Chapter Event  May 04, 2006

 Interactive Strategies for Improving Performance 

                     featuring Sivasailam “Thiagi” Thiagarajan                          

$75 for Members & Students 

$100 for non-members 

 *Morning and afternoon snacks and beverages provided.

   Lunch is not provided.  Cafeteria on site.

About the Presenter:

Sivasailam “Thiagi” Thiagarajan is currently Resident Mad Scientist (aka Director of Research and Development) at the Thiagi Group, an organization that helps people accomplish more through interactive strategies for improving performance.

Internationally recognized as an expert in human performance technology, Thiagi has lived in three different countries and has consulted in 21 others.

Thiagi has published 40 books, 190 games and simulations, and more than 200 articles. Thiagi writes a monthly online newsletter, Play for Performance. He served as the editor of NSPI Journal and Performance & Improvement for more than 10 years. He currently edits the simulation/game section in Sage Publication's interdisciplinary journal, Simulation & Gaming.

Thiagi is currently the president of the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI). Earlier, he has been the vice president and president and has received 21 different awards and Presidential Citations from ISPI, including the society's highest award, Honorary Life Member. He is also one of the first professionals to receive the Certified Performance Technologist (CPT) designation.

Thiagi has also been the four-time president of the North American Simulation and Gaming Associating (NASAGA). He has received the Honorary Life Member Award and the Ifill-Raynolds Award from NASAGA for outstanding contributions to the field of simulation and gaming.

Program Agenda:

Designing Interactive Strategies

The best way to improve training is to encourage participants to interact with each other, with the content, and with the instructor.  In this workshop, Thiagi will reveal five secrets of effective interactive training that is faster, cheaper, and better. Participants will begin by rapidly exploring 60 different training strategies including:

• Structured sharing that helps practitioners exchange their expertise with each other
• Interactive lectures that enable you to retain control of the session while participants interact with each other
• Simulation games that use inexpensive materials and methods to reflect the realities of the workplace
• Jolts that last for a few minutes and provide powerful insights and concepts

With Thiagi's frame game approach, participants will learn how to load existing templates to create games in a matter of minutes. Participants will also learn how to avoid irrelevant fluff and fun and immerse your audience in engaging activities.

Conducting Training Games and Activities

Are you excited about training games and activities but anxious about losing control, wasting time, and being attacked by participants?  Based on 20 years of field experience and research, Thiagi will share three important secrets of effective training facilitation:

1. Identify seven critical dimensions of activities-based training (including pace, intensity, competition, and playfulness). Learn how to select, maintain, and balance appropriate intensities of these dimensions.

2. Recognize participants from hell and their disruptive behavior patterns. Learn strategies for discouraging such patterns and specific tactics for handling each pattern.

3. Identify the importance of the debriefing process for linking the training game or activity to the workplace reality. Learn a powerful six-phase model for maximizing learning from experience.

For more informaiton, please visit Thiagi's website.  http://www.thiagi.com/ 

 Don’t Miss This Exciting Learning Opportunity!

Driving Directions:

Registration

Please email Sara Chandler, sara.chandler.c7e5@statefarm.com to register.    The deadline to register was April 25.   Sara will contact you to let you know if there is room available.