By 3 min read

Idea #29 You last day at office

Do it When you want to bust morale among employees.
Everyone has to imagine that this is his/her last day at office. But not that way, most people are afraid. A long time form now, they are going to retirement.  Each one will receive golden watch. On the back of the watch 3 words are engraved. Obviously those 3 words will be summary of his/her previous work in the company.  Invite all of them to write his/her 3 words and to put them in one sentence. Good beginning of that sentence will be: “I want to be remembered in this company as person who was: __________, __________ and ____________. “
Tell them that by Changing their values, they can change their lives!
!#29b

Now, coaching questions for you:
1. Imagine that your child (children) are coming to visit your company 5 years from your last day in that company. They met on of your employees. What would he/she said about you?
2. Lets imagine he/she will have to scale all your skills from 1 to 10. What mark would you got?
3. Why you have deserved such high grade?
4. What would be the week point?
5. What would be … Read more

By 2 min read

Idea #28 Positive feedback for the end

Do it When you are finishing the training. After any training it is very important that people leave it with positive feeling. This means that everyone has done his part in developing total success. Using this tool everyone will leave training with something very concrete. Supply everyone with piece of paper. Then he/she has to write his/her name on the top of the paper. Than each one has to give his paper to the person left to him/her. Each person has to write one sentence what that person has developed during that training. After that he will pass that paper to the left. At the end every person will have positive feedback from all colleagues. It is important that one by one read aloud what was written.
!#28Now, coaching questions for you:
1. What was the nicest thing that anyone in the company said to you?
2. How you have felt when you heard that?
3. What other values you had that time?
4. Which melody can repeat that feeling to you?
5. What other things you can do to regain those feeling?
6. Where and when in the future you can use those values?
Thank you and … Read more

By 2 min read

Idea #27 Your office library

Do it When you want to make your employees to learn for a lifetime. In every office there is a library, because every employee has to learn.
As great Peter Drucker said: “We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.” This game you can play with your team, but also this library can be for real.
Your team has to make drawing of library that will represent your company. Everyone has to participate and to explain what is so special and unique for your company.
At the end send drawing to the carpenter and you will have special library that every employee will be glad to read.
!#27
Now, coaching questions for you:
1. Imagine that solution to your main company problem is in one of your books in your library. What is it?
2. Why is solving that problem so important to you?
3. On which book shelf is that book?
4. What is the name of that book?
5. Turn the last page, where usually are all answers?
6. What is the first answer to that question?
7. What … Read more

By 2 min read

Idea #26 Firm as this stone

Do it When you want quickly to introduce all participants, and make them think about their characteristics. Give the basket with stones to the participants. Everyone has to take one stone and keep it in his hand. After that one by one each person has to say: 1) His name 2) His job position and the most importantly 3) His main good characteristic. He will do that by saying: “My enthusiasm is firm like this stone!”
After this introduction you can ask them questions like: “How each of those characteristics can be useful to our team or that training?”
!#26
Coaching questions for you are:
1. You have to take one stone and keep it all your life remembering about your most important good characteristic. What is it?
2. Knowing that you have that characteristic, what are the other 2 good characteristics that you also posses and maybe you are not so aware about them?
3. Now when you have those 3 characteristics, choose some area of your life, and some specific goal where you can use them. What is that goal?
4. How important on a scale from 1 to 10 is completing that goal?
5. Why is … Read more

By 3 min read

Idea #25 Paper plane evaluation

Do it When you want easily to see how much participant have gained from the training. It is always important to see how much participants have gained from the training. If you ask them directly it can be very bad experience reminding them with school. So let’s use our creativity.
Prepare note book size papers and write on each of them one question concerning topic that was lectured. Ask each participant to take one paper and to make a paper plane from it. Everybody knows to make some kind of paper plane. Then they all have to make a circle as bigger as possible. On your sigh everyone will launch their planes and everyone has to take one plane. If you mark questions with numbers, just ask who has plane number 1 and he/she will read the question and provide the answer.
child hand with paper plane
What variations of this game you suggest?
1. Just imagine your biggest problem. What is it?
2. And imagine that solving that problem you will be much better person. How do you see yourself at that moment?
3. Now, reframe your problem into goal. What it will be?
4. To reach that goal there is a plan … Read more

By 2 min read

Idea #24 Masters I give you 3 wishes each

Do it When you want to know what is really important to your people and what they want to change. Just imagine that in a basement of your company building you have found an old lamp.   When you rub it a good genie appears.  The genie gives to each member of your team 3 wishes.  Everyone has to make 3 changes. You have to change yourself, your manager and your job.

