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IX Clip Art Captions Author: Tom Siebold is a writer and business consultant in Minneapolis. He is also co-owner of Collegegrazing.com--a site to help college bound teens to learn more about what they need and want in a college. Objective (s): To use clip art to explore the dimensions of a topic How the author has used this activity: I have used this clip art exercise with topics like conflict, communication, team busters, and interpersonal skills. The trick is to find interesting and potentially humorous pictures that fit your topic.
Activity Description: The
format of this activity can be used with a wide variety of topics.
The example below works to address the topic of "
interpersonal 'sins' at the office.” Here is how it
works… Before the session, select five humorous clip art scenes that depict different looks at human interaction. Print a set of the pictures for each participant. Divide the participants into five small groups and have them write a caption for each clip art picture. These captions should focus on some “sin” of office interpersonal relations. Encourage participants to have some fun with this. If they want they can add to each picture—thought bubbles, signs, drawings, etc. When they are done, post the pictures around the room and give people time to view them. Reconvene and put together a master list of the "seven deadly sins of office interpersonal relations." This should open the door to some good discussion about strategies for working together effectively. Options: If your group isn't too large, you have the participants do the captions in full group. If you do, project the pictures so all can see clearly. Added thoughts or considerations: Be certain that your group is open to this kind of creative and humorous activity. This activity in the hands of the wrong group will flop. --Return to Activities Listing--
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Author:
Bill Gjetson is a consultant and coach specializing in leadership
development for Senior Leaders, Managers, and High Potential employees.
His areas of interest are action learning and storytelling. Objective(s):
To initiate conversation in groups and create a readiness for
interaction How
the author has used this exercise:
This exercise can be used in small groups and in larger groups with
up to 30 participants. It is
used to quickly engage participants. Activity
Description:
Arrange participants in a circle.
Distribute the list of ten Conversation Starters and instruct
participants to introduce themselves by name and use one of the starters
as a “springboard” to make some personal comments.
The instructor/group facilitator may need to ask questions to help
participants explain their comments or describe their experiences. Ten Conversation
Starters:
1)The best measure of success is….; 2)Employees will give their best
effort if…..; 3)Nothing is so frustrating as…..; 4) I miss…..; 5)
There are times when I…..; 6) When I have something to say, I…; 7) Ten
years from now, I…..; 8) My hometown is ___________ and it is important
to me because….; 9) My three favorite letters in the alphabet are
_________ because…; 10) The best teacher I ever had…. Options:
Instead of handing out the list of Conversation Starters, the
facilitator can have the only copy and call out subjects to be used, and
invite responses, until everyone has had the opportunity to introduce
themselves and comment. Added thoughts or considerations: Participants can be paired to interview each other on one of the ten Conversation Starters. When the full group reconvenes, each person reports on what his or her partner said. Author:
T. Leonard is a
business consultant and coach in the Twin Cities. Objective(s):
To focus thinking around workplace change How
the author has used this exercise:
Employees often feel victimized by change in the workplace.
I use this exercise to help participants find strategies to cope
or even thrive on change. Activity
Description: Handout Post-It
notes to all participants. Ask
each participant to write
down examples of workplace changes that they have seen over the last
five years (or since they were hired).—both large and small changes.
This may include new committees, programs, initiatives, training, work
procedures, teams, new hires, organizational structure, etc.
Then have them paste the sticky notes on a five year timeline
drawn on the white board. After they have had a chance to
review the Post-It display, ask the participants to draw conclusions.
Move to the following theme:
“The workplace is a dynamic and changing place.
Each person must find strategies to deal with change.” Added
thoughts or considerations:
The Post-It timeline is a very graphic and powerful way to see
the scope of change. Usually participants will be amazed at the amount
of change that they have witnessed.
--Return to Activities Listing-- Author:
T. Leonard is a
business consultant and coach in the Twin Cities. Objective(s):
To introduce the topic of workplace change through personal
stories How
the author has used this exercise:
I find this exercise captures the attention of the participants
and sets the stage for productive change discussion. Activity Description:
Ask the group to
share an example of someone they know who had to overcome adversity.
Typically, most of the participants can recall dramatic examples.
After a number of examples draw the following conclusion to
introduce the concept of change: “Sometimes people have to confront
dramatic changes—and they come out of it ok. All of us face change
every day. Each person must
find a way to deal with change.” From
here the facilitator can develop the topic of workplace change. Added
thoughts or considerations:
Be careful not to let this exercise go on too long.
You will want to move to workplace change when the interest level
is on the upswing, not when it is waning. --Return to Activities Listing-- Author:
Sara Carney. Sara works with
non profits to train both employees and volunteers. Objective
(s): To
build a bridge between a training session and improved on-the-job
performance. How
the author has used this exercise:
I will use this activity to remind training participants to transfer
workshop learning to everyday performance.
Activity
Description:
At
the end of a training session I have the participants identify specific
actions and/or changes that they will enact personally.
I have them write them down on a self-addressed post card.
Then I collect the cards and hold on to them until I feel they
need a “workshop reminder.” It
is at this point that I will mail the cards so participants can see what
they had promised themselves they would do.
