Delaware was the last of the 50 states I checked off my list of places to train in the United States. From classrooms, I have watched the sun set over the Statue of Liberty in New York, experienced the miller moth invasion in Colorado, and heard the jubilant sound effects of slot machines in Las Vegas.

Beyond the United States, I have facilitated learning programs in 25 different countries in the past 20 years. Travel has shaped me as a trainer, helped me develop a global mindset, and given me a beautiful collection of both stamps in my passport and Starbucks mugs from around the world. Understanding talent development in the United States seemed easy compared with the complexities that I experienced abroad.

However, while working as a lead designer on a global leadership program, I learned a valuable lesson. We had designed a multiday leadership program that would be rolled out across Asia, Europe, and the United States. We were careful to ask design partners in Europe and Asia to provide region-specific case studies for us to use with topics like coaching, conflict management, and managerial courage. We thought that by putting region-specific examples in the back of the participant materials, facilitators could select the appropriate case study for their audience, and we could use one workbook for all regions.

Participants from around the globe attended the pilot programs. The U.S. participants came from the Northwest, the Mid-Atlantic region, and New York. The feedback we received suggested that none of our well-written, one-size-fits-all case studies for the United States fit all. For some of the conflict management examples, pilot participants from the Northwest could not picture such a conflict situation occurring. Attendees from the Mid-Atlantic region suggested that employees would not discuss the situation but would instead probably “bury” the conflict. New Yorkers thought that the situation did not even describe a conflict; it was just a regular discussion. We realized we could not serve the U.S. learners with one case. What was interesting was that our global partners had provided us with multiple cases for their large regions. We needed to go back and do a more thorough audience needs analysis to design local case studies for U.S. participants.

Our U.S. design team was not alone in making this generalization that all U.S. audiences were alike. It is a common misconception. This chapter will help other talent development professionals tailor their design and delivery for diverse U.S. audiences.

People and Culture: Get to Know Your Audience

“How are you guys doing?” seemed like an innocent enough question, but it quickly became apparent to learners that I was not from their area, where “y’all” is a more common expression. They responded to the question with a grin, making it evident that I had chosen the wrong greeting due to the various English dialects spoken throughout the United States.

There are 315 million people and many ethnic groups in the United States, due in large part to its immigrant population. The country can be divided into five regions grouped by history, traditions, economy, culture, characteristics, and geography: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest and Plains States, Southwest, and the Pacific Northwest.

Jersey City, New Jersey, is one of the most culturally diverse U.S. cities (Bernardo 2017). There are more than 300 million people and many ethnic groups in the United States, due in large part to its immigrant population.

You might understand the importance of adjusting your content and style for delivering learning when you travel internationally. However, many trainers fail to go through the same preparation to figure out how to adjust their style or content for regional differences within the United States. That strategic oversight could hijack training efforts. Here are three must-dos.

Appreciate Differences

The United States is a melting pot of cultures. It is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. However, some well-meaning articles on cultural differences have a potential to do harm with their generalizations and stereotypical information. A more thorough approach is to use cultural intelligence and to be open-minded about ethnic themes and receptive to interpersonal feedback when interacting with people from different U.S. cultures. Use good observation skills and ask questions to learn more about people. Incorporate icebreakers and inclusion activities in class to learn about participants and to help attendees get to know one another. A favorite icebreaker of mine is to ask people to share something they have done that they believe no one else in the class has done. We learn about their uniqueness with that simple request.

Sharing meals with participants can also be an appealing idea. I was invited to facilitate a team-building class for financial experts who were not communicating. The course included communication styles, team exercises, and discussions. However, the real change in the team’s dynamics happened when we shared lunch together. Someone asked why a team member was not eating. That question sparked a conversation about religious customs, and the floodgates of cultural diversity opened. In the United States, participants are generally a little nervous about discussing religious or ethnic differences. Creating a safe environment where people feel comfortable can open the lines of communication, so people understand and relate to one another rather than avoiding the differences.

Talk to People

The best way to understand more about the region of the United States where the facilitation is taking place is to ask lots of questions:

• Discuss regional quirks. The United States has many unofficial holidays. Ask how locals respond to holidays like Halloween or St. Patrick’s Day. Do they dress up and expect a little celebration, or ignore the holiday?

