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TOT 210-Week 210

NEAT PRESENTATION

(The objective of this weekly blog,  totim.law.blog is to assist the trainers in  the field of mediation,  to strengthen their skills).

A neat presentation has the following essential striking  factors:-

1. Contents –(i)  presented  with  Clarity  (ii) demonstrating  deeper understanding  of the topic by the trainer  (iii) made easily  understandable.
2. Slides:   With less  words –  appropriate  font size
3. Examples:  Apt and To the point. (Chosen with thought behind it).
4. Exercises: Timely – appropriate – well structured.
5. Role plays: With clarity   regarding  pre-briefing- and debriefing   
6. Humour:  Relevant – carrying   message  related to the topic.

What brings down the  quality of presentation?

• Toomuch of content or  glaring absence of relevant  content.
• Overcrowded slides – with inappropriate font size
• Examples-  not relevant – too complicated  to comprehend- with more number of characters-and multiple situations
• Exercises: Unstructured – Chosen without much thought behind it.
• Role plays:  Given without clarity –  poor pre briefing – and out of context de briefing .
• Humor : Used without logic- irrelevant- out of context

Guiding principles:-

1. Less is More
2. One point at a time.
3. No clutter
4. Do not overpour
5. Be organized and stay organized.  

Good order is the foundation of all things- Edmund Burke-Political thinker

(All  copyrights reserved by the author S.Susheela)

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TOT 206-WEEK 206

SHARING

(BEGINNER’S GUIDE-1)

(Note: The objective of this weekly blog is to help the trainers giving training in mediation to strengthen their training skills).

After getting basic  training in  training, in the initial period of training ,  a potential trainer may feel confused, overwhelmed and  anxious too.   The performance pressure may overtake the actual capabilities of  the potential trainer.  The desired results may not be  produced.  In order to avoid this , it is always  better to start with  the following principles;-

1)Divide – Divide the topic into   two or three parts.

• Focus: Work only on one part at a time .
• Delegate   : Delegate the responsibility of handling the  other parts to other co trainers.

Further steps at the preparation stage:-

1. Identify:

(a)The content part – Focus on what has to be delivered compulsorily.

                   (b) The segmentation part – How  to divide the content into three or four parts. ( Where  should the trainer  take up which part of the content)

                    (c ) Presentation part:  i) Whether the presentation should be in  lecture mode?  (ii) Whether  an exercise  /story/narrative /example/role play   is to be used?

                     (d) Time management:  (i) Keep  in mind the time  that is  allocated  (ii)  Take out 10% of the time  as non available  (iii) Decide how much of time can be allocated to each part of the content, as decided in the segmentation part (iv) Decide how much of time can be allocated to   the form/s of presentation chosen  ( example: for exercise/example/story telling etc.)   

1. Advantages:
2. Potential Trainer  does not get over stressed
3. What is to be dealt with becomes manageable.
4. Confidence level of the potential trainer increases.
5. Thoughts  start flowing   in an effortless way.

1. Mandatory Requisites:

i)  There has to be perfect co ordination between /amongst co trainers dealing with the topic. 

ii)The division  of the content part  has to be made known to each other/s.

iii) Time  required has to be  made known to each other

iv)Even though each part is handled by a different trainer, the session as a whole must be  comprehensive and complete.

IV) Where and how can this technique be used?

1. While dealing with technical session:-

Example: Negotiation  and bargaining Total session time  – 30 minutes

Trainer A deals with negotiation – types- differences – styles-

Barriers to negotiation . (30 minutes)

Trainer B deals with stages of Negotiation- Effective Use of  private session and joint session  to assist in negotiation

(30 minutes)

Trainer C deals with  Bargaining – Types- examples- Case history/narrative

(30 minutes)

“Do not hesitate to acknowledge what and when you cannot do all by yourself , and take a call to delegate.”

SLAMW

(All copy rights reserved by the author S.Susheela)

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TOT 205-WEEK 205

“LESS  IS  MORE”.

( Note: The objective of this  weekly blog is to assist  the trainers giving training in mediation in strengthening their skills).  

One of the guiding principles  in training  is “ Less is More”.

Many trainers  have lost their credibility  in their enthuse to give more and more inputs to the trainees, beyond the level of comprehension of the trainees. 

The objective of the training is not  to exhibit how much  the trainer knows.   No  successful training can be a trainer centred training.

