Presentation vs. Training 3

[zdas04]

I recently had an audition for a teaching position at a well known training company. My instructions were to prepare a 15 minute presentation on any subject of my choosing. Since it was a training gig, I pulled 15 min of information from my 2-day course. The course is intended to be instructional.

At the end of all the auditions, one of the senior instructors said "At [this company] we never do presentations, we transfer information". He said it like his words had some profound meaning. I would have just blown past it, but at my last class one of the course evaluations said that the class felt more like a "presentation than a class".

Does anyone have any ideas as to how a "presentation" becomes "training" and what the difference is?

David

 

[sprinkler1000]

"Presentation", we think of a powerpoint with some facts over some kind of topic. When we say "Training" I think of some procedure to DO something.
Both can be done with a powerpoint, but Training means a method or procedure to do something maybe work related.

 

[casseopeia]

Next time ask if the students are going to have pens and notepads, or wrenches in their hands (or whatever fits the material).



"Gorgeous hair is the best revenge." Ivana Trump

 

[TheBlacksmith]

We always went by Terminal Objectives and Enabling Objectives; "at the end of this lesson, the student shall be able to ..." If you can't define the objective, then it's probably a presentation and not training.

 

[zdas04]

The eventual training will be classroom (I don't even want to think of a flock of overweight, gray-haired engineers dancing, I think I'll have nightmares over that for a while).

"Learning objectives" is a good distinction. At the end of a presentation, the observer will be able to "decide whether to toss the slides or not". At the end of training, the trainee "will be able to ..." do specific things. Thanks for that clarification TheBlacksmith.

David

 

[casseopeia]

I chose to compare this to dance because of the word you used to describe the interview as an audition. It was an audition. I have never thought of a job interview as an audition. Although both are a type of selling, auditions are a completely different animal, and I would prepare differently for a performance audition versus a dance instruction audition.

To answer the original question, a presentation is like a performance and a training is like an instructional workshop, but both can be auditions. With a straight job interview there is a give and take with your interviewer, so you can structure your responses based on the reactions and questions you are getting. With an audition, once you are ‘on’, your fate is sealed.

You have to know what they are expecting before you show up. You do not have that same give and take like at an interview. If you get it wrong by not giving them what they were expecting, then you have blown the audition. That was my point for asking specific questions ahead of time, so you do not blow the audition. You do not need to ask your potential audience. You need to ask your judges what they are expecting.

"Gorgeous hair is the best revenge." Ivana Trump

 

[moon161]

You rub your eyes and stretch after a presentation. After training your brain hurts, you may have asked a couple questions, have a couple more, and you want to try something that you've learned.

 

[zdas04]

Cass,
This felt more like a cattle call than any job interview I ever had. First, the 6 applicants had to stand up and do one of those extemporaneous "Who am I and what motivates me" talks to the other applicants and a half dozen people on the selection committee. Then we each had to do a 15 minute talk on a prepared subject of our choosing. It really was an audition.

This group personified the old joke that an extroverted engineer looks at your shoes while talking to you instead of his own. The "who am I" talks were painful. The prepared stuff was better.

David

 

[casseopeia]

That absolutely fits the feel of an audition. The rare exception does not seem like a cattle call.

In acting classes, you learn how to do a preprepared "who am I" monologue that sounds like it's off-the-cuff, and you rehearse it with appropriate pauses and gestures.

Last week I was sent to a casting call unprepared simply because I had a certain look. Normally any modeling I do is for print or web sites and any video is for non-speaking roles. The call was for a model/actress and I was the only non-professional model spokesperson there. I had to do a 'runway' audition, a cold read and also had to take a quiz. One of the questions was to describe the Triangle Theory, so I wrote down the Pythagorean theorem. It's not what they were looking for. I don't think the casting director knew what I was talking about either.



