It Could Be Worse

Here is a lively icebreaker that focuses on the power of the negative word.

Participants form a circle.
The first person states something fairly negative "I have a broken tooth."
The next person says "It could be worse, it could be infected."
The third person carries on in this vein, "It could be worse, it could be turning black in your mouth."

Play the game around the circle as far as you can.

How I Would Use This
I think what makes this activity fun is the creative approach participants make as they make up worse and worse scenarios. After a few rounds I would bring the topic around to the discussion of the negativity spiral.

10 Answers Continued

Now I am going to try one again about a dish that I make to take to parties. Let see how it goes.

I would have a picture of this dish I make, or actually the dish itself.

1. Me.
2. Mostly eggplant.
3. No, too many people are allergic to them.
4. Just roast and mash.
5. Bits of French bread or maybe crackers.
6. Not very well. I like to make it and serve it within about 2 days.
7. Not when you get them on sale.
8. About 6 people
9. Sure, I will email it to you.
10. That's why I brought it.

So you see how this 10 answer activity works. As you read over the answers you try to think of the questions the person might be asking.

I think you could have a lot of fun with this in a training setting.

See the post Pergo and Me for the original idea.

Pergo and Me

Pergo is a flooring company. They have the coolest ad in which they feature 10 answers to questions. The thing is, the questions are missing,so when you read the ad, your mind automatically tries to forumlate the questions. Let me illustrate.

There is a picture of a lovely home with what looks to be a gorgeous wood floor. Across the page read 10 answers, here are the first three:

1. Despite appearances, no, it isn't.
2. Something altogether different: laminate. Remarkable suff.
3. Tougher, easier care, and you don't have to have a rich uncle to afford it.

So I thought I would try this myself. I am going to try it about my book Wizbangers.
So I would have a picture of the cover of the book and the following ten answers.

Wizbangers

1. Over 101 Wizbangers, how to use them and how to apply them.

2. Short snappy activities to energize your session.

3. Anyone really, but it is especially useful for speakers, trainers and facilitators, really anyone who ever does presentations.

4. How to energize the room in just a few short minutes.

5. Only a few simple materials that can be found around the house.

6. Not really, I mean I learned how to do them all, and if you practice a bit, you will really master them.

7. Well I did. Myself and a friend of mine who is a magician called Ken Bellemare. We had a lot of fun doing it too.

8. You can call me at 604 874-7390 or you can go to my website at www.calderonconsulting.com and look under products. That would be super.

9. Quite a few. We keep getting people borrowing them from their friends and then breaking down to get their own.

10. Only 24.95 US plus shipping and handling, and I will sign you up for a super newsletter full of ideas (only if you want)

The Eyes Have It

http://www.arseiam.com/fx/08.htm


I have never quite seen an effect like th eone in the site above. Very clever and a wonderful way to pass the time.

Stress and Six

http://www.vsg.edu.au/grafndx/weird.htm

Try this idea. You are basically coming up with a number and then coming up with an answer. so try it.

Now have you done it?

Let's talk about it.

How I Would Use This
When your mind is under great stress it seeks the simplest, most obvious solutions. This makes me think that working under stress may not help us be our most creative. So sit back, have a glass of wine, put the problem you are dealing with on the back burner and let your mind go. Now the answer of solution has a chance of coming forth from the fertile fields of your brain and not from the barren landscape that stress creates.

"Just as a dog guards a bone safely between its paws when not actively chewing it, creative people nurture an idea even when not actively thinking about it… Creativity does not result from mysterious visions that come in dreams, or from fortuitous circumstances. Creativity and persistence are synonymous. Constantly thinking about the problem, consciously and unconsciously, maximizes the possibility that a chance occurrence is likely to be useful in solving it." – Dr. Richard Cytowic, neurologist

This last quote comes from a wonderful newsletter I get called MondayMorningMemo@WizardAcaademy.com

Plop, Plop, Fizz Fizz

I read an interesting tidbit at a website the other day. I think we can take the point and re-apply it ina number of ways. Here is teh site and here is what they wrote http://wwkippy.proboards40.com/index.cgi?board=Mind


"The first thing I want to say is to make a remark about the process of habit-changing in general.