The success of any training is dependent on how much the  trainees have been able to understand ,  inculcate and implement.

No one can make others understand what one has not understood.

It is in this context overloading the slides, PPTs  with more and more information on any topic/sub topic etc , will have to be seriously avoided. When the slides are overloaded  trainees may get a feeling of  suffocation. Added to this, if the trainer  goes on explaining  everything that is displayed,  it would  be too much for the trainees to handle.

Content management includes   the following principles:-

a)“ What Content needs to be given”  ?

b)How much of content  can be given ?

c)How much  of content can be considered  manageable by the trainees in each session?

Let us consider the following strange analogy :-

1. Imagine you are  in the process of cooking. You overload the mixer, and do not  fix it well.  You press the button. Everything overflows. Your kitchen slab, wall,  floor,  the mixer,   everything  gets dirty .  By the time you get  things straight, your enthusiasm to cook  no more stays with you. The guest  who sees the whole mess loses his interest in eating  what ever you have  offered thereafter.

1. You  are watching a guy picking up everything more and more from a  widespread buffet, and gulping it fast  , in order to see to it that he does not miss out anything that is  being served.  Minutes after finishing his eating process, he starts puking. You see him puking , and , several things coming out of his mouth . You see everything  floating in the wash basin.

( The guy in the example could be a trainee… and could  also be a trainer).

By imagining this scene.. are you feeling  that such a thing is “disgusting” even to imagine.

This strong  example is given only to draw the attention of the  potential trainers/ trainers ,  who  are fascinated about collecting materials from here and there  and over loading their slides, and   further over burdening  the trainees with things which after a certain  point  do not  carry any value at all.

“A wealth of information creates poverty of attention.”

Herbert A Simon- Pioneer of  Artificial Intelligence.

(All copyrights reserved by the author S.Susheela).

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TOT 204-WEEK

(Note:-The objective of this blog post is to help the trainers giving training in mediation to strengthen their training skills.)

When it comes to communication by a trainer , it cannot  just be  sharing of information. There has to be purpose , coupled with clarity.  Purpose has to precede communication.  Clarity  has to be  demonstrated part of communication by a trainer .

Even though presentation skills are  learnable skills,  and can be  inculcated over a period of time, the credibility of a trainer depends  more on the contents  delivered.   As many topics and sub topics, dealt in mediation training are interconnected, trainer cannot go wrong on the understanding of the concepts. It is in this context  ‘clarity of thoughts ‘ plays a vital role. 

Two guiding principles that  can be considered are :

Sharing by a trainer  is not just sharing of words.

Sharing means   sharing of meaning.

Example 1:  Statement by the trainer:-

“Open ended questions should not be asked in joint session”.

Before making such a  statement trainer has to think, (i)whether  this statement is correct? (ii) What would this statement of mine communicate?  (iii) Would such statement from my end  mean my incorrect understanding of the concept  of  “ open ended question”.  (iv)What do I want to communicate? (v)  To bring out clarity, can I use qualifiers.. like “ Some  Open ended questions may  be avoided in joint sessions.”

Example 2: Statement by a trainer in a session on the  role of third parties

When  third parties try to impose their views on the disputing party, the mediator has to WARN  the third parties and REMIND  them  with a STERN VOICE  that ‘they cannot  be controlling  the party, and that they should know their limitations.’

Before making such statements trainer has to think:

• Whether such statement would mean being disrespectful to the third party ? (ii) Whether there is a possibility  that  the  party/third party thinks that  the mediator’s neutrality is compromised, and the mediator has started thinking what is good or not good for the party?   (iii) Whether such statement would mean that the trainer has no broader and deeper  understanding of the concept  of “ party’s right of self determination”  which would encompass within itself  the  right to consult others and take their advice if found acceptable .(iv) Whether the trainer has not  understood the deeper  meaning of role of third parties in mediation? Etc..

 The above examples   will demonstrate how a trainer’s statement  might raise several questions.   It is always advisable to  move with clarity .

However the very same statements can be used for discussions  as fillers during training  when time of ten- to- fifteen minutes’ is available.  The topic – with the above said statements can be used – and the discussion from amongst the trainees can be  encouraged. This would make them understand  what can be done and what cannot be done, during actual /live mediations.

“In a world  deluged by irrelevant information, clarity is power.”

