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The Incredible Power of Joy in Training

Watching the politics of 2024 unfold, I’m struck by the incredible power of joy. Our world has been bereft of laughter and happiness for far too long. We have prioritized differences in perspective over our commonalities; attacked and criticized complete strangers over social media; and demonized people who think differently, questioning their sanity or intellect. I don’t care what side of the aisle you sit on. It’s not healthy. We need laughter and joy! We need joy in training!

• Laughter increases intake of oxygen-rich air, improving circulation
• Laughter increases endorphins, our brain’s natural painkillers and stress relievers
• Endorphins (laughter) contribute to our feeling calm and happy
• Laughter lowers cortisol levels and reduces stress

On top of the political stress, we’re surrounded by the dystopian effects of personal mobile devices and work-from-home isolation. Together they rob us of face-to-face, meaningful, interpersonal connections — in other words, happiness.

So, how can we add joy and laughter to our world of teaching and learning? Easy-peasy! Try a handful of these tools and tips:

Create a Playful Environment

Trainers and facilitators should make learning centers look good for the same reason that grade school teachers make classrooms look fun. It reduces stress, lifts learners’ spirits, and improves learning and retention. The trick to implementing joy in training is to blend fun and professionalism. In fact, every time Trainers Warehouse creates a new training tool, we instruct our designer to make it look “playful yet sophisticated.” We know it matters!

• Fidget toys – finger fidgets are not just for kids. Adults too are better able to focus when their hands and idle thoughts are occupied by a manipulative device that is interesting, but not so interesting that it’s distracting.
• Delightful designs – whether we’re creating conversation cards, a new team-building game, or product packaging, we balance visual appeal with serious function. Some of our proud releases include TeamWriter, Team 10, Work-Plays, UNZIP-its!, Shape-Up, Brick-Master Story Game, Learning Mo-Mints, Slice of Nice, Murder Mystery, and Zin Obelisk.

Add Joy in Training by Building Relationships

Laugh with colleagues over past experiences, fascinating favorites, or would-you-rather questions. As with our designs, we build conversation prompts that are both fun and workplace-appropriate. Discussion starters come in many forms these days:

Thumballs

Toss the ball around and have the recipient respond to the prompt under their thumb. After they answer, the facilitator can invite others to answer the same question or toss the ball again. Take a “rapid fire” approach, answering as many questions as possible in a short time period, or linger on a single question and try to remember each person’s response. Try Would you Rather?, Shaped by Our Past, Favorites, Which are You?, or Common Ground.

UNZIP-IT! Decks

One-on-one or two-on-two conversations often make it easier for people to bond than if they were in a larger group. (psst, think of the introverts in your group!).  Instead of using a Thumball, consider drawing people out with provocative questions shared via an UNZIP-IT! card deck. Ask players to pick a card and find a partner. After the exchange answers to the questions on their two cards, have them swap cards and raise their hands, indicating that they’re ready to find new partner.

Trainers EXCHANGE

Use the same great prompts in online meetings and learning events. Choose up to 6 conversation starter categories or add in a few energizers or puzzlers to mix things up a bit. Have players choose a category and answer a question. You’ll bring that random, playful energy familiar in face-to-face events, back into your online calls.

Use Games to Teach

Learning games are most effective when players get so involved in the game that they forget it’s a learning experience. After you create an emotional, memorable experience, take time to reflect, debrief, and discuss. If it’s a team building or processing experience, you can use the review process to draw out ah-ha moments about what happened, why, and how it can inform future challenges.

For information-sharing games, like Jeopardy- or Feud-style games, use challenging or surprising questions to introduce new material or reinforce previously taught concepts.

Create Reciprocal Joy

Certainly, creating joy takes energy and forethought. Facilitators must think about how they can structure happiness into their teaching and muster the positive energy to share their enthusiasm. Rest assured, however, that energy expended comes back, in spades. Smiles and laughter are contagious. Spread happiness and it will bounce back to you. At Trainers Warehouse, we hope our delightfully designed tools will help be a conduit for happy training!

READ MORE*

• The Science of Happiness
• Bringing Humor into Classroom Experiences
• Training Should be Fun – Data Explains Why

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