Starting with the problem at hand

I would dare to claim that many a corporate learning event or a webinar follows a common pattern of telling, listening and questions. It may be the easiest way to deliver information, promote learning and make people aware of a topic or a problem. However, if we want to engage people and increase impact, there are more effective ways to approach this.

First, we need to identify what really is the problem and why a change is needed. The next step is to gauge how much people already know about the topic. This can be a breakout room discussion, a questionnaire, a self-reflection question, a case to solve. Now that we have their interest, we can introduce bite-size applicable information, bring in the SMEs to deliver insights, show videos of practical implementations, invite questions. Now they are ready to ask questions to fill in their knowledge gaps. They can even write them down in the chat where the SME can answer them. To finish, we can ask them to reflect and identify three key takeaways on a virtual board.

It’s very hard to focus on receiving information merely by listening and to learn this information. When we have a problem we need to solve that relates to our world of experiences, it is much easier to form meaningful connections in the brain. Working with others increases motivation because they offer us new perspectives. Additional materials or readings may be handed out for more in-depth explorations for those interested. It’s important that the event is not crammed with unnecessary details that distracts from the problem at the focus.