I teach a workshop on "How to Make Presentations to Councils and Boards." I've also written a book by the same title and have coached executives and managers on presentation skills.
Recently, this question came up: "Why not coach university professors on how to deliver better lectures?"
And the quick response was: "Because most of them don't care if they give lousy lectures. They've been doing that for years with no repercussions."
The desire to dismiss that as sheer cynicism was stopped by a memory.
Think of the terrible professors from your university days; the ones who, if boredom were lethal, would be mass murderers.
Would any of them have gone within 100 miles of a coaching session on presentations?
Case closed.
Not quite.
The worst performers are the least likely to attend any workshops and especially one-on-one coaching. The people who are already pretty good or even extremely good are the ones who strive to get better.
I'm not sold on the idea but suspect that the above-average performers would be the ones to target, not The Professors from Hell.
4 comments:
Michael - Great example. I often explain poorly designed wellness programs to employers with the same logical flow: Guess who is the first to sign up for walking program, nutritional programs, exercise programs? Those who don't need them. The trick is getting the help to those who most need it. In a college setting, this is a hopeless task.
I read your post with impassioned empathy. Last night I started to teach a new class, a compulsory class to students, young males, who've worked all day doing physical work, who really don't want to be there and have no idea why they would want to be there, but they know they have to, and they are quite happy to tell you so. Task One - convince them they really should want to attend since there was things they might want learn. During the break only one left and didn't return, when they all finally left they mostly wanted to come back next week....the work has just begun.
Kurt,
One of the axioms of consulting is that the firms who need you the most are the least likely to hire you.
There may be something Darwinian going on.
Michael
Bob,
It sounds as if your class was a hit and it is probably good that the one guy left!
Good luck!
Michael
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