Tip #1011: There is No Excuse for Boring Training

If your participants are bored, you’re doing something wrong.

If your participants are checking their phones or nodding off, you are probably lecturing at them.

Lecture does nothing to build their skills or change their behaviors.

It only emphasizes your mastery of the subject, not theirs.

Lack of time and resources are often cited as the reasons why more participatory learning activities aren’t used.

These are bogus excuses.

There are plenty of interactive and participatory learning activities that require little time and few resources and can be set up and facilitated in minutes.

For example, we know that adults love to compete.

Here are four learning activities to check learning retention that can be set up quickly, take little time to facilitate, and require few resources:

1. Grab the Koosh [Koosh or object and index cards]
2. Competitive Brainstorming [a piece of paper]
3. Relay Race [flipchart paper and magic markers]
4. Rotating Flipcharts [flipchart paper and magic markers]

We know that movement stimulates the brain and reinforces learning.

Here are four learning activities that have participants move as they discover the content they need to learn:

1. Scavenger Hunt [worksheet to fill in the blanks]
2. Gallery Walk [flipchart paper and magic markers]
3. Human Knot [no resources]
4. Who is Left Behind [index cards]

These are just a few of the many quick and easy participatory learning activities that help participants learn content and/or check their retention.

Let’s have no more excuses for boring training.

P.S.  If you’re unfamiliar with any of these activities, contact or DM me and I’ll send you instructions.

May your learning be sweet,

Deborah