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The big book of brain building games

Fun Activities to Stimulate the Brain—for Better Group Learning, Communication, and UnderstandingBy Edward E. Scannell Carol A. Burnett

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Copyright © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-07-163522-6

Contents

Chapter One

The Use of Games and Activities in the World of Meetings

When I give a lecture, I accept that people look at their watches, but what I do not tolerate is when they look at it and raise it to their ear to find out if it stopped.

—Marcel Achard

Chapter Highlights

In this opening chapter, you will learn several ways to make your meetings more effective. You’ll also discover some of the dos and don’ts for using games in meetings.

Ask anyone who has been around the meetings or training arena for a while, and they’ll likely all agree on two things when it comes to experiential learning:

1. Today’s meeting and conference attendees want to be entertained as well as be informed. In short, they want proof that learning can be fun. This is not to say that all learning must be “fun and games,” but given the admittedly short attention span of most audiences, it is clear that we must engage and involve our attendees as much as possible. In fact, recent brain research clearly indicates that if we don’t in some way engage participants every five to seven minutes, we’ll lose them. Additional findings in this area tell us that when we physically move around, the body produces chemicals that have a positive effect on our thinking. Finally, according to the Center for Accelerated Learning, “people who learn in a fun, active way learn faster and remember more.” This study also suggested that we can reduce training time by as much as 60 percent owing to this faster absorption.

2. Learning is not a spectator sport! Let’s think about that for a moment. While we, of course, believe that the content and material we bring to our audiences is relevant, timely, and useful, we’re also suggesting that the more they can discuss, debate, and deliberate this information, the more it will resonate with them. It is also true that we often learn as much, if not more, from our colleagues during break times, hallway conversations, and other casual moments we spend conversing with other participants. In other words, the personal experiences we often share with fellow attendees are also a learning activity.

Let’s Look at Meetings

Someone once quipped that if everyone attending a meeting at this very moment were all laid end to end, they’d probably be a lot more comfortable! This would be funny if it weren’t so often true. But one look at your own corporate or association meetings is all you need to know he had a point.

Every day literally millions of meetings are held, yet many—perhaps most—fail to hit their mark. Ask any experienced meeting professional, and each one will stress the importance of having goals and objectives for any meeting. Check your own organization’s track record, however, and you’ll see a different story. For example, an association may have its annual conference each year. And why? you ask. “Well, because we always have our annual meeting every year.” Sound a bit redundant?

In today’s marketplace, with an uncertain economy and continued scrutiny on the entire world of meetings, we’d best be prepared for some serious questions—perhaps even from our superiors, stakeholders, and colleagues.

So, with this brief background, let’s look at some tested tips and questions that must be addressed.

Time-Tested Tips for Better Meetings

These suggestions will help ensure that your meetings—from small-group training workshops and seminars to multithousand-attendee conferences or conventions—will all be productive and cost-effective.

Define Your Objectives

• To introduce new information?

• To announce a change?

• To review or modify policies?

• To solve a problem?

• To motivate or reward?

• To introduce a new product?

Do you have a specific goal in mind that others are aware of? If not, why not?

Target Your Outcomes

• What will happen after the meeting is over?

• What are the desired end results of this meeting?

• How will you know if these end results are met?

• How will your manager or the participants know if results are met?

In many associations, we have seen a strong trend whereby potential speakers and facilitators are required to identify, prior to speaking, three or four solid takeaways or outcomes that their participants can expect to learn.

In the old days, an objective could be simply “to understand” or “to appreciate” a certain concept; clearly, that language won’t cut it today. Experienced meeting professionals are demanding these objectives in action-oriented, behavioral terms, such as “to identify the five steps in closing a sale” or to “demonstrate at least three ways to increase customer satisfaction.”

Define Your Participants

• Who will be coming to your meeting? Are these the appropriate people?

• Do they have sufficient experience or background to be able to contribute to the meeting’s goals?

• Do you know what their expectations are? Might there be some hidden agenda items on their minds?

• Can you be sure they’ll be listening to you, rather than texting or using their BlackBerrys the whole time?

• Are they there because they really want to be there—or is it a case of a captive audience (i.e., “I’m here because my boss told me I had to come”)?

Determine the Agenda

• What are the topics that should be covered?

• For small group meetings, do you have a prepared agenda?

• Will your participants have the agenda in advance?

• Will attendees have an opportunity to make changes or suggestions to the agenda? Can you be flexible enough to allow them to do so?

