How to turn on a projector without turning off the audience

PowerPoint has a bad name among training session attenders, and it doesn’t deserve to. But I was reminded of how it got that bad name when a team I was working with came up with this slide.
The learning outcomes are well thought out and well expressed. But should they be shown as a slide?
My answer is no, although I expect many may disagree. I say "no" because the right place for them is in the seminar promotional material, the early pages of the participant's workbook and firmly etched in the trainer's mind.
To me, it is not important to announce them at the start of the seminar, or even to show them in full at the end when it's time to confirm that the trainees have what they came for.
If you disagree, however, then there are better ways of producing the slide without sacrificing any information.

In this slide, I have conveyed exactly the same information in 27 words rather than 95. The first slide almost demands that I read it, or allow them to read it in full. The second slide gives prompts for a conversation with the group, about their expectations and the way that we are going to meet them.
Same information, just a different approach. Which would you prefer that the trainer used?
Perhaps, more importantly, which are you using now? Which will you be using in the future?
Please comment on this post, as I am keen to hear of your reaction.

A great one size fits all exercise

I am often asked for a quick exercise that demonstrates interpersonal skills, communication styles, team work, negotiation, creativity, problem solving, priorities ... the list seems endless, yet most times I find myself recommending The Last Cab, which is also one of the most visited pages on my web site.

What I like most about it is that it usually an exercise that everyone can visualize. Most of us have had an experience of wanting a cab and none being about. I usually start the exercise by asking people to list the times that they have really felt that they needed a cab. Brainstorming this list caters to those in the group who may have difficulty coming up with a reason during the negotiation. As others recall their experience the less reflective will also be prompted.

Of course there are places where a fight for a cab is not the norm. In one regional center, I was told that there is only one cab serving the town, and bookings are made up to a week in advance. The cab driver knows everyone and most of their business too. But a combine harvester - that is a different matter. Apparently the farmers have a whole lot of reasons for wanting the hirable harvester first or last. That negotiation was very real to everyone in that group, including the people from town.

This highlights something important about using exercises. The experience that is created must be relevant to the people in the group.

Does this fit your experience? Add your comments below.

The color you project - it's not all black and white

How do things look to colorblind people?

1 in 15 men and 1 in 200 women are born with some form of color blindness. More develop problems through injury, as a result of disease or just be growing older. For the vast majority red or green hues blend into the background.

This page from Webexhibits.org shows how a flower is seen by people with variations in the way that they see color.

Check your own images at this web site - you can upload an image, even a Powerpoint show and see how it will be seen by others.

A great experience with a style survey

In an earlier post today I was rather scathing about an attempt to do an instyatnt personality analysis with a simplistic tool. This doesn't mean that I discount the value of legitimate instruments.

I am working as part of a team on a project and the coordinator suggested that we do the Belbin Team Role survey to maximise our effectiveness. When I showed my wife the readout on the results, her comment was, "Why didn't you just ask me, I could have told you that!"

In our first meeting after the results of the survey were available, team effectiveness increased dramatically, because we adopted the recommended strategy, acknowledged each other's strengths and recognized our allowable weaknesses.

An introduction to Belbin's work is available at Belbin.com

His most recent book is available from Amazon.com in Beyond the Team

How to Build Successful Teams...The Belbin Way (CD-ROM) provides a more detailed introduction and provides a survey which will allow you to analyze your team.

As with all profiles, though, there is one caveat. The team analysis describes the contribution taht a fully functioning person would make, so there is an inbuilt assumption that all team members have equal energy, commitment and understanding of the team goal. These need to be worked on or differences recognized as appropriate.

Let's get real about ice breaking

About 20 years ago I used to use an ice breaker from Games Trainers Play which showed a square, a triangle, a circle and a squiggly line and asked people to select the shape that most reflected their doodling style.

Squares, I assured them, reflected conservative, solid, reliable;
Triangles were creative, analytical and saw both sides of a situation;
Circles were charismatic, team players and nice to be around.
Squiggles were preoccupied with booze and sex.

One of the main applications for me was to demonstrate progressive exposure of a slide on an overhead projector. First I would show the four shapes, then expose each of the first three "analyses" with a very serious explanation. I would then just pull the cover sheet away for the fourth explanation and wait for the room to burst into laughter.

It was good fun, or I thought so until someone asked me for a copy because he wanted to confirm that one of his team members was goofing off.

I haven't used it since.

To me it stressed the importance of using credible information rather than funny stuff to break the ice.

Now I see that a variation has appeared as Dr Susan Dellinger's Psychogeometric Test ... designed to help you understand more about the kind of person you are. You can also apply it to others. Although on first reading you may feel it's a bit flippant, it is, in fact, a very effective way to identify your own and other people's core characteristics.

From your responses to the test they can tell you whether you like to wear a tie, are overweight, watch TV, have a strong handshake or avoid variety.

HELLLLLLP!!!!!!!

No wonder Steve Salerno is making a splash with an expose of the self help movement with Sham : How the Self-Help Movement Made America Helpless You can preview or buy the book at Amazon.com

I agree that there is plenty of good stuff on Dr Dellinger's site, but unfortunately that pseudo test is so quick and easy to use that I can foresee it being used widely by people who don't know any better and they will be giving Steve more material for his next book.

I love energizers in training sessions, and the simpler the better, but there is a need to differentiate between simple and simplistic.

The lesson that I learned from that request for the squares, triangle etc ice breaker all those years ago was that a trainer has credibility and anything, nay everything he does has to reflect that credibility.

So please, no more instant personality tests. It is this sort of gimmick that is making fun such a dirty word in training rooms.