The Callback Technique in Transformative Courses

Comedians often use a very effective technique called a callback.  A callback is a joke referring back to a previous joke in a set.  This is a great tool for developing courses in which the objective is not to teach a skill but to influence attitudes, critical thinking, making judgements, building culture, developing leadership skills, etc. 

You begin by laying the foundation of what you want to communicate.  Sometimes this is covert:  provide definitions without the exact term, give some stories, show some videos, give some examples, do exercises, etc.  During the debrief of each you make sure to emphasis the key one or two points.  Each conversation weaves in another layer of ideas.  By the end of the course most of the participants come to the conclusion on their own, the teachers just iron out the wrinkles by referring back to the key points built along the way.  This approach is not really “training” it is facilitating learning and growth.  It allows each person to process various ideas in their own way which makes it meaningful (and actionable) at a personal level.   

To use this technique you need to establish a main outline and then build each branch knowing how you want it all to connect in the end.  Another way of thinking about it is like jumping over every other thing on the way out and then returning to the starting point by jumping back in the spots you initially hoped over.

As you fill-in each gap, you will see moments where people are inspired, you will witness water-shed moments, you will see a light shine in people’s eyes as they have an epiphany.  When it works it feels like magic.  It is these moments that make me love facilitating leadership development live and in-person.