• Probe for even the slightest cultural differences within the organization from region to region. Recently, I trained in the Pacific Northwest, where people are more environmentally conscious than the average American. Someone suggested that I should “cut fresh sprouts growing over by the window in the cafeteria to put on your sandwich.” The look on my face revealed my lack of understanding of their commitment to a sustainable environment.

• Ask how people dress. I had an embarrassing experience once while teaching in a southern state. On my way out to lunch, someone looked at me and asked what was on my legs. After a brief scare, I noted she was referring to my pantyhose. Her reply was, “It’s too hot here. We don’t wear hose.” Another client in the Midwest said that the dress code included a dress and hose for women, and she expected her facilitator to dress accordingly.

• Share lunch with participants. The networking is great, and local participants know the best places to eat, including when the food trucks visit their area. An excellent way to connect is to ask participants to share a list of must-go-to restaurants or local activities to do in the evening, and then include stories and examples to “localize” the presentation.

Getting Started: Conduct a Needs Assessment

While surveying colleagues across the United States, reduced life cycles for instructional design and delivery processes is one trend I’ve seen. Talent development professionals tackle training requests of all types from all levels of the organization. Whether the request comes from a training director, a department manager, or an advisory committee, trainers are being asked to fix organizational problems “yesterday.” It may be as simple as corporate decisions to cut training budgets, or it may be workplace trends affecting U.S. talent development. These trends continue to demand just-in-time delivery, which puts pressure on time and financial budgets.

Here are two suggestions for practical needs assessments.

Ask Direct Questions

In U.S. corporate environments, people tend to be straightforward. As a training consultant partner, you are expected to respond in an assertive manner as you move through the needs assessment discussion. For example, a decision maker may make a specific request such as, “We need team building.” As a consulting partner, you should be sure to clarify their requests, not just say yes.

A client recently asked for help designing an influence program. Influence is a broad and vague topic. Asking questions like, “What do you mean by influence?” “What sort of situations do these participants need to influence?” “What business goals are driving this need?” and “What performance gap are you seeing?” all helped clarify the request. It takes patience and courage to have these discussions, but they often lead to targeting exactly what the client’s goals are and the results they need.

It’s not enough to end the discussion when the topic is clarified. You need to continue to advocate for other elements of the program that are essential based on your design knowledge, whether it is delivery methods, assessment tools, or an off-site location. For one client, we were inviting senior executives to be part of the kickoff for a program. Having a C-level manager kick off a program supports the learning. Suggesting that the senior executives be part of a panel discussion and stay for lunch to get to know participants informally was an even better idea. The discussions were the hit of the program for participants and executives alike.

Summarize Results

Most U.S. managers prefer a big-picture view with supporting evidence as a backup. Prepare a summary document to ensure buy-in. The document could include the following:

• Make recommendations quickly when presenting ideas. Be prepared to circle back with more details if the requester asks for more information.

• Get approval on the learning objectives discussed.

• Justify any actions you decide not to take.

• Confirm budgets.

• Share any concerns over budgets. Especially share concerns if constraints cannot be met. Don’t just say yes. Remember: Honest, direct communication will be most valued in the United States.

• Use a multipurpose summary template.

Itineraries: Plan the Learning Journey

Planning a journey can be a daunting task. It is easy to get overwhelmed. The following simple steps will help engineer a well-planned learning journey, so less time is spent worrying about smile sheets and more time is spent transferring knowledge.

Decide Where the Learners Are Going

Identifying the destination is the first planning step for any journey. A good needs assessment conversation will assist in determining the purpose, learning objectives, and direction of the training program.

The co-pilot for any learning journey should be the learners’ manager. In a recent study done by DPG Plc. titled Transforming Formal Learning, 45 percent of the 5,000 employees surveyed reported that their managers discussed learning objectives with them before they attended training (Overton and Dixon 2016). What I have found is that U.S. managers are willing to have discussions about objectives and learning goals if they are coached by talent development professionals to understand the benefits of those conversations. You need to provide managers with pre- and post-course tools such as job aids, coaching tips, email templates, and quizzes to reinforce what their direct reports learn in training.

