Becoming the Teacher in Quarantine

Daddy, are you really going to teach math today? You’re not very good at it.”

“What? Why?” I asked.

“Well, your voice is mean and not very nice... You’re better at reading and grammar.”

Ouch. I didn’t like hearing this.

In quarantine, we’re all running a three ring circus with family, job and well…..teaching. We’re all doing our best to teach our kids at home. In the past, we’ve always leaned heavily on our academic leaders who know how to teach our kids. But even with new and colorful “Disneyesque” distance learning tools, parents and kids are shouldering that responsibility. Think how hard it must be for kids to adapt to a new way of learning in a quarantined environment.  Let’s face it. The laptop on the kitchen table only does so much. The rest is up to whatever teaching skills we can muster with the advice of the local school administrators. I wondered, “What skill sets can I obtain? What additional tools are available (aside from YouTube) that will help me become a better teacher?”

My daughter’s comments really bothered me. What did she mean by that? Here I am, a seasoned sales exec who knows how to present complicated technology concepts to senior executives. Surely, I can teach math to a six-year-old! I’ve performed hundreds of presentations over many years in a successful technology career.  But then I stopped and thought about it. I wasn’t really “teaching” my daughter. Rather, I was just “presenting” to her. There is a big difference between the two.

It was time to notch down the ego a bit and take a closer look.  

First, I must acknowledge that teaching in and of itself is hard work and takes a lot of practice.  I admit I stink at it. So my hat’s off to all the hard-working teachers, at all academic levels, doing their best, even without the corona chaos. They don’t have it easy, and neither do the children.

Now on to my point.

Teaching, as defined by Merriam Webster is “to instruct by precept, example, or experience.” In other words, to effectively communicate concepts to a group, the who, what, when, where, why and how of a specific topic, and have them be able to repeat back what they’ve learned. It’s truly a unique art based on the ability of an instructor to intuitively read the classroom and communicate effectively, i.e. to “teach.” It’s engaging and demands a response from the student body.

Contrast this to “presenting” as defined by Merriam Webster, “a descriptive or persuasive account (as by a salesman of a product)” or “something offered or given.” Quite a difference from the former definition, right? The teaching definition denotes a true interaction between the teacher and students, whereas the formal presentation denotes, well…. a sales pitch.

Many of us integrate our “style” into presenting concepts but forget the foundational aspects of teaching or engaging a client. As technology folk, we have an awful tendency to make things look more complicated than they really are with expansive power points, acronyms and wordy answers.

Is it any wonder CXO’s are so tired of sitting through “presentations” time and time again?

I rarely used power point presentations in the last 10 years of my career (I loathe them), but this was still a wakeup call for me. I was reminded of a former colleague who warned me long ago not to get caught in the rut of presenting. Rather than just pitching the technology, teach the client how technology can work for them.

So, it was back to basics for me, with some thoughts I gathered on becoming a better teacher and how this might translate to better outcomes for client meetings and presentations:

1)     Know the Faculty and Staff (Company)

Good teachers spend a lot of time getting to know each of their students personally and learning what makes them tick. Knowing the emotional and intellectual level of the student helps the teacher (and parent) formulate a good roadmap for student success. No two children are the same, so getting the whole picture is important.

Likewise, connecting with key executives intellectually and emotionally is a far more engaging than treating that person like just another client.  This method will improve the quality of answers you receive in any kind of serious dialog.  As technology consultants, we tend to over emphasize widgets and services and how they fit into the business, versus asking the CXOs questions about what would help them. What business are they really in? What is their personal win? Beyond just revenue, what objectives do they have over the next five years? The quality of answers you receive is based on the quality of the questions you ask. Start by asking them what they’d like to get out of this “class” and what they think they’ll learn from it.

2)     Know the Curriculum (Business Goals and Objectives)

Teachers are incredibly talented at setting student expectations for the whole of the academic year. They make it crystal clear what is expected for the subject matter, timeline, and final results. If your students don’t understand the forthcoming course of study, assignments and syllabus, how can any real learning occur? Goals are clearly stated and understood, as is the roadmap to achieving them. 

Likewise, we’ve all witnessed lackluster “strategic roadmap” discussions, and seen meeting agendas that list basic action items which only scratch the surface and limit any real learning engagement with senior officers. Instead, ask yourself, “Are the company’s goals, timeline, and expected results clear and understood? Do the CXO’s objectives align with the proposed roadmap? How is this quantified and do they agree completely?” Confirmation and collaboration are key to both company and client achieving the desired goals.

3)     Teach the Subject, Don’t Sell the Subject (Instruct and Engage)

Teachers use many different methods to educate their students. They speak to be remembered, using intonation and pauses, then repeat their messages. They ask for feedback at every stage of instruction to ensure engagement. They’re patient. They listen to students’ questions then adjust their message accordingly. Teachers are also very smart in their use of tools such as whiteboards, manipulatives, and instructional materials. They use them on a limited basis to illustrate a key point without leaning on them as a substitute for teaching.

Conversely, in client meetings we often take for granted that our listeners have connected the dots. This is a dangerous assumption.  We must be sure they understand what we are putting on the table.  Ask questions to get direct and immediate feedback. Show them again, three or four times if necessary, to be sure they understand the points presented. Use tools, but not as a crutch.  Be patient. It certainly took a lot of patience from my algebra teacher who I’m sure was ready to kill me at the end of the school year. Remember your goal is to have each of your clients leave the meeting with an A+ grade level understanding of the subject matter.  

4)     Practice, Practice & Practice (Powerful Communication)

The best teachers I’ve ever known practiced their lectures ad nauseum to ensure their message and delivery was perfected prior to engaging their students. Their devotion to preparation was unmatched, because keeping children focused is tough; an audience easily distracted. They practiced on their spouses, friends, co-workers and even extended family who knew little or nothing about the subject. It was a test to see if the lecture was engaging enough to keep the audience focused, and whether it was understandable enough that even a “new student” could grasp the material.

Similarly, from time to time I’d practice my technology “lectures” on my father. He was a difficult audience. Despite being a 30-year senior executive in corporate America, he hated his computer. Technology wasn’t his friend. I could always count on him to give me a “smirk” or a “BS alarm” if he didn’t understand what I was trying to say. If he didn’t “get it” I knew I had to change my approach. Could I simplify? Should I limit my use of tech jargon and acronyms? What aspects could be made clearer? Often this involved cutting out more than 60% of my original material.  We clearly should take a hint from teachers on this. We need to mimic what they do prior to lecturing their easily distracted students, because in today’s business environment, it seems the average CEO has an attention span of only about 10 minutes, almost the same as a typical student.

5)     Make the Learning Fun (Creativity)

Finally, when it comes to learning, teachers are masters at making learning fun. They know getting the attention of a child takes creativity and persistence. The use of colorful letters, animation, energy, and challenging questions complimented with praise goes a long way in getting, and keeping, kids entertained and focused on the material being presented.

So why aren’t we doing the same thing? We’ve all sat through meetings with the best of intentions, only to have the message get lost in technical details or monotony. You’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.  How do your clients feel when you walk into the room? How can you capture their attention when they’re looking at you assuming you’ll be as boring and monotonous as the last guy? What creativity and emotion can you bring to the meeting? Humor? Positivity? Energy? One of the best meeting/presentations I can remember involved a plastic Mickey Mouse finger pointer. The client loved it. Finding a way to insert creativity into presenting will help you capture the audience’s attention and ultimately make the grade.