Thursday, November 29, 2007

Tip #189: Favorite Give-Aways #6

Flashing star bouncing balls are colorful rubber star-shaped balls that are approximately 1 1/2 inch in diameter. Red, blue, yellow, green, they flash when they’re bounced- and even when they are squeezed! Although they cost almost twice as much as any of the other give-aways and prizes that we’ve discussed previously, I think that these flashing stars are particularly wonderful. Participants are always delighted to receive them.


The problem I’ve found is that often only six out of the dozen actually flash. As a result, I only used them a few times and then stopped purchasing them. I don’t know if something happens to them in transit from the Oriental Trading Company or after I’ve packed them to fly to the training location.- or if whatever causes them to flash is just erratic and very fragile. I have never brought the duds back with me after a training session, so I can’t tell you if there is any difficulty with returning them. If any of you have had some experience with these flashing stars, please let me know. If I knew that most of the dozen balls would light up, I would start buying them again in a flash!

This concludes our discussion of my participants’ favorite give-aways and prizes.


Next week, we will discuss using a pen tablet to make it possible to add participant feedback to PowerPoint presentations during a training session.


Sunday, November 25, 2007

Tip #188: Favorite Give-Aways #5

Bubbles are a terrific way to celebrate the end of a training session, particularly a session that is more than a day or two in length. My friend and mentor Sharon Bowman taught me that we shouldn’t end training with an evaluation. When we do, all of the class energy subsides as folks focus in on the evaluation. Instead, we need to CELEBRATE!


So that is when I use the bubbles. When participants hand me their completed evaluation, I hand them a mini bubble bottle with a small wand folded up inside. They need to take care in opening the bottles, because they have aluminum foil across the top that can accidentally cut a finger. I suggest that they open up the bottle with a pen to puncture the foil, then they have to either hook their little finger into the bottle liquid to reach the wand- or some enterprising folks have figured out that they can make a hook with a pipe cleaner to reach the wand. This is an excellent solution for folks with thicker fingers or folks who would prefer not to get the soapy mixture all over their hands.

Once everyone has their bubbles open, I ask them to form a circle to the sound of “Celebration” from Kool and the Gang. Groups really have a great time blowing bubbles- and those of you who remember Lawrence Welk will get nostalgic with all of the bubbles in the air! [Just make sure the group is on carpet rather than a bare floor, because when the bubbles pop, they can make the floor very slippery!]

When they’re ready to stop blowing bubbles, the group is instructed to go give specific thanks to the folks who made their participation so valuable. This honors the learning community we established and maintained- and gives a real party atmosphere to the close of the session. Folks leave on a wave of happy energy.

You can get mini bubbles with all sorts of different colorful themes, such as Mardi Gras, tropical fish., race car, ‘60’s, aloha, sport ball, wild and crazy, and all holiday seasons. Packed in boxes of two dozen, this is by far the heaviest item I pack., but well worth it.

Back scratchers are a big surprise to participants. Oriental Trading Company sells 16” plastic back scratchers in blue, red, yellow, pink, green, and purple. They come 72 in a box. They are wonderfully light to pack and a very inexpensive give-away when playing games that everyone wins (like relay races). Participants enjoy selecting a color, they almost always take them home with them, some use them for their intended purpose and others use them to duel!

Next week, we’ll continue our discussion of my participants’ favorite give-aways and prizes, looking at flashing star bouncing balls!

If there are other great novelties, toys, prizes, or give-aways that your participants appreciate, please let us know about them!.



This week, we conclude a discussion of my participants’ favorite give-aways and prizes- with flashing star bouncing balls.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Tip #187: Favorite Give-Aways #4

Puzzles and paddles are unexpected prizes that keep participants occupied long after they are received.


There are all sorts of puzzles, but the ones that I like to hand out are apparently called
puzzle balls. I just looked them up on Oriental Trading Company’s website and find their name a tad confusing, because only one of the colorful orange-sized puzzles in actually a round ball. That is the easiest one to put back together. Then there is one shaped like a star, which I never throw because it’s sharp edges can take an eye out. The third puzzle is round, with interlocking slices, so it isn’t solid like the other two. And the fourth puzzle has six interlocking gear-shaped pieces that often tantalize and frustrate folks. The most adept can put it together on their own, but I’ve actually watched two to four folks try to put it together, with little success. This is despite the fact that each puzzle does come with a re-assembly instruction sheet. In the interest of full disclosure, I should state for the record that I cannot put ANY of the puzzles back together!!!