"Gorgeous hair is the best revenge." Ivana Trump

 

[TheTick]

The two "auditions" I did for teaching jobs involved teaching the other applicants a skill. First time I distributed decks of cards and taught the group how to do a one-handed cut. Second time I distributed string and faux fishing lures and taught the group how to tie a clinch knot.

The real trick was finding something simple enough that the other applicants had no excuse for sabatoging me. Also had to run out and buy cards that weren't R-rated.

 

[IRstuff]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangular_theory_of_love

??

TTFN

FAQ731-376
Chinese prisoner wins Nobel Peace Prize

 

[casseopeia]

I don't know IRstuff. They didn't tell me how I did on the quiz (I'm positive I did very badly) or what the answers were if I had them wrong. The triangle theory might be in reference to the Karpman Drama Triangle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karpman_drama_triangle

or maybe they wanted the theory behind the Bermuda Triangle, or the primary color triangle that forms the basis of the color wheel. When I asked I was told to "do the best you can." I wish now I had called to find out what was being cast exactly and what credentials I was expected to possess, instead of showing up assuming it was a typical audition where I would pose and have my picture taken to be evaluated later against the other candidates. It was not a happy experience.

"Gorgeous hair is the best revenge." Ivana Trump

 

[Ron]

David...that "audition" sounds more like some crafted internal bull$hit to jump through their hoops than to determine if you know and can do anything. That's a fine line to walk...do you have enough of the malleability that they want to teach/train "their" way and do you have a modicum of knowledge that will give you (read..them) credibility?

You don't strike me as a particularly malleable person, particularly by a corporate structure (if you were, Muleshoe wouldn't exist). They are looking for cookie cutter training....somehow, I don't think that fits you.

Go do what you're doing! Apparently it works...you seem to be doing it all over the world.

Good luck,
Ron

 

[MintJulep]

I would be wary of a training company that won't train you to be a better trainer.

 

[beej67]

"At [this company] we never do presentations, we transfer information"

You should have told him that you prefer not to transfer information, you prefer to teach.

There's a huge difference between displaying information and teaching a process. If your boss doesn't know that, you're in deep doo doo.

I've taught as an adjunct, and it's quite fun. The most important thing to do, in my experience, is to be honest with your students, and try to see the lecture through their eyes, as someone who doesn't understand the material. Then explain it in a way that you would want it explained if you didn't understand the material.

Seems like a 'duh' thing to say, but so many teachers don't get it.

Hydrology, Drainage Analysis, Flood Studies, and Complex Stormwater Litigation for Atlanta and the South East -

http://www.campbellcivil.com

 

[plasgears]

Toastmasters is excellent training for the presention business. Did it for 10 yrs.

Training is epitomized by the military method:
- tell them what you will say,
- tell them,
- tell them what you said,
- review,
- exam,
- review the exam.

 

[rmw]

This has been a good thread. I recently prepared a 'training' course for my peers. I am about to tear it up and start over.

It will be the same material, but it will be presented differently.

rmw

 

[zdas04]

rmw,
I had the same feeling about a 2 day course the was really a presentation as described above. I went back and added objectives for each section and an exercise that carries through all the sections and now it is a week long training session. I didn't change 5% of the material. A long way from "tearing it up and starting over", although that is what I thought I needed to do. Maybe you'll be as lucky.

David

 

[Ron]

Likewise, David. Good discussion and input. I'm preparing an online course and this has made me re-think a few things.

Thanks,
Ron

 

[IRstuff]

Gunnar posted an example of really bad presentional, and really bad training in the Pub:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2alghq_DL0&feature=related

TTFN

FAQ731-376
Chinese prisoner wins Nobel Peace Prize

 

[a2mfk]

tyger- I hope you aren't talking crap about a present employer, never know when someone will google and find this thread. Seriously... (even if they did deserve the criticism)

Speech class- Not to say you need a class to know how to teach a class, but my wife took one at the local CC and greatly benefited from it, despite doing training classes for her company for several years.