Topical One of the challenges trainers face is finding games and exer- cises that pertain to a certain kind of session (customer
service or diversity training, for example). While many other exercises can be adapted for those kinds of training, we’ve identified several “topical” games that work particularly well in specific situations. A Few Words About Using These Games Whether it’s the first time or the five hundredth time you’ve used games in your classroom, I believe there are some fundamentals you should be aware of when implementing these exercises. Assess your audience and know the risks. Some of the following exercises will be natural hits with certain types of audiences, but others might bomb. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what kind of game to play with what kind of audience. But you also need to assess your own comfort level with “pulling off” these games. A rule of thumb: If you’re even remotely uncomfortable with an exercise, don’t use it. Participants will sense your hesitation and share your discomfort. Never use a game without debriefing afterward. It might be obvious to you how a game enhances your subject matter, but it’s danger- ous to assume your participants are on the same page. Follow every game with a debriefing session to help participants ease back into the session itself, see the transition you’ve attempted to create, and assimilate the game’s learning points. Be creative. Adapt, adapt, adapt. Nothing about any game in this book is set in stone. The trainers to whom these ideas are attributed were successful in using these games because they adapted the exercises to suit their own needs. Though you’ll be able to pluck many of them right off the page and insert them into your sessions, I challenge you to make these games uniquely your own whenever you can. The result will be an exercise that has even more relevance to you, your company, and your classroom. But most important, the result will be an exercise that’s more fun.
xii
101 More Games for Trainers
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker