in this issue
	Anticipation Communication Poker Escalation Staircase Study Time

Anticipation

Training is a lot more fun when participants want to be there. Unfortunately, we often get "prisoners" in a session, that is, people who were told to attend rather than volunteers. This activity helps build positive anticipation for an upcoming workshop. It involves sending several email messages before training that "tease" participants. Identify several problems or case studies in the training. (If there are none, create them.) For example, in a workshop on team collaboration, you might have a case that describes a person who is difficult to work with. Describe each case study in a separate email, and close with a promise that during the workshop they will hear 5 ways to deal with the problem. You can also remind them of the logistics for the workshop (date, times, location). If you send out three messages before training, one each week, you help them prepare for the training and get them a little more interested in and focused on the content and how it can be used. And maybe your prisoners will be freed!

Communication Poker

Poker is a very popular game these days, with tournaments broadcast on television and internet games available 24/7. Why not build on the trend and bring poker into training. You will need one deck of cards for every ten people and a chart that shows the different poker hands (full house, 4 of a kind, 3 of a kind, etc.). Shuffle the decks together and deal two cards to each person. They may look at their cards but should not share them with anyone else. The goal of the exercise is to find two other people with cards that will create the best possible poker hand for your team. One card will be discarded after teams have been formed. There are some communication limits participants must follow in finding their best hand. They may not tell or show others what cards they hold. Instead, they should make statements about the nature of their cards or what they are looking for from other players. For example, if I have two Aces, I might say, "I'm looking for someone who is really outstanding." The other person might respond, "I'm pretty strong, but I have my weaknesses." (which might mean a Queen and a 3) Allow 10 minutes to establish teams. Then have them share their cards within the team and decide on their best hand. Give an award for the best poker hand. You can use this exercise as an icebreaker, as an introduction to communication module, or as a way to establish trios for another activity. Debrief the exercise based on the objectives you establish.

Escalation Staircase

The goal of this exercise is to help a group determine when to escalate a situation. It is appropriate for customer service training, team development, and management training. You will need a small staircase with 4 steps (this can be purchased at a home organizer store - look for shelves for spices) and a gremlin (or similar "monster" image). Begin by explaining that wise people know when to handle something themselves and when they need help. If you're moving furniture, you will know which things you can move alone and which you might need help with. If you don't get help when you need it, you might get hurt or you might damage the furniture. On the other hand, if you ask someone to help when you could have done it alone, you might annoy the other person. It's the same with escalation of problems at work. Instruct each person to identify a problem that was escalated in the past month. Then form teams of 4-5 people and have each team choose a total of 3 problems so that their selected problems are as different as possible from each other. Then bring out the staircase and explain that each step represents an escalation level. Put the gremlin on the bottom step. The bottom step is no escalation - you handle it alone (or with another involved player, like the customer). The second step is escalation to a peer (move up the gremlin); third is to the manager or supervisor (move the gremlin), and fourth is to the manager's boss (move the gremlin). (You can modify the steps to fit the audience.) Brainstorm with the group the criteria for problems that fit on each step. You might want to begin by looking at criteria for a non-work situation and then transfer it to work. For example, have the group imagine they are teaching teenagers about escalating situations. What would the steps represent (tell a friend, tell an authority figure, tell the police, etc.)? Where would different situations fit for a teenager (you're pregnant, you're friend is using drugs, you saw some kids skipping school, etc.)? What criteria should be considered when deciding the level of escalation? The same questions can be addressed to work situations. After you identify the criteria for work situations, have teams share the 3 problems they chose (in previous paragraph) and determine what level of escalation was appropriate and why. You may want to discuss how the level of escalation should be determined not just by the nature of the problem (and its associated risks) but also on the skill level of the individual dealing with the problem.

Study Time

Here's a fun way to test the class on what they've learned. You will need to create four different tests of the course content. Vary the questions on each test to include multiple choice, fill in the blanks, and essay questions. And be sure to address all content areas on each test. Divide the group into 4 teams. Give each team a different test. Tell them that they will have 30 minutes to study for the test. They should work together and use the course materials to study as a team. After 30 minutes, have teams swap tests. Team A will take the test from Team B, and Team B will complete the Team A test. Teams C and D will also swap tests. They will complete the test as individuals, not as teams, and may not refer to course materials. When finished, have teams correct the test they studied for. For example, Team A corrects the test for Team B, and Team B corrects the Team A test. Even though they didn't study for the test they took, the study time helps reinforce learning, and when they correct the test of their partner team, confidence grows in their understanding of the content.