Needless to say, when I hand out the puzzles, I ask participants how hard they would like their puzzle to be. A caution: Engineering types lose all sense of time and place working on them!!! An additional caution: The fourth and most difficult puzzle does NOT travel well. It often falls apart in transit and I end up throwing one or two of them out.

The paddles are really paddle ball games. So, if you were thinking that we use them to paddle participants, please change your focus! The paddles are made of wood, with a ball attached to the middle of the paddle with a rubber cord. There are all sorts of colorfully decorated paddles, including goofy smile faces, psychedelic, patriotic, neon, and two right now for Halloween: Halloween smile faces, and spider webs (which are on sale at the moment). The object of the game is to keep bouncing the ball on the paddle. This requires good hand eye coordination.

I usually give the paddle ball games out at the end of a training day, for obvious reasons! However, I gave them out earlier during a two day
Technical Trainer’s Toolbox program in California two weeks ago- and had fun watching two participants compete against each other during a break to see who could bounce the ball longer! So I may give them out earlier in future programs.

Participants sometimes get frustrated and leave puzzle pieces, but they almost never leave the paddle ball games. The puzzles are light but bulky to pack. The wooden paddles make the packs of a dozen pretty dense and heavier, for those of you concerned about luggage weight restrictions on flights.

Next week, we’ll continue our discussion of my participants’ favorite give-aways and prizes, looking at bubbles and back scratchers.

If there are other great novelties, toys, prizes, or give-aways that your participants appreciate, please let us know about them!


Welcome to Laurel Learning Tips, which is published weekly by Laurel and Associates, Ltd. Please feel free to forward these Tips to anyone who may find them useful. Previous Tips #1-187 can be found on our website: http://www.laurelandassociates.com.

I am really enjoying the fact that this topic stimulates so much enthusiasm! My dear friend Julie Almont from Delaware Park sent this message:

“Hi Deb!

I Attended Disney Institute recently! The facilitator began by explaining that she would be giving out what she referred to as PPRs (Positive Plastic Reinforcements). She went on to say that by the end of the day, we would be jumping over each other to receive one...I chuckled with the usual cynicism of a
know-it-all!
It only took me one hour to turn from my reserved, professional demeanor, and step on my table partner's foot to get a 2 inch molded statue of M-I-C-K-E-Y...!
He resides on the shelf between the little rubber ducky and Eeyore!”

Positive Plastic Reinforcements! Isn’t that wonderful? Thanks so much, Julie!!

If any of you have any other names for these give-aways, please let us know!

This week, we continue a discussion of my participants’ favorite give-aways and prizes, bubbles and back scratchers.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Tip #186: Favorite Give-Aways #3

Great prizes for pop ups, games, and wise insights include bendables and bug-eyed novelties. You may be wondering what I’m talking about!


Bendables are three inch high hard plastic figures that can stand and have arms, legs and torsos that can bend. My personal favorites are the star student bendables, with star-shaped heads, although many participants will trade to get the red devil bendables, with horns and tails! There are lots of other types of bendables, including happy faced guys, and different zoo animals that are two-legged with animal faces. Participants have a lot of fun bending them into sitting and standing positions, and perching them on top of ducks or glasses. These are not toxic like the dog and cat bendables that were recalled from lots of libraries a few years ago. The only caution is that it is wiser to hand out bendables rather than to throw them, because they could easily take an eye out!

Bug-eyed novelties are small, rounded soft plastic items such as tropical fish or happy faced guys heads that are filled with a liquid. When you squeeze them, their eyes bug out! They are surprising, colorful, and cute. Although I refer to them as bug-eyed novelties, you’ll have better success finding them under novelties “with putty eyes.” I just ordered some new ones that are Halloween characters with putty eyes, which will be perfect for upcoming October workshops! The one caution about them is that they are wrapped in plastic and should probably stay wrapped. The liquid that enables their eyes to bug out often leaks and, because it is somewhat oily, can make a mess. Definitely not something to bring home to children.

There won’t be a
Tip on September 24th because I will be in Sedona, Arizona on the very first vacation I’ve ever taken on my own! This will also be my very first visit to Sedona. On October 1st, we’ll resume discussion of my participants’ favorite give-aways and prizes, looking at puzzles and paddles.

