WorkSMART Blog

We’re often asked if these creative, brain-based learning techniques work. We think using brain science in training works, but try it yourself. Complete this brain science worksheet, then see how many of the 6 brain-science principles you remember. Brain research focusing on learning and memory continues to deepen. The research is so voluminous now that we’ve synthesized the key findings and assembled dozens of ideas to help make your training more innovative, effective, and fun. GREATER ENGAGEMENT = DEEPER LEARNING The more areas of the brain you involve in learning, the more memorable it becomes. To engage more senses, think of TAMMIE… Touch – activate learners’ tactile sense with fidget toys and writing. Aromas – scents and smells can keep participants engaged and alert. Plus, they’ll trigger memories down the road. Movement – incorporate physical movement of any kind. Walking at least 10 paces sends 15% more oxygen to the brain after 1 minute. Music – not only is music engaging and memorable, but it can act as a memory trigger. Images – utilize all sorts of visual images from photos, icons, and pictures, to illustrations and drawings. Emotions – stories, competitive games, and strong feelings will help participants stay focused and remember what they experienced. BETTER FOCUS = MORE KNOWLEDGE Anyone who has sat through a presentation recently knows it’s hard to stay focused for more than 10-20 mins. To improve focus, try these tips: Keep it short. Break 40-minute segments into two 20-minute sessions. Change-it-up. Alter teaching methods frequently. Add an activity, game, group challenge, or pair-and-share. Go off-topic for quick asides. Doodle. Besides the fact that doodling requires movement, it can also enhance memory. Take a hike. To increase blood flow, have learners stand up to discuss questions. Or, ask them to write an answer on their own, then stand and walk at least 10 paces to find a discussion partner. Shush! Avoid lectures. Let class participants do the talking and teaching. Pause. Give learners time to consider new information and store it along with something they already know. Practice. Increase the amount of time and ways in which students engage with the material. MEMORY HACKS = LONGER RETENTION Unless we work really hard at remembering something through focus, practice, and repetition, we’re likely to forget as quickly as one-day or even-one hour after learning it. Heck, haven’t we all forgotten people’s names within moments of learning them? Brain science in training memory hacks work because they make us focus on new information, process it, then consciously store it in our brains. To supercharge your group’s memory, have them try on these creative personas: Pen Pal: Writing is a kinesthetic activity that helps us remember. Ask learners to “write this down,” use worksheets, or highlight key learning points. Drama Queen: Have participants create and share a story that dramatizes a key learning point. Whiz Kid: Create a mnemonic where each letter stands for a key concept, like TAMMIE on page 32 or “every good boy does fine” (to remember musical notes E, G, B, D, F). Songwriter: Challenge groups to make up a jingle to jog their memory. Artist: Draw an icon or choose a striking visual image that represents a key point. GOOD HORMONES = BETTER BRAIN ACTIVITY My 9th-grade biology teacher said “if you don’t know an answer, guess “hormones.” Hormones is the right answer here too. Simply, endorphins are the hormones that promote feelings of euphoria and stimulate our frontal lobes (the part of our brain responsible for learning). Cortisol is the hormone that inhibits memory and attention. It is released into our bloodstream when we’re under stress. To Enhance Endorphins: Inspire laughter with jokes or silliness. Laughter reduces at least four o neuroendocrine hormones, including cortisol. Create Warm Welcomes: Make learners feel welcome. Say hello to participants by name. Praise effort, not success: Make everyone feel capable and respected. Say their names: Address participants personally. Refer to previous contributors to show you value their input. To Crush Cortisol: Work in teams. Minimize stress by having participants work together. Don’t put individuals on the spot. Celebrate mistakes. If people think mistakes will yield judgment or criticism, they’ll withdraw and resist making mistakes. With two dozen tips to apply brain science in training, we challenge you to try just a few.

Training closers can be make-it or break-it experiences. I asked my LinkedIN crew for their suggestions on the best ways to close a learning event for maximum impact and retention. As always, the group came through, sharing their favorite training closers for getting closure at the end of a training day. Use it or Lose it! “I tell the delegates that, despite good intentions, most training is wasted. When they get back to work, they will be overwhelmed by day-to-day demands and will stop thinking about what they learned. Only if they use something from the course in the next 2 days will it become part of what they do. So, I ask each person to think about what work is awaiting them and choose one thing they will do differently at once because of the course. Then I go round and everyone gives their action.” ~ Pamela Hunt “I ask my participants to list three things that they’ll do going forward. Then, I ask that they share their list with their manager and one other person so that they are held accountable. This training closer is simple but effective.” ~ Michelle Johnson. “I like to engage the audience in training to enable not just understanding but applying in the real world! One tip I found was to ask them to review the key points in 24-48 hrs based on the OBJECTIVES of class = learner retention. Second, if there are ACTIONS they can do as ‘follow up’, that’s powerful. Thirdly, if there are former attendees who have been ‘to the field’, I encourage them to connect with them.” ~ Siva Navaratnam Training Closers for Next-Day Prep I close each day and begin the next one by assigning “homework” to review the skills they’ve learned from the agenda that day and think of a way to apply one or more in their current workflow/projects. Then, we begin the next class by having folks share their use cases to hopefully inspire others to connect the dots in new ways.~ Candice Belandres I ask my groups to review their handwritten notes and highlighted handouts for key learning points. Then I do a round-robin, asking each individual to share a key learning point. ~Chris Reavley Every little bit helps… The Starfish Story: “When training customer service or soft skills, I like to end with the starfish story. I typically play a video that I found on YouTube that tells a story. Briefly… A man walks up to a boy throwing starfish back into the ocean as the tide is ebbing. The man tells the boy that there are millions of starfish and his actions won’t help. The boy tosses another and says, it will help that one.’ Explain to your group that they may not be able to help every person in the world, but they can help the one standing in front of them if they put the correct effort into it.” ~ Michelle Johnson Scott’s Moose Story – a metaphor for teamwork, persistence, and continuous improvement: Scott Simmerman has used this for 30+ years, to wrap up sessions and focus on the need for incremental progress. Scott generously shares his slideshare. Here’s a synopsis: Show a slide of key learning points. Ask “Is what we did today a lot like hunting moose…?” Expect confusion, and explain: “a moose … a large horselike animal with antlers.” As expected and intended, they’ll still be puzzled. Tell the story: 3 hunters return to Alaska to hunt moose at the same lake they visited last year. Their pilot flies them in using a float plane and says he’ll return in 3 days. The men have a wonderful, successful hunt. When the pilot returns, the hunters load a moose onto the pontoons. When the pilot says, “Let’s go!” the hunters reply, “not yet, we have two more moose!” After some argument, the pilot relents and they load the other two moose onto the pontoons. When they’re all loaded up, the pilot taxis down the lake, revs the motor, and takes off, moving faster and faster into the air. . Suddenly, the pontoons hit the top of the trees, causing the hunters and gear to go flying. They call out to each to make sure everyone’s okay… After a few minutes, one asks: hey, where are we? They look around and say “looks like we’re about 50 feet farther than last year!” Ask again: how our learning is like hunting moose and hopefully they will see the point. The moral: learning isn’t about final success, but growth, improvement, and incremental progress. Relate it to the real world: how can an improvement of “50 feet” help them and the organization? Group-Write Training Closers Posters: “Set up 3 large, empty poster boards and label them: THINGS I KNOW, THINGS I LEARNED, and THINGS I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT. I ask each person in the class to write on each poster. Then, we all take a step back to see what the class as a whole can take away or learn more about.” ~ Candace Belandres Whiteboard: Ask them all to jot down keywords ( leanings) or draw on a whiteboard if available and then click a selfie to share with all. ~ Kunal Shrivastava Sticky Notes Stories: Ask the teams to summarize the key takeaways as a small presentation or collate sticky notes on a board with the key takeaways or feedback. You can gamify this by building different picture takeaways or stories and asking teams to guess the takeaway. They might also want to take a selfie with one of the stories or sticky notes. ~ Abhipsa Mishra Letter by Letter: Divide the participants into groups. Give each team a piece of paper with 5 different letters–the letters can spell a word, or be chosen at random. Each team is to come up with 5 different things they learned, each beginning with one of those five letters. It is engaging, recollecting concepts and conjuring words in line with them. ~ Sri Ram Kumar Paper Airplane Give everyone a piece of paper and ask them to write a question that’s been answered during the session. Then have them make a paper plane from that paper. Next, have participants stand in two rows, facing each other. Spend 30 seconds or so throwing the planes back and forth. When time is up, have each person randomly pick up an airplane. In turn, ask each to unfold the plane, read the question, and try and answer it – people on either side can help if needed. No pressure if they can’t… anyone can help answer any question! This training closer and lots more review activities can be found in the 101 Training Activities Book ~ Derek Good Energy & Pizzazz It all depends on the topic and the audience. When I taught sales associates, brain-dead after two weeks of intense training, I would have them cheer at the top of their lungs. I would not let them leave until employees could hear them on the other side of the building. They loved it! Executives would say, “I heard you had another class last week.” If it’s a leadership class, I try to end with an inspiring quote. The point is to have the participants leave on a natural high. ~ Lynda Goldberg Personal Written Reminders Write or illustrate 2-3 things you learned or would like to implement on a blank index card or wallet-sized card. Distribute plastic DocU-Sleeves or baseball card holders to protect the notes for future reference. Write key learning points on a desktop squeeze toy, like a Reminder Hand, Light Bulb, or anything else pertinent to your subject matter. Write a letter to yourself that will be delivered in 30 or 60 days. Highlight something you learned or hope to be reminded of in the future. The facilitator can mail the letters or attendees can keep the notes in a sealed envelope with the writing “DO NOT OPEN UNTIL xx/xx/xx.” Jot some notes on a “3-2-1 I GOT THIS” notepad, including 3 things I learned, 2 actions to apply what I learned, and 1 way I’ll share my learning. Ask questions that require thinking, sharing, and commitment What and When? I ask participants to think about one thing they have learned or enjoyed during the workshop. Then we go around and share it with each other, adding insights to each other’s items. It allows the reviews to come from the learners, and it personalizes the experience for them. Next, I ask, “what’s one thing you will do because you attended?” And, “When will you do it?” What? So What? Now What? The focus of these questions is: What have you learned? So what, what is the significance of the learning? Now what are you going to do or change going forward? Works Well. Do Differently. With these two simple questions, “What worked well?” and “What could you do differently going forward?”, facilitators can help their groups explore what actions foster positive results and where they see opportunities for growth or change. The key is that it frames this self-critical exercise in positive, non-threatening terms. WHOA! AHA! HMM! Ask groups to share their “aha” learning moments, “whoa” experiences that surprised them, and “hmm” pensive, pondering observations. START-STOP-CONTINUE-CHANGE: In this format, participants can write down the actions they hope to start, stop, continue, or change on a set of sticky notes. Download Start-Stop-Continue-Change Teaching Notes “Keep TABBs” on learning. This model was posted on LinkedIn by Kavita Iyer. Takeaway from the ‘event’ Action you will take Barriers that may hinder your progress Benefits of overcoming the barriers and implementing the learning Celebrations and Souvenirs Small Take-Aways: In a corporate training session, I usually have a wrap-up slide and end the session by giving a small souvenir that I have pre-made on various topics such as a bookmark containing a quote or a keychain with a title of the training program. ~ Dr. Saqib A. Siddiqui Appreciation: Seat all participants in a circle and give them a blank sheet of paper. Ask each participant to write their name on the bottom of the sheet and then pass it to their right. Each time a participant receives a sheet of paper, they must write something they appreciate about the person named at the bottom. When all are done writing, those sheets are passed along again and again. Continue until everyone has received and written on every sheet and it’s returned to its starting place. Take a moment while each person reads through all of their peers’ positive reflections. Find complete notes for the exercise here ~ Dr. Nick Heap Gold Stars or Trophies: Reward attendees with a gold star or trophy, then ask them to give an acceptance speech. Hilarious! Read More Mark Dawdy, referenced the Bob Pike Group’s 50 Creative Training Closers, a book chock full of ideas for closing a training event with impact. The Perfect Debrief Download Start-Stop-Continue-Change Teaching Notes

While everyone is out shopping for gifts and toys for the holidays, I thought this a good time to resurface the answers to Angela’s Hannon’s Linked-IN question, “has anyone used board games in a creative way to train on content?” Not surprisingly, she received a slew of creative answers. So, if you find yourself wandering through the game aisle at a toy store, invite yourself to think creatively about how you might use some of those playful games as learning activities. Board Games for Learning These suggestions from fellow group members might get your thoughts flowing: Monopoly – used to teach about money management, investment, poverty, inequality, etc. Who’s the Boss board game … it’s a negotiation/deal-making game great for salespeople and other uses as well. (Suggested by Wayne Bennett) I SPY – for session openers. Ask players to “spy” an item that symbolizes something they hope to learn about in the upcoming session. Game of Life – tweaked for staff to understand budgeting from the standpoint of our clients. (Suggested by Tabatha Dorman) Cranium – for team building. This game involves players singing, acting, drawing, and modeling using play-doh, spelling, logic puzzles, and maths puzzles. To play, break into teams of 4-6. Feel free to hand-pick the prompt cards you want to use. Each team takes turns selecting a card. The facilitator announces the type of activity (e.g. drawing or logic puzzle) and the team selects a member of their group to do the task. To enhance the game you can also make some of the activities ‘All Player’ so all the teams compete at once and the winner is the team who gets the right answer first. Play for as long as you like. The debrief is around different members of the team having different talents/skills/experiences and not everyone is good at everything. Then discuss how they operate as a team and divide responsibilities, playing to strengths and developing each other in new skills). (Suggested by Matthew Moxon) Wits & Wagers – for discussing decision-making processes. This is a crazy trivia game where you bid on the best answer…not always your own. Discuss how you make big decisions in your organization? By listening to the pseudo-experts who tap first, by doing what the boss says, or by trusting your instinct? (Suggested by Francois Lavallee) Snakes and Ladders – for process training. The ladders represent the correct ways and snakes when it is an incorrect choice. (Suggested by DanThy Nguyen) Candyland – for content reinforcement. I use a stack of colored construction paper and index cards with one or two colored squares drawn on them (mimicking the cards in the real game). I arrange the paper in a pattern on the floor (making a life-sized game-board) and split the group up into teams. Each team designates a pawn to draw cards and to walk around the floor game board if their team answers a question correctly. Then you as the instructor can create whatever questions you want (e.g. “name three ways to do XYZ,” or “how might you handle ABC?”), or have each team develop questions to ask the other team about the material covered. It’s a lot of fun and gets people up and moving after lunch or at the end of the day. (Suggested by Tracey Connolly) Bananagrams – for learning reinforcement. Challenge teams to build their “bananagram” with content-relevant keywords. Aside from these, there are of course, many computer-based and TV-game show types of games. But, Angela asked for Board Games, and our community answered. Do you have a favorite board game? Let’s add it to the list! Read more… Other Learning Games for Specific Content.

