Learning and development activities were at an all time low in 2009 due to The Great Recession. However, as the recession is easing and the economy is making a slow, but steady rebound it is our time as learning and development professionals to make a difference.
One thing we know for sure, consistent learning and development opportunities are among of the most effective ways to build sustainable employee loyalty, create organizational alignment, and increase employee pride and joy in their work. So in the long-term, learning and development will play a significant role as organizations begin to recover from the recession.
So how can you make a difference in 2010?
1. Link all learning and development activities like key business priorities; core competencies; identified employee performance gaps; process improvement; and organizational culture. This level of business acumen and progressive thinking could gradually elevate your role from one of a rudimentary trainer eventually to that of Chief Learning Officer.
2. Set up learning and development tracks at every level to include your high potential employees who are on track to become mid-managers; your current mid-managers; and of course, your managers who are on the fast track to becoming emerging executives. If you have an opportunity to benchmark how a true learning organization operates, you’ll find that providing learning at every level is a vital part of their sustainability and success.
3. Next, create a learning strategy and work the plan. If you are not forwarding thinking enough to start working on your strategic plan now, I guarantee you an outside learning and development organization will approach your organization and jeopardize the sustainability of your role within the company. To be considered viable and credible, your plan must incorporate the activities shared in #1 and #2.
4. Make sure you have a cadre of core learning and development programs that are customized to meet business demands, up-to-date, and that create an engaging learning experience for participants. Core learning and development programs that at a minimum should be part of every organization’s library of workshops include: New Employee On-Boarding; Job Specific Training; Workplace Harassment Prevention; Diversity & Inclusion Awareness; and Workplace Safety & Security. Before you add any other programs, make sure these primary learning and development programs are solid.
Bottom-line, while I like the Kirk-Patrick model for evaluating learning and development, if you are measuring the wrong suite of learning and development programs or ineffective programs and add no value to your organization, its simply a waste of time. So commit to making a difference in 2010, and you’ll not only secure the sustainability of your profession but also enhance the level of learning and development activities you bring to the table next year. Believe me, you won’t regret it!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Positioning Your Organization to Succeed
Economicst proclaim that the recession is over! So, is your team ready for the soon to come influx of new business? Well, to ensure your organization is strongly positioned and ready as the economy improves, consider these 8 Essentials for Plotting Your Post-Recession Course.
1. Survey your Customers Now. This will help you logically assess where gaps currently exist in customer service, employee performance, and day-to-day operations. Don’t rely on what you think customers will want and need when the economy recovers; ask them in an inconspicuous manner using a brief survey (paper or electronic) that is no more than 10-15 questions.
2. Refine your Strategic Plan. Many prognosticators warn that organizations will rebound from this recession with a new definition of “business as usually”, often referred to as “the new normal.” Your new strategy must be one that allows your organization to perform with a high level of efficiency, productivity and sense of urgency, with fewer employees.
3. Retool and Retrain your Staff. Employers who have continued to invest in training, despite the recession will regain a higher level of profitability quicker. This is largely attributed to their ability to retain their most loyal customers, due to their high level of employee engagement. However, if you were forced to suspend training activities over the past 12-18 months, now is the time to re-invest in employee training to refine their skills as it relates to customer service, problem resolution, and sustaining cost-efficiencies.
4. Refine Your Organizational Culture. During the past 12 months all anyone has been able to focus on is staying financially viable in the midst of the recession. Few leaders have spent any time reinforcing the vision, mission, values, and standards of excellence within their organization. And guess what? If you haven’t been talking about it like a broken record, most likely these important factors in the success of your business are no longer on the radar screen of your employees; resulting in a mediocre to poor customer experience.
5. Update Systems and Processes. Over the last 12 months most likely you were forced to improve efficiencies due to reduction in staff and budget cuts. Many of the systems and processes that were changed, updated, or eliminated may have resulted in increased worker productivity; but most likely no one has had time to document them in writing so that they can be duplicated and sustained with success. Now is a good time to update in writing those systems, process, and especially procedural manuals.
6. Step-Up Accountability at all Levels. If you don’t hold everyone accountable for maintaining cost-efficiencies, as the economy and the financial stability of your organization improves staff may become lax, wasteful, and subtly slip back into old, inefficient work habits. Continue routine monitoring and measurement of departmental expenses, productivity, and customer service; and when the numbers look “out of whack,” hold teams and leaders accountable for explaining why and what they plan to do to get the numbers back in perspective.
