Purpose: To show prospective trainers the importance of giving clear instructions.

 Time Required: 10 to 15 minutes.

 Size of Group: Unlimited.

 Materials Required: None.

 The Exercise in Action: If you’re training trainers (line managers, subject-matter experts, or other part-timers) to deliver your courses, teaching them how to give clear instructions is one of the most important first steps. Here’s an exercise that demonstrates the importance of a delivery step many people take for granted:

Ask participants to imagine that, following the training program, they have invited the group to their homes for a small gathering. Allow three to five minutes for everyone to write directions to their homes.

Then summarize the various methods participants use to give directions. People generally give directions (and instructions) the way they like to receive them. Directions may be communicated by drawing a map; by using a sequential description (“As you exit the parking lot turn right, go two blocks to the stop sign and turn left on Powers Road”); or by associating the route with landmarks.

Ask participants which method they considered most helpful. Then tell them that it depends on the individual. Some of us favor precise instructions, others prefer references to landmarks because they can be seen more readily than street signs, and others function better with a map. And some find an overview at the outset helpful, such as, “I live about five miles north of the office and it should take you about 15 minutes to get there.”

The activity brings home the fact that we need to be very conscious not only about how we give information or instructions, but how individual participants best assimilate information.