They all nodded.
I next produced a banana. "How about the banana? How does it relate to time management?"
There was no answer. I think they were stunned.
Finally, a quiet voice responded, "Err, bananas don't stay fresh long?"
" That's right. How long will it take for a banana to spoil?"
" A few days" was the reply.
" What does a spoiled banana attract?
Warming to the discussion now, another student replied, "Flies!"
I then asked, "How does that relate to managing your time?"
The room was silent until finally, one learner asked timidly, "You never know how long you have before you spoil?"
" That's correct." I smiled. "We don't know how much time we have." Then, looking as if the idea had just occurred to me, I stated, "This reminds me of a quote from Marx." I paused before adding, "Groucho Marx that is."
They laughed and I knew I had them. I displayed the quote.
" Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana."
With that, they all groaned.
" So remember," I continued undaunted, "Be an arrow, not a banana. Let's learn how to manage our time."
With that, I began the class.
The preceding story actually happened and was recorded in my book, Show Biz Training (AMACOM 2003). Show Biz Training analyzes the techniques entertainers use and applies those techniques to the learning environment. Props are the focus of one chapter, and in this article, I will overview some of the chapter’s discussion points.
Props are a valuable, but often overlooked, tool in any presenter’s arsenal. They offer a number of advantages that effective entertainers rely on.
Props are visual aids
There’s an old saying: "A picture is worth a thousand words." Props are visual clues that convey information without words. If a script calls for an actor to read a newspaper, the very act of holding a newspaper tells the audience what the actor is doing. The prop saves words, in essence freeing up time for more important matters.
Advertising faces an accelerated version of this time crunch. A commercial only has thirty seconds to tell its story, so advertisers often rely on props. Perhaps the most successful use of a prop in a commercial is Duracell’s Energizer Bunny. In commercial after commercial, this battery-operated bunny keeps going as it demonstrates a difficult visual: batteries with a long shelf life.
During presentations, props function as effective mnemonics. Named after the Greek goddess Mnemosyne, the mother of the Muses, a mnemonic is a devise that aids in memorization through the arts.Props work on a peripheral level, helping participants process key points holistically. They provide metaphorical anchors for the brain.
Use this need for visual information. Harness it to your advantage. Bring your presentation room to life with visual mnemonics that support key points. Display items that say visually what you are saying verbally. Give your attendees something to look at, and their minds something to anchor to.
Props frame the environment
Another entertainment function of props is as a framing device. Magicians make extensive use of framing devices. At any illusion show, audience members expect to see swords, tables, colorful silks, bouquets of flowers, saws, cards, and other magic-oriented paraphernalia. Consequently, magicians populate their show with such items. The props visually affirm the expectation of magic to follow.
Movies also frame their scenes with props. The successful Harry Potter film series, for example, makes extensive use of brooms and other devices that viewers are likely to view as magical.
The technique extends beyond the magical to the ordinary. One example comes from Shakespeare in Love (1998), a fictionalized story of the Bard's experiences while writing Romeo and Juliet. The movie often shows Shakespeare writing with a feather pen. Imagine the confusion that would occur if he used a computer instead. As small a matter as a writing utensil can disrupt, or frame, a scene.
Props are so effective at framing that non-entertainers use them. One example comes from the political arena. American president Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) was elected during the Great Depression. It was a time of uncertainty, with approximately 25 percent of the population unemployed. FDR made it a point to flash a jaunty smile and an aura of can-do activity. Considering an early bout with polio left FDR’s legs paralyzed and confined him to a wheelchair, this was no easy feat. FDR displayed activity without walking through the use of a prop, a long-stemmed cigarette holder. The very act of clutching it in his teeth made him smile, and, by wiggling it with his tongue, he could display extra bodily movement. The length of the cigarette holder allowed its movement to seem bigger than it was, and gave FDR an aura of movement when there was none.
The entertainment savvy presenter props the classroom with items that draw attention. Frame the environment as an enjoyable place to be. Create a festive, inviting atmosphere. Make the room seem like a party with a purpose. Put the subject of your presentation on display. For a speech on leadership, place leadership quote plaques around the room. For a diversity presentation, display culturally appropriate materials. Regardless of your subject, find small, inexpensive items indicative of that subject, and, if the attendees are sitting at tables, place those items on the tables as centerpieces.
Props capture attention
Props are great attention-getters, and performers know it. Part of Elton John’s initial breakthrough resulted from his outrageous outfits; the rapper culture built its streetwise image through over-the-top gangsta garb and Larry King wore suspenders to create a relaxed, folksy image that differentiated him from other talk show hosts. For those performers, props provided immediate identification.
In a similar manner, it is often necessary to capture or refocus attendee attention. By displaying an interesting item related to your subject matter, you will establish a mnemonic learning connection. If the prop is small enough to handle, engage your attendees' sense of touch by passing it around the room.
Props function as pacing devices
Props are effective pacing devices. Comedian Groucho Marx was known for his subtly risqué wit. As a result, he often had to wait for the audience to digest the meaning of his words. Groucho would stall for time by playing with his cigar while lifting his eyebrows and leering. The cigar by-play gave the audience time to process the more obscure, risqué meanings of the jokes and gave the appearance that the act was moving forward, when it was really at a stop.
A recent political example comes from former American President Bill Clinton. In Clinton v. Jones, the infamous Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit, Clinton was deposed over a period of six hours. The president paced his answers quite effectively through the use of soda cans. Every time the president was asked a tough legal question he would pause to take a sip. This pause gave him time to process his answers before speaking.
Presentation attendees can pace their own attention spans through props. When placed on the attendees' tables, props function as hand amusers. They give participants something to occupy their fingers and minds during moments of distraction.
Breaks are a second pacing opportunity. Exercise functions as an energy leveler for attendees who have become under or over stimulated. In addition, the placement of bowling pins, plastic horseshoes, beanbags, and other harmless play devices wears down excess energy during breaks and may bring participants back to the session early.
Props provide metaphors for the subject at hand
Props provide great metaphoric examples. Perhaps the world’s most famous play, Shakespeare's Hamlet, features a scene in which lead character Hamlet holds the skull of his former mentor and court jester, Yorick, as he ponders human mortality. Yorick’s skull is a metaphor for the human condition as Hamlet explains it: “A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm.”
Metaphoric prop usage is not limited to show biz. In the mid-1980s, American president Ronald Reagan wanted to demonstrate visually what he considered to be an out-of-control United States budget. In his State of the Union speech, he produced the entire budget, all 6000 pages of it, leather bound in seven volumes, and dropped each volume onto the podium with a thud. The visual was of a preposterously long document that no one could read or understand.
Props, when used as presentation metaphors, increase retention by providing visual representations of key discussion points. One method is to tie a prop to a story with a pun as an ending. The story that started this article offered an example of this technique.
Finally, it should be acknowledged that the use of props adds costs and logistical challenges to any presentation. Although the use of these items requires more of the presenter’s time and energy, they help attendees absorb more information in less time. For these participants, props may by the ultimate time management tool. So, "be an arrow, not a banana.” Help your attendees manage their time.
This article is based on material found in Show Biz Training (AMACOM, http://www.net.org/) and was reproduced with permission. To learn more about Lenn Millbower, please visit our Contributor's section.
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It was my turn to teach time management. And because it was a time management class, I wanted to start on time. I also knew that there would be some stragglers. (Anyone who arrived on time probably didn't need the class anyway.) I decided to frame up the discussion with an attention-getter that would honor the attendees who had arrived on time, while giving the stragglers more time. I grabbed a couple of props and headed into the classroom.