Fighting the Gremlins
June 22, 2011 • By Rich Meiss and Doug McCallum
The closing ceremony of each Olympics is an example of a
great closing-music, dancing, fireworks, inspiring words, celebration. However,
the closing part of business presentations seems to be the most difficult to
executive in an effective way, in our opinion based on many collective decades
of training.
Have you ever tried using a closing exercise to tie your
presentation together, to inspire your participants to use what they've
learned? We recommend using STAR to create an effective closing:
Summarize,
Tie things together,
Apply the new learning, and
wRap up with power!
Below is one exercise, from our book SCORE,
that can help you close with impact while creating momentum for your learners
to implement what they've learned.
Purpose:
This exercise overcomes potential barriers to retention and application.
It identifies ways to overcome the hidden and obvious hurdles that often get in
the way when participants attempt to use new content or change
behavior after a seminar.
Audience:
Any size
Time:
5-10 minutes
Space:
Any classroom
Materials:
Two flip charts and markers
Budget:
Minimal
Application:
Have participants identify obstacles or barriers that may get in
the way of using new materials or content on the job. They then brainstorm ways
to overcome those barriers to ensure a greater amount of transfer of training
and application of new content/skills.
Process:
Toward the end of your training session, ask this startling question,"What
can you do to make sure that you won't apply anything you have learned in this
class - or make any changes to your current behavior?"
After people get over the
initial surprise of your question, explain that you really want them to
brainstorm all the barriers or obstacles they will face as they attempt to use
new skills or try out different behaviors as a result of this class. Further
explain that we all know that change can be difficult, so let's face it now and
then determine what we'll do to overcome those hurdles so we'll be prepared to "fight
the gremlins."
Tell the group that once
they've come up with a list of obstacles, they'll then create a list of what
can be done to prevent those obstacles from getting in the way.
This will be an all-class
activity as individuals will just contribute ideas as a part of the large
group.
Ask for two volunteers to
be your scribes at the flip charts. (If you only have one flip chart, tear off
several sheets of chart paper and tape them to the wall.) The scribes will
alternately write the learning obstacles on the sheets as
participants call them out. This will be a light-hearted exercise as
participants usually have fun coming up with the gremlins to learning. Allow
three to five minutes for participants to share ideas, and stop
the activity as soon as the ideas stop.
You will likely get ideas
such as:
a. My learning manual gets put away on the shelf.
b. I won't have time to implement any new ideas.
c. I'll try to change everything at once.
d. My manager won't support my new learning.
After the first round of
brainstorming stops, ask for two new volunteers to come up to the flip charts
as scribes. Using new sheets of paper, take the barriers one by one and ask participants
what are some things they can do to keep these obstacles from getting in the way.
Have scribes capture these ideas on new sheets of paper.
Examples might be:
a. Keep my manual on my
desk and refer to it often.
b. Set aside some time
each day to consciously identify what new ideas or techniques I have
implemented as a result of the class.
c. Start small; try one or
two new ideas or techniques each day.
d. Let my manager know how
important these ideas have been and how much his/her support will mean to me.
Cautions:
Spend more time on overcoming the obstacles and less time on identifying
them. You want participants to feel energized - not overwhelmed - by this
activity.
Variations:
Participants could write their barriers on Post-it® notes. Then
have them take turns stating them aloud and posting them on a wall chart. Individuals
could take turns coming up to the wall chart, pulling off a barrier and then
stating a solution to overcome the barrier. Then crunch up the barrier Post-it
note and throw it in the wastebasket.
Adapted from Super Closers, Openers, Reviews, Energizers for
Enhanced Training Results by Rich Meiss and Doug McCallum. Used with permission.