You have 5 minutes for preparation and then you start presentations, one by one.
You can make variations by making dividing people on groups of 3, so they can work and make presentation together. In that case give them flip chart. when you finish make a picture of presentations and use them in your company, Of course send one copy to us.

1. While that good genie is in the house, ask him for one additional wish. What it will be?
2. Why is it so important to you, that you will spend that one wish on it?
3. What changes in your life it will make?
4. How might you take it even further?
5. What skills would you need for it?
6. How are going … Read more

By 3 min read

Idea #23 Why do you respect your boss?

Do it When you want to connect people and make a team. 
African born English Writer, William Plomer said: “Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected.”
Now, we are going to implement that creativity in practice. All you need is love 🙂 and a bag of m&ms or any other colored candies.
Closed eyes each member of your team has to take one candy. Just tell them that take it doesn’t mean eat it.
!#23#
When everyone has his candy including you tell them the rules. One by one according to clockwise order, everyone has to tell in 3 sentences a story based on following:
Red candy: Why he/she likes to work in your company?
Blue candy: When  he/she was the most proud during his career?
Yellow candy: What was the most difficult client and how he/she has solved that?
Brown candy: When was the time he has felt miserable and how he has overcame that?
Green candy: What is his/her the most ambitious plan in your company?
Orange candy: What his/her boss said to him that made him the proudest person?
When all finish they can eat candies, and we can start coaching!
1. Now,
… Read more
By 3 min read

Idea #22 Learn them to be punctual

Do it When you want to establish that people have to be punctual.
It is another story from Master ZI; I have mentioned in ideas #10 & #15.
“After 25 years in the same parish, Father was saying his farewells at his retirement dinner. One local politician had been asked to make a short speech. But he was late.
So the priest took it upon himself to fill the time, and stood up to the microphone:
“I remember the first confession I heard here 25 years ago and it worried me as to what sort of place I’d come to… That first confession remains the worst I’ve ever heard. The chap confessed that he’d stolen a TV set from a neighbor and lied to the police when questioned, successfully blaming it on a local scallywag. He said that he’d stolen money from his parents and from his employer; that he’d had affairs with several of his friends’ wives; that he’d taken hard drugs, and had slept with his sister. You can imagine what I thought… However I’m pleased to say that as the days passed I soon realized that this sad fellow was a frightful exception and that this … Read more

By 3 min read

Idea #21 How to learn a new skill?

Do it When your team have to learn some now skill or to face a difficult change.
People say that:” The Only Thing That Is Constant Is Change”. But employees are often afraid of a change. Sometimes they are even afraid of some new skill that they have to adopt. Show them that learning new skill is easy as A, B, C… or should I said Z, Y, X…?
Ask your group to say alphabet from A to Z. People will laugh and did it with moderate speed. Tell them that new task is to do the alphabet backwards. They will laugh even more and say that is not possible without reading.
Tell them that it is all up to them. If they think it is not possible, for sure they are right.
But they have 3 minutes to prepare strategy for learning and 10 minutes for practicing. During that time they can use whatever they want just to learn that new skill.
After those 13 minutes for sure they will succeed. Ask them:
How did they feel when they heard for the first time what the task is?
In which way preparation of strategy … Read more

By 2 min read

Idea #20 How to improve cheering up?

Do it When you want to improve your leadership skills. 
Looks like some areas can’t be improved. Like funs cheering up their team.
You can only bring more fans, make more noise, use more creative choreography.
And that’s it. Or you can think “out of the box” like supporters of Galatasaray (Turkey). They made 3 D choreography. 🙂 Skip first 30 seconds.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCskS71K668&feature=related[/youtube]
Now go let’s go back to our business world.
1. What we can learn from them?
2. Name 3 things that you use for supporting your employees?
3. What would be the 4th thing that will make them feel like never before?
4. On a scale from 1 to 10 how would they react after that 4th thing?
5. How would that affect your business?
6. When are you going to implement that 4th thing?
Thank you for sharing your ideas with us!