Select Delivery Methods

Think of your last vacation. Did you use only one mode of transportation, or did you use a combination of car, plane, ship, and Segway to get to your destination? Combining or blending approaches is a good idea for the learning journey, too. Looking at current North American training trends from ATD’s (2015) Global Trends in Talent Development report can you help plan the right blend for learners:

• Currently, a little over 50 percent of learning hours available are instructor-led classroom hours.

• Synchronous, instructor-led online learning accounts for about 25 percent of instructor-led training. The United States boasts the highest levels of this type of training.

• Self-paced online learning accounts for about 34 percent of learning in North America.

• Use of mobile learning is under 5 percent in the United States. This could be because the United States does not fall into the top 10 countries for mobile smartphone use.

• Twenty-one percent of training in the United States utilizes a blended approach.

• Social learning is a growing trend, with approximately two-thirds of U.S. companies saying they use the method. Social learning is an activity where participants learn by watching and modeling what others do, including watching videos, observing tasks, answering questions, and posting in discussion forums. Both younger and older employees enjoy learning this way.

Plan Activities

Simulations and games have been standard training tools for more than a decade, and U.S. audiences have come to expect them. Listening to a lecture becomes annoying. The average adult attention span is only about 20 minutes (Cornish and Dukette 2009); however, my observation is that attention spans in the United States seem shorter than that. Plan a break from face-to-face lectures with U.S. audiences every 12-15 minutes. For synchronous online learning, expect attention spans of three to five minutes.

Training technologies are becoming more advanced, and companies are seeking more ways to have an impact on learning. Whether using games from U.S. television shows like Jeopardy! or Family Feud or activities found in game books like Games Trainers Play by John W. Newstrom (1980), computer simulations or scenario-based role-plays do not drift too far away from learning content. U.S. audiences quickly become disinterested and unreceptive if they do not see the connection to what they’re learning before, during, and after the activity.

When planning activities, be sure to:

• Select an activity that will drive performance on the job.

• Start the game by sharing the learning objective connected with the game.

• Debrief with questions:

“How does this activity relate to the content?” If the participants cannot see the connection, the activity didn’t work.

Don’t be afraid to ask, “How did this activity’s challenges connect to real problems in the workplace?”

Remember to ask, “How will you apply what you learned?”

Evaluate Success

The Kirkpatrick levels of evaluation are essential. Know which level the organization currently measures and then urge the organization to go further. Create additional ways for knowledge to be measured in class and after class. What else can be done to measure results and return on investment?

Sometimes, even when everything is done right, unsurpassable roadblocks may be reached. In one instance, the Super Bowl was coming to town, and a media company that wanted to cash in reached out to me. My team and I planned the perfect learning journey:

• We helped with the needs assessment and identified the corporate goal: Increase sales for the Super Bowl.

• The learning objective for the Sales Manager Coaching Program was also clear: Coach sales staff through the new sales process.

• We designed and delivered an excellent program. Managers enjoyed the program, and it earned 4.8 on a scale of 5.

• We videotaped the coaching role plays and gave managers feedback on their performances, so we knew they could demonstrate the proper coaching skills.

• After 45 days of delivering coaching to their sales staff, we surveyed the sales staff. We used the learning objective language on the survey so we could be sure managers were demonstrating successful coaching behavior changes. Survey results were good.

• Our learning journey was going in a straight line following all the measurement signposts. Sales were also increasing.

The end results would have been spectacular if Mother Nature had not decided to dump an ice blizzard on that warm-climate city for Super Bowl weekend, destroying last-minute advertising and halting print delivery.

Packing Lists: Logistics, Technology, and Resources

In the United States, technology is reliable, so technological difficulties are easier to handle. Prepare by packing extra batteries, power cords, multiple copies of materials, and a few extra supplies, and you shouldn’t have to worry about technical problems.

During a recent situation, a client forgot to rent a projector. Fortunately, we had packed one of the new HDMI pocket projectors. The hotel had extra adapter cords and could reproduce a handout. Reliability is a common experience with most on-site and off-site venues in the United States.

