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Trainers Warehouse provides tips and tools for effective assertiveness exercises. These assertive vs. aggressive communication exercise options provide trainers with high-quality activities and empower them to perform their jobs more effectively. In addition, those participating in assertiveness exercises can, at times, experience the benefits of increased self-confidence. Following is a compilation of our favorite assertiveness tips and assertiveness group therapy activities. The language helps make Assertiveness Exercises Effective There are different frameworks through which to view assertive and non-assertive behavior. The following are but two. 1) One is based on behaviors being characterized as Passive, Aggressive, Passive-Aggressive, and Assertive. 2) The second distinguishes these psychological stances: Dependent, Counter-Dependent, Independent, and – rarest of all – Interdependent. Familiarity with these related concepts will help you and your trainees have a deeper understanding (and recognition of themselves and others). “Introverted behavior is not by itself a particularly good indicator of non-assertive or passive behavior, this is doubly true if one looks at behavior of ISTJ’s or (even more) INTJ’s. Don’t mistake not being outspoken on a regular basis for lack of assertiveness. Conversely, ENFP’s may talk and interact a lot, but often take a stance of being (compulsive) helpers, lieutenants instead of captains, etc.” Others expressed that level of assertiveness can, at times, be linked to self-confidence.” ~Arthur Lerner To make this fun, you can discuss a variety of TV characters that fit each of these profiles. You can also how would “X” respond to a situation such as someone sitting in their pre-assigned seat. ~ Posted online by Susan Goldstein Assertive vs Aggressive Communication Exercises Two ways to enter a circle Right off the bat, before sharing names or “stats”, have your group stand in a circle for two “meetings.” The first time, ask them to go to the center of the circle as if they were getting onto an elevator. Of course, they will all be reserved and full of “excuse me” and keeping our bodies, eyes, and voices mostly to ourselves. After a quick “What was that like?” (2 min max), have them enter the circle as if they were arriving at a reunion or a party where they were happy seeing folks we hadn’t seen in a long time. Suddenly, you will see eye contact, handshakes, hugs, happy greetings with inviting questions. This is a great discussion starter — seeing how drastically different behavior is for the different settings, and how each of us actually felt more comfortable with the group, even though we still didn’t know each other’s names. 🙂 ~ Posted online by Dawn Walker-Elders An Assertiveness Exercise for Small Group Discussions Plan small group activities where groups report back. Typically, it’s easier for introverts to talk in groups of 3 or 4. You could assign each group to identify and demonstrate common behavior patterns for different types of people — aggressive, assertive, passive, etc. They can discuss eye contact, physical space, stance, etc.) ~ Posted online by Stephanie Legatos Handling Aggression – a planned outbreak! One of my favorite assertive vs aggressive communication exercises involves staging a “planned outbreak.” Unbeknownst to the participants, I have someone primed to burst into the room claiming angrily that they have booked this meeting room and can we please leave so they can set up. Then we will’ freeze’ the ‘intruder’ and discuss different options for responding to this aggressive outburst, before trying each one out to see what effect it has. ~Posted online by Sue Duraikan Assertive Communication Skills Activities Discuss leadership strengths and opportunities Identify opportunities for leadership growth and practice talking assertively about these meaningful topics. Just toss the ball and talk about the topic under your thumb. The ball is playful, yet raises meaningful conversation topics. Get a whole audience to stand up I once attended a workshop where there were about 80 people and the facilitator had us come out to the front of the audience one by one – the aim was for us to get the audience to stand up …..it was amazing, very few people could actually get them to stand up – this demonstrated the difference between aggressive people (no-one stood); passive people (no-one stood) and assertive people – the audience stood. And he gave none of us any directions. ~ Posted online by Ann Andrews Incorporating Practice and Role Play into Assertiveness Exercises 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”, “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 Try Non-verbals Working in triads each person communicates emotion with only non-verbal language. The two others try to determine which emotion is being communicated. As the practice goes round the triad, each gains skill in using congruent non-verbals, and each strengthens skills in recognizing and interpreting emotion. In fact, non-verbal is often the strongest part of the message. ~Posted online by Margo The Chair (or chocolates) Ask someone who you feel is fairly strong and able to behave assertively to sit on a chair in the middle of the room. Select 4 other people and assign them a behaviour type – assertive, aggressive, passive, passive-aggressive and advise them that their task is to persuade the person on the chair to relinquish the chair. It puts the behvaiours you have already discussed into context. I have always found that it works extremely well. ~Posted online by Fosties A variation on this “assertive vs aggressive communication exercise” is to give the person in the chair a box of chocolates and have people take turns getting them to share those. Fists Assertiveness exercises like this one will help people draw the line between assertiveness and aggression. Split the group into pairs. Half the members will receive one set of instructions; the other half a different set of instructions. Person A’s instructions read: Person B will make a fist. You MUST get that fist open.Person B’s instructions read: make a fist. Person A is going to attempt to get you to open your fist. You must NOT open your fist unless he/she asks you politely and assertively. Most people will try to pry their fingers open, which is why I added the caveat about physical contact. ~Posted online by Karyn R Ask Line . . . “NO” Line Assertiveness exercises can teach important skills like negotiation. Often assertiveness is hard when you face a challenge or need to ask for something. For that reason, I like this Negotiation exercise. The participants form two lines. One line is the “Asking Line.” They ask for anything from a pay raise, extra resources, time off, etc. The other line is the “No Line.” Their job is to say no. Encourage them to be realistic in their delivery but to find a reason to say no. The Ask Line is then forced to ASK a what, how, or why ONLY question that forces the No Line to elaborate. In this assertive vs aggressive communication exercise, no “yes/no answers” are allowed! The Ask Line then reformat their ask with the new information from the No Line. The No Line then offers the honest reconsideration of the request. The facilitator coaches participants one at a time, but each pair goes fairly quickly. This really helped us overcome the anxiety of the No and cultivated our ability to bounce back and be assertive by asking probing questions and re-stating the Ask. The lines then switch. (Source of activity Ji Eun (Jamie) Lee at a Smith College Women’s Leadership Conference,https://jieunjamie.com/work/). ~ Posted online by Nathalie Ais Sample Situations for Assertiveness Exercises and Training Here are a handful of examples of situations, (sound threatening and some not), together with one or more possible responses. During these assertiveness group therapy activities, ask your group to identify whether the response is assertive, passive, or aggressive. Alternatively, ask if they can think of a better way to respond. For example: Situation #1: The barmaid serves you the wrong drink in the pub. Response: “What do you call this? I asked for a shandy, not lager – get your act together, love.” Situation #2: A new colleague, with whom you share an office, smokes continuously. You dislike the smell of smoke. Response: “Gosh, I’ve really got a headache, but then smoky atmospheres always bring on my migraine.” Situation #3: You are feeling put upon at work and decide to ask for a higher grade. Response: “I’d like to talk about my grade with you. Please could we meet next week to discuss it further?” Situation #4: You are waiting to pay for some shopping but the two sales assistants at the till are deep in conversation and appear to be ignoring you. Situation #5: Your employer expects you to take on extra work but your existing workload is already very heavy. Situation #6: You make a mistake at work and your supervisor tells you off in a very abrupt and angry manner.   For more on assertiveness group therapy activities and passive Aggressive behavior in the workplace, explore this infographic from Visme.

