Page 166 - The Creative Training Idea Book Inspired Tips and Techniques for Engaging and Effective Learning

lucas chap 04 11/20/02 12:00 PM Page 155
Hidden Messages Opening With a Bang 155
This final icebreaker is one that you can modify and integrate into virtually any train-
ing program opener and also use as an energizer. I found the concept in a book by Karen
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Anderson a number of years ago. I had seen similar puzzles used in training sessions
in the late 1980s but had forgotten about them.
The concept focuses on having people think outside the box to discover a message
that is written on a page. Normally, when you tell someone to read across the page to
see what is written, he or she looks down at a page expecting to see easily identified
words. However, in this activity, the words are written in a long, stretched format and
overlaid on top of other words or phrases. The concept challenges people to literally
read across the page. Based on a person’s visual ability and focal point, he or she can
either bring the page up to nose level and scan across the page to read what is written,
or some people can actually see the words better by placing the page on a flat surface
and stepping back a few feet to see the words. Once the beginning word or phrase is
located, the page must be rotated to see remaining ones (see Figure 4-9).
I often use this activity in interpersonal communication and coaching classes as a
tool for people who find the word/phrase to coach or teach others how to do so.

APPLYING WHAT YOU LEARNED
Strategies for Stimulating the Brain

1. What are some ways that you can make a powerful first impression with your learners?

2. How are you currently raising participant expectations and what can you do differently to be more
effective in the future?

3. What strategies can you think of to start your sessions on a high note in the future?

4. How can you use the powerful beginnings discussed in this chapter, and others, to create an
environment in which learners share and become involved?