TOT 61: Right thing at the Right time and place

PLANNING

Spending quality time in the preparation of contents, examples /exercises/roleplays to be given, stories to be told, case histories to be referred to, slides – pictures to be shown, questions to be asked, points to be referred to in briefing and debriefing are all part of planning. All these aspects, while placed on a preparatory template give broader picture of presentation.

However, depending on the available time, and the receptive capacity of the trainees what is required to be conveyed and how, when and where, is to be decided by the trainer. At times, this may have to be done while being on the training floor.

A trainer has to be very innovative and must have presence of mind. Adaptability is one of the essential characters of a trainer. Instead of expecting the trainees to understand all that the trainer has informed, it is always better to make sure that everything that is informed by the trainer is completely understood by the trainees. What is expected of a trainer should never be lost sight. Presentation should be so very effective that the trainees need not have to strain themselves to understand the contents.

INTERESTING PRESENTATION

Trainees may lose interest in the subject as well in the trainer in the following circumstances:

When there is information overloading.

• When so many thoughts are conveyed one after the other without giving time for the trainees to comprehend.
• Trainer is continuing with the presentation without even traying to understand whether the trainees are understanding what is being tried to be communicated by the trainer.
• So many examples, slides, stories are made part of presentation, that the trainees are unable to understand what is to be chosen and retained by them.
• Trainer is trying to serve everything he/she has prepared at one go.
• Though there seems to be so much, everything is messed up.

TIPS TO AVOID INEFFECTIVE PRESENTATION

Ask the following questions:

1. What can be deleted from my proposed presentation?
2. Should this example be given/ What if I don’t give?
3. Can I reduce time in canvassing this point?
4. Does my presentation look over loaded?
5. Am I overburdening the trainees?
6. Will the trainees be losing the track?
7. Have I repeated anything?
8. Have I said more about something?
9. Have I left the relevant information?
10. Are the chosen examples, stories ….boring ?
11. Are they too long?

CLUTTER FREE PRESENTATION

There are two methods that are generally adapted to achieve clutter free presentation

1. Prepare the entire presentation and then clean it up

First step: Trainer prepares an elaborate template with contents, many examples/ stories/exercises/case histories /slides etc.

Second step: Trainer goes through every material placed on the elaborate template meticulously and diligently works on removing all the unwanted stuff.

2. Do not place anything which is to be removed /eliminated later.

While preparing the presentation itself at every step, trainer works meticulously, and spends quality time on the choice of contents, examples/ stories/exercises/case histories /slides etc.

Trainer does not put anything on the template which is out of place and context.

Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.

Benjamin Franklin

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