LIBRARIES. I don’t know if you can refer to collections of games, training courses, and toys as a “corporate training library,” but I can’t think of a better word for these essential assortments of tools and resources. What is a library anyway? I worry that the word “library,” may be polarizing. When you were a kid, were you one who relished getting lost in stacks? Or, did you find the endless shelves a tad overwhelming? As a child, I found reading difficult and libraries somewhat intimidating. Nevertheless, in college, I came to love the quiet rooms, comfy chairs, and rich resources of the library. Best of all, libraries were a place I could go to borrow stuff, for free! A place where exhaustive collections were assembled so people could have easy access to necessary materials, on-demand! Curating a Corporate Training Library Now, as President of Trainers Warehouse, I’ve become a curator of tools for training. I search around the world for items that will enrich corporate learning experiences, wondering what I can add to our collection and how I can make your libraries more robust and effective. We started out selling dozens of books with hundreds of tips, game ideas, and creative training techniques. Over the years, we added fewer books, but more training courses, learning games, and fidget toys to create an ultimate training library. Library Essentials Today, well-stocked libraries still have a sea of books. They also have audiobooks, DVDs and Blu-Rays, videogames, magazines, and tablets. Some even have a “library of things,” through which they loan out board games, musical instruments, puzzles, craft supplies, and household items. I suppose a library, then, can be whatever the librarian wants it to be! For those just starting to assemble their corporate training library, these are my recommendations: Fidget toys – A range of manipulatives can help learners stay focused. Be sure you have selections for different sized hands and tactile preferences (hard/soft; solid/stretchy; squeeze/flex; etc.) Games – Trainers need lots of games both because they don’t want groups to play the same game twice and because every game should address a specific learning goal. Card Decks – Decks continue to proliferate. Rather than writing books, many consultants are bundling their games, tips, and tools into bite-sized nuggets that can be used and applied one-at-a-time, in the form of a card deck. Participation tools – Buzzers and answer boards are great for your collection. Because meeting essentials like these can be costly and you might not need them every day, borrowing and sharing is ideal. Conversation starters – Thumballs and chat decks are fun but you don’t want to use the same one every time. New prompts will keep the experience fresh. Build a collection so you mix it up and enjoy a bit of variety. Know your Audience While some may be assembling “private collections” of training materials, corporate training departments should consider a broader reach for their libraries. Hybrid work schedules, smaller training events, and peer-to-peer or manager-to-employee training events are growing in popularity. New “non-trainer trainers” are stepping into the position without the background, tricks, and resources of trained performance-improvement professionals. To equip their non-trainer trainers, corporate training librarians need to expand their holdings beyond reading materials. Libraries full of playful training resources will entice peer mentors, managers, and coaches, to seek out those tools, and make organizational learning more innovative, effective, and fun. Read More Make Meetings Marvelous Training Should be Fun. Data Explains Why

Most teachers are familiar with Back-to-School Classroom Supply Lists. Typically, they included pens, colored pencils, dry-erase markers, notebooks, and the other usual staples that are readily available at office supply stores. These may be perfect for your learners, but unfortunately, they leave teachers woefully ill-equipped. Where can you find the cool stuff that makes your classroom fun and effective? Use Trainers Warehouse to help you create your best teacher supply list ever! Trainers Warehouse makes it easy to find a huge variety of innovative teaching aids, that inspire student engagement, fun and participation. To energize learners and start your school year on the right foot, explore these top five best teacher supply categories: 1. Games Glorious Games Treat your students to a break from lectures, books, and quizzes with some exciting, interactive game show games. Games are tremendously effective when you want to introduce new material, test for existing knowledge, or reinforce lessons. Try a Whaddaya Know? board to create your own Jeopardy-style game. You can even engage student teams in writing each category of questions. You’ll see your students’ eyes light up when you pull out buzzers and game wheels. They’ll be so captivated by the games that they might forget this is school. 2. Playful Participation Prize Be sure to add prizes like Kudos, trophies, and tokens to your best teacher supply list. Rather than awarding prizes only to game winners and top performers, consider prizes for “strivers,” “growth mindset learners,” and others who make an effort to participate even when they’re unsure of themselves or their knowledge. You might also entice your shyer students to share in a small group, rather than putting them on the spot, in front of an entire classroom. In addition to giving students tangible goals to work towards, the positive experience associated with recognition and prizes may help them retain what they’ve learned. Going forward, each time they look at their award, they’ll remember the lesson, and the pride they felt when being acknowledged for their effort. 3. Durable DocU-Sleeve Sheet Protectors good for, well, everything! Some of the best teacher supply items are purely practical but may be less familiar than your time-consuming and costly lamination efforts. DocU-Sleeves are thin-yet-firm plastic sheet protectors and are incredibly versatile and handy. Use DocU-Sleeves for wall signage, student work, notices, supply lists, and other classroom postings. Best of all, and unlike lamination, you can easily swap information in and out. After you try one, you won’t be able to stop yourself and will wonder how you ever got by without them. You can even slide in a white piece of paper or worksheet and write on the outside with wet- or dry-erase marker. 4. Focus-Friendly Fidgets When we first introduced fidget toys over 20 years ago, one teacher told us she couldn’t use fidgets in her class because they’d be too distracting. Ironically, she was fidgeting during our whole conversation and didn’t miss a beat. In fact, fidgets can be powerful tools to improve focus by utilizing the floating attention that is innate to humans. What once kept us safe from predators in the wild, now makes us easily distracted in classrooms and meetings. As you shop for fidget toys, be aware that not all are appropriate for classroom settings. Spinners, for instance, are too distracting and noisy to be effective learning tools. However, other fidgets, like Flexygon, Loopeez, and other Trainers Warehouse Exclusive Fidgets have just the right mix of interest and mindlessness to make them perfect additions to your back-to-school best teacher supply list. Balls and squeezies, too, can give students a healthy outlet for relieving stress, while enhancing concentration and attention. 5. Chatterball Thumballs Thumballs are an excellent way to build relationships and foster communication. While they should top your list of back-to-school purchases because they’ll help you get to know your students, don’t stow them away after your first weeks of school. When your group needs a brain break or you hope to develop deeper relationships, pull out a Thumball and start conversations flowing. The Energy Break Thumball is also an excellent tool to break the monotony of the day. Use it to get your group out of their seats, so blood can flow back to their brains. Order the Best Teacher Supply Resources in Bulk These five tools are just the start! As you create your classroom supply list, explore a full range of tools to build participation, reduce stress, and reinforce learning. Make your lessons memorable and help material be better received with high-quality teaching aids and supplies! Trainers Warehouse makes it easy for you to purchase the items you need in bulk and we guarantee 100% satisfaction. Read More to Create your Best Teacher Supplies Find the Perfect Fidget Toys for Your Needs Nuts and Bolts of Applying Brain Science to Teaching Learning from Mistakes, Bloopers, and Outtakes 6 Brain Science Principles Every Teacher Should Know

We were on vacation this summer and made plans to meet our friend Mike for a drink. Mike happens to be one of the funniest people I know. He’s also a high school math teacher at my sons’ school. Even though both of my boys have graduated from high school, they were dreading the prospect of this meet-up. How could I possibly schedule a drink with a teacher during their vacation? After our laughter-filled visit and goodbyes, Ted asked, “why can’t teachers be funny like that in school?” He had a good point. Classroom Humor is critical for memorable and enjoyable learning. Teachers can and should integrate funny classroom activities into their learning days. Encouraged by John Spencer’s article, Five Ways Humor Boosts Creative Thinking in the Classroom, I gathered a few more fun classroom ideas and tips. So, rather than stripping away laughter and punishing “class clowns” for their distractions, try these approaches to harness the power of happiness and laughter. As I write this, I smile, thinking about the quote I selected for my high school yearbook: “Laughter is a form of internal jogging. It moves your internal organs around. It enhances respiration. It is an igniter of great expectations.” ~ Norman Cousins I guess I’ve been pretty consistent over the years! Laughter, clowning, and now sharing tips on funny classroom activities and ways to make smiling and humor a regular part of your days in the classroom, learning centers, and offices. Smile-ful introductions Whether you’re introducing yourselves to one another or introducing a new topic, these silly approaches can add laughter and levity: Emojis & Gifs – have participants pick 3-5 emojis to use to introduce themselves. They can explain them on their own, or have others first guess what they might reflect. Favorite Meme – especially for younger groups, have them share a school-appropriate meme that made them laugh. Select one or more students to share each class, or use it as an introduction. Funny Voice intro – among your funny classroom activities, this one might feel a little silly, but that’s what classroom humor is about, right? If not the whole introduction, perhaps a funny-voice sign-off, “I’m glad to meet you.” “I look forward to learning today,” etc. Add wacky items to your agenda or to-do list – put together your agenda and explain that it seemed to have been highjacked. Add a few wacky items: i.e. light-saber practice / destroy distant planet / etc. — See if the group can figure out who hijacked your list. Get creative and have fun with it. Content-Compatible Funny Classroom Activities Mad Lib – when introducing new material, write a quick paragraph or two about the topic. Replace some keywords with blanks and identify if they are nouns, verbs (action words), or adjectives (describing words). Have players read their paragraphs to each other for a few laughs, then teach them the real words. Limerick – create a limerick into which learners need to add the final rhyming word (in the style of NPR’s “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me” program). Or challenge teams to come up with a limerick relating to the topic at hand. NOTE: Limericks are 5-line poems that follow the rhyme scheme: AABBA. Each “A” line usually has 9 syllables; each “B” line usually has 6 syllables. We gators catch prey every time/ and not just in mud and in slime / Thanks to Darwin’s advances / we hide up in branches / We gators have learned how to . Improv Prop – improvisation is a great way to integrate funny classroom activities into your teaching. And, it doesn’t need to be complicated. Simply, use an item in the classroom for something completely different (improv game) Theme song – select a theme song for your content. Music is fun, but it can also help learners build lasting memories. They might think of the material every time they hear that song in the future. Cartoon Caption – choose an illustration pertinent to your content. Have teams come up with a funny caption for the image. Spot my Mistakes – add a stray bullet point with off-topic content (maybe a to-do item of your own, i.e. get toilet paper; finish binging on Psych…) Role Reversal – have the student be the teacher – if they imitate you, laugh and tell them if they got you right! Be able to laugh at yourself! Just for Laughs, Chuckles, or Groans Sometimes you just need to get a laugh to break the tension and get the blood flowing. As a former clown, our motto was, “go in, get the laugh, get out.” These are quick one-two punches to get your group smiling: 1-Minute of Laughter – Just start laughing and ask people to join you. After a while, nobody will be able to resist laughing. Toss around a Rubber Chicken and ask why it crossed the road. Sometimes the lamest funny classroom activities will still draw a laugh. Pretend to trip and fall – cross one foot in front of the other and pretend to trip. If you really want to ham it up, you can add a fall or even a somersault. Be real – self-deprecating remarks in there right from the start and students will know you’re for real Pretend to walk into a window or door frame – this is one of my favorite clown pranks and can still be a playful addition to your classroom humor routine. Drag toilet paper from your shoe – go ahead and do it on purpose! Wear something wacky – do something different with your hair, wear clothes that don’t match, or don two different shoes. Pretend you don’t notice. Laughter Breaks for Classroom Humor Taking a laughter break may be one of the easiest funny classroom activities to implement. Try these: Meme-Moment – share favorite funny (appropriate) memes Bubble Gum Contest – although gum is prohibited in many schools, make an exception for a bubble contest. Whistle Contest – find the loudest whistler, or see if someone can guess the song you’re trying to whistle. Make some noise – let out a bit of energy by asking your group to make some noise (yell, cheer, growl, clap). Try it clown-style, pitting half the room against the other half to see which team can be loudest. Get someone’s attention – try a variety of ways – yoo-hoo, ahem, yo, hey, whistle, boo… Punchlines & Groaners / Tell a Joke – share one of your own favorites; ask the group to share a joke, or use one from Punchlines and Groaners. This assortment of Tongue Twisters, Jokes, Riddles, Knock-Knocks, and Visual Funnies offer ready-to-use content. Some are bad “dad jokes,” but they’re sure to elicit a few smiles and chuckles. Get the Blood Flowing – Indoor Recess Other easy-to-implement, funny classroom activities involve physical movement. These are beneficial because they 1) stimulate an emotional response, and 2) circulate blood (full of oxygen and nutrients) through your learners’ bodies. Strike a Pose – ask the group to stand and stretch for a few minutes. In the middle, ask them to “Freeze.” Then, release the poses and have them freeze again in another pose. You might alternatively prompt them to “stand like a superhero,” “power pose,” “strike a yoga pose,” “stand on one leg,” etc. Ministry of Funny Walks – remember Monty Python’s Ministry of Funny Walks? Take a physical break and ask your group to do a lap around the room with their favorite funny walk. 2-Minute Dance Party – play a dance tune and start jamming. In “fan cam” style (like fans at sports games), give an award to the “best show.” Awards can be anything from a Token of Appreciation to a Scratch Card. Energy Break – get the blood flowing with an active movement of your own choosing (i.e. run in place, sway like a tree, pretend to swirl a hula hoop around your torso or arms) or toss an Energy Break Thumball for a random energy break activity. Funny Prompts Not sure you’re ready for these sorts of fun classroom ideas activities? You can still bring on a few smiles and laughter, by make humor a topic of discussion. Ask your participants what makes them laugh and smile. Try one or more of these “funniest” conversation prompts: What’s the funniest FOOD you’ve eaten? What’s the funniest OBJECT IN YOUR HOUSE you can think of? What’s the funniest SHOW YOU WATCH? Who’s the funniest PERSON in your family? Who’s the funniest ACTOR you can think of? What’s the funniest EXCUSE for not doing homework? What’s the funniest (or most fun) GAME you played as a kid? What’s the funniest (not dirty) JOKE you remember? What’s the funniest FOOD you’ve seen advertised? What do you do to make your sibling (or best friend) laugh/smile? Embracing Classroom Humor Laughter and smiling have been shown to have huge benefits — from stress reduction and improved health to longevity and job effectiveness. When deciding whether to open yourself to the “risk” of uncontrollable laughter, consider the health benefits of laughter, including: Increased endorphins Decreased stress Improved heart health Increased pain tolerance Strengthened immune system Boosted moods Greater interpersonal bonding We also know that learning is both more enjoyable and more memorable if learners are happy and engaged. So, go ahead and bring some classroom humor to your learning environment. Read More on Classroom Humor Learning from Mistakes, Bloopers, and Outtakes Fascinating Facts about Smiling Bring Laughter into the Classroom

