TOT 109: Tuning to the Time Scale – Avoiding the Procrustean Bed

Trainers often come across two difficult situations:-

1. Time is short – they are unable to cover what all they wanted to cover.
2. More time is available – but they do not have material to deliver till the time slot given to them, gets over.

In the first situation, some trainers try to fill all that they know about the topic to be covered, in a hurried manner, without even giving a pause here and there. They will be virtually running at high speed without bothering who is following them or not. 

In the second situation, even though the trainers will very well know that they do not have further substance with them to deliver, nevertheless, they, 

1. go on repeating whatever they had already said 
2. Take a very simple straight example, that can be communicated in one or two sentences and go on explaining it in fifty sentences. 
3. get into talking mode from the mode of presentation and keep talking out of context.

All that they want to prove is that they could handle a session till the end of the allotted time. 

Sometimes they even stretch their session so much that they encroach upon the time allotted for the next speaker/session master.

“Procrustean Bed”

To avoid the above two difficult situations, a master gave his students a very harsh example but asked his students to remember the story of a “Procrustean Bed”.

It is a story from Greek Mythology. Procrustes was a robber. He used to tie his victims to the bed. Cut their legs if they were longer than the bed. Stretch them cruelly if they were short.

It is necessary for every trainer to remember this story. Ultimately whatever is presented is for the trainees to receive. Trainer has to focus more on the comfort level of the trainees than on the subjective satisfaction of the trainers. By Cutting the presentation too short or stretching it too much, trainees should not get the feeling of being laid on the Procrustean bed. 

POINTS TO REMEMBER

1. When the time is short.
   Begin your session by informing the trainees as to how much time is available with you and then proceed with the topic. 
   Place only one or two very effective points which fit into the available time.

2. When time is more than what you could handle:

• Gracefully move from the Dias, requesting the co-trainer/ next speaker or the lead trainer to handle the session.
• Use the remaining time for a question and answer session.
• Ask a question to the trainees, and from their answers develop the topic.
• Use a small simulation exercise – which may not be closely associated with the topic allotted to you, but, related to any of the topics dealt with by earlier speakers.
• Convert the session cleverly into the facilitative mode of presentation and collect views from the trainees involving each of them.

FORESEEING

Trainers must always be prepared to meet both situations.

What would I do if I do not get the time I am allotted? 

What would I do if I am unable to cover all that I wanted to cover in the given time?

What would I do, if I go blank after a few minutes of my presentation?

What would I do if, the materials that I had prepared sufficiently to cover a session for an hour get over in 15 minutes?

“Time is a standard scale – You need to adjust to it”.

Slamw

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(All Copyrights reserved by the author S.Susheela)