Here are some ideas to increase your trainees' participation!
Remind Trainees to Lighten Up—#1 of 101 Easy-to-Use Ideas for Increasing Trainee Participation
Sometimes participants need reminding of the sage advice to take their work seriously, but not themselves. The old saw has a new usefulness in these times of growing job stress created by downsizing and increased global competition.
At the end of a seminar, Cindy Rowan, founder of Career Investments in Newfoundland, NJ, asks participants to write their names and phone numbers on pieces of paper. She then asks them to jot down something that will remind them about keeping perspective and taking their senses of humor seriously—a word, phrase, or a punch line that’ll make them laugh.
She then asks each to make a paper airplane from that sheet and on the count of three, toss them into the air. Everyone picks up an airplane and is told to call that person in a week, repeating what is written on the paper and immediately hang up. Rowan suggests they call again in another week, repeat the work or punch line again and this time stay on the line, introducing themselves and having a chat.
Re-energize while Reorganizing—#12 of 101 Easy-to-Use Ideas for Increasing Trainee Participation
To reenergize (and reorganize) a group after lunch, Mary Hoppe, a training consultant from Lincoln, Neb., gives each returning participant a piece from one of several puzzles she’s created using recognizable images like Mount Rushmore, James Dean or a Coca-Cola logo. The puzzles are made simply by gluing magazine photos to tagboard and cutting them up.
The class is instructed to find others with pieces that match to form new small groups for the afternoon session. The number of puzzles distributed should match the number of tables in the room. Hoppe distributes a number of pieces from each puzzle equal to the intended size of each small group.
If there are only enough participants for groups of four, but the puzzles consist of six pieces each, she places the remaining two pieces of each at the center of a different table; once the group has found its members, they seat themselves at the table where they find their missing pieces.
The activity usually spawns conversation and restores some of the energy lost during the break.
From Creative Training Tools 101 Easy-to-Use Ideas for Increasing Trainee Participation by Bob Pike.
