6 Responses

1. Active Learning
   Hi Karen,

   There is a phenomenal amount of compliance training taking place in the industry at the moment, most of which is delivered by non-trainers in a chalk and talk format (hence compliance training’s social stigma of being incredibly boring!).

   I have delivered some compliance training in my time and yes, it is a dry subject matter, but can be made fun by making it active. I have used a number of methods of livening things up, one of my favourites being a game of Blockbusters! Splitting the particants into two teams, give each one a buzzer (squeeky animals or something to that effect!). Have the Blockbusters grid (on powerpoint) with various letter(s) on it prepared already, together with a list of questions relating to the letters on the grid, for you to be quiz master. If you are familiar with the game then this is easy enough to set up, otherwise I can e-mail you more detailed instructions. This encourages participation through an element of competition and reward, whilst testing and re-inforcing their knowledge on compliance/regulatory matters.

   Where the subject matter is relatively new, I usually send out some pre-course reading material and explain that the format of the workshop will be a fun competition to test their understanding of the reading material (and of course, mentioning that there will be a prize for the winning team, just to ensure they have an additional incentive to attend!!).

   Hope this has helped spark your creative juices! Other games I have used that have went down quite well (even with a conservative audience) include bullseye, using a target on the floor and kooshballs!

2. role reversal
   Perhaps you could try getting people to play the part of the ‘investigators’ from the FSA…if you provide various pieces of information as gathered from interviews, audits, etc and give the delegates the same ‘powers’ as the FSA to take action it can be a very enlightening experience – works very well with things like Health and Safety and I can’t see why it couldn’t be developed for Financial Services…good luck!

3. Using all the senses
   One thing I’ve done successfully in the past with Health and Safety training is to prepare packs of materials, pictures of office furniture, electrical appliances etc and to provide coloured paper, scissors, glue, string, blu-tak etc to groups who have just attended the standard ‘Talk and tour’. I ask them to create a poster illustrating the most hazardous working environment they can possibly invent in twenty minutes flat. This provokes discussion and engages hands, brains and imagination and always causes a deal of merriment. Last time, an image of a sheep had somehow crept into the pack of illustrations and was worked into at least one poster!! Another group produced a 3D model. Feedback three months later showed that participants remembered all the main points of what they had been taught.

4. Compliance can be Interesting 8O)
   Hi Karen,

   I use a variety of different methods to train Compliance topics depending on what the subject matter is. You could try using case studies, role plays or simply discuss the issues amoungst small groups.

   I find that if you’re going through procedures with people it’s good to put in an exercise where delegates have to put laminates together which represent the different steps of the process(you can add a bit of competition by spliting the group into teams and offering a prize).

   I have also used ‘Block Busters’ and ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ as these are fun ways to test delegates knowledge.

   If it’s data protection act that you need to train you can get a free DVD from the information commissoner:
   http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/eventual.aspx?id=41

   I hope this helps.

   Best wishes

   Becky

5. Compliance is no different
   Hi Karen

   I have used similar approaches, such as laminates to build a large procedural picture/process on a training wall.

   Additionally the use of activities around games such as Snakes & Ladders or Jenga, using the Giant/Pub size pieces.

   Or even a practise case when a group would investigate the scenario and try and resolve.

   Additionally is there the need to look at why compliance is boring, you can maybe devise an activity of what would the working enviroment would be like without compliance and how it would effect them.

   Regards

   Nick

6. blockbusters
   great ideas on how to enliven safety/compliance training. what is “blockbusters”? i would love to use the concept. mahalo from hawaii