In the meantime, if there are other great novelties, toys, prizes, or give-aways that your participants appreciate, please let us know about them!


This week, we continue a discussion of my participants’ favorite give-aways and prizes, puzzles and paddles.

However, before we begin, here are two other give-aways that were very effective in a recent workshop- on computer software changes!! So, all of you who do computer training and are wondering how to incorporate these items into your training programs, please pay attention!! :-)

“Hi Deb,

We recently did training on a new software application. It was our loan origination platform, so it was quite comprehensive and a big change. The project lead requested that I order inflatable hammers---for pounding away frustrations---and hand clappers---for completing a skill or a loan. I got both, in neon colors, from Oriental Trading company. The clappers included a strobe light handle. They were both very colorful and a big "hit."

Sarah Schenkat
Training/HR Specialist
Badgerland Farm Credit Services”

Sarah, thanks so much for your letter. I’ve used clappers before, but they weren’t as snazzy- and I’ve never used inflatable hammers, or any other inflatable toys, before. What terrific ideas!

This week, we continue a discussion of my participants’ favorite give-aways and prizes, puzzles and paddles.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Tip #185: Favorite Give-Aways #2

One of my favorite give-aways is the rainbow-colored mini slinky that comes in a variety of different shapes, such as stars, fish, hearts, and butterflies, as well as geometric shapes, like circles and hexagons. They are very easy to use as metaphors for any training content that emphasizes flexibility and resilience, such as responding to change, making effective presentations, or meeting the needs of different learning styles- or content that emphasizes extending yourself without losing yourself, such as assertive skills or risk taking. I’m sure you get the picture: they are extremely flexible (no pun intended)!


As the trainer, all you need to do is to ask the question: “How is [whatever the training content is] like a slinky?” Your participants will take off brainstorming and create their own meanings and references, to which you can return throughout the training session. There is also the extra added benefit that the slinkies are lots of fun to play with, keeping hands busy and minds active!

Although I really do NOT own any stock in Oriental Trading Company, it is very nice that they offer an assortment of 50 for less than $15. Just look for this under mini rainbow magic spring assortment.

Another favorite give-away is a small plastic kaleidoscope. When the participants look through their kaleidoscopes, they work beautifully focused on the colorful kites I put up on the walls. If your content is concerned with appreciating diversity or different perspectives (in team building, negotiation, or conflict management), or creativity, they are very relevant. The one drawback is that the plastic covers come off pretty easily, so I always warn participants not to take them with them if they or anyone around them, such as small children, might put them into their mouths! As a result, they often leave them.. In comparison, it is exceptionally rare that any participants leave the slinkies!

Next week, we’ll continue a discussion of my participants’ favorite give-aways and prizes, looking at bendables and bug-eyed novelties.


This week, we continue a discussion of my participants’ favorite give-aways and prizes, bendables and bug-eyed novelties.

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Tip #184: Favorite Give-Aways #1

My favorite give-aways are the thematic and seasonal ducks, duckies and duckys from Oriental Trading Company. If you go to http://www.orientaltrading.com, you will find them for every holiday (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and Easter), for occasions (happy birthday, graduation, baby shower, bride and groom, fiesta, rainy day, and snow flake), many careers( pirate, cowboy, rock star, armed forces, professional, camouflage nurses, mad scientist, teacher, and star student), for a variety of themes (patriotic, pink ribbon, angel, devil, fairy tale, bingo, Chinese, over the hill, and luau), for pets (dogs, cats, and unicorn), and for sports (golfer, football and cheerleader of every color, basketball, soccer, baseball, ninja, biker, and referees). Every time I check the site, they have new ducks from which to choose. This time, it was the mad scientist and the golfer!


Most of the ducks are yellow or orange, with very colorful attire and appendages- except for the devil ducks, which are bright red with horns! I have found that many participants get a kick out of the devil ducks! Unfortunately, they’ve been out of stock for a while., but you can keep checking. Their catalog number is IN-32/717.

Just bear in mind that, to find the duck you want, you need to search the Oriental Trading Company website using duck, duckie, ducky and rubber duck!

It is really amazing what participants will do to earn a duck! Since the ducks are very light to throw, I also don’t bean anyone when I throw them erratically, which is my typical style! Because there are at least four and often six different kooky styles of every duck in the package of twelve, folks often like to collect more than one.

