10.5 Top Tips on the Topic of Responsibility for Learning

Our top tips on how to facilitate rather than lecture your delegates in order to inspire and motivate them to be responsible for their own learning and development.

Do’s

1. Set out from the outset whose responsibility your delegates’ development is, i.e. theirs, not yours!
2. Take time to explain what this means and ask a few delegates for examples or stories of how they have taken responsibility across their careers for developing their own skills and confidence.
3. At the outset ask your delegates what they wish to learn and get them to think how they can apply that learning to their work/role. If delegates identify the relevance for themselves your job will be easier!
4. Ensure your style of delivery continually reinforces the message of ‘I can give support, but responsibility for development remains with you’.
5. Be tough on those who fail to do pre-course work. By and large these will be the ones not stepping up and taking responsibility.

Don’ts

6. Ever find yourself lapsing into teacher mode (tell/lecture). Wherever possible stay in facilitator mode (ask/explore).

1. Hesitate to split people up or move the room around if you find some are not being as focused as you would expect. All too often the disruptive or uncommitted delegates sit together and feed off each other.
2. Forget to continually relate what the delegates are learning to the practical application to their jobs/roles. The more relevant training appears the more delegates will buy in and take responsibility
3. Mistake humour for lack of attention. Those delegates who bring in humour and energy are really valuable, just as long as you ensure the focus stays on learning.
4. Fail to address immediately any delegates who are not bought into development being their own responsibility. The longer you leave it, the more both your and their time will be wasted

And Finally…

10.5. The lazy approach to developing people is to walk in, lecture, walk out. The tougher approach is to create and facilitate a session that aides learning and self development. Is it time to rethink your own approach and style of delivery?

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