Always Learning Something

As you enter the room, those already there watch you; they learn something about your professionalism, your openness, your style, your desire to be there, your energy.

As you scan the room before making your opening comments, they soak up knowledge about you; they learn your agreeableness, your enthusiasm, your hesitation.

With every word, with its intonations and inflections, with the comments you make, with the notes you put on the board and the far-off or engaged look when others are speaking, with the slight nod or slight frown as someone interrupts you to ask a question–there is no time when they are not learning.

This is probably the key underlying truth that drives all our other understandings, and all my other rules and tips, about teaching and training.  They are always learning something.  They may not–perhaps they are often not–learning “the material” or “today’s…