Preparation and additional resources are still key. At a recent conference I attended, the speaker’s remote slide advancer went dead in the middle of her train-the-trainer presentation. She probably had extra batteries but did not stop her presentation at that moment. A participant in the front row replaced the presenter’s batteries, so the presenter did not miss a beat.

For a synchronous, online environment, get online early, test equipment, and work with a producer whenever possible to reduce technical difficulties. Bandwidth can still be a concern in the United States if too many people are online and try to run video and cameras all at the same time. Having a good checklist is still important.

Customs: Body Language Dos and Don’ts

Being on the Second City stage in Chicago, where the likes of Jim Belushi, Gilda Radner, and John Candy had performed, was one of the most fun experiences of my life. Only after taking the Second City improvisation classes and applying my new skills to the training profession did I realize their real benefits. U.S. training audiences enjoy a little drama, or “edutainment,” with their lessons. Projecting your voice, feeling comfortable while acting out stories, or experimenting with physicality to emphasize a point are all vital skills to have for a U.S. instructor. Finding the right fusion of theater and lesson is the challenge.

A sign in front of Chicago’s Second City comedy theater. U.S. audiences enjoy a little edutainment in their training, so improv techniques might serve you well with these participants.

The following outlines important body language dos and don’ts to keep in mind:

• Move around the room. Education in the United States is informal, so training needs to be informal, too, or seem informal. However, it is still important to be completely prepared. If not tethered to technology, survey the room for possible traffic patterns and move around the space.

• Sit occasionally, perhaps on a tall stool. Equality is important in the United States, so participants believe that they are equal to you, the presenter, and do not want to feel like you are standing over them during discussions. However, standing up while facilitating online helps with voice projection and energy.

• Respect personal space. Comfortable social boundaries in the United States are three to four feet apart. However, classroom and conference chair arrangements in the United States are closer than in some other cultures. A handshake or a touch on the shoulder is OK, but nothing else. Participants may hug each other occasionally, but don’t initiate a hug. If someone gives you a hug, it is OK to respond warmly.

• Gesture naturally. Practice gesturing in front of a mirror to look natural. For smaller audiences, keep gestures between your waist and shoulders. For audiences with more than 30 participants, your gestures can be bigger. As a U.S. audience gets comfortable, they will accept exaggerated gestures that reach beyond your shoulders.

• Make eye contact. Most U.S. audiences expect to make eye contact with the instructor and hold it for approximately three seconds. There are always exceptions. Native Americans’ communication style is influenced by values that emphasize humility, respect for elders, and concern for group harmony (Chiang 1993). They prefer minimal eye contact.

• Stand confidently. Feet should be shoulder-width apart. Spend most of the lecture time standing on both feet. It is OK to sit down when you are facilitating a discussion and want the focus to be on the participants instead of you. Genuinely confident people speak with certainty. Participants in the United States appreciate the confidence.

• Project your voice. Americans are known for being loud. It is OK to use voice projection occasionally for vocal variety. It adds to the edutainment effect.

• Pace yourself when speaking. The average rate for English speakers in the United States is about 150 words per minute (National Center for Voice and Speech n.d.). Speaking too quickly is one of the most common speech problems. Perhaps it is because most of us tend to speed up our speech when we are stressed or excited. Focusing on your enunciation is a good way to slow down your speech. Practice reading out loud with a timer.

• Smile and use humor. A friend once came to watch me present. She was there for the grand finale, which included a summary and driving home the learning objectives. She described the closing as passionate. Then she mentioned that she had not seen even one smile throughout the entire ending. Human faces are capable of more than 10,000 different expressions. Be sure to use some of them. As for humor, the safest to use in the United States is a little self-critical humor. Avoid humor about religion, politics, gender, or ethnicities. U.S. audiences are very sensitive to those topics.

Climate: Create a Warm Learning Environment

A warm learning environment in the United States must be more than just edutainment. It does not happen accidentally—it happens by design. Creating a positive, engaging learning environment comes down to relationships: the participants’ relationship to the learning environment, their relationship to the content, their relationship to one another, and their relationship with their instructor.