7. Re-energize Reward & Recognition. Even small acts of kindness that express value and appreciation go a long way in boosting worker morale, increasing productivity, and improving customer satisfaction. Simply put, there is no disputing that happy employees make happy customers. Inexpensive activities like pizza or ice cream sundae parties in the break room, a handwritten “thank you” note from the boss, or simply acknowledging “how an employee went above and beyond in their job” at a team meeting all go a long way.
8. Increase Marketing Activity. Evidence shows that companies who increased their marketing activity during the recession of the early 1980s grew 275% throughout that decade, compared with 19% growth experienced by those who cut back on their marketing spend.
Bottom-line, if your staff is not properly equipped with the skill and knowledge to succeed based on "the new normal" business model, our organization as a whole will be left behind during the next ecomonic boom. So start with these tips, incorporate your own, and work aggressively to position your organization to succeed as the economy recovers!
1. Survey your Customers Now. This will help you logically assess where gaps currently exist in customer service, employee performance, and day-to-day operations. Don’t rely on what you think customers will want and need when the economy recovers; ask them in an inconspicuous manner using a brief survey (paper or electronic) that is no more than 10-15 questions.
2. Refine your Strategic Plan. Many prognosticators warn that organizations will rebound from this recession with a new definition of “business as usually”, often referred to as “the new normal.” Your new strategy must be one that allows your organization to perform with a high level of efficiency, productivity and sense of urgency, with fewer employees.
3. Retool and Retrain your Staff. Employers who have continued to invest in training, despite the recession will regain a higher level of profitability quicker. This is largely attributed to their ability to retain their most loyal customers, due to their high level of employee engagement. However, if you were forced to suspend training activities over the past 12-18 months, now is the time to re-invest in employee training to refine their skills as it relates to customer service, problem resolution, and sustaining cost-efficiencies.
4. Refine Your Organizational Culture. During the past 12 months all anyone has been able to focus on is staying financially viable in the midst of the recession. Few leaders have spent any time reinforcing the vision, mission, values, and standards of excellence within their organization. And guess what? If you haven’t been talking about it like a broken record, most likely these important factors in the success of your business are no longer on the radar screen of your employees; resulting in a mediocre to poor customer experience.
5. Update Systems and Processes. Over the last 12 months most likely you were forced to improve efficiencies due to reduction in staff and budget cuts. Many of the systems and processes that were changed, updated, or eliminated may have resulted in increased worker productivity; but most likely no one has had time to document them in writing so that they can be duplicated and sustained with success. Now is a good time to update in writing those systems, process, and especially procedural manuals.
6. Step-Up Accountability at all Levels. If you don’t hold everyone accountable for maintaining cost-efficiencies, as the economy and the financial stability of your organization improves staff may become lax, wasteful, and subtly slip back into old, inefficient work habits. Continue routine monitoring and measurement of departmental expenses, productivity, and customer service; and when the numbers look “out of whack,” hold teams and leaders accountable for explaining why and what they plan to do to get the numbers back in perspective.
7. Re-energize Reward & Recognition. Even small acts of kindness that express value and appreciation go a long way in boosting worker morale, increasing productivity, and improving customer satisfaction. Simply put, there is no disputing that happy employees make happy customers. Inexpensive activities like pizza or ice cream sundae parties in the break room, a handwritten “thank you” note from the boss, or simply acknowledging “how an employee went above and beyond in their job” at a team meeting all go a long way.
8. Increase Marketing Activity. Evidence shows that companies who increased their marketing activity during the recession of the early 1980s grew 275% throughout that decade, compared with 19% growth experienced by those who cut back on their marketing spend.
Bottom-line, if your staff is not properly equipped with the skill and knowledge to succeed based on "the new normal" business model, our organization as a whole will be left behind during the next ecomonic boom. So start with these tips, incorporate your own, and work aggressively to position your organization to succeed as the economy recovers!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
6 Ways to Kill Empowerment
In my previous blog posting, I outlined the top four reasons why managers don’t empower their employees. Either they don’t have the time, think it takes up too much time, don’t want to take on the risk, or they believe it may show their lack of leadership. Whatever the excuse maybe, it is far outweighed by the positive benefits of employee empowerment. So, if you are striving to improve in this area, please be leery of the six ways you can instantly sabotage your efforts.