Learning something new is never easy, but it also seems to get harder as we get older. At 57, I decided to take my first golf lesson. While I’ve always been fairly athletic, I’m completely dorky when it comes to arm coordination. My two sons will attest to this as they’ve each tried to teach me to throw a baseball or toss a frisbee. Nonetheless, I wanted to learn how to swing a golf club. I also wanted to experience learning something new as an adult. What might learning golf teach me about training? Learning golf from a pro Once I made my decision, I scheduled a golf lesson. I’d learn from an expert, the proper grip, stance, and swing. As I was starting from ground zero, I had low expectations for myself. Would I make contact with the ball? Could I make the ball arc gracefully into the air? Perhaps I could have looked up the technique on YouTube, but for me, face-to-face lessons felt right, so I could get timely feedback and not start any bad habits. My first lesson went better than expected. With my pro’s expert assistance, I learned the basics and even felt a little hopeful. I made contact with the ball and even hit it to the 50-yard marker. It was a start. But, as the pro said, I would need to keep coming back to the driving range to practice, frequently! I went to the driving range when I could and even invested in a few more lessons. When it comes to corporate training, so much has migrated to online learning–sometimes live, sometimes asynchronous. Trainers are wise to ask themselves if their specific course content, or parts of it, would benefit from face-to-face experiences. The first time I played on a golf course After a year of sporadic visits to the driving range, my friends Alan and Gina invited me to play a round of 9 holes. Having heard about ways to make the game more fun and less competitive — playing from the closest ball, not keeping score, etc. — I decided to say yes. I think I played just two holes when Alan compassionately explained, “they say, the longest drive is from the driving range to the golf course.” Well, isn’t that the truth? I kept at it, finishing my first game of golf and even playing again a few days later. And then… Practice is just practice I’ve been asking myself why I haven’t gone back to the driving range or scheduled another golf outing. Is it just that the timing hasn’t worked, or is my reluctance deeper than that? Certainly, my golf course experience was sobering. I didn’t care about the score; nor was I embarrassed. Still, it wasn’t pretty. As any true golfer knows, the sport is a life-long commitment that takes decades of practice–a particular type of practice. Unlike tennis, when you keep taking swing after swing, developing a rhythm, and practicing on the same court you play on, golf requires practice at a driving range. It’s more similar, I suppose, to baseball, where you develop your swing at a batting cage. Then, when you’re in a live game, on the plate, or at the tee, you rely on muscle memory. Corporate trainers should appreciate that classroom learning is similar to golf and baseball. Mastery of role plays, discussion, and practice in learning centers may not translate to immediate success in live situations. It’s just a starting point, preparation for the real thing. And, like golf, may be coupled with long time lags between each attempt. Growth will continue each time learners face real situations. They can’t expect instant mastery. Fun versus worthwhile Later that week, a friend asked if I had fun. This shouldn’t be a trick question, but it stumped me. I enjoyed walking the beautiful golf course on the perfect spring morning. I also loved being with my friends. But if I’m being honest, the golf part was probably more stressful and frustrating than fun. I still didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know if I’d pick the right golf club and perform as I’d practiced, or dribble the ball pathetically forward. I didn’t even know about the golf course etiquette. I was a complete novice and that’s an awkward place to be for someone who likes to be successful and in control. As adults (and children) we want to experience success or progress when it comes to hobbies or jobs. We have short fuses and lagging enthusiasm when challenges are too hard or take too long. I’m reminded of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of flow, which suggests that individuals need to find a balance of difficulty and success, so they don’t give up out of either frustration or boredom. The lessons for trainers are twofold: we need to continue to give positive reinforcement for effort and small steps forward; and, we need to be cognizant of finding that sweet spot, balancing challenge with skill level. Small tokens to acknowledge effort can go a long way. Items like Mini Kudos Notes, High Five Lapel pins, or Learning Mo-Mints are some of my personal favorites. I know from years of experience that sports are more fun when you know what you’re doing, are seeing progress, and are trying to improve. Knowing that I’ll only get better if I really work at it, I ask myself again, “why am learning this? What’s my motivation?” Staying motivated while learning golf Addressing my lag in motivation when it comes to learning to play golf, I realize that I need to return to my initial motivation. Why did I want to learn golf in the first place? My reasoning remains the same: Golf could let me enjoy being outdoors with friends; I could play on those days when my husband needs to put in long hours at work, and it’s a game I could enjoy when running or tennis becomes too hard on my body. In keeping with this understanding, I encourage trainers to start off their training sessions with a conversation about motivation. Ask the group why they are there? Is it just a requirement? If so, what will do for them? Might it help them develop a new skill? Strengthen performance? Qualify them for a raise or new position? Build confidence? Improve relationships? Motivation is key to engagement and should be revisited often. Learning as Adults Our youth is filled with learning new languages, musical instruments, math, reading, science, history, sports, whistling, blowing bubbles, compassion, and on and on the list goes. Our learning tends to slow down after high school, college, or graduate school. Sure, we may pick up a new hobby, read books that stretch our minds or challenge ourselves to master new skills, but the learning curve changes, and becomes much steeper and more slippery. While adult learning may be even more challenging, requiring practice, assistance, encouragement, and motivation, it is also a keen reminder that many children struggle with learning too. Golf has certainly reminded me of that!

While many trainers love role-play activities because they can be amazing learning opportunities, participants can find them utterly terrifying. We’ve gathered this bunch of tips to make role-play activities more fun and effective for facilitators and players. In addition, find a range of role-playing suggestions to enhance specific skill development efforts. Tips include: Content Areas Emotional Intelligence Active Listening Dealing with Difficult Customers Communication Listening Assertiveness General Role-Play Tips Exaggerated Role Play Ask each participant to exaggerate the worst experience they’ve had with the topic at hand in any place not necessarily relevant to the work situation. e.g. poor service: what they felt, how they reacted, what impression did it leave? Then walk them back by asking why it didn’t work and what options would work better; why they would and how to apply those solutions to the topic at hand. Zolia Rumble 3 Balls for Stress-Free Experiences Role-playing can be a little anxiety-producing for the players. Use balls to make the exercise a bit more fun and less scary. Give the person in the “hot seat” 3 balls. When they get stuck and need a suggestion for what to say (or do) next, invite them to throw a ball to someone for a little help. Request “Wrong” Answers So that participants don’t feel put on the spot, or self-conscious if they don’t “perform” well in front of their peers, remind them that it’s a learning activity. Encourage players to demonstrate approaches that they’ve seen or heard from others, or techniques they know are not recommended. These “DON”T” examples will be great for conversation and learning. Reward mistakes Embrace the growth mindset and reward participants for taking risks or making mistakes. Share a Token of Appreciation, give a spin of a prize wheel, or distribute small give-aways to those who put themselves on the line. Swap roles frequently * Freeze Tag Take a page from improv actors and invite participants in the hot seat to signal for help or a switch whenever they need it. Alternatively, invite observers to say “freeze,” and jump in the place of one of the role players. Active Observers / Positive Feedback If you don’t want to conduct concurrent role-plays, that is multiple participants doing a role-play at the same time, be sure to swap players frequently. Feel free to start and stop the action, to draw out learning points. Encourage observers to focus first on what’s working well. If observers have an idea of something that could be done differently, ask them to phrase it by saying, “I’d like to try another approach…” and have them go ahead and try it. Start and Stop Stop the action frequently to draw out learning points and talk about what’s working or what might be done differently. Sample Role Play Activities for Specific Content EQ * Dealing with Impulsive Reactions One trigger of emotional intelligence issues involved the ability to control impulsive reactions. One LinkedIn writer suggested these easy role-play scenarios, which we’ve embellished a little bit. For these emotional intelligence activities, feel free to use the scenario below or customize one based on your own experiences. First, have participants discuss in groups of 2 or 3, then open the discussion up to the larger group: Hassan brings a Tomato. Toni bangs on the tomato, getting herself (and Hassan) dirty. How might Toni respond? Tanisia rides her bike on the wrong side of the street. To avoid a collision, she abruptly stops in front of Roberto’s car. Roberto stops short in front of her, spilling hot coffee and papers all over the car. How might Roberto react? Carson attends his performance review meeting. His boss brings up a past incident of insubordination that was never previously mentioned or addressed. Still, the boss presents Carson with a formal notice that will go in his personnel file and prevent him from getting a year-end bonus. ~ Santhanam Chakravarti Active Listening * WebCam OFF – WebCam ON Explore the differences between speaking when you can or cannot see each other in this is a paired exercise. Run this activity in three rounds: Webcam OFF – audio only: For the next 5 minutes, Participiant#1 explains to Participiant#2 “What frustrates them when other people don’t listen to them?” Participant#2 must be silent for the 1st 3 minutes After that, they can only ask – “Tell me more” or “What Else” Swap roles after 5 minutes Webcam ON – audio and video For the next 5 minutes, Participiant#1 explain to Participiant#2 “What they struggle with when it comes to their listening?” Participant#2 must be silent for the 1st 3 minutes After that, they can only ask – “Tell me more” or “What Else” Swap roles after 5 minutes. Webcam OFF– Audio Only For the next 5 minutes, Participant#1 debriefs with Participant #2 about how they were listening differently with the webcam on and off. Swap Roles after 5 minutes For the next 5 minutes, Participant#2 debriefs with Participant #1 about how they were listening differently with the webcam on and off. DEBRIEF: Ask, What were the pros and cons of WebCams On vs. Off. When did you best understand others? When did speakers feel most heard? Does the number of participants affect the experience? ~ Oscar Trimboli Difficult Customer Role Play Have participants pair up with a partner for a role play. One person can be the difficult customer and the other the customer service rep, then they can switch roles. The best way to diffuse a tense situation is to use active listening – let the customer know you hear what they are saying. But it’s important not to make any promises at that stage of the exchange because that costs money. But acknowledge the customer’s frustration and let them vent. Then move on to problem-solving – get the customer to help in solving the problem and then work on solving it together. ~ Tom Lord Communication Role Play * Dominoes (or Tangrams) One of the listening skills activities that I do is that you have people get in groups of 2, you give one of them a pack of 8 dominos and the other a shape diagram of rectangles (dominos) in a random pattern. Only the person without the dominos should see the pattern. They sit back to back on the floor or the one with the dominos at a table and the other in a chair back to back. The one with the diagram instructs the other on placing the dominos to match the diagram. The one with the dominos cannot speak. They get 2 min. I usually do this in a big group where they are all working in pairs at once. Then they switch roles, get a new pattern and do the exercise again, this time the person with the dominos is allowed to speak. 2 min. usually successful. Then we debrief looking at challenges, jargon words used, and analyze how they provided instructions without being able to watch the person, tone, questions asked, etc. ( I have this all in a document if you want it) It is quite fun and enlightening for those who are training to be able to be in a support role with technology. Posted by Karen McRitchie Listening Role Play * Shhhh. Just listen . . . Put the class into dyads. One of the two is selected as the listener. The listener may make only 3 statements during the 5- to 10- minute time allocation. The listener must somehow get the speaker to continue talking without saying much. I ask the speaker to relay a situation that should be comfortable (an award, a special event, etc.). After the time allocation, I then ask the dyads to switch roles. The discussion that follows concentrates on: Speaker’s feelings when the person just listened and did not exchange information Nonverbal signals encouraged the speaker Discomfort caused by the silence Feelings about listening without having the pressure to contribute Speaker’s feeling about the freedom to say whatever he/she felt. Posted online by Leslie Orr Assertiveness Training When I run Assertiveness training I get participants to practice specific techniques such as “broken record”, “saying ‘no’ without making excuses”, “receiving negative feedback with equanimity”, and “making ‘I’ statements (rather than ‘you’ statements), etc. This can be done in pairs, or in 3s with an observer in each group. ~ Posted online by Jon Trevor I use pair role-plays where one is the boss scolding the other for a mistake. The other attempts to respond to the boss using I’m OK – You’re OK language and posture. Start with one pair to allow the group to observe and comment and then ask the pair to redo the role-play. It is always much better! Then everyone pairs up and has a go. ~ Posted online by JoAnne Freeman Start with some scenarios drawn up on posters and posted around the room, such as ‘A stressed colleague tells you she really needs you to stay late to help with an unexpected event. You already have social plans.’ ‘You are making a presentation and an audience member interrupts to ask a question you can’t answer.’ Have participants go and look at them all, discuss them, and then stand by the one they would find hardest to deal with. Then launch into a discussion of how our thoughts and feelings affect our level of assertiveness; how we need to recognize and manage both before we can speak and act assertively. ~Posted online by Sue Duraikan A variation on a live role-play, that may be less threatening, is to do it as a written exchange: Get people in groups to think of a situation in which they need to be assertive. Have them write out a summary of the scenario, plus their assertive response. Ask groups to pass their scenarios to another group, so they can write out what the other person might say in response. Then, they write another assertive response, which goes back to the other group for a reply and so on. Obviously, you can have lots of these going on at once. You can then read out the conversation and discuss the learning points. Aside from not feeling “put on the spot,” it gives people time to think and discuss positive ways to respond. ~ Posted online by Derek Hughes Read More Learning from Mistakes * lessen the anxiety of messing up during role-play activities 5 Tips to Facilitate Video Training