     
 
 
 
    
… Read more
By 2 min read

Idea #19 Measuring importance

Do it When you want to improve self awareness, empathy and social expertise.
As managers sometimes we send mixed messages to our employees. We tell them that they and their work are important to us, but if you ask them usually they have different opinion. Obviously we have to learn how to take care about them and show that they mean a lot to us.
!#19
Write down names of all of your employees and job activities of each employee.
Then, for each employee answer the following questions:
1. How often you ask that person about his job?
2. Scale (from 1 to 10) where are his/her job concerns on your priority list?
3. When was the last time you have asked that person about his/her opinion?
4. When changes happen on his/her work is that person involved from the beginning or just informed at the end?
When you answer all questions for all employees you will have visual picture of how much importance you deliver to each employee.
What other question would be appropriate to make?

     
 
 
 
    
… Read more
By 2 min read

Idea #18 Make Your Team Rules

Do it When you motivate your team or during team building. Nobody likes rules.
That’s because rules are limitations that someone else is putting on us.
That is so demotivating. But rules are necessary for doing business.
Without them we would be in anarchy. So lets turn it around.
Ask them to write down 10 rules that are so important for them on the job.
Then one by one has to say his 10 rules and someone is writing on the flip chart. Obviously, some of the rules are gonna be said several times. Just count it like votes.
At the end you will have 10 rules or you can narrow to 5 rules that are confirmed by all of them. Those rules are your company values and can be easily transferred into company mission.
!#18
Now coaching questions for you?
Imagine that you have to make your life according to 3 rules.
1. What would you choose?
2. What sort of person would you be if you obey those 3 rules?
3. Who else would benefit then?
4. Why is this important to you?
5. What will be your next steps?
Write down on comments or if it is more … Read more

By 3 min read

Idea #17 Learn from the Zig & geese

Do it During team building. Great Zig Ziglar had funny story about gees.
He would ask participants 3 questions and encourage them for answers.

  1. Why are geese flying in “V” formation?  And most of the people are familiar that using that trick geese save 70% of the energy.
  2. Why from time to time geese change formation for several seconds? Again, there is in every group someone that will explain that leading goose is accepting the majority of the air pressure and for a while another goose will take its position
  3. Why is one leg of the formation always longer than other?  Looks like everyone has noticed that but no one has logical explanation. Then Zig would say: “Because in that “leg” are more geese!“

This will make people laugh, more connected and prepared for main topic. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q40h8dPmgwQ&feature=related[/youtube]

There much more we can learn from the geese.
1. Geese flying at the end of formation are honking for supporting ones at front.
2. When a goose drops out of formation due to sickness or tiredness, two other geese join her and protect until it is ready again.

Now, you can make a discussion:
Imagine our team being more efficient… Read more

By 2 min read

Idea #16 Yes, You can choose

Do it When you have to deal with participants that are not interested in training.
So many times people are “sent” to the training with idea of correcting there behaving.
No one likes to be changed, so we have to be very careful with them.
!#16
You can say: “OK people I know that was not your idea to come to this training. You had no choice. You came and I want to thank you. Now you have a complete choice! I want you to write down:
1. What would be the best possible outcome for you for next 2 hours (4 hours, 8 hours…)? And
2. How is that outcome going to help you in your everyday life?”
For sure you will open them, gain on your side and convey their goals with your training program.

Now questions for you?
1. What do you really want from them?
2. Why is that important to you?
3. Who would you be if you get their attention?
4. Who else would benefit then?
5. What would be some even more useful question for them?
6. How to connect their needs with needs of their job positions?
7. How are you going … Read more

By 3 min read

Idea #15 Practicing active listening by Counting

Do it When you want to practice active listening or during team building.
I am sure you have seen the movie Midnight Cowboy. John Voight as Joe Buck and Dustin Huffman as Ratso have given outstanding performances.
In that movie Harry Nilsson sings: “Everybody Is Talking At Me. I don’t hear a word they’re saying, Only the echoes of my mind…” Obviously when everybody is talking, no one can hear anything. Somehow we have to practice that active listening.
Talking only when no one else is talking. Here is the most useful game for it.
I have hear it from Master ZI. 
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fwY3jGNsog&feature=related[/youtube]
Here are the rules for this game.
You start by saying “One”, someone has to continue with “Two”. Other person will say “Three” and so on, until the last person will say the last number. Every person has to be included.
It looks so easy, but we will make it very difficult.
First, it has to be perfect silence, so only numbers can be heard. People are not allowed to communicate verbally or non verbally. It is not allowed to make predictable sequence of who is gonna be next. And finally if two
… Read more
By 2 min read

Idea #14 How to listen like Benjamin Disraeli?

