This week, I had the pleasure of observing an incredible Richardson coach facilitate a session for our CRLTC team in Dallas. I always love sitting in on Richardson sessions. In my current role, I design learning experiences to help our territory managers use and sell technology better.
As someone who’s passionate about the power of effective teaching, I can honestly say that we’re so lucky to partner with such talented facilitators. It’s rare to find someone who is BOTH an expert in their field AND an excellent teacher.
The session this week reminded me that by eliminating a few phrases from your repertoire, you can take you teaching to the next level almost instantly. So without further ado, here’s my list of phrases and questions a teacher should try to avoid–and why.
Does that make sense?
I know, it seems totally innocuous. And in a one-on-one conversation, it is. When you’re facilitating a training session of 10+ people, it quickly becomes filler. Here’s why:
First, the answers that you get are going to be unreliable and misleadingly positive. People will say “yes” for one of three reasons. Either they want to please you, they genuinely think they understand, or they can’t be bothered to dig into the material enough to get it.
“Yes” is the path of least resistance, but remember that most people are incapable of gauging their own understanding.
Instead, build in questions and activities to test whether a concept has landed. If you’re teaching a new word or framework, ask the learners to apply the framework to a novel scenario. Another low-lift way to measure understanding is to ask the learner’s opinion of a new concept. Say, “How does this land with you? Do you think this will work?” Most learners are eager to give their opinion, and the act of evaluation helps solidify the new information. Additionally, their response will allow you to identify misconceptions.
This is easy.
I hear facilitators say this ALL the time, myself included. Variations of this no-no include, “This is self-explanatory,” and “Most of you probably don’t need me to explain this, but–”
Facilitators use this phrase for a few reasons. Often we’re trying to build confidence and dispel anxiety. It’s a nice thought, but it also creates expectations that may or may not be true.
The thing is, it’s very common to forget what it felt to do something the first time. If I asked you today how difficult it is to drive a car, most of you would say, “That’s pretty easy.” But if you were to think back to the very FIRST time you drove a car, the same could not be said.
I think back often to the first time I did a downward dog in yoga class. The instructor told us to “rest” in downward facing dog, but I didn’t have the shoulder strength to rest. The point is that most things are difficult the first time you do them and they become easy with repetition and practice. What’s easy for you will likely not be easy for your students, and telling them something should feel easy not only creates cognitive dissonance, it also makes it less safe to say, “No, that doesn’t make sense at all.”
Instead, you might try something like, “Some people might find this difficult; I’ve practiced a lot so it feels easy to me now,” or, “Learning new things is difficult; it’s normal to feel frustrated or lost.”
Or better yet, say nothing about how the experience should feel.
I’m so sorry you have to be here.
Trainers and facilitators of adults say this ALL the time. Variations include, “I know you’re all really busy, so let’s get through this,” and, “Now, I understand this is the last thing you want to do on a Friday afternoon.”
Like the last phrase, these statements create negative expectations. And what’s worse, they completely discredit the importance of the content you’re about to cover. If you’re giving a session, it’s because someone thought the content was worth taking people off the phone, out of the field, or off the floor.
Yes, some people might be dreading it. That likely has nothing to do with you as a human being. So instead of apologizing, use a gratitude phrase to acknowledge that time is precious and limited. Say, “I know we all have a lot to do, so I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your presence and attention.”
Who wants to volunteer?
This question KILLS me. Facilitators use this tool when they don’t want to “call someone out.” The result is an awkward silence followed by one or two people talking over one another (cringe). Those two people are either highly extroverted (they’re always the first to share or talk) or highly empathetic (they feel bad for you and want to help you out). When we ask for volunteers repeatedly, it can create a very unsafe feeling for the learners in the room. No one should have to come to our rescue.
Now I get it, if you’re facilitating in person and you don’t know everyone’s name, you might HAVE to do this. That’s happened to me too–just this week in fact. What could I have done in advance to avoid this?
If you have the time and resources, consider bringing nametags or name tents; alternatively, get to know one or two people before the session starts. Call on these folks first, then let them choose the next “volunteer.”
You should also let your learners know right from the beginning that you will be calling people into the discussion. Say, “I want to make sure that what I said is resonating with you all, so be prepared to be called into the discussion; I don’t ask for volunteers.” You might also mention that you’re not trying to “catch” or “expose” anyone.
This is a safe space.
This phrase is heard most often during the awkward pause after a facilitator asks for volunteers. It sounds like this:
“Okay so who wants to try number one? Cummon guys, this is a safe space.”
The irony is that by asking for volunteers, the space has been made inherently less safe. It’s yet another phrase that both creates expectations and dismisses a person’s individual experience in your room.
Instead of saying “this is a safe space,” work to build a safe space by normalizing error, giving clear instructions, and explicitly stating your expectations of people.
What’s missing from this list? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
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