From Evernote:

Framegame: Envelopes

Clipped from: http://www.thiagi.com/pfp/IE4H/november2009.html#Framegame

Framegame

Envelopes

It took me just 10 minutes to design Leadership Envelopes, the training game featured earlier in this issue. It took me the same short period of time to design Stage Directions (October 2009),Participants from Hell (September 2009), Reaction Envelopes (July 2009), and Strength Envelopes (May 2009). All of these games were designed with the help of a framegame called Envelopes.

What is a framegame? It is a learning activity that is deliberately designed to allow easy loading and unloading of content. Just as you can mount different pictures in a frame, you can load different training content into a framegame.

Here is the simple idea behind framegames: All games have both content and procedure. In Leadership Envelopes, the content is leadership principles. The game procedure involves reviewing a principle written on an envelope, and identifying how this principle can be applied to on-the-job decisions. The participants then write these application ideas on cards, place them in the envelopes, and exchange envelopes with other teams. They repeat these steps several times.

If you remove all the content from Leadership Envelopes, you are left with the skeletal procedure. This content-free framegame is called Envelopes. You will find generic instructions for this game below.

How To Facilitate Envelopes

Prepare the envelopes. Create a set of envelopes, writing on the front of each envelope a stimulus (for example, a problem to be solved, a question to be answered, an issue to be discussed, a task to be completed, a graphic to be drawn, or a clue to be examined). Each envelope should have a different stimulus; however, every envelope should have the same type of stimulus.

Prepare a rating scale. Create a checklist that identifies the criteria for comparing and evaluating different responses to the stimuli. In some games, you may skip this activity and ask the participants to conduct an overall evaluation of the responses using any criteria they prefer.

Organize the participants into teams. To play Envelopes, you need at least three teams. Divide the participants into teams of more than two members and fewer than seven members. Teams should be approximately the same size. With fewer than six participants, play Envelopes as an activity among individual players.

Seat the teams. Arrange the team tables in a roughly circular configuration. Explain that during the game, each team will pass an envelope to the next team in the clockwise direction.

Brief the participants. Present (or review) the background facts and principles. Explain to the participants that the game requires them to apply these principles to different problems, issues, or questions.

Distribute the stimulus envelopes and response cards. Give one envelope and several index cards to each team.

Conduct the first round. Ask the members of each team to review the stimulus presented on the envelope and to think of a list of responses.

Specify a time limit. Within this time limit, each team writes its responses on an index card in a brief but understandable form. The team is limited to a single card, but it may use both sides of the card. Each card will eventually be evaluated for both the quality and quantity of the responses it contains.

Conclude the first round. Announce the end of the first round. Explain that each team should place its response card inside the envelope, leave the envelope unsealed, and pass it to the next team. Also, emphasize that the teams should not open the envelope they receive.

Conduct the second round. Ask the teams to read the stimulus on the envelope they received, but not to look at the response card inside the envelope. Tell them to repeat the procedure of writing a list of responses on an index card. After the time limit is up, ask the teams to place their response cards inside the envelopes and pass them to the next teams.

Repeat the procedure. Continue with more rounds of the game as time permits. Ask the teams to use the same procedure of inspecting the new stimulus, recording the response, inserting the card inside the envelope, and passing it to the next team. Conduct at least two rounds, and always stop at least one round short of the number of stimulus envelopes.

Ask the teams to evaluate the response cards. If you have a rating scale for evaluating the response cards, distribute it. Ask that each team open the envelope, pull out all the response cards, and evaluate them. If you do not have a rating scale, ask the team members to use any appropriate criteria they want. With or without the rating scale, the team members should evaluate the responses on a comparative basis and distribute 100 points among the cards to indicate their relative merits. Scores should be recorded on the cards. Announce a suitable time limit for this activity.

Ask the teams to announce the results. Randomly select a team to make the first announcement. Ask the team to read the stimulus on the envelope and the items from the response cards, beginning with the card that received the lowest score and progressing through the cards in an ascending order of scores. Finally, the team should announce how it distributed the 100 points and briefly explain the criteria it used. Repeat this procedure so that all teams get a turn to announce their results.

Identify the winning team. Ask the teams to place the response cards on a table at the front of the room. Now call for a representative from each team to collect the appropriate response cards, and ask teams to compute their total score. Congratulate the team with the highest total score.

Debrief the participants. Ask the participants to comment on the similarities and differences in the responses from the teams. Also ask them to identify which stimulus was the easiest to work with and which one was the hardest. Discuss the similarities and differences in the criteria used by the different teams for rating the response cards.

Assign follow-up activities. Ask the participants to complete an assignment that requires the application of selected items from the response cards.

