We’ve all been there—sitting in a training, camera on, pretending to listen while our mind starts to wander. Maybe you’re checking email “real quick” or suddenly remembering a task you forgot to do. It’s not that the topic isn’t useful; it’s that the trainer’s been talking for too long. Monotone voice. Dense slides. Zero pauses.
Now flip that: how often might our own participants feel that same drift during our sessions?
I’ve seen it happen—eyes drop to laptops, someone glances at their phone, or I notice a few polite nods that say, “I’m still here, but not really.” And right on cue, the insecurities creep in. Am I boring? Did I misread the energy? Should I have designed this differently? It’s that split second of doubt every trainer knows—the one where you wonder if you’ve already lost them.
In those moments, I’ve learned not to double down on content, but to pause. To stop talking. To let learners do the thinking instead of me. And every single time, that pause has brought the room back to life.
That’s the heartbeat of the 10:2 rule—ten minutes of content, followed by two minutes of reflection or discussion. Simple, but transformative.
The Shift: From Talking to Thinking
The 10:2 rule isn’t just a pacing trick—it’s a mindset shift.
Trainers often worry they won’t have “enough time” to cover everything. But here’s the truth: talking longer doesn’t equal learning more. Learning happens when people process, not when they’re being told.
The 10:2 rule honors that. It’s built on the science of attention spans and the principles behind models like 70-20-10—where the majority of learning happens through experience and reflection. The brain needs time to connect new information to what it already knows. When we skip the pause, we skip the learning.
I once heard another Master Trainer say, “To tell insults the learner’s intelligence. To ask honors it.” That line stuck with me because whenever we slip into “teach mode,” we rob participants of the thinking work—the part that actually creates learning.
When we pause to ask instead of tell, we invite learners to wrestle with the content, make it their own, and—bonus—keep their brains awake.
The Tool: Using the 10:2 Rule in Real Sessions
Let’s make this practical. Here’s how I apply the 10:2 rule whether I’m leading a live workshop or a virtual session.
1.
Watch the Energy, Not the Clock
I don’t actually set a timer for every ten minutes. Instead, I stay attuned to energy and body language. If I notice people looking down or disengaging, that’s my cue. I’ll pivot to a question like:
- “How have you seen this show up in your world?”
- “What makes this challenging in your role?”
- “How could you apply this on your team next week?”
The shift is immediate. Learners lift their heads, talk to each other, and the content becomes personal.
2.
Use Pairs or Trios for Quick Processing
If a whole-group discussion starts to drag or energy dips, I’ll say, “Turn to someone near you (or hop into groups of three) and discuss how this concept shows up in your work.” The change in voices re-engages the room. It also lets quieter participants contribute without the pressure of speaking to everyone.
In virtual settings, I do the same with chat or breakout rooms. I might prompt, “Drop one example in chat of where you’ve seen this at work,” then call on someone by name—giving a heads-up first:
“Mary, I’ll come to you in a second—what’s your perspective on this?”
That little setup signals psychological safety and keeps everyone leaning in.
3.
Build the Pause Into the Design
The 10:2 rule doesn’t add time—it reallocates it. Instead of cramming in more slides, plan for learners to co-create the insights.
There’s an old Chinese proverb that says, “Ideas are like children—there are none so wonderful as your own.” When participants create the idea through discussion rather than being told, they own it. And ownership drives application.
The result? Noticeably higher energy, deeper insights, and learners who return to the next session reporting how they actually used what they learned.
Try It: Pause for Learning
In your next session, challenge yourself to stop talking every ten minutes. Give your learners space to process, question, or apply what they just heard. Watch what happens to the room—energy rises, engagement sticks, and you’ll see learning start to take shape in real time.
You don’t need more slides—you need more silence.
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