Hocus Pocus Focus (Part 2)

"When we are absorbed in anything we are				starting strong and finishing even
unaware of time; and so it seems to pass				stronger. For successful entertainers, the ending
quickly." Magician Sam SharpeThis is part two of				is the high point of the
a two-part article that focuses on magicians and				performance. In a similar manner, the conclusion
trainers. In Part				of training is an important
One, we discovered that magicians and trainers				moment. The trainees have accomplished
have a number of similarities. We				something of importance and should be
discovered that both:				allowed to luxuriate in that achievement. A magic
- Were once viewed as miracle workers				illusion, when placed as a coda to
- Are regarded with suspicion by their audiences				the learning, functions as the exclamation point. It
- Practice manipulation of the audience				concludes the event in a special,
- Strive to not remind the audience of the				memorable manner.What Magic To Use
manipulation				Knowing when to use magic is a helpful but
- Direct the audience's attention toward the				incomplete picture. The trainer must
outcomes they desire				also know what magic to use. Next, we will focus
- Must control their environment to be effective				on several illusions that any magic
- Suggest the outcomes they expect				novice can perform and that are effective in the
- Must focus their manipulation for the audience's				learning environment.Change Bag
benefitWith these comparisons between magicians				The Change Bag is one of magic's most versatile
and trainers in mind, we will next turn				props. It consists of a bag,
our attention to the placement of magic in the				sometimes on a stick, with two pockets. The
learning environment. In this article,				beauty of the bag is in the fact that
Hocus Pocus Focus Part 2 will determine when to				only one pocket is visible at a time. This duality
use magic, and what magic to use.When to Use				allows the performer to magically
Magic				transform any item into another item with the
Within the progression of a training program,				wave of a hand. The Change Bag can
there are four specific times when				be used for diversity training as many items
magic is appropriate.1. Use magic to begin the				become one, for financial management
learning segment.				as pennies transform into dollars or to emphasize
In my opinion, the best instructional designs are				teamwork as individual names
those that capture attendee				"merge" onto one organizational chart. In short, it
attention immediately while framing up the				is ideal for any situation where
learning to come without resorting to				something transforms into something else.This
artificial "icebreakers." The very word icebreaker				illusion, and those that follow, can be obtained
implies a counterproductive				through the following vendors:
learning metaphor. Trainers shouldn't try to break				Creative Presentation Resources,
through as if using an ice pick.				Hank Lee's Magic Factory,
Instead, the focus should be on melting the cold				Tool Thyme for Trainers,
atmosphere present due to trainee				Trainer's Warehouse, Disclaimer: I am not an
fear and apprehension. Magic is an ideal resource				advertising agent for these organizations. I simply
for pulling learners immediately				report
into the presentation without putting them on the				these vendors to aid you in finding the
spot with a pointless activity.In my early days, I				materialsFlash Paper
performed magic at children's birthday parties.				Fire effects can be dangerous and as such should
Often the children				be used with extreme caution.
where keyed up and needed to settle down				Nevertheless, fire-based effects are effective at
before I could begin. Instead of waiting				capturing learner attention.
for them to settle, I would invite them (so that				Fortunately for the non-firebug, there is Flash
we could "introduce" ourselves to				Paper. This handy paper, as its name
each other) to shout their names out as loudly				implies, burns in an extremely bright flash. It also
as they could. Once they had shouted				burns so quickly that there is
their excess energy out and were ready to				little danger from it. Flash Paper is a great tool
focus on the show, I would begin the				for any situation where you want the
performance.In a similar fashion, most movies				learners to move beyond the past. Simply
begin with a prologue that teases the audience				instruct the participants to write their
with fragments of information. The intent of the				negative emotions, complaints, lists of poor
prologue is not to begin the story,				leadership traits, parking lot issues,
but rather to stall for time until everyone is				situations where they have been "burned" by
seated, to capture the attention of those				poor customer service or any other
already seated and to place the audience in the				items you want them to discard onto individual
proper mood for the story to follow.Magic, when				pieces of Flash Paper. Then collect
placed in this kick-off position, functions in a like				the pieces of paper, place them in a container
manner. It provides				and destroy the past. The image of
an interesting way to begin without really				complaints going up in a flash can be a highly
beginning. The trainees who have arrived				effective method for moving the
on time receive extra value while the late arrivals				discussion forward.Magic Coloring Book
don't miss critical instruction. An				The magic coloring book has become a staple in
introductory magic illusion also captures learner				many a trainer's toolbox. Although
attention, drawing them in and				there are several versions on the market, the
releasing tension in the process. And, if the magic				basic trick involves a coloring book
trick you place here directly				that is displayed with blank pages, then with black
relates to your content, it will provide your				and white drawings and finally
learner with a frame of reference for the				with the black and white drawings fully colorized.
