“(P)resentation skills training is booming.” So says today’s Wall Street Journal (“Improv Troupe Teaches Managers How to Give Better Presentations,” subscription required). “Managing Your Career” columnist Joann S. Lublin touches upon the various types of “training” available—everything from books to a seminar to coaching.
But hold on a moment. None of those options qualify as training. Training means an intense learning experience designed to result in short term skills improvement and (this is the part even most trainers neglect) setting a pattern for lifelong learning.
Lublin cites the presentation skills offering of the Second City comedy troupe, a public seminar that costs $595. Don’t get me wrong. Seminars have their place if you need exposure to a skill or issue. But if you need hands-on learning, you would be better off saving your budget dollars until you can spring for a real training workshop.
Second City president Tom Yorton doesn’t believe in videotaping, claiming it “often exacerbates the nervousness.” The fact is, as any reputable trainer realizes, you need to get to the root of any anxiety before you can begin to chart a course for improvement that makes sense for that individual. Moreover, I have seen the light bulb switch on over a trainee’s head time and again when they see themselves on videotape. Yes, it can be an anxious moment for those who have never seen themselves on camera before, but that embarrassment passes quickly in most cases. Then the flood gates to learning frequently open wide.
Call me too left-brained, but if anyone can explain to me how standing in a circle and throwing pretend colored balls at others (as happens in the Second City seminar) sharpens communications skills, I am all ears.
Bottom line: If you want a taste of how people in general can improve their public speaking skills, buy a book or CD. If you want some exposure to the learning process, attend a seminar. But if you truly need skill sharpening and improvement over time, an interactive, personalized workshop that features videotaping and honest yet supportive critique is absolutely mandatory.
