As legal leaders have increasingly come to realize in recent years, we now operate in a working world of constant uncertainty and disruption. Moreover, noting that attention spans continue to shrink even as the pace of change continues to accelerate, time is becoming harder to come by, and we're all being asked to absorb more information faster than ever. Throw in a constant influx of unexpected events and market hiccups, and it's enough to leave anyone's head-spinning—and that's before you consider that we're all increasingly being asked to get up to speed on new technologies and business trends in record time. 

As a futurist and keynote speaker who's worked with over 1,000 brands to help make complex concepts more understandable and approachable though, I'm often asked to help educate audiences in a minimum of time. Bearing this in mind, it's become increasingly clear to me that the same principles of learning that we presenters use on-stage can be applied to help fast-track other forms of learning—and improve the way we teach, train, and communicate with working professionals about emerging business topics and technologies of all stripes. In effect, as I explain in new book "Fun at Work," just by making a few tweaks to how you present learning materials and educational content, you can make future trends, new innovations, and business concepts simpler for audiences of all backgrounds and skill levels to comprehend.

Speaking of: As legal departments and firms the world over are quickly discovering, meeting and event formats are one of the first, and most obvious places to turn for reinvention. Following, you'll find many ways to mix up typical content and programming formats that can help you better connect with and engage audiences—and facilitate more rapid learning and retention. Weave any of the following activities, programs, and exercises into your next get-together, and don't be surprised when audiences appear more awake, more attentive, and more apt to walk away equipped with the tools they need to better adapt to change and disruption.