in this issue
	Mastering Training Design - Training Opportunity Icebreakers for Teams Using Graphics in Training Critical Thinking Activity Development Clubs - An Update

Icebreakers for Teams

Here are three icebreakers you can use in team building. They also work in training sessions, and are especially effective when you want people to disclose information or learn about each other. The first one is a "Guess Who" game. Before the session, instruct all team members to bring a photo of themselves from their childhood (under age 12). Let them know that they should not share this photo with other team members prior to the meeting. Collect the photos as people enter the room and place them on a board or table, assigning each photo a different number. When everyone's photos are submitted, have the group guess who's who. Or have them bring in a photo of a relative and have people guess who belongs in which family. The second icebreaker may take a little longer, but is worth it for a team that's been together for a while. Have each person share what they remember about the first time they met the person to their right. You can get a nice history of a team, learn about first impressions, and hear some funny stories. Our final icebreaker is to create a collection of cards with a quote or adage on each card. For example, "The early bird gets the worm," "Speak softly and carry a big stick," "He who dies with the most toys wins." You will need at least two cards for each person in the group. Hand out two cards to each person. Have them read their cards and decide which best reflects their views. Then instruct them to trade the unwanted card with another person. Continue this process until they find a card they really like. At that point they can stop trading. When done, have each person introduce him/herself, share the quote on their card, and explain why they like that card. Try these icebreakers and have some fun!

Using Graphics in Training

Reader Tammy Moodley asked for an article on using graphics and icons in training manuals. So, Tammy, here you go! We have been incorporating graphics into our training manuals, slides, and trainer notes for years. It's a great way to jazz up materials and provide readers with triggers for different kinds of activities or resources. In our workbooks, we try to be creative in selecting graphics that support the text, without going overboard. We use Clipart.com as our primary resource, although there are several other options. One thing to remember in using graphics is that they will greatly increase the size of a document. Use the help menu in the software application to learn the best way to add images. It can make a big difference in the size of the final document and the number of problems you encounter with that document. If you would like some ideas of graphics to use for different purposes, we've created a document and posted it under Free Resources on our web site. Click below for the link. Ideas for Icons - Free Download »

Critical Thinking Activity

One of the skills people need to develop is the ability to think critically about the information they receive. Too often we accept as fact what may be biased, incomplete, or incorrect information. And we use that information to make decisions. Here's an exercise to get people to question the information they hear or see so that they know when they might be making decisions on potentially biased information. Before training, select a number of short articles from news journals. You should have at least one article for each participant in the training. The best articles are those that appear to be unbiased, but could be challenged by a trained critical thinker. For example, you might find an article summarizing the findings of new medical research. If it's in a mainstream journal rather than a medical journal, chances are there are questions that could be asked to challenge the findings presented. Of course, articles about political activities are great as well. During training, give the group one of the articles as a case study. As a large group, discuss the areas of bias. Ask questions like: What questions are unanswered? What other explanations could there be? How would someone who disagreed with this perspective challenge the information presented? Then divide the group into pairs and assign each pair one article to read and analyze. When you debrief, ask them for ways they can spot bias in the information they use to make decisions. You can also explore why we might accept what we should know is flawed information. This is a good way to get people questioning how freely they accept the information they receive and how they can analyze that information to make better decisions at work and in their lives.

Development Clubs - An Update

In our October 2004 Newsletter, we described a new approach to professional growth called Development Clubs. In a nutshell, a Development Club is a group that meets regularly to focus on one specific competency. Each month, members read and discuss a book, analyze a case study, attend training, or complete some other activity related to their development club topic. The Club is for people who are really serious about their professional development. It goes beyond a one-time training session and makes learning and growing a regular focus. Each Club lasts about 9 months, and requires that participants commit to fully participating for that time frame. They select projects to use during the club as a measure of their individual development. And they work with a partner from the club between meetings to keep a focus on the assignments and discuss challenges. We have created curriculums for three Development Clubs: Leadership Development, Team Development, and Interpersonal Development. All are posted on our web site under Free Resources. Help yourself and make them your own! Think about how you might use the Development Club concept in your organization to create a long-term approach to people development. Development Clubs - Free Resources »