Ask, Not Tell

When I prepared for the Botswana class, I had a chance to talk to a master trainer who has had lot of experience in Africa.   The conversation helped a lot.  Apart from what I should do in class for the African learners specifically, I gained an insight from him about class preparation in general.

I asked about the challenges in selling in Botswana since I want to make my class relevant to the learners.   The master trainer gave his view on that and then wisely said ‘Why don’t you ask them directly?’   He said he would simply run a brief discussion at the beginning of the class.

It makes a lot of sense to do it.   The learners are the best ones to tell you what their own challenges are.   In addition, after they express their challenges in the class, they will feel the ‘pain’ more consciously and thus become more interested in the class (provided that the trainer can effectively show how the class content can kill the ‘pain’)    This is just like the effect of Problem Question in the SPIN methodology.

当我在准备博茨瓦那的课程时，我有幸请教一位有多年在非洲工作的培训师，这帮助很大，除了具体我应该如何与非洲学员相处，我更体会一些一般课堂准备的技巧。

当我问那位资深培训师在非洲做销售的挑战时，他除了告诉我他的想法，他还问我为什么不直接问学员 – 他建议我在课开始的时候就与学员讨论他们现在面对的挑战。

这做法很有道理 – 学员部任何人也更清楚他们自己所面对的挑战，另外，当他们自己陈述销售的困难后，我们在课上就更能清楚意识这些困难，并因而对课上的内容更感兴趣（假设培训师能有效带出课上的内容如何解决这些困难）其实，这种做法就像SPIN方法内的Problem Question一样。

People stay in house, but not apartment in Gaborone.  And I was given a chalet with 3 bedrooms to stay in as well!   Well, for someone from Hong Kong, I just do not use to big place e.g. when room rings, I got to run downstair to answer it!!  But still, nice experience overall!

在哈博罗内的人多住在一栋一栋的房子里，而我在那里做培训也被安排住在一所有3间客房的房子！对于我这个在香港长大的人，我实在不习惯太多的空间，例如，当电话响的时候，我需要跑到楼下接听！但总体来说，还是一个很好的经历！

The training room in Gaborone is just next to the 18th hole of a golf course!   Taking advantage of this (and the nice sunshine), we had some of our class outdoor….   It is my 1st outdoor SPIN class!

在博茨瓦那的培训室是在高尔夫球场第18洞的旁边，有着美好的环境（加上阳光），我们就把部分的可在室外上！ 这应是我第一次的户外SPIN课!

After transiting in Singapore and Johannesburg, I finally arrive this morning at Gaborone in Botswana!   So far, I see lot of space but very few people!

在新加坡和约翰内斯堡转机后，我终于到达博茨瓦那!   地方很多但人很少！

I just attended a 2-hour discussion session in Shenzhen earlier this month.  It was organized by an external vendor with the British Chamber and facilitated by an experienced trainer.   Unlike most other product briefings, he did not lecture.  Instead, he facilitated discussion and led us to think.   He asks instead of tells.  I think it is the right way to do in order to be engaging and he did it well.   It was just that there was limited time.  It made his facilitation difficult – no time to ask questions and wait for answering.

Anyway, let me reflect on what I learn from this experience.   I like most how he positioned himself.   He avoided to be perceived as a know-it-all, which could easily invite challenges since the participants were from different backgrounds.   Some participants can really know the subject well, at least in their own industries.

In particular, I am impressed with what the speaker exactly said in order to position himself right.   Here are some examples:

‘…. I am not here to claim to be the expert in your field….’

‘…. I do not profess that I know your business….’

‘…. I will feedback what I learn from you today to the [name of organising institute]…’

‘…. I am not debating whether it is right or wrong…   I just want to put some seeds in your head….’

我刚在早一阵子在深圳参加了一个2小时的研讨会。该活动是由一培训顾问公司与英商会主办，主讲者则是一位资深的培训师。他跟大部分其他的公开演讲者不一样，他引导我们思考而不是喋喋不休的讲。我相信这是一个让听众投入的好方法。只是他做起来因为有限的时间而显得有点吃力。

让我分享我从这经验学了什么，其中我最喜欢他如何为自己定位。他成功避免被看成那种自以为什么也懂的培训师。我尤其对他实际说了什么印象深刻：

‘….. 我今天不是在这里装专家….’

