Most safety professionals have either presented or observed the infamous "Stretch & Flex" talk. While preparing yourself to dazzle the crowd with your well prepared and educational training, a few participants walk confidential to the front row. Each of these individuals are smiling, in observably good physical condition and engage you with positive comments such as "looking forward to hearing how you can help me in the gym" or "do we get lunch during this talk"? For the remainder of the majority, as the participants stroll into the room, murmurs of "I don't need to stretch", "can't wait till this is over", "they can't make me do this" or "what a waste of time" can be heard. This group tends to look forward to what their lively comments will add to the presentations and precede to not only sit in the last row, but to move the chairs as fair away from the front of the room as physically possible. A few will talk amongst themselves, read a paper or simply pull their highly tinted safety glasses down over their eyes to try to catch a few minutes of rest, relaxation and reading the backs of their eyelids. So, what do you do? Present the information as quickly as possible, handing out any literature there is and say thanks for coming.
As a presenter, this is not an easy task and may not be one most safety professionals look forward to. But when presenting to a group, what are the keys to engagement and adherence to the material presented – two simple principles.
Remember this simple phrase "No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care"? Theodore Roosevelt
People will participate in health initiatives only when they understand what it will do for them.
In this discussion, you will be provided the tools, knowledge and understanding of the principles needed to not only present information, but to drive the message home to your audience, that the human body is the most complex and amazing machine on the planet and that physical conditioning is the key to making it perform at its highest levels, with the least amount of discomfort and for the longest time possible.
