How to Engage Participants in Professional Development

In the last 9 years of training and facilitating professional groups, I’ve learnt that delivering a workshop is not just about sharing knowledge — it’s about orchestrating an experience for the participants which open up avenues for them to draw insights for themselves. Each moment calls for a different hat, and knowing which hat to wear and when is what transforms a session from good to great. I swiftly change my hats when in a workshop, these are some of the roles that I take up often- The Storyteller — When concepts feel abstract, stories bring them to life. A personal anecdote, a metaphor, or a well-timed parable can make ideas unforgettable. Stories ignite emotions, and emotions drive transformation. The Subject Matter Expert (SME) — There are moments when authority is essential. As the SME, I distill complex ideas into simple, relatable insights. Here, precision, clarity, and confidence reign supreme. The Energizer — Energy dips are inevitable, but as the energizer, I inject the room with enthusiasm. It might be an icebreaker, a playful activity, or simply a shift in tone. Momentum matters. The Actor (Theatre in Training) — Embodying a persona makes the experience visceral for participants, encouraging them to confront and solve real-world challenges. The Coach — Not every insight can be taught; some must be discovered. Here, I shift to a coach’s hat — listening deeply, asking probing questions, and letting participants arrive at their own 'aha' moments. This is where ownership of learning happens. The Mindfulness Guide — In moments of overwhelm or tension, I pause and guide participants to reconnect with presence and calm. Silence, breathing exercises, or reflection time are more powerful than many realize. The Detective — Every group is different. I watch for non-verbal cues, unspoken tensions, and subtle resistance. Identifying these dynamics early allows me to tailor the approach on the fly. The Facilitator of Dialogue — No trainer is the sage on the stage, it is essential to harness the group's wisdom. The Challenger — Growth doesn’t happen in comfort zones. As the challenger, I nudge participants to step beyond their limits, question assumptions and see new perspectives. The Motivator — At the end of the day, every participant needs to leave inspired. I remind them of their potential, highlight their wins, and leave them with a sense of possibility. Each of these roles is a hat I wear with intention, but to serve the participants' growth. Essence is not in wearing every hat at once; it’s about knowing which one to wear at the right time. #CorporateTraining #MasterFacilitator #Storytelling #LeadershipDevelopment #LearningAndDevelopment #Coaching #FacilitationSkills #HumanToHuman #facilitation #workshop #session #softskills #BehaviouralTraining #Training Women's Web LinkedIn for Learning

Training and coaching programmes in many workplaces are often seen as one-size-fits-all solutions. Its time for that to change, especially when it comes to leadership development. Too often, learning and development initiatives are decided without involving the people who are not actually taking part in them. Organizations make huge investment into programmes, without effective research into people's needs. They don't ask people what they want or need. They presume everyone's needs are the same. There are times where this might be ok....specific technical skills for example or simple standard work practices. But leadership development requires a different approach. To be honest, I used to deliver one-day trainings on leadership skills here and there. But I never felt good about it. I felt like I wasn't adding real value to anyone. I knew most people were likely to forget everything they learned. It seems like such a waste of time and money. Now, I largely provide a blend of training and coaching programmes. They include an assessment of participant needs. They have a measure of individual development over time. Each person's coaching programme is tailored to what they need. I communicate with my programme participant's managers, to support the continuation of coaching long after their initial coaching programme ends. I always think I can do better so I gather feedback from every participant and improve my programmes all the time. These are the best practices guidelines I follow and teach: 1️⃣ Assess participant needs and customize programmes 2️⃣ Clarify the measures of effectiveness that will be used. 3️⃣ Personalize learning paths- this is possible through blending training with 1:1 coaching programmes 4️⃣ Foster a culture of continuous learning where coaching and training is part of what people regularly give and receive. Ensure all managers have effective coaching skills 5️⃣ Evaluate and adjust all training and coaching programmes. Make improvements based on feedback and measures. ❓What else would you add to ensure training and coaching programmes are highly effective? #learninganddevelopment #employeedevelopment #leadershipdevelopment #traininganddevelopment #training #learning #coaching

A lot of time and money goes into corporate training—but not nearly enough comes out of it. In fact, companies spent $130 billion on training last year, yet only 25% of programs measurably improved business performance. Having run countless training workshops, I’ve seen firsthand what makes the difference. Some teams walk away energized and equipped. Others… not so much. If you’re involved in organizing training—whether for a small team or a large department—here’s how to make sure it actually works: ✅ Do your research. Talk to your team. What skills would genuinely help them day-to-day? A few interviews or a quick survey can reveal exactly where to focus. ✅ Start with a solid brief. Give your trainer as much context as possible: goals, audience, skill levels, examples of past work, what’s worked—and what hasn’t. ✅ Don’t shortchange the time. A 90-minute session might inspire, but it won’t transform. For deeper learning and hands-on practice, give it time—ideally 2+ hours or spaced chunks over a few days. ✅ Share real examples. Generic content doesn’t stick. When the trainer sees your actual slides, templates, and challenges, they can tailor the session to hit home. ✅ Choose the right group size. Smaller groups mean better interaction and more personalized support. If you want engagement, resist the temptation to pack the (virtual) room. ✅ Make it matter. Set expectations. Send reminders. And if it’s virtual, cameras on goes a long way toward focus and connection. ✅ Schedule follow-up support. Reinforcement matters. Book a post-session Q&A, office hours, or refresher so people actually use what they’ve learned. ✅ Follow up. Send a quick survey afterward to measure impact and shape the next session. One-off training rarely moves the needle—but a well-planned series can. Helping teams level up their presentation skills is what I do—structure, storytelling, design, and beyond. If that’s on your radar, I’d love to help. DM me to get the conversation started.

You can deliver big, efficient PD in only a small amount of time. Here's the strategy... Assign prework. No, it’s not a revolutionary idea. Yes, it can revolutionize your meetings. When done well, prework can incorporate all seven principles of adult learning theory: 1. Adults must feel safe to learn. Thoughtful prework builds trust in the facilitator and provides clear expectations for how participants will be expected to engage. Increased clarity = increased comfort. 2. Adults come to learning experiences with histories. Prework that activates participants’ past experiences and knowledge sets them up to be sense-makers. 3. Adults need to know why we have to learn something. Prework provides the perfect method to communicate purpose without taking time from your session. 4. Adults want agency in learning. Differentiation in session can be tricky at times, but is much easier to do in prework. 5. Adults need practice to internalize learning. Front-loading knowledge-building in prework = more time for application in session. 6. Adults have a problem-centered approach to learning. Prework is a great opportunity to allow participants the time and space to consider application to their unique context. 7. Adults want to learn. Providing prework puts learning in participants’ hands. When thoughtfully designed and communicated, it activates participants’ curiosity and their core human need for competence. A warning: Prework can also be a waste of time. No strategy or tool is inherently transformational. It comes down to how you implement. A case study: I teach a virtual 1-day coaching workshop. Our live learning time is just 4 hours. We have big learning goals and consistently meet them (97% of participants say it met or exceeded expectations). The 4 hours we spend together are very purposefully designed. Yes, I am a skilled and experienced facilitator. But the prework is just as important to the success of the session as those 2 factors. To synthesize their prework learning, participants complete a 3,2,1 reflection where they capture the following:   3 new things you’ve learned 2 ideas you are still thinking about 1 concept or strategy you have already tried or will prioritize trying Toward the beginning of our time together, participants break into small groups and share their reflections. By the end of this short activity, multiple core human needs are met, and participants are actively enrolled in their learning. This allows us to jump into skill-building so participants emerge from our time together able to do something meaningfully different than when they arrived. Worried that people won’t complete their prework? Remember: adults want to learn. Competence is a core human need. Do your part well and trust that they will do theirs. How do you use prework? Is there something new you might want to try?

