Learning from Experience

Common knowledge Recall of the details about several common items shows that people don't know things just because they are continually exposed to them. How I use this Communication; Safety; Supervision. Procedure 1. Either circulate a handout or display an overhead with a list of common items, for example, · 5c; 10c; coins · $5, $10, notes · Their own business cards · Their own diary · A pen that they use regularly · Their briefcase, · Their purse, wallet or handbag · A credit card or teller machine card · A photograph · Their key ring. 2. Ask each participant to select 5 items from the list that they can put their hands on without moving from their seat. It is of no consequence whether they choose the same or different items from other participants. 3. Ask them to write an answer to the question appropriate to each of their items, without looking at the item. 4. Circulate, display or read the questions. There should be one question for each item. If you choose 5c coin and 10c coin as two items, then prepare a separate question for each. Examples Coins What is the inscription on the face of the (nominated) coin? What characters are on the (nominated) coin. Notes How many times does the symbol $ or word Dollar appear on a (nominated) note. Who is pictured on a (nominated) note? What words are printed on a (nominated) note? Business card In what sequence are the following printed: Company name, your name, your title, street address, postal address, phone number, fax number? Diary What calendars (if any) appear on each page or at each opening? Briefcase What is the brand name of the case, and where does it appear inside and outside)? Purse, wallet or handbag How many compartments are there? Credit card When does it expire? Photograph What is the background against which the picture is taken? Key ring Which is the largest or which is the smallest key on the ring? How many keys are there on the ring? Pen What markings are on it? 5. Emphasize that they have set their own exam. They selected the items, and they have considerable liberty in what they accept as answers. Review 1. Ask how many were able to answer 5 questions? Record on a flip chart. 2. Ask and record 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 correct? 3. Discuss the implications for communicators of such poor recognition of information that is constantly on display (e.g. information notices, safety posters, advertising) Body parts When under pressure it is often difficult to recall things that we know quite well. Duration Activity takes about ten minutes, debrief can be expanded over whole of session. Material None. The participants only need plain notepaper. Procedure 1. Ask participants to write down as many body parts that are three letter words as they can remember. Keep it to words that can be used in polite company. 2. Explain that this is an individual exercise, instructions for a team activity will follow. 3. Allow two to three minutes. Stop the individual activity when it appears that most have gone as far they can. 4. Assign participants to groups of or 4. 5. Ask the groups to see who can produce the longest list. 6. Allow three minutes. 7. Ask for words from the class and build up a list on a flip chart. 8. After gathering the whole of group list, display a full list. Solution Partial list of three letter body parts: Ear, Eye, Lip, Jaw, Rib, Hip, Arm, Leg, Toe, Lap, Gut, Gum, Fat (is it a body part?). How about DNA? Some may add these additional ones: lid (eye), pad (thumb), pit (arm), lap (thighs), ren (kidney), rim (eye), sac (dental, urethral, and all sorts of others), cap (skull, knee) Review 1. Ask: What can we learn from this activity? 2. This activity shows: · The importance of preparation and planning. Under pressure we may not recall things that we know well. · The value of teamwork. Others may recall information that we cannot. · Different interpretations. A word used in polite company may mean different things to different people. 3. Improving recall is helped by: Planning Decide what to do before you need to do it. Preparation. Tools, forms, procedures available where you will be able to find them when the pressure come on. Practice and Rehearsal Experiential training gives an opportunity to do this in a low-risk environment. Prompts. For example, emergency buttons are always RED. PAIRED ACTIVITIES To encourage interaction, ask participants to pair with someone · That they are not sitting next to, or · Have not spoken to so far, or today; or · That they do not usually work with. One word conversation Communication is more than words. How I use this To show the importance of non-verbal communication, tone of voice and context. Procedure 1. Ask the audience how many of them believe that they could hold a meaningful conversation using a single two letter word. 2. Explain that you believe that they all could after less than one minute's coaching. 3. Seek a volunteer to help with the demonstration. 4. Ask the volunteer to reply to any question or comment that you make with the same word but expressed differently. 5. Say "No!" as an absolute denial. 6. When they respond with the word "No!" say "No?" as a question with a tone of surprise. 7. Other tones that may be adopted as the one word conversation progresses include disdain, regret, disclosure, astonishment, amazement, shock, uncertainty, reservation, suspicion and so forth. 8. It is possible to continue the conversation for several minutes using just the one word. 9. After a short demonstration, you may ask the audience to try it for themselves. The tail A teacher walked into a room where the class were typically noisy before order was called. At the top of her irritated voice she called, "I want chaos, bedlam and mayhem and I want it now!". In an instant, silence filled the room.