content that follows.2. Use magic to refocus				The Magic Coloring Book is
energy.				perfect for situations where you want to
Master magician Sam Sharpe once commented,				demonstrate three different progressive
"People will always pay attention so				phases. For instance, you could recap the learning
long as they are curious. Keep them guessing				that will occur, or has occurred,
and wondering by doing the				with trainee knowledge of the subject
unexpected. Unpredictability is a key factor in				progressing from a blank slate to a fully
holding attention."When performing in nightclubs, I				formed image of the subject. Another usage
often found that the audience's attention would				could be to demonstrate three steps in
wander. It's not that those audiences weren't				the process of solving customer service
enjoying the show. Rather it was the				complaints, from approaching the complaint
fact that there were more stimuli present than				with an open mind, to determining what the
the average person could				customer wants, to delivering a
simultaneously absorb. To recapture wandering				solution beyond what the customer
attention, I would present a flashy,				expected.Needle Through Balloon
attention capturing, illusion. As a result, the				The final magic trick I'd like to highlight is called
patrons would pay closer attention lest				the Needle Through Balloon. In
they miss any future illusions.In the training or				this illusion, a needle is pushed into a balloon
classroom, learner focus also wanders. Learning				without popping the balloon. The
can be hard work				needle is then pulled all the way through the
and any learner, even the most attentive, will				balloon and removed, but the balloon
occasionally tune the trainer out. The				stays inflated. Finally, the balloon is punctured with
best defense against a lack of attention is to				the same needle. This routine
place the suggestion in the learner's				requires minimal skill while providing maximum
mind that paying attention is vital. This can				impact. Trainees cannot help
sometimes be accomplished with the				themselves from being drawn into the suspense
force of the content alone, but occasionally the				of the illusion. The Needle Through
content requires help. A well-placed				Balloon is applicable for encouraging trainees to
magic trick tied to the subject matter can help.				overcome artificial barriers, to
It suggests that interesting things				believe in their own abilities, to solve difficult
occur in this classroom and that, in order catch it				problems, to focus on accomplishing
all attention is required. In				supposedly unobtainable goals, to brainstorm new
addition, when a session is focused and serious, a				ideas and to believe they can
magic trick can provide some				achieve career success.A secondary use for the
levity, much as a steam valve functions on a				Needle Through Balloon is to validate the
pressure cooker, releasing excess				overwhelmed
tension in a safe and timely manner.3. Use magic				feeling that trainees sometimes feel in the middle
to illustrate a key point.				of the learning process. I simply
All magic tricks, to be successful, are tied to a				acknowledge to the trainees that their heads
story. Magicians call it "patter." Many				may feel as if they are ready to
would-be magicians have discovered to their				explode. Simultaneously, I insert the needle into
sorrow that buying a trick alone is not				the balloon. I then assure them that
enough to make them magicians. As magician				they will eventually absorb the information
Dariel Fitzee explained, "The secret is				successfully and that, unlike the balloon,
NOT important. The ONLY thing that is important				their head will not "pop."Training Magic
is its favorable impression on the				I would like to conclude with a word of caution.
majority of the spectators." It is often the story				As Dariel Frizee stated, the trick is
that leaves that favorable				not important. Nor is the trainer's ability to
impression.In learning, some of the most				perform the trick. What is important is
effective points are made through metaphorical				the success the trainees have in learning the
stories. (A metaphor is a figure of speech where				class material. Magic should not be
a word, a phrase or an item from				overused. Training is not a magic show.
one context is applied in another context.) As				Nevertheless, the similarities between
Peg Neuhauser explained, "Stories				magicians and trainers are too numerous to
allow a person to feel and see information as well				ignore. For magic does allow ordinary
as factually understand it . . .				people to become wizards in both the theater
because you 'hear' the information factually,				and the classroom. True learning is
visually and emotionally, it is more				not an illusion but it should be magical!Visit Lenn
likely to be imprinted on your brain in a way that				on line at
it sticks with you longer, with very				Lenn Millbower, BM, MA, the Learnertainment(R)
little effort on your part."Magic tricks, owing to				Trainer is an expert in applying
the importance of patter for an effective				show biz techniques to learning. He is the author
presentation, are				of the ASTD Info-Line, Music as a
ideally suited for illustrating key points through				Training Tool, focused on the practical application
stories. A visual magic trick				of music to learning; Show Biz
combined with patter related directly to the point				Training, the definitive book on the application of
being made is an unbeatable				entertainment industry
combination. The language in the story appeals to				techniques to training; Cartoons for Trainers, a
the left hemispheric logic circuits				popular collection of 75 cartoons for
while the illusion and the metaphor it represents				learning; Game Show Themes for Trainers, a
appeals to the holistic right				best-selling CD of original learning
hemisphere. The result is a powerful learning				game music; and Training with a Beat: The
tool.4. Use magic to conclude the learning				Teaching Power of Music, the foremost
segment.				book on the application of music to learning. Lenn
The strongest entertainments have fully				is an in-demand speaker, with
satisfying endings. Before Hollywood				successful presentations at ASTD 1999-2005 and
releases a new movie, it is common practice to				SHRM 2006; a creative and
screen it for a test audience. If the				dynamic instructional designer and facilitator
studio discovers that the test audience dislikes				formally with the Disney University
the ending, the ending gets				and Disney Institute; an accomplished
changed. Many films, including Casablanca, Patriot				arranger-composer skilled in the
Games, Fatal Attraction				psychological application of music to learning; a
and The Bourne Identity have had their ending				popular comedian, magician and
altered through this process. The				musician; and the president of Offbeat
alternative is disappointed moviegoers, bad word				Training(R), infusing entertainment-based
of mouth and ultimately, poor box				techniques into learning to keep 'em awake!
office.In show biz, there is an old saying about

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Hocus Pocus Focus (Part 2)