“We loved the session… but nothing changed.” That was the client’s feedback... after a program I thought went perfectly. Well... there are projects where I mismanaged the training needs discussion, and it cost me the client’s trust. The track I proposed and delivered was solid. It covered all topics a leader should learn about to develop. I spent hours on well-designed slides and material, I ensured engaging facilitation by the trainer, and I even scored 5s in the feedback forms. But a few weeks later, the client told the account manager: “I see no performance improvement.” That moment was disappointing and confusing...but it reminded me that a beautifully designed track isn’t necessarily a successful one unless it solves a real business problem. Since then, I’ve become more intentional about what makes leadership development actually work. Here’s what I’ve learned... that not all learning providers admit, and not all clients enjoy (excuse my boldness): 1) It starts by educating the client: development doesn’t begin or end with a training session. It begins with clarity... on what leadership looks like in their context, and what success should feel like on the ground. 2) As an external consultant, be clear that your role covers design, delivery, and structure, but for the full experience to succeed, HR must own the vision, and line managers must reinforce the learning. 3) We can’t just design sessions, we need to build learning journeys that include what happens before and after. And unless the design is rooted in behavioral psychology, we’re only passing information, not creating transformation. 4) Again and again, face the client with the fact that without manager involvement, even the best-designed content will fade. At the end of the day, the external consultant leaves, and it is the manager who stays. Leadership or any professional level development is built over time... through design, context, and reinforcement. The real impact of any learning program isn’t in the session. It’s in what people do differently afterward. Are we brave enough to design for that? #LeadershipDevelopment #InstructionalDesign #LearningAndDevelopment #BehavioralChange

Not every higher ed staff role comes with a promotion path. But that doesn’t mean staff can’t grow. On many campuses, the reality is: 👉 Small teams 👉 Flat org charts 👉 Limited turnover That’s why leadership matters. We have both an opportunity (and an obligation) to help staff develop and grow. And it starts with one thing: knowing your people. ✅ What are their career goals? ✅ What kind of work energizes them? ✅ Where do they want to build new skills? ✅ What’s the next opportunity they hope to pursue—on campus or beyond? You can’t support someone if you don’t know what matters to them. In my experience: 👉 The goal isn’t to keep staff in place as long as possible. 👉 The goal is to help them build the skills, relationships, and experiences that prepare them for what’s next—whatever will fulfill them. Sometimes that’s preparing for their next job. Other times, it’s simply helping them continue to grow as a professional and as a person. And when staff know you’re invested in their development—not just their daily output: ✅ They engage more deeply ✅ They contribute more creatively ✅ They often stay longer—because they trust you’ll support their future, not just your current needs Here are a few practical ways leaders can support that growth: 1️⃣ Build real relationships—know your staff as people, not just job descriptions 2️⃣ Career conversations—not just at annual reviews, but throughout the year 3️⃣ Stretch assignments—offer projects that align with their interests and build new skills 4️⃣ Professional development—invest in training, mentorship, and cross-campus opportunities 5️⃣ Skill-building—help them gain experience that makes them competitive for future roles Bottom line: You may not be able to promise promotions. But you can create an environment where staff learn, grow, and leave more capable than they came. 🚨  If you want to dive deeper - I wrote more about this in my latest issue of The Academic Leader’s Playbook. You can sign up on my profile page. ----------------------------------------- ♻️ Repost this to help other academic leaders.  👉 Newsletter: The Academic Leader’s Playbook—sign up in my profile. 💬 Follow for posts about higher education, leadership, & the arts. #LeadershipGoals #HigherEdSuccess #HigherEducation #academicstaff #deans #provosts #academicleadership #staffdevelopment

Too many professional development sessions are a waste of teachers’ time. It’s usually someone talking at them for an hour, telling them to do some unrealistic thing that won’t make them better and doesn’t increase student outcomes. ✨✨✨ So my biggest goal when I’m leading PD sessions is to make sure it’s a good use of time. Which means I’m gonna — 💙 Set a vision Within the first few minutes, everyone’s gonna know why they’re here + what they’re getting out of it 💙 Inspire With a story, a case study, a video, or something else. Everyone’s gonna be able to SEE the success so they know our north star 💙 Foster collaboration With so many brilliant and talented people in the room, there’s no reason NOT to create community, opportunities for people to network, and learn from one another. 💙Apply the learning Best believe, there WILL be planning + practicing time so leaders and teachers can leave with something they can IMMEDIATELY use in their practice 💙 Vibe It’s gonna be a good time because learning + growing together can be fun ✨✨✨ In the most recent PD session I led, the question was: On a scale of 1-4, overall this PD was high impact and will be helpful in my work. The feedback? 100% of participants selected a “4”. Mission accomplished! 💁🏾♀️ What else would you add? What makes PD sessions valuable to leaders + teachers? —— Enjoyed this? 💜 Follow Alicia — Superintendent & School Turnaround Strategist — for more.

