We have had the good fortune to present in a variety of venues and to different audiences over the past few years. Keynote addresses typically run about forty minutes to one hour. Presentations are often one and-a-half to two hours, and workshops are usually either half-day (3 hours) or full day (6 hours). At times we team with other professionals to deliver specialized training. We offer a number of different training, educational and entertaining experiences on various topics including those listed below.

• Infusing Humor in the Workplace
  
• She/He Who Laughs, Lasts: Coping with Stress through Humor
  
• Laugh Harder, Live Longer: Humor and Health
  
• The Laughing Classroom: Infusing Humor Educational Environments
  
• Humor and Persons with Disabilities
  
• Laughter Clubs: Theory and Practice
  
• Strategies for Motivating Audiences: Icebreakers, Energizers and Warmups
  
• Infusing Magic and Interactive Exercises in Training
  
• Magic for the Magically Impaired
  
• Creative Problem Solving
  
• Enhancing Your Professional and Personal Creativity
  
• Coping with Difficult People
  
• The Human Factor: Promoting Communication, Team Building and Conflict Management in the Workplace (workshop only)
  
• Promoting Collaboration and Team Building in the Workplace
  
• Collaboration and Inclusion of Students with Disabilities
  
• Effective Communication in the Workplace
  
• Enhancing Self-Esteem (for children or adults)
  
• Strategies for Creating Motivating Speeches and Presentations
  

Presentation / Workshop Titles and Objectives
© 2004 R. Bruce Baum

Infusing Humor in the Workplace

• provide two or more examples of how negative events can be viewed from a positive perspective.
  
• describe three or more factors that support a rationale for infusing humor and positive feelings in the workplace.
  
• describe three or more physiological benefits and three or more psychological/emotional benefits of infusing humor in the workplace.
  
• identify five or more strategies for infusing appropriate humor in work environments.
  
• give two or more examples of positive humor and the difference between positive humor and that which could be interpreted negatively or as "sexual harrassment."
  
• identify three or more ways that they can bring humor into their work setting to increase positive feelings about their work, enhance productivity, promote teamwork and prevent "burnout."
  

This program is approximately 80% presentation and 20% audience participation. It frequently includes one or two brief videos.
She/He Who Laughs, Lasts: Coping with Stress Through Humor

• describe three or more societal factors that have led to greater levels of stress for employees over the past several decades.
• identify the difference between stress that is positive and helpful and stress that is negative and debilitating.
• share two or more examples of stressful situations in the workplace and other environments.
• describe four or more ways that humans can participate in relieving their own stress.
• describe the role of humor and laughter in relieving stress.
• identify three or more strategies for "taking ourselves lightly while taking our work seriously."
• participate in two or more interactive exercises that will illustrate how their stress levels can be decreased."
• identify five or more of the "Ten Commandments of Stress Reduction."
  
  

Laugh Harder, Live Longer: Humor and Health

• discuss the relationship between humor, laughter and physical and mental health.
• describe the importance of healthful living from both physical and psychological perspectives.
• identify four or more health benefits of humor and laughter.
• participate in exercises designed to promote humor, laughter and health.
• cite one or more research studies that have established a relationship between humor and healthful living.
• identify strategies and behaviors, in addition to humor and laughter, that can promote a healthy lifestyle.
  
  

The Laughing Classroom: Infusing Humor in Educational Environments

discuss the relationship between humor and learning.

identify three or more benefits of infusing appropriate humor in learning experiences for children or adults.

describe three or more benefits of instructional games

provide three or more examples of teachers who are humorous and learning that accrues in their classrooms

discuss, in a general sense, the evolution and development of receptive and expressive humor in children

share one strategie for infusing humor in the classroom at each of four educational stages: primary, intermediate, middle school / jr. high, and secondary school.

perform one or two magic tricks that could be used to capture the attention and curiosity of students.

Humor and Persons with Disabilities

identify how, historically, people with disabilities have been laughed at rather than laughed with.

describe how humor can help family members perceive a disability from a positive perspective.

share ways that humor and laughter can help promote interactions and connections of people with disabilities with others.

dispel stereotypes and attitudes that suggest that people with disabilities lead lives of pain and suffering.

describe three or more ways that professionals who work with people with disabilities can use humor and magic as motivational and instructional tools.

illustrate how laughter and humor can increase our enjoyment jobs where commitments and effort are significant and compensation does not always match those commitments and effort.

show how humor and laughter can help prevent jobs that can lead to stress and burnout.

identify ways that humor and laughter can assist persons with disabilities to develop an appreciation for living and the positive experiences that life can bring.

Laughter Clubs: Theory and Practice

review the rationale and historic evolution of laughter clubs and the current status in the world.

identify four or more physical and psychological benefits of laughter.

describe the difference between humor and laughter.

identify the basic structure and components of a laughter club meeting.

share guidelines for participating in "laughters."

demonstrate five or more "laughters" that can be conducted at a laughter club.

review the principles of "sensible living" with examples of how they can be put into action.

describe the process by which one can obtain certification as a Laughter Club Leader.

Strategies for Motivating Audiences: Icebreakers, Energizers and Warm-up

describe five or more principles for conducting activities with groups

emphasize the importance of safety when conducting any exercises or activities of a physical nature

describe how activities can be modified to accommodate the needs of varied groups

identify the relative benefits of indoor activities compared to outdoor activities as well as activities for children versus those for adults.

participate in and/or demonstrate ten or more activities that can be used as icebreakers, energizers and warm-ups with groups

review the importance of having a rationale for all activities and the importance of debriefing each activity. Infusing Magic in Speaking and Training

identify three or more guidelines for performing magic

explain two or more purposes for including magic in speaking, presentations and training

list four or more factors to consider when selecting magic to be applied in training and presenting

describe how some magic designed as "close-up" could be used with a larger group

perform three or more magic tricks that could be used with various size groups

identify sources of information about magic and sources of magic tricks Magic for the Magically Impaired

identify four or more strategies for acquiring appropriate magic

identify three or more guidelines for performing magic with the rationale for each

describe how considerable magic does not require skill or extensive practice

perform three card tricks with ordinary decks of cards

perform three non-card tricks with ordinary items or cost less than $10.00 each

have fun Creative Problem Solving

Describe one way that creativity differs from intelligence

Identify four key elements of creativity and creative expression.

Share ways that creativity can be used to solve real life challenges and problems.

Identify four of the steps of the Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving Process

Describe the guidelines of Brainstorming with examples of each

Run through the Creative Problem Solving Process with one problem and share the success or lack thereof of applying process to a real situation.

Have fun.

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