Envelopes Game Plan

Here is a summary of the flow of the generic Envelopes game:

Your Turn Now

You have a complete set of generic instructions for playing the Envelopes game. You also have several sample applications of the framegame in this issue of TGL and in previous issues. You have enough background information to rapidly create your own Envelopes game. So go to it now!

Jonathan Zittrain: The Web as random acts of kindness | Video on TED.com

What random acts of kindness can you spread?

Shared via AddThis

Have you noticed that theatre touches the audience? That’s usually done by creating recognizable situations. Audiences naturally laugh when they recognize things they do, or things they know others do. Hence keeping things truthful is pretty powerful and the truth is often funnier that fiction. Absurdity is usually cheap and not very interesting.

Try “Storying” around: Tell stories walking down the hallways, riding in the elevators, going up or down the stairs. But you must stop the story when you arrive at your destination. You can pick it up again when you leave. This is great for enhancing your story telling ability and adding humor and adventure to everyday situations. And, it’s FUN! People get hooked and interested.

• How often are you really “In the Moment” with your experiences? How would your life be enriched by being more present to the moment?   

Aikido Humor

“Laughter removes the burden of seriousness from the problem, and often times, it’s that very serious attitude that is the problem” 

                                                                                    (Bob Basso)

Do you encounter challenges in your communication with others that you wish you could turn into an opportunity?

Try practicing the art of Aikido Humor. Aikido is the martial art where you take an attack and redirect the energy.

To give you an example, Say you’re dealing with an angry customer who is being a jerk.

Customer: “Can’t you help me, stupid?”

You: “I’m trying, sir.”

Customer: “What’s the matter with you people, stupid?”

You: “Sir, please be patient.”

Customer: “That does it! What’s your name, stupid?”

You: “Well, I guess it has to be STUPID.”

Customer: (Laughing)

You can see how this neutralized an uncomfortable situation Think of some of the ways you get verbally attacked and think of some and create some  Aikido humor with them. Here is a couple to get you started.

      (Attack)                                             (Aikido Response)

-Are you serious?                                  Sometimes I’m parallel.

-Your skirt is too short.                       No, my legs are too long.

That’s Aikido humor. So the next time someone attacks you instead of attacking back, redirect it using humor if at all possible.

My Dad!

Until my father passed away  years ago we used to work together. We always enjoyed laughing and talking about a lot of things other than just our business. My father was someone who really enjoyed being “In the moment” with people. People that were around him used to comment how appreciated and respected they felt around my father.

In June of 2001 right after Father’s Day, my father started feeling ill. He was running a high fever and I took him to the Doctor who gave him some medicine to take in the hopes that he’d get better right away… He didn’t and he ended up having to get checked in the hospital so they could monitor him and find out what was making him so sick.

After a couple of days he got even sicker… He was running a 105 fever and they had to put an ice blanket underneath to lower his body temperature… But he was so sick he didn’t even notice it underneath him. My Mother and I were very worried something bad was going on inside his body… It took the doctors a week to finally figure out what was wrong with him. He had a rare form of lymphatic cancer that had never been see before in Austin where my father was hospitalized. The oncologist who had been brought in met with us and told us that we would need to undergo an aggressive form of chemotherapy to treat him. He said he would do one round of it and see how my father’s body reacted to it. If it didn’t work he wouldn’t push further treatment on him. He did look at my father and tell him to hang in there and let’s see if we can’t make you better.

It was this point my father was so sick that he told my mother and I that all wanted to do was die. It was pretty painful to hear my father say those words to me. It was like he had given up. I kept telling him to fight this out, and we’ll lick this disease. But every time I tried to get him to fight he would retreat back into defeat. I realized that I might say the same thing if I was in as much pain as he was. Then my Mother said something that at first I thought was just plain crazy, but it turned to have a magical effect on my father… She said to him, “Norman, if you want to die, then you go ahead and just die, that’s ok with us.” I was flabbergasted when I heard her say it. I was just about to pull her into the hallway and really let her have it for saying that to my Dad. But suddenly, My Dad perked up a little bit and lifted his head up and said, “OK, I’m not ready to give up, let’s see what happens”.. and he even smiled a little…..

I learned that by giving my father permission to die, we weren’t fighting with him to stay alive. He could now choose freely what we wanted to do with worrying about us. I guess after he re-looked at what he wanted, he chose to fight and live…Sometimes when we offer resistance to people they will resist back, but by agreeing with them they can choose what they want for themselves.

He immediately underwent some pretty aggressive chemotherapy, and got better right away. His symptoms reduced but he was still in pretty bad shape. I was spending a lot of time with him in his room. From morning to till late at night I spent with my father. I what I noticed more then anything was I wanted to be in the moment with him as much as I could. He was my father, and I didn’t know how much longer he was going to last. During this time I came to reflect on what was really important in life and it was anything I thought of before. When you have a relationship you value that is more golden then anything else you can own. Once they’re gone you can’t spend time with them anymore. I wanted to spend every waking moment I had with my Father, and in doing so I felt I got closer to him then I ever had in my entire life with him. The unfortunate part is I had to wait for him to get really sick to connect with him that deeply.

