How to Engage Participants in Professional Development

You can deliver big, efficient PD in only a small amount of time. Here's the strategy... Assign prework. No, it’s not a revolutionary idea. Yes, it can revolutionize your meetings. When done well, prework can incorporate all seven principles of adult learning theory: 1. Adults must feel safe to learn. Thoughtful prework builds trust in the facilitator and provides clear expectations for how participants will be expected to engage. Increased clarity = increased comfort. 2. Adults come to learning experiences with histories. Prework that activates participants’ past experiences and knowledge sets them up to be sense-makers. 3. Adults need to know why we have to learn something. Prework provides the perfect method to communicate purpose without taking time from your session. 4. Adults want agency in learning. Differentiation in session can be tricky at times, but is much easier to do in prework. 5. Adults need practice to internalize learning. Front-loading knowledge-building in prework = more time for application in session. 6. Adults have a problem-centered approach to learning. Prework is a great opportunity to allow participants the time and space to consider application to their unique context. 7. Adults want to learn. Providing prework puts learning in participants’ hands. When thoughtfully designed and communicated, it activates participants’ curiosity and their core human need for competence. A warning: Prework can also be a waste of time. No strategy or tool is inherently transformational. It comes down to how you implement. A case study: I teach a virtual 1-day coaching workshop. Our live learning time is just 4 hours. We have big learning goals and consistently meet them (97% of participants say it met or exceeded expectations). The 4 hours we spend together are very purposefully designed. Yes, I am a skilled and experienced facilitator. But the prework is just as important to the success of the session as those 2 factors. To synthesize their prework learning, participants complete a 3,2,1 reflection where they capture the following:   3 new things you’ve learned 2 ideas you are still thinking about 1 concept or strategy you have already tried or will prioritize trying Toward the beginning of our time together, participants break into small groups and share their reflections. By the end of this short activity, multiple core human needs are met, and participants are actively enrolled in their learning. This allows us to jump into skill-building so participants emerge from our time together able to do something meaningfully different than when they arrived. Worried that people won’t complete their prework? Remember: adults want to learn. Competence is a core human need. Do your part well and trust that they will do theirs. How do you use prework? Is there something new you might want to try?

A blend is usually best. My approach to designing class sessions centers on designing for the learning, not the learner. Though this may be an unpopular instructional philosophy, I find it yields strong, lasting gains. Of course, learners must have adequate prior knowledge, which you can ensure through thoughtful placement and pre-training. This approach combines direct instruction with emotional, cognitive, and reinforcement strategies to maximize learning and retention. Each phase—from preparation to reinforcement—uses proven methods that reduce anxiety, build confidence, and sustain motivation while grounding knowledge in ways that lead to deeper understanding and real-world application. Direct instruction methods (such as Rosenshine and Gagné) offer a structured framework to capture attention, clarify objectives, and reduce initial anxiety. Emotional engagement—connecting material on a personal level—makes learning memorable and supports long-term retention. Reinforcement strategies like spaced repetition, interleaving, and retrieval practice transform new information into long-term memory. These methods help learners revisit and reinforce what they know, making retention easier and confidence stronger, with automaticity as the ultimate goal. Grounding learning in multiple contexts enhances recall and transfer. Teaching concepts across varied situations allows learners to apply knowledge beyond the classroom. Using multimedia principles also reduces cognitive load, supporting efficient encoding and schema-building for faster recall. Active engagement remains critical to meaningful learning. Learners need to “do” something significant with the information provided. Starting with concrete tasks and moving to abstract concepts strengthens understanding. Progressing from simple questions to complex, experience-rooted problems allows learners to apply their knowledge creatively. Reflection provides crucial insights. Requiring reflection in multiple forms—whether writing, discussion, or visual work—deepens understanding and broadens perspectives. Feedback, feedforward, and feedback cycles offer constructive guidance, equipping learners for future challenges and connecting immediate understanding with long-term growth. As learners build skills, gradually reduce guidance to foster independence. When ready, they practice in more unpredictable or “chaotic” scenarios, which strengthens their ability to apply knowledge under pressure. Controlled chaos builds resilience and adaptability—then we can apply more discovery-based methods. Apply: ✅Direct instruction ✅Emotional engagement ✅Reinforcement strategies ✅Multiple contexts ✅Multimedia learning principles ✅Active, meaningful tasks ✅Reflection in varied forms ✅Concrete-to-abstract ✅Questions-to-Problems ✅Feedback cycles ✅Decreasing guidance ✅Practice in chaos ✅Discovery-based methods (advanced learners) Hope this is helpful :) #instructionaldesign #teachingandlearning

