peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

English translation: used as a management training exercise

11:31 Feb 23, 2008

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Social Sciences - Management / communication skills

English term or phrase: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

We use an exercise with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and tie our lesson together by expressing how vital communication is to maintaining everyday relationships.

Is it really about the delicious sandwiches?
or sthing you will definitely like?
TIA

Mariam Osmann KudoZ activity Questions: 419 (2 open) (36 closed without grading) Answers: 213 Egypt
Local time: 20:12

Selected answer:used as a management training exercise

Explanation:
good trainer can find a lesson in something as simple as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

I collaborated this week with Kelly Wirges, president of ProMax Training & Consulting on an API Tailored Programs seminar for middle managers of the Ottaway Media Group. Kelly presented the opening session Sunday night and Monday morning, teaching the managers about "The Dynamics of a High-Performance Team." The East Coast snowstorm over the weekend kept me from reaching Middletown, N.Y., in time to catch most of Kelly's session.

By the time I arrived Monday, Kelly had taught the managers important lessons about understanding their own personalities and the people on their teams, using the DISC Profile. By the time I arrived, she was teaching some lessons about leading the team.

http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/pages/resources/2006/0...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 mins (2008-02-23 11:46:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

A good trainer.....

Selected response from:

cmwilliams (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:12

Grading comment

Thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

4 +4

used as a management training exercise

cmwilliams (X)

4 +2

how they are made

Buck

3 +2

communication training excercise with PB&J

Kornelia Robertson

sándwiches de manteca de maní y gelatina

Mónica Algazi

comment

Ken Cox

Discussion entries: 1

Answers

1 min confidence:

sándwiches de manteca de maní y gelatina

Explanation:
Es eso.

Mónica Algazi
Uruguay
Local time: 15:12
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Spanish

6 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

how they are made

Explanation:
In the USA, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches have an almost cult-like status. People (children) will sometimes argue about whether to put the peanut butter on the bread first or the jelly, or whether to put the jelly on one slice of bread and peanut butter on the other. And that can involve negotiation. Just my take on your sentence.

Buck
Netherlands
Local time: 20:12
Works in field
Native speaker of: English

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks for your explanation, I don't understand, Rachel's agreement on yours and on William's at the same time?

13 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

used as a management training exercise

cmwilliams (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:12
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Thanks!

5 hrs confidence:

comment

Explanation:
Regarding the asker's comment about Rachel's agrees to two two anwers: there is no single correct answer to your question. Both answers provide useful, relevant information.

IMO the lesson probably involves making actual sandwiches, in a way designed to illustrate the importance of communication (e.g. one member of the team gives instructions for making the sandwiches and another member makes the sandwiches according to the instructions. The results of this can be surprising...

Ken Cox
Local time: 20:12
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 15

6 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

communication training excercise with PB&J

Explanation:
I agree with cmwilliams and Buck, I would just like to add a few more examples and links where PB&J is really used in communication training, just like in your question. It can be as simple as this one:

downloads.cas.psu.edu/4H/SessionFour.pdf

Communication: Making Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches

1. Ask participants to select a partner.
2. Complete activity Communication:
Making Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches from Activity Sheet
4.2.
3. De-brief using the following questions as a guide:
• Are you satisfied with the outcome?
• Did you find anything difficult about this exercise?
If so, what was it and what was it difficult?
• What would have helped you to reach a more satisfactory outcome?

Here they are really just making PB&J sandwiches, but because normally everyone makes it differently to be perfect (see Buck's answer), when they have to cooperate to make one, they need to communicate well to be able to do it.

And here's a more sophisticated version, but it is still to show how essential communication is:

www.ece.utah.edu/~cfurse/CLEAR/writing/Writing Handouts/PBJ...

"Divide into six groups: two groups each of peanut butter companies, jam companies, bread companies.

Each group represents a company that manufactures that one product. Each company has been commissioned to develop a process for making the ideal PBJ sandwich. Each company is an expert in only one area.

Brainstorming to generate and share knowledge. Define the properties of your product that might impact the process of making a sandwich, for example, spreadability, thickness, surface texture, etc.

...

“1-minute speech.” Each company sends an expert over to one each of two different companies to explain the properties of their product. (Peanut butter will send an expert to both the jam and bread companies). In each group a recorder stays home to receive the experts from the other companies (peanut butter will also receive jam and bread).
... etc. see the document for more details.

There's no way of knowing from your question whether the trainer uses any of these versions or any other version of a communication training excercise with PB&J (i.e. cmwilliams' link where it is used in management/leadership training), but you might not even have to know it to be able to give a translation.

Kornelia Robertson
United States
Local time: 13:12
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Hungarian

Notes to answerer

Asker: agree with Pina! Thanks!

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:

ProZ.com term search

Search millions of term translations