Not Like Me – Free Energiser

Instructions – the idea of this energiser is to demonstrate negative behaviours so that the participants identify with them and learn to avoid the same mistakes. Let’s take for an example a situation where the trainer is running a session on presentation skills, the energiser would require them to ‘act out’ some negative behaviours such as those listed below…

• Arrive back from lunch late
• Put feet up on table
• Chew gum
• Avoid eye contact, cross arms and look away from the audience
• Show a slide with lots of tiny details and too much data
• Speak really quietly

Of course, all of the above behaviours are things that no good presenter should do, so the participants will likely either point out your error, or become very uncomfortable as the catalogue of ‘bad’ behaviour builds up.

Once you feel you have made your point, halt the session and ask participants if they have noticed anything wrong in your behaviour. At this point, begin to discuss what you did wrong and how that made them feel, what the impact would be in a ‘real’ situation etc. etc. This provides a great opportunity to then discuss positive behaviours and how to approach getting it right.

Note: It is often better to do this after a lunch break rather than at the start of the day as it shows a contrast between your good behaviour in the morning compared to your ‘bad’ approach. Otherwise they might think you always act this way!