Contrasting adult education and development experiences confirm necessity for objective driven planning and presentation.

1. Focusing on
THE
BOTTOM
LINE
Fundamentals of Teaching and Training:
Part 1
Tara Jackson
Beauty, Training and Inspiration Consultant
A Publication of

2. TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Conclusion
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3. CHAPTER
1
Introduction: Two Sessions, Two Objectives, Two
Outcomes

4. MY EXPERIENCE
Last Thursday, I attended two adult education oriented sessions for
similar reasons -- career and personal development. The first was an
orientation class for adult students enrolling in community college. The
second was a motivation and training meeting for my
direct sales business. I am mostly interested in attaining an associate’s
degree and pursuing direct sales success for personal reasons, but I am
keenly aware of the impact that the new certification and entrepreneurial
experience will have in my professional life. Although I am equally vested
in both of these ventures, I must admit that the awful orientation session
at the community college nearly led me to turning away from the
certification program.
Both of these experiences have given me better insight into the learners’
perspective in training and development activities. The goal of this article
is to help readers understand the importance of planning objective driven
presentations and to share tips for effective planning.
AN INTRODUCTION
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5. A Purposeful Presentation: photo credits <a
href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/34756977@N00/4771907687">Foundation Center Training</a> via <a
href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a
href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)</a>
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6. CHAPTER
2
Purpose and Objectives

7. PURPOSE
As a former elementary teacher and a current adult trainer, I value having
a purpose and a plan when I am called upon to present information to
others. The purpose of the presentation may be determined by an entity
such as an administrative team or by myself, but there must be at least
one objective that a presenter must plan to achieve. The presenter and
student will need to understand how development will occur and how
success is measured. There has to be a vision of success or there will be
no success.
A NECESSITY
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8. f t in
“People with goals
succeed because they
know where they’re
going.
”-Earl Nightingale

9. CHAPTER
3
Without a Common Objective…

10. Estranged Objectives
The community college session began with a video that described the
programs offered by the community college. The presenter followed the
video with introductions of all the staff persons at the meeting and a very
lengthy welcome that evolved into a pep talk. I was appalled at what
happened next. The presenter, who served as a student affairs advisor
opened the floor for Q & A! Although there had been very little
information presented to us about enrollment, the advisor answered
question after question about the enrollment process and encouraged the
prospective students to ask more questions. Afterwards, she passed out
enrollment forms one at a time so that everyone could complete each
sheet together. Finally, ninety minutes into the meeting, she passed out a
thick packet of a PowerPoint outline about enrollment and began to
review the packet with detail and extra commentary. I couldn’t take
anymore of the presenter’s PowerPoint read-alouds and insulting
chastisement of adults who had to leave before the session ended. I left
early, too. Ugh!
A Story of Failure
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11. Before I left, the presenter announced that she would not be held
responsible for the students not knowing what was expected of them if
they left the meeting early. I understood that to be her bottom line. The
presenter’s objective was to not bear the burden of blame. However, that
objective was not aligned to the written objective of the meeting which
was to educate prospective students about the school’s requirements and
expectations. Students weren’t interested in devoting two and a half
hours to support the presenter’s agenda; they were there to advance their
own agendas. Because there was no common objective, both the
presenter and prospective students left the meeting without closure and
the sense of success.
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12. CHAPTER
4
A Clear Agenda

13. Objective Driven
Training
In stark contrast to the community college session, my direct sales team
meeting began with my team leader stating the purpose for the meeting.
We were going to develop our leadership abilities and booking skills. The
“students” were encouraged to share what they knew so everyone could
learn from them. There was role playing. The students were encouraged
to identify their struggles and ways to overcome their struggles and
suggest ways for others to address theirs. There was even a fun and
surprising motivational exercise – splitting wood by hand. Before the
meeting ended, we shared what we thought was most important in the
meeting and something that would inspire ourselves or others. After the
meeting ended, I left knowing that I met the objective for the meeting.
My team leader left knowing that she met the bottom line. We both
experienced success.
A Story of Success
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14. CHAPTER
5
Conclusion: Contrasts and Complements
photo credit: <a
href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/65
478899@N08/8600530720">Barcamp -
Mar 23, 2013</a> via <a
href="http://photopin.com">photopin<
/a> <a
href="https://creativecommons.org/lice
nses/by/2.0/">(license)</a>
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mar
khillary/370268513
Vs.

15. Lessons Learned
Whether we find ourselves in the position of an adviser or a business
leader, we should all be concerned about the needs of our target audience
and the purpose for which we are called to lead them. The time we have
in this life is valuable and limited, so we must maximize each moment for
our lives and our students, apprentices, and customers.
If you’re ever called upon for tutoring, product demonstrations, career
development, skill training, motivation or another leadership task, be
sure to consider the following points to plan an purposeful presentation.
What is the overall vision of the company, institution or program?
What goals are the learners trying to achieve?
What objective(s) will I need to focus on most to help learners reach
their goals?
How much time do I have to present?
What are the learners’ needs?
How will I know if I have met the objectives?
How will learners know if they have met their objectives?
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16. FEEDBACK
Please share your tips for planning effective
learning experiences for adults. What would you
add to the list of tips? What would you eliminate?
A Publication of
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