What George Costanza Teaches Us About Onboarding

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My all-time favorite television show is Seinfeld. I own the DVD collection and have probably seen every episode at least a dozen times, but that doesn't stop me from stopping on it in a channel-surfing face-off. In fact, the name of this blog is, in part, a subtle homage to the show. With April 29th … Continue reading What George Costanza Teaches Us About Onboarding

The Introvert’s Guide to Being an Awesome Facilitator

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  I spend a lot of time in front of a group; but truth be told, I'm an introvert. If I'm given the choice of being in a large, social setting or having a quiet conversation with a couple of colleagues, I'll choose the quiet conversation every time. Sometimes, it seems like being a presenter, … Continue reading The Introvert’s Guide to Being an Awesome Facilitator

Making an Emotional Connection to Your Learners

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Last week, I was on a flight from Phoenix to Indianapolis. Seated directly behind me was a woman holding an adorable 6-month old baby boy. Seated directly across from me was a gentleman holding an adorable 6-month old baby girl. Twins. Many people would cringe at the thought of being seated by not one, but … Continue reading Making an Emotional Connection to Your Learners

3 Ways to Have a Really Bad Time at a Conference

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Greetings from fabulous Las Vegas! This week, I'm attending (and speaking at!) the annual Skillsoft user conference, Perspectives 2014. My session was Tuesday afternoon during one of the pre-conference workshops - technically, the conference begins Wednesday morning. Needless to say, I lucked out on the timing of my session...it's all done early, so now I … Continue reading 3 Ways to Have a Really Bad Time at a Conference

One Hundred Thanks

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This is a special, non-Wednesday post, but I simply couldn't wait until next Wednesday to share it. Why? This is my one-hundredth blog post. To some bloggers, this might be small potatoes. There are people who blog daily, or even multiple times per day, with new ideas constantly shaping into thought-provoking posts. And then there's … Continue reading One Hundred Thanks

BYOWS (Bring Your Own Workshop Stuff)

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Exactly 566 days ago, I wrote this post about my favorite things to have on hand for a training session. Today, over 1.5 years later, my "favorites" remain the same, although this list has evolved over a number of years. As you're about to read, I also keep a few other go-to items on hand that … Continue reading BYOWS (Bring Your Own Workshop Stuff)

Adult Learning Principles: A Quick Refresher

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If I were keeping score, I'd say I've had at least 3 conversations this week about adult learning principles. If you've been following this blog for awhile, you might remember a post about how I migrated to the adult learning world from teaching kids. Over the years, I've learned that quite a few of us didn't start … Continue reading Adult Learning Principles: A Quick Refresher

Flip Charts Aren’t Dead (so maybe we should get better at using them?!)

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Ah, my years-long love affair with the flip chart. Even with the countless tech tools that are at our fingertips, sometimes you just can't beat the simple value of a good flip chart during a training session or workshop. Despite technical difficulties and dead batteries, the dependable flip chart is always there, a go-to visual … Continue reading Flip Charts Aren’t Dead (so maybe we should get better at using them?!)

What “Modern Family” Reminded Me About Onboarding

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Did you happen to catch Modern Family last week? I know I did! It's one of my favorite current shows. Usually, I tune in for the comedy and the great writing, but last Wednesday, I found myself taking notes. Yep - I'm a nerd like that. One of the storylines in the episode featured Mitch … Continue reading What “Modern Family” Reminded Me About Onboarding

3 Tips to Facilitate With Confidence (even when you’re not an expert)

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Have you ever been asked (or instructed) to facilitate a training session, and you're NOT the expert in the room? I think we've all been there at one time or another. It's easy to let the nerves or negative self-talk take over - a little too easy, right? How do you project authority on the … Continue reading 3 Tips to Facilitate With Confidence (even when you’re not an expert)