Stress management is a frequent topic on LinkedIn and so many have shared their wonderful exercises and activities. Here are some that stood out as most “liked.” Stress Management Activities 1. Stress for Success This is a useful exercise to explore the importance of creating systems, staying organized, mindfulness, not trying to do too much at once. IMPLEMENTATION: Ask participants to stand and form circles of about five to eight people. Give each group one stress ball. Let them know that each player must remember who they throw the ball to next. When you say, “go,” Player 1 will toss the ball to another team member. Players should continue passing the ball from person to person until everyone on the team has received the ball just once. (Do not have them throw to the same person twice until all members have gotten it first.) The last person in the group to receive the ball should toss it back to Player 1. Remembering the original sequence of tosses, the team should circulate the ball again, a little faster the second time. Repeat the sequence until that group has it down pat. When they do, introduce another ball—then another, and then another, until you have 5-6 balls in rotation. It will become quite a circus when balls start dropping and rolling, but encourage them to pick them up and keep going. FACILITATING THE EXERCISE: If there is only one group, you can be part of the group. However, if you have more than one group, you should move around the room and feed them extra balls. PROCESSING: After about five minutes, have everyone sit down and identify what they can learn from the activity. Strategy – besides understanding the difficulty of juggling so many balls, what did they learn they had to do to be successful? Mindfulness – How many thought of what they would eat for dinner, etc.? This is a great lesson on mindfulness, as people are totally in the present, and thus would be an ideal activity for DBT groups when addressing the subject of mindfulness. Overcommitting – Point out that life is like this activity—we all juggle many things at one time, sometimes taking on more than we can handle. When we do, we tend to “drop the ball.” Focus – We need to stay focused on the task at hand. If we focus too much on the past, the stress balls will pound and bombard us if we are not alert. Posted online by Judith Belmont 2. Straw Activity Take a straw and place it horizontally on the table. Now hold both ends firmly and start twisting them in such a manner that they overlap each other and form an air bubble at the center. Now ask a volunteer to step forward and burst the straw air bubble with a thumb or finger (as if hitting the stricker on the carrom board). The bubble with burst and will create a lot of noise. Debrief: Human beings are like straws, bottling up stress & tension, which we consider as a part of our lives and routine, we become fragile over a period of time and with the slightest ‘tick’ will burst. It’s healthy to admit and recognize your individual triggers to de-stress, which allows us to bounce back!!! Posted online by Pooja Whig 3. Start talking! A useful starting point may be to introduce a tool such as the stress drivers questionnaire that the whole team can do together and to use this as a basis for starting a conversation. Posted online by Deryl Dix 4. Stress Management Thumball – a Stress Management Activity FAVORITE! The Stress-Management Thumball is an excellent way to initiate conversations about the causes and remedies of stress. See sample discussion prompts here. 5. Consider the Consequences One interesting thing about stress is that in 90% of cases there isn’t anything to actually stress you up, but the very thought gives stress. And it’s all cooked up stories in our own minds. For example, I have yet not shared my report with the boss, but since I know him to be really crooked, I keep thinking about his various possible reactions and consequently get stressed. Here is an activity that helps to understand that: Ask participants to think about something that gives them stress. Ask them to think about various consequences and reactions that might take place. They keep thinking about the same for approximately 5 minutes. You may give them directions to intensify the thought. All of a sudden SAY – Stop thinking. Ask them how do they feel. Ask- has anything of that yet happened? And so stress in most cases is just your own mental makeup. The more you think about something, the more stress it will cases. The important step here is to catch yourself while cooking stressful thoughts and remind yourself that nothing has happened yet. So let’s just prepare. Posted online by Richa Sahay 6. Help from Colleagues This exercise works best with a team that already works together. I use it halfway through the day – usually after lunch. Get everyone to write their name at the top of a piece of paper. Then add the following:- What I need my colleagues to do when I’m stressed is …. (fill in the blank) What I need my colleagues NOT to do when I’m stressed is … (fill in the blank) The information is collated and every member of the team is given a copy for future reference. I have seen huge turnarounds with teams using this exercise. The understanding that occurs through discussion in the workshop is amazing because people recognize very quickly that we all have different needs and should never assume that what you need/don’t need is the same as for others. Posted online by Gail Page 7. Quick Calm Deep Breathing Exercises Quick Calm is an easy deep-breathing exercise that I use with every audience. I have an audio demo of it on my homepage: https://www.thestresscoach.com There’s a trainer-friendly video demo of the same technique along with other exercises on my YouTube channel (accessible via the YT icon on the homepage). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoPD0cVquPo Posted online by Jordan Friedman 8. Take your Stress Temperature I start a workshop by asking participants to put a “dot” (I use a red circle sticky) on a thermometer drawn on a flip chart that represents their stress level as they begin the workshop. At the bottom, write “Centered and Calm.” At the top, write “About to Explode.” Add other descriptors as you see fit. At the end of the workshop, I ask them to place a blue dot on the same thermometer for their current stress level. It’s interesting to see the shift towards the bottom of the thermometer. I emphasize that it doesn’t take a lot of techniques to better manage stress, but that when we ARE stressed when we most need to practice the techniques, we may “forget” to do any of them. I then have them identify the 1, 2, or 3 techniques or tools we covered that they feel best “fit them” and have them plan for how they WILL use them. Posted online by Vicki Legman 9. Taking Control – Stress and the Body On a flipchart, you draw the shape of the human body and draw in different colors where stress affects the body i.e. tension in the neck, stomach aches, chest pains, etc. Invite participants to do the same, it allows the participants to see what stress is actually doing to their bodies and how much they put themselves through. Also discussed is what we like to do for ourselves and how we can build these things into our lives to help alleviate the stress. Posted online by Catherine Conlon 10. Stress Wheel I use the wheel approach (similar to the performance wheel used in coaching) to measure a person’s stress. I ask the audience to name causes of stress and ask them to note these down on the blank wheel handout provided, scoring 0 – 10 (0 being stressed – 10 not an issue). Some examples have been ‘relationships at work, relationships at home, salary, workload pressures, personal finances and so on. Individuals choose 6 that are pertinent to them and then complete the wheel. This allows participants to identify their key areas of stress. Participants are asked to share with the person next to them initially. Further into the program we look at tools and techniques to cope with the stressors identified on the wheel. This approach allows the audience to deal with ‘real time’ issues. Posted online by Jane Worthington 11. Practice… Ask your group to make a list of all the things they can think of that make them angry. Next to each trigger, have them write the reaction that they ‘already’ do. Then, ask them to write the reaction they ‘wish’ to do. They can discuss the reaction and ‘wish’ with you and their training-mates if they choose. Then they can spend some time visualizing moments where one of the anger triggers happened and reverse the situation replacing the action they usually do with the action they wish to do. They can practice this for just 5 minutes daily… Posted online by Doaa K (Trainer’s Box) 12. Balloons!. Use a large balloon and a drawing pin. Tell people that you are going to pop it at some point during the period, but you are not going to tell them when. Then you can ask how they feel, and engage in a discussion about the different anxieties that build up before a person actually feels “stressed.” Posted online by Paul M. I’ve used balloons for getting people to blow their stress into the balloons and then either let them go outside OR pop them. This helps them feel as if they are taking back control. Another option is to have them draw symbols on the balloons, representing how they feel. Posted online by Gail Page 13. Pressing their Buttons If yo have an hour or so, you can have people make “buttons” as in, the things that press their “buttons” and produce stress. Start with listing specifically what their button issues are, then get them to construct their buttons out of a variety of crafts and office materials, then they can wear them, and encounter each other to describe what’s on their buttons. It’s a great lighthearted and creative way to own what bugs us on a daily basis! Posted online by Kymberly Dakin 14. Trigger Points Have each participant list 3 priority stress areas which they find difficult to handle. Ask them not to write their name on the list. Later, shuffle and distribute the lists. Have participants read the list he/she received and ask them to share how they would handle those stressful situations. Posted online by Ashok NaraYanan 15. Pass the Cup of Water Have your group stand and give them a half-full cup of water to pass around. Instruct the group to pass the cup around clockwise or counterclockwise. When you think they’re ready, add another cup of water . . . then another . . . and soon another. As the group continues, increase the challenge: take some half-full cups out of the rotation and add 3/4-full cups, add more cups, and ask a few people to step out of the circle, making the group smaller. Pretty soon you will find that each person still in the circle has two cups each and is continuing to pass them around faster and faster. Then call “stop.” Debrief: Have the group discuss how they all felt about the people who were in the room, about passing the water (which was in this case the customer in the call queue) how they felt about being pulled out of the circle, how they felt about being in the circle and having to pass things faster and faster with few people. The use of water is effective because while mostly un-harmful there is something inherently fearful about spilling it that is human nature. Those who do step out of the circle, they may assume that they can’t jump back in to help. It creates a very rich discussion. Posted online by Thomas Cameron Read More… Tackling Stress Management at Work Stress Management Worries vs. Warriors Leadership Activities for Challenging Times 10 Viable Solutions to Manage Workplace Stress  