Consider Timing

• How long will the meeting last?

• What time of day is it scheduled for?

• Has sufficient time been allowed to adequately cover all the necessary items? If not, when will the next meeting be scheduled?

• What day(s) of the week? For example, Mondays or Fridays are often not the best days for meetings, because people’s energy levels are best in the middle of the week. Meetings are usually most successful when held on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.

Define Roles

• What roles and responsibilities will the attendees have?

• Will you need a facilitator? Timekeeper? Scribe? Parliamentarian?

• Are the attendees comfortable in their assignments? Have they volunteered themselves, or have they been volunteered by a third party?

Decide on Process or Method

• Do the items on the agenda call for decisions, or are they merely informational?

• If your role is that of a facilitator, have you ensured that everyone will have a chance to participate?

• If yours is a training or speaking assignment, have you allowed time for interaction or other ways of engaging or involving the group?

Identify Action Steps

• As the meeting closes, have you identified the action steps the group has agreed on?

• Does everyone have marching orders?

• Have you made a “to do” list to ensure that nothing was left undone?

Nothing is quite as perplexing or frustrating to a group as leaving a meeting with no clear idea of what is going to happen next. The attendees are likely to feel their time has been wasted.

Evaluate the Meeting

• After the meeting, have you informed participants and other relevant parties of the actions and decisions made?

• In retrospect, were the right decisions made? If not, what needs to be done next?

Certainly a formal evaluation or critique is an expected part of any training program, but even in small-group get-togethers some type of follow-up is of paramount importance.

Now then …

Characteristics of Games and Activities

With that brief look at the world of meetings under our belts, let’s turn our attention to some traits of these learning activities. Essentially, a game or exercise can be used to support and enhance the learning point or content you are presenting. Whether you’re offering cognitive, affective, or psychomotor types of learning, all three can be reinforced through the use of audience involvement activities.

It is important to remember, of course, that the game is not the focal point of the learning—it is used to embellish and support the learning. In short, don’t let the adage of “the tail wagging the dog” come into play.

In this book, you will find these characteristics in all the activities presented:

• Brief: In most cases, these activities range in duration from a few minutes to 20 or 30. While we all have seen some activities that take an hour or longer, we strongly believe that the shorter, the better. This is merely to suggest that people want content, and while games are, of course, fun, they must take a secondary role to the information being presented.

• Low risk: All of the exercises presented here have been used with groups around the globe. All have been field-tested with a variety of groups, from entry level to executive levels, and given the proper time for processing, you can be assured they will work for you as well.

• Adaptable: Regardless of the groups with whom you are working, use the games as presented here or, better yet, tailor them more to the particular audience.

• Inexpensive: As you will note, most of the games require very little if any other resources. Even with those that suggest handouts, in the spirit of “going green,” these can easily be transferred to PowerPoint slides.

• Targeted: Most games will have a specific objective or learning point. However, you may find other tangential uses for them as well. If so, so much the better. Read through the selected exercises and make your judgment accordingly.

Suggestions for the Use of Games

Recent brain research shows the importance of both mental and physical activity to enhance memory and the learning process. So keep these points in mind as you plan and orchestrate your next program.

In summary, consider these suggestions for optimal results with the use of these games:

• Be prepared. It’s been said that the three most important parts of any presentation are (1) preparation, (2) preparation, and, of course, (3) preparation! It’s also been joked that “preparation makes up for a lack of talent.” We wouldn’t say so, of course, but the underlying point holds up: plan and practice the game with coworkers, family, or friends. This will give you a solid comfort zone and better prepare you for any situation.

• Be brief. As already stated, make your point and move on. And remember, the games are always an added benefit, a fun way of imparting information. Don’t let them be the main course. Certainly, a two- or three-minute get-acquainted activity at the beginning of a small-group get-together is a must (especially if the attendees don’t know one another), but don’t use too many too early. Here are a few rules of thumb: In a 45-minute keynote, use maybe two or three games at most. In a half-day or longer workshop, sprinkle several throughout the day. Sometimes all that’s needed is a quick break to stand up and move around.

• Be purposeful. The old saying “You can’t get lost if you don’t know where you’re going” may well be true, but it has no value in today’s workplace. Each of the games herein has a specific goal or objective, clearly stated below the game’s title. Certainly, you may find additional purposes as well. This is fine, but always make certain that your participants know your precise reason or objective for any game or activity. Always allow sufficient time to debrief the activity. This processing time is most valuable in that it allows all your participants to better understand the goal and how that exercise added to the point you were making.

