It is a trainer’s nightmare: you realize you have misjudged the timing and run out of content and learning activities, while there are still two hours left in the training day!
Don’t panic! If you can’t simply let the participants leave early and you want to make the learning experience as rich and useful as possible, there is an effective way to use that time. It can be used with in-person as well as virtual training sessions.
Give your participants an opportunity to discuss their challenges. The group and the facilitator can then pool their knowledge and experience to help each other out. The learning that occurs will be much more meaningful and effective because it is directly relevant to the participants’ needs.
For example, a recent lesson on the topic of motivation skills for managers was originally designed for a class of twenty-five participants. However, there were only twelve participants in the class, and they were a very perceptive bunch. As a result, they sailed through the planned content and learning activities.
A large group conversation about their challenges and how best to meet them opened up an occasion for powerful learning that easily filled up the remaining training time. During this discussion, the participants discovered that they had common motivational issues. They shared their experience and recommendations to help each other problem-solve their situations. It was peer learning at its best.
Contact me for another way to deepen the learning if participants complete planned learning activities more quickly than anticipated.
May your learning be sweet- and safe.
Deborah
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