Amy Cuddy gave an amazing TED Talk about how to change our posture for 2 minutes to achieve greater self-assurance and success. She explains, it’s not just about how you project yourself outwardly, but how it affects your own self-image. If you’re about to walk into a stressful situation, such as a a training session (whether you’re the facilitator or participant), high-stakes meeting, or interview, take a moment to strike a power-pose. Cuddy and her colleague’s research have measured significant increases in testosterone (a hormone associated with high efficacy) and decreases in cortisol (a stress hormone) after only a short amount of time standing up straight, shoulders back, head up, arms on hips, legs in a wide stance. This is a wildly popular TED Talk that is worth every one of its 21 minutes!

Those of us who are conflict-averse hate difficult conversations. It’s no wonder that experts have started calling them “Courageous Conversations.” What makes them hard is: Uncertainty about how others will react Fear of it getting out of control Discomfort about opening a can of worms with no solution Not wanting to make things worse Most are not skilled facilitators with a repertoire of techniques for dealing with group problems and most don’t have time to read a battery of self-help books. So, when we walk into such conversations, it certainly does take courage! But it doesn’t need to. Everyone who is sad, mad, or frustrated shares a common goal: to make it better. Tricks and techniques for facilitating hard conversations It’s not as scary, if you stick to some of the experts’ tried and true techniques, and use simple tools to vet feelings and problems in an organized way. Set some ground rules  We have a shared goal to make things better We will not talk over each other We will focus on the problem, not the person We will speak for ourselves not for them We will demonstrate that we have heard contrary points of view Develop a process Define a process for sharing insights, comments, observations, feelings, about the current situation. Be sure your approach gives everyone a voice. Record input from every person in the room; record it on a flipchart or whiteboard, where all can see Have people write and post sticky-notes for all to seej Share comments (make sure everyone’s ideas are posted). Clump together shared concerns, and develop a group process for which problems to address first. Those that have the greatest financial impact Those that affect the most people Those that participants “weight” as most important Discuss a range of possible solutions Do not look for agreement right away. Rather brainstorm a bunch of different approaches; discuss the merits of each; refine and finesse the approaches with the greatest potential Determine an implementation strategy Tools for soliciting input and structuring your conversation Each facilitator has different ways of teasing out information and helping groups move their discussions and actions forward. Some of our “hands-on” favorites include: 1) Road to There This wonderful tool helps groups envision and implement a change or apply learning. The 5-step group brainstorm process is innovative, effective, and fun! Where is “There”? (The Ideal Future) Where is “Here”? (Current State) What is “The Gap”? (the difference between Here and There) What roadblocks will you hit? (Obstacles) How will you get there? (The Road) NOTE: this set includes sturdy vinyl road map; sticky notes; and participant worksheets 2) Start – Stop – Continue – Change These sticky note pads are a perfect tool to debrief a project, team-building games and exercises, or review work processes and procedures that have become the norm. Great for individuals or small groups, simply pass them around and prompt your group with the following questions: What actions should you START doing to integrate today’s learning into your daily processes? Which actions should you STOP doing to avoid current problems? What’s still working that you should CONTINUE to do? What needs to CHANGE in order to bring about the desired change? 3) Sad * Mad * Glad For more productive teamwork, help your teams clear the air and discuss the “elephant in the room,” so they can move toward mutual understanding, new solutions, and greater productivity. Put a bunch of sticky notes on each table, color coded for sad (blue), mad (red), glad (yellow). Have individuals think about what work issues make them sad, glad and mad, and put one thought on each note. When they are ready, have them come forward and post their notes on a wall or board at the front of the room. The facilitator can begin grouping similar sentiments, so the group as a whole can get a quick visual read about what’s working and what’s causing consternation. NOTE: You can prompt your group, as you see fit, to focus on organizational issues vs. personal issues; or to focus on process issues; etc. You might suggest that it will be easier to think about what makes them glad after they’ve vented their frustration points As you begin to debrief, I’d start with “GLAD,” noting that the team may have lots to work on, but there are some things that are working well, from which they can learn. After that, work on the largest grouping issues first. Because everyone has expressed the problem, the group can turn their discussion to solutions. This tool can be adapted to your content. For instance, if you’re teaching about project management, you could use the tool to uncover problems with your current approach, asking “what about your current process makes you sad, mad, or glad?” 4) Works Well? Do differently? Rather than having a free-for-all, each construct moves the group through a series of structured questions that tease out where individuals are in the current state, what’s good or bad about it, and how they might envision a new and better reality. Create a visible record of the conversation People have a way of repeating themselves until they think their message has been truly heard. Two easy tricks can help limit circular or repetitive conversations: Repeat back the other person’s argument. In fact, try to make their case for them . . . even better than they said it themselves. Write it down for all to see. Recording conversations lets participants see their thoughts have been correctly heard. Several low-tech tools are great for this: Flip Charts – if you fill up one page, post it on the wall where everyone can see it (don’t just flip the page over!) Whiteboard – if you have it, use it! Make sure you’ll have enough space to gather everyone’s input; if not, you might have to write smaller or supplement with flip charts. Tabletop Whiteboard – for small groups, a Tabletop Whiteboard will do the trick. It’s much better than having one person take notes on their own computer or notepad, because you won’t know if your thought has been captured incorrectly. If you are facilitating, it’s okay to paraphrase, but ask participants if you have captured their ideas properly.

