4 PRINCIPLES TO ADAPT YOUR TRAINING TO ADULT LEARNERS

Effective internal training helps a Commercial Card program run smoothly and boosts
compliance. When did you last evaluate your training program? Because adult learners create
unique challenges, I consulted with an expert on this topic, Tanya Grosz, Ph.D.; Dean of
Graduate, Online & Adult Learning for the University of Northwestern – St. Paul. Below, she
shares four learning principles and translates how each can be put into practice.

Andragogy vs. Pedagogy

Malcolm Knowles was an educator and researcher who came up with a set of assumptions and
principles about adult learners and what they need to be successful in their learning
environments. As opposed to pedagogy, which is the art and science of teaching children that
focuses on what the teacher does, andragogy is the art and science of teaching adults. Andragogy
focuses on the learner—what the learner does and needs. The following four Knowles’
principles are applicable to nearly any adult learning environment.

1. Adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction.

This is not to say adults don’t want to learn from instructors’ experience, but, as we design
learning environments, we should try to incorporate meaningful choices for the learner to make
along the way. Instead of dictating exactly what and how they will learn something, try to solicit
their feedback and allow them a voice in their learning.

2. Experience, including mistakes, provides the basis for learning activities.

The collective learning in a room full of adults is something to be honored and celebrated. There
are many ways of doing this, but it could be as simple as asking each person to introduce
themselves and what is important to them. Then, throughout the class, value their opinions, as no
instructor has all the answers.

3. Adults are most interested in learning about things that have immediate
relevance to their job or personal life.

The instructor must answer the “why” of what adults need to learn, but using a real-world
application brings a classroom to life.

Editor’s note: A Commercial Card training example is instructing cardholders on

card/information security. The “why” is fraud prevention, as dealing with fraud is time
consuming; this applies to commercial and consumer cards.

4. Adult learning is problem-centered versus content-oriented.

This type of learning environment is inherently more engaging, authentic and motivating for
students. One of my colleagues has the students in her marketing class actually analyze the
marketing campaign used to draw them into the program, identify the weaknesses of the
messaging, etc., and then work to improve it.

What is Facilitation?

Facilitation as a discipline has been around since the 60’s and 70’s,
and is used by organizational development consultants, facilitators, trainers, business coaches,
project managers, meeting chairman, clergy, and other group leaders. Still, it’s not well known
by the majority of people who meet everyday in groups. Even among its practitioners, a clear
definition and placement of this field within the larger field of human science is difficult to agree
upon.

Any noteworthy accomplishment in this day and age takes the focused energy of committed
groups. Yet, people working ineffectively together is the most often cited obstacle to finding
solutions to problems.

Facilitation is now the technology of choice for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of
groups. Richard Weaver & John Farrell, authors of “Managers as Facilitators,” go so far as to
say that…

Facilitation is the most important role emerging in the modern workplace.

Speaking across centuries, a sage delivers timeless wisdom on the essence of leadership, and the
spirit of facilitation…

A good leader is best when people barely know that he leads. A good leader talks little but when
the work is done, the aim fulfilled, all others will say, “We did this ourselves.”
— Lao Tse—

Facilitating is tough. Between watching for body language, listening to the discussion, capturing
information, and asking the right questions, there is a lot to think about and pay attention to.
There are a lot of factors that influence a failed facilitation, but the most common is when we try
to approach facilitation with what it isn't.
Facilitation is not...
Lecture based. The lecture-based approach is where facilitation fails. There is a constant
occurrence of telling, a lack of team interaction, and an environment that makes each individual
feel uncomfortable sharing their true thoughts.

Facilitation is...
Just that; facilitation based. A facilitation-based approach takes the Adult Learning Theory and
puts it into practical action. The most successful facilitations encourage collaboration and goal-
setting. With this approach, facilitation supports teams to have an open discussion and use each
other's experiences and knowledge to find the best and most applicable solutions. Facilitation is
more than a theory; it requires practical strategies and tactics. Two of those tactics are active
listening and asking questions.

Active Listening
Active listening is focusing on the conversations and responses of the other participant(s). As
humans, we can oftentimes have a tendency to think about "what am I going to say next?"
instead of really listening to the concerns and thoughts of others. When facilitators actively
listen, they can then use the information being given to guide the conversation based on the
needs of the participants and not themselves.

Asking Questions
Rather than telling and following the lecture-based approach, facilitators do the opposite; they
ask. Questions encourage answers and require another person to respond. Facilitators take the
following into consideration when building conversation:

1. Open/closed: Open ended questions allows more space for answers. Closed questions narrow
the response down to small of a path.

