From Sonoma: PREP

I finished the Leadership Challenge Workshop Advanced Facilitator Training today. It was a great experience.

Sharing energy and ideas in a room full of professional facilitators is a remarkable thing. As a group, everyone was open, curious, and authentic. 

How often can you say that about a room of 20 or so human beings? Seriously... two days of laughs, debates, hugs, bawdy language, and - oh by the way - deep learning.

Two of the participants in this session were instructors in my previous session. How is that for modeling humility and curiosity?
Kudos to Sonoma Learning Systems for the great event.

I've worked with KT for 20 years, so I haven't seen much of the outside corporate world. Sometimes, I'm surprised what I learn when I step out.
Today was a case in point. We had an 'under the gun' Q&A test as part of the event.
A facilitator stands up, and the master facilitator asks a mystery question. The facilitator gets 5 minutes to answer.

In our corporate learning group, we use a tool called 'PREP' to answer impromptu questions. I used it today and it went well, so I shared it.

PREP simply stands for

P - My Position is...
R - The Reason is...
E - Let me give you an example...
P - So, in closing, my Position is...

The first and last lines leverage two concepts.
1) clarity - tell them exactly what your position is. Don't make them search for it
2) primacy/recency - people remember the first and last things you say, so make them the same thing

Next, give a broad theoretical reason. Don't bog down in details. Give a framework that the brain can hold on to.
Then, deliver an example that fits your framework. The brain is so ready for your example now, that it goes down like lemonade on a hot summer day.
By the time you return to your position, you've got them hooked. PREP is literally, cognitive candy. It gives the brain what it wants.

Here's a live example to the question "What's the best tool I've ever learned?"

My position is that PREP is the best tool I've ever learned.
The reason I say that is because it's good for the user, good for the audience, and can be used in many settings.
Let me give you examples. PREP is good for the user because it provides a framework for answering. With a framework in place, the user can focus on content.
PREP is also good for the audience, as it provides signpost phrases that 'remove the heavy lifting' for the audience.
Finally, PREP can be used in many settings, like speeches, casual conversation, meetings, and written responses.
Again, my position is that PREP is the best tool I've ever learned.

Try it and let me know how it works.