Memorable

Here's memorable closing activity based on the framegame Best Answers..

Purpose

To review key ideas from a training session.

Participants

  • Minimum: 6
  • Maximum: Any number
  • Best: 10 to 30

Time

15 to 30 minutes, depending on the number of participants

Supplies

  • Index cards
  • Timer
  • Whistle

Flow

Pause for summaries. Distribute blank index cards to each participant. Ask participants to write down a piece of advice related to the training topic in a phrase or a short sentence. Instruct participants to make the statement clear and memorable by creating a slogan, a jingle, a humorous one-liner, or an oxymoron. Announce a suitable time limit. At the end of this time, ask participants to stop writing. Ask them to write a four-digit identification number on the other side of the card. Participants should remember this number so they can identify their card later.

Form teams. Organize participants in teams of three to seven members each. Seat each team around a table. Ask someone at each team to collect the advice cards from team members and shuffle the packet of cards.

Exchange and evaluate. Give the packet of advice cards from the first team to second one, from the second team to the third one, and so on, giving the cards from the last team to the first one. Ask members of each team to collaboratively review the pieces of advice and select the top two memorable ones. Announce a suitable time limit.

Conclude the evaluation activity. At the end of the allotted time, ask each team to read the two pieces of advice that were rated as the most memorable. After all teams read the two cards, ask each time to read the identification numbers on the back of the card. Ask these participants to stand up and lead a round of applause.

Conduct a recall test. Now ask participants to quickly write down as many of these memorable pieces of advice as they can on a piece of paper. Identify and congratulate the participant who recalled the most items.

Follow up. Collect all the advice cards. Post the top items on a website or prepare posters for use with future groups.

Sample Memorable Pieces of Advice

At the end of a recent workshop on decision-making, these pieces of advice were selected as the most memorable:

  • Know what you want.
  • Know yourself.
  • All decisions invoke emotions.
  • Listen to both sides. Or you will be sorry later.
  • They give inputs, you make decisions.
  • Decide in haste, regret in leisure.
  • Delay all decisions until the last moment.
  • Decide. Analyze. Decide again.
  • There's more than one reality.
  • No decision is a bad decision.
  • Practice, practice, practice.
  • Not all factors are equally important.
  • Many people: Waste of time now, better buy-in later.
  • Flip a coin—when consequences don't matter.