2. Second level questioning: After an initial question, facilitators ask a follow up question. This
will help find any underlying context or content.

3. Redirecting: If a question was asked to a specific person or group, facilitators spin the
question in a form that can then be applicable to the entire team.

4. Reflecting: Reflecting questions acknowledges the participants' emotions or words and helps
the team feel more connected, heard, and comfortable.

5. Summarize: Summarizing with a question or a statement that includes everyone's thoughts

will help the team stay on track and better yet, feel engaged and valued.

6. Tie back: Tie back questions help bring the bits and pieces of information to light and helps
participants connect the dots.

By using these tactics and strategic, facilitators can get the most out of the participants. At
People Centric, we focus on what facilitation is and use this approach to cultivate engagement,
focus, and accountability. That is why our process simply works.
Employers use facilitation to process trainers, build teams, and shape leaders. It can also
effectively manage individual issues and competing ideas. Appointed facilitators are used to help
management achieve the goal set forth in their meeting. The main role of a facilitator is to add
value to a group planning session or meeting by keeping the group on task and moving together
in the same direction, saving the employer valuable time and money.

Characteristics of Good Facilitators

Facilitation is a learned skill that comes most naturally to individuals who demonstrate certain
characteristics:

 Strong group leadership skills

 Deep knowledge of group processes and structures
 Knowledge of group and interpersonal dynamics and an understanding of verbal and
nonverbal communication
 The ability to creatively present training and team building content in a way that
encourages participation from session attendees
 Empathy for people and their situations
 Powerful listening and communication skills
 The ability to structure group interventions and events, producing the desired result

Individual Facilitation

When individuals take part in the process it is usually because two or more employees are
experiencing conflict, disagreement, the need to set mutual goals, or a need to debrief a project,
process, or experience. A skilled facilitator can be sourced from within the company and can
provide the structure, content, and process employees need to reach a mutually satisfying
solution.

Under the leadership of a skilled facilitator, meetings, team-building sessions, and training
classes can achieve results not possible without an arbitrating figure. Team participants in a
group often lack the skill, permission, and support needed to effectively facilitate their own work
processes, and a leader helps assist in their development.

Group Facilitation

Facilitation of groups or teams is provided by internal employees, or external consultants, who

are skilled at certain traits that keep the ball rolling and the participants on track. There are
certain methods that they employ to smooth transitions and keep meetings moving in the right
direction within a group setting:

 Presenting content and information that is easily digested by all parties present
 Designing and formulating a process that helps a group achieve its objectives before the
meeting starts, and keeping the rhythm of the meeting once it has begun
 Providing an appropriate structure for a meeting, training, team-building session, or
another work event, so that the core mission is accomplished in the session
  Promoting shared responsibility for the outcome of the meeting
 Drawing questions and possible solutions from the participants in order to build a
cohesive mindset

Managing Competing Conversations in Meetings

Having effective working relationships with people at work can be difficult. Effective group
facilitation in meetings requires certain abilities to manage the interaction of competing
conversations.

 Nonverbal communication: Raising an eyebrow or waving to the participants can

communicate the need to either stop or backtrack. Stopping the person who has the floor
for a minute while the other participants rejoin the group can be more effective if done
without words, as it has a softer touch. Good facilitators don't hesitate to take such an
action, as part of their purpose is to control the flow of the meeting.
 The ability to ask questions: A facilitator might call on one of the group members
participating in the competing conversation—asking for a brief summary of the
discussion occurring in the meeting up to that point, and perhaps having the participant
share ideas with the rest of the participants. The initial wording might seem unnatural, but
it serves two purposes: it brings the side conversation into the main conversation, and it
can clarify the purpose and hopefully bring an outcome more quickly.
 Having the confidence to intervene: Asking the group members participating in the
competing conversation to rejoin the group discussion, without using sarcasm or anger, is
a key skill. The facilitator may say something like, "I'm afraid we're missing good ideas
when everyone is talking at once. I know I can't keep track of all of these thoughts."
Generally, this tactic is better as a second or third attempt to pull people in. It is direct
and very effective but can embarrass team members who were not aware of their
behavior and didn't absorb the more subtle hints.
 Establish a group signal: The group signal reminds participants to hold one discussion
at a time. A signal that works effectively is to make a nonverbal timeout sign followed by
holding up one index finger to indicate one meeting. If team members have a good
relationship, an inside joke between the participants can effectively lighten the mood and
ease tension considerably.