Do it When you want to underline how important is active listening.
Here is a story concerning how important is active listening. William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli, both eminent British statesmen were considered as two the smartest persons in England, in the late nineteenth century. A young journalist said that she would dine with both so she could decide which one was smarter. She has compared the two men this way: “When I dined with Mr. Gladstone, I felt as though he was the smartest man in England. But when I dined with Mr. Disraeli, I felt as though I was the smartest woman in England.”
active listening decko

The point being made is that Gladstone spoke but Disraeli was a good listener to the woman. That evening Disraeli made the woman the center of his universe. If you practice attentiveness to others, you’ll find it does wonders.
They will enjoy it, and so will you. You will accomplish much more.
Elements of active listening skills are:

  • Maintaining eye contact
  • Nodding
  • Be focused to hear
  • Questioning
  • “Listen” to the speaker’s body language
  • Paraphrasing
  • Summarizing
  • Empathy feedback
  • Not interrupting
  • Not finishing his/her sentences
  • Clarifying

Questions for you:
1. What also is important for … Read more

By 2 min read

Idea #13 What to do when someone is late?

Whenever you have training or meeting there is someone that is late. Is it true?
What to do with those people that think there time is more valuable than ours?

Obviously we have to change their behavior. And how are we going to do that? The only way is by changing our behavior! Next time introduce to all in your team or group that you are starting at given time and expecting that everyone will be punctual. However, for those who are going to be late you are introducing money box. With label $ 10.
Just put that box on a single chair or on the desk where person has to pass entering the room. You don’t have to say anything participants will react.
Even money has shown best results you can make variations.
Someone who is late has to say motivational quote or sing a song.
Questions for you:
1. What other variations you can imagine?
2. What to do if person doesn’t want to pay a fine?
Please reply and send to us a picture of your money box.

     
 
 
 
    
… Read more
By 2 min read

Idea #12 Hello Susan, my name is Steve. I am glad that you are here!

Do it When you have a group of people size up to 20, whom don’t know each other, and you know you have to do something interesting.
People have tendency to talk only to people that they have been introduced. If they don’t know anybody they will talk on the phone or just stare at handouts.
So you have to introduce them quickly.
greeting_card_popup

You need very nice Greeting cards. My suggestion is to take greeting cards with motivational quotes and/or pictures. Before the training in each of them write name of one participant. Then at the beginning of training randomly give them cards. Instantly they will recognize that they have someone else’s card.
Tell them to find the right person and in one nice sentence give the card. It will take just several minutes, and after that you will have totally relaxed group of people.
Now questions for you:
1. What is a good sentence for presenting card?
2. What can you give instead greeting card?
3. What would you do if the person likes the card and doesn’t want to give it to the right owner? 

     
 
 
 
   
… Read more
By 3 min read

Idea #11 How to deal with miserable people and be fresh like Natasha?

Do it On every training when someone says: “How can I be fresh whole day when I have to deal with people who are miserable?”
When I worked in Vancouver 94/95 I had a friend Natasha. During day shifts she worked as cashier at Safeway. In the evenings she worked as waitress and singer in the night bar.
I remember her as someone with great personality and always with a smile on her face.

Once I asked her: “I know it is hard working with people and especially working with money. As cashier, you work with people and money at the same time.
How do you constantly keep a smile on your face?”
Natasha said: “It is easy. When I notice that angry or miserable person comes to me I greet him with Australian accent. He or she can notice that immediately. Then customer asks me: “Are you from Australia?” And I reply: Yes! Then customer continues: “How do you like Vancouver?” Then I say that I am enjoying staying here. People are so nice and friendly. At that moment customer’s face shifts into smile, and we continue to chat while I make his/her bill.”
When I … Read more

By 3 min read

Idea #10 Little notebook that boosts your Self Awareness

Do it When you want to boost your Self Awareness.
This is a tool from my friend Master ZI which I have implemented in my life several years ago. As good friend of mine he can coach me whenever I am looking for some answers in my life. But he has taught me how I can coach myself every day.
All we need is a nice small notebook.
!#10 note book

On the first page you will write 2 questions:
1. What have I done today that makes me proud?
2. Which one of my virtues helped me to succeed in that?