I’m so happy that trainers and teachers are finally embracing the reality that lectures are not the most effective technique to transfer learning. However, as we try to make the switch and commit to asking questions rather than telling answers, we can create discomfort for the learners. Knowing that discomfort and stress are the brain’s enemies, the question is what we can do to respond better to “crickets” (that is, nobody answers) or incorrect answers. Brooke McCaffrey, in her Education Week article, “Sticking with Students,” explains a different approach that communicates to students that you believe in them. Some of her strategies include: Providing wait time – not calling on a student too soon “Turn and talk” – discussing answers with a neighbor Give the students personal whiteboards, so they don’t have to respond verbally Give positive feedback about what is right about a “wrong answer” Address the entire class with cues for the “right answer” Give the right answer without sign of frustration or displeasure After trying these new approaches, McCaffrey found, “I changed the energy in my classroom. The quiet, shy students began taking more risks because it was no longer scary to supply a wrong answer. Wrong answers became opportunities for growth for all of us.” Here’s the complete article: “Sticking with Students: Responding Effectively to Incorrect Answers” by Brooke McCaffrey in Education Week, Jan 6, 2014 (published online) https://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/01/06/fp_mccaffrey_sticking.html?qs=Brooke+McCaffrey

I’ve been following a wonderful discussion on LinkedIn about workplace engagement. The focus of the conversation has been about how to get employees engaged. Following is my synopsis and organization of that very rich dialogue. I may not have captured every contributor’s direct words, but I think I’ve covered the gist of the many perspectives, and captured the overall themes that recurred throughout the discussion. Thanks to all who have shared their thoughts and wisdom. What is Engagement? Highly engaged employees: Exemplify a willingness to provide discretionary effort to serve as the company’s competitive advantage Voluntarily invest themselves into their work by contributing their time, energy, brain-power/thinking, emotion, etc. Are committed to their organization’s goals and values Are motivated to contribute to organizational success Enhance their own sense of well-being by contributing to the organizational effort Are willing to increase their discretionary efforts on behalf of the business entity How Do You Build Engagement? Communication & Listening Encourage employees to speak their minds Listen to and consider their contributions Make sure employees feel heard Give employees a voice; their input must be heard and respected Be transparent – share information about the company’s initiatives Alignment/Sense of purpose Get buy-in by showing them the benefits to them (WIIFM) Help employees know where they fit in to the company’s overall picture Create a shared vision Align interests, values, shared future, commitment and action Involve employees in the process so they feel ownership over what they create Align the company's mission with personal mission and goals Insist on employee contributions Involve employees in both defining the problem and solving it Allow employees to do something bigger than themselves and feel like they make a difference Fulfillment of Emotional Needs  Focus on emotional needs, not logic Help employees feel personally valued, supported, and acknowledged Create a sense of belonging Build collaboration, trust, and positive relationships Develop a work environment that is safe, happy and healthy Encourage peer recognition, acknowledgement, and frequent & honest feedback Identification of Shared Goals Develop meaningful, measurable goals (for some, financial goals are effective; for others, they aren’t Synchronize benefits to company and to the employee WIIFM (What’s in it for me) should coincide with benefits to the company Autonomy and Growth Make sure to match the right person with the right role Have ownership and control over what you’re doing Opportunities for growth Ability to take risks without reprisals Employees need to feel that what they do will impact the outcome People will continue to engage if they experience progress Culture and Leadership Encourage employees to enjoy co-workers Create safe, happy, and healthy workplaces Focus on good communication, shared values, respect, trust, and positive relationships with co-workers Treat employees as assets, not costs Develop a spirit of collaboration Hire competent managers who treat employees with respect Build collaboration Motivation and Recognition Interest and values should be intrinsic, but recognition is still important Employees should enjoy what they’re doing Celebrate victories along the way (not just at the end) Recognize and reward contributions through compensation, acceptance, and new responsibilities Show your team that you’ve noticed their growth and development: give recognition, appreciation rewards, tokens of appreciation, and feedback…frequently When Does Engagement Start? Begins with recruiting: find people who like to learn Begins with onboarding

Patrick Johansen asked some great questions about optimizing use of PowerPoint for training and got a ton of input. In particular, he asked about use of color, layout, and animation. Following is an organized synopsis of the feedback he received. First and foremost: CONTENT! Make sure the content is engaging before you worry about the slides Focus on activities to engage your group, more than on the slides to show them Think of slides as helpful take-aways for the audience Think of the PowerPoint as the supplement, not the star of the show PowerPoint is a tool Use as few slides as you can If you want to distribute content after the fact, you may want a second set of slides or distribute slides with notes Remember training is not the same as presenting Use PowerPoint to help with visualization Stick with images and graphics that support your spoken words Slides should be for the audience, not the presenter/trainer PowerPoint is sometimes used for other purposes (as a selling tool or record of what was discussed). These uses should be treated differently. COLOR Stick to a small range of colors that provide consistency and solidify brand. Use complementary colors (sparingly) to break up the monotony, and make something stands out “I tend to use blue for Key Points, as we have many red/green colour blind participants” Too many colors distracts the learners and reduces the retention. Keep it Simple Match colors to the Corporate brand. Try to put one big picture on a slide and build the discussion around it Use this tool for color schemes: https://colorschemedesigner.com/ LAYOUT Less is more I tend to keep my layouts the same unless I really want to emphasize something Feature a diagram, picture, quote or bulleted list No more than 3-7 bullets per slide Establish a consistent template, use this as a base to derive others. Introduce variation to ward off boredom, but keep returning to the template format so people feel they haven’t strayed too far from their comfort zone. Have some visual indicator showing where people are in the presentation Use a single picture or a few words as a prompt, not to tell the whole story Vary the location of pictures for interest AVOID: overcrowding, small fonts, long paragraphs, fonts that blend into the background Indicate the number of slides in the presentation ANIMATIONS These tend to be distracting Use them sparingly to indicate emphasis PRESENTING DON’T JUST READ FROM YOUR SLIDES!!! Don’t even use PowerPoint Try Prezi.com as an alternative Use whiteboards and flip charts instead If people are reading, they probably aren’t listening Alternative to PowerPoint Recently, I've seen a handful of presenters use Google Slides or Aha Slides, which have been wonderfully interactive.  Check out Tolu's Tips Here or watch Tolu's Trainers Warehouse Show & Share

Who doesn’t want to work in an office as fun as Google? With their conference bikes, huge slides that carry people from one floor to another, ping pong and pool tables, scooters, and funky décor, we hold Google up as the model of a fun workplace. Unfortunately, we don’t all have Google-sized budgets and resources to create the perfectly fun office space. But that’s okay. With no more than $100, you can bring some “oxygen” into the office and create a lively and energizing place to work. All you need is: Chocolate – A candy jar full of chocolate will bring people into your office; plus, eating chocolate stimulates the production of endorphins, which are good for your mood and your brain function. $20. Toys – Put a Desktop Fiddle Set on your desktop to set people at ease, relieve stress, and give you something to with your hands when you’re on long phone calls. An assortment satisfies a range of tactile needs and preferences. $22. Ping Pong – Get physical so your blood re-circulates to the brain. Games like ping pong also promote positive relationships among employees. You don’t have to stop work when you play. How about a Ping-Pong meeting to discuss odds and ends that need a decision or resolution? A nice Portable Ping Pong set is only $40. Cool water bottle – You’ve got to stay hydrated! Drink through a straw and you’ll drink more. $5. Duck Tape – Just like Duct Tape, it has multiple purposes. First and foremost, use DUCK tape as a reminder to act like a duck and let small problems roll off your back. Also, to measure stuff and make people laugh. Good humor is key to a happy office. $3. KUDOS– Create positive energy by telling people when they’ve done well, when you appreciate their efforts, or when they’ve make a “good mistake.” $6.5 A smile – Welcoming a colleague or a visitor with a smile creates immediate warmth. FREE or, if you want to keep a smile mirror at your desk as a reminder. $2. A frog – Mark Twain said, “If the worst thing you have to do all day is eat a frog, then the best thing you can do is eat it first thing in the morning.” A frog reminds us do our toughest tasks first. $1. TOTAL $99.50 With the last $.50, distribute a handful of pennies along with a message that you welcome their thoughts.

