Laura Larsen describes her job as “administrative assistant turned global trainer.” When hired by Juniper Systems in 2019, Laura was tasked with getting certified to facilitate Crucial Conversations and then training every full-time employee in the course. Since then, the scope of her role has expanded on two fronts.
Delivering a course can feel like a daunting task regardless of whether it’s the first time or the first time in a while. However, with the right approach and preparation, you can boost your confidence and create a successful learning experience for your participants. Here are five essential tips to help you shine as a facilitator.
When you’re prepping to facilitate a Crucial Learning course and have questions, where do you turn? The first stop should always be the Crucial Learning Help Center, located at https://help.cruciallearning.com. We’ve filled the Help Center with Q&As categorized by audience (learners, trainers, or course/learning managers) and then topic. For instance, the trainer categories are virtual …
In the fall of 2018 received coaching from a highly experienced facilitator. After he observed my delivery, I expected him to give me feedback on my teaching style. However, he didn’t address my style but rather the time it took me to deliver the material. Confused, I listened to his instruction, which would forever change …
Measurement is always a hot topic for learning and development professionals—and it’s a project senior training and development specialist Alyssa Willet tackled for her team at University of Colorado Boulder. The goal of the Department of Human Resources is to create positive behavior change with university employees—but how do you measure that? “We redesigned the …
In January 2020, I received a great opportunity: a new role at Crucial Learning as the director of training success. Little did I know that a mere month later, amid a global pandemic, I would lead a massive shift from in-person delivery to virtual delivery. This was no easy task. Not only would we have to …
Crucial Conversations is an integral part of the culture at American Enterprise Group, Inc. (AEG), and its reach extends beyond the classroom thanks to the creativity of April King and her team. “I really feel we’ve maximized all our capabilities to train our employees on Crucial Conversations,” said King, who serves as director of employee …
How do you breathe life into a course you’ve taught dozens of times? For Certified Trainer Caitlin Ryder, the key is connecting to the material in a personal, authentic way that infuses your own life experiences into the course. “Yes, there are words, and yes, there are suggestions on what kind of stories you tell …
“Don’t just do something. Sit there.” When it comes to training that changes behavior, it turns out that reflection is a necessary ingredient. A 2015 Harvard Business Review article explains that reflection increases engagement, and it reiterates what we’ve known for a long time: reflection has a big impact on transference of skills learned in …
It’s a question that many ask: How can I do more with less? Or, at least, how can I do more with the time I have? When it comes to organizational training, questions like these are often coupled with a variety of constraints: limited employee availability, limited opportunity to pull employees from primary job responsibilities, …