6 Ways to Kill Employee Empowerment
• Criticize or complain about the employee decision
• Punish decisions made by employees
• Don’t use mistakes as an opportunity to teach
• Don’t trust employees to make decisions
• Have an unwillingness to take risks
• Don’t recognize and reward good decision making
If you are guilty of any of these killer offenses, I urge you to step back and reassess your motivate for empowering others. Is it to help them grow, develop, and flourish in their jobs? Is it to create more work-life balance for yourself? Is it to increase your ability to achieve business goals through team involvement?
Bottom-line, employee empowerment (when done right) achieves results like: increased employee engagement, improved productivity in the workplace, higher customer loyalty, and ultimately increased profits. For tips and coaching strategies for properly empowering your team, effectively delegating new tasks, and gaining back your valuable time, check out some of the best practices we have posted on our website.
Delegation, Empowerment & Time Management http://psbydesign.com/images/articles/TimeManagementJuly09.pdf
Cultivating Employee Empowerment
http://psbydesign.com/images/articles/PSBD_Newsletter_Oct08.pdf
6 Ways to Kill Employee Empowerment
• Criticize or complain about the employee decision
• Punish decisions made by employees
• Don’t use mistakes as an opportunity to teach
• Don’t trust employees to make decisions
• Have an unwillingness to take risks
• Don’t recognize and reward good decision making
If you are guilty of any of these killer offenses, I urge you to step back and reassess your motivate for empowering others. Is it to help them grow, develop, and flourish in their jobs? Is it to create more work-life balance for yourself? Is it to increase your ability to achieve business goals through team involvement?
Bottom-line, employee empowerment (when done right) achieves results like: increased employee engagement, improved productivity in the workplace, higher customer loyalty, and ultimately increased profits. For tips and coaching strategies for properly empowering your team, effectively delegating new tasks, and gaining back your valuable time, check out some of the best practices we have posted on our website.
Delegation, Empowerment & Time Management http://psbydesign.com/images/articles/TimeManagementJuly09.pdf
Cultivating Employee Empowerment
http://psbydesign.com/images/articles/PSBD_Newsletter_Oct08.pdf
Thursday, October 1, 2009
4 Reasons Managers Don't Empower
By definition, employee empowerment is giving your staff the freedom to make decisions without the authority of a manager, after they have been properly trained. Make no mistake, abdicating responsibility to employees because you are too busy, too lazy, or too important to do it yourself is not empowerment – that’s what we call “dumping”.
While true employee empowerment comes with many valuable benefits, few leaders use it as a means of raising the bar and driving excellence within their team. So, why don’t managers empower their employees? Well there are four fundamental reasons:
1. They are too busy. Too often managers are so involved in “doing the work”, that they lose sight of the fact that they may very well have a team of talented employees who can perform those duties with just a little coaching and direction – freeing you up to be the visionary leader you aspire to be.
2. They think it takes too much time. Many managers feel that in the time it takes them to train an employee on a new task, they could have very well taken care of it themselves. Unfortunately, this is short-sided thinking because your employees “never learn to fish” this way, and must continually interrupt you for insignificant matters that they should be capable of resolving on their own.
3. They think it’s too risky. Some managers are fearful their employees will make costly mistakes; in essence these managers are unwilling and afraid to take the risk. They don’t want to suffer the consequences of a poorly executed decision, even if it is a valuable learning experience for the employee.
4. They are secretly intimidated. Some managers question, “what if the employee makes a decision that makes them look smarter than me?” These type managers don’t want to arouse any movers or shakers within the department; thus, mediocre to marginal employee performance is just fine and the most they get out of the team.
So, if you have noticed that your boss rarely empowers you to make decisions or delegates challenging tasks to you, there may be an underlying reason. On the other hand, if you are the boss who rarely empowers the staff to handle routine issues within the department, you might identify with our top four reasons outlined above.
Bottom-line, creating and sustaining a culture of excellence cannot be achieved without fully engaged employees who feel a part of the organization, and feel that they are truly valued contributors to the success of the organization. For tips and coaching strategies for properly empowering your team, effectively delegating new tasks, and gaining back your valuable time, check out some of the best practices we have posted on our website.