This is an easy follow-up exercise to remind participants to
apply their learning. Added thoughts or considerations: This activity is particularly good if there are multiple training sessions with the same group. It serves as a connector between sessions and helps keep the workshop material “alive.”
Author: Sara Carney.
Sara works with non profits to train both employees and
volunteers. Objective (s): To
crystallize learning or new information. How the author has used this exercise:
During a meeting, workshop, or just about any work place learning
situation I will take time to debrief what we are discussing and/or
learning. This helps give
the session a sense of organization and supports individuals as they
absorb what they are hearing and discussing. Activity Description: To
debrief a training session I will ask two different types of questions:
feeling and content.
After the participants have responded to my
debriefing questions I always ask them a variation of the following
question: “Where
should we go from this point forward?” or “What has to be done
now?” Added thoughts or considerations: It is important to give participants an opportunity to articulate what they are learning.
Author: Sara Carney.
Sara works with non profits to train both employees and
volunteers. Objective (s): To
build on behaviors that energize employees. How the author has used this exercise:
I like to have participants build on strengths rather than constantly
dwell on problems. This
simple exercise helps focus groups on the positive. Activity Description: I
like to tee up this exercise by discussing how energy and employee
motivation and engagement are directly linked.
I will then ask the participants to list three work place tasks,
behaviors, or responsibilities that energize them.
The answers are almost always surprising.
I then have volunteers share their lists with the group. As they
speak, I write their responses on a flip chart. After we have a list of five to ten
“energizers,” I ask the group to brainstorm for action items to
infuse more energy into the work environment. Added thoughts or considerations: It is important to move from a list of energizers to action items that participants can do personally or as a team or group.
Author: Sara Carney.
Sara works with non profits to train both employees and
volunteers. Objective (s): To
introduce a topic that the group will develop or discuss in some detail How the author has used this exercise:
When I am facilitating a broad topic, I will use a quiz format to get
the participants thinking about various parts, terms, and facts that
work to define the topic. Activity Description: Before
the workshop I will write ten objective questions that focus on some
important elements that are connected to the topic under exploration.
These should be straightforward questions that are intended to
provoke topic awareness. They
should not be written to “stump” the participants.
Before I read the questions (or hand out the quiz) I am careful
to explain to the group that no one will see their answers.
The quiz is intended to introduce the topic, not to embarrass
anyone. I try to include a few humorous questions to keep the
quiz light and non-threatening. I
also make sure that the questions are such that everyone will get at
least half of them correct. After
all, the goal is to stimulate participation, not discouragement. After I give the correct answers, I will bridge to an
opening discussion or content presentation. Options: Sometimes,
depending on the group, the quiz can be pure trivia.
The purpose of a trivia quiz is to keep a thread of content
alive, but at the same time build in some humor and lightness.
When it works a trivia quiz is a good workshop motivator. Added thoughts or considerations: Don’t overdo this exercise and when you use it keep it relatively short. I always consider ten questions to be the maximum.
XVII.
List
Polling Author: Sara Carney.
Sara works with non profits to train both employees and
volunteers. Objective (s): To
help a group sort through a list of ideas. How the author has used this exercise:
Below are two frequently used techniques to help a group narrow a list
of items or ideas. I have
also used them as a basis for helping a group reach consensus. Activity Description: Below
are two simple narrowing techniques: A. Fist to Five: The facilitator restates each issue under discussion and the
participants simultaneously hold up a number of fingers, fist to five,
to show their opinion of it. A fist represents no vote; one finger
represents a low opinion while five fingers represents that it is a
great idea. B. Prioritizing Poll: When a group has a list of items that they
want to put in priority order, give each participant three votes that
they can use to indicate their top three choices.
Total all votes and then circle the top vote getters.
This is a simple poll to see which items are favored by the
group. Added
thoughts or considerations:
Make a point to ask the group to respond to the polling, but
don’t return to open discussion otherwise you could end up in a
never-ending discussion loop.
Author: Sara Carney.
Sara works with non profits to train both employees and
volunteers. Objective (s): To
save good ideas that don’t fit the discussion at the moment How the author has used this exercise:
I find that it is easy for a discussion to get derailed by a
non-relevant comment or question. The
facilitator has to be careful not to dismiss these ideas, but he or she
has to keep the flow of the training on track.
The Parking Garage technique below is simple and frequently keeps
everyone satisfied. Activity Description: In
almost any group session ideas will emerge that are good but not
directly relevant to the discussion or topic at hand.
Rather than ignore them or get distracted by them, put them in a
“parking garage.” This is simply a sheet of newsprint taped on the
wall with the heading Parking
Garage. Have the presenter write his or her question, topic, or
idea on the Parking Garage so that it is not forgotten and can be woven
into subsequent meetings. Added
thoughts or considerations:
When a non-relevant question or topic surfaces, say something to
the effect “That is a wonderful idea that deserves our consideration,
but it may divert us from our current goal.
We want to save your idea so during the next break would you
please put it on the Parking Garage?” |
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