Most presenters and trainers rarely, if ever, open a presentation; they just start. They rarely close with anchoring their main point; they just end. They rarely keep their participants energized once they’ve begun a presentation. Yet, the research is out: Sleep Learning doesn’t work; involvement does. Failing to open, energize and close is an unprescribed sleeping pill to which this exercise (and the book from which it is excerpted) is the antidote.
To open, you can use a thought-provoking or eye-catching graphic frame at the beginning of your presentation, but also use this puzzler as you transition from one topic to another or take a break.
To adapt this to your material, ask yourself this question: Will this learning point fit my presentation? If it does, you’re home free. If not, then ask how could I adapt and adopt this activity (insert my content words, numbers or learning points) so I can apply it to my purposes?
Odd Man Out Set up Script:
To use this puzzler in your training session, read this out loud to the group:
“Which of the following words does not belong with the other words and why?” Hint: The solution relates to things that a teller needs to keep in mind when interacting with customers.
Debrief and Adapt, Adopt, Apply Ideas:
There are two words spelled out vertically (using the beginning and ending letters of each of the horizontal words) that can relate to your topic. In this illustration, the fourth word down, “believe,” is the word that doesn’t belong. If you take “believe” out, the vertical words spell “private” and “correct.”
This puzzle is adapted from Powerful Presentations, Volume 1: 39 Quick Openers, Puzzlers and Energizers that Spark Interest and Focus Your Topic co-authored by Bob Pike and Betsy Allen.
This article was re-uploaded from our internal archive.
