Page 256 - The Creative Training Idea Book Inspired Tips and Techniques for Engaging and Effective Learning

lucas chap 07 11/20/02 12:29 PM Page 245
Truth or Fiction Engaging and Energizing Learners 245
Here’s another classic training activity that you can use to help learners get to know de-
tails about one another that might not typically be disclosed during a training program.
Have participants form groups of two to four people. Give participants 3 × 5 index cards
and ask them to write down three things about themselves that others in the group do
not likely know. Two of the items should be truth and one should be something they
make up. The fiction items should be plausible. To get them started, you may want to
share three items about yourself and have them guess which is untrue.
Next, have participants find a partner and get to know one another by trying to guess
which of their partner’s items is false.
You can also do this as a group activity in which participants form groups of four or
five members, then each person does a self-introduction and shares what is written on
his or her card. After they have done so, the members of the group should come to a
consensus on which item was not true.
After all participants finish their introductions, you may want to ask randomly which
were some of the truths and the untruths. This activity will work for any size group.

My Potato
This is a fun activity that can be used to help learners get acquainted or as an activity in
classes on communication, presentation, or selling skills.
To get started, pass around a bag with potatoes in it and have each participant take
one. After everyone has a potato, tell learners to take 3 minutes to get to know their
potato well. Tell them to note unique characteristics about their potato. Once partic-
ipants have had time to learn about their potatoes, have each person in turn stand, in-
troduce herself, and tell what is unique about her potato and why she feels that makes
it unique. You might also want to have her tell how her potato’s unique qualities are like
her. For example, “My potato has many eyes and I am constantly observing others.”
If using this for an activity in a class on selling, you could have participants tell the
features (characteristics) and benefits of each of those features to get them used to the
traditional selling model.

Me Too!

Tell participants that they have 10 minutes to move around the room to find one or
more people who have the same birth month that they do. If someone has no matches,
have them find someone with a birth month that is closest to their own. Once they find
a match, they should spend the remainder of the time getting to know one another. At
the end of the designated time, have participants introduce themselves to the group,
tell where they work, and anything else about them that they think others should know.
It is best to limit this introduction to 30 seconds in case you have a participant who
enjoys talking and being the center of attention.