Training

I've done a lot of classroom training over the past 20 years.  I've taught big groups, little groups, one-on-one, structured training classes and free-wheeling Lunch & Learns.  I've taught partners, associates, summer associates, secretaries and staff.  I've taught rollouts, new hires, and power secretaries.

In the aftermath of 9/11, I taught "survival skills" training, when a merger that should have taken months happened overnight after our offices were destroyed.  Before I discovered law firms (and found that I fitted right in), I did all kinds of technical training and IT support, including creating the talent database for the "Late Show with David Letterman." (Click here to see a reference.)

I'm a big fan of making training interactive and fun. (That's not my word; it's what a user said about my recent classes in Windows XP and DM5 - "You make it fun!")  But by fun, I don't mean I play games or use ice-breakers - I mean I get people to participate and relate what they are learning to their jobs.  I believe people want to do their jobs well, and it's natural for people to want to learn.  What they don't enjoy is listening to a trainer talk at them for a couple of hours.  Give them a chance to talk and participate, and almost anyone enjoys learning.

I enjoy teaching people who are quick on the uptake and technologically savvy.  I also enjoy teaching people who are struggling to understand the technology.  (Getting both in the same class can be tricky, I admit!)

The best class I ever taught was in InterAction, the contact management system that has an undeserved reputation for being tough to learn.  I had everybody bring real business cards to enter in the system, and whenever a message came up, I had everyone gather round and figure out what it was saying and what they should do next.  People left laughing and saying, "I don't know what all the fuss is about - this program is easy!"

Teaching technology to adults is very different from teaching children.  One of the most important things in teaching adults is to instill the confidence to think they can figure out the answers for themselves.