…But it’s perfect, and I wouldn’t have it any other way! Yes, this weekend saw the erection of the Christmas tree in the invisible trainer's household. An event that we always look forward to, and it’s a great family affair. The Christmas music plays, the Santa hats and bauble deeley-boppers are worn and tinsel somehow manages to get everywhere.

A couple of hours later, we are the proud owners of a Christmas tree that no-one else in their right mind would want. Everyone else’s Christmas trees are beautiful, stylish, co-ordinated and tasteful with carefully chosen themes. Ours is not. Our tree is adorned with ornaments that we have collected over the years from places we’ve been, decorations that the children have made, and things that appeal to us for all sorts of reasons. The children (our key stakeholders) are the main decorators, so things aren’t even laid out evenly, with clumps of ornaments next to a bare patch (Yes, we do sneakily re-arrange things over time!). Our tree is unique to us. It says something about who we are. It isn’t fashionable or formulaic.

And that’s why I love designing BESPOKE training. It may not always be the ‘slickest’ training in town, it may not include the latest fad, but bespoke training is meaningful to the client, and satisfies the main stakeholders. So what if a workshop on customer service needs to have an element of time management? So what if a management development programme needs to include ‘solving technical problems’? If that’s what the client wants and needs then so be it.

I’m proud of my rather unique tree, and I’m proud that as an invisible trainer, every piece of training I create is also unique. Wishing you a great Christmas and a happy and successful 2012.

Sheridan Webb (The Invisible Trainer)

Keystone Development - Specialists in Bespoke Training Design