in this issue
	Mastering Training Design Icebreaker: Today is Special Training Poker Run Video-Based Learning The Tap Dancing Trainer

Icebreaker: Today is Special

This is an icebreaker you can adapt for each day of the year. It's based on the fact that, on any given day, you can find something happening. Every day is someone's birthday, an "official" day to celebrate something, an anniversary, or a holiday of some sort. So why not use that information to kick off a training program or welcome a group back after a break. Here are some examples: March 9 is "Panic Day," sponsored by the Wellness Permission League. On this day you run around in circles shouting, "I can't take it any more." In a management training class, you can have each person share something employees do that makes them crazy. March 8 is Cyd Charisse's birthday. For those too young to remember, she's a great dancer from those classic musicals. In honor of this great dancer's birthday, have everyone stretch their legs. March 21 is Master Gardener's Day. Give each person a small plant as a symbol of their potential for growth. There are thousands of possibilities for celebrations. Lots of web sites list events and there's a great book called Celebrate Today by John Kremer (Prima Publishing, 1996) with many more ideas. Let your imagination go wild!

Training Poker Run

I'm a motorcycle rider, and one of the events we sometimes join are "Poker Runs." A Poker Run is when you ride your bike from one point to another, making stops in 5 different places. At each place, you get a playing card. At the end of the ride, the person with the best poker hand wins a prize. How about making a few changes and having a Training Poker Run? You can give participants an opportunity to win cards by correctly answering questions. Use the concepts from training as your questions, and go around the room giving people an opportunity to answer. You can do 6 rounds, and if someone gets more than five cards, they must trade one in. Or have people earn cards and work in small teams to create the best poker hand. That combines individual learning and teamwork. Be sure to have a good prize for the winner!

Video-Based Learning

Video-based learning can be a great way to communicate information consistently to many different people and groups. Planning your learning session is the key to success. The first step is to confirm what your customer wants you to accomplish in the learning, and be sure that his or her expectations are realistic. Then you select the right video. There are so many to choose from, some great and others not so good. We divide videos into four groups: Instructional (they teach how to do something), Vignettes (situations that illustrate a problem or challenge that can be discussed by participants), Energizers (short clips to open a session or signal a break), and Interviews (educational tapes with first-person experiences). Once you choose the type of video for your session, work with your media resource to select one that fits your environment, objectives, and audience. Then plan the learning session around that video. Be creative in the way you design the learning, and be specific about what viewers should be looking for as they watch the tape. You can assign people to POV (Point Of View) teams, with each team watching the tape from an assigned perspective (customer, manager, vendor, etc.). You can have people take a quiz before and after the tape to see what they learned. Another approach is to provide the group with a note taking tool (with specific questions to consider). After the video, allow them a few minutes to record their own thoughts, then work in a small team to discuss, and finally discuss as a large group. This gets people more actively involved in what could be a passive learning experience.

The Tap Dancing Trainer

Have you ever started a training class and realized that the audience is not receptive and the class can potentially be a huge waste of time? That's when we have to start dancing! I had this happen once when doing customer service training for an IT group. I began by asking them for their customer service challenges. They proceeded to unload all of their barriers, including many that were systemic problems, not training problems. At that point I knew that if I continued as I had planned, they would politely listen and participate, but they would probably not change their behavior. That's when I started dancing. I logged all of their challenges on flip charts (it took nearly 1 hour) and then took a short break to convene with the client. I explained my concern that our original plan, although I was willing to move forward with it, would probably not be the best use of their time. I suggested that we use the time to work through the barriers they generated and develop strategic plans to overcome those barriers. We would do some "training" by discussing strategies and tactics for managing abusive customers, but the bulk of our time would be spent on problem solving. The customer agreed with this change. We then divided their list of barriers into categories. Then I asked them how much control they had over each barrier (on a scale of 1-100). We divided the group into teams and assigned each team one category to address. They were instructed to identify things they as individuals could do and things they would ask management to do to address each of the barriers in their assigned category. Teams reported their work, and the other teams added ideas. Sometimes our most successful training events are created on the spot. Good trainers keep an open mind during a session, and keep focused on the overall results expected. We might have to allow others to lead for a little while so that we can help them achieve their goals.