When participants volunteer unsolicited feedback like this – you know things are working!
‘The best hour I’ve ever spent’
‘I often switch off in training, but that was right on it and I loved it! ‘
The problem
Without practice, learning is interesting knowledge, an understanding of facts, with little appreciation of how to put the new information to good use.
All too often, learners accept the facts but never quite get round to implementing them!
The solution
By integrating deliberate, meaningful practice into our workshops, participants immediately experience the changes they can make and understand the how as well as the what.
In a series of ongoing workshops for a specialist Government department, 12 learners explore the theory and techniques of Coaching for Performance in a group plenary led by a The Experience Works facilitator, they then break out into 12 individual online practice sessions, to work 1-2-1 with a practice coach. This personal practice space provides the opportunity to put the new techniques to the test and try out the conversations for themselves.
Participants choose to base their practice conversation on one of three scenarios, each of which reflects a coaching conversation, relevant to their workplace. With prior understanding of the goals of each conversation, it’s up to them to start the conversation and manage it through to a successful outcome.
The key benefit, of course, is that they can stop, start and re-run the conversation as often as they like, receiving immediate developmental feedback from their practice coach, on what it’s like to be on the receiving end of the conversation.
The result
The participants are given a challenging development experience, by the second or third practice confidence builds, participants notably feel positive about their progress, and are ready to hold conversations for real, with their line reports.
Learners:
• Are prepared to have better development conversations as a part of their Personal Development process
• Know how to improve on how they have these conversations online
• Have a better self-awareness of how they come across
And ultimately provide feedback like this:
“The best hour I’ve ever spent.”