|
|
|
Trainer Tip: Jargon Busters By Adrianne Roggenbuck Often trainers are bombarded with acronyms and jargon related to the material they have to train. How can they help their participants become aware of the meaning of them in an enjoyable way? Here are a couple of Jargon Buster activities to try:
- Meaning Match: As an opener at the beginning of the session have two stacks of colored cards on each table. One color card has the acronym or new word on it and the other color has the meaning. Challenge the table groups to work together as a team to correctly match the words to their meanings. Include a list of all the words and acronyms in a glossary section of the handout so that the teams can self-check for accuracy. This glossary also becomes a reference for use during and after the presentation for participants who don't remember all of the terms.
- Guess the Word: As a revisiting activity, divide the group into two or more teams. Give each team a list of terms and a stack of index cards. The list should be different for each group. The teams write the definition for each of the words on their list on a separate index card. The teams then swap index cards and see if they can identify the word that goes with the meaning without having the list to choose from. They write the word on the back of the card with its meaning and return the cards to the originating team for scoring. Points and prizes may be awarded.
- Beat the Clock: As a revisiting activity, have teams of participants match jargon words and acronyms to their definition, and have a timekeeper for each team keep track of how long it takes them. Have them do the activity again and try to beat their first time.
Submitted by Adrianne Roggenbuck, a former classroom teacher who is currently an educational trainer and consultant for the Bob Pike Group. Why are all the good ideas left behind in elementary school? Remember recess? One of the best parts of the day. We should leverage these decades-old learning strategies to make adult learning more memorable and workplaces more enjoyable. It might be common sense to figure out your company's goals and then tie training to that-but we all know common sense isn't so common. As a training director in your company, your first item of business needs to be identifying the true business/productivity goals of your company. Some managers might think that with the economy the way it is, it's not as critical to figure out how to manage the Millenials. After all, aren't they just lucky to have jobs? And the answer to that question would be "no." If the job isn't all they wanted, they'll simply quit - and if they need to, move back home - and that's not such a bad deal.
Beyond that, the Millenials are here to stay - and the boomer generation is not. More and more of them are retiring, and someone is going to have to take up the slack. And those someones are the Millenials. Managers who learn to understand this generation and how to work with them are going to be extremely valuable over the next 20 years. Will you be one of them?
|
|
