Want More Engagement in Your Training? Invite a Special Guest

Bringing in a guest speaker can instantly elevate attention, engagement, and credibility in your training sessions.

In the leadership development program that I run for the city, we have nine modules, ranging from Emotional intelligence to strategic thinking.

After every course, I look through the evaluations and get a chance to speak with many of the leaders who took the course. Through this, I learned that one of the most well-received courses we had offered last year was Political Acumen.

Based on the feedback, a major reason for this was that the learners truly appreciated the involvement of a special guest at the session - a city councillor.

Their involvement brought a high-level, in-the-trenches perspective to the session.

This reinforced the importance of bringing in guest speakers and panels to expand and enrich the conversation.

The next time you’re designing a workshop, bring in someone your learners normally wouldn’t get access to or cross paths with. It doesn’t have to be in person — use Zoom or Teams.

As a learning experience facilitator, it's a powerful tool in our toolbox to ensure learners and organizations get the most out of their time invested in training and receive something that they can't just Google. And in today's age, with video conferencing technology, it's easier than ever.