Table of Contents

One presentation can change the world. Here’s proof.

A good presentation may have a ripple effect beyond your wildest dreams.

Obama_In_The_Rain

I honestly don’t remember what the occasion was or when he gave his speech, but I remember sitting on my couch, watching Barack Obama talk about ways that American citizens could make a contribution.

It spoke to me because I was looking for a way to make a contribution. At the time I was working for an organization dedicated to eliminating blindness, so I guess that was one small way that I was making the world a better place. I was looking for more. Something I could directly do to make a more significant contribution.

I’ve searched and searched for the exact speech so I wouldn’t misquote him, but apparently he’s given a lot of speeches. I’ll just have to paraphrase the part of his presentation that has had a ripple effect, with the enormity of the changes still to be determined. It’s a lesson that anyone who presents or trains others could borrow from.  

I remember him speaking about the sacrifices that our military and their families were making. I’ve never served in the military and I’m not part of a military family.

I was still waiting for something that spoke to me, a call to action that I could see as a personal challenge. Then it came.

“Start a business. Put people to work.”

It wasn’t necessarily risking my life for my country, but figuring out how to start a successful enterprise, producing something that would solve a problem for others, and in the process creating employment opportunities for others, that was something I could do!

I’d been kicking around an idea with a friend of mine, and now nobody less than the President of the United States was asking us to put that idea into action.

Endurance Learning has gone from idea to concept to legal entity. We’ve helped a Fortune 500 company reduce the number of slides used in their training program from 250 to 13. We’ve helped an international NGO equip health workers with more engaging presentation skills in order to help train people how to better distinguish between a plain old fever and Ebola. We’ve helped a national membership organization that probably accredits the childcare centers you send your children to, break down silos and communicate more effectively inside and outside their organization.

And today, July 10, 2017, we’ve also hired our first full time employee. When it comes to the impact that she’ll have on our vision and our work with clients – helping thousands of people do things a little bit differently, a little bit better – the sky’s the limit.

About Us

Barack Obama gave a speech that managed to speak to and inspire a variety of people in the audience, from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of skill sets.

I was one of the people who accepted the challenge. Now people across various industries are doing things a little better, a little differently. We’re giving employment opportunities that fuel both personal ambition and an economy that relies on our support through our generous tax contributions. Because of that speech and the subsequent launch of Endurance Learning, there will come a point in time when every presentation is engaging and leads to change. One speech and the world changed!

Bringing this back to lessons that presenters and training professionals can take, I have a few thoughts. Even if you don’t have the oratorical gifts and a worldwide audience like Barack Obama, there are still a few nuggets in here:

  1. Help your audience find themselves in your message. One question I like to ask people during a presentation skills training program is: Where is the first place your eyes go when you’re looking at a group photo? Your eyes naturally try to find yourself first. People want to find themselves in your message.
  2. Say it like you mean it. There are a lot of good messages out there… are you sure you need the slides and the notes in order to deliver your message? A slew of bullet points on a screen behind you can detract from the message. So can a monotonous delivery.
  3. Don’t forget the call to action. I’ve attended a lot of conferences and been entertained and captivated by a lot of keynote speakers, but it’s so rare that a keynote speaker issues any sort of challenge. I remember listening to people like Neil deGrasse Tyson and David Pogue, but I don’t remember much of what they said and I don’t believe I ever did anything as a result of their message. What should someone do with your message?

The next time you get in front of a group, are you going to be happy to just get through the session? Or are you ready to change the world?

Instructor-Led Training Resources

These are some of our favorite resources to support everyone involved with instructor-led training.

Training Delivery and Facilitation Competency Rubric

A rubric is a way to assess performance with a standard set of evaluation criteria. The next time you need to assess the performance of someone delivering training (even if that someone is you), you may find this rubric helpful.

The Role of Co-facilitators

Co-facilitators play an important role in a training workshop. The most obvious benefit is that when you co-facilitate, you get a break from leading the

18 Instructor-led Training Activities

Engaging, intentional, face-to-face and virtual instructor-led training activities can make the difference between a session that helps learners to apply new skills or knowledge and one that falls flat.

Articles Similar to One presentation can change the world. Here’s proof.

facilitator competency rubric
ILT & VILT
Brian Washburn

Training Delivery and Facilitation Competency Rubric

A rubric is a way to assess performance with a standard set of evaluation criteria. The next time you need to assess the performance of someone delivering training (even if that someone is you), you may find this rubric helpful.

instructor becomes the pupil with kassy laborie and zovig garboushian
ILT & VILT
Brian Washburn

Turning the Tables: From Trainer to Student

As people who have designed and delivered effective training, Kassy Laborie and Zovig Garboushian know a thing or two about good learning experiences. So what nuggets have they gleaned from a 9-month course that they’re both attending, and that all of us should consider when designing our own programs? Today’s podcast answers that question.

John Crook on role play
ILT & VILT
Brian Washburn

Is this the world’s most effective role play?

When it comes to your training participants, two of the dirtiest, or perhaps scariest, words you can say during a session may be: role play. In today’s podcast, John Crook, Head of Learning at Intersol Global, offers some thoughts on how to make role plays more authentic and robust.

Subscribe to Get Updates from Endurance Learning

Brian Washburn, Author

Brian Washburn
CEO & Chief Ideas Guy

Enter your information below and we’ll send you the latest updates from our blog. Thanks for following!

activities cookbook

Download the Training Activity Cookbook

Enter your email below and we’ll send you the PDF of the Endurance Learning Activity Cookbook.

Find Your L&D Career Path

Explore the range of careers to understand what role might be a good fit for your L&D career.

Enter your email below and we’ll send you the PDF of the What’s Possible in L&D Worksheet.

What's possible in L&D

Let's Talk Training!

Brian Washburn

Brian Washburn
CEO & Chief Ideas Guy

Enter your information below and we’ll get back to you soon.

Download the Feedback Lesson Plan

Enter your email below and we’ll send you the lesson plan as a PDF.

feedback lesson plan
MS Word Job Aid Template

Download the Microsoft Word Job Aid Template

Enter your email below and we’ll send you the Word version of this template.

Download the Free Lesson Plan Template!

Enter your email below and we’ll send you a Word document that you can start using today!

free lesson plan template
training materials checklist

Download the Training Materials Checklist

Enter your email below and we’ll send you the PDF of the Training Materials Checklist.

Subscribe to Endurance Learning for updates

Get regular updates from the Endurance Learning team.