In the last blog post I mentioned a client had asked me about engaging listeners in training and in presenting. I turned to my network for their thoughts, and they provided a great list of reasons why to engage. Then I asked them what risks might be associated with engagement activities. Yes, there are a few risks to be aware of, and definitely there are steps you can take to mitigate these risks.
Engagement activities can use up a lot of time.
Engagement activities can fall flat or be perceived as time wasters or “fluff.”
You might fail to get engagement despite your attempts. This can derail the training or presentation and undermine your confidence.
The audience might react very differently than you expected, causing you to need to adjust on the fly.
If just a few participants are actively engaged they can dominate the discussion or activity, thereby decreasing engagement from others.
How can you mitigate these risks?
As you plan engagement activities, consider different learning styles, different media, maybe even different speakers. Our brains crave novelty, so keep changing it up in different ways. More on that in an upcoming blog post.
Be sure the engagement is integral to the overall presentation or training, not something extra or added in just to engage. For example, even when you take time for individual introductions, tie them somehow to the content or intent of the meeting or training. For example, “Give us your name, the location you are from, and one thing you want to accomplish in this meeting.”
Start early and engage often. If you wait until the middle or the end of your presentation, it will be too late. Engage from the very beginning. In the virtual world, you can encourage people to react (thumbs up, down, emoticons, etc.,) write on a virtual whiteboard, chat, vote, discuss in breakout rooms, or share their screens.
One great technique we are adopting is a blended approach to hearing from our listeners. When you ask people to comment or share their ideas, instead of calling out someone randomly, we like to ask who would like to speak first. Usually someone does. If a second volunteer doesn’t jump in, we go around the virtual room, calling on people in the order their videos appear on our screens. In that way we hear from everyone, but we also provide the space for people who do like to speak up first, and no one dominates the discussion.
We sometimes hear that meetings and presentations are more engaging when they are face to face, but a skilled speaker or trainer can find many ways to engage the audience, giving everyone a more satisfying experience.
We would love to hear from you. Please let us know what you think or how we can help your team or organization create and deliver more engaging presentations.