Purpose: To help break the ice, energize participants, and make a learning point in train-the-trainer sessions.

 Time Required: About 10 minutes at the onset of a course, then a couple of minutes at different times throughout a session.

 Size of Group: Unlimited.

 Materials Required: None.

 The Exercise in Action: After revisiting the idea that “anything that can go wrong, will,” either Lillian Lancaster or Winzie Pollet, instructional support teachers for the training and development arm of Orange County Public Schools, Orlando, FL, shares a training experience that supports the axiom. Several volunteers are asked to recall a similar incident that occurred during the facilitation of a workshop or at some other point during their careers.

At regular intervals during their three-hour training session, a time for sharing examples of Murphy’s Law is announced. “The examples often provide an opportunity for follow-up on how the situation was handled or how the problem was solved,” says Lancaster. “Through this ongoing exercise, the learning point about trainer flexibility and creativity is emphasized, and a high level of interest and involvement is maintained.”