Yuvai Noah Harari- Writer- Professor.

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TOT 203- WEEK 203

(Note: The objective of this  weekly blog is to  help trainers giving training in the field of mediation to strengthen their training skills.)

One of the greatest qualities of a trainer  is  calmness.  Calmness is also the greatest strength of a trainer.  Trainer has to maintain   perfect calmness  from  within. Any anxiety, pressure to perform, constant stress  about possibilities of failure  can all find remedy under  the shelter of calmness.

REASONS FOR FAILURE

Many  a times trainers fail because:-

1. They just will be waiting ( with all their restlessness ) for their chance to get on to  the training floor.
2. They want to deliver what all they have  chosen and ear marked to deliver.
3. They want to pour out  everything  that they have brought in.
4. When they have less  time  , than the time allocated to them, they run too fast to deliver everything  which was supposed to have been delivered in “A “time , in the lesser time. They do not  take a call to cut short  the points, depending on the situation.
5. Even when they have the allotted time at their disposal, they try to over burden the time slot…, with more and more contents, examples, narratives etc,
6. They try to  run super fast., struggling hard to gasp for breath.
7. They are unable to visualise that  the participants/ trainees  cannot be expected to  run  along with the trainer   at that speed, and rather they would withdraw from the session itself.
8. They  fail to understand that  trainees would shut their ears after first few minutes, when they are unable to  cope up with the  unexpected, unhealthy speed of  delivery.
9. They ignore the signals being given by their own body to them and to others sitting in the front that “ all is not well  .’’

BEST PRACTICE:-

Trainer should never try to  run  ahead of the trainees.

Training , is  all about taking the trainees along with  the trainer .

Less in More in training.

  Pace, pause,  space, break-should all be part of the  delivery.

‘One  at a time ‘should be the guiding factor.

Taking stock, positioning,  laying, layering  and thereafter  strengthening should all be part  of  delivery.

It has to be methodical  and neatly  structured.

“The  success of your  presentation will be judged not by the knowledge  you send  but  by what the listener receives.”

Lilly Walters – Key Note Speaker.

(All copyrights reserved by the author S.Susheela)

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TOT 202 – WEEK 202

“Active listening- barriers ”

(Note: The objective of this  weekly blog is to assist the trainers involved in giving training in mediation to enhance their training skills.)

One of the important components of active listening is empathy. Mediator will have to be very conscious about empathy blocks. Trainer can make the participants understand how to overcome empathy blocks through simulation exercises or through situational role play.

Example

Choose a  recorded role play with 2 participants., one being the mediator and the other being the party.  Trainer has to choose a particular scene  where the mediator and the party are in  a private session.

The participants are   to be requested to watch the role play.

The trainer  has to ask the participants to identify the empathy blocks.

Trainer has to ask  the participants to  label/ name  in not  more than  a sentence  ‘what the mediator should have avoided or not  have done.’

Trainer has to ask the participants to suggest what could have been done by the mediator.

Preparation of role play

The role play should have elements of  a) argument b) interruptions c) denying d) ignoring etc..

Trainer has to check whether the  participants  are capable of identifying these elements of empathy blocks. The next step would be to elaborate on the empathy blocks identified by the trainer/participants, and make them move towards avoiding  such empathy blocks.  

Example: What could have been done by the mediator to avoid arguing? Could the mediator have asked clarificatory questions to get confirmation regarding the information provided by the party instead of entering into an argument with the party.

Likewise, for each of the identified empathy blocks, the trainer has to take the participants through what could have been done.

Challenge

The greatest challenge lies in preparing the role play.

A short conversation between the party and mediator which should not extend beyond 3 to 4 minutes has to be prepared.

In this short conversation all the elements of empathy blocks must have been covered.

Debriefing by the mediator  has to be very specific.

At the end of the exercise participants must know i) what are the empathy blocks and(ii) how to overcome the same.

Advantages

By the end of the  exercise participants will know how to:-

Replace argument with clarification

Avoid Interruption using the technique of  deferring/  redirection / or  allowing the party to complete  his/her  narrative.

Replace denying with acknowledgement  .

Replace ignoring with deferring .

TIME: Total time required for the exercise:  15 minutes.

The essence of a role playing game is that it’s a group  cooperative experience.

By Gary Gygax-Designer and author known for Co creating tabletop role playing game.)

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