Using a Totem to Ensure Effective Training Delivery

I had the opportunity to grow up in the United States. It was during this time that I first encountered a totem pole. Ever since then, I always had a thing for totems.

So when Christopher Nolan introduced the concept of using a totem to help differentiate between the dream world and reality in the movie "Inception", which also happens to be one of my favourites, I took inspiration from it to apply in my training room.

No, I don't have an emblem or an idol that I use in my training room. But I do take the notion of using a "totem" to help me as a trainer to be more grounded - a reality check, if you may, so that I don't get too carried away when conducting a training session.

At the beginning of each training session, I have this personal ritual of scanning my participants and selecting what I refer to as a "totem" amongst them.

Of course I don't announce it out loud. I just pick one as a gauge to indicate how well I connect with my audience. Usually I take the one that "intimidates" me the most. It can be merely because of theirphysical appearance, age, experience or a combination of many criteria.

Throughout my training, I would observe how my secret "totem" would react.

• Does he or she response to my delivery style?
• Does he or she remains engaged?
• Was I able to trigger an "a-ha moment" for him or her?
• Was he or she happy with the outcome of the session?

These are some pulse check questions that I use. To me, if I get to make the session worthwhile for my "totem", then I would have made the session useful for all the participants in general.

#theIdeaSensei #TrainTheTrainer