• Seek participation. This may sound trite, but if you want the involvement of the group, you’d best demonstrate that you can have fun too. Acknowledge openly that you may not have all the answers but are honestly soliciting attendees’ assistance and participation in making this particular program all the more viable and rewarding for them. Games exist to help facilitate learning, and for many people learning is a self- developmental process. Moreover, given the nature of today’s audiences, their attention won’t necessarily be on their speaker or facilitator 100 percent of the time. Clearly no one wants to be “talked at” today, and by getting them involved, you’re already on your way to a more productive and enjoyable workshop.

• Be playful. This doesn’t mean act like a stand-up comedian, but rather that it’s OK to have some fun in your sessions. By letting people know this at the beginning of your program, you’re already well on the way to establishing the rapport so critical with any group. Keep in mind, of course, that games have a place in most—but not necessarily all—programs. There are times when overt humor would be clearly inappropriate. But that doesn’t mean that you still can’t have audience involvement along the way.

Some Caveats

While our bias for group participation is a serious one, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention just a few things to watch out for along the way.

• Don’t be gimmicky. If you’re seen as the “class clown,” you’re in the wrong business! And if your program comes off as nothing but fun and games, then you are really in the wrong business. As you go through this book, you will see dozens of activities that are fun and enjoyable; but make certain that you always emphasize the objective and learning points. The last thing you want is to have your participants walk away with these questions unanswered: What was I supposed to learn? Was that time really worth the effort? What was his point? Why did she spend so much time playing that game?

• Don’t overdo it. As previously mentioned, the game is always an appetizer or dessert, but not the main part of the meal. Use the game at—and only at—the appropriate time. And remember, it doesn’t always have to be a playful game. The activity could take many forms, as long as it’s relevant and ties into the point being made.

• Don’t use games to kill time. Time is a more precious commodity now than ever, and your attendees’ time is far too valuable to waste. Choose your activity wisely—if a point can be made with a 10-minute exercise, why spend 30 minutes achieving the same goal?

• Avoid the “hardening” of the categories. These presentation topics tend to be fairly fluid. Be innovative; be creative. Find alternative uses for the games presented. Add, delete, or change these items as you see fit. By mixing it up, you will ensure that your audiences are with you all the way! That’s it. Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!

Procedure

Give each audience member a copy of the handout. Explain that each of the 16 frames or boxes in the quiz suggests a well-known slogan, phrase, or saying and that the task is to decipher the hidden message in each box. To get the ball rolling and ensure that the group has a clear understanding of how the quiz works, provide the answer to one of the frames.

Allow participants two to three minutes to do the quiz individually. Then suggest that they pair up with a partner and see how many more frames they can solve together. Allow another two to three minutes. Then, starting with frame #1, begin soliciting answers from the group. If a response is fairly close to the “right” answer (if they’ve got the idea but perhaps a word wrong), simply paraphrase the answer to make it the correct one.

Discussion Questions

1. How many frames were you able to solve correctly on your own?

2. How many more did you solve when you worked with others?

3. When working with partners, did you come up with alternate answers?

4. Are you able to create some of these brain teasers yourself? Try one now. Is it easier solving a brain teaser or creating a brain teaser?

Procedure

Explain that the brain works 24/7 and that research has shown that every 90 minutes there is a literal “storming” of the brain; hence the term brainstorming.

Before you delve into a real-world problem—how to increase productivity, how to decrease costs, how your company can become more green, and the like—you’ll want to acclimate the group to this process with a trial run. Ask the participants to form teams of three or four members. Explain that their task is to think of as many uses as they can for a common paper clip, in just two minutes. Ask them to jot down only the number of ideas—not the ideas themselves. Encourage a fun, competitive atmosphere.

First review the rules for brainstorming:

1. No critical judgment is allowed.

2. Freewheeling is welcomed—the wilder, the better!

3. Quantity, not quality, is desired—the more, the merrier!

4. Recombination and improvement are sought.

Variation

As an alternate activity, ask “How would you improve the common lead pencil?”

Discussion Questions

1. How many ideas did your team generate?

2. What are some of the uses you thought of? (tie clasp, make a chain, etc.)

3. What are some of the more outlandish ideas you thought of?

4. Did you find the group-think process brought forth more ideas?

(Continues…)

Excerpted from The big book of brain building gamesby Edward E. Scannell Carol A. Burnett Copyright © 2010 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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