I’ve been having fun using ducks as give-aways for several years, but I only just recently saw this beautifully affirming article about ducks as symbols of versatility from DailyOM:

“July 23, 2007
Symbols Of Versatility
Ducks

If you are lucky enough to live in a part of the world that is also a home to ducks, you will no doubt be familiar with the image of their cute feathery bottoms sticking up in the air as their heads disappear under the surface of the water. Perhaps you’ve even taken a moment to wonder what they see in their underwater world, and if they will resurface with a fish or a water bug in their beaks. As we observe them, we see that
ducks are denizens of three worlds—the world of air, the world of water, and the world of earth. As such, they have adapted themselves to be able to swim, fly, and walk, and they seek and find nourishment in more than one place. They are symbols of versatility and can inspire us to explore our own ability to adapt and find nourishment in a variety of places.

Ducks are able to float, swim, and dive into the water, fishing for food. They can walk on the ground, eating vegetation and bugs, and they fly in the air to travel long distances relatively quickly. Equipped with feet that are equally good at paddling and walking, as well as wings to fly,
ducks seem comfortable in just about any natural environment. Next time you see a duck bottom, you might be inspired to examine your own ability to both float on the surface and to dive beneath it. In many traditions, water symbolizes the emotions—to duck our heads into our emotions means we are able to surrender our minds to our hearts, to go into the watery realm of feeling and see what there is to see, often coming to the surface with nourishment and treasure.

At the same time, we share the duck's ability to get solid ground under our feet by connecting to the earth on which we live simply by walking on it. And finally, when we reside in our spirits, we fly above the mental, emotional, and material realms, free of all the ties that bind us to this earth, traveling faster and farther than we ever thought possible.”

This article is printed from DailyOM - Inspirational thoughts for a happy, healthy and fulfilling day. For more information, visit dailyom.com.

Since our focus as trainers is to encourage and support versatility and resilience in the face of all sorts of changes, it is truly serendipitous that these funny and charming rubber ducks are available to us!


Next week, we’ll continue a discussion of my participants’ favorite give-aways and prizes, looking at slinkies and kaleidoscopes.


This week, we continue a discussion of my participants’ favorite give-aways and prizes. However, before we do, Tracy Adams of Abn Amro has some wonderful ideas to share:

“First, thanks (again, maybe - I think I've written to you before) for this email service. Although I have been in the training business for two decades, I still find interesting tidbits, and enjoy hearing from your other readers.

As a practitioner who regularly uses both toys and give-aways, I have a couple of comments to share:

1) While toys can simply serve the purpose of stimulating participants (i.e., keeping them awake through the afternoon energy slump and giving kinesthetic learners - which I refer to as 'movers and shakers' - a place to focus their active energy), I have always found that the most effective and value-producing give-aways are ones that tie in a fairly direct way to the class. To just give participants something to work for is okay, but we bring more value to the organization if the item ties to the subject and continues to reinforce the info/message after the class.

2) Don't rule out "do it yourself" take-aways. During a customer service session, we provide stand-up "super heroes" to participants. These are figures we created from clip art and print on thick paper. There is a place for participants to write a message on the figure. During the session, we have them create their own personal customer service mission statement and record it on the super hero figure. Just last week I walked by a former trainee's desk and saw the figure posted there - from 6 years ago! I asked him how he felt he was doing with his mission statement, and he said, 'Having this posted here, I find that every day I find some new way to live up to it.' Good for him, good for the organization.

Thanks again for keeping the learning light shining!

Tracy Adams
CTP.CA, CPLP • First Vice President, Trainer • TB NA Training and Development”

Tracy, thank you so much for writing and reminding us all how important it is to tie take-aways to the class content whenever possible. In past Tips, we’ve discussed the use of metaphor and related do-it yourself take-aways in accelerated learning training, such as creating tiny bridges for a workshop on Building Respect in the Workplace and decorating tiny trees with fake fruits and flowers for a workshop on Building Positive Partnerships. I absolutely love the idea of the clip art super hero figure with a personal customer service mission statement! What a creative and elegantly simple take-away that is incredibly powerful and clearly has had a lasting impact on the participants!

I also get a kick out of your reference to kinesthetic learners as movers and shakers,” Tracy. You’ve got a great sense of humor and you are absolutely right about them!