I am the newly hired Director of Training and Development for a Pharmacy Mangement and Consulting Company. I will be buidling the T &D Dept. from the ground up.

Later this month, I will be introduced at a set of regional meetings for the first time. This is my opportunity to make a first impression on my future target audience. I will have about a 1/2 hour to introduce myself and what I hope to bring to the organizaiton and to each of them.

I would like to have the group (10-15 people)get involved in some type of activity that introduces them to WLP. This concept is new to many of them. Any ideas would be appreciated.

If you only have a half hour for your presentation, you really don't have the time for an activity that would be very meaningful - especially for a professional audience (which I am guessing yours would be). Workplace learning is not a difficult concept for the average person to understand. I would think that an activity, unless it is very exceptionally clever - and SHORT, would turn them off to the whole thing. It would probably give them the impression that training is nothing more than nonsense-type games that they don't have time for (and that is already the perception of most professionals). Since your title is "Director" they will be expecting more "meat" to what you have to say - not activities to entertain them or an activity to explain something they already know. Tell them specifically what you intend to do as Director of Training and Development and how you intend to do it - 1/2 hour is really not much time.

Establish a training website with all the bells and necessary make sure all the participants receive it, follow up individually ask for suggestions , then at meeting report how you are following up on their suggestions.

Nero