Actual for You - Hocus Pocus Focus (Part 2)

In my early days, I performed magic at children’s birthday parties. Often the children where keyed up and needed to settle down before I could begin. Instead of waiting for them to settle, I would invite them (so that we could “introduce” ourselves to each other) to shout their names out as loudly as they could. Once they had shouted their excess energy out and were ready to focus on the show, I would begin the performance.

In a similar fashion, most movies begin with a prologue that teases the audience with fragments of information. The intent of the prologue is not to begin the story, but rather to stall for time until everyone is seated, to capture the attention of those already seated and to place the audience in the proper mood for the story to follow.

Magic, when placed in this kick-off position, functions in a like manner. It provides an interesting way to begin without really beginning. The trainees who have arrived on time receive extra value while the late arrivals don’t miss critical instruction. An introductory magic illusion also captures learner attention, drawing them in and releasing tension in the process. And, if the magic trick you place here directly relates to your content, it will provide your learner with a frame of reference for the content that follows.

2. Use magic to refocus energy.
Master magician Sam Sharpe once commented, “People will always pay attention so long as they are curious. Keep them guessing and wondering by doing the unexpected. Unpredictability is a key factor in holding attention.”

When performing in nightclubs, I often found that the audience's attention would wander. It's not that those audiences weren't enjoying the show. Rather it was the fact that there were more stimuli present than the average person could simultaneously absorb. To recapture wandering attention, I would present a flashy, attention capturing, illusion. As a result, the patrons would pay closer attention lest they miss any future illusions.

In the training or classroom, learner focus also wanders. Learning can be hard work and any learner, even the most attentive, will occasionally tune the trainer out. The best defense against a lack of attention is to place the suggestion in the learner’s mind that paying attention is vital. This can sometimes be accomplished with the force of the content alone, but occasionally the content requires help. A well-placed magic trick tied to the subject matter can help. It suggests that interesting things occur in this classroom and that, in order catch it all attention is required. In addition, when a session is focused and serious, a magic trick can provide some levity, much as a steam valve functions on a pressure cooker, releasing excess tension in a safe and timely manner.

3. Use magic to illustrate a key point.
All magic tricks, to be successful, are tied to a story. Magicians call it “patter.” Many would-be magicians have discovered to their sorrow that buying a trick alone is not enough to make them magicians. As magician Dariel Fitzee explained, “The secret is NOT important. The ONLY thing that is important is its favorable impression on the majority of the spectators.” It is often the story that leaves that favorable impression.

In learning, some of the most effective points are made through metaphorical stories. (A metaphor is a figure of speech where a word, a phrase or an item from one context is applied in another context.) As Peg Neuhauser explained, “Stories allow a person to feel and see information as well as factually understand it . . . because you ‘hear’ the information factually, visually and emotionally, it is more likely to be imprinted on your brain in a way that it sticks with you longer, with very little effort on your part.”

Magic tricks, owing to the importance of patter for an effective presentation, are ideally suited for illustrating key points through stories. A visual magic trick combined with patter related directly to the point being made is an unbeatable combination. The language in the story appeals to the left hemispheric logic circuits while the illusion and the metaphor it represents appeals to the holistic right hemisphere. The result is a powerful learning tool.

4. Use magic to conclude the learning segment.
The strongest entertainments have fully satisfying endings. Before Hollywood releases a new movie, it is common practice to screen it for a test audience. If the studio discovers that the test audience dislikes the ending, the ending gets changed. Many films, including Casablanca, Patriot Games, Fatal Attraction and The Bourne Identity have had their ending altered through this process. The alternative is disappointed moviegoers, bad word of mouth and ultimately, poor box office.

2. Use magic to refocus energy.
Master magician Sam Sharpe once commented, “People will always pay attention so long as they are curious. Keep them guessing and wondering by doing the unexpected. Unpredictability is a key factor in holding attention.”

When performing in nightclubs, I often found that the audience's attention would wander. It's not that those audiences weren't enjoying the show. Rather it was the fact that there were more stimuli present than the average person could simultaneously absorb. To recapture wandering attention, I would present a flashy, attention capturing, illusion. As a result, the patrons would pay closer attention lest they miss any future illusions.

