58½ Ways to Improvise in Training: Improvisation games and activities for workshops, courses and team meeting
By Paul Z Jackson
Gower
2000. Hardback, 166 pages,
£49.50
ISBN 0566 08313 2

If you have a series of training programmes of varied natures to run and want some icebreaker, introductory and other experiential activities that are different and mostly fun to use, this is the collection for you. The 58 activities (the ½ is half a page of advice on making your own activity using the lessons learned from using this collection!) are short, impactive, meaningful and fun to use events that can be used in a variety of ways.

They are contained in nine sections entitled Alert and energize; Working together (group physical and mental activities); Influencing relationships (interaction, trust etc); Resources (energizers, concerns, personal time, reflecting and sharing); Emotions and attitudes; Scenarios (mainly problem solving, but also fun activities, improvisation, communication); Creativity; Wisdom (interviews, interactions and telepathy); and Conclusion (an activity to close a programme with the participants taking a bow to applause).

Each activity is headed by an information box showing recommended number of participants; time required; energy level – low to high; amount by which the activity is slanted to individual or team; amount by which event is slanted to visual, verbal or physical. Information is also given on a summary of the activity, the trainer’s introduction, and debriefing.

A very useful, fun and easily usable set of training activities that I am sure I would have enjoyed as a participant on one of his programmes.

Leslie Rae
26 April 2000