How To Involve Your Team For Maximum Learning and Growth Telling people what to do is outdated. Involvement is the future of leadership. I used to believe that teaching was enough, But I quickly learned that involving people is where real growth happens. Benjamin Franklin nailed it with his timeless quote: “Tell me, and I forget. Teach me, and I remember. Involve me, and I learn.” Here’s how to put this into practice: 1. Collaborative problem-solving Instead of giving answers, invite your team to help find solutions. By involving them in the decision-making process, they own the outcome. 2. Hands-on learning experiences Forget theoretical discussions. Real-world scenarios give my team the chance to apply their knowledge and grow from mistakes. 3. Shared accountability When we work on projects, encourage cross-functional teamwork so everyone has skin in the game. The results? ↳ Your team is engaged, ↳ They retain more information, ↳ And they’re more prepared to lead themselves. You’re not leading effectively if you’re not involving others. Want to create lasting impact? Start involving your team in every step of the journey.

“Let me get this straight—you WANT to pay for them to get smarter… so they can LEAVE you??” I was sitting with a client the other day, and we were talking about sending one of their employees out for training. Naturally, I asked, “So what’s the criteria you look for before giving the green light?” They looked at me and said: “We don’t have a strict one. If someone’s hungry to grow, we feed them.” I’ll be honest—that answer floored me in the best way. But then it got me thinking... Later that week, I brought the topic up with a few other clients and contacts. Let me tell you: I was NOT prepared for how many wildly different approaches there are to continuing education. Everything from: 🔹 “We budget per employee per year and tie it to performance goals.” 🔹 “We wait until they ask… and only if it’s really urgent.” 🔹 “We sponsor courses, but they must present what they learned to the team.” 🔹 “We don’t do it. What if they leave?” 🔹 “We do do it. What if they stay?” That last one got me. Here’s the teachable moment: If you’re afraid they’ll leave after you invest in them… you should be more afraid of what happens if they stay and you don’t. Professional development doesn’t just benefit the employee—it strengthens the whole team. But you do need a strategy. Here are a few things to consider: ✅ Create a training criteria: Tie it to growth paths, performance reviews, or emerging business needs. ✅ Budget wisely: Set a per-head annual budget OR have a pool based on company goals. ✅ Ask for ROI: Maybe they teach back to the team, lead a project, or document what they learned. ✅ Invest equitably, not equally: Not everyone needs the same training. Customize where possible. ✅ Start a culture of learning: When people see others growing, they want in. That’s how you build momentum. So now I’m curious: What’s YOUR company’s approach to continuing education? Are you the “invest generously” type, or the “show me the ROI” type? Or maybe… somewhere in between? Let’s compare notes. I’d love to hear your thoughts—and your funniest training request story too. (I once saw a request for “Intro to Goat Yoga for Team Synergy.” Still not sure if they were kidding...) #Leadership #ProfessionalDevelopment #BusinessGrowth #Training #LearningCulture #TeamDevelopment #BudgetSmart #EmployeeEngagement

67% of your sales team won't engage with new training initiatives. Here's how one Fortune 100 company got 50% participation overnight: I can't name the company, but I can share what they did that most organizations get wrong. Instead of announcing new processes, rolling out new systems, sending the training links, and then wondering why nothing changes… This company did something crazy. Before they launched, leadership spent three months explaining WHY the changes mattered for each employee's individual success. They connected skill development to career advancement. Their employees saw how better negotiation skills meant bigger bonuses, faster promotions, and more job security in an uncertain economy. I call this intra-organizational ‘pre-selling’. As a result, their teams stopped seeing training as a corporate mandate and started seeing it as a competitive advantage. So if your sales team treats professional development like a chore instead of an opportunity, the problem is your messaging. When you can show someone how investing 2 hours a week in negotiation training could mean an extra $50K per year in commission, they suddenly find the time. Internal storytelling is power. P.S. If you liked this post, follow Matthew Geddie, MBA for more insights into sales psychology, enterprise negotiation, strategy, and procurement.