I was lucky enough a week ago to see the comedian Adam Hills perform. What does Adam Hills have to do with learning? Well, after laughing alot on the night, the next morning I started thinking of at least 2 lessons from Adam Hills' performance that were important for learning professionals. Firstly, and probably the most obvious, was his use of stories, he is a brilliant story teller. All the way through a joke he is drawing the audience along with his story until he delivers the ending, nearly always unexpected (if you haven't ready earlier posts on Surprise, look back, here and here). Just listen to a few of his stories and you can learn how he structures and paces his stories for maximum effect.
Here is a youtube clip that shows his story-telling skills!
Finally he finished with another story, a serious one about a friend who had died. It was serious but also explained how he saw his role as a comedian, he is an inflater. What is an inflater? An inflater is a person who makes those around them stand up a little straighter, taller, cheerier, happier.
This is my second lesson from the night. Whilst learning professionals don't have to be comedians to be effective, they must still aim to leave learners inflated - more confident, more skilled, standing taller. ready to try new approaches, to take risks.