My father eventually got released from the hospital, but was still going to have to go through a lot more chemotherapy which he wasn’t looking forward to because it zapped his strength. He was weak enough from in being in the hospital so long. He finally passed in his sleep one night away a week after he got home. He died peacefully. I was saddened but relieved he didn’t have to suffer anymore. But I was grateful that I was able to experience being “in the moment” with him during the last weeks of his life. I felt like I had told him everything I need to say and listened to everything he wanted and could say to me.

I realized the importance and blessing of truly being “in the moment” with someone. There was nothing I wanted more, and I relished every second of it. The truly blessed things that happen for us require us to be “in the moment”. Don’t wait for someone to get seriously ill before you find that out.

Is there someone you need to focus on being “In the Moment” with? What kind of difference would that make in your life if you were to practice being “in the moment” with the people you care about?

A Fresh Look at Measuring Learning Retention
May 28, 2009

By Dan Hawthorne

Training officers often struggle to glean good information about a training program’s effectiveness. It’s hard to nail down what to look for while also determining what will apply in every situation.

A recent article in the March 2008 issue of the Journal of Applied Psychology provides information about trainee reactions that offers indispensable insights to anyone facing these decisions. In the article, researchers Sitzmann, et al. performed a meta-analysis (a statistical process that pools research data to look for patterns in similar studies) on 136 studies from the last 30 years, involving a total of 27,020 trainees.

One of their main findings speaks to the influence of the instructor on learner reactions. Instructors have the most impact on trainee reactions, accounting for 37 percent of the variance. That puts instructor style above the factors of organizational support (32 percent) and individual trainee characteristics (31 percent). And while an instructor’s style doesn’t seem to have a direct relationship with post-training motivation and self-efficacy, there is a direct relationship between trainee reactions and those two outcomes. So, if the instructor can impact those reactions, then post-training motivation and self-efficacy have a good chance of following suit.

Because of this effect, the researchers recommend practitioners keep in mind how instructors can best affect reactions. The researchers discovered anxiety levels could destroy how well a trainee rates a course. When trainees are anxious about course material (or outside influences), their minds are elsewhere. They don’t focus on the coursework in front of them.

To deal with anxiety in the classroom, instructors should:

• Create an open and relaxing atmosphere in the classroom. This can enhance trainee satisfaction with the course.

• Be aware of what behaviors indicate anxiety, and be on the lookout for them.

• When leading challenging coursework, consider including some relaxation techniques on breaks.

Additionally, post-training self-efficacy (which looks at learners’ self-reported confidence in their capabilities) emerged as a useful predictor of learning outcomes. Particularly, self-efficacy is a predictor of long-term learning of procedural skills, accounting for 24 percent of the variance in measurements of long-term procedural knowledge. Ideally, you want to measure learning outcomes through an objective test. However, if you can’t do that, ask trainees a few survey questions about their confidence to perform a skill. It offers a useful (and indirect) way to measure how well they have learned the skill. Ask trainees pointed and specific questions about the training to make them think about performing the skill. Doing this makes them run though performing the skill in their minds, and helps them call up how confident they truly feel.

Another important finding is that trainee reactions can predict motivation during training as well as changes in attitude after training. So, learner reactions may be useful in predicting enrollment rates or the course’s reputation within the organization. In a nutshell, reactions can be a window into how receptive a trainee is to attitude the change you want to achieve. If the course’s goal involves attitude change or motivation, then it becomes important to measure reactions in a focused fashion. Try to gauge how well the attitude change has taken hold by asking clear and direct questions in the post-training assessment.

An essential take-away of this research is that reaction measures have to be used appropriately. In many cases, organizations use generic post-training reaction sheets for every training program they implement because doing so makes it much easier to use the reaction sheets. However, “easier” is rarely better, and in some cases, creates other problems. It can be very important to target a specific training program with a training evaluation that speaks directly about the program in question. Trainees usually can detect generic questions, and many of them will start ignoring the questions, and just start making marks in a straight line down the sheet. But if the sheet asks pertinent questions that relate directly to the training, learners are more likely to read it more closely. They’ll answer more thoughtfully as well.

Many times when I’ve spoken to clients about post-training evaluation sheets, I hear them talk about the same problems and disappointments. Frequently, these evaluation sheets are used because trainees expect to see them, and management wants to see numbers that say people enjoyed the training. However, in many cases, these sheets are thrown into a file drawer, and the data on them is never used.

