When Lou Ella Jackson first became a trainer, she was aware of research indicating that people learn better when they're having fun. Taking the information to heart, she realized that she'd have to lighten up her presentations to make them more effective.
She admits it wasn't easy. "I came out of the financial industry which has a reputation for being very staid," says Jack son, the former president of the Chicago chapter of the American Society for Training and Development. "I was very comfortable with my serious professional persona, when suddenly I was con fronted with the idea that I needed to make my seminars more fun."
The first time around, Jackson really had to psych herself up to be playful with seminar participants. "I told myself that it didn't matter if I looked stupid because I'd never see those people again, anyway," she says.
The ploy worked. The workshop was so successful (and so much fun for everyone) that she never returned to her more formal style. Even in her career-transition workshops, where many of her students are reeling from the trauma of job loss, she finds that making room for laughter and play eases their pain and anxiety. Picture her tossing a soft baseball around the class to "get the ball rolling" or tattooing gold stars to participants' notebooks in exchange for a good answer to a tough interview question. By the end, many participants have enjoyed experimenting with job hunting in the workshop so much that they can't wait to actually do it, says Jackson.
A Chicago psychologist goes one step further. When she and a co-trainer rolled out a new career-development program for human resources professionals, the zany pair actively looked for ways to introduce fun into their sessions. Otherwise, they knew the 12-hour study days would be too intense.
One time, she brought a jack-o'-lantern to class as a Halloween treat. It was filled with candy bars, which she gave out as rewards for correct answers. More than a satisfying snack, the candy added an element of friendly competition that made the learning fun.
Then there were the squirt guns that participants were allowed to use on anyone in the group who babbled too long. "So maybe the competition wasn't always friendly," the psychologist laughs. "But it was always lively. There was an energy in the room that helped us get through some pretty dense material."
A former high school English teacher and currently an instructor for the Chicago Dramatists Workshop, Gerissa French never forgets to bring a playful spirit to her work with students. Knowing how silly they can be, she's less inclined toward games and tricks. For her, fun means stimulating discussions on a subject she feels passionately about: literature. French works hard to bring out the same excitement in her students.
She sees herself as something of an orchestra leader; her goal is to bring forth the very best performance from each of her student-performers. To do that, she knows she must inspire them to become absorbed in the class.
"I'm an excitement junkie," says French. "I crave the stimulation of discussion - the way students get involved with the work. The last thing I want to do is stand up there and pontificate. To me, that's boring."
French doesn't tolerate classroom slackers. "If you can't get excited about the topic of a paper, write about something else," she tells her students. "I don't care if you choose great works or not. Just choose works you really love."
When students aren't excited about a topic, it shows and their papers are mediocre, she says. But when they're enthralled by a subject, the results can be magical.
She remembers one such moment when a lackadaisical 11th grader's writing really came to life.
The assignment was to write about a woman artist whose life or work you really admire. To her surprise, this student chose an obscure 13th-century European composer whose mono chromatic style approximated a Gregorian chant.
It was hardly the kind of role model you'd expect from an adolescent boy. But clearly, the work itself had captured his imagination and called out to him. Because he was so excited about it, he was able to express himself more clearly and effectively than he ever had before. It was an empowering moment for him, a poignant teaching experience for French and a vivid example of why it's so important to find ways to add enthusiasm, energy and plain old fun to your job.
Gerissa French knows two great ways to accomplish that: First, try to enjoy the people you work with, and second, involve yourself in projects that truly interest you. Both these strategies will add entertainment value to your day. However, you don't have to be an entertainer to increase your fun quotient. You just need a friendly attitude, a playful spirit, energy and enthusiasm and a sense of humor.
