energy level is off the charts. Sometimes it can be difficult to pinpoint what it is that makes a presenter great instead of good, inspirational instead of just informative. The techniques are usually subtle enough that they aren’t obvious to the audience member. So here are 3 secret changes you can make to your presentations, which will yield high impact. 1. Use movement intentionally. Rather than pace back and forth or move around randomly, choose when and where you will intentionally walk to emphasize a point. Mark these movements into your presentation outline, just as a screenwriter might do for an actor. 2. Pause. Great presenters realize that a well-timed pause or interrupted sentence can grab attention and increase dramatic effect. Embrace moments of silence rather than running from them. 3. Just before the break, tell a story or share an idea that will generate strong positive emotion. This will send participants off to chat over coffee about the encouraging messages. Save any negative or heavy information for after they return, sandwiching it between two upbeat messages. For more ideas, check out my latest book, “Caffeinated Learning: How to Design and Conduct Rich, Robust Professional Training.”
Memory champions know it. Chess masters use it. Successful students do it. What do they all have in common? They all know one proven technique to boost memory. In Joshua Foer’s bestselling book, “Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything,” the journalist shares his journey from average guy to US Memory Champion. Foer did a thorough review of the research and received coaching from international memory champions during his year long journey. All things pointed to one common technique: Visual Mapping When our brains attach visual imagery to an idea or object, then place it in a specific location, the information will be much easier to retrieve at a later date. Often referred to as the “memory palace” technique, visual mapping allows us to have multiple neural pathways by which to access the memory. The most effective and practical translation of this when teaching adults is to ask them to develop mind maps, or webs, as they learn the content throughout your session. Start everyone with the main topic in a center circle, and then pause occasionally to direct learners to add offshoots and drawings to their map. At the end of the day, provide time for participants to share their maps with each other or to show them to the group under a document camera.  For more ideas, check out my latest book, “Caffeinated Learning: How to Design and Conduct Rich, Robust Professional Training.”
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AuthorAnne Beninghof is passionate about teaching and learning. Archives
June 2021
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