Emotional intelligence, acceptance, empathy, and understanding are hot topics in companies, schools, and homes around the world. Some folks are just gaining awareness of the implicit bias and prejudice surrounding them. Others have grown up with it. Well-crafted diversity games allow groups of all kinds to address diversity, equity, and inclusion topics with sensitivity and appreciation of differences. Following is a synopsis of various fun diversity activities our colleagues have posted online. Before we get into any specifics about these DEI games, we should remember Lee Duffy’s words of wisdom: “When facilitating any activity to do with diversity, it is so important to be prepared for strong emotional responses from participants, as you dig and get to the bottom of issues such as bias and inequity, which is where these activities invariably head. People don’t like having the things that make them human exposed in public forums generally.” Diversity Thumball The Diversity Thumball is one of our favorite diversity games that tackles a tough topic with smarts and sensitivity. Thumball™ is a soft 6″ stuffed vinyl ball that looks like a soccer ball and has 32 panels pre-printed with questions suited for adults and teens. Toss it around in a group and ask participants to share their reactions to whatever prompt lies under their thumb. Samples of discussion prompts for this fun diversity activity include: When did you first become aware of racial/ethnic differences? Share a situation when you were in the minority Describe a time you witnessed discrimination Your best experience with a person of a different race/ethnicity What makes you different from others in this game? How do your thoughts about diversity differ from your parents? Describe a time you experienced prejudice Where do you see prejudice? How do you respond to jokes that are demeaning or derogatory? Why do you seek out people similar to you as friends? Do you feel your friends are more similar or dissimilar to you? If you prefer not to toss a ball in this diversity game, pick a prompt from an UNZiP-IT! Deck or Remote PowerPoint Diversity Deck. Community Puzzle This DEI game is one of the most fun diversity activities to try. With the Community Puzzle or Community Mosaic, have players illustrate a blank puzzle piece with colors, shapes, patterns, pictures, or designs representing an aspect of themselves. Have them present and explain their puzzle piece illustrations to the rest of the group. Assemble the puzzle for an instant “tapestry” reflecting the diversity of the participants. A picture’s worth… Choose a favorite deck of photographic cards for this diversity game and have participants choose a card that uniquely… Reflects current emotions or feelings Represents an aspect of their personality Reminds them of a meaningful or memorable experience Once participants have chosen a card, you can have them share its meaning with the whole group or conduct a “pair and share,” where they share the card’s meaning with just one other participant. In fact, photographic card decks have endless possibilities as a diversity game! Face Value For this non-verbal fun diversity activity, all you need for this one is a deck of cards. Before beginning, explain to the group that you will be handing each participant a card, and they are not to look at their own card. Participants will treat each other based on the card’s value without using verbal cues. For example, if a person has a high-value card, you may want to bow, or if someone has a low-value card, you might want to snub them. Hand each participant of this diversity game a card. Explain that when they are told, participants are to put their card on their forehead (without looking at it). Once everyone has a card, have the group put the cards on their foreheads. Begin this DEI game by letting the group mingle for 3 to 5 minutes (for a large group, you might need to add a few extra minutes). After a few minutes of mingling, have the participants form groups based on what they think is the value of their card. High cards on one side, low cards on the other, and middle cards in the middle. Once each group is formed, participants may look at their cards. Debrief questions for the Face Value Diversity Game: How did you know if you were a high card? Low card? Middle Card? How did you treat high cards? Low cards? Middle cards? Who decided which cards are more valuable than others? How about Aces? Are they high cards or low cards? How were they treated? How does this activity relate to how we communicate in everyday life? How do we treat people that we do not know how to value? NOTES: Potential challenges to conducting this fun diversity activity: For smaller groups, you may have to choose the cards rather than hand out cards at random. To play this diversity game, ensure a good mix of high, low, and middle cards is available and include at least one ace. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to answer. Participants need to look at how they actually reacted rather than how they think they should have reacted or will react in the future. Source: Michelle Cummings, M.S. Playing With a Full Deck. United States: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2007. Posted online by Monica Miller Share a story Everyone has had times when they felt they didn’t “fit in.” (This is one of the diversity games where you can share a personal story.) Then say, “Think back to a time when you felt different. Everyone has felt different…. no matter who they are, where they lived, or how they grew up.” Then ask, “What happened? How did you feel? What did you do? How did you overcome it? Encourage sharing in small groups first, then poll the group. Apply/summarize what they say about diversity. Posted online by Chris Corrado Mr. Potato Head I use Mr. Potato Heads for this diversity game. We have a collection of over 50 and a bunch of pieces and parts for our DEI games. In the end, they are all Mr. Potato Heads but all very different. The classes generally fun. Then, when you line them all up, you get a nice visual of the diversity, too. Posted online by Gary Higgins, Ed.D Danger of Labels I have used an exercise as one of our fun diversity activities, where you print out labels for everyone. Some say, “I never pay attention,” ”I disagree with everybody,” etc. Put the labels on the person’s forehead without them reading it. Then have interaction to see if they can figure out what their personality is. This diversity game opens a discussion on how we perceive different people and how we treat them accordingly. Posted online by Deborah Chandler The Single Story After discussing how we form perceptions and how they lead to stereotypes, I use the movie clip by Chimamanda Adichie, a Nigerian novelist who has given a talk on TED.com called ‘The danger of the single story.” It is a beautiful 15-minute talk on stereotypes and the impact of having single stories about people and places. Then I start our game by asking people to share in small groups: How their narrative has been misunderstood by others. How they have misunderstood others’ stories. To share something of their story that others do not know. How they can go about avoiding single stories about others. I have been amazed at how people open up and share meaningfully. The talk is easily downloaded from www.TED.com. Posted online by Heidi Pasques MORE DIVERSITY GAMES & ACTIVITIES We keep adding new ideas for DEI games and fun diversity activities. If you have favorites, please share them with the group!

When the book Men are from Mars, first came out, I remember being fascinated by these predictable differences between men and women, how they communicate, and how they approach problems. In keeping with that theme, this video made me laugh out loud.

Over 25 years ago, I joined the circus as a clown and did my best to make people smile and laugh. About 5 years ago, my dad and then business partner wrote an article about the benefits of smiling. In 2013, I launched Office Oxygen, so that people could smile more at work! So, when I came across Ron Gutman’s TED Talk about the Power of Smiling, I was immediately intrigued! The timing of my finding this video is also fortuitous, as I was recently swept in to a LinkedIN discussion about offering rewards and chocolate during learning events. While I’ve always been an advocate, many of the participants were concerned that incentives for learning minimized the importance of learning for the sake of learning. (The conversation was much deeper than this, but you get the gist). So, for all those wondering if jokes and chocolate are “worth it,” Ron Gutman’s TED Talk on the Power of Smiling offers oodles of research the benefits derived from smiling. Maybe we can forget the chocolate, prizes, and jokes and get to the punch line . . . the SMILE!

