Train the Trainer Question #2 – Engagement continued

Connecting to your participants emotionally is the key to getting them engaged in your workshop or seminar. In this Train the Trainer post we will look at the application of “Reflection”. Reflation! Is this a fancy word for daydreaming? Hmmm. Well, kinda… but here are the mistakes trainers make when it comes down to implementation.

1. They ask people to write down what they think
   1. This is not the worst thing you can do as a trainer since it does make you thing before you can write… but the problem is – How Deep in thought do your participants go? See, the conscious brain gets lazy, and unless you have a one to one where you can drill down and help people to get real clarity, you will not get DEEP reflection. You will only get superficial thoughts related to the conscious thinking at the time
2. They ask people to Discuss
   1. If discussion alone, the effect is even less that writing and then discussing since the discussion will literally be off the top of their head
   2. But if you combine both, you may get better insights because participants will trigger new ideas that other may relate to
3. Using Associative Reflection Tools
   1. This is the next step in DEEP Reflection. Tools that require the brain to go into the subconscious and pull out association relating to the question or task at hand. We use the CBC Cards to achieve this effect. Each card has a specially chosen images taking into consideration brain processing type and emotional drivers to create associations
   2. But this alone, is still not as powerful as having them write their discoveries and then discussing them. So to get an even better result after choosing 5 cards that best represent the question, get them to write what each card means and why it is important, then, have a discussion
4. But let’s add one more strategy to get better reflection with emotional connection
   1. Music… yes, music specifically with a beat of no more than 60 beats per second to generate alpha brainwaves. Why, because your brain will reflect better and remember better in Alpha than in any other brain state…
   2. So if you play Alpha state music, use a reflective tool like the CBC cards, write down discovery from the CBC cards, and then discuss the reflection… You will have a Superior Reflective Process

But what if you don’t have time for all this… is there a shortcut? Well, we find that the best results if you do not have time for the full reflective process is: use the CBC cards with 3 to 5 cards while playing music, then have an immediate discussion on the findings. Less cards will require less time, and bypassing the writing will also save about 40% of the time. And, you still get a great reflection.