Delegation, Empowerment & Time Management http://psbydesign.com/images/articles/TimeManagementJuly09.pdf
Cultivating Employee Empowerment
http://psbydesign.com/images/articles/PSBD_Newsletter_Oct08.pdf
While true employee empowerment comes with many valuable benefits, few leaders use it as a means of raising the bar and driving excellence within their team. So, why don’t managers empower their employees? Well there are four fundamental reasons:
1. They are too busy. Too often managers are so involved in “doing the work”, that they lose sight of the fact that they may very well have a team of talented employees who can perform those duties with just a little coaching and direction – freeing you up to be the visionary leader you aspire to be.
2. They think it takes too much time. Many managers feel that in the time it takes them to train an employee on a new task, they could have very well taken care of it themselves. Unfortunately, this is short-sided thinking because your employees “never learn to fish” this way, and must continually interrupt you for insignificant matters that they should be capable of resolving on their own.
3. They think it’s too risky. Some managers are fearful their employees will make costly mistakes; in essence these managers are unwilling and afraid to take the risk. They don’t want to suffer the consequences of a poorly executed decision, even if it is a valuable learning experience for the employee.
4. They are secretly intimidated. Some managers question, “what if the employee makes a decision that makes them look smarter than me?” These type managers don’t want to arouse any movers or shakers within the department; thus, mediocre to marginal employee performance is just fine and the most they get out of the team.
So, if you have noticed that your boss rarely empowers you to make decisions or delegates challenging tasks to you, there may be an underlying reason. On the other hand, if you are the boss who rarely empowers the staff to handle routine issues within the department, you might identify with our top four reasons outlined above.
Bottom-line, creating and sustaining a culture of excellence cannot be achieved without fully engaged employees who feel a part of the organization, and feel that they are truly valued contributors to the success of the organization. For tips and coaching strategies for properly empowering your team, effectively delegating new tasks, and gaining back your valuable time, check out some of the best practices we have posted on our website.
Delegation, Empowerment & Time Management http://psbydesign.com/images/articles/TimeManagementJuly09.pdf
Cultivating Employee Empowerment
http://psbydesign.com/images/articles/PSBD_Newsletter_Oct08.pdf
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Is the Customer Really First?
Cesar Ritz, a renowned hotelier of the twentieth century, is noted with saying “the customer is never wrong.” This philosophy created the mindset that the customer is the first priority. However, the level of service provided to consumers today has drastically deteriorated since his time…to the extent that many front line employees in hotels, banks, auto dealerships, grocery stores and health care organizations view their customers as a second-class citizen who is rarely right, especially when a problem arises.
With this in mind, here are five points to contemplate in determining whether the customer is really viewed as the first priority within your organization or a distant second or third place.
With this in mind, here are five points to contemplate in determining whether the customer is really viewed as the first priority within your organization or a distant second or third place.
- Employee Selection Process - If the customer is truly first, establish a process ensuring only the brightest, most talented and skilled employees are selected to serve your customers. The “warm body” syndrome cannot exist within your organization.
- Ease of Business Interaction with the Customer- If the customer is truly first, implement new technology, systems or processes to make it easier for customers to conduct business with you. Person-to-person interaction would always trump the impersonal, mechanical and endless voicemail prompts typically used today as a substitute for service. Customers want choices but they also want to be a priority.
- Customer First Service Philosophy - If the customer is truly first, your service philosophy (vision statement, mission statement and service standards) would clearly reflect it. Your service philosophy must be woven into the fabric of the organization; employees wouldn’t know it any other way.
- Senior Leadership Engaged in Service Excellence - If the customer is truly first, then the CEO and senior leaders must be champions of the service philosophy. They must be role models who reflect the characteristics of service excellence within your organization. As a result, they would hold everyone within the organization accountable for living and upholding the highest levels of service possible.
- Empowered Employees - If the customer is truly first, the main focus of every employee must be to deliver a service experience that is guaranteed to create high customer loyalty. This means when a problem or challenge arises, employees are properly trained, empowered and comfortable making decisions to immediately resolve any issue. Employees must be able to satisfy the customer without the approval of a manager. Employees must be the first point of contact for handling the majority of customer issues.
Bottom-line, you eat an elephant one bite at a time. Work on those barriers that are standing in the way of service excellence, one thing at a time. If you try to do too much at one time, you will quickly burn out and quit.
