Hollywood Squares Takeoff Recaps Long Sessions
January 6, 2012 • By Creative Training Techniques newsletter
Kathleen Burke-Scheffler uses this review game in
multiple-day training sessions. At the end of the first day of class, she has
each student write two or three questions from the day's content.
Questions can be in multiple-choice, true/false or
fill-in-the-blank form. Burke-Scheffler, a trainer with U.S. West in
Minneapolis, collects the questions and adds a few herself.
At the start of day two, she uses the questions for a
takeoff on "Hollywood Squares." She simulates the tic-tac-toe game show by
setting up three chairs. She asks three volunteers to sit on the floor in front
of the chairs, while three volunteers sit in the chairs and a final three
volunteers stand behind the chairs.
Each of the nine "celebrities" is given a card with an "X"
printed on one side and an "O" on the other to tape to their bodies as
questions are successfully answered.
She asks for two volunteers to serve as contestants and has
them pick members of the "celebrity" squares to answer the questions in turns. Burke-Scheffler
then asks one of the pre-written questions. The chosen celebrity answers it. The
contestant then agrees or disagrees with the answer given by the celebrity. If
the contestant chooses correctly, the celebrity space is awarded to that
contestant and the celebrity puts on the appropriate X or O on their shirt as
contestants try to form three in a row.
Remaining trainees are given agree/disagree cards to flash
to aid in contestants' decisionmaking.
This is a classic
revisiting technique first published in Bob Pike's Creative Training Techniques
newsletter. Used with permission.