I shall be exploring the planning and facilitation of an ELC activity. ELC (Experiencial learning cycle) is a model used to let participants experience a particular value via doing some activity. These activities always serves to bring out a particular value or purpose. The activities can be conducted to one person or to large groups, but the way of conducting may differ from number of participants.
Planning of ELC Activity
The first step will always derive an objective of the game. This objective is normally the value which you want the participants to learn at the end of the activity.
The second step is to choose a game/activity. It can be typical games like turn over a new leaf, entanglement. Choose a game which you are comfortable in explaining and conducting.
Third step is the important step. I called it the omission theory. To bring out the learning point in step one, I would normally removed some abilities of the participants. For example, not able to talk brings out the importance of communication. Close their eyes to bring out the fear for unknown and trust to other people.
Apart from omission, planners can make use of the enhance theory. This time round, instead of removing abilities, you enhanced their abilities. By making them not talk, is to enhance their listening skills. By adding more leaders to talk, create confusion.
At the planning stage, enhancing or omitting must be clearly done to bring out the particular value. However, the game will only be successful if it is carried out properly.
Facilitation of ELC Activity
There are many other variables that may affect the outcome of the games like participants, environment, space constraint. A facilitator of the activity has to be aware and make adjustments to the game to make it exciting for the participants. Effort has to be directed to the end goal.
These adjustments can create better effect (up to facilitator style and ability):
Time Limits
Time limits can be set to create a goal and end point to the game. It can also create competition within groups. However, time limits cannot be used when the participants do not know the game well or have just started the game.
Changing of rules
Certain participants might be creative and tweak the rules that you might have given as they perceived it differently. This may result in the end goal not met. Thus, changing or adding rules will serve to counter their actions.
Infusion of Stress Level
This is to create stress for activity which test on resilience and on stress management. This includes questioning and scolding. Eg Why is there such a problem? What are you doing now?
Giving Hints
When they are first planning for the game, do give hints to direct them to a better outcome. So that they will be able to fully experience the game.
Be part of them
Go into the game and get them involved. This is recommended when the participants are passive.
The points part of ELC activity is to be exciting and purposeful. This will make it a successful one.
Thursday, 31 January 2013
Wednesday, 30 January 2013
Preparation and Planning
Fail to plan, plan to fail. Sounds familiar right? This quote is actually very applicable. However, plans can be categorised as a good plan and a bad plan. So fail to plan a good plan, plan to fail. Plan a bad plan, plan to fail harder, fail to plan, definite failure (unless you are very good on the spot). I shall explore on how to prepare and plan for an event.
Planning (Objectives)
Planning of an event requires two things - objectives (long term) and details (short term). Many peoples plunged into planning immediately without thinking of an objective. Objective is a guide and source of purpose of an activity. Many tried to derive an objective after planning their activities which either make their objective a forced one, or making it a vague one. So, always start planning by thinking of an objective.
The objective should be the end goal that you want to achieve out of the activity. It should be something achievable and realistic. It should sound like "To allow the participants to (do something) to achieve (value) via (method)". Personally, I disagree of having objectives of having fun and bonding as most kinds of activities do actually promote them. Think deeper into this objective and then derive an activity to target the particular outcome.
Planning (Details)
After that, the details of the event comes in. A detailed plan include the run through of events, logistics list, venue layout. Things to include as well, contingencies plan (wet weather). These details serves to add as much information as possible. A rough gauge of a good plan is a person (that is totally not involved) can follow the plan at ease to carry out the activities. Foresee some of the problems which may arise and make modification to it to prevent any problems on the actual day.
If there are previous documentations (AAR) that are done, do refer to them and address all the problems met previously to allow a better running of events. But do consider the validity of the points as it might not be applicable in some cases.
Preparation (Logistics)
When a plan is ready, then it is time to do preparation. Prepare all the physical items (logistics) and sort them. In big scale events, logistics can be sorted in a room, or a logistics table. Logistics should be labelled and sorted into minor activities (preferably with boxes and rubber bands). To facilitate the actual carry out, do visualize how to dispatch the logistics in the fastest manner. For example, there are worksheets for 100 persons and you have 10 groups. It is possible to bundle them in sets of 10 and pass it to each group when they arrive. The pre preparation is to save time for actual carrying out of events.
Preparation (Mental)
After all the tedious work of planning, go through all plans and logistics once more and reassure that the everything is prepared. This is to mental prepare yourself for the event and gain confidence from it.
Planning is the tedious portion of the entire event. As the actual event might end before you know it. but it is better than being caught unprepared. Sometimes, things may not flow according to plan, which will then require impromptu skills to handle them
A good plan is one that takes note of the past, present and future.