In the training or classroom, learner focus also wanders. Learning can be hard work and any learner, even the most attentive, will occasionally tune the trainer out. The best defense against a lack of attention is to place the suggestion in the learner’s mind that paying attention is vital. This can sometimes be accomplished with the force of the content alone, but occasionally the content requires help. A well-placed magic trick tied to the subject matter can help. It suggests that interesting things occur in this classroom and that, in order catch it all attention is required. In addition, when a session is focused and serious, a magic trick can provide some levity, much as a steam valve functions on a pressure cooker, releasing excess tension in a safe and timely manner.

3. Use magic to illustrate a key point.
All magic tricks, to be successful, are tied to a story. Magicians call it “patter.” Many would-be magicians have discovered to their sorrow that buying a trick alone is not enough to make them magicians. As magician Dariel Fitzee explained, “The secret is NOT important. The ONLY thing that is important is its favorable impression on the majority of the spectators.” It is often the story that leaves that favorable impression.

In learning, some of the most effective points are made through metaphorical stories. (A metaphor is a figure of speech where a word, a phrase or an item from one context is applied in another context.) As Peg Neuhauser explained, “Stories allow a person to feel and see information as well as factually understand it . . . because you ‘hear’ the information factually, visually and emotionally, it is more likely to be imprinted on your brain in a way that it sticks with you longer, with very little effort on your part.”

Magic tricks, owing to the importance of patter for an effective presentation, are ideally suited for illustrating key points through stories. A visual magic trick combined with patter related directly to the point being made is an unbeatable combination. The language in the story appeals to the left hemispheric logic circuits while the illusion and the metaphor it represents appeals to the holistic right hemisphere. The result is a powerful learning tool.

4. Use magic to conclude the learning segment.
The strongest entertainments have fully satisfying endings. Before Hollywood releases a new movie, it is common practice to screen it for a test audience. If the studio discovers that the test audience dislikes the ending, the ending gets changed. Many films, including Casablanca, Patriot Games, Fatal Attraction and The Bourne Identity have had their ending altered through this process. The alternative is disappointed moviegoers, bad word of mouth and ultimately, poor box office.

3. Use magic to illustrate a key point.
All magic tricks, to be successful, are tied to a story. Magicians call it “patter.” Many would-be magicians have discovered to their sorrow that buying a trick alone is not enough to make them magicians. As magician Dariel Fitzee explained, “The secret is NOT important. The ONLY thing that is important is its favorable impression on the majority of the spectators.” It is often the story that leaves that favorable impression.

In learning, some of the most effective points are made through metaphorical stories. (A metaphor is a figure of speech where a word, a phrase or an item from one context is applied in another context.) As Peg Neuhauser explained, “Stories allow a person to feel and see information as well as factually understand it . . . because you ‘hear’ the information factually, visually and emotionally, it is more likely to be imprinted on your brain in a way that it sticks with you longer, with very little effort on your part.”

Magic tricks, owing to the importance of patter for an effective presentation, are ideally suited for illustrating key points through stories. A visual magic trick combined with patter related directly to the point being made is an unbeatable combination. The language in the story appeals to the left hemispheric logic circuits while the illusion and the metaphor it represents appeals to the holistic right hemisphere. The result is a powerful learning tool.

4. Use magic to conclude the learning segment.
The strongest entertainments have fully satisfying endings. Before Hollywood releases a new movie, it is common practice to screen it for a test audience. If the studio discovers that the test audience dislikes the ending, the ending gets changed. Many films, including Casablanca, Patriot Games, Fatal Attraction and The Bourne Identity have had their ending altered through this process. The alternative is disappointed moviegoers, bad word of mouth and ultimately, poor box office.

Magic tricks, owing to the importance of patter for an effective presentation, are ideally suited for illustrating key points through stories. A visual magic trick combined with patter related directly to the point being made is an unbeatable combination. The language in the story appeals to the left hemispheric logic circuits while the illusion and the metaphor it represents appeals to the holistic right hemisphere. The result is a powerful learning tool.