Two of the biggest problems I hear about in leadership development: 1/ “Learning doesn’t stick.” 2/ “We don’t have a culture of learning.” BOTH of these problems can be solved. The key is to create a “learning ecosystem.” I’m not saying it’s easy...It’s certainly not something you can do overnight. But, these 7 tactics can go a long way: 1/ Hold a monthly community of practice Get your audience together each month (on Zoom). Use the call to: - reinforce key learnings - forge peer connections - give everyone a chance to ask Qs & share challenges - facilitate practice 2/ Create a Resource Vault Store learning resources in one live folder. Keep your docs updated in real time: - Insert new examples - Take & apply real-time feedback from learners - Create new resources based on what learners need The goal here is to make the vault a place your learners return to often. 3/ Send Weekly Behavioral Nudges Weekly behavioral nudges: - are a simple way to double or triple the value of an existing assessment or training program - can take a one-and-done program/assessment and add a year-long tail of exercises and key insights Nudges = STICKY learning 4/ Give Every Learner Access to a REAL Coach Use message-based coaching to: - expand the number of employees you can offer coaching to - meet employees at the exact moment that they need help 5/ Create a Peer Learning Network Peer learning tech enables collaboration in new ways. (And in ways that in-person can’t) Example: One leadership development team at a big tech company used a simple Google doc where learners shared questions, insights, and examples from over a dozen locations. As their doc grew… - themes emerged - ideas intersected - they had a running record of key info 6/ Deliver Microlearning in the Flow of Work Micro-learning: - makes learning available on-demand (open book test) - helps increase repetition to build habits - brings learning into the flow of work 7/ Trigger Organic Conversations You might: - use conversational guides (between peers or between learners & managers). - use prompts in your peer learning network - hold breakouts in your community of practice The idea is that over time, your learners will naturally use the language and ideas from your learning in their daily conversations. ____ Apply these 7 tactics (or even just a few) and you'll be well on your way to creating a learning ecosystem. One that will: 1/ take in new topics and spit out behavior change 2/ generate more feedback than you can collect 3/ solidify a culture of learning What other components do you include in your programs? #leadershipdevelopment

We've all been there. You sign into a training session brimming with enthusiasm, ready to learn new skills and hone your craft. But then...reality sets in. My recent experience with a sales training webinar was, well, less than stellar. Here's why: 💀 Death by PowerPoint: Slides. After. Slides. After. Slides. Densely packed with text, they became a distracting focal point for the participants. 🗣 The Monotone Monologue: The trainer delivered the information in a monotone voice, making it nearly impossible to stay engaged. Where was the passion for sales? 🔕 Zero Application: The entire session focused on theory, with no practical exercises or actionable steps to solidify the learning. How can we implement these strategies without guidance? Needless to say, I left feeling disappointed. Here's how this training could have been transformed: 🤝 Interactive Discussions: Breaking up the lecture with polls, Q&A sessions, and group discussions. Participants actively participating in their learning goes a long way. ✨ Real-World Scenarios: Case studies or exercises that mirror real-life sales situations would have been welcome. Applying the learned concepts and developing practical skills would have solidified the concepts. ⚡ Engaging Delivery: Injecting energy and enthusiasm into the presentation through storytelling, humor, or other techniques would have elevated the experience and kept participants engaged. Remember, effective training goes beyond information delivery. It's about creating an interactive and engaging experience that allows participants to apply what they've learned. What are your biggest training pet peeves? Share your stories in the comments! #training #sales #professionaldevelopment #learninganddevelopment #engagement #maketrainingmatter

