Experiential Learning Activities

Not all soft skills training is created equal. A few months ago, I was working with a group of managers from a large manufacturing company. They had been through plenty of training programs before- the kind where you take notes and then go right back to doing things the old way. When I walked into the room, I could see it in their faces: Let’s see if this is any different. So instead of starting with slides or theory, I took them straight into a live simulation: - A crisis scenario that could actually happen in their business. - Conflicting priorities, tough personalities, and limited time to decide. - Every move they made in real time had visible consequences. To begin with, I saw a lot of resistance in experimentation, voices which were not too loud and over powering were ignored leading to loss of critical information- the room was tense. People hesitated. Some stuck to their usual patterns. But as it got deeper, they started communicating much more effectively, this led to them collaborating, noticing blind spots, and eventually testing new ways to lead. By the end, they weren’t asking- Will this work? They said that they wanted to cascade it to their teams. Weeks later, I got an email from one of the managers. He told me he used the exact process from our simulation to navigate a real customer crisis and not only avoided a major fallout, but actually strengthened the client relationship through this crisis. That’s the difference between training that’s forgotten by the time you’re back at your desk, and training that rewires how you think, act, and lead. The secret? Immersion. When participants practice real scenarios, solve actual challenges, and see the impact of their decisions in the room, learning sticks. Priya Arora #immersivelearning #trainingdesign #employeeengagement #learningthatsticks #corporatelearning #leadershipdevelopment #upskilling #skillbuilding #workplacetraining #experientiallearning #Learningdeisgn #corporatetrainer #softskillstrainer #simulation #experintialtraining

⏰ The longer the learning program, the more intentional time you should dedicate to the EXIT. ✨Experiences invite you to cross a threshold of #transformation. ✨When designed well, a facilitated experience ensures you never leave in the same way / state as the way you arrived. 👉That’s why the EXIT stage of the #experiencedesign model is so important - it creates a moment for participants to reflect on the growth that has unfolded as well as prepare them for the next #experience that begins when they return (changed) to their everyday reality. 🤩 ⏳For a half day workshop, you might dedicate 30 minutes or an hour to the exit, however for a one week training you might dedicate the entire last day to it in the form of reflections, action plans, reintegration plans, meaningful connection activities, and celebration. Yesterday I shared some top tips to end your #learningexperience and here are some more examples from past programs I’m implemented: 🧩 Create a community puzzle with each piece representing a different learning takeaway (tip: Flying Tiger Copenhagen sells these great make your own puzzles!)Afterwards you can have participants take home their own puzzle piece or that of someone else’s at the end. 🎑Pick a visual card that represents how you feel about the training or what you’re taking away from the experience. Then share out loud in a circle why you picked that card. 🎓Certificate ceremony - whether it’s an official one or a certificate of authenticity pictured here, take time to celebrate and recognize participants for their contributions. Often I distribute certificates to participants making sure no one gets their own. Next everyone takes turns honoring the contributions the person on the certificate brought to the training without revealing who it is. The group guesses who the certificate belongs to until they guess correctly and participants grant one another their prized paper. ✍️ Wishful words - especially great for online, you can invite the group to write and draw a word that represents either: - what they wish for the group - what word describes their experience in the learning process - what they will take with them moving forward - or something else! Holding them all up to the camera creates a sense of unity and a sea of warm wishes and future steps. 🤔 Which one of these ideas might you use the next time you’re closing an event? Let me know in the comments below 👇 #ExperienceLearningwithRomy

Engaging shy, introverted students online was tough. The switch to offline sessions was a game-changer! Session Synopsis ➡️Breaking the Ice: The Picture Card Activity sparked energy and conversation, breaking barriers instantly. ➡️The Power of Time: The "86,400 Seconds Activity" taught the value of time. ➡️The Stinky Fish Exercise revealed productivity blockers, leading to strategies for improvement. Key lessons: ▶️ Time is Allocation ▶️ Time is Energy ▶️ Time is Money The Urgent-Important Matrix helped students master task prioritization. 🌌 Mindset Shift: Mindset affirmations sparked "Aha!" moments, showing that time management is energy and mindset management. ➡️Energy Boost A super-energizing activity recharged students after lunch. ➡️ The Double Negative & Flip-Flop tool made grooming and etiquette engaging and fun. Reflect, Learn & Grow: The Start-Stop-Continue method revealed student growth in self-discipline, time management, and professionalism. Key Takeaways: ✅️Offline sessions boosted engagement and energy. ✅️Activities drove reflection, learning, and personal growth. ✳️Students gained tools for self-discipline and professionalism. This wasn’t just training — it was a transformational experience. Which activity would you try next? Share in the comments!

It has been a while since I've done one of these. Let's look at a card from a card deck! For those who don't know me — Hi, I'm Rach, and I have a card deck problem — I'm obsessed with them. This card comes from the Pip Decks Innovation Tactics deck by Tom Kerwin. Let's jump into *10-Star Experience* What the heck is it? 🤔 ↳ An activity that pulls you to the extreme of reviewing a product or service. It helps your participants think BIG. ⚡️ How to do it... ↳ Step 1: Put the prompt out to the group to "Write the story of a 10-star customer experience" — encourage them to use words, pictures, drawings, video, whatever they want! ↳ Step 2: Provide a space for people to gather these ideas. Virtually this might be a Miro board. In-person maybe you designate some large format paper on tables or blank walls. Give people the environment to get creative. ↳ Step 3: Invite participants to read other's stories and digest those. At the same time, ask those participants to indicate pieces of the story they felt were exciting or surprising (you can use dots for this type of indication) ↳ Step 4: As a group look at the items that were called out with dots and review those. Bring interesting insights into your next activities. 💜 What I love about it... ↳ It helps people think differently when you expand the review beyond just words, like having people add drawings or pictures. ↳ Going past the 5-star review helps people get the craziest responses out of their heads, which is what we want! 💪 How you can use, remix, or even flip this approach.. ↳ Use: I like to use this activity for brand strategy or product development workshops to put participants in the mindset of their audience. ↳ Remix: Switch it up to a 10-star experience social media post, in the style of user-generated content. Giving this different perspective helps people think less formally in terms of a "review" ↳ Flip: What would a NEGATIVE 10-star experience look like? Flip it so people can look at it from another view. Just like starting with the worst ideas in a brainstorm, this helps people relax a bit more and have fun with it; get all those negative thoughts out first - then you can look at why those reviews are bad and turn the lemons into lemonade. 🔥 Facilitator tips for this activity... ↳ Use a Me-We-Us approach where you have everyone contribute individually first, then share in small groups, and then return to the larger group. ↳ Use the craziest idea award in conjunction with this to gamify it, and help people think bigger. ↳ Switch up your dots and use emojis (virtually or in-person stickers) What do you think? Would you use this activity? --- Found this useful? 🔄 Repost for your network. 🎉