4. Use magic to conclude the learning segment.
The strongest entertainments have fully satisfying endings. Before Hollywood releases a new movie, it is common practice to screen it for a test audience. If the studio discovers that the test audience dislikes the ending, the ending gets changed. Many films, including Casablanca, Patriot Games, Fatal Attraction and The Bourne Identity have had their ending altered through this process. The alternative is disappointed moviegoers, bad word of mouth and ultimately, poor box office.

In show biz, there is an old saying about starting strong and finishing even stronger. For successful entertainers, the ending is the high point of the performance. In a similar manner, the conclusion of training is an important moment. The trainees have accomplished something of importance and should be allowed to luxuriate in that achievement. A magic illusion, when placed as a coda to the learning, functions as the exclamation point. It concludes the event in a special, memorable manner.

What Magic To Use
Knowing when to use magic is a helpful but incomplete picture. The trainer must also know what magic to use. Next, we will focus on several illusions that any magic novice can perform and that are effective in the learning environment.

Change Bag
The Change Bag is one of magic’s most versatile props. It consists of a bag, sometimes on a stick, with two pockets. The beauty of the bag is in the fact that only one pocket is visible at a time. This duality allows the performer to magically transform any item into another item with the wave of a hand. The Change Bag can be used for diversity training as many items become one, for financial management as pennies transform into dollars or to emphasize teamwork as individual names “merge” onto one organizational chart. In short, it is ideal for any situation where something transforms into something else.

This illusion, and those that follow, can be obtained through the following vendors: Creative Presentation Resources, Hank Lee’s Magic Factory, Tool Thyme for Trainers, Trainer's Warehouse,

Disclaimer: I am not an advertising agent for these organizations. I simply report these vendors to aid you in finding the materials

Flash Paper
Fire effects can be dangerous and as such should be used with extreme caution. Nevertheless, fire-based effects are effective at capturing learner attention. Fortunately for the non-firebug, there is Flash Paper. This handy paper, as its name implies, burns in an extremely bright flash. It also burns so quickly that there is little danger from it. Flash Paper is a great tool for any situation where you want the learners to move beyond the past. Simply instruct the participants to write their negative emotions, complaints, lists of poor leadership traits, parking lot issues, situations where they have been “burned” by poor customer service or any other items you want them to discard onto individual pieces of Flash Paper. Then collect the pieces of paper, place them in a container and destroy the past. The image of complaints going up in a flash can be a highly effective method for moving the discussion forward.

Magic Coloring Book
The magic coloring book has become a staple in many a trainer’s toolbox. Although there are several versions on the market, the basic trick involves a coloring book that is displayed with blank pages, then with black and white drawings and finally with the black and white drawings fully colorized. The Magic Coloring Book is perfect for situations where you want to demonstrate three different progressive phases. For instance, you could recap the learning that will occur, or has occurred, with trainee knowledge of the subject progressing from a blank slate to a fully formed image of the subject. Another usage could be to demonstrate three steps in the process of solving customer service complaints, from approaching the complaint with an open mind, to determining what the customer wants, to delivering a solution beyond what the customer expected.

Needle Through Balloon
The final magic trick I’d like to highlight is called the Needle Through Balloon. In this illusion, a needle is pushed into a balloon without popping the balloon. The needle is then pulled all the way through the balloon and removed, but the balloon stays inflated. Finally, the balloon is punctured with the same needle. This routine requires minimal skill while providing maximum impact. Trainees cannot help themselves from being drawn into the suspense of the illusion. The Needle Through Balloon is applicable for encouraging trainees to overcome artificial barriers, to believe in their own abilities, to solve difficult problems, to focus on accomplishing supposedly unobtainable goals, to brainstorm new ideas and to believe they can achieve career success.

A secondary use for the Needle Through Balloon is to validate the overwhelmed feeling that trainees sometimes feel in the middle of the learning process. I simply acknowledge to the trainees that their heads may feel as if they are ready to explode. Simultaneously, I insert the needle into the balloon. I then assure them that they will eventually absorb the information successfully and that, unlike the balloon, their head will not “pop.”

Training Magic
I would like to conclude with a word of caution. As Dariel Frizee stated, the trick is not important. Nor is the trainer’s ability to perform the trick. What is important is the success the trainees have in learning the class material. Magic should not be overused. Training is not a mag

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