A quick online search will lead you to dozens of Whiteboard Cleaners. We tried them all! We used them to clean dry-erase “ghosting,” permanent marker, and years of grunge. We tested the dry-erase cleansers on standard whiteboard surfaces, painted-on whiteboards, and whiteboard adhesive film. ** DISCLAIMER: Please read Chad’s comment below. These products were tested on old whiteboards. Some boards might have a silicone polymer coating that can be damaged with these harsh chemicals. ** Conducting the Test of Dry-Erase Cleaning Solutions We started by testing 10 products on two whiteboards that hadn’t been cleaned for many months, as well as an adhesive film dry-erase surface. Each had markings that wouldn’t erase with a dry eraser or paper towel. We tried: white vinegar, WD-40, nail polish remover, isopropyl alcohol, hair spray, Bengay, toothpaste, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, Clorox Cleaner with Bleach, Coffee Grounds. In the first round, we tested a small area of each board with every cleaning solution. In the second round, we put our four favorite products to the test on a larger surface area. We wrote again on the board, then erased that writing to be sure the new markings could be erased easily – no problem there. Finally, we tested our final four cleaners on their ability to remove stains made by permanent markers. How-to-Clean-Your-Whiteboard: Results of the Whiteboard Cleaning Test STAGE 1: Small area of the board Using clean paper towels, we tried each cleanser in a small test area to determine our favorites. Here’s what we found: WORST Our least favorite selections were messy, smelly, left a residue, and didn’t work at all on removing permanent marker stains. Coffee Grounds: these had previously worked okay on a horizontal surface, but using them on a vertical board was a complete disaster. We had coffee grounds everywhere, which caused an even bigger clean-up project. They also temporarily stained the board, thus requiring a second cleaning. Bengay: This product removed ghosting stains, but not as well as other products we tested. Plus, it required further cleaning to remove residual Bengay. Toothpaste: The Crest product we used did clean up stubborn ghosting stains quite well and left the board smelling minty-fresh, but we needed to clean-off residual toothpaste in a second cleaning. BETTER This batch functionally worked, but each produced suboptimal results for a variety of reasons. WD-40: Works well on ghosting, but leaves boards a little greasy. Also, it didn’t perform well on stubborn residues, like that on the grainy painted-white board surface. White Vinegar: Vinegar could help to remove subtle markings, but it didn’t have great results with deeper stains and ghosting. Plus, it smelled really bad. Mr. Clean Magic Erasers: We used Mr. Clean as a dry eraser (no water added). Using the Magic Eraser is not a speedy process and requires you to rub firmly to remove persistent ghosting. BEST These last four solutions performed best in the Small Area Test and moved on to the Large Area Test: Hairspray, Clorox with Bleach, Isopropyl Alcohol, and Nail Polish Remover. STAGE 2: Large area — test with the 4 BEST PRODUCTS Hairspray: Hairspray worked well in small areas and on stubborn and permanent marker stains. However, when we used it to clean larger areas, it wasn’t great. We tried both spraying directly onto the board surface and spraying it into a paper towel. When sprayed straight onto the wall, we liked that it didn’t drip down at all. So, for persistent stains or divots in the textured painted whiteboard, it sat nicely on the surface and got into the grooves, allowing us to clean particularly dirty splotches. That said, it didn’t leave the board ready to use. We needed to follow up with a secondary cleaner for a perfectly pristine surface. Clorox with Bleach: While we liked that you could spray the solution directly onto the whiteboard, it dripped down a lot, so you had to wipe it up right away. The Clorox seemed to perform best on the traditional whiteboard surface (not paint or film), and when the staining wasn’t too severe. It was certainly one of the easiest-to-use solutions that we tested. Isopropyl Alcohol: Although we needed to pour this onto a paper towel, we were very happy with the results. It cleaned deep stains quite nicely and easily on all surfaces. To make it perfectly clean, we did need to apply two rounds of cleaning solution. Nail Polish Remover: Applied onto a paper towel and then onto the whiteboards, the nail polish remover was all-around most effective at removing gnarly stains, and producing a very clean board. STAGE 3: Close up on dealing with Permanent Marker We spent a bit of time on this. Our recommendation differs if you have just a small, stray permanent mark on the board or used a permanent marker all over the board. Hairspray – not great. can work on a small spot, but not on a whole board. Nail polish remover – yup. This easily removes permanent marker stains! Isopropyl Alcohol – yup. No problem removing the permanent marker stains. It took two passes for a perfectly clean surface, but no scrubbing was required. Dry-Erase Marker – yup. If you don’t have any fancy cleansers, you can write on top of the permanent markings with a dry erase marker, then wipe them off. The follow-up how-to-clean-your-whiteboard test The alcohol worked so well that I tried Isopropyl alcohol wipes. They’re also GREAT! Read More Using Whiteboards to Increase Participation

I was cruising around some training and coaching websites and noticed Diana Frances’ link to UGLY PHOTOS. I really did “LOL” as I browsed her portraits laden with half-closed eyes and silly expressions—shots that normally get trashed, not posted. While most of us completely avoid showing our blemishes, we also jump at the opportunity to view others’ “oops, outtakes, and bloopers”! As trainers, I think we have an untapped opportunity here; an opportunity to use people’s natural urge to witness others’ foibles to enhance learning and retention. Read on to explore the ins and outs of mistakes and mishaps or skip to the bottom of the article for a bunch of strategies for learning from mistakes and making wrong answers a wonderfully fun and effective learning experience. Our Weakness for Negative News As the media knows well, people are more drawn to negative news—news of horror, tragedy, mistakes, and accidents—than positive. In fact, scientific studies find that negative news creates a stronger psychophysiological reaction. That is, we react more strongly to negative than positive information. We also spread that bad news more quickly than good news. Evolution may explain some of this “negativity bias.” When a storm is coming, for example, survival could depend on whether we ignore or heed negative news. However, as humans, our proclivity for negative news isn’t just a matter of physical safety. Case in point: our two Trainers Warehouse emails that received the highest-ever open-rates were titled, “Oops we messed up!” and “Some sad news to share.” The Happy Facade Despite our appetite for consuming negative news, we’re very quick to beat ourselves up for our own mistakes. Instead of sharing our daily struggles, we plaster our happiest-ever photos on Facebook; amazing parties, fabulous children, and wonderful vacations. Friends and family scroll through the feed, with alternating feelings of good wishes and envy. It’s no wonder psychologists have faulted Facebook and other social media platforms for the increased teen suicide rates. Already, we chastise ourselves if we fall short of expectations. The more we see everyone around us in their perfect worlds, the more we strive for perfection in ourselves and feel bad when our lives don’t measure up. Learning from Bloopers – Making Wrong into Right In a handful of situations, doing things wrong and making mistakes, becomes the key to success. Improv and Comedy: in one of my clowning improv workshops, we had to grab a prop and use it in the silliest way we could imagine. The more “wrong” the application, the funnier it was. Sarcasm: in other attempts at humor, people say the opposite of what’s true, with the hope of making it funny, or making someone feel silly. Creative brainstorming: creativity experts encourage brainstormers to share the wackiest ideas possible. Their hope is that one of these out-of-the-box bad ideas will spur another good idea. Clowning: it’s funny when a clown trips, falls, accidentally gets hit, or loses his pants. When it happens to a clown, we’re encouraged to laugh. But if the same thing happens to a “real person,” even if they don’t get hurt, we’re supposed to pretend it’s not funny. Welcoming Mistakes in the Classroom Carol Dweck’s theories about growth mindsets and learning from mistakes, have infiltrated the education world. Still, teachers struggle to design learning experiences so that mistakes are not embarrassing, and errors are more humorful than hurtful. Can we encourage and reward students for incorrect answers? Could well-crafted games use lots of “wrong” answers to reinforce right answers? I put the question to our training community, got tons of sage suggestions, and put my own creativity to work. Below, you’ll find a mix of tried-and-true facilitation tips and a bunch of new game frameworks that might put a fresh spin on your teaching and training: Set a Tone that Values Vulnerability Value mistakes over easy wins: Encourage participation and diversity perspective rather than simply rewarding absolute answers. Remind your groups that mistakes and challenges shape you just as much (if not more) than easy wins and quick successes. Make it okay to be right sometimes and wrong sometimes. ~ Chanelle Carver Create risk-friendly environments through skillful facilitation: Creating an environment in which participants choose to engage and take risks, is quite complex. Many dedicate their entire careers to honing their facilitation skills – non-verbal communication, listening, observing, questioning, and authentically valuing every contribution. Their effort pays off. During well-facilitated experiences, the trust in the room becomes palpable, and underpins people’s willingness to risk a “wrong answer.” ~ Chris Halward Reward willingness to be vulnerable: Without validating wrong answers, teachers can support students’ willingness to be vulnerable by always saying “thank you for sharing,” regardless of whether an answer is correct. In addition, teachers can engage students in a discussion by saying “tell us why you think that,” “please share your thinking,” or “show us why you think that.” ~ Jennifer Bieszczad Establish a culture of acceptance: Promote an all-answers-are-welcome policy. From the start, establish classroom norms and ground rules. Get groups to commit to a “no answers are wrong” culture, either by vote or written agreement. ~ Colin Preece Ask Open Questions Steer clear of right/wrong questions: To the extent you can, ask questions that do not have a right or wrong answer. Rather, develop questions that require critical thought. After all, in many instances, “right” and “wrong” is subjective.” ~ Chanelle Carver Something different, please: Ask your group, “how can we say that differently?” This invites participants to open up and gives them permission to say anything at all – not a right answer or a better answer – just a different answer.” ~ Derek Good Strategies & Training Games to Make it Fun Nobody knows! In the style of the game Balderdash (or Fictionary), ask a question that you expect nobody will know. Ask each player to make up an answer (or word definition). Collect all the answers and mix them in with the one correct answer. Have everyone vote on the answer they believe to be correct. Award points for both correct guesses AND made-up answers that are guessed by another player. Design the exercise to encourage laughter and release fears about making mistakes. Score Keeper. Make score-keeping fun. Devise scoring systems that encourage people to share many answers, and reward both top and/or bottom scorers. Best explained answer: Whether an answer is right or wrong, acknowledge the best “argument” or the “best articulated” answer. Most creative wrong answer: In the circus, the motto was “make it big.” If you’re gonna mess up, do it in a big way! In keeping with the “make it big” philosophy, encourage participants to take a risk and share a thought that has the most chance of being “way off.” Group scoring: To further remove emotion and add to the fun, have the whole group score or weigh each answer so you end up with a collective agreement on prioritizing ideas/right answers. “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me”: I often listen to the NPR radio program called, “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” On their weekly news quiz, they make it fun to have right AND wrong answers. They always want to see their players be successful, so they set them up to win. What can we learn from this popular radio broadcast? Lots of funny answers: Share multiple possible answers that are so hilarious that choosing any option is fun/funny. Close-enough answers: On the show, they sometimes discuss whether points should be awarded – it’s not always up to the host/facilitator. 2-out-of-3 Wins – you don’t have to answer every question correctly to be a winner, you can answer 2-out-of-3 or even 1-out-of-3 to “win.” Give Plentiful Hints – When players are stumped, they’re invited to ask for a hint without shame or penalty. Teamwork: It’s so much more fun to be wrong as a group than as an individual. As a group, you can bond over your success and failure, and laugh at it together. Working in groups, you can either: Have teams agree on a single answer to submit Have teams write a handful of different answers on a set of dry-erase answer boards, allocating the number of points they want to give to each guess. Rounds of Applause and Standing Ovations: Applaud anyone who answers – right or wrong – to validate the attempt to come up with a reply. Two Wrongs and a Right: This is a spin-off on both “Two Truths and a Lie” and “Two Wrongs don’t make a right.” Give participants a chance to answer a question and come up with two wrong answers and one right answer. Involve the group in a discussion of all three answers. Even if none of the three answers is correct, it opens a discussion about multiple ideas and perspectives. 4 Balls / 3 Strikes: To really explore a new topic or questions, try this technique (feel free to adapt it to your needs): First person (or team) to answer HAS TO say something wrong? Second person (or team) to answer must explain WHY it might be wrong Third person (or team) to answer offer another WRONG answer Fourth person (or team) to answer must EXPLAIN why the answer is incorrect and how to think about a correct answer RULES: if a “right answer” is shared in responses #1, #2, or #3, that player or team gets a STRIKE for each violation. Can they get to response #4 without a strikeout? Wrong answers only: Guess the wrong answer: offer multiple-choice questions, in which all the answers are correct except for one. Players must identify the one wrong answer. When players are under time pressure, this can get really silly. Even if you answer a multitude of questions in rapid succession, it can be hard to keep giving wrong answers. In the “Wrongify” style, For each round, one person reads the questions aloud to the player. The player answering must give a wrong-but-related answer to score a point. Wrong Answer Buzzers: Teachers and trainers typically shy away from using the Right-Wrong Buzzers or Me First Buzzer’s Most-Wrong-Answers When used “right,” Wrong-Answer games just might transform your thinking about how to create fun, laughter, and learning in educational settings. Anticipating Challenge Can Improve Learning Frederique Autin, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Poitiers in Poitiers, France conducted a study that was published online in APA’s Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. In three separate experiments involving over 100 French sixth graders, one group was told that learning is difficult and failure is common, but practice will help, just like learning how to ride a bicycle. The other test groups did not receive this message. In each of the three tests, the children who were told that learning is difficult scored higher than the other groups. From ScienceDaily (Mar. 12, 2012). Opportunities to Share your Own Bloopers The challenge for teachers and trainers is to transform the oops, outtakes, and bloopers into funny, memorable learning experiences. Although these ideas haven’t all been tested in the classroom, I hope you’ll give some a try and share both your successes and disasters! Finally, step out on a limb and share your own vulnerabilities with your trainees. Sometimes there’s no better way to encourage vulnerability than by sharing your own!