You can get powerful data from these post-training evaluation sheets when you use evidence-based measures that incorporate information such as what’s been discovered by researchers Sitzmann, et al. Effective post-training evaluations can serve multiple functions: measuring training efficacy, stimulating employee buy-in, and increasing engagement and behavioral change.

In the second part of my article on measuring learning retention, we’ll discuss ways to create meaningful evaluations, generate relevant responses, and gather powerful data. These processes can mean the difference between your training program’s ROI being written in black ink or red ink.

Dan Hawthorne is director of research for Intulogy LLC., an industry-diverse outsource training provider specializing in design and delivery of training programs built around its clients’ proprietary subject matter.

A funny thing is happening in American companies these days. From very small companies to Fortune 500 corporations, businesses are learning to put fun to work. According to the CEO of Rosenbluth International, Hal Rosenbluth, it is “almost inhumane if companies create a climate where people can’t naturally have fun . . . Our role and responsibility as leaders and associates is to create a place where people can enjoy themselves. I know our company is doing well when I walk around and hear people laughing.”

In a recent survey conducted by William M. Mercer, Inc., a New York-based consulting firm, employers were asked how they feel about humor on the job. While 8 percent said they discourage humor at work, another 8 percent include humor in their mission statements and values. Even more surprising, 4 percent of those surveyed have a humor consultant on staff.

There is an underlying assumption that humor, laughter or a playful attitude on the job will be viewed negatively in most corporations. When you talk to employees (both management and non-management) in private about this, they almost always say that they have to be careful about letting their sense of humor show on the job. Both employees and management fear that people will feel they’re being unprofessional, and that they’re incompetent, not taking their job seriously, etc. And, often, management makes the assumption that being playful 0r having fun means less productivity.

We strongly disagree, especially about the productivity point. Consider the following:

If you take a break and have some lighthearted conversation or listen to or read something funny, do you think you’ll come back more or less refreshed? The obvious answer is MORE. And, if you’re more refreshed, do you think you’ll be more or less productive? The answer again is MORE!

The word is out that employees who enjoy their jobs work more effectively. As a result, companies see a significant difference in the bottom-line – decreased employee turnover, increased morale and team functioning.

There are few things to keep in mind when one wants to utilize their sense of humor and fun on the job.

Establish your competence – Make sure people around know you are doing your job competently first, before letting your sense of humor show up. This is true for everyone, but especially true if you’re new on the job, or younger. You don’t want to be seen as someone who plays all the time, and doesn’t work. “All play and no work makes Jack …Unemployed!”

Once you’ve established that you’re good at what you do, and that you’re professional and take your work seriously, you’ll find that humor and a lighter style will work for you, not against you.

Be Sensitive — Always be sensitive to when any kind of humor or laughter is and is not appropriate. What’s fun for one person won’t attract another to crack a grin, so tailor your humor to include all individual styles. And if you’re dealing with the humor impaired just remember what Jack Webb from Dragnet always said, “Just the facts please”.

Interestingly, when a program is at a hotel (e.g., at a convention), most people in the room are able to let go and enter the spirit of fun. But when it’s in the building they work in, the percentage of people comfortable with letting the playful side of themselves out is always much smaller. People become nervous and self-conscious, apparently concerned about their image and apparent lack of professionalism. Consider: many people have been programmed for years to believe that giggling or laughing (at inappropriate times) is a frivolous waste of time, thus creating a barrier or hang-up about humor and fun.

Minimize Your Risk –When it comes to using humor, minimize your risk for failure by starting with simple acts involving some sort of surprise and/or exaggeration that make people feel good. Don’t always go for a laugh. Instead take someone by surprise and do something nice that makes them feel appreciated. And if you’re still worried about the risk, do it anonymously. Leave a flower on someone’s desk, send them a humorous card or comic strip, give them a chocolate bar. Some organizations have instituted a Secret Pal system. Each person receives the name of a coworker, with the understanding that they are to do one nice, anonymous thing for this individual in the next month.

In working with many organizations, we’ve found that they are often full of very funny and resourceful people who just need to be given permission and encouragement to use their sense of humor on the job. Let’s face it, with humor, there’s always a risk involved. But it’s up to each of us to take that risk so we can make our work environment a better place to be. You know what works best? A sense of humor trickling from the TOP down – CEO and management setting the example. So, why not give it a try?! You’ll be amazed.

Here’s a joke to get you started:

At the end of a job interview, the HR person asked the young MBA fresh out of MIT, “And what starting salary were you looking for?”

The candidate said, “In the neighborhood of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package.”

The HR person said, “Well, what would you say to a package of 5 weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50% of salary, and a company car leased every 2 years—say a red Corvette?”

The MBA sat up straight and said, “Wow!! Are you kidding?” “Certainly,” said the HR person, “but you started it.”

After all, if all you do when you go to work is work and stress out, then you need to lighten up. Contact me if you need help.