Perspectives
Keep Your
Audience Engaged
Tips to Increase Participation
by Mary
Anne Wihbey
Have
you ever asked a question and the participants look at you with blank stares? Does the question, “Do you have any
questions?” generate participation or serve as a closing comment? Have you ever wished for ways to keep your
audience engaged?
Continue reading to find some proven tips to keep your participants engaged, maximize your training effectiveness and ensure that the participants will take action after the training is complete.
Brainstorming
Brainstorming will allow you to capture the input
from most of your group, encourage participation and keep you from getting
caught up in the “blah, blah, blahs.” Here are a few examples:
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You might break the large group of participants into smaller groups of 3-5 and assign them a specific issue to discuss that is relevant to the overall training. Get one person within each group to volunteer to be the note taker or list the ideas on a flip chart. Ask all the teams to brainstorm as many ideas as possible on their issue for 4-7 minutes without evaluation. Have the teams decide on their top 3 ideas, put them on a flipchart, and present to the class.
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You can also use this technique to identify needs, concerns, opinions or observations of the participants on several issues. Again, divide the class into smaller groups of 3-5 people and assign them a particular topic. In other words, each group has a different topic. Allow them ample time to discuss the issue at hand and then present their findings to the large group.
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Each small group must obtain information from all other participants (outside their group) in approximately 10 minutes. The groups then have about 10 minutes to prepare a summary report of the information collected and present it to the group using a flipchart, whiteboard, or overhead transparency.
Questioning
Skills
Asking the “right types” of questions can stimulate
discussion, gain the involvement of quiet participants, check for
understanding, and even prevent side discussions. Avoid the “Any questions or
comments syndrome?” Rarely does this encourage active participation. Try to ask clear, concise, well-formed
questions. Avoid rapid-fire, multiple questions that make participants feel
interrogated. Lastly, after asking a question, wait at least 5 seconds for
responses before you resume talking.
Case
Studies
Design case examples based on real world scenarios
for your particular audience. Have them work in small groups for the purposes
of solving problems, making decisions, identifying sales needs, etc.
Workshops
Create workshops where the participants have to
physically do something. For example,
you might provide some arts and crafts and have them create a visual of their
mission statement or where they see their department five years from now. You
could also have them break into groups and do various activities such as
creating a presentation, or any other activity that relates to their role
within the workplace.
Role Plays
Role plays are an effective way of reinforcing
various skills including communication, sales, coaching, etc. If you decide role plays would enhance your
training, be sure that you have a process to solicit and deliver candid
feedback without offending the participants.
About the
Author: Mary Anne Wihbey is
owner and President of Peak Performance Solutions®, an international
training company specializing in sales, customer service, and management
training. She has been an active member of ASTD for over ten years. For more
information, visit www.peakperformancesolutions.com
or contact Mary Anne at (972) 715-2678.