Training mistakes from the hall of shame (and how to avoid them)

What’s in your hall of shame?

Your learning hall of shame, that is.

You know, the time(s) when you were trying to learn something, likely something you were really interested in and motivated to learn, and then, through a cruel confluence of happenings, your learning was crushed, your heart sank, and you skulked back to your corner.

Dramatic sounding?

Maybe.

But I bet you have some buried memories of when your learning was dashed.

Here’s some of my examples from my very own hall of learning shame:

1. Dunked in the deep end

• The scenario: The time, as a child, I was trying to learn how to dive, and a well-meaning adult picked me up by my ankles and dropped me in the deep end.
• The result: I came up gasping for air, terrified and disoriented.  To this very day, I’m a bit anxious about diving off anything that’s higher than the level of the water.

2. Shamed and embarrassed

• The scenario: The time I’d really pushed myself out of my comfort zone by signing up for a sports coaching class.  I knew I was in trouble when the instructor told us that if he caught anyone with their hands in their pockets they’d have to do 10 pushups in front of the (very large) group.
• The result: I spent the entire class worried about where my hands were and learned nary a thing.

3. Frustrated

• The scenario: Against my better judgment, I signed up for a lecture-style Excel class.  That is, there were roughly 100 of us in the class and zero computers (not counting the instructor’s).  
• The result: Because knowing how to use Excel is kinesthetic/action-based learning (e.g., not theoretical, you actually have to touch the keyboard to enter formulas, etc.), and I didn’t have a computer to practice on, I learned pretty much zilch, zip, zero.

What do all three of these scenarios have in common (besides uber frustration, feeling super vulnerable, and not learning much of anything at all)?

Lack of knowing how to teach.

That’s it.

In a nutshell.

In each example, the person didn’t know how to teach.

Do you have some special content expertise that you want to take to the next level?

Do you want to do the opposite of those three individuals above and:

• Instead of disorienting and scaring people, rather do everything in your power to make your content clear and easy to understand with remarkable results?
• Instead of shaming and embarrassing learners, rather have them be motivated, inspired, and on fire to learn more?
• Instead of blocking learning and frustrating participants, rather pave the way to inhaling what you have to offer?

Based on more than three decades of teaching more than 50,000 participants from more than 150 countries, I am sharing my hard-won wisdom with people who are interested in taking their precious subject matter expertise and learning how to turn it into really awesome workshops, trainings, courses, etc.

The cart is now open – register to become a founding member of the Transformative Trainers Academy!

The academy is an online, paid, monthly membership for changemakers who want to level up in a big way.

Become a founding member now.

You and your participants won’t regret it.

Now go on and learn, laugh, and lead

Learn

• Check out my Transformative Trainers Academy page for more information

Laugh

• Everyone makes mistakes when learning, even professionals.

Lead

• The cart is now open – register to become a founding member! 
• I’ve launched the Transformative Trainers Academy at a special price, which won’t last for long.  
• Share this email with a friend or colleague you think may be interested. If you refer someone, you’ll get your first month’s membership for free!