in this issue
	Customizable Trainer Kits Icebreaker - Acronyms R Us Simulation - Identifying Action Items Email Activity: How Clear Are You? If Managing Were a Game...

Icebreaker - Acronyms R Us

This icebreaker gets the creative juices flowing and gets people talking about the workshop content. Divide the group into teams and instruct them to introduce themselves to each other, share their objectives for training, and choose a team name that represents who they are. Allow 7-8 minutes. After teams are finished but before they introduce their team to the rest of the group, instruct them to use their team name (or one word of the name) as an acronym for the course topic. For each letter of the team name, they should write a sentence or phrase related to the workshop. Allow 5 minutes. Then have teams introduce their members, along with the team name and acronym meaning. Here's an example of what a team might use as an acronym for a workshop on Delegation. Team Name: The Newbies. N = Never delegate what you wouldn't be willing to do yourself. E = Explain what you expect. W = Wish them well. B = Be available. I = Insist on quality. E = Expect the best. S = Salute their successes. You will find that this icebreaker is not just fun, it also gives the trainer a good understanding of their knowledge of the topic. You can build on that as you go through the rest of the workshop.

Simulation - Identifying Action Items

A client asked us to help managers better recognize when an action is to be taken. The problem she faced was that managers would attend meetings but never come out with any action items, even though it was clear that things needed to be done. Our solution was to create a meeting simulation. In the simulation, managers are given a meeting agenda (objectives and meeting plan), along with background on the team they will play. They are instructed to run the meeting and are assigned meeting roles: Leader, Scribe, Observer (non-participant), and other (meeting participants). They have 15 minutes to achieve meeting objectives. The trainer will actually divide the class into two groups, and each group will hold its own meeting (using the same agenda). At the end of the two meetings, we compare the action items of the two teams and discuss differences. Observers are asked to share their observations about how the action items were identified and any that they thought were missed. The simulation leads into a discussion about what makes a good action item and how to record them in a meeting. Managers then discuss how they can improve the way they identify action items in their own meetings. The total amount of time required is about 45 minutes. It's a very active way to teach an important concept. Meeting Simulation »

Email Activity: How Clear Are You?

One of the challenges faced by business professionals is getting people to respond to our requests for action. We send an email to someone telling them what we need done and don't get an answer. Or maybe we get back a bunch of questions. What we DON'T get back is the information we needed. The purpose of this exercise is to help people analyze how they make a request and learn what they can do to get better results by being more clear in their emails. In prework, instruct participants to select 4 email messages they sent to others requesting some type of action or information, messages that didn't get the results they expected. They should print the email, along with all related follow up messages sent and received. Have them analyze each email by asking: How many email exchanges did you have before that request was filled? Did your initial email include a clear statement of the request? Did your initial email include an actual due date or time (not ASAP)? Instruct them to bring the emails and the analysis to the training. During training explain two elements of a good request: Clarity and Respect. Be clear about what you need, why, and when. Be respectful of the other person when you make the request. Then divide the group into pairs and have partners trade emails. Instruct them to focus only on the original message sent, not on the subsequent string of messages. Have partners read the email and then describe in specific terms what they understand the request to be, why it is needed, and when it is to be completed. Partners will discuss the emails and identify any opportunities to improve the clarity of the messages they write. You can complete this discussion by having participants write an email for something they actually need from someone, share it with their partner, and revise it (if necessary). Discuss as a group what they learned about how they can improve the emails they write.

If Managing Were a Game...

This activity is a great way to end a workshop on management or supervisory skills. It asks participants to think about the impact of what they do by creating cards for a board game. Set up the exercise by asking the group about the board games they like to play. Explain that, when games are developed, the creators often try to relate elements of the game to real life. For example, in the game of Life, if a player chooses to go to college, they can choose a higher paying career than those who skip college. That parallels the reality that college grads tend to make more money than high school grads. Then explain that they will have an opportunity to create a board game that illustrates the life and times of a manager or supervisor. They should use what they have already learned about managing (both in class and in real world experience) as they create the game cards. They will work in teams, with each team creating one set of cards. Each card will describe an action a manager might take on the job. Cards will be developed around 4 areas: Actions related to growing and managing their teams; Actions related to growing and managing themselves; Mistakes a manager might make; And setbacks a manager might face that were out of his/her control, along with actions a manager might take to minimize (or worsen) the setbacks. The cards they create will be worth points - either positive or negative points. Points can range from -10 to +10. They should determine the points based on the impact of the action they identified on each card. For example, a card created in the Action for Growing the Team might read: "Spend quality time talking with an employee about their career goals. Earn 5 points." Divide the class into 4 teams. Assign each team one set of cards to develop. Give each team a different color or 3x5 cards to record their ideas. Instruct them to create at least 10 cards. Allow 15 minutes. Then have teams share their cards and the points assigned. After their report, discuss their insights from the activity. Did they better understand the impact of what they do as managers? How might this change the way they manage others and themselves? The discussion can be quite powerful. And the insights managers gain can be invaluable.