Flow is described by psychologists as a state of mind when a person performs an activity where they feel energized, involved and happy. I heard a sports announcer refer to flow as when a basketball player hits every shot because the goal appears as big as the ocean. In the words of this broadcaster, “she must be butter because she is on a roll.”

Flow for me as a trainer is where the hours of research, practice and preparation come together. It is what the folks at Zenger Folkman, a leadership development organization describe as the sweet spot of empowerment and connection. Where your competence and passion intersect perfectly with what your workplace needs from you as a trainer.
 
In my experience, flow starts way before I deliver the presentation. It begins with a fascinating topic with a great title and description. It continues with great content, buttressed by vibrant, colorful data and information connected by a common theme and delivered flawlessly.
 
Some folks find their flow by rehearsing their trainings to others or in front of a mirror. These are all useful tools for facilitators who want to leave no stone unturned when the lights come on and curtains are pulled.
 
These kinds of rote exercises have never worked for me. I tend to find flow as a trainer by being in constant state of mind as I practice my delivery in my head. People of faith have described their prayer routines as being in a constant state of prayer. I tend to stay in a constant state of awareness about my upcoming tasks as a trainer.
 
I find this flow in the simplest of everyday activities. I may be watching television and see something that would be helpful to my presentation. I jot it down as a mental note. I may be jogging and to kill the boredom, will churn over in my mind the major points I want to make in an upcoming training. A family member may say something to me and I will associate their words to my training objectives.
 
My training style is steeped in story recognition of average, mundane and run of the mill experiences that our adult learners have as well. By walking in their shoes, my job as a trainer gets a little easier as I take a complex subject like diversity and inclusion and make it read like a newspaper for folks at an eight-grade reading level.
 
By being immersed in training readiness at a grassroots level, I am better able to get into the hearts and mind of my training participants. I lose myself in their challenges, dreams and aspirations for diversity and inclusion. I lead from behind my ordinary customers and not in front of them for at the end of day, I want them to do extraordinary things.
 
I sometimes ask myself the question, “What would I be like if I had to train myself.”