‘I liked the training, but it felt a bit rushed...’
‘I liked the training, but I found it a pity that we had to skip some parts due to time.’
You are probably familiar with this feedback. I know I am: I received both frequently when I started out. The skill you have to develop in this case is invisibly being in control of time. When you master this skill, you are able to orchestrate exactly how long each programme segment will take without participants noticing you're pulling the strings.
With this month’s blogposts, I’ll walk you through how you do it. This time: Framing your invitations for interaction!
Framing your invitations for interaction
Any trainer worth their salt will want to invite participants to contribute to the training. At the same time, lengthy participant contributions are your biggest nemesis when it comes to time management. It is an art form to get your participants to open up and share, so you want to avoid having to interrupt or cut them short while sharing. So what do you do?
Let's start with what NOT to do. Do not give out any invitation for interaction without including your expectation for their contribution. That means the following sentences are off-limits:
Please introduce yourself...
How was this exercise?
What is your experience with saying no?
What did you think about today's session?
These sentences provide the participants with a sense of direction, yet force them to assume the length of their answer and what to include. The risk you run as a trainer is irrelevant information and too lengthy answers.
Instead, frame your invitations in such a way participants only have to ‘fill in the blanks’!
Please introduce yourself by stating your name, role, and biggest pitfall in communication
What is your single biggest take-away from this exercise?
In 2 or 3 sentences, in which situation do you have the most need to be able to say no?
In a couple of soundbites, I'd love to hear your thoughts about today's session.
When you start using these types of invitations you'll notice two things:
Most participant contributions will match up to what you are looking for.
It is easier to interrupt those that are too long or irrelevant because you can refer back to what you said in the invitation.
This is an excerpt from my upcoming book on how to deliver awesome trainings. It comes from the chapter Essential Trainer Skills - Time Management. This theory is also covered in my Train-the-Trainer programme: Inspire to Develop.