Every night before you go to bed just shortly answer those 2 questions.
In a month you will have written proof how good you are. What have you accomplished, and what nice virtues you have.
Whenever you are in some doubts about your Capabilities and Self Awareness just read the notebook 😉
This is really great, but only if you are persistent to write down whenever you go to sleep and you are proud of something you have done.
So in the morning be sure that you will do something that will make you proud to your dairy. Now questions for … Read more

By 2 min read

Idea #9 Your Company Island is waiting Sir…

Do it When you want to think about recycling and during team building.
Maybe you have heard of Richie Sowa, a man who built his own floating island. Important thing is that island is made from old plastic bottles. Making something useful Richie has recycled something that was planned to be trash.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvn9l1pJ3-A[/youtube]
Now, inspired with movie let’s see how we can make the similar. Your company for sure deserves an island. If you have no lake (or license) to build it, you can make an island at your backyard. It doesn’t have to be by 250,000 bottles, but use as many as possible. Make a small island, just for your team. You are not allowed to buy anything in the store for making it. Just collect things that you normally throw away. When you finish your company island make discussion.
What have you learned during this event?
What was important for each of us during this event?
What else might be a good idea for growing your island?
Come aboard on your island, have fun 🙂 and make a picture.

     
 
 
 
    
… Read more
By 2 min read

Idea #8 Tea of wishes for closing Team Building

Do it When you want to connect your people, talk about strategy, values and at the end of any training.
This is perfect for cold winter days when you are having team building outside. At the beginning of any event people have some expectations, or wishes. It is very important to have them at the beginning of any training. If you don’t know what they are expecting how can you fulfill those expectations? So, carefully write down what they say and by paraphrasing be sure that you understand it.
!8

During the last break or at the end, when they will score evaluation form, prepare them a tea. Make those tea bags really special. On each tag write in just one word what they expected at the beginning. Now it is time for each of them to say aloud what is written on his tag, and how this training (team building) helped him in fulfilling his expectations (wishes)?
What have you learned?
How beneficial this training was on a scale from 1 to 10?
You can encourage discussion by asking the others what they can add. And I am encouraging you to say
what variations of this, or other ideas … Read more

By 2 min read

Idea #7 What are the Colors of your Team?

Do it When you want to connect your people during team building.
Usually people immediately recognise what is different between them. Someone said: “If there is 99% equality and 1% difference people will put there focus ion that 1 %”. Now in your team you are going to make the right way. All people in team will bond together.
!#7

First you will give a colored pencil to each member of your team. Now they have to pair up with someone whose pencil is similar color to their own. In pairs they will discuss for 3 minutes what are there personal similarities. Now they will find someone with pencil with very different color. For 3 minutes they will in pairs discuss what are differences among them. At the end your team will join chairs in circle. Making rainbow of colors, and each one will say
what he has discovered from the person that they have in common,
and what from person that are different?
How our team will benefit from our similarities and
how from differences?
You can put your comments on flip chart, picture it and make poster.
Please, sent it to us 🙂

     
… Read more
By 2 min read

Idea #6 Hey, is this your company Snowman?

Do it When you want to connect your people, talk about strategy, values and image, during team building.
Making snowman is very educational game. People have been making things in their images, and then materialising that for a long time.
If you see children playing in the Winter, usually they will have a snowball fight from behind snow walls. But making snowman is something very different.
In fighting, someone has to win and the other has to loose. In making snowman, children are joining forces to make something productive. Something that will last for several days. On the top of that, it is easy and fun  🙂 to make a snowman.
company snowman

Knowing that, here is a new task for your group. You have to make a snowman.
But, your snowman is the special one. It will represent your company. Remember, you are now allowed to use your company logo, flag or write name of your company.
Still everyone that will pass by, will be clear that it is your snowman.
Discuss among your group.
What is so unique in your company that everyone will recognise?
What else you can do so you can be even more unique? 
When you
… Read more
By 2 min read

Idea #5 Recycling! Oh, how clever of You!

Do it When you want to do something for Mother Earth and all of us while you are exercising your Creative Mind.
We constantly buy things, and in several years or even months we throw them away. Some people say that is how economy works. But what if we don’t want to throw things?
Maybe those things have something that brings memories to us. Like old Audio Cassette Box. We don’t want to throw all good times that we had by listening to music that was recorded on it. A good idea is to use it as a holder for cellular phone.
! Audio Cassette as stand

On the wings of the previous idea, let`s look around our closet.
1. What can we use from the old times, as support to day-to-day gadgets?
To make it more interesting, it has to find it’s purpose in our office!
2. What good memories does it bring to you?
3. How are you going to connect your present goals with those memories?
4. What skills can you transfer from that time?
5. Now by having those skills refreshed how is that going to affect your life?
6. What will be the very first action step?
7. … Read more