How could workshop participants NOT come back to finish all my sessions? My ego couldn't handle it.

Disappointed in my retention rate (I had lost 6 people from a class), I had to try something new.

My original format was 50% participant activities and 50% leader activities (translation: me talking half the time). This plan failed, proven by the shrinkage data.

The new plan: after giving participants detailed materials (slides, articles, video clips, checklists, websites, posters and books), I asked each to select one topic which they would prepare and present to the group.

One by one, they took charge. I commented only as needed. Their presentations were distributed evenly over the next seven hours of classes, so they couldn't afford to drop out and let their classmates down.

I lost only one participant from start to finish. And they all came in fired up and more engaged, with their senses on "alert." They teased the presenter of the hour and pretended to be "difficult participants" just to give each other a hard time. The ratio of participants' "doing" time was now 80% to the instructor's 20%.

Two factors created this improvement in retention and engagement:

1.  Accountability. No one wanted to fail in front of his peers. Some felt pressure initially, but once they got started presenting, all the attention was positive and fun.

2.  Engagement. Intellectually stimulated by working on their plans, no one was ever bored or passive. 

They created their own entertainment, which kept them coming back. (So let that be a lesson to you, Janis. Stop talking so much.)

P.S. This works for meetings, too. Never do for your attendees anything they can do themselves.

Paula, a receptionist, decided to add her name when she answered the phone. "Good Morning, XYZ Industries, this is Paula."

For the first time in her nine years, said Paula, customers responded by calling her by name . . . and then offering their names, "Hello there, Paula. This is Jonathan Price. I'm calling to check on my order."

"Thank you, Mr. Price, I'll connect you to Marie Smith."

"But then," Paula said, "something different happened to my feeling about that call. I was more careful to come back to my Mr. Price if Marie hadn't picked up within 30 seconds. When I came back on the line to ask if he wanted to hold longer, Mr. Price called me Paula when he thanked me.

"I now felt more ownership of this customer. If I thought Marie was more likely to respond to voice mail, I went back to Mr. Price and recommended that he leave a voice message. If I thought she might respond more quickly to my page, I paged her. Mr. Prince would say, 'You must know her habits pretty well.' I said, 'Well, I've been here for nine years.' 'That's a long time, is that your hometown?' he asked. We chatted while he waited.

"When Marie passed by my desk, I'd ask: 'Did you talk with Jonathan Price?' If she said no, I'd light a fire under her to call him.

"Suddenly, Jonathan Price had become my customer as well as my company's. I like that feeling. I feel I'm getting to know these customers a bit, even though we'll never meet.

"And it all started when I simply introduced myself with one little word. My amazing name."

(Paula is pictured in the center above wearing sunglasses.)

"Ryan and I went out to lunch last week," Sara said, "and it was the most motivating time I've had in the five years I've worked for him. I felt he saw my work as valuable."

"What made it so motivating?" I wondered.

"He listened to what I wanted to talk about, never told me a better way I could've handled something, or changed the subject. I'm sure he had things to cover with me, but he just listened. And listened. And listened."

Ryan may have had no idea how much his listening meant to Sara. Listening sounds easy, but it's not. It's hard . . . hard not to give advice, or insert "That reminds me of . . ."

Listening is tricky. Sometimes Person A will attempt to show interest in what Person B is saying by relating his or her own similar experience. This often fails because Person A gets wrapped up in his or her own story and does most of the talking. As time passes, the two are likely to be interrupted by another person or a phone call, and the conversation never gets back to Person B.

I always wonder: did Person A realize what just happened? (Person B did.)

Back to Sara and Ryan. What made their lunch hour work so well?

- The setting: OUT to lunch (no interruptions)

- Ryan could have used the time for his own agenda, but resisted, keeping his mouth firmly shut.

Good listening is so rare that it makes a striking impression on us. And finding a good listener is like striking gold.

P.S. Every search I did to find "listening" images for this article turned up only headphones or ear buds. Says something, doesn't it?

During March and April, I offer you a cost-effective Leadership Analysis (my travel expenses to your location plus $200.00) that will help you bring your struggling leaders nearer the performance level of your highest performers.

Here's how Leadership Analysis works:

I will:

1.  Conduct behavioral interviews with 3 of your high-performing leaders and 3 leaders who have potential

2.  Identify pinpointed concrete success skills

3.  Send you written recommendations for development, including coaching actions you can take without a consultant

4. Provide written feedback to you for giving to the 6 participants

If you'd like to explore this idea to see if it may benefit your organization, please email janisallen@janisallen.com or call me at 828.862.6552.