Clicker in Hand

This week I had the pleasure of co-facilitating a Lead the Way – leadership session with my colleague Nikki Bartlett of Korn Ferry at Aviva in Perth.

We’ve worked together often enough now to know each other’s rhythm and facilitation style. One of us steps forward, the other steps back. We build on each other’s ideas. We throw in the occasional spontaneous activity. We tease each other, laugh together, and all the while participants join in.

There was one constant from Monday to Wednesday.

The wireless presentation clicker.

The clicker moved between us throughout the day. My turn. Your turn. Step forward. Step back.

And in many ways, so did the learning.

In our facilitation world, the clicker is more than a tool. It’s a signal. Whoever holds it is guiding that stretch of the learning. It might be 30 minutes, or even an hour or two.

However, there was just one small issue…

Each of us must have misplaced it at least ten times – old age I hear you say!

It vanished onto tables. Slipped behind laptops. Hid on chairs. At one point, I’m fairly sure it developed legs. By Tuesday afternoon, we were casually asking the room during every pause, “Has anyone seen the clicker?”

It became our unofficial catchphrase!

And yet, somewhere between losing it for the sixth time and the tenth, something struck me.

The clicker kept moving between us all week.

But the learning moved even more.

It moved from us to the participants.

From one table to another.

From a question in the room to a story at the back.

And often, right back to us again.

And the funny thing is, every time the clicker disappeared, the learning didn’t stop.

The conversation carried on, the thinking deepened and the energy stayed in the room.

Which is a good reminder for those of us who work in learning and development.

Slides, models or tools don’t create learning and the clicker definitely doesn’t.

It is curiosity, dialogue and shared ownership that does.

The clicker changed hands all week.

But the real learning in the room wasn’t driven by a button, it was driven by each participant.

So, what moves learning for you?