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From NetSpeed Leader Volume 31, February 2007
This month's Trainer Tips are from Nancy Duling, a Certified NetSpeed Leadership
trainer based in Fullerton, CA.
Making the Most of Experiential
Learning
Every NetSpeed Leadership module has some sort of practice built in that develops participant's skills, whether these be in solving problems, coaching, or serving customers. Much of the learning from these activities, however, does not come from the practice itself but rather from the discussion after the practice is complete. This is where we come in as
skilled facilitators. Asking the right questions in the right order helps participants to “get it.” Here's the model that I keep in the front of my mind when debriefing experiential activities:
1) Questions about the “what.”
The first series of questions are geared toward generating data about what happened during the activity. Questions like, “How did it go?” “What did you experience during that activity?” “What happened when you...?” “What were the surprises?” “What did you observe when...?” Stay away from questions like "Did you like that?” or “Wasn’t that fun?”
Frankly, I'm less concerned if they had a good time during the activity and more concerned about what
they learned—aren't you?
2) Questions about the “so what.”
These next
questions are directed toward making sense of the
data generated in step 1. Ask questions like “What
does that suggest to you about...?” “What was
good/bad/helpful/distracting about...?” “What do you
understand better about...?” “How is that
different/similar from what you see at work/how
you've done it in the past?” That last question is my
favorite. It connects the activity to “real life” and
provides a nice bridge to the next series of
questions.
3) Question about the “now what.”
The final
questions are focused on applying what they learned
in the activity back on the job. Questions like, “So
what do you want to remember about...?” “What will
you do differently next time you...?” “What would be
the consequences of not doing this the next time
you...?” “What are the keys to
performing...?”
During activities, it is the participant’s job to practice
the skills taught, and after activities it is the
facilitator’s job to connect what was practiced to on-
the-job applications. I hope this model will be helpful
the next time you debrief a group activity. Best of
luck with all of your future experiential exercises! |
A blended learning program for customer service providers |
