Summer is (hopefully) just around the corner and it’s the bank holiday this weekend – everyone on TrainingZone is looking forward to the long weekend and a chance to put our feet up. It’s been another busy month on the site, with lots of posts to get us thinking.
We’ve also been following your polls closely. Last month we asked about your business’ social media policy (or lack therof) and were surprised to learn that over a third of companies don’t have a formal policy. We’d love to hear from you to know how you handle social media and what assistance or guidance you pass on to staff when sharing content online. This month, we want to know if you think your manager is a good leader. Right now the results are split evenly – be sure to add your vote!
We saw some fantastic blogs in April – so many in fact that picking just a few to highlight was a real challenge. As always, you can see the full list of TrainingZone contributors in the blogging area. If you want to get involved, it’s quick and easy to set up a free blog as well – just click the “Start blogging” link under the My TrainingZone tab and you’re ready to go!
Starting things off, FrancesMF tackles a difficult situation that most of us have likely faced at some point in our careers – what do you do when you meet someone who you can’t help but dislike? Are they too close to how you may see yourself or the polar opposite? In both of these situations, it can be hard but she recommends taking a moment to rethink our initial judgement. It’s a small change that can have a major positive impact on your working environment and, really, don’t we all just want to get along in the end?
Carrying on with our theme of evaluation and judgement, Scott Hewitt breaks down the ideal review process for Elearning projects. As he says, “the review process is one of the most enjoyable parts of the development process when you can see your original idea come to life!” – just remember to manage it properly and be prepared to expect to make changes before you’re done.
Rounding things off, we wanted to showcase Bernard’s recent post, which demonstrates his review process when evaluating the Belbin methodology (more on that here). It’s a thorough look at the system and draws a very balanced confusion. If you’re at all curious, it’s well worth a read.
Moving on to Any Answers, we wanted to start with an ambitious question from neverchair – how do you go from trainer to training manager? Climbing the ladder is undoubtedly on nearly everyone’s mind at work and TZ regulars Rob Kemp and russlater are on hand with some great tips on not only how to chase promotion the right way but how to improve yourself to make sure you’re the best possible candidate.
Next up is our most popular question from April. The Prezenter wants to know about your favourite presentation tool. We saw a varied range of recommendations from high-tech multimedia solutions to the humble flipchart but, throughout the conversation, one thing was clear – if you don’t put the time and effort into your material, even the flashiest tool can’t help. Content, as they say, is king!
Finally, we chose a practical question to close this month’s roundup. ClaireHayle asked about the best methods for delivering IT training and received a wide range of recommendations and advice. Like with any tool, it’s about finding the right one for the job but it’s an excellent starting point if you’re looking for the best recommendations.
Hopefully you've been enjoying these roundups. We’re always keen to hear what you think about the site and the content we’re putting up. If there’s anything you’d like to see more of, get in touch and let us know. For now, enjoy the long weekend and hope for some sunshine!
