Robert Lopez’s Post

I've had issues with adult learners asking unrelated questions. People saying it's a waste of time. But here's the thing: It *isn't* a waste of time. Because these questions show curiosity and engagement. And guess what? They often lead to deeper understanding. No rigid sticking to the script, no ignoring genuine interest. ↳ Because I've embraced flexibility. And the results are amazing. Learners are more engaged. So here’s the takeaway for trainers and educators: Don’t shut down unrelated questions, Embrace them as learning opportunities. You’ll see no drop in engagement. I guarantee it. Because curiosity isn't a distraction. It's a doorway to deeper learning. What is the best non-training related question you've been asked? Share your story!

I often cringe when I hear facilitators/ trainers say......🤯😡🤬 "There's no right or wrong answer" as a way to create a safe place for people to open up. While the intent is noble, I personally feel the approach is misleading. Right or wrong is contextual, therefore there is a right answer for a given context. What I usually tell my learner is "If the answer make sense to you, just share because your response is based on your context. As learning facilitators, how we work with learners is to understand their answer and work backwards to understand their context. Once we understand the context and make it obvious to them, the right answer will emerge. What are your thoughts....

You can learn from anyone, but not everyone can be a trainer. Do you remember your first job? Or your first day at any company? Do you remember feeling clueless about your responsibilities? Yeah, that’s normal. And to all young graduates out there, even seniors feel clueless in their new jobs, so don’t feel left out 😉 But that’s not my point. My point is, when we first start, we want and need guidance. We observe our colleagues completing their tasks, and that’s how we learn. But when newcomers arrive, can we train them the way we were trained? To all the seniors out there, even if you feel like you’re not a great teacher, just teach them in a way that made sense to you. The way you wished you had been taught. Learn to improvise. By doing that, not only do the newcomers learn something, but as a senior, you also learn how to become a teacher.

How do you gain learners' attention? This is one question I always ask my HRD Corp Train-the-Trainer (TTT) Course participants. Effective learning requires genuine learner engagement. We cannot 'force' authentic learner engagement. Maintaining attention is challenging in an era full of distractions. Many adult learners juggle their professional and personal responsibilities while attending our courses, adding to the complexity of capturing their focus. As learning facilitators, devising innovative strategies to engage learners is imperative. Consider a compelling newspaper or magazine headline. Authors leverage creativity to craft headlines that spark curiosity and draw readers in. This approach is echoed in Robert Gagne's "9 Events of Instruction," one of my favorite topics in the TTT program. 'Gaining Attention' stands as the pivotal initial step. I love the strategy the lecturer adopts to gain attention in this video. What are your strategies to gain learner attention?

I love this image that represents learning... Sadly most trainers and presenters don't engage in it enough. Definition of insanity is blaming the learners and doing the same thing over and over again. I love working with any trainer, regardless of experience level, who is willing to ask "What isn't working , why and how could it be said or done differently?" Things like slides, ice breakers, self intro, debriefs, and every aspect of training delivery has strategies that can be used to accelerate success. Unfortunately people just put a cap on their curiosity. Stay humble, stay curious and never stop questioning the cause and effect within training and teaching.

How can you judge whether a training session is hitting the mark while it’s in progress?   For the first time in 8 years, I’m in a physical training room, observing training.   And it reminds me of some of the key points of how know whether feedback is going to be positive or not – and all within the first 30 minutes.   1.       Learners speak in the first 10 minutes. I long ago noticed that if someone doesn’t speak at the very start of the session, they probably will neither contribute nor learn very much during the session. If you can get the shy and reluctant learners to express themselves at the start (even if they're resistant to learning), people are much more likely to learn! 2.       There are disagreements If you listen to other people, sometimes you’ll disagree. And in the discussion, there is great learning – assuming the disagreement is constructive. There is a truism - you can only learn, when your mouth is shut! 3.       Silence is thoughtful, not awkward You know an awkward silence – everyone looks slightly embarrassed, the trainer looks nervous and it seems to last half a life time. But a learning silence is full of thinking and reflection. It’s a good silence as people take things in.   These are the three things I look for at the start of any session… and today, I’ve seen an abundance of each!   What are some of the less obvious ways you can judge whether your training is going well?    

Here are the guiding principles that shape my approach to Training: Trainer’s Code - Principle 7 7. Surprise & Delight: It’s always great if we can go the extra mile to create memorable moments—small gestures can have a huge impact! One method is to inject a little relevant and appropriate humour or safe fun into a training session. I find that it can create a relaxed and safe learning environment and even enhance the training experience. However, it’s all about “reading the room” and “knowing your audience”. Obviously we need to be respectful and keep our comments appropriate and relevant to the content of the course and our Learners! Principle Number 8 to Follow: What are your guiding principles in your training journey? Please Share your ideas in the comments! 💬 #Training #LearningAndDevelopment #ContinuousImprovement #Empowerment #TheTrainersCode #PersonalSafetyTraining #IkonTrainingLtd #LoveMyJob

9 times a week, I get service requests for 1:1 training sessions. The most common questions I get are— <> Vrinda, what are your charges? <> Do you give any sample call? <> How many sessions will I need? 5 of those founders are shocked to know— <> Charges depend on your requirements. <> We can do a discovery call instead. <> There can be a recommendation. <> But we need to trace progress. People have a misconception about this— That 1-2 sessions will unlock all secrets. And is enough to make them nail their chances. If you hire someone for training, remember— <> Remain patient <> Trace progress <> Don’t stop after <> Keep training And if you are up for these— Shoot me a DM saying “train.”

The 8th Habit p.20 "But the problem is that paradigms, like traditions, die hard. Flawed paradigms go on for centuries after a better one is discovered." My thoughts: This is the challenge trainers face when new methods of learning are introduced, especially for legacy topics in a company. Change is hard for many people even when previous methods are flawed. Trainers must be gentle and understanding when recreating training instruction and introducing a paradigm shift. Chunking topics and choosing selective pieces of training to revamp may be your best strategy. Aesop might be on to something when he said, "The race is not always to the swift." Effective trainers also know when to rip the bandaid off and create a paradigm shift that affects all learning aspects. One quality of an excellent trainer is knowing when to chunk topics and when a total paradigm shift is necessary to yield the best results. Now, go be excellent!

9 times a week, I get service requests for 1:1 training sessions. The most common questions I get are— <> Vrinda, what are your charges? <> Do you give any sample call? <> How many sessions will I need? 5 of those founders are shocked to know— <> Charges depend on your requirements. <> We can do a discovery call instead. <> There can be a recommendation. <> But we need to trace progress. People have a misconception about this— That 1-2 sessions will unlock all secrets. And is enough to make them nail their chances. If you hire someone for training, remember— <> Remain patient <> Trace progress <> Don’t stop after <> Keep training And if you are up for these— Shoot me a DM saying “train.”