Page 147 - The Creative Training Idea Book Inspired Tips and Techniques for Engaging and Effective Learning

lucas chap 04 11/20/02 12:00 PM Page 136
136 The Creative Training Idea Book
Make ’Em Smile
Each participant has a different threshold of what he or she thinks is humorous. For
that reason, it is important that you use a variety of humorous techniques to grab atten-
tion and aid understanding. It is also important that you remember what you read in
Chapter 3 about humor sometimes failing to cross cultural boundaries.
Your options for humor encompass many possibilities. Jokes, stories, cartoons, non-
verbal gestures, actions, and props are just a few of the things that can make people
laugh and make a point. The key to their success is for you to “get into” the delivery
when you are using them. For example, animated gestures and facial expressions can
often enhance the effect of a good joke.
One approach that I use when conducting a session, that I call Presentation Pizzazz:
Adding Impact to Learning, is to have someone else introduce me while I wait in the rear
of the room. While there, I put on a pair of disguise glasses (e.g., Groucho Marx with
bushy eyebrows and mustaches, glasses, and large nose). As soon as the introduction is
over, I run into the room blowing some type of whistle to attract attention. Once at the
front of the room, I conduct a quick needs assessment through the use of either flip-
charted or projected questions. The questions I use are closed-ended and often in short
or abbreviated format (e.g., What Is Your Name?, Y R U Here?, What do U Hope to
Learn?, and What R U Thinking? ) and are surrounded by a colorful, creative border (e.g.,
balloons, clown faces, or other festive images). Without saying a word, I smile and ges-
ture to the written question and then to someone in the group, indicating that they
should respond. After a number of responses, I put up the second, then third question,
and repeat the process until all questions are answered or until someone says something
such as “Are you ever going to speak?” At that point, I remove the glasses, smile, and say,
“I was wondering if you wanted me to. Since you do, let’s get started . . “. This approach
gets laughs and relaxes me and the group. Later in that session, I go back to discuss the
opening activity and what it accomplished. Some of the potential accomplishments
include the fact that I:

Relieved possible participant tension
Demonstrated that while I take the topic seriously, I do not take myself so
Gained attention
Tied into the program content
Gathered useful information about the group

Helped get to know some participants

A key point to remember about using humor is that you should address it at yourself
and not others. Even if you make fun about some physical aspect about yourself (e.g.,
height, weight, size of a body part, religion, race, sex, or sexual orientation), if offense
to others who share those characteristics might result, do not use it. It is better to err on
the side of conservatism than to alienate participants.