Pivot - Earned, Purposeful, Designed Surprises in Training
by
Bruce Bullock
Copyright 2012 Bruce Bullock,
All rights reserved.
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-0782-1
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
In Pivot, Bruce Bullock, author, has developed a professional approach to training focused on the learner. The method promises to provide an unexpected, pleasant and memorable experience for the recipient of this training method. Bruce uses techniques based on his own experiences, theories, and proven methods from credible sources to deliver his message. The author makes the book an easy read by giving a short preview of what is to follow at the start of each chapter. Like any great presenter, at the end of each chapter, he briefly tells you what he told you before. The author makes it clear that in order to pivot, trainers must first master the basic foundation of any training course.
Koreen Simon, Personal Growth Advocate and Author, Thrive Like a Dandelion: A Self-empowerment Journey of Fifty-two Steps
The stories were fantastic! … Brings the reader in direct contact with a "pivotal" moment.
Dudley Campbell, CTDP
… brings you back to the basics of training that you tend to forget and it reminds you to provide that Pivot for the learners. The Pivot will allow the participants to recall the information that was taught to them with ease.
Pivoting enables this victory. You are a trainer playing to win – both for yourself and, more importantly, your participants. As a trainer, you are judged by the success of your participants and this book will help your learners become successful.
Hanson Ng, Instructional Design and Facilitator
Pivot provides insight from brilliant minds to practical applications. Creating your own Treasure Island in your landscape will help with both business and personal exercises. It reminds us that empathy and compassion drives individuals and creates for a powerful pivot.
Philip Marques, Manager
…applies to so much more [than training] – sales customer experience as well…
Annette Green, Sales Manager
Introduction
When you first learn that someone you love passes away, what goes through your mind? On October 21, 2010, my father succumbed. My thoughts of his suffering changed to memories of wonderful stories. None were as vivid as Treasure Island in 1969.
Treasure Island was a dilapidated, run-down playground with a pirate motif. Rusted pictures of men with eye patches and swords adorned the yard. There was a slide, some swings, and a teeter-totter.
However, the experience became more wonderful when my dad said, “This place is called Treasure Island so you kids should be looking on the ground for money.” Within ten seconds, my sister Kim screamed, “I found a quarter!” This switched on my “prospector” instinct and, sure enough, I too found money. Nickels, dimes, and quarters littered the grass where we walked. When all the excitement died down, Kim and I had picked up a nifty $4.55.
I’m sure you figured out that my dad – in “cahoots” with our wonderful mother – was dropping the coins; however, we were enchanted. Three years later, I was still trying to figure out how so much money could be strewn around the park. Why was it not the most popular park on Earth? Finally, my dad had to confess when he heard me telling the other children on our street to coax their parents to take them to Treasure Island so they could make some “easy money.”
In changing a rusty old playground into a land that “grew” money, my dad executed what I call a powerful pivot. In my fourteen years as a corporate trainer, I have discovered that the best training experiences – in terms of results and enjoyment – come from executing pivots similar to what my father did at Treasure Island. Upon reading this book, you will discover the origin of the pivot process, why trainers need to pivot, and how to make powerful pivots.
Chapter 1 – Pivot?
Pivot began as a 5 – 7 minute speech I presented for Toastmasters International. The challenge was to present the concept with words and not images. Writing this booklet has made me grateful that I can now use “1000 words” to show below the model that influenced Pivot.
Professor Noriaki Kano1 graphed customer experiences. The relationship between the Basic (Line 1) and Delighter (Line 2) Experiences particularly caught my attention. At first, I thought they were reflections of each other but, upon looking closer, I noticed they could be spun or pivoted so that Basic Experiences could become Delighter Experiences. In other words, you could turn an old playground into a real Treasure Island.
Basic and Delighter Experiences
Upon looking at the Basic and Delighter Experiences for the first time, I thought about going to the bathroom. I remembered a time when I drank too much Diet Coke in a Toronto library. “Nature’s call” was inevitable. I walked like an Olympic race walker to the men’s room only to find that it was “out of order.” What frustration! I had to leave the library and run to the nearest shopping mall. Working bathrooms, to me, nicely illustrate the Basic Customer Experience. The absence or lack of presence (negative “x” values) of non-working toilets angered me (negative “y” values) but I’ve never been excited or delighted (positive “y” values) to find a working bathroom (positive “x” values). Look at Line 1 on the diagram; the Basic Customer Experience never goes into high satisfaction even if the attribute is present or functioning.
Contrast this with the bathroom experience I had at Toronto’s Real Sports Bar. My favourite National Football League team – the Pittsburgh Steelers – were driving toward a touchdown but I wasn’t going to be able to hold my beer due to all the endless timeouts. I was going to miss out on the big play; however, upon entering the bathroom, I noticed that there were flat screen televisions in the bathroom. I never missed a thing and, yes, the Steelers did score. This is the Delighter Relationship. I wouldn’t have been upset (negative “y” values) if there were no televisions in the bathroom (negative “x” values) because I didn’t even expect them; however, their presence (positive “x” values) delighted me (positive “y” values). This is shown by Line 2 on the diagram. There is no opportunity for dissatisfaction but, in continuing to add surprise, the delighter factor is not limited.
The objective of Pivot – as exemplified by using bathrooms in both examples – is to look for ways to convert Basic Experiences into Delighter Experiences.
Two Truths
There are two important truths:
1.It’s important to consider “basic” in its most complimentary form. Think “essential” instead of “rudimentary.” The bathroom televisions would be useless if the toilets were plugged up and out of order. This is why we have to earn the right – by mastering basics – before attempting to pivot. It’s ironic that the provider, not the recipient, must earn the pivot. Principle 1 – Pivots must be earned.
2.In time, Delighter Experiences will become Basic Experiences. I think that, even now, my bathroom television example is losing its luster. It’s no longer unexpected by many sports bar patrons.