The Extensionists

Are you dismissing your own role in the communication equation?

In the season finale of The Extensionists, Rachelle Brockman, principal at Eureka Experience, shares a powerful realization about personal accountability in leadership communication.

Rather than placing the entire burden of a poor interaction on the other person, she breaks down the "A + B = C" communication equation where "A" is yourself and "B" is the other person. While you can’t control how others respond, you can influence the outcome by focusing on the only variable you truly control: yourself.

By improving your own communication skills, you can "risk manage" difficult conversations and actively work toward better results.

"The real area that could be influenced or the variable that could be influenced was me,” admitted Rachelle in the episode. “And when I worked on that, I realized, holy smokes, I just impacted the outcome."

Tune in to learn how to master the "A + B = C" equation to stop blaming others and start influencing every conversation you have.

https://youtu.be/5YdOhglv_Lw

Are you looking for ways to give your learners more autonomy and ensure your content hits the mark every time?

This week on The Extensionists podcast, we are joined by Jane Mangold, a professor and extension specialist at Montana State University, and Nicole Fleming, director of the TBR Community. They joined the show to discuss Training from the Back of the Room and how to create more learner-centric environments.

One approach that Jane has incorporated into her teaching is "dot voting." By having participants vote on the specific topics they want to hear about most, she ensures the most relevant material is covered within their limited time together.

During the episode, Jane explains the value of giving learners a voice in what gets covered in the session: "I put those species pairs on a flip chart and then everybody gets to come up and vote for the two pairs that they want to hear about most."

Tune in to the full episode to learn how to step out of the spotlight, shift your training style, and create more engaging, learner-centred experiences for your audience.

https://youtu.be/8IOGlKRWllg

Do you ever find that the pressure of being the "expert" at the front of the room holds you back from leading training sessions?

In this episode of The Extensionists, Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter explore the "Training from the Back of the Room" (TBR) model with guests Nicole Fleming, director of TBR Community and Jane Mangold, a professor and extension specialist at Montana State University.

By moving away from a lecture-based style and acting as a "guide from the side," learners are empowered to recognize the valuable knowledge they already bring to the experience. Creating a space where participants can share their expertise with one another not only makes training more effective but also makes it far more approachable for those who prefer to step out of the spotlight.

"Our goal is to make sure that our learners know that they are the experts," explains Nicole in the episode.

Tune in to learn how to step out of the spotlight and improve your training impact!

https://youtu.be/8IOGlKRWllg

Are you waiting for inspiration to strike before you start your next big project?

This week on The Extensionists, Dean Jenkinson joins us to discuss how to overcome the hurdle of being too "precious" about your ideas. He shares how his shift from waiting for the perfect moment changed to simply sitting down and putting words on the page.

By letting go of the need for perfection, he found he could consistently produce new material and pivot quickly when ideas didn't land.

Dean shares a quote from Roger Ebert on the episode that has stayed with him: "Inspiration strikes while you're doing the work."

Listen to learn more!

https://youtu.be/bPobygVMWxw

Have you ever felt emotionally hijacked during a difficult conversation, causing the entire discussion to derail?

In the latest episode of The Extensionists podcast, Patti Durand, author and facilitator with Brightrack Consulting, joins hosts Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter to discuss why recognizing moments of anger, fear, or frustration is the critical first step toward a productive outcome.

Patti explains that nothing fruitful comes from a conversation while in this state. She shares how inserting an intentional pause—anywhere from 20 minutes to 24 hours—allows our systems to deescalate and process emotions so we can return to the topic with care and clarity.

"If we can insert the pause so that we can de-escalate, calm down our systems so that we can have a reasonable conversation,” shares Patti in the episode. “It’s time out and circle back."

Thank you to our episode sponsor, Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers.

Listen to learn more!

https://youtu.be/V85i7OuiC0I

How do you navigate the complex intersection where family dynamics meet farm operations?

In today’s episode of The Extensionists, Patti Durand, author and facilitator with Brightrack Consulting, joins Toban Dyck and Jay Whetter to discuss why family farm transitions become so sticky when personal histories collide with business.

Even with professional communication training, it’s difficult to undo the tracks laid down by family history or manage the inherent biases that come from having skin in the game.

“That intersection of family and business gets complicated and sticky,” Patti notes in the episode. "Our family knows how to push our buttons because they installed them."

Thank you to our episode sponsor, Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers.

Listen to learn more!

https://youtu.be/V85i7OuiC0I