Staff training Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Empowered Development Consulting

The Power of Objective-Based Training

April 25, 2022April 6, 2022 by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments

How many times have you been to a training where the instructor or facilitator dives right into the material, and you are so confused about what will be covered and why you are even trying to learn this in the first place? I know I have been to many of those and have, unfortunately, probably led a few of them too. That was before I started using objective-based training. Objective-based trainings are trainings designed around desired outcomes or objectives. These trainings clearly state the goals, identifying what trainees should be able to do after completing the training. Here are the three reasons I love this style of training so much. First... Objectives force an instructor to get real with the constraints they are dealing with for a specific training. Many outcomes that you might want are entirely unreasonable if you do a one-hour virtual training. The outcomes shape what you will teach, but the constraints shape your results.Things to consider when looking...

Improv’s “Yes and…” to Improve Brainstorming

February 14, 2022February 14, 2022 by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments

I have always loved brainstorming. There was a time when my team seemed to sour on brainstorming, and I was heartbroken. I was determined to understand why. With a few minor tweaks, I improved the quality of our brainstorms and decreased resistance to them. Have you ever been in a brainstorming session where ideas seem to propagate more great ideas, and the energy in the room feels like it is sizzling? Picture that brainstorm session, and now picture a brainstorm that you have been at that felt awful. When done poorly, brainstorming sessions can drain the energy from the room and have a lasting impact on morale. How do you develop a team that is good at brainstorming? Here are a few of my favorite ideas: 1. Practice “yes and” skills through improv. By playing improv games that encourage your team to practice a “yes and” mentality, you will create a team that can take risks and is resilient when brainstorming. This article lists some...

Barriers to New Things

January 31, 2022February 1, 2022 by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments

Recently I tried a new product, detergent strips. They were great, and I think I’m a convert from conventional liquid or powder detergent. I couldn’t help thinking, why did it take me so long to try these! They are much more environmentally friendly, extremely efficient, and take up hardly any space on my laundry room shelf. So why did it take so long to try them, and what can we learn from this when thinking about training and staff development. Knowledge of a Different Way The first thing is the knowledge that there is a different way of doing things. These laundry strips are not sold at the grocery store and are still relatively unknown. Because of that, one of the barriers to starting to use them was even knowing they existed. I can’t remember where I heard about them first, but the company had to spend money to help get the word out that this even was an option when thinking...

Improv to Build Resilience

December 27, 2021November 16, 2021 by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments

With the rise of social media, we forget how edited everything that we see often is. It appears that creators are doing one take, and they're done, right? My husband is a social media content creator. He often gets a lot of criticism that his job is easy and he should be putting out more content. What they don't realize is that it usually takes hours of multiple takes and then lots of editing to create the final product. TEDx and standup specials are also great examples of media that we are exposed to subconsciously erodes our confidence. TEDx and standup specials are highly scripted, rehearsed, and edited but appear off the cuff or improvisational. These polished final projects that we are bombarded with constantly eat away at our Resilience. They send our brain the message that you should present to peers or clients flawlessly every time. The truth is that you will make mistakes when giving, and it is...

Improv for the Reluctant

December 13, 2021November 16, 2021 by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments

I I think nothing I have done has been met with more resistance than making people do improv activities! The amount of resistance that I am met with dramatically varies depending on the group dynamics. Here are a few things that I have observed about reluctance to do improv. Introverts = More Resistance The more self-proclaimed introverts in a group, the more resistance there will be to doing improv activities. Introverts generally need more processing time, so activities like improv games that require them to think and respond quickly are not typically their favorite thing. They also tend to like smaller groups or one on one interactions over larger group activities. Improv muscles are like the muscles in your body; the more you work them, the stronger they get. Group trust is critical. There is less trust within newer teams, and therefore members are often more resistant to these activities than with more established teams. If you, as a facilitator, are experiencing pushback around doing improv activities,...

Improv as a Training Tool

November 29, 2021November 16, 2021 by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments

I My high school theater teacher would never let us do improv games or activities; he said they were reserved for advanced theater students. This was at the height of the popularity of the American version of "Whose Line is It Anyway," and I honestly felt a bit irritated that he was preventing me from getting to try my hand at improv. I continued to view improvisational skills as desirable and took any opportunity to practice and improve my skills. As my career has progressed, I see how they benefited me as an educator and museum professional and as a team member and entrepreneur. Early in my career, I got involved with the National Informal Science Education Network (NISEnet), and leaders in that organization professed the powers of improv. They gave me opportunities to not only practice these skills but learned to facilitate them in my museum. I have since used them as a crucial part of my training programs to break...

Fixing Shallow Training

November 1, 2021November 16, 2021 by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments

Many training professionals have gotten the feedback that there wasn’t enough time or that the training content was shallow. There is so much to cover and too little time! Our instinct in preparing a training curriculum for when you have limited time and resources is to give them a bit of information on many things, but I would argue that this leaves your team feeling overwhelmed and ill-prepared for the hard work they will face post-training. These types of training can be frustrating for employees and can contribute to burnout and turnover. So how do we fix this mile-wide and inch-deep training problem? Here are five things to consider when planning to preempt shallow training. 5 Things to Fix Shallow Training Prioritize application of knowledge in instruction over covering generalized topics at intermittent times. When you only have an hour, spend 10 minutes on new information and 50 minutes applying this new content. Help participants make connections to other training. For example, if...

Guiding a Team to Build a Logic Model

September 6, 2021November 16, 2021 by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments

Facilitating a group through the process to build a logic model can feel overwhelming. I have some tips and tricks to make the process easier when leading a team through the process of creating a logic model. Who should be involved? Try to limit the group to as few people as possible but ensure that you have representation from project/program staff, evaluation staff, and, when possible, leadership teams. Groups larger than ten often struggle to come to a consensus. If your group has more than ten people, think about how you structure each work session; there may be a way to design each session so that every member does not have to be present at every meeting. Where should we meet? You will want a flexible space that allows for small group and large group discussions. You will also want a whiteboard or another method to collect ideas. If your room doesn’t have a whiteboard, post-its can be a powerful tool for brainstorming as...

How Do I Create A Logic Model?

August 23, 2021November 16, 2021 by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments

In my previous post, I summarized logic models. If you read that post or have heard about logic models but don’t know where to start, I’ll share some straightforward steps to create a logic model in this post. These steps have been adapted from The Compass For SBA website. The Compass is a curated collection of social and behavior change (SBC) resources. Who should be involved? Your logic model should be co-created by team members and leadership staff. Any team member who will be overseeing the evaluation or research related to the project and any leadership staff who are closely connected to the project should participate in this effort. It is great to have senior leadership staff as part of the development team because this helps get internal buy. Everyone is then aligned on the inputs, outcomes, and plans for measuring the desired results. What timeframe do I need to create a logic model? Logic models are ideally created at the beginning of a...

Microsoft Outlook

May 17, 2021November 16, 2021 by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments

Microsoft Outlook is used in many companies. Although much of Outlook is intuitive, many people have never received training on this platform and therefore are unaware of many of its helpful collaboration features. In this continuing series on virtual tools to enhance collaboration, I will share three cool features in Microsoft Outlook to boost virtual cooperation in your team. @Mentions: Have you ever needed to send an email to a dozen coworkers but only needed an answer from two of them? In the past, you might have bolded, underline or highlight to draw attention to who you need feedback or input from, but this can be missed or overlooked by team members who do not read the email carefully. With Outlook, you have another option. Type @ followed by their name, and several things happen. First, their name is automatically added to the "To" line of the email message. Members of the team mentioned using the @ symbols will see their name...