Many times, people have asked what are the best movies we can use to demonstrate a variety of learning points. While we have lists of feature films that are great for training, many are looking for that perfect YouTube clip that is “safe” to play in the classroom. Following is the beginning of a list that I will continue to build. If you have another favorite, please pass it along! Awareness and Perceptions (Black and White . . . and the passing ape) Body Language (Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk) Change – What to do when the Escalator stops working Change – Can a slide replace an escalator? Communication (It’s not about the Nail; how men and women differ…) Communication (Bear, Rabbit, and Moose–asking the right question) Conflict Management, Negotiation & Listening – Former undercover CIA officer talks about listening to the other side Customer Service: Real life Site Search Diversity and the Power of Introverts (Susan Cain’s TED Talk) Diversity from birds on a wire Diversity: Lion, Tiger, and Bear, Oh MY! (nature vs nurture and how “need” trumps all) Diversity: How are you two different from each other? What we can learn from kids. Doodling and its importance (Sunni Brown’s TED Talk) Effort, motivation, persistence, leadership (Facing the Giants–unfortunately, the clip is no longer available, but the movie is great!) Effort, motivation, persistence, leadership (Rick and Dick Hoyt) First impressions and lasting impressions (Susan Boyle on Britain’s got Talent) Fun works Gratitude: Grateful-A Love Song to the World Group think from an elevator experiment How not to use PowerPoint (humorous) Inspiration from the man with no arms or legs Leadership from a young boy who mobilizes the town to move a tree Leadership from the dancing guy Leadership – TED Talk by Drew Dudley on creating “Lollipop Moments“ Leadership and Courage – Lessons from the Lion Make others feel good and Smile! Validation Motivation – Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right Motivation – 87-year-old retired man finds his “calling” Persistence – Olympic runner gets help from father Perseverance – Famous Failures Questioning – Asking Why! (this is a promotional video, but has good content) Speak with Conviction Stress Management (Funny stress management techniques by Karyn Buxman) Stress: TED Talk by Kelly McGonigal “How to Make Stress your Friend“ Teamwork: Remember The Titans – Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning (this is probably copyright protected because it’s from a movie) Teamwork – It’s Smarter to Travel in Groups – Power of Teamwork Team Building (Tom Wujec’s Marshmallow Challenge): Time Management (fitting it all in, starting with Big Rocks!) Time Management – Franklin Covey’s The 5 Choices (if you ignore that it’s a promotional video, it has great content!) Time Management – Procrastination Also be sure to check out Mike Rogers’ Teamwork Leadership blog, as he’s always posting great videos that focus on team building, leadership, communication, etc.

How many times have you acted on an assumption that turned out to be wrong? It happens all the time. Several weeks ago, in the early aftermath of the Marathon Bombing tragedy, I found myself believing that my younger brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was a solely victim of his brother’s violence. The Ladder of Inference As I consider this mistaken belief through the lens of the Ladder of Inference, I see that in the “Pool of Data” (available to me as a resident in suburban Boston), were the reports from Dzhokar’s high school friends, who vouched for his good character. I “selected that data,” lent meaning to its significance, and came away with “assumptions” that led to my belief. We draw conclusions all the time, sometimes not even considering their origin until we run into misunderstandings. Consider your reaction if you see someone cross their arms and look abruptly away from you. You might conclude that they are disinterested and disrespectful, and decide to cut them off from future communication. Alternatively, if you were to engage in a conversation and discuss the observations that led to your conclusions, you might uncover additional data, such as whether they felt a cold breeze, crossed their arms because they were shivering, and looked away to see if a window had been opened. The Ladder of Inference, originally developed by Harvard Business School professor Chris Argyris, helps us understand our communication barriers and come to a common understanding based on shared data and interpretation. It is a wonderful tool if you’re teaching communication and soft skills workshops, but it’s also a great tool to use as a teacher or trainer, to better understand the thinking of your students or colleagues. Read more about the Ladder of Inference.

I come from a “type-A” family with lots of over-achievers. So, when I came across this article, I shared it with my sisters. An interesting conversation ensued about how each of us manages stress. For me, I think a little stress is motivating. Where do you fall in the spectrum? Thanks to Kim Marshall and The Marshall Memo, for his synopsis of this article. In this fascinating New York Times Magazine article, Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman analyze why some people go to pieces under pressure while others thrive in competitive, stressful situations – why some people are worriers while others are warriors. “Stress turns out to be far more complicated than we’ve assumed,” say Bronson and Merryman, “and far more under our control than we imagine. Unlike long-term stress, short-term stress can actually help people perform, and viewing it that way changes its effect. Even for those genetically predisposed to anxiety, the antidote isn’t necessarily less competition – it’s more competition. It just needs to be the right kind.” Genetically predisposed? Yes, it turns out there’s a gene involved in stress tolerance – the COMT gene. It carries the assembly code for an enzyme that clears dopamine from the pre-frontal cortex of our brains. We work best when dopamine is maintained at a Goldilocks level – not too much and not too little. There are two variants of the COMT gene: one builds enzymes that slowly remove dopamine; the other builds enzymes that rapidly clear dopamine. All people carry the genes for one variant or the other, or a combination of both. Those who carry the slower dopamine-removing COMT gene have a cognitive advantage under normal conditions. But their stronger reasoning power (problem-solving, complex thought, foreseeing consequences, executive functioning) deteriorates under stress, when their frontal cortex is flooded with dopamine. Unable to clear the dopamine fast enough, their performance sinks to suboptimal. Conversely, people with the faster dopamine-removing COMT gene do less well in everyday conditions but excel under stress – they’re able to clear the dopamine and keep their brains functioning at optimal levels. A study of thousands of Taiwanese students taking an exceedingly high-stakes national examination found that those with the slow-acting enzymes (the worriers) scored 8 percent lower than those with fast-acting enzymes. In this exam, lots of A students literally traded places with B students. People born with the fast-acting enzymes (the warriors) “actually need stress to perform their best,” says Adele Diamond, professor of developmental cognitive neuroscience at the University of British Columbia. Under everyday conditions, they tend to under-perform, but stress raises their dopamine level. “They are like Superman emerging from the phone booth in times of crisis,” say Bronson and Merryman. “Their abilities to concentrate and solve problems go up.” How are the COMT genes distributed? Since we get one from our fathers and one from our mothers, one quarter of children have only the slow-enzyme variant, one quarter have only the fast-enzyme variant, and half have a mixture of both. Does that mean those with the slow-enzyme gene are forever cursed? Actually not. According to studies of Navy SEALs, pilots, and soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, worriers can learn to handle stress with the proper training and preparation. In fact, say Bronson and Merryman, shielding slow-enzyme worriers from stress “could be the worst response, depriving them of the chance to acclimate to recurring stressors.” What they need is stress inoculation: put them in worry-producing situations without overwhelming them and give them enough time to recover. “Training, preparation, and repetition defuse the Worrier’s curse,” they say. One of the most surprising research findings is that when students get certain messages before a big test, it affects how they label stress – and that improves their performance. In an experiment at Harvard, undergraduates about to take a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) practice test were given a short note saying the purpose of the study was to examine the effects of stress on cognition. Half the students (the experimental group) were given an additional note saying that recent research suggests that “people who feel anxious during a test might actually do better.” It advised students that if they felt nervous, “you shouldn’t feel concerned… simply remind yourself that your arousal could be helping you do well.” Students who received the second note scored 50 points higher in the quantitative section than the control group on the practice test (out of a possible 800 points). On the real GRE, those who received the don’t-worry notes scored 65 points higher. The same experiment was replicated with remedial math students at a Midwestern community college. Did the notes make students in the experimental group more relaxed? Not at all. Researchers took saliva samples and found that students were just as nervous but they processed their anxiety differently, transforming it into a positive force that drove better performance. Another researcher, Wendy Berry Mendes, a psychology professor at the University of California/San Francisco, asks us to examine the mental state of high-school students waiting outside an SAT testing site. Some are in a “threat state” – shoulders hunched, rubbing their hands, stamping their feet. Inside their bodies they are experiencing vasoconstriction – a tightening of the smooth muscles that line their blood vessels. Their blood pressure is rising, their breathing is shallow, oxygenated blood levels and energy supplies drop, and hormone changes make them more fearful of making mistakes. Other students – their shoulders back, chests open, rising on their toes, blood vessels dilated – are in a “challenge state.” Their hormones are suppressing fear networks in their brains, their brains may be getting as much as two liters of extra blood a minute, and they’re excited to get started on the test. “As the doors to the test center open,” say Bronson and Merryman, “the line between challenge and threat is thin. Probably nothing induces a threat state more than feeling you can’t make any mistakes. Threat physiology can be activated with the sense of being judged, or anything that triggers the fear of disappointing others. As a student opens his test booklet, threat can flare when he sees a subject he has recently learned but hasn’t mastered. Or when he sees a problem he has no idea how to solve.” Genetic differences aside, the key difference is between competition that challenges and competition that threatens. “Standardized tests lack the side benefits of competing that normally buffer children’s anxiety,” say Bronson and Merryman. “Nobody has ever come out of an SAT test saying, ‘Well, I won’t get into the college I wanted, but that’s O.K. because I made a lot of new friends at the Kaplan center.’” So the trick is to give students practice at competition and help them develop the right mindset. “Children benefit from competition they have prepared for intensely, especially when viewed as an opportunity to gain recognition for their efforts and improve for the next time,” says Rena Subotnik of the American Psychological Association. In-class spelling bees, science fairs, and chess teams all help to build skills in handling stress productively. A student’s science project might not be the winner, the judging of their project might be stressful and scary, but the experience builds skills and performance. “Maybe the best thing about academic competitions is that they benefit Warriors and Worriers equally,” conclude Bronson and Merryman. “The Warriors get the thrilling intensity their minds are suited for, where they can shine. The Worriers get the gradual stress inoculation they need, so that one day they can do more than just tolerate stress – they can embrace it. And through the cycle of preparation, performance and recovery, what they learn becomes ingrained.” “Why Can Some Kids Handle Pressure While Others Fall Apart?” by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman in The New York Times Magazine, Feb. 10, 2013, https://nyti.ms/14EbYAG

