Train Smart

Rich Allen offers excellent advice on training/instructing. Out of all 25 different techniques and tips what I realized is the emphasis on trust. Allen continually encourages trust and safety within a training atmosphere. But what's so unique is Allen does not come out and say, "This is a safe place. We can all trust each other. Thus, learning will occur and everyone will win." No. Instead, throughout all twenty five tips Allen elicits trust from the different techniques. As a result trust is gained and the environment can fully develop as an educational session. This makes perfect sense when thinking about two people - one says to the other "Just trust me"... well, that person can't trust the other if there isn't any foundation where trust has been established. Thus, Allen's ability to gain trust with students/audience is essential in creating a safe atmosphere.

I can definitely see myself using the different tactics Allen provides. Throughout most of the book the author suggests how to move the audience around the room. Often presenters lecture for minutes or hours on end. Once the trainer moves into 'lecture speed' (as I call it) then the audience can take a backseat and relax for the next few hours or so. Unfortunately, when this happens the audience also takes a backseat to learning, as well. To fix this problem the twenty five tips move students and the trainer to instill a form of creativity in the mind and body. As a result the blood gets flowing for the students and learning can take place.

Just as a reference (for myself) and for others reading the 25 train smart suggestions are as follows:
1. Acknowledgement
2. Bridges and Zones
3. Comfort Levels
4. Task Completion
5. Contrast
6. Precise Directions
7. Resource Distribution
8. Teach It Standing
9. Participant Inquiry
10. Adequate Response Time
11. Specify Response Mode
12. Question/Clarify/Question
13. Managing Disruptions
14. Creative Note-Taking
15. Positive Language
16. Involve, Don't Tell
17. Ownership
18. Pause for Visuals
19. Press and Release
20. Purposeful Body Language
21. Visual-Field Variations
22. Vocal Italics
23. Music Matters
24. Guiding Attention
25. Verbal Specificity

Looking over all of these in list form they seem like common sense; however, from many lectures I have attended 'common sense' may not be the right word because hardly many professors/trainers use these tools. I hope more instructors gain these tips because truly they seem common sense to me.