I’m a happy person, a glass-half-full, an optimist. So when I see an article about the benefits of smiling, I can’t help but smile myself. Smiling seems so core to a positive workplace, effective customer service, and successful training. 7 Interesting Facts about Smiling Smiles use 5 to 53 facial muscles: Just smiling can require your body to use up to 53 muscles, but some smiles only use 5 muscle movements. Babies are born with the ability to smile: Babies learn a lot of behaviors and sounds from watching the people around them, but scientists believe that all babies are born with the ability since even blind babies smile. Smiles are the most easily recognizable facial expression: People can recognize smiles from up to 300 feet away, making it the most easily recognizable facial expression. Smiling is universal: While handshakes, hugs, and bows all have varying meanings across cultures, smiling is known around the world and in all cultures as a sign of happiness and acceptance. Smiling is easier than frowning: Scientists have discovered that your body has to work harder and use more muscles to frown than it does to smile. There are 19 different types of smiles: UC-San Francisco researcher identified 19 types of smiles and put them into two categories: polite “social” smiles which engage fewer muscles, and sincere “felt” smiles which use more muscles on both sides of the face. Babies start smiling as newborns: Most doctors believe that real smiles occur when babies are awake at the age of four-to-six weeks, but babies start smiling in their sleep as soon as they’re born. Women smile more than men: Generally, women smile more than men, but when they participate in similar work or social roles, they smile the same amount. This finding leads scientists to believe that gender roles are quite flexible. Boy babies, though, do smile less than girl babies, who also make more eye contact. 4 Health Benefits Associated with Smiling Boost your mood: Psychologists have found that even if you’re in bad mood, you can instantly lift your spirits by forcing yourself to smile. Toys and Smiley Balls can help bring out smiles for children and adults alike. Strengthen your immune system: Smiling really can improve your physical health, too. Your body is more relaxed when you smile, which contributes to good health and a stronger immune system. Reduce Stress: When we smile (even if it’s a forced or fake smile), our bodies release endorphins. The rapid change of mood, translates to lower stress and more positive feelings. Smiles are more attractive than makeup: A research study conducted by Orbit Complete discovered that 69% of people find women more attractive when they smile than when they are wearing makeup. The better we feel about ourselves, the happier we are. 4 Reasons why Spreading your Smile Improves the Workplace Smiles are contagious: It’s not just a saying: smiling really is contagious, scientists say. In a study conducted in Sweden, people had difficulty frowning when they looked at other subjects who were smiling, and their muscles twitched into smiles all on their own. If you want a quick reminder to smile, try a Trainers Warehouse Smile Mirror. Smiling helps you get promoted: Smiles make a person seem more attractive, sociable, and confident, and people who smile more are more likely to get a promotion. We smile at work, a lot: While we smile less at work than we do at home, 30% of subjects in a research study smiled five to 20 times a day, and 28% smiled over 20 times per day at the office. Draw out more smiles by talking about the topics that bring you happiness. The Get Happy at Work Thumball or UNZIP-IT Pocket is a wonderful tool to promote positive conversation. Voices sound warmer even on the phone: The reason is not psychological but rather physiological. When you smile, the soft palate at the back of your mouth raises and makes the sound waves more fluid. … The same applies to telephone chatter. Smiling helps your voice to sound friendly, warm, and receptive. NOTE: I found much of this content on in this article on PickTheBrain.com