Even when I am on a diet, I can usually justify a small piece of dark chocolate as an afternoon pick-me-up. After all, it’s rich in antioxidants, and better yet, eating dark chocolate has been found to increase the levels of endorphins released into the brain—excellent news to knowledge trainers like myself. Now, I am no brain scientist, but I have read enough about brain-based learning to know this: Stress, bad for learning. Endorphins, good. So, it is understandable why many classroom trainers and presenters entice participation with chocolate. Chocolate stimulates the brain. But there is more to it than meets the eye (or the tongue). We human types like rewards. Rewards and recognition make us feel good. They inspire us to perform and participate. If you will pardon the pun, learners are often “hungry” for acknowledgment, because they are already pushing their comfort zone in several ways—by trying something new, in an environment where they’re not necessarily socially comfortable. In a live classroom-learning environment, trainers looking to reduce stress and energize learning find many occasions and methods to acknowledge and encourage active engagement with their learning material, including: Smiling or nodding when a participant answers correctly. Awarding a small prize for the table that came up with the most ideas. Validating a student’s contribution by recording it on an overhead or flipchart. Distributing course completion certificates. Giving out a piece of chocolate when someone asks a good question. And some rewards do not come from the facilitator, but from the participants’ innate desire to grow and succeed. Learning experiences are rewarding when individuals feel the thrill of conquering a difficult topic or win a really challenging team game. Rewarding online learners takes a different form, but is no less important. To recognize and inspire participation and performance can be both easier and more difficult in the online world. Simple participation can be easily incorporated by requiring learners to type a response to a question before they can advance to the next screen. However, what about winning the smile of a facilitator? Think about the many apps for children’s games that focus on collecting gold stars—each one of those is a smile of sorts. Learners have been awarded with gold stars for decades, so why stop now? The next time you build an online learning module, consider where opportunities for building in accolades, smiles, and stars can be incorporated into the learning module. Such as: The first time users click or type an answer other than “next.” After a correct answer is given. When a total score reaches a minimal threshold (not just 100 percent correct!) When they click through on a particular path. After reading a lengthy narrative. When they progress to a new level. After a game or exercise. You will need to find the right balance of when and how often to offer feedback. If the feedback is too frequent, it becomes disingenuous and annoying; too infrequent, and learners derive no benefit. And what of the chocolate? In our e-world, we sometimes forget that snail mail is still there for us. Send a small envelope with a few chocolates to pre-registered attendees. Mark the outside of the package with clear instructions that it not be opened until instructed to do so during the online session. That is sure to generate some smiles and produce endorphins. Finally, congratulate your e-learners at the end of a program by sending along a course completion certificate on real certificate paper. It both validates the accomplishment and continues to promote your course. ~ by Susan Landay Read more on chocolate and the brain: Chocolate Helps Learning *NOTE: This article first appeared in eLearn Magazine