I’d love to hear from you. What do you believe stands in the way of a “customer first” mentality in most organizations? Is it the lack of employee empowerment, leadership engagement, or that they just flatly don’t care?
Monday, August 3, 2009
Is It Just Me?
Is it just me, or is customer service improving with the recession? After going through my monthly bills, I decided to look at how I could scale down a bit and save some money. I am really saving for a trip to Hawaii before the end of the summer, so every penny I save is a penny invested in my dream vacation in a lush, tropic setting in Maui!
So, I called AT&T first to see what they could do for me. Not expecting more than a transactional, robotic experience, I was overwhelmingly “wowed” with the level of service I received from the customer service representative over the telephone. She used my name throughout the call, thanked me for being a loyal customer, worked diligently with me to look at ways I could save money on my telephone bill, and offered me an upgrade to their satellite TV service at a remarkable discount.
Now I am sure some of you are thinking, “Theo that should be a normal service experience!” But in light of the current economic circumstances, someone in leadership at that AT&T office is focused on retaining loyal customers through these tough economic times. We have all become so accustomed to being taken advantaged of and receiving mediocre to poor service from large corporations, that when an employee takes the time to make you feel valued, it is a BIG THING.
Maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and companies are already looking to how they will retain customer loyalty as the economy rebounds. So with that in mind -- What is your organization currently doing? Will your service be up to par? Will you be ready after the recession? I can tell you that only those organizations who are currently investing in service excellence initiatives now will retain the competitive advantage in the future.
I’d love to hear from you. If you have recently been “shocked” by the exceptional service you received from a large or small company, send me a short note to share your wow experience. I look forward to hearing from you.
So, I called AT&T first to see what they could do for me. Not expecting more than a transactional, robotic experience, I was overwhelmingly “wowed” with the level of service I received from the customer service representative over the telephone. She used my name throughout the call, thanked me for being a loyal customer, worked diligently with me to look at ways I could save money on my telephone bill, and offered me an upgrade to their satellite TV service at a remarkable discount.
Now I am sure some of you are thinking, “Theo that should be a normal service experience!” But in light of the current economic circumstances, someone in leadership at that AT&T office is focused on retaining loyal customers through these tough economic times. We have all become so accustomed to being taken advantaged of and receiving mediocre to poor service from large corporations, that when an employee takes the time to make you feel valued, it is a BIG THING.
Maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and companies are already looking to how they will retain customer loyalty as the economy rebounds. So with that in mind -- What is your organization currently doing? Will your service be up to par? Will you be ready after the recession? I can tell you that only those organizations who are currently investing in service excellence initiatives now will retain the competitive advantage in the future.
I’d love to hear from you. If you have recently been “shocked” by the exceptional service you received from a large or small company, send me a short note to share your wow experience. I look forward to hearing from you.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The Six C’s of Leadership
Embodying the Characteristics of an Effective Leader
There are six C’s of leadership that anyone who has influence and power over a team of people should possess. Having the ability to master these six characteristics is the embodiment of a highly effective and successful leader.
Embodying the Characteristics of an Effective Leader
There are six C’s of leadership that anyone who has influence and power over a team of people should possess. Having the ability to master these six characteristics is the embodiment of a highly effective and successful leader.
- COMPETENCE is more than knowing how to do something. It is also displayed in the level of confidence, finesse, and effectiveness with which it is done. For many leaders, once they attain a certain level in their career the eagerness to learn and grow diminishes. They feel they have arrived. However, in order to be a highly competent leader, you must be committed to life-long learning, and be effective at applying what you know.
- COMPASSION is a balance of kindness and empathy. Too many leaders feel that the only way to drive productivity is to manage with an iron fist. Nothing could be farther from the truth. You must possess a combination of understanding and care for others. When dealing with employees, tough love is not the best policy.
- COURAGE is doing what is right, even when it is unpopular. Never mistake bullying in business for courage; they are two very different things. Bullying is getting your way through intimidation of others. Being courageous is fighting for what is right for your team, even when it involves great risk.
- CHARISMA is a positive energy and an enthusiasm that inspires others to change. When a leader possesses charisma, their warmth and joy is contagious. They don’t waste time focusing on what cannot be done and why; they are excited, passionate and optimistic regardless of whatever challenges come their way. People eagerly follow charismatic leaders.
