Grabbing 'em in the First 3 Minutes

[Jerry Kail]

A friend sent me an interesting excerpt from Elliott Masie's website re the criticality of the First 3 Minutes of any session:

"In the first 3 minutes, the learner 'sniffs' out the teaching style of the instructor and the level of energy of their fellow students....They even give a rating in the first 3 minutes to the efficiency, speed of learning, level of content and type of engagement. After teaching for 30 years, I feel that a large number of learners make a thumbs up or thumbs down rating in those sweet 180 seconds."

Eek! So as session leaders, we only have one chance to make a first impression. As my friend said, how many session leaders "bloviate" about their past experience & credentials during this period, while their participants start checking out the location of the clock/bathrooms/exits?

So, what tips/guidance/advice do any of you have for involving/ensnaring session participants right off the bat to set the right learning-receptive tone?

[Karen Dawson]

I enjoy the On Your Feet perspective of "see them first."

There are probably many ways to see our participants first - being curious about who they are, what they bring to the session, what they've come seeking...all of those inquiries create areas for exploration and connection.

I watched Julie and Brad (of OYF) share a list titled "Here's what we think we know about you" quickly followed by a question, "And what did we miss?" Immediately the session was more about the participants than about the presenters.

And then, just to play devil's advocate with myself, participants often feel more comfortable when they believe they're working with someone credible, open, and eager to be there with them. A delicate balance.

[David Zinger]

In my teaching I often will tell a story or encourage participants to imagine an outcome. Make it come alive and do something. Talk about the benefit versus the process of learning. Try and really see as many people as you can in those first three minutes. If you are there early you can have early "3 minutes" with the people who also come early.

[Paul Z Jackson]

I reckon it's true. Tip One - warm up before those three minutes.
Tip 2, have everyone speak something briefly to the group (eg their name) in the first few minutes.
Cheers, Paul Z