As Trainers Warehouse has been celebrating its 20th anniversary, we’ve been looking back at some of our favorite innovations, not all of which have been embraced by our customers. One that comes to mind is a set of Role Play Hats. We envisioned a set of hats that participants could wear to make dreaded role-playing activities more fun. Apparently, the idea of participants donning a Sherlock Holmes hat (detective) or Keystone Kop hat (enforcer), would make role-plays more anxiety-producing, not less — not a surprise in hindsight! Despite the failure of that idea, it also pushed us to consider the many “hats” a trainer wears over the course of the day–facilitator, presenter, concierge, etc. So, when I recently read Kim Marshall‘s synthesis of Stephen Downes article in Huff Post Education, it caught my eye. In it, Stephen Downes shares an even more robust list of the roles played by educators. He created “23 Roles” in collaboration with a graduate class and Twitter followers. • The learner – Modeling being excited about something new, exploring it, trying it, and engaging students in learning about it. • The collector – Pulling stuff together for students, whether it’s old magazines or new websites and links. • The curator – Organizing and making sense of what’s been found. “The curator is like a caretaker and a preserver,” says Downes, “but also a creator of meaning, guardian of knowledge, or an expert at knowing.” • The alchemist – This used to involve turning lead into gold, now it’s mixing the mundane with something new and unexpected, seeing patterns and symmetries in materials. • The programmer – Teachers work with computers, design communities and social networks and wikis, and develop course materials and work-flows for students. • The salesperson – Principals sell ideas to the staff and teachers champion a cause, an idea, or a set of values. • The convener – Educators are constantly bringing people together, building networks, and acting as Pied Pipers. • The coordinator – Teachers organize schedules, set expectations, manage logistics, and solve problems. • The designer – Creating a space for learning, including wall maps, desk arrangements, and more. • The coach – “This multifaceted role involves everything from creating synergy and chemistry in a group to providing the game plan for learning to raising the bar and encouraging players to higher performance,” says Downes. “Though the coach is on the side of the learner… the coach also serves a larger or higher objective, working to achieve team or organizational goals.” • The agitator – “The role of the agitator is to create the seed of doubt, the sense of wonder, the feeling of urgency, the cry of outrage,” says Downes. “The agitator is sometimes the devil’s advocate, sometimes the revolutionary, sometimes the disruptive agent, and sometimes just somebody who is thinking outside the box.” • The facilitator – This role is vital to keeping things on track and gently nudging the process forward without imposing an opinion or agenda. • The moderator – Governing and pruning, invoking rules, decorum, and good behavior. • Tech support – Understanding people’s technological needs, solving problems, and making things possible. • The critic – This role “asks for evidence, verifies the facts, assesses the reasoning, and offers opinions,” says Downes. “Every person needs to be questioned; it is part of the learning process. Values, truths, and institutions need to be questioned as well.” • The lecturer – Organizing ideas into a comprehensible whole, making things that are complex clear for the listener or reader. • The demonstrator – In the past, showing was usually done in person, but now it can be done in videos or simulations. • The mentor – Teachers can play this role for students, being there for them as an enthusiastic coach or a constructive critic, showing them the person they might become. • The connector – This role “sees things in common between disparate entities and draws that line between them, creating links and collaborations between otherwise isolated communities and disciplines,” says Downes. • The theorizer – Teachers describe how or why something is true, often working through abstraction and generalization. “The theorizer is also the person who leads us to develop world views, find the underlying cause or meaning of things, or create order out of what appears to be chaos,” says Downes. “If nothing else, the theorizer helps us remember things by giving us a single structure under which to assimilate numerous details.” • The sharer – Teachers move ideas from person to person, perhaps making e-portfolios available, managing the class mailing list, or passing along links and reflections from outside the classroom. • The evaluator – “The evaluator in a digital world is more than a marker of tests and assigner of grades,” says Downes. “Modern technology makes it possible to assess not merely declarative knowledge or compositional ability, but instinct and reactions, sociability, habits and attitudes.” • The bureaucrat – Someone has to collect and keep the records, organize accountability, and maintain systemic coherence. “Not everybody can perform every role,” says Downes. “Not everybody wants to perform every role.” Extroverted teachers prefer the role of lecturer or demonstrator. The more technically inclined gravitate to being programmers or bureaucrats. The most people-oriented want to be coaches or mentors. And not every student needs every role – for example, some want criticism more than coaching, some don’t need a convener, and not everyone needs a mentor. “Rather than asking one person to perform every role, some of them very badly, for a given group of students, it makes more sense to ensure that these services are available where needed and to allocate them according to the needs of the students, the nature of the learning environment, and the type of learning being undertaken,” Downes concludes. “This is in fact what is happening online, at least outside the circles of formal education. People are finding coaching where they need it, community where they want it, and lectures and demonstrations for those days when they have the time… Eventually, learning will be transformed in this way; the needs of students and the affordances of technology make it inevitable.” “The Role of the Educator” by Stephen Downes in Huff Post Education, Mar. 3, 2013; This synthesis was written by Kim Marshall, The Marshall Memo.  

Even seasoned trainers feel it — that edge of nerves that accompanies you to each new session or presentation. Despite my experience as a circus clown (yup, it’s true) and negotiations trainer, I still get a buzz of nervous energy at the start of an event if I’m training, facilitating, or presenting in front of a group. Teachers feel it too, on that first day of school! Maybe it’s good because it keeps us on our toes and forces us to be cognizant of the first impressions we’re making. Still, we do need to keep it in check so that it remains “good energy” and doesn’t become debilitating. Sean Gobeil, a Senior Training Specialist from Ontario, Canada posted a question on Linked-In that got to the heart of this question: “What is your #1 tip for trainers to shake off nervousness during a presentation?” Here are some of the most “liked” suggestions: Be prepared. Know your material. Rehearse! Find a friendly audience member, establish eye contact, and exchange smiles. ~ Bonnie James If possible, meet and greet your learners and chat with them over a coffee before the session begins; much easier to train to a group who are not ‘strangers.’ ~ Adrian Hanson, LL.B, TAP.cert, MLPI Tell a humorous story! ~ Sangameshwar S. Abhinapu Self-depreciating humor at the start is good for both the audience and the facilitator! For instance, “My mother told me to put on a jacket to show respect; now that I have shown you my respect I am taking off this jacket!” After this, I know I have the audience and I’m relaxed. ~ Herman de Vries Write down a list of “What is the worst thing that can happen?” Once the list is complete, write down two or three simple things that can be done to manage the risks. ~ Patrik Johansson Stop thinking about yourself and focus on the participants. How can you connect with them? Help them connect with each other? Get them to verbalize their interests, concerns, or passions? Even though you are presenting information and training others, you are not the star of the show. It’s all about the learners. ~ Jeanne Etcheverry Have a backup plan for the “just in case” times like when equipment doesn’t work. ~ Angel Hodsdon Play a short video related to the topic as they start to come in and throw some comments, it encourages the audience to start talking and helps the facilitator to establish a rapport fairly quickly. ~ Samer al Aghawani

Let me begin by saying I’ve always been a sucker for rhymes . . . Who’s Addie, you ask? If you’re a seasoned trainer who does your own Instructional Design work, you may know “Addie” very well already. For those newer to instructional design, ADDIE is an acronym for a step-by-step process that lets training professionals plan and create on-target training programs. Briefly, the five stages consist of: Analysis: determine who are your learners and what they need Design: identify the elements required for learning transfer Development: create and assemble program elements Implementation: launch the training program Evaluation: determine if the program meets the business goals A while back, Stephen Gannon (Director of Business Development at Family Friendly 89.7 KSGN) posted a wonderfully creative poem on Linked-IN, Ode to Addie, which nicely captures the ADDIE Instructional Design model, its quirks and challenges. ODE TO ADDIE Words and Music By Stephen Michael Gannon, Standup Trainer ANALYSIS To Analyze Addie, you first have to decide, just what she needs to learn. Under what conditions would she take it well? We don’t want Addie to crash and burn. How much can she handle? What are her beliefs? And what would enhance Addie’s pride? What would keep Addie’s brain from receiving the goods? Just how do we get it inside? DESIGN “Addie needs De Sign” the Frenchman declared, “De logical, orderly plan.” “De sign is de strategy vie must employ to take ADDIE from vere she began.” “Goals, subject, research, treatment, practice, and tests,” all designed to be placed in the can. Give Addie knowledge, skill, and a heart for the work to take Addie into her new land. DEVELOPMENT When Addie’s Development begins to appear–her pictures taken and placed in a book, Addie’s story, then, begins to unfold “a songbird sings in a tree by the brook.” Yes, artists, musicians, and cameramen too, the writers and don’t forget nerds. Put Addie’s lessons, into a course, with computers, and pictures, and words. IMPLEMENTATION Now to Implement Addie, another story indeed—a procedure for training the trainers. Curriculum, outcomes, methods, and testing—teaching them to be entertainers. Train them all on the new tools of the trade—software and hardware to boot. From registration to course evaluation and don’t forget how to handle disputes. ANALYSIS You Evaluate Addie through her Formative years and sum it up when she’s finally done. You’ll learn what she knew, what she learned from you, and what works best–a smile or a gun. If she’s not getting it, you’ll tweak Addie’s training. If she got it, then shoot for the moon. Then give her a test, and if she gets an “A,” wolf whistle and say “va va voom.” Copyright, Stephen Gannon, January, 2013.