- COMMITMENT is best demonstrated in the level of dedication and allegiance you have toward your team. The commitment level of great leaders extends far beyond the number of hours they spend at work, but in their steadfastness in working toward the long-term success of their team.
- COMMUNICATION is the ability to share information in a clear and concise manner so that everyone understands. Effective leaders master the skill of communication by taking complicated information and making it simple.
Bottom-line, becoming a person of influence that others will want to follow begins with working on you. Exceptional leaders are competent, committed to the cause, courageous, great communicators, and possess a great deal of compassion for others.
Discussion Questions: Please share your comments on my Six C's of leadership. Which are your strengths? Which present opportunities for improvement in your leadership style? And, C is not included that you would add?
Friday, May 15, 2009
Gaining the Support of Your C-Level
How can Trainers best align their work with the needs of their C-Level Executives or the Board? Well, Vivian and I have been doing this for the ten years. First as Human Resource and Training professionals with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, then as Performance Consultants with our own firm.
The Five Essentials
1) Organizational Priorities - understand their business goals and objectives. Learn what’s keeping them up at night; what are their key priorities (organizational growth, improved profits, customer loyalty, or improved efficiencies).
2) Strategize – create a learning strategy that is linked to the achievement of the organizational priorities and their goals. This will build your credibility among C-Level executives and show that you are interested in partnering with them to close organizational gaps that are limiting the achievement of these goals. Your strategy should include what you plan to do, who will be involved, when it will be accomplished, and what key priorities it will impact.
3) Communication & Involvement – share your strategy and get their feedback and input. Be careful not to go into unnecessary detail concerning the plan, but have details accessible in case you are asked to expound further. Most C-Level executives aren’t interested in how you will execute the plan, but what it will improve and when. This is also an excellent time to solicit their help as a champion, advocate, or active participant.
4) Pilot & Refine – pilot the program (incorporating the involvement of your C-Level champions) before implementing it system-wide. Then share key findings from the pilot, tweaking the program as needed based on comments from participating C-Level executives.
5) Measure and Quantify – consider how you will quantify the ROI (return on investment) of your learning and development program(s), and what you will measure to determine success. With the launch of your strategy and initiatives, will the organization experience increased efficiencies, customer loyalty, cost-savings, or employee retention? When you can quantify success and back it up with a realistic plan of action, you will easily gain their ear and support.
Bottom-line, in order to align your work with the needs of C-Level executives or the Board, and gain their support and respect, you must think like them by focusing on a strategy that will help eliminate pressing business issues that may be keeping them up at night. And in the final analysis, not only will you be perceived as a valued contributor to the organization, but if your learning and development endeavors are successful the likelihood of career advancement may be eminent.
Monday, April 27, 2009
7 Signs of BAD Training
Most people don’t look forward to attending training classes. Why? Because they are often facilitated by boring trainers. What many trainers fail to realize is that facilitating an interesting training session that is also memorable and lively takes lots of planning, practice, and preparation.
Whether you are training a large group or one person, you know your training session is lackluster when participants:
- Uncontrollably yawn throughout your entire presentation. No matter how much they try, they have a hard time staying awake and energized during your presentation.
- Keep looking at their watch. To them it seems like time is standing still, and no matter how much they try to keep track of time, your presentation feels to them like an eternity.
- Start sidebar conversations during your presentation. Your topic is so uninteresting that they don’t hesitate to start a mini-conversation with the person sitting next to them, maybe even adding a joke or two about you.
- Read through the entire training manual before you are finished. You belabor one point to the extent that they go ahead and just read the rest of the manual. While you are still focused on page 3, they have read all the way to page 15 just to make the time go by quicker.
- Go to the bathroom and never come back. Once they get out of the training room, they feel a sigh of relief and feel sick at the thought of having to go back in and continue listening to you talk.
- Doodle on your training materials. They feel that drawing is a way of escaping from your annoying, monotone voice and endless series of confusing information.
- Have a blank stare, especially when you ask them a question. They have been daydreaming of being in on some topical island throughout most of your presentation, and have no idea that you have called on them to answer a question.
My best advice for overcoming boring training presentations is to know your topic inside and out; create visual aids and handouts that are colorful, informative, and lively; animate your tone of voice so it is interesting and not monotone; don’t just stand in one section of the room, but walk around; add humor; and most of all get the audience involved by asking open-ended questions.
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