Several years ago, I attended a two-day marketing conference. At the end, a colleague asked: “So, what are your top takeaways?” Exhausted from sitting, listening, and learning, my brain was so overloaded, I couldn’t quickly gather my thoughts to provide an answer. Compared to conference settings, teachers and trainers are typically better at debriefing learning events, recognizing AH-HA moments, and consolidating learning so it sticks. As a training consultant, I know that articulating “next steps” is the most critical question to ask and answer, to ensure that the time spent in learning leads to changes in either thinking or behavior. After all, creating a memorable debrief is the whole point, right? Over the years, I’ve come across dozens of debrief tools and questions. Following are 30+ favorites, divided into four categories, so you can find the ones you need: The Debrief A time for processing and discussion whereby you review, experience, and extract key learning points. Debrief Frameworks Debrief Activities Memorable Moments The Commitment Exercises for an Excellent Debrief The optimal method you employ for debriefing a learning event will certainly depend on your topic. Presented here are a range of ideas that will likely get your creative juices flowing. Thanks to those who submitted suggestions via LinkedIn. Frameworks for Debriefs 1. What? So What? Now What? The focus of these questions is: What have you learned? So what, what is the significance of the learning? Now what are you going to do or change going forward? 2. Playing Card Debrief Use standard playing cards as a debriefing tool. Deal the cards, one or more to each participant, and invite reflection or comments specific to the suit they’ve been dealt: HEART: reflect something felt by the heart during the day. SPADE: share something that was dug up during the day, or perhaps something that was cultivated. DIAMOND: identify something that was precious or valuable CLUB: consider something that will grow in the future. OPTION: limit your “deck” to the lower numbered cards (Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5). Deal the cards and ask pairs of participants to share as many comments/observations as their card number suggests. 3. Start. Stop. Continue. Change. Debrief On the last page of the workbook have attendees write four words: start, stop, continue, change. After the training ask participants to go to that page and respond to those four prompts: Based on their learning what are they going to start doing and stop doing? What will they continue doing? How will they change up what they’re doing? This helps them focus on what they’ve learned and what they’re actually going to do when they get back to work or home. This method, first introduced to our group by Dian Anderson, has been embellished by scores of others. Following are some facilitation suggestions to maximize the effectiveness of this technique. I ask participants to go to the last page in their workbooks and challenge themselves in one or more of these areas. I then ask volunteers to stand and share their personal challenges with the group. Posted by Melissa Wood My variation, using Green, Yellow, and Red Cards, can be particularly useful in longer sessions, as a tool to engage the audience. Periodically, throughout the learning event, I hold up a particular card and engage the group in a discussion about a Green Behavior, which should be continued; Red Behavior, which needs to stop; or Yellow behaviors, over which we should be watchful and proceed cautiously. Posted online by Sajan Nair Another trainer I know (thanks Sonja!) has provided postcards and stamps at the end of workshops for people to write their comments using something like Start-Stop-Continue-Change – they get their own postcard back in the mail in a few days, as a reminder. Posted online by Fiona Clapham Howard I like to get folks up off their feet, so I have laminated road signs that say START STOP CONTINUE CHANGE. I ask participants to go to the last page in their workbooks and challenge themselves in one or more of these areas. Then………be prepared to share with the group! I then ask volunteers to stand and choose one of these road signs (hold it up to the class) and share with the group what they have challenged themselves to do! Melissa Wood Several have added the word SHARE to the quartet. They’ll ask: Who needs you to share the information you learned with them? You can also simplify this into a Traffic Light Debrief and let learners plan what will they do differently when they return to the workplace: Red – STOP DOING Amber – IMPROVE/DO MORE OF Green – START DOING, their own personal action plan! Posted online by Orla Leydon 4. Circle. Square. Triangle. After being presented with new content, asks students to jot down three things: Circle: What’s still going around in your head? What do you still not understand? Square: What’s squared away? What do you really understand? Triangle: What three things could you use in your life, work, or studies? Debrief Activities 5. Think, Pair, Square, Share 1) Individual thinking/reflection time2) Share thoughts with one colleague3) Two pairs form a ‘square’ of four; continue discussion4) One spokesperson shares their groups’ thoughts Posted online by Melanie Rawlings 6. Closing Circle An end-of-the-school-day ritual whereby the teacher sets aside 10 minutes for some calm reflection on the day. The rules are: everyone takes part; they come empty-handed, without backpacks or coats; they are asked to reflect on the day and set goals for the next day, celebrate efforts and accomplishments, and; join together in a playful cheer or song. “Closing Circle,” Responsive Classroom. February 2011> 7. Circular Interviewing This technique can be used as a feedback and consolidation exercise, an ice-breaker, a stand-alone exercise for practicing listening and, more specifically, questioning skills. Have your group sit in a circle, and explain to them: “Each of you will ask the person opposite two OPEN questions. The topic of your first question should be anything related to the purpose of and desired outcomes for the training. The second question must relate to the first answer i.e. you’re developing the other person’s idea and deepening your understanding of it. If you begin a closed question, I’ll simply ask you to reword it. The second questioner will be the person sitting next to the current questioner, and so on around the circle until everybody has asked and been asked two questions.” Posted online by Michael Mallows 8. Tree of Knowledge On a whiteboard or flipchart, draw a tree (just a trunk with branches, no leaves.) Then, give the participants post-its, to write down what they learned to help them grow. Ask participants to stick the notes on the tree. The post-its act like leaves for the tree. The more “leaves,” the more they feel they have learned. To close the activity, I ask the group to remember what the tree looked like without leaves–when they lacked the knowledge gained in training. Then we discuss what we need to do “feed the tree.” To remember and apply our new knowledge, we must start from the roots. This makes a nice segue to the Start, Stop, Continue, Change model. Posted by Kemi 9. A Picture’s Worth . . . / MindMaps / Visual Chunking This has been recommended by several trainers, each putting their own spin on it: For a creative and visual ending, provide delegates with colored pens and plain paper. Ask delegates to create a picture or image representing a key learning point for them. Then, have each share their picture with the group. You can post all of the pictures on the wall as a collage or invite delegates to take the picture away with them. If the group pools together their lessons learned, you might follow up by asking them to create one picture that sums up the learning for the group. Posted by Rosemary Bannister Group the participants, and ask them to sketch and connect the learnings nodes on a flip chart, focusing on graphics, not words. Working in groups is ideal as it allows people to pool their collective wisdom. For your reference, a mindmap, looks like this. “Visually summarizing” material allows individuals to structure their thoughts and improves future recall. Add to it the fun of creatively sketching cartoons, it becomes a good blend of learning+fun. This can also be done over the course of the learning event. Posted online by Alok Sharma Another approach: At the end of information “chunks” or modules, I instruct participants to graphically record the key points of that learning segment on a flip chart (without using written words.) I then ask the individuals or teams to explain their drawings (or Mental Model). “Prizes” can be given out following the wrap-up at the end of the module for things like “scariest mental model,” “most colorful” or “my Kindergartner could do better.” Posted online by Brent Corless 10. Toss the ball Have everyone stand up and form a circle wherein everyone is facing in, looking at each other. The trainer tosses the ball to a person and asks them to tell what they thought was the most important learning concept in the session. They then toss the ball to someone and that person explains what they thought were the most important concepts. Continue the exercise until everyone has caught the ball at least once and explained an important concept of the material just covered. The trainer should jot down memorable points on the board for reference and reinforcement. This activity can be very quick and will keep participants on their toes. Posted by Vidya GV 11. Bingo Ask learners to draw a 3×3 grid on a large sheet of paper, and to number the cells randomly (placing the digit on the top right corner, so as to allow space for writing in the cell). Once the grids are set, call out one of the numbers and ask an accompanying question from topics you want to revisit. When someone has a line or a row filled in with answers (same rules as bingo…) they call out, we check their answers, and then move on. Winners get chocolates or points. Posted by Althea Michael 12. Circle of Competence I tell (remind) people about the four levels (or stages) of competence and ask them what key learning points transitioned from Unconscious or Conscious Incompetence: Unconscious Competence, where we don’t know that we don’t know, so we don’t realize the need for learning. Conscious Incompetence, where we DO know that we don’t know, and realize that we might have to do more or less of something to become more competent. This stage can be very frustrating, especially for people who lack self-confidence or, indeed, those who have so much self-confidence, they don’t think they need to learn anything. Many people give up due to frustration, and they are most likely not to persevere with applying any learning. Conscious Competence, this is also frustrating but in a different way to the previous stage. We get annoyed with ourselves because we are so close to the new learning becoming a well-honed skill, but, being so close can be motivating. Unconscious Competence, now it’s almost second nature, we don’t have to think about it or focus too much attention on applying it. As trainers, we must remember that different approaches are is required depending on which stage somebody is ‘at’.Posted by Michael Mallow 13. Peer-to-Peer Test Have participants write out “two or three questions about the class that they think you would ask if you were giving them a test.” They can use a sheet of paper or write them on flip-chart pads around the room. When they are done, ask the rest of the class to answer the questions. Posted online by Liliana Lucy 14. Mind/Body Connections Getting the whole body involved in an exercise can activate the brain and make the material more memorable. Here are a few Mind/Body review exercises that were shared: GESTURES: Have everyone stand in a circle. Ask them to take a moment to think of one thing they have brought and one thing they will take away from the session. Ask them to match a simple gesture to that skill, feeling, or quality. Have each share their two statements/gestures. As they do, have others in the circle silently mirror each gesture as it is made. The impact is powerful and memorable. (Examples: open hands can equally mean networking, generosity, or honesty). Posted online by Ali Campbell SCULPTURES: Give every participant a piece of clay or play-dough and ask each to give it a shape, as per their learning/take-away from the program. Posted online by Rachita Rai SQUEEZERS: I like to use an assortment of squishy stress balls (e.g. foot, crown, hot hair balloon) that they pick out bags randomly. I tell them that they get points if they can metaphorically link their statements to the object. Bonus points for cheesy links! Posted online by Shirley Gaston 15. Video wrap-up Ask people to commit to doing any one thing they have learned and record it on a video. This is easy now thanks to smartphones. When people commit on a video in front of the entire class, they are more likely to try it out later. Sometimes I’ll even play back the video at a subsequent session. Posted online by Sampath Lyengar KR Another approach with video is to ask teams to create a fun video highlighting their key learning points. You can encourage them to post their video online or share it with colleagues! In the best of all worlds, they’ll view it over and over again. Posted online by Susan Landay 16. I Wish… Draw out goals, challenges,, obstacles, and fixes, by simply asking: What do you wish? Have them fill in the blank: I wish… . Or, have them write each wish on a sticky note. Memorable Moments 17. AH-AH! At the end of the day (or hour), have each person (or team) record their “a hah” learning points on one of the several flip chart pages posted around the room. Encourage group sharing and discussion about those points. I post an “AHA!” Learning chart on the wall in front of the class, clearly visible to everyone. At the beginning of the session, I request that whenever someone feels a new, exciting, useful thought/practice/information is shared, they have to raise their hand and say AHA! aloud. We post that learning point on the AHA!! Learning chart. At the end of the day and end of the training, we summarize our AHA! points. Posted online by Surender Kumar After your group writes their “Aha moments,” ask to add a 5, 10, or Y beside each: 5 means that they will act on those things in the next 5 days 10 means they will act on it within 10 days’ time. Y means “I should have done this yesterday”! Posted online by Sherry Darden 18. One Thing Rather than focusing on a whole slew of learning points, have participants answer this question for themselves: “What is the one thing I learned, which if I start doing now, can make a big difference to my work/output/contribution?” 19. Points to Ponder At the start of the training tell your group to collect one more “points to ponder” over the course of the session. Towards the end of the session, ask that they each share their top three points to ponder. Sharing should include: why these points were selected, how do they plan to implement that learning. Following the discussion, engage the group in a conversation about how they can make it happen: What resources they would need in order to move forward? What time frame would be workable? 20. Snowballing Distribute a sheet with a question at the top & some empty answer boxes. (i.e. “what are the 3 or 4 most important things I learned? or “what are the 3 or 4 most important things to remember if you are (doing “x”)?”. Prompt the group to imagine they are mentoring a junior colleague and encourage them to delve deeper into the ‘nuts & bolts.’ Then: Take a few minutes and have them put their answers in the first box Tell them to find a partner, cut down their combined 6 – 8 answers to 3 – 4 (same time limit again), and record these in the second box. Doing this requires them to explain and justify their choices. For the final phase, work as a whole group. Have a board or flip chart to make group notes & record the final selections. NOTE: 99% of the time, the group will come up with all the points you would have raised yourself (groupthink is not always bad!). Posted online by Chris Taylor 21. Elevator Speech of Learning Encourage the class to look at the bigger picture with a question like, “When you get back to your desk, what’s your 3-second elevator speech to your supervisor and co-workers explaining how what you’ve learned will benefit our customers?” Posted online by Carlene Goldwaite 22. Mnemonics that work OMI or OMG – Posted online by Phyllis Strupp OMI–One Meaningful Idea to implement OMG–One Meaningful Goal to pursue. Keeping TABBs – Posted online by Kavita Iver Takeaway from the ‘event’ Action you will take Barriers that may hinder your progress Benefits of overcoming the barriers and implementing the learning ABC-O – Posted online by Steve Overton ACTION: Based on (whatever you are debriefing) what new or different ACTION will you take? BENEFITS: What BENEFITS will you receive when you take this action? CHALLENGES: What CHALLENGES will you face in implementing this action? OVERCOME: How will you OVERCOME those challenges?” 3 D’s – Posted online by Erin Osborne Ask each attendee to pull out a piece of paper and divide it into 3 sections. On each section, they will make a list 3-5 things that fit each category: Do it — things they feel they need to do, fix, work on Delegate it — things they feel they need some extra help with Drop it — things they feel they worry about and have no control over 23. Thiagi’s “BARNGA” Questions I use the 5 questions from Thiagi’s game called Barnga to debrief any experiential activity: How do you feel? What happened – behaviors. How will my / our behavior change as a result? What advice would you give? How does this relate to work? Posted online by Craig Wallace More good wrap-up questions “What barriers might you run into trying to apply _____? B. What potential solutions can you envision to deal with these? What do you know today, that you didn’t know yesterday, that will serve you tomorrow? What will you do differently as a result of what you learned? What will you share with others you work with? The Commitment If the purpose of the Debrief is to extract the key learning points from the experience, the focus of the Commitment is twofold: to imprint the learning into long-term memory and use it, either as a basis for further learning or to affect behavior change and performance improvement. Commitment to MemoryMany brain-compatible learning sources tout the benefits of common memory tricks such as the development of mnemonics, identification of useful analogies to relate new learning to something they already know, or selective note-taking or underlining. These are all important methods to “commit” new information to memory. Commitment to ChangeAfter new learning is sealed into your mind, either through repetition, mnemonics, story-telling, or emotional engagement with the material, the challenge is using the learning to affect change. Here are a couple of ideas to ensure that learning is taken back into the workplace. Promises, Promises. At the start of class distribute a 3×5 card to every participant. Explain that by the end of the workshop, you’d like each of them to write down one to three ideas they “promise” to do when they go back at work. At the end of the session, ask them to complete their “promise(s)” and share it with other participants. This gives them added incentive to follow through on their commitment to change behavior. Band-Aid or Surgery? At the end of a review, discuss what it would take for learners to put into practice all that they learned. Ask them if their ideas can be put into action. If yes, great. If not, discuss why not. What practices, attitudes, or systems inhibit or enable the implementation of new ideas. In order to implement changes, do other processes need to be fixed? Can they be fixed quickly and easily with a virtual Band-Aid, or is there a hemorrhaging issue that needs more radical attention in order for the learning to take effect? 24. Works Well. Do Differently. This is a useful model for team exercises and soft skills experiential learning. With these two simple questions, facilitators can help their groups to explore what was working and where they can do better. The key is that it frames this self-critical exercise in very positive language. 25. Exit Tickets Show participants an image of a suitcase and ask. “Of all the tools and ideas shared here, what are you putting in your suitcase for your journey back and why?” This debriefing activity can be simple or quite elaborate, involving props and cards depending on the amount of time you have available. Posted online by Kwame Akpokavi Another spin on this was posted online by Crystal Runge. She suggested “When I’m looking to wrap things up quickly I’ll ask for each person’s “ticket out the door,” which is to share one key thing (and no repeats) that they’ll most immediately apply back on the job. It’s a fast round-robin that allows reflection and confirms that the time was well spent. 26. Support Groups I ask people to choose a particular strategy or technique from the day that they want to focus on in their work following the workshop. (They literally choose one – all are printed attractively on slips of paper with a graphic and a short description and laid out on a table.) They are asked to cluster in groups with other people who have chosen the same strategy. Then they are asked to take a few minutes to make a plan about how they will work on the technique they have chosen. They can discuss their plan with someone else and may plan to use each other as resources for actioning the plan. There is space in their workbooks to make some notes. Posted online by Fiona Clapham Howard 27. Letter or Postcard Prep At the end of a workshop, I prepare a letter that reminds participants of the values they listed earlier in the day, and send this to each person (personally addressed to each one), with a resource list and my contact details for any questions. I’m experimenting with making a “word cloud” of the values/attitudes instead, still to be sent to each person later. Posted online by Fiona Clapham Howard NOTE: an additional Postcard option is to have participants pair up and write a postcard to one another. That can be even more fun than writing to yourself! 28. Contract Have participants create a 60-day “contract” where they document: 2 new skills they want to focus on over that time frame 3-5 action steps they will accomplish for each They then select a session member to be their partner to “check in” with over the 60 days and obtain the partner’s signature on the contract. Make two copies-give one to the participant, one to the partner, and I keep one for myself. After 60 days, I mail the contract to the participant as a follow-up and send a note with it. Posted online by Cindy Goodwin 29. “Knowledge IS(N’T) Power” Ask, simply: “How many of you have heard the saying and really believe that KNOWLEDGE IS POWER?” You’ll get a unanimous raise of hands and lots of nods. Then bluntly say, “Well, it isn’t true.” {Pause for a dramatic effect while participants look shocked and confused}. Then continue, “We have gained a lot of knowledge in this training; however it won’t make any difference…it won’t empower you in any way, unless……..???” then participants start filling in the blank with variations of “YOU APPLY IT!” I say, “Yes! So let’s hear how each one of you is going to apply the knowledge gained in order to get real power from it…” Give participants a minute or two to share out loud what they will immediately apply from the training. Posted online by Rahila Narejo 30. What. Who. When. Action Plans Ask your group to fill complete an Action Plan at the end of the training session. Have them write: WHAT is to be done WHO can help WHEN it should be done Posted online by Fayo Williams 31. Magic Lantern Everyone knows what happens when you find a magic lamp. You rub the outside and a genie appears, and (best of all) you get to make three wishes that are guaranteed to come true. Show your group the magic lamp (real or imaginary), and ask them what happens when you rub it. Inform them that you are more likely to have your wishes granted if you say them out loud. Next, invite members of the group to wish for something that will help them implement the day’s learning. As simple as it sounds, simply holding the magic lamp and rubbing it, places participants in a state of anticipation, and often they will share exactly what they hope will happen in the future. This is also great as an opening activity. Encourage them to mention what would make today meaningful or wonderful for them. Courtesy of Jim Cain, Teamwork & Teamplay Conclusion Whether learning happens online or in a classroom, the lesson is the same, key learning points should be repeated, repeated, and repeated. Learning experiences should be “debriefed” in order to call the learner’s attention to the top learning points. And before concluding the experience, facilitators should ask: “What will prevent you or enable you to put the learning into action?” Additional Models and Resources for Debriefing Picking the Perfect Debrief – an infographic eLearn Magazine published an original version of this article. Dr. Roger Greenaway Reviewing Skills

Team Bonding Activities—a stepping-stone to Team Building We’ve been neglecting team building. It hasn’t been on purpose. In fact, we’ve been trying hard to keep our teams together despite physical distancing and the absence of consistent day-to-day interactions. We’ve gotten together over Zoom meetings. spoken by phone, and been really creative when it comes to gathering for shared experiences. Thanks to companies like TeamBonding.com, groups have coalesced through virtual casino nights, online chocolate tasting experiences, building gingerbread houses, and cooking extravaganzas. It’s great. And, unfortunately, it’s quite not enough. We need to start moving from team bonding activities to team building activities. Three Critical Criteria for “Formative Activities” While bringing teams together in such creative ways enables us to enjoy one another and establish shared experiences, these activities are not necessarily helping us deepen relationships. As Augusto Giacoman, author of “The Serious Fun of Shared Experiences, warns, shared experiences are not all created equal. Shared experiences that are high-stress and meaningless (i.e. hazing), or stress-free and meaningless (i.e. cocktail parties), are unlikely to build trust, communication, or shared understanding. For trainers then, our goal is to find “formative experiences”—meaningful activities, even if they do involve a bit of stress. We’re forever on the lookout for those perfect exercises that will both strengthen relationships and improve performance. Whether we’re forming teams, storming, norming or performing, our just-right experiences, must meet these three criteria: Flow-ful (Yes, I made up this word): Activities should transport players into a “flow” where they’re neither bored because the challenge is too easy, nor frustrated because it is too difficult. Low-stakes: Protected by the novelty of a “game,” we want exercises that allow teams to dissect, discuss, and learn, outside of real-life situations. While experiences ought to mimic real-life dynamics, they should eliminate the high-stakes stress. Review-worthy: The debrief or review is the whole reason to bother with team-building exercises. Playing the game is just the beginning. What we take away from the experience is all that matters. How does it help our teams learn about themselves and each other? Have we gained greater understanding of our group’s dynamics? Will our teams bond more closely and be more successful? Team Building is Team Bonding with a Purpose Beyond team building games that are flow-ful, low-stakes, and review-worthy, teams grow more cohesive when they unite to accomplish a shared mission or achieve a significant goal, like a charitable community development project or critical work initiative. But, even with perfectly orchestrated experiences and well-facilitated reviews, groups aren’t guaranteed to evolve into high-performing teams. From Team Building to Team Performance In 2012, Google’s Project Aristotle analyzed over 200 teams to determine the most critical elements contributing to team success. As much as they tried, they couldn’t attribute team success to cohesiveness, friendship, leadership, a mix of skills, process, or any of the other myriad of qualities they scrutinized. The only consistent element they found was the presence of “psychological safety”—the feeling that team members could say or do anything without fear of repercussions, judgment, or negative consequences. In other words, successful teams all created environments in which it was okay to be vulnerable. Brené Brown, a guru on vulnerability research, finds that people are usually reluctant to share their vulnerabilities. This is especially true of work colleagues. Employees typically find it inappropriate or fear their position will be compromised. Ironically, when Brown asks her audiences to think of a time they felt vulnerable or weak, then asks how they would perceive another person in the same situation most consider others to be incredibly courageous. The Role of Vulnerability and Psychological Safety in Team Building The key to emotional bonding and developing strong teams is welcoming vulnerability and fostering psychological safety. Therefore, we must choose team exercises and conduct debriefs that allow people to share thoughts and feelings, challenges, and struggles. We need to ask the hard questions that develop trust and build emotional intelligence. Team Building Activities and Debriefs that Welcome Vulnerability. Some of my favorite team-building games for deeper debriefs include: Colourblind, Jungle Escape, Leadout, Simbols by RSVP, Zin Obelisk, Murder Mystery, and Emergency Delivery Game. Each provides a rich experience, requiring good communication and listening, coordination, multiple roles, and process improvement. In a prior article, The Perfect Debrief for Any Learning Game, we used the “What? So What? Now What?” framework to structure meaningful debriefs for these sorts of games. To achieve deeper interpersonal understanding, however, we need to expand our repertoire of “so what?” questions. Here, we have an opportunity to expand conversations beyond the confines of the game and learn about the personal experiences that shape each team member. For instance: After identifying where the group got hung up and what they did when they struggled, say: Think of another difficult time of life. What did you do to change the situation? Who did you turn to for help? Or, If you saw someone struggling in a similar way, how might you help them? After discussing how a leader emerged in this experience, ask: in other aspects of your life, was there a leader who let you down? What happened and how did you respond? After asking what pushed the group out of their comfort zone, discuss: share another life experience in which you were pushed outside your comfort zone. How did it turn out? From Team Bonding to Team Building We shouldn’t dismiss team bonding. Often, team bonding activities contribute to the development of mutual trust and understanding, paving the way for more intimate conversations. At its best, team bonding will enable us to share our more vulnerable sides. Then we can take relationships to the next steps and explore the formative activities and vulnerabilities that will help us bond even more deeply. Read More… Building Relationships through Vulnerability The Perfect Debrief    