Create a Connection With the Environment

• Arrive 45-90 minutes early and prepare the learning environment, whether online or face-to-face. Distribute training materials, test equipment, and arrange for open discussion spaces.

• U.S. learners have come to expect fidgets and stress toys on the tables. These toys enliven learning, stimulate the senses, and keep kinesthetic learners engaged.

• Provide refreshments when possible. U.S. audiences love chocolate in the afternoon and expect coffee and tea all day long. I have worked with some companies that have eliminated food for budgetary reasons. It is risky to be the facilitator when there is no food or coffee.

Create a Relationship to the Content

• Send an invite to the learners before the event communicating learning objectives—what participants will be able to know and do by the end of class. Millennials, especially, are motivated when they know how they can make a difference.

• Invite learners’ managers to be part of the pre-class discussion. Send out pre-work. U.S. audiences are more likely to do pre-work if their manager mandates it.

• Celebrate learner success.

Create Relationships With One Another

• Learn and use participants’ names, so they get to know one another.

• U.S. audiences value networking. Mix up participants into different groups using pair-share, triads, small groups, and breakout rooms in online environments.

• Most U.S. audiences enjoy sharing their experiences and stories. In one class design, the instructor was supposed to describe the “challenges of the job,” but the feedback suggested that the instructor gave too many examples. By changing the module to allow participants to identify their own challenges and to role-play solutions, we were able to better engage the audience, and evaluation and retention scores went up.

Create a Relationship With You

The role of a teacher in U.S. classroom environments has changed. Years ago, student-teacher relationships were more formal, and the teacher’s judgment was accepted. Today, students take the leadership role in creating and leading discussions. Because of the educational system, these changes affect what happens in U.S. training environments:

• Greet participants early and ask them about themselves. Share facts about yourself that align with their interests.

• U.S. participants expect you to have a mindset of “serving your learner.”

• Have faith in people, and they will rise to the level of expectations.

• Treat everyone with dignity.

Things to Consider: Handle Classroom Challenges

Americans believe time is money, and they hate to waste time. If a participant must attend training without knowing its relevance to their job, they become frustrated. Partner with managers throughout the entire instructional design process, from needs assessments to sending the training invite, to minimize the potential of participants coming to a training session ill-prepared. Discussing the learning objectives and job relevance often throughout training is also essential for defusing potential classroom frustrations.

I do not think people intend to be difficult in training classes. Indeed, the difficult personality exists, but more frequently, a challenging situation is due to recent organizational changes. People from the United States are not afraid to speak up and voice opinions. Often the classroom becomes a public forum for expressing concerns about changes. Participants may be frustrated by a new process that they were sent to class to learn.

The worst situation I faced was a government shutdown. The news came over the weekend. On Monday morning, welcoming participants to “When Bad Things Happen to Good People” was not easy. Participants were hostile. The fact that I had nothing to do with the situation did not matter to them. Being the only person of authority present made me the target of their venting. We did not cover any content until after lunch. They came back from lunch and, as a group, decided to turn their backs to me. I read material aloud until the end of the day to the back of 25 angry heads. In the United States, conflict is often dealt with openly and directly.

The situations may not be about us as the trainer. However, it is our responsibility to address any situations we face. It is our duty to treat each participant with dignity while we defuse challenges. There are three available tools for handling difficult situations with people.

Verbal Responses

• A favorite is the “yes, and …” response. The agreement disarms people and gives the floor back to the instructor.

• Paraphrase but repeat a milder version of what they just said. U.S. participants realize the HR consequences of not “toning down” their remarks. The milder paraphrase will send a clear message.

• Verbal responses can also include private conversations you have with participants on break. Communicate kindly but firmly the behavior expected. Politely telling even managers, “I need you to listen to allow space for your team to speak up,” is acceptable in the United States. Professor Geert Hofstede’s work on cultural dimensions describes the Power Distance Index (PDI), which measures the equality of workers and supervisors. The United States is a low-barrier culture, where it is OK to speak up, so giving private feedback to a manager is fine.

