Page 139 - The Creative Training Idea Book Inspired Tips and Techniques for Engaging and Effective Learning

lucas chap 04 11/20/02 12:00 PM Page 128
128 The Creative Training Idea Book
and king). Just as with the jigsaw puzzle pieces, randomly send out a card to each par-
ticipant with instructions to bring it with him or her to the training session. Once
everyone arrives, you can immediately group participants by having them assemble
according to their suit. The people holding the highest card from each group can be des-
ignated as the team leader and any other card you designate, the scribe. Once grouped,
have them participate in an in-class needs assessment (see Chapter 3) or icebreaker
activity before you begin the session.

Individual Reflection

During introductory remarks, many trainers have participants share one expectation,
question, or concern that they have related to the session. Unfortunately, what often
occurs is that many participants do not, will not, or cannot think of anything to say on
the spot, or they repeat something said earlier. To reduce the chances of this happening,
I often give participants an index card or piece of paper and ask them to write their ex-
pectations or whatever. I then use the written comments in one of three ways: (1) I have
them read what they have written; (2) I have them put all cards/papers into the middle
of their table, then one by one, have participants at each table select any one and read
what is written; or (3) I have them passed to me and I read them aloud to the group. In
any instance, I have someone capture the items on a flip chart page for future reference.
These approaches often result in more responses as some people need time to think and
visualize, while others are reluctant to say something in front of a large group without
preparation and planning. Techniques 2 and 3 allow the authors of comments to remain
anonymous. Of course the down side with anonymity is that you cannot follow up and
ask for clarification of a comment if no one claims it.

Brainstorming
An alternative to the individual reflection technique is to form small groups that create
a list of expectations in a specified timeframe. This approach can be turned into a friendly
competition with the team generating the most responses receiving a reward. To increase
the effectiveness of any brainstorming, you may want to write and post some brain-
storming rules, such as those found in the Tools for Trainers section.

PUTTING YOUR BRAIN TO WORK: ACTIVITY
Pull from personal training experiences in order to enhance the sessions that you facilitate.

When you attend training, what are some typical expectations that you have going into programs?