It’s not brain surgery. These 6 brain-science principles for learning, developed by Sharon Bowman, should be used by every trainer and teacher, every day. Period. What’s really cool is that the dozens of active learning techniques explained here can be applied to live or virtual training. You may also notice that many of the activities fall into several of the “trump” categories. 1. Movement trumps Sitting Keep the blood flowing to the brain. Experts suggest we should take breaks every 20 minutes. During online meetings and webinars, consider every 10 minutes! You can incorporate more movement into learning events and meetings by asking participants to: STAND & SHARE – stand up to share a thought, learning, point, or contribution. STRETCH – try a cross-body stretch from a sitting or standing position. WALKABOUT – move about to share ideas, post a reminder note on a mirror or at your workstation, or locate a partner. WRITE – DRAW – DOODLE – FIDGET – really any movement is better than sitting still. I still hear Mr.s Driscoll, my first-grade teacher, asking us all to sit still. If only she understood then what we know now. Sometimes we need a little encouragement to get off our bums (for those who are able), but the minimal effort is worth it. 2. Talking trumps Listening Bowman asserts that the one doing the most talking generally does the most learning. Make that be the students. The technique is effective for several reasons. When people speak their thoughts, they begin to own them. Then, as the words become their own, they start to believe and remember them. Talking exercises include: REPEAT AFTER ME – This may sound silly, but it works. Try saying the 6 trumps aloud. TRADING PLACES (a.k.a. TEACHBACKS) – have individual students or groups study a topic on their own, then teach it to the others. BALL TOSS – Catch a ball (real or virtual) and express a learning point, “ah-ha” moment, or detail you hope to remember. CHAT – discuss answers and observations with colleagues at your table or in an online breakout room 3. Images trump Words Vision is humans’ primary sense and we think in images first. To make training memorable, build in activities that tie the content to visual images. For instance: DRAW IT – request that the group draw an icon to represent the top 3 concepts. It makes it no less powerful if you draw the icon first and ask them to replicate it. If you want to remember the 6 brain-science trumps that every trainer should know, try drawing each of the icons in the infographic. METAPHOR MAGIC – display images of photos, using either an online selection of photos or a card deck, and have participants select an image that relates to their thoughts or observations about the topic you just taught. Have them share that explanation with a small group or partner. You could alternatively have them select an object in the room to use as their metaphor. METAPHOR MEMENTOS – if you use fidget toys, squeeze balls, or bendable or moldable materials, have learners create a shape or object that will remind them of important learning points. Be sure they take it with them. If you’re doing online learning, consider including a memento in a pre-session care package. 4. Writing trumps Reading Writing has the combined benefits of being visual and requiring movement. We know that people love their devices — phones, tablets, computers — but welcome them to fall in love again with a favorite pen, marker, or notebook. Guide the group to take notes on specific topics that are important to recall. Consider these activities: NOTE TAKING – tell them to jot notes in a notebook or even in a graphic organizer, full of pictures and color. If a point is particularly important, say “write this down” and then pause to give them time to write. SQUEEZE TOYS – many foam squeeze toys will accept pen and permanent marker writing. Ask learners to draw or write on their squeeze ball, so that they’ll remember these points when they see it on their desk or pick it up to use it. NOTE COLORING – have learners review their notes and append them with colorful underlines; circle key points; draw lines to connect related topics; star or highlight “next steps.” 5. Shorter trumps Longer Some say we can stay focused for the number of minutes that match our age. 30 years old . . . 30 minutes. Others say this is hogwash and that EVERYONE benefits from frequent breaks. I expect it’s due to lots of reasons. Our primitive brains evolved to react to interruptions and changes. Moreover, with today’s barrage of beeping phones and commercial messaging, we’re not accustomed to focusing for long periods of time. An added benefit of sticking with shorter learning segments is that studies show people tend to remember beginnings and endings more than middles. Consequently, you’re likely to retain more information from three 10-minute lectures than one 30-minute presentation. To break up longer presentations, try interspersing some of these activities: QUICK PASS – moving quickly from person to person, have each one restate a concept they just heard PAIR-SHARE – take 2 minutes for participants to turn to each other and articulate a learning concept they hope to remember STRETCH & WRITE – invite the group to stand up (if they’re able), ask one person to lead the group in a quick stretch (arms, legs, perhaps a yoga pose), then ask them to jot a note or circle a concept in their notes that is particularly relevant. 6. Different trumps Same Habituation is the idea that we stop noticing and paying attention to anything that’s not new. When you first put up a new picture or hang new curtains in your house, you can’t stop looking at and noticing them. But, after time, they stop capturing your focus. Psychologists define it as the “diminishing response to a frequently repeated stimulus.” As trainers embrace the “shorter trumps longer” teaching principle, they can’t simply default to using the same activities every time. Of course, it would be easier that way, but also less effective. You can easily change each of these quick activities: BRAIN BREAKS – take a complete mental break from the material with a stretch, breathing exercise, chat prompt (i.e. are you a vanilla or chocolate person), or puzzler. TrainersEXCHANGE has oodles of prompts at the ready. STAND-GROUP-SHARE-WALK – change the numbers of people in the groups, change the topic to discuss, or how they move about the room. Have individuals turn in circles, walk clockwise or counter-clockwise around the room, move to each corner of the room, go outside, etc. 6 Brain-Science Principles for Learning The ways to embrace the 6 brain-science principles for learning are truly endless. I’ve shared a bunch here, but once you get the hang of it, I’m sure you’ll be creating your own clever exercises, graphic note pages, and more.

Several weeks ago, I asked the folks in our new Trainers Community, “What’s your greatest professional challenge?” From the dozens of replies, a single theme emerged: CHANGE. I suppose this won’t come as a surprise to anyone. The training industry has changed as profoundly as everything else the pandemic touched. Our colleagues are starting new positions, reinventing curricula, and adapting to online/virtual formats. With all the upheaval, change management exercises and activities couldn’t be more in demand. By nature, change comes in multiple dimensions and has many faces. But no matter what the change is, a myriad of emotions—both negative and positive—follow. Excitement, anticipation, and hope, as well as fear, loss, and angst. A range of Change Management Activities can help participants: Articulate fear of change Understand different approaches to change Manage resistance to change Identify opportunities for change Develop new skills Develop plans for future action I’ve curated these favorite Change Management activities and tools from subject matter experts far and wide, including consultants, therapists, practitioners, bloggers, and consultants and sorted them into a handful of categories: Defining Discomfort Metaphor Toolkits Simulation Games Change Management Conversation Starters Meaningful Words & Images 1. Defining Discomforts Trading Places This may sound like a simple exercise, but people quickly become accustomed to their seat selection and choose the same seat each time they enter a room. If not the same chair, perhaps they tend toward a right or left side, or gravitate to familiar faces. After your group has gotten settled, ask them to stand up and find a different seat, with different tablemates. Debrief the activity by exploring what created discomfort; what they see differently from their new vantage point; how the simple experience of changing seats mirrors the challenge of deeper life changes. Force Fields Choose an upcoming change to evaluate and write it up on a whiteboard. Below and to the left, write the header: Forces FOR change Below and to the right, right the header: Forces AGAINST change Have your identify specific pros and cons, as they consider the pending change. Analyze ways to mitigate the negatives and strengthen the positives. Arm Cross Switcharoo Ask the group to comfortably cross their arms. Next, ask them to do it the other way. Quickly, they realize that doing something differently feels very strange at first, but the longer they do it, the less foreign it feels. Crossed + Uncrossed Crossing your arms non-verbally communicates hesitance and reluctance. When groups are facing a change together, gauge their feelings about different aspects of the transition. As you articulate a variety of statements about an upcoming change, ask them to indicate their feelings about crossed and uncrossed arms. You can quickly gauge the group and discuss the aspects causing the most consternation. 2. Metaphor Toolkits Change is such a common challenge for leaders and managers, that several consultants have created toolkits to help companies implement organizational change. These rubrics are helpful across a range of changes and transitions. Square Wheels The simple Square Wheels cartoon leads people to consider whether and how the image reflects the way organizations often work. Through the analysis, they look for opportunities for improvement in situations or processes. Who Moved My Cheese This is a parable of two mice who are faced with a looming issue—soon they will be out of cheese. What will they do? One is paralyzed by fear; the other explores the maze looking for a new source of cheese. The Who Moved My Cheese book and accompanying articles lead groups to consider how they face change. 3. Simulation Games All Change, by Northgate The All Change change management training activity sets up a simple situation: an organization, spread across two sites in the city is about to move to a single site, outside the city. The move will cause disruption in a number of ways. For some staff, it will mean a longer commute, for all it will mean moving from a city-base to a rural environment. The computer systems to be installed at the new location is familiar to staff in one of the two sites, but not the other. More staff are to be recruited and some job roles will change. The changeover is due to take place in one year’s time. Faced with this situation teams are asked a crucial question: What major considerations and challenges can you identify for a smooth and seamless transition to the new site – and exactly how would this work? Introducing Change™, by Northgate In part one of the Introducing Change simulation, participants working individually, complete a Change Questionnaire for discussion in plenary session with the Trainer. It serves to focuses attention on change issues and bring any prejudices and mistaken ideas out into the open. In part two participants, as management teams, have specific changes to implement in their organization. How will they introduce change to staff, what and who will they take into account, how will they schedule the changes? They must identify the key factors in bringing about a smooth implementation and decide on the best way of communicating with staff. At the end of the task, teams present their ideas and plans, either in feedback sessions or, more dynamically, by presenting the changes as if addressing their target audience. Change Reaction Assessment & Workshop by HRDQ Change Reaction is an assessment tool managers and team leaders use to understand individuals’ personal reactions to change. The instrument consists of 24-questions, designed to illuminate typical responses to change and ways to manage effectively change. 4. Change Management Conversation Starters Sometimes people just need to talk. Having a handful of well-conceived discussion prompts can help those facing change to articulate Onward & Upward Thumball The focus of the Onward and Upward Thumball is resilience – moving beyond current challenges, toward future opportunities. For anyone going through a change in their life, the challenge is often to move beyond the past experience toward an unknown future. This ball includes 32 conversation prompts, which can be used for teams or individuals experiencing change, such as: Who do you turn to, when the going gets tough? One way I could stay healthy is to… Person/people I’d like to connect with During what activities do you lose track of time? My most important relationships The “silver lining” of a challenging time You can depend on someone like me to … Where do you find spiritual strength? “Rules/norms” I’d like to do away with The hardest thing about trying something new Happiness at Work Thumball The Get Happy at Work Thumball discussion prompts help create a more positive workplace by allowing colleagues to share goals, discuss challenges, and build relationships. During times of change, focusing on topics such as Positive Emotion, Engagement, Meaning, Accomplishments, and Relationships, is critical to building new relationships. The 32 prompts on this ball include: My biggest work challenge right now and how I’m addressing it A good thing I accomplished last week A recent experience that led to my greatest learning The work that’s most meaningful to me What are your personal and professional goals? A new challenge I hope to take on at work? My top priorities for the day/week How have you progressed toward a current goal? What risk would you take if you knew you couldn’t fail? C = DVF > R Todd Wilmore shared this tip on LinkedIN as a way to help us see when it’s time to bite the bullet and have those tough conversations. “I learned this formula from Dave Gleicher and it was later popularized by Dick Beckhard (Beckhard & Harris, 1987). It may be a way to introduce the need to communicate without forcing the issue.Begin by sharing the formula above on a flip chart or power point. Ask them if they know what it means and if they understand the algebraic term (> means greater than) Explain each part one at a time. If the formula is not balance properly, the initiative will fail or be less effective.” C=DVF>R C = Desired Change – In your case, strategic initiativeD = Dissatisfaction – If teams are satisfied with the current situation they will be less likely to change.V = Vision of the Future – You have to have a team that is passionate and committed. Help them see the futureF = Needed First Step – (and next step and next step …) R = Resistance to Change – There are always barriers, excuses, limiters, a natural resistance to learn new ways and change. Identify them by asking and leverage them. In other words, change happens only if Dissatisfaction, Vision for the Future, and First Steps are GREATER THAN Resistance to Change. DVF together still may not be enough to make change happen if the R is too great. At the end, have them choose one initiative and discuss each part of the formula and how well they have made efforts to balance the formula to succeed. ~ Todd Wilmore I appreciate Todd’s contribution and perspective. The mathmetician in me wonders if were to to give Dissatisfaction, Vision, First Steps, and Resistance numerical values, if we would need to sum D + V + F, or multiply their value, D x V x F. I’m gonna go with addition, but welcome others input! Recognizing Change, Trainer Bubble In Quick Change activity, you will arrange participants into pairs and ask them to face each other. Then ask them to take a good look at the person in front of them and memorise what that person is wearing. Next, ask them to face away from each other and change five things about themselves (typically people remove an item). After they have done this, ask the pairs to turn and face each other again and identify what has changed about their partner.Review – in review, ask participants how easy it was to make changes. The important thing to note is that most people associate ‘change’ as removal or loss of things. How many people actually added something to change their appearance? In life, we tend to associate change with loss. However, the reality is that change can also include gain.Your group may also find that larger changes are much more disruptive than small ones. 5. Meaningful Words and Images Quotations about Change Trainer Bubble Quotes on Change: Use famous quotes for inspiration and discussion starters. Ask, what do these words mean to you? Trainers EXCHANGE: see Growth and Learning quotes Photographic images Decks of images are incredibly powerful to help participants articulate their feelings. Have each person locate an image that reflects their current feeling. Have them share their selection with one person or the group at their table. Rather than putting one person on the spot, by asking them to share their selection, ask the group to summarize the range of feelings. Beyond Change Management Activities and Exercises In addition to the range of Change Management tools that help managers, team leaders, and trainers develop the skills necessary to implement change effectively, we invite you to explore this set of Coaching Tools. Coaching card decks, conversation prompts, and exercises can help individuals and teams “grow.” To hone in on your GOALS and vision of success, understand the REALITY of current challenges, explore and prioritize OPTIONS, and Discover WAYS FORWARD.