📚 Agile Book Review: Training from the Back of the Room - Sharon L. Bowman This week, we’re looking at a foundational book—a go-to reference for Scrum trainers worldwide. ✒ “The course content was thorough and engaging.”  ✒ “...engages with the class the entire time.”  ✒ “...an amazing job keeping myself and the other students engaged.”  ✒ “...kept things engaging and provided plenty of opportunities to put into practice…” These are examples of student feedback from classes I’ve taught. “Engaging” pops up in over 50% of my course reviews. Variations on “practice,” “use,” “hands-on,” and “practical exercises” appear equally as often. While my theater background certainly helps me create an engaging class experience, the real reason for the consistently great feedback is Training from the Back of the Room. High School teacher turned corporate trainer Sharon L. Bowman challenged how adult learning was delivered. Digging into culture, brain science, and more, she began experimenting with more effective ways to teach complex subjects to adult learners. Training from the Back of the Room, 2008, was her first book to tackle this concept and fundamentally changed how adult instruction is done. Where once it was normal to have long, PowerPoint-laden lectures followed by a brief, barely connected exercise, TBR (as it is commonly referred to) challenges you to engage the learner in the first minutes and to never talk for more than ten minutes without engaging the learners in some kind of activity. TBR introduces us to the 4Cs of learning, which create learning programs that keep the learners engaged and help them retain far more than traditional lecture-driven instruction. The Four Cs are:  C1️⃣- Connection: “What does the learner already know about the topic?” C 2️⃣- Concept: “What does the learner need to know about the topic?” C 3️⃣- Concrete: “Can the learner do it or teach it to someone else?” C4️⃣- Conclusion: “How does the learner plan to use the knowledge/skill?” While Scrum Alliance Certified Scrum Trainers are not required to use the TBR method, it has become an almost de facto standard. I can’t imagine any aspiring trainer not learning and using these techniques. Every trainer I co-trained with, practiced with, or has been a mentor to me has used TBR. If you want to create engaging presentations, workshops, and team exercises, this book took me from “Death by PowerPoint” to “The best training I’ve ever been in.”  What are your experiences using TBR or taking a class that used the TBR model for delivery? This has been a 🦍 Gorilla Coach 🦍 Book review. Have a nice day. #Agile #Scrum #Sustainability #ContinuousImprovement #SustainableValue  #TBR #TrainingFromTheBackOfTheRoom #AdultLearning

This one is for those of us working on public speaking and facilitating professional development, or teaching, for that matter... After attending the Online Teaching Conference and being able to see 10+ speakers, here are my reflections: Be conversational. Don't try to sound "academic." Explain it like I'm five. This doesn't dumb down your content, but makes it clear and digestible. Be funny sometimes. A bit of humor really gets me to tune in. (Is there some research about how humor supports info retention?) Be vulnerable. Share of yourself with the audience. Just a little. Be relatable. Not perfect, because that's no fun. It's okay to 'mess up' what you rehearsed. It's okay if your slide deck isn't super polished. Authenticity wins. Be interactive. The most engaging sessions were the ones that had a lot of audience participation. Breakout conversations, movement, reciprocity. Be VERY selective about the amount of content you include. Too much content and you will rush through it and then it won't land or be engaging. Trim, trim, and trim some more. I'm always tempted to speak to TOO MUCH. Use the pause. Let me absorb what was just said. Let me linger in the emotions of your message. An intentional pause can also slow us down when we are nervous and curb filler words, things I am working on! I'm very grateful to all of the presenters for sharing their knowledge and presence. I learned a lot in so many ways. What have you learned about public speaking? Any tips or insights to share? #PublicSpeaking #ProfessionalDevelopment #Teaching #ReflectiveTeaching #ReflectiveLeadership ---------------------------- I'm Amy and I post about empowered early learning for 21st century students, teachers, and parents. I deliver professional development and talks for early childhood educators, parents, and caregivers. DM me for more info. Follow me for more content like this. 🔔  Repost for other educators and parents. ♻  Visit me at theworkofplay.com for collaborative opportunities. 💡 I have downloadable high-res PDFs available through my website: theworkofplay.com.  Every purchase is highly appreciated and allows me to continue creating developmentally-responsive resources for our community.  Thank you for your support! ❤️ 

📚 My learnings on how to enhance engagement in L&D Initiatives! When I recently launched a pilot training program for an organization, I found it incredibly beneficial to present the program as a pilot. ✨ This approach ensured that employees felt actively involved in both the process and the creation of the program. It wasn’t just about delivering content; it was about fostering a sense of collaboration and buy-in from the start. 1️⃣ One key strategy was to consistently gather feedback after each session. By sending out feedback forms and addressing concerns in real-time during the next session, I showed participants that their voices were heard and valued. This not only improved the content and delivery but also significantly boosted engagement. Creating a feedback loop in your L&D initiatives can be a game-changer. 🤝 Encouraging two-way communication and making adjustments based on employee input can help them feel more invested in their development journey. It’s about creating a learning environment where employees are partners in the process, not just participants. What are your thoughts on involving employees in shaping L&D programs? Share your experiences and insights! #EmployeeEngagement #LearningAndDevelopment #FeedbackLoop #HRCommunity #LeadershipDevelopment