by Matthew Richter

Matthew Richter posts daily comments in LinkedIn—well almost daily. You can follow him and join the conversation by going to http://linkedin.com/in/matthew-richter-0738b84. For the benefit of our readers, we decide to compile and reprint some of his provocative pieces from the past. Let us know what you think.

Controlling a Classroom

Lots of times, we see trainers and facilitators create rules similar to what may be present in grade schools. No phones. No computers. I get that. Makes sense and can be quite distracting to others. However, I find if the training is relevant to participants, feels of value to them, and engages them through activity, these logistic constraints aren't necessary. In other words, the best way to "control" a classroom is to be interesting.

Don’t Waste the Money

Learning is messy and it takes time. The more complex the skill, the more time it takes. If you don't have the time to invest in its development, don't bother wasting the money. And, include a performance test ensuring the skill was indeed developed.

Beyond Content

As technology continues to dominate our lives (I am not complaining), the distinction between content and how to process content grows wider. Content is everywhere, and readily available. But just having content accessible does not mean it is turned into new skills. Interactivity is so much more essential for learners to learn. Great video, great podcasts, great tech does not enable learning by itself. Watching a cool video on how to change a tire does not mean I will successfully learn how to change a tire without actually practicing changing tires. As clients and managers continue to shrink training time, we are losing the necessary practice and feedback loops activity drives.