Training Leadership ToolsHandoutPage 1of 6

TeachingLeadership Tools

June 2009, NC

Course materials can be found on

Objective

To provide tools and techniques to enableinternal IBM trainers to teach collaborative leadership toolsto IBM leaders. Each trainer will have an opportunity to practice teaching each of the four modules and, as a group, develop IBM examples for each module. An additional objective is to discover the teaching techniques to help the audience reach its ‘ah ha’ moment.

What is effective leadership?

What is the difference between leadership and management?

Why do you think these leadership tools are valuable to IBM?

If you could change one thing about what leaders do today in IBM, what would it be?

T3 Strategy

Each trainee will have a chance to teach each of the four major modules. The trainers will give the module while the trainees take notes and think of IBM examples or personal stories where they think an example or story is needed. After each module is taught by the trainer, the group will discuss the stories and examples so that each trainee can identify the important concept from the stories and examples as they identify their own set of stories and examples.

After going through a module, the class will divide up into two groups. Working with the trainer as an observer, each trainee will have a chance to practice teaching the module. Do not be surprised if the trainer exhibits some of the disruptive behaviors a trainer might encounter in their classroom such as side conversations, open laptops, hijacking the presentation, etc.

As a trainee, be prepared to give a short but substantial bit about yourself to gain the credibility of the class.

While listening to your peers teach the same module five times can be quite grueling, we need you to be there and to participate. Practicing on one person (the observer) is not enough. However, knowing that you are busy and may go into email withdrawal in the middle of this process, you will be able to step out into a green room and skip one or two repeated sessions.

Each morning will start with tips for teaching, general discussions, Q&A, and any scheduling or agenda changes we might need to make. Each day will end with a wrap up including “What Went Well?” and “What Could Be Improved?” feedback. The trainees need to tell the trainers what they need to be successful teachers and the trainers will adapt as the week goes along.

There is no scheduled session to practice the introduction. There will a listener in the green room for you to schedule time with her/him and practice using your lap top.

We want to keep this class on time but have a lot to cover (doing the four modules, the problem solving activity, the introduction, the course wrap up, and making sure all the trainees feel confident enough to teach the class) we may run out of time in the daily schedule. We may need to convene in a local refreshment facility to continue the discussions and feedback loop. After each class day is complete, the trainers will allow for at least an hour after the class at such a location for questions and discussions. All trainees are welcome to join in but are not required to do so.

Note:

While you are taking notes, please notice if there are any charts that are ‘abrupt’ and might be disrupting the flow. Same if you feel something is missing.

Daily Agenda

9:00 – 9:30Tips for Teaching, Q&A

9:30 – 10:30Trainer’s Teach Module

10:30 – 10:45Break

10:45 – 12:15Trainer’s Teach Module

12:15 – 12:45Lunch

12:45 – 2:45Class Walks Through Slides Exchanging Stories and Explaining What They Think the Charts Mean

2:45 – 3:00Break

3:00 – 4:00Class Walks Through Slides Exchanging Stories and Explaining What They Think the Charts Mean

4:00 – 5:002 Trainee’s Teach Module

5:00 – 5:30Wrap Up

Weekly Agenda

TuesdayCollaboration and Leading Collaboration

WednesdayCreating a Culture of Trust

ThursdayDecision Making and Risks

FridayStepping Up and Stepping Back

Materials Needed for Teaching Leadership Tools

  • Sticky notes, one pad for each attendee, super sticky if possible, in different colors
  • Fat markers in different colors, one for each attendee
  • Name tents
  • 5x8 index cards, one or two for each attendee
  • Easel pads (sticky as well if possible or get painter’s tape)
  • Copies of handouts: do not copy the charts!
  • Pads of paper and pens (some people don’t bring these)
  • Copies of the course handout, evaluation, and Tools at Work worksheet
  • “Snacks”

Tips for Trainers

Version 1, 25 May 2009

“I want to learn
what I did not come prepared to see.”

Concept in Teaching Leadership Tools

  • Use the tools in teaching the class.
  • We are looking for people to discover the value of the tools.
  • Create an environment that lets them internalize the tools and apply them to their situations.
  • Ask not tell. Lead the audience to an ‘Ah ha’ moment.

Make it Stick! SUCCES
From Heath and Heath’s book, Made to Stick.

  • S: Simple.
  • U: Unexpected. Surprise the audience from time to time, to get them to think and not be complacent.
  • C: Credible. Let the audience know you are passionate about the topic and you believe it works.
  • C: Concrete. Tell real and applicable stories that relate to the audience needs.
  • E: Emotion. “Why should I care about this?”
  • S: Stories. Tell stories. Some might need to be short and some might need to be long. Sometimes you don’t need a story. The audience will let you know.

Make it Interesting and Fun

  • Self deprecating humor is very effective.
  • Engage the class early in some activities.
  • Tell jokes or funny stories that are relevant.
  • As the day goes on, stop answering their questions and ask “What would you do?”

Credibility

  • Show your passion for the subject!
  • If you are nervous, act confident. You know this stuff. If the audience knew it already, they would be teaching it. And we wouldn’t let you be teaching this if we didn’t think you could do it.
  • Have a good introduction of yourself. This will save you time in proving yourself as the class goes on.
  • Be authentic. It is about them, not you.

Success

  • You need to try to engage each person. However, decide on your own success factor. I think that if I can keep 80% engaged until the end of the class, I am successful.
  • Don’t – do not – focus on the one or two outliers that won’t engage or seem disinterested. There can be one or two people in a class that are either angry, upset about something in their own job, personal reasons, whatever. You cannot fix this. And while I am interested in the evaluations, if I see one, I look at the rest and see if there was something I could learn from.
  • Don’t go over time. People will be happy if you let them go early. But really unhappy when you keep them late.

Disruptions and Hijacking

  • Side conversations. You stop talking and until they finish. You can ask them to share what they have to say with the rest of the group. “It appears that that there are some people here that have something to say. Would they like to share it with the group?” or “Would the group like to hear it?”
  • Doing emails during class. Remind people that they will have plenty of breaks to attend to their emails. Sometime I come up behind them and ask if they could wait until the break. Or if it is important, if they could step out.
  • Take the fun out of being dysfunctional. Some people enjoy negative attention and will wither if you ignore their disruptive behavior.
  • Hijacking the class. When an attendee wants to talk about a topic you will cover later in the course, mention that. When they want to talk on and on about a topic, ask them to take it up with you at the next break.

Taking Care of You

  • Let it go at the end of the day. Leave classroom issues in class so that you can have some down time before coming back to another day of teaching.
  • The adrenalin hit at the end of the day is huge. I always get away for at least a half an hour before I face anyone. I can talk during that time but not about anything in the class. If the attendees want to have a drink somewhere after class, I drive there slowly, or take a walk, or clean up the classroom, or stop in my hotel room, or stand at the bar to get a drink before I join the group.
  • It gets easier.The more you do, the easier it gets.
  • Call Pollyanna.If you need help or want to talk through something, text or call: 801.209.0195. Email: .

References for Trainers

Books, Links, and Articles About Presenting

Have fun! Practice!
(I hated the first two classes I ever taught!)

Delivery Help

  • Check out Garr Reynolds’ Top Ten Delivery Tips:

Changing the charts? Making your own?

  • Look at Garr’s book, Presentation Zen and his website:
  • 5 Ways to Ruin Your Next Presentation which states: Don't make every slide look the same (i.e., Title, Bullets; Title, Bullets). Gallo [the presentation expert] suggests that you use images with little or no text on slides to discuss ideas or concepts, which is also a great way to engage the audience. This will also, he says, "give the audience's eyes a rest every so often."