Planning (Objectives)
Planning of an event requires two things - objectives (long term) and details (short term). Many peoples plunged into planning immediately without thinking of an objective. Objective is a guide and source of purpose of an activity. Many tried to derive an objective after planning their activities which either make their objective a forced one, or making it a vague one. So, always start planning by thinking of an objective.
The objective should be the end goal that you want to achieve out of the activity. It should be something achievable and realistic. It should sound like "To allow the participants to (do something) to achieve (value) via (method)". Personally, I disagree of having objectives of having fun and bonding as most kinds of activities do actually promote them. Think deeper into this objective and then derive an activity to target the particular outcome.
Planning (Details)
After that, the details of the event comes in. A detailed plan include the run through of events, logistics list, venue layout. Things to include as well, contingencies plan (wet weather). These details serves to add as much information as possible. A rough gauge of a good plan is a person (that is totally not involved) can follow the plan at ease to carry out the activities. Foresee some of the problems which may arise and make modification to it to prevent any problems on the actual day.
If there are previous documentations (AAR) that are done, do refer to them and address all the problems met previously to allow a better running of events. But do consider the validity of the points as it might not be applicable in some cases.
Preparation (Logistics)
When a plan is ready, then it is time to do preparation. Prepare all the physical items (logistics) and sort them. In big scale events, logistics can be sorted in a room, or a logistics table. Logistics should be labelled and sorted into minor activities (preferably with boxes and rubber bands). To facilitate the actual carry out, do visualize how to dispatch the logistics in the fastest manner. For example, there are worksheets for 100 persons and you have 10 groups. It is possible to bundle them in sets of 10 and pass it to each group when they arrive. The pre preparation is to save time for actual carrying out of events.
Preparation (Mental)
After all the tedious work of planning, go through all plans and logistics once more and reassure that the everything is prepared. This is to mental prepare yourself for the event and gain confidence from it.
Planning is the tedious portion of the entire event. As the actual event might end before you know it. but it is better than being caught unprepared. Sometimes, things may not flow according to plan, which will then require impromptu skills to handle them
A good plan is one that takes note of the past, present and future.
P-A-R-T Leadership Framework
This is my first post for this leadership blog. I aim to explore many different areas of leadership and to summarise the things that are important to a leader.
To start off, I would like to introduce the PART Leadership Framework. This leadership framework is the most fundamental and is the skeleton of what a leader should do.
Preparation and Planning
Leaders have to prepare and plan before taking any team. Prepare in terms of physical items and plan in terms of thinking through the entire process. Proper preparation and planning will give sufficient thought for the activity. A leader will then seem to be more confident by being prepared. Details of how to plan will be shared in future posts.
Action via Effective Communication This step involves the leader meeting their team. As a leader, they must know their roles of being both a leader as well as a team player (aka servant leadership). As a leader, they have to communicate their ideas and spread instructions to their team in a clear manner. Effective communication will also be shared in future posts. After all the instructions, they have be part of the team and take action together with their team. This is called serving by being with the team.
Reflection After leading a team, a leader have to take time to reflect and think through of the entire process. Some may called it after action review. Leader has to sieve out learning points. What went right, what went wrong and what can be done? These learning points are essential for the leaders to grow. Many leaders oversee this important step as they think of the immediate ending of an event is really the end. In fact, only after thinking through and gain as much learning point from an event will then an event truly ends. At this stage, be critical to correct mistake and be humble to accept the good points.
Try Again This step is to apply all learning points and use them in the next try. Include all this in the new cycle and consider them in the planning stage. This step is important as it allows a continuous cycle for leaders to seek self improvement. '
The PART model is a simplified model, but covers all essential part of self leadership. The area of action via communication requires a more indept knowledge to truly perform it properly.
A leader can only lead others if they know how to lead themselves.
Action via Effective Communication This step involves the leader meeting their team. As a leader, they must know their roles of being both a leader as well as a team player (aka servant leadership). As a leader, they have to communicate their ideas and spread instructions to their team in a clear manner. Effective communication will also be shared in future posts. After all the instructions, they have be part of the team and take action together with their team. This is called serving by being with the team.
Reflection After leading a team, a leader have to take time to reflect and think through of the entire process. Some may called it after action review. Leader has to sieve out learning points. What went right, what went wrong and what can be done? These learning points are essential for the leaders to grow. Many leaders oversee this important step as they think of the immediate ending of an event is really the end. In fact, only after thinking through and gain as much learning point from an event will then an event truly ends. At this stage, be critical to correct mistake and be humble to accept the good points.
Try Again This step is to apply all learning points and use them in the next try. Include all this in the new cycle and consider them in the planning stage. This step is important as it allows a continuous cycle for leaders to seek self improvement. '
The PART model is a simplified model, but covers all essential part of self leadership. The area of action via communication requires a more indept knowledge to truly perform it properly.
A leader can only lead others if they know how to lead themselves.
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