Here it is: LESS IS MORE.

Most people on a mission (say, to lose weght) fail because they take on too much, too fast, and like a Speedy Alka Seltzer tablet, fizzle out in no time.

The way to make permanent change is to make small changes, slowly, one at a time."

How I Would Use This

I like the idea of habit changing here and think it would apply to all kinds of situations. How about learning new skills, or bringing in new management techniques too fast, too different, how about getting all fire up about a new technology and try to introduce it too fast.

So grab an Alka Seltzer over this holiday season and try this for yourself. See what ideas you come up with.

Thumb Sucking Candy

http://www.bpmlegal.com/wthumb.html

The human mind is a wonderful thing, as evidenced by this website of weird and wacky patents. My favourites are the birthing table and the thumb sucking candy.

What we can create in our minds we can create. The question is "was that a good idea?"

How to Perform Strong Man Stunts

http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition/Coulter/Stunts/stunts-intro.htm

Here is a really old book called How to Perform Strong Man Stunts. The pictures are great, all muscled up men doing terribly strong things.

Now I can't say if these really work or if they are even safe, but it sure it interesting to read the instructions for these stunts.

Seems to me there is a little "scientific advantage" tip in each of them.

Happy Reading and don't strain your muscsles.

Handle With Care

Do you smash or mince your garlic when you cook? There's a difference?
You see garlic has volatile oils in it and when you crush that garlic the oils are released. As garlic's cell walls are smashed, its oils react with its natural enzymes, and the smell and taste become exceedingly strong. Is that a good thing? It might be if you are using the garlic right away because it will have a good strong flavour. But if these oils get on your hands it can be a bad thing because they become rancid and really stink.

When you mince or chop garlic, the oils aren't violently forced out but are left to slowly season your food as its cooks.

Who knew? So if you are using your garlic right away mince it tiny for salads and such. If you are cooking it a while you can leave it in bigger chunks.
As a rule, the more aggressively garlic is handled, the more aggressive and short-lived its flavour.


How Would I Use This

I don't talk about garlic very often, but I do find that everyone has their own method of preparing it. That last line, the more aggressively garlic is handled, the more aggressive and short-lived its flavour is food for thought.

There are times in life when we want an aggressive response from something or someone, but other times when we want to let people mellow to an idea. Knowing the secret in the set up, either with garlic or with people can make all the difference.

Concentration Games

This week I have led four workshops for student teachers trying to get ideas across about community building. There is one activity I use based on that old card game called Concentration or Memory that is a sure fire winner.

The great thing about this game is that you can adjust the content to fit just about any topic.

Here is how it works.

All the cards (say 24) are placed face down on a table.
Two teams of perhaps 3 - 4 people on a team.
One team turns over two cards to see if they match. (more about cards in a minute)
If they match they win the cards IF AND ONLY IF they can connect what is written on the cards to the topic of the workshop.
Next team plays.
Repeat until all the cards are gone.

So let's see how this works. I labelled the cars in twos with such words as CRIME, HOUSING, CULTURE, PARKS, RECREATION, TRANSPORTATION

Then I asked that when the cards were turned over the team had to state how the word related to the topic of the workshop - Population Growth. So, let's say a team turns over the cards that say Transportation. Well that's easy - with more people come more cars. But now the tricky part. Not only do they have to state one connection that in this case is negative, but they also have to come up with a positive. Let's try again - Transporation - Negative - more people more cars, Positive - Better subway systems and buses.
Get the idea!

So that's it in a nutshell. The teams have a lot of fun trying to remember where all the cards are, and usually whoop with delight when they find a match. Then they spend a bit of time in discussion about the topic.

If you want more details about this game please email me at
debacalderon@yahoo.com

Have a great weekend all.