Body Language and Movement

• Move slowly and carefully toward a difficult participant. Keep hands down by your side and open, which is a universal sign of peace. Nod your head yes, using the “yes, and …” verbal approach. Back away slowly as you begin to speak. Finish remarks facing away from the difficult participant. Ask another question of someone from the other side of the room.

Authority

• As a last resort, use your authority and privately ask a participant to leave class. If you don’t have the power, call a manager to handle the situation. During one four-day class, one of the participants was repeatedly late due to work obligations. Reviewing ground rules and a private, friendly conversation with him did not help. He intended to fit the program into his workday schedule rather than delegating work to someone else. Talking with his manager in the evening allowed me to have the day-three conversation. When the participant showed up late on day three, he had a choice: Be on time or sign up for the class next month.

• When there are difficulties, participants expect the facilitator to manage the situations that may be interrupting their learning. Manage situations with dignity and participants will appreciate the professionalism, even if the situation cannot be remedied. However, if a facilitator loses their cool, participants will most likely turn against the instructor. The training development professional is expected to keep the learning environment safe for learners.

Tips and Warnings: Advice for Nonnative Trainers

When coming to the United States to facilitate, or even when meeting U.S. participants in a local classroom or online, here are a few ideas to keep in mind:

• Build credibility with an opening story that includes credentials that matter to the participants. Share the reason you were invited to teach this topic in this location. Tell audiences your connections to the content and them. Look them in the eyes when telling the story. U.S. audiences also like a little self-effacing humor. Let them laugh at you about things that are uncomfortable about our culture. Laughter connects us and allows us to be human. It can lighten any situation and reduce stress.

• Ask difficult questions in the needs assessment. People in the United States are direct and respond well to direct questions. Being indirect will probably not generate complete answers about performance gaps or business goals. Also, ask clients what they mean when they use business buzzwords. The clarification will help training be a success.

• Speak slowly and clearly. People in the United States tend to be lazy listeners. Give audiences a chance to get accustomed to your accent, speaking style, and cadence.

• Do not assume all members in a U.S. audience have the same needs and interests. Do not believe the generalities and clichés seen in movies. Get to know people as people. Learn a little about the region of the country where the class is held. Do not assume that if participants are in the United States and speak English they are Americans and adhere to all U.S. beliefs.

• Do not hesitate to manage difficult situations. Participants may challenge you early. Be respectful but control the situation. People will be watching for coolness and poise. Call for a break, or have students change seats to prevent talking. Saying, “Let’s agree to disagree” is a good way to gain control of a discussion.

Bon Voyage

Remembering back to that day, looking from the classroom window and seeing the breathtaking view of the sun setting over the Statue of Liberty, I realized that her symbolism still holds true. Liberty’s image is one of welcome, strength, majesty, and hope. Get to know U.S. audiences when training with multinational organizations. The Statue of Liberty is more than a monument; she is a beloved friend.

About the Author

Donna Steffey is an international trainer, author, facilitator of the ATD Master Trainer Program, and adjunct faculty member at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.

References

ATD (Association for Talent Development). 2015. Global Trends in Talent Development. Alexandria, VA: ATD Press.

Bernardo, R. 2017. “2017’s Most & Least Culturally Diverse Cities.” WalletHub, February 22. https://wallethub.com/edu/cities-with-the-most-and-least-ethno-racial-and-linguistic-diversity/10264/#methodology.

Chiang, L.H. 1993. “Beyond the Language: Native Americans’ Nonverbal Communication.” Paper presented at the 23rd Midwest Association of Teachers of Educational Psychology annual meeting, Anderson, Indiana, October 1-29. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED368540.pdf.

Cornish, D., and D. Dukette. 2009. The Essential 20: Twenty Components of an Excellent Health Care Team. Pittsburgh, PA: RoseDog Books, 72-73.

National Center for Voice and Speech. n.d. “Voice Qualities.” National Center for Voice and Speech. www.ncvs.org/ncvs/tutorials/voiceprod/tutorial/quality.html.

Newstrom, J.W. 1980. Games Trainers Play. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Overton, L., and G. Dixon. 2016. Transforming Formal Learning: Principles for Delivering Results in the Modern Workplace. London: Towards Maturity.