Lighten Things Up

This is the perfect place to grab a video that can lighten up the mood, share a good laugh, or help connect participants to something non-educational as a breath of fresh air.

A Conference Call in Real Life - If you've ever been on a conference call with a group of individuals with all of the typical interruptions, you will certainly find this video relatable. (4:04)

Adorable Toddler - When this little boy lifts up his hands, the 500 person crowd goes wild. This is a great video if you want to lay the foundation for a discussion about leadership having no age limits. (1:13)

Antelope Runs Into Tree - An antelope is running through the Sahara desert, but he runs straight into a tree, in front of two lions. Recommend starting beyond the words at the beginning. (0:14)

Assumptions - Be careful with assumptions. Your staff might really be on top of things when it looks like a dance party. (0:31)

Chevy ECO Commercial - If the message isn't clear, you have a real challenge on your hands. (0:32)

Coast Guard Trainee - This one is certain to get you sinking...wait...thinking! (0:42)

Comedian Kim Coleman "Teaching School" - Kim brings a lighter side to teaching, joking about how students challenged her over and over. (3:06)

Daily Affirmations - Jessica has a day where she's feeling ... really good about her life. Imagine if we all started our day the way Jessica does. (0:49)

Disney World Surprise Doesn't Go As Planned - This Disney World surprise doesn't go as planned when this father lets his kids know they are going! This little boy apparently didn't know it was The Happiest Place on Earth. A connection to education - sometimes we have staff really excited about a PD day, and others who fall apart.(0:54)

Experience the Power of a Book - Ever wonder about that old book and how much it differs from an iPad or reader? This is a short clip about the IKEA catalog that makes the point that technology isn't the end all be all. (2:28)

Friendship Algorithm - This clip from "Big Bang Theory" explains how you create friends using science. (2:45)

Funny Vintage Ads - Times have changed, and nothing makes that clearer than these old-school ads! It's hard to believe these ads were real, but they sure are. Featured on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Great conversation starters as there were certain gender differences back in the 1950's. (1:26)

Happy Penguin - Sometimes you need to be the one showing excitement and energy for an idea, inspiring your organization, even if you are the only one who feels that way. (0:40)

Hashtag with Justin Timberlake & Jimmy Fallon - Great video to use if talking about tech or for a breather in a tech training. (2:00)

McDonald's - FIFA Video - This video was made for the Men's World Cup soccer competition, an ad for McDonald's that really does make you chuckle. (1:50)

Middle Ages Tech Support - Foreign video with subtitles takes a look back at the middle ages as two men discover...a book. (2:25)

My Blackberry Isn't Working - Imagine two older men trying to figure out how a blackberry phone isn't working in a very comical way. (2:52)

OK - Go! Fun video of four guys on treadmills, synchronized in their movements. Great for a laugh...and a sense of amazement. (3:04)

One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful - Five guys play one piano in an amazing rendition of One Direction's hit song, sure to touch a cord with an audience. (3:23)

People Stuck on Elevator - Two people are stuck on the escalator. Who is going to rescue them? This is a great video to use to talk about how staff members and others sometimes "get stuck" and how we can work to unstick them. (2:02)

Polar Bear Sliding - You know when you have those days....and you're dragging? You do all you can to dig deep and find the motivation to pick yourself up and keep doing what you need to do? This polar bear can relate. (0:21)

Sheep Stuck in Swing - We all get stuck. The question is - how do we get unstuck? Colleagues? Reflection? (0:37)

Shopping Math is the New Math - Funny Xtranormal video about math, great for CBO’s as they figure out the shell game of moving funds around to make sense of a district budget. (2:44)

Snow on the Car - Guy has a bad day....goes out to his car, cleans off snow, only to learn it wasn't his car. (0:41)

Squirrel Tries to Bury Nut in Dog - Cute message to hit home the point that as a leader, sometimes you just need to let someone try a seemingly impossible idea to prove that it might not work. (0:16)

Things IT People Never Say - "Did you try kicking it?" and all of the helpful "advice" your IT team will never give you. The hilarious truths of working in IT, from your friends at PDS. (1:52)

Toilet Paper - Great example of how you can't get people to do something if they don't want to. How can we help people move? (0:40)

When You Fall - Let's face it. We all fall. But life is about what you do after you fall. So get back up, dust yourself off, and maybe do a little dance too! (0:56)

Zebra Stripes - A little girl draws stripes on her sister, having a special love for zebras. The lesson learned - just because something sounds like a great idea doesn't mean it is. (0:26)