by Tim Brunson DCH
The number one mistake that trainers and speakers make is their failure to tailor their message and teaching style to fit their audience. While they may find that the majority of the audience appreciate how they communicate their message, most will also find that a few individuals adversely react to their presentation. This problem most likely is the result of an inability for the speaker to judge the average balance between being predictable and clear versus providing excitement and effectively using ambiguity as a learning tool.
Members of an audience vary in levels of attachment to established patterns and their ability to alter their mental thought patterns. Those who demonstrate the most significant inability to release patterns test lower on I.Q. evaluations. And those who often display the highest I.Q. unfortunately have so little foundation in "reality" that their lack of grounding in relevant patterns results in their being labeled as sociopaths. For the rest of us who are in the middle between those extremes, we have a relative balance between our attachment to the stability provided by acceptable patterns and our intellectual ability to learn and be inspired.
We are most comfortable when we associate with others who have the same relative balance between conservative, pattern-obsessed thought and an open-minded desire to be changed by new experiences. We group ourselves into religions, professions, and civic groups based primarily on where our balance lies. Therefore, when you are asked to speak to a group or to conduct a training session, it is vital for you to assess the average group balance between pattern obsession and intellectual capacity. Failing to do so will result in your presentation either being too intellectual and "over the head of the audience," or too basic and "talking down" to them. Your ability to have a flexible presentation style can make either make you sizzle or flop.
For simplicity's sake, consider a scale with the most pattern-obsessed people on the far right and the most intellectual on the left. Participants who are right of the middle will appreciate rules, guidelines, and have a sincere appreciation for being who they are. They are the "you're okay" and "indoctrinate me" crowd. Your presentations to this group must be clear and completely unambiguous. To provide them with the most optimum learning experience, you should focus on reframing accepted patterns rather than expecting to accept radical change. Then, if you correctly assess that your audience is more on the left side of the scale, you should focus on training that contains a lot of exercises and other tools that promote the "ah-ha" feeling resulting from self-discovery. Nevertheless, remember that all audiences have some degree of intellectual capacity and some degree of pattern-preference. So, while weighted toward one rather than the other, flexible presentations need to address both.
Our success as trainers, speakers, and even coaches predominantly relies on our ability to connect, to assess learning style and intellectual-pattern predisposition, and to use the right tools or interventions to affect a desired change. Then by recognizing that individuals and groups have inherent potential for transformation, a professional communicator can facilitate an unforgettable learning experience.
The International Hypnosis Research Institute is a member supported project involving integrative health care specialists from around the world. We provide information and educational resources to clinicians. Dr. Brunson is the author of over 150 self-help and clinical CD's and MP3's.
Posted: 01/28/2009