I grew up doing gymnastics. I wasn’t Olympics material, but I was pretty good at the time and even won a few medals at state competitions. Over the years, I certainly did my share of falling off the beam and the bars. I practiced hundreds of backflips before I could do one that didn’t look like a whip back. In one competition, my mis-footing on the vault caused me to go under the horse instead of over it. You get the idea—learning a craft isn’t pretty. And, in a sport like gymnastics, whether you stick your landing or fall on your butt, it’s all on you. Back then, I didn’t know anything about a psychological safety net for athletes. As a gymnast, dancer, skater, skier, I always regretted that I didn’t participate in a team sport. That is, until now. Until Simone Biles withdrew from her Olympics gymnastic competition and showed the world what being a teammate is all about. In individual sports, we may be on our own, but we aren’t alone. We’re still part of a team. Psychological Safety Nets for Athletes A few years ago, Google conducted a 2-year study of more than 200 teams, Project Aristotle. Their goal was to understand the factors contributing to team success. I also recently read Gina LaRoche and Jennifer Cohen’s book, The Seven Laws of Enough. Gina and Jen remind us that nobody gets to where they are on their own—even Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk. Behind every successful person is a team of individuals who pick up the slack, care for family members, provide a roof or a meal, encouragement, leeway, or security. In the Google study, researchers found just one constant that differentiated high-performing teams from others, and it wasn’t just about the skills of the team members. Overwhelmingly, successful teams felt they had “psychological safety.” That is, individual team members believed they wouldn’t be punished or suffer negative consequences if they made a mistake. I’ll reiterate, the research explored team success, not individual success. Suni Lee’s Psychological Safety Net Let’s flip back (pun intended) to our gymnasts, Sunisa Lee and Simone Biles. A day after Ms. Biles withdrew from the competition, Ms. Lee won the Women’s Gymnastics All-Around Gold Medal. Without taking anything from Suni’s amazing individual accomplishment, let us recognize the power of a teammate who was 100% behind her – a teammate who herself felt safe and supported enough to tell the world she was withdrawing in order to care for her mental well-being. Biles didn’t leave or hide. She stayed to cheer for and encourage her team. We also saw the tremendous support of Ms. Lee’s extended family. It’s inarguable that Suni Lee had an amazing psychological safety net. Might it have contributed to her success in Toyko? We may never know for sure, but it sure would be interesting to study further! Creating Psychological Safety Nets for your Team Sometimes safety nets happen organically when one person decides to open up and share thoughts, feelings, or a personal challenge they’re facing. Short of that, team leaders wishing to create safe spaces can set the tone by modeling openness, embracing risk, withholding judgment and criticism, and inviting vulnerability. Often, it comes down to engaging in rich conversation, building trust, and listening. To get on the right track, consider some Trainers Warehouse conversation starters, such as Thumballs, UNZiP-IT! Decks, and photographic card decks. PHOTO CREDIT: U.S. gymnast Suni Lee competes in floor exercise during the women’s all-around final. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) Read more… Team Building Activities Conversation Starter Decks Emotional Intelligence Activities and Exercises

Last week, my colleague George told me a story he’d heard recently. The set-up sounds like a joke, but I swear it’s true. A company president and marketing VP walk into an elevator at their high-rise office building. Neither had been to the office in over 15 months. The elevator doors close and they each go to press the button for their floor. They gaze at each other, quickly realizing that neither could remember what floor their office was on! As we shift back to “normal,” let’s anticipate the back-to-work transitions we’ll face and prepare ourselves with a few tricks. My nephew Ben told me another story, about his first meeting in the office since he started a new job, during COVID. Previously, having only met with colleagues on Zoom, one fellow associate scanned his tall 6’4″ frame and said, “gosh, I imagined you were 5’10” or so.” Ben’s height doesn’t matter, but feeling like your colleagues know you surely does. I’m guessing we all have these stories. As the U.S. returns to at-office work, in-person meetings, and live training, we’re charting new ground–reinventing what “hybrid” means, meeting and re-meeting colleagues, and developing new skills after a long hiatus. Try these tricks to ease back-to-work transitions: 1. Reacquaint yourselves to ease back-to-work transitions Spend time reconnecting with each other. “Break bread” and start chatting–use Thumballs, UNZiP-IT! decks, or Unzip it Remote PPTs for light or meaty topics, depending on the needs of your group. For instance, you might ask: How do you like to spend “downtime”? What are your goals for the next few months? What was your greatest challenge/loss over the past year? Reflect on any silver linings or happy memories that resulted from the year’s challenges 2. Build teams through back-to-work games Just as spousal and family relationships need work every now and then, teams do too. Whether returning to work after a sabbatical, long vacation, or global pandemic, we humans need to take stock and invest time into reuniting with our colleagues. Over the course of extended absences, lots can shift around, including needs, processes, and participants. Using games can ease back-to-work transitions by giving participants shared experiences to dissect, digest, and discuss. Team building exercises like these are a vital part of the complete employee engagement program and are a tried and tested method for improving cohesion and boosting morale as well. Conduct non-threatening games that enable you to focus conversations on these important topics: Communication and listening skills – Colourblind is one of our favorite experiences to debrief and reflect on clear communication techniques. Leadership and team roles – Pipelines challenges groups to work together to pass a ball through an obstacle course without dropping the ball. Doing so requires coordination, strategy, and leadership. Systems and processes – Simbols by RSVP Games playfully challenges groups to figure out new ways to coordinate efforts under time pressure. Creative thinking – After working so hard to maintain the status quo through intense periods of uncertainty, we now need to challenge ourselves to try all kinds of new things. Seeing the Point requires inter-team collaboration and out-of-the-box thinking. 3. Address stress associated with back-to-work transitions After being away from each other for a long time and lacking face-to-face connections, we ought to check in with one another’s emotional stability and happiness. The following range of tools helps key into the emotional well-being of colleagues: Emotional Intelligence activities – the EQ Game, Developing Emotional Intelligence Coaching Cards, and EI Skills Assessment are wonderful resources for building EQ. Stress relief exercises – beyond squeeze balls, and Dammit Dolls, the Stress Management conversation prompts found on the Thumball, and UNZiP-IT! deck can surface causes of stress, make those topics discussable, and identify ways to alleviate stress. Change affects every person differently, but to strengthen our bonds and reinvigorate our workplaces, we must proactively manage our back-to-work transitions. By working together, we will discover new ways to fortify each other. We will improve working relationships and improve our effectiveness in the workplace. Read More to Ease Back-To-Work Transitions Communication and Listening Exercises Stress Relief / Stress Management Activities

Signage is everywhere, indoors and out — on roads, buildings, doors, windows, even in our homes. Signs alert us to information, rules, safety, and more. Consuming over 10,000 messages a day, our first instinct might be, “NO MORE!” But, let’s distinguish signage from marketing ads and appreciate the important (and welcome) role of signage, beyond welcome signs. Warm Welcomes beyond Welcome Signs Use signage to create feelings Apart from marketing and selling, signage serves a myriad of functions. Of course, signs tell people where to go, what to do, and what to expect. In training and learning environments, signs welcome, direct, divide, and orient visitors. But, beyond those particular messages, signage shapes how people feel. Think about the signs that litter the buildings, stores, and dwellings you enter each day. Some quickly put you at ease; others put you on edge. It all depends on the messaging and presentation. Welcome signs can feel less than welcoming, just as warning signs can be made to feel less ominous. These are some favorites: For wearing masks: We love your smile, but please keep it covered. Or: If you come in without a mask, we’ll have to take your temperature (sorry, we only have rectal thermometers). For bathrooms: We AIM to please. You AIM, too, please. For parks and yards: I don’t use your yard as a restroom, please don’t let your pet use mine. Craft welcoming messages To create signage that truly feels welcoming, embrace these six guidelines: Show visitors you’re expecting them – If you expect just a few people, consider personalized messages. Even if you have lots of students or visitors, consider each person’s individual experience. Develop signage that promotes a sense of belonging. Reduce confusion & uncertainty – put people at ease. Those entering unfamiliar territory appreciate clear, direct, easily visible signage. If you don’t already use them, consider signage that communicates expected wait times, locations, directions, and protocols. Create signs that instill a sense of calm. Be specific, as well. If you ran “out to lunch,” be specific about the time you’ll be back. Remember your manners and use humor – say “Please,” “Sorry,” and “Thank you.” Even for warnings, or signs that may cause inconvenience, these words of kindness and humor can soften the message. “SHHHH!!!,” for instance can feel quite different from “Please, LOL elsewhere.” Alleviate stress – the saying goes, “when in Rome, do as the Romans,” but you can’t do as the Romans if don’t know what they do. Not knowing norms and expectations can be stressful. Using signage to explain how things work is welcoming. You might also want to explain why–for safety, custom, convenience, expedience, etc. Strive for simplicity and clarity – avoid signs that might be ambigous or diffcult to understand. Simple language, images, and organization help make signage an “easy read.” The easier signs are to read, the more welcoming they feel. Create visual appeal – while gaudy looking signs might be effective at catching attention, they might not be the best way to create an inviting environment. Depending the message, consider signs that visually draw you in. These six rules of thumb can put people at ease and make feel truly welcome. Design Clear Signage With these guidelines in place, designers also recommend the following tips when it comes to designing signage. No explanation because these before and after examples speak for themselves! Use “White” space – avoid clutter and remember “less is more” Easy-to-read fonts – select fonts that are easy on the eye; consider ease of reading upper and lower case letters. Also, limit the number of fonts used in a single sign Contrasting colors – choose colors that stand out and complement one another Concise messaging – keep it simple and focus on the most important messages Use symbols – if symbols are well known, use them! Add a border to draw the eye to your message Make sure signage can’t be missed! Determine WHERE to place signs Once you’ve developed your message and designed an easy-t0-read sign, you’re not quite done. If nobody sees your sign, it doesn’t matter how good it is! To be sure you place your sign in a location that can’t be missed: Choose a high-visibility location – know how traffic flows and think about where you would look for information Don’t compete with other messaging – if your sign is burried amidst lots of other information, it could be missed Set the sign at an appropriate height – if your sign will be in a crowded place, it might need to be higher than you think. If placed too high, however, if might not be in the line of sight of your intended audience. Set up multiple signs – one sign may not be enough. Like trail blazes on a hike, follow-up signs should be visible before the prior sign is out of sight. For directions, be sure to set up a sign at every turn. When it comes to instructions, a first sign might be posted to set expectations or give advanced warning. A second sign should then be place when and where the action will be taken. Decide HOW to post signs Signage and sign stands do not need to be expensive. Using Trainers Warehouse Floor Stands, Table Stands and DocU-Sleeves, place signs wherever you need them. The easiest way to create a sign in a flash, it to draw it on a write-on, wipe-off surface. Use white or lightly-colored paper inside a DocU-Sleeve and write your message with a dry-erase marker. To make a change, quickly wipe it clean and re-write the sign. Second easiest is to create a document on the computer and print it out on standard sized paper. Slide the sheet into a DocU-Sleeve or other sheet protector and post on a wall or in a sign stand. Finally, you can work with a sign printing company to design and/or print your signs. While this solution is more costly, getting help with the design might end up saving you time. Sign printers will also have the equipment to print in large formats and on a range of materials included cardboard and fabric. Signing off on Welcome Signs Despite the abundance of marketing messages that bombard us every day, signage plays an important role in setting a tone, sculpting the way people feel about their environment, and communicating critical information. Experienced and novice sign makers are wise to consider the feelings they hope to project with the message they’re sending. They must design signs with smart messaging and graphics, then post them where they can’t be missed, with Trainers Warehouse Floor and Table Stands, plus ever versatile DocU-Sleeves.