"I do!" Do you?

Photo by Tom Langford https://weddingsbytom.co.uk/

I recently had the privilege of conducting my best friend's wedding renewal. It was the most wonderful day, with every detail having been lovingly arranged by the bride and her maid of honour.  To say I felt a sense of pressure (only set by myself) to get things right, was an understatement, but one I was up to the challenge of, and looking forward to.

The ceremony itself went very well.  The two other speakers did a wonderful job at bringing humour and emotion to the celebration, and minus a few misplaced words, from me, such as telling people to get ready for a 'grope' photo, rather than a 'group' photo, and instructing the guests to make their way to the 'gangplank', rather than the gangway, (we were on the HMS Warrior,) all went quite smoothly.
 
Afterwards, I reminded myself of the much-used quote from Maya Angelou -
 
'At the end of the day people won't remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.'
 
Often people mistake this to mean that the words aren't important!  But if the right words aren't used in the right way, at the right time, you cannot create the right feelings, therefore it won’t be memorable.
 
I had such wonderful comments from the congregation saying how nice the ceremony was, and even suggesting I take it up for a living!  But at the end of the day no-one will remember the words I spoke, but they will remember they smiled.  No-one will remember the sideways glances and gestures I made to emphasise certain points, but they will remember they laughed. No-one will know (until now!) that I rehearsed all of this in front of my dog and goldfish, many times, before the big day, but they will remember it all went without a hitch.
 
When speaking to people who want to get into training, we often talk about the importance of creating the right environment and the right feeling. Whilst some may see this as 'pink and fluffy' training nonsense, I see it as the first step in creating learning that captures curiosity, sparks questions, and encourages continued learning long after our interactions as Trainers has ceased. Put simply, if someone feels good about something, they remember it better.
 
So, here’s a thought… rather than focus on JUST the words, JUST the body language, OR JUST the content, let's focus on how we want learners to feel... and then work our way back from there.
 
If you are looking to, (or know someone who wants to,) get into training and are curious about where to start, why not get 'on board' (Sorry couldn’t resist) and let's chat.