‘….. 我不会装作我是你们行业的专家….’

‘….. 我会向主办机构反映今天我从大家身上学到的东西….’

‘….. 我不是要争论这是对或错….. 我只是希望在大家的脑里埋下种子，让大家慢慢思考….’

I am writing this on my way from Taipei to Hong Kong, after I just completed the SPIN class in Taipei today.

Well, I have not done the ‘Right After Class (RAC)’ sharing for quite some time.   I however want to write this experience since I do like it.  In particular, I like how I maintained the discipline and atmosphere in the class.  For example, on day 2 and 3, all 22 learners arrived before the start time at 0900!!   It is amazing to see that all seats    have been taken when the class starts!!

In short, the key to maintain discipline is that you got to agree a ‘consequence’ (e.g. sing, dance) with them and more importantly execute it, repeat, execute!   If you ‘let go’ one single ‘offender’, it is like telling the rest that it is OK not to follow the ground rules.  On the other hand, learners will follow the ground rules better if you can carry out the consequence to the most senior person (if he / she violates any of the ground rules)   Of course, you do not act like a hardcore policeman.   You got to strike a balance between being strict and approachable.

Another observation is that the Taiwan learners were reasonably engaged in the class.   There were smiles and nodding….  Anyway, I plan to send them a follow up email to solicit their more detailed feedback on the class.   I hope that I can run the Africa class as good as this one.

我刚完成台北的SPIN课程，我写这段文字的时候正在台北到香港的路上。

我已经有好一段时间没有为每一课程写东西了（即‘Right After Class (RAC)’系列），但我真的想写写这次台北的经验。其中我特别想纪录的是我挺成功建立的课堂纪律和良好学习气氛，例如，在课程的第2和第3天所有的学员准时在课程9点钟开始前就到达！能够在课程开始的时候看到所有座位也有人坐真是让我很有成就感！

简单来说，我觉得维持课堂纪律的重点是与学员一起制定如果违反纪律的‘后果’，但更重要的是要认真实行这些‘后果’！如果你让一位‘犯事者’免受处分，这就像告诉其他学员不守纪律也是可以的。相反，如果你可以让比较高级的学员（在他违规后）厉行‘后果’，其他学员也就会乖乖守纪律。当然，在执行‘后果’时，你需要在严厉和平易近人中取得平衡。

另外，从这班学员在课上的微笑和点头等，我能留意到这班学员挺投入上课…. 无论如何，我计划写一个电邮给他们征纳他们比较详细的意见，让我可以提高课堂技巧。

我希望我在非洲的课程也能一样好玩！

I cannot wait to experience April!!   I will have opportunity to deliver a selling class in Gaborone in Botswana.   This is the first time I visit Africa – a place which I love to go.   And the most exciting thing to me is that I have not had a class full of African learners.   (I have had a few African learners last year in Malaysia among a mix of others from various other countries….)

I am sure that I can learn a lot about my own training skills (and thus improve it) by training a completely different type of learners.   This was actually what I experienced in Dubai!!

四月实在太好玩！我将会有机会在非洲博茨瓦纳的首都哈博罗内教书。我一直想去非洲但却没有实行。而这次行程最吸引我的是非洲的学员，我从来没有经历过一个满是非洲学员的课堂！（去年在马来西亚上课是候是有几位非洲学员，但整体学员还是来自世界各地，这一次却是清一色非洲学员！）

我挺肯定这机会会让我更清楚自己的教学技巧（发掘盲点！），从而改善自己，其实这正是我以前在迪拜的经历！

April is not just about Botswana.   I will go to Taipei as well.    This is not the first time.   But still, it is always refreshing to train in places which I am not there often.    In addition, I actually do the same selling course there.   In fact, in April, I will do the same course in Gaborone, Taipei and Shanghai!!   By month end, it would be fun to reflect the difference (e.g. learners, my performance) in these 3 occasions.

Will definitely write a post on this!

在四月份，除了哈博罗内，还有台北！虽然以前我也多次在台北上课，但我还是喜欢在不多去的地方上课的，感觉新鲜！而四月份另外有趣的是我会在哈博罗内和台北进行同样的课程，其实还有上海！到月底，当我可以比较这3堂课的经验（例如学员的分别，我面对他们的表现），肯定很有趣！

我一定会把这些经历写下来跟你们分享！