Telling Ain’t Training with Harold Stolovitch

Do you want to create educational experiences that result in actual learning? That bring customers back for more because you have truly had an impact?

Then listen in to this episode of the Learning Revolution podcast. Harold Stolovitch, co-author of the best-selling, award winning book Telling Ain’t Training is here to help you create great training and education.

In this interview, we talk about why it’s often so hard for experts to translate their deep experiences and knowledge into effective training. Better yet, we walk through a five-step model for creating terrific training sessions. If you are serious about delivering value to your customers and prospects, it would be hard to come up with a better way for you to spend the next 30 minutes.

So, click play below, subscribe on iTunes, or use an app like Instacast, but don’t miss this chance to tune into Harold Stolovitch.

Listen to the Podcast

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Get the Show Notes

01:17 Introduction of Harold Stolovitch, co-author of the best selling, award-winning book Telling Ain’t Training and one of the most widely recognized authorities on developing effective training and performance improvement experiences.

02:45 – A workshop I participated in with Harold way back in 2001 actually had an impact on me. I learned, I remembered. But that’s not always – or perhaps even often – the case when we attend training or continuing education events. Why is it difficult for experts to share their expertise effectively?

03:35 – The formation of expertise takes place over so many years, and usually in a pretty messy ways. Experts tend to leave out a great deal of what is now not important to them doing what they do – the basic stuff that novices need. Think about trying to tell someone the directions to your home – there is a lot you just know, but don’t really remember to tell someone else.

05:05 – And experts and novices simply don’t process things in the same way. Think of what driving is like for you now versus when you started.

05:55 – Finally, our brain has many different memory systems. Declarative memory – what we can talk about – is different from procedural memory – the stuff we can actually do. There is only one way to really learn to make a chocolate cake, _______ (you fill in that blank!)

07:15 – If you ask experts how they best learned, they will usually tell you about experiences that are almost the opposite of what they end up doing when you stand them up in front of a room.

08:25 – Introduction of the five-step model: Rationale, objectives, activities, evaluation, and feedback.

09:13 – Discussion of “rationale.” Adults need to know why.

11:45 – Discussion of “objectives.” They have to be verifiable.

14:38 – Discussion of “activities.” The means by which the objectives are achieved.

17:25 – Reference to the “cornucopia” of training activities included in Telling Ain’t Training.

17:50 – Discussion of “evaluation” and “feedback. When the expert steps aside, can the learner actually demonstrate competence? The whole purpose is to lead learners toward success – and help them adjust as necessary to get there.

21:55 – What about in a Webinar or other large, less personal situations? Harold discusses the evaluation and feedback options in these settings.

24:50 – “Teach, prompt, release” vs. “Tell them what you are going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you told them.”

25:58 – Focus on mental engagement. The more we are mentally engaged, the more we are going to be able to learn, retain, and actually execute.

26:50 – What has Harold most excited right now? Discussion of neuroscience.

28:27 – Our job is to be a mirror to what goes on inside the mind of the learner. We have to put ourselves in the learner’s shoes. We’re still primitive in doing this.

29:25 – Find Harold at http://www.hsa-lps.com/. You will also find lots of free resources there to help you create better training and education experiences.

You can find Telling Ain’t Training and Harold’s other books by visiting his Amazon.com page. Note also that American Society for Human Resource Developemnt (ASTD) offers a series of Telling Ain’t Training conferences featuring Harold.

30:17 – Sign off from interview

As always, if you like the Learning Revolution podcast, I’d be forever grateful if you would do a brief review on iTunes and tell others about the podcast. Thanks!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | iTunes

The theme music for Learning Revolution is The Information Age by Anthony Fiumano, available on the Podsafe Music Network.

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