Comments on: Training: getting to lean

By: Traction or distraction: phones in class | Dave's Whiteboard

Traction or distraction: phones in class | Dave's Whiteboard — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:54:12 +0000

[...] think. Even for a topic as information-dense as Amtrak’s reservation system, I found that a lean approach (less talking, more doing) suited the goal of having people able to use the [...]

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:44:57 +0000

Cathy, I've always thought the programmed learning workshop did a lot to help me not be the Sage on the Stage. When you're developing self-study materials (which is more and more how training looks), you're not going to be there when learning happens. The "programmed" part didn't mean regimented (or wasn't supposed to); it meant designed to increase learning. Combine with the lean approach advocated by Dale Brethower and Geary Rummler, and you've got something. To borrow from Elmore Leonard's rules for writers, "Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip."

By: Cathy Moore

Cathy Moore — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:06:26 +0000

That’s a great example of using examples rather than explanation. I think one of the challenges we face is that teaching in such an efficient way can be seen by some as a threat. It takes skill and thoughtful design to create lean materials, but some people are emotionally invested in making the simple seem complex. The sage on the stage is unlikely to happily step to the side and let the example do the talking.

Maybe one way to avoid threatening the expert is to make the SME an interview subject, not an author. If the SME doesn’t invest time and ego in writing about the subject, they’re less likely to protest when you boil down their Very Important Details to 2 quick, self-evident examples.