Conflict management: how to be generative rather than destructive
There’s only one organisation that I have worked with, where people had physical altercations in the office. That doesn’t mean that the other organisations don’t have conflict – it just means that they enact that conflict differently, often in ways that are equally destructive. What I more often see is weaponised gossip, arguments about technical […]
Five ways to build confidence in your audience
Training is a two-way interaction, so winning the confidence of the room is crucial for every trainer. How do you build confidence in your learners? Make them feel like they matter and you care – it’s that simple… So many trainers are focused on delivering their content, to the detriment of the learning process. Of […]
The psychology of change: how companies should approach transformation
The key to successfully implementing change in an organisation is psychological insight – understanding your people and what they need in order to adapt to it. No matter where you work or what you do, everyone is talking about the future — anticipating change and how it impacts our lives. Human beings have, of course, […]
Campaign learning: what is it and why does it tackle eLearning challenges?
In the second part of her series on campaign learning, Issy Nancarrow outlines why marketing tools and techniques can be useful for learning providers and how to use them. A learning campaign is the process of using marketing alongside the delivery of learning or change interventions. The campaign delivers value by increasing awareness, engagement, communication, participation, […]
Introducing campaign learning: what’s wrong with our current approach?
In the first part of her series on campaign learning, Issy Nancarrow looks at the failures of existing approaches to learning and what we can learn from the world of marketing when it comes to transforming the field. Whether the audience comprises corporate execs or students engaged in education, the barriers that prevent learners from absorbing content […]
Are we feeding fear?
Several times a week, I take the winding road up onto Dartmoor. Essentially the main link between Tavistock on the other side of the moor and Ashburton on this, it’s a perfectly useful road for much of the route, with lines down the middle and everything. It’s a somewhat different story on our side of […]
Ego, eco and intuitive leadership: a new model for disruptive times
Transformational leadership does not go far enough to effectively guide businesses through disruptive times. A major shift in logic is needed to create a leadership style fit for today, argues Colin Williams, Frederick Holscher and Sharon Olivier of Ashridge Executive Education at Hult International Business School. At the risk of ‘crying wolf’ (after all, each generation thinks it […]
2050 – Living in the algorithm era…
2050 is not that far away from us. Barely three decades… (Still remember the 90’s, right?) Of course, it is impossible today to precisely depict what our future will look like 30 years from now. But there are at least 2 facts that we can now take for granted: #1- First, the world population will […]
Five ways to have better conversations
While technology and management styles have been transformed over the past hundred years of working together in formal environments like offices, our ability to have ‘good’ conversations is stuck in the past. It’s important because businesses don’t just depend on the quality of their people – they depend on them communicating. Workplaces continue to involve […]
Mindfulness for trainers: the practice of pausing
In part seven of this content series on how to become a mindful trainer, Kay Buckby, Facilitator at The Mindful Trainer, explores the benefits that pausing can bring to our fast-paced lives. “I have so much to accomplish today that I must meditate for two hours instead of one.” Mahatma Gandhi Wise words from a great […]
How physical intelligence can benefit employees in the workplace
We’ve heard a lot about emotional intelligence, but now it’s time to discover how physical intelligence can transform our careers and business outcomes for the better. Authors of new wellbeing book Physical intelligence, Claire Dale and Patricia Peyton, shed some light on this emerging skillset. Physical intelligence is the ability to detect and actively manage […]
Holistic learning: engaging the mind in learning
How to create learning experiences that mentally engage learners to generate changes in the brain.
2050 – Living in the algorithm era…
2050 is not that far away from us. Barely three decades… (Still remember the 90’s, right?) Of course, it is impossible today to precisely depict what our future will look like 30 years from now. But there are at least 2 facts that we can now take for granted: #1 – First, the world population […]
Book Review – Learning Transfer at Work
Learning Transfer at Work by Paul Matthews is a look I definitely recommend to every learning and development practitioner who wants to improve the effectiveness of their l&d interventions. Three chapters into the book I was already sold on the importance of learning transfer and why we need to take it very serious. Accoring to […]
Lessons in management: we asked some senior leaders what their first-time mistakes were
No one goes into a leadership position fully prepared for the role – there are always learning curves and things you pick up along the way. Here, we talk to senior leaders about their formative experiences and what they wished they’d known when starting out. When it comes to pivotal points in your career, being […]
Learning transfer: why L&D cannot beat the system and effect change through training alone
An unhelpful myth that high-performing organisations are simply made up of talented individuals is preventing L&D from better supporting their learners. Sustaining positive change post-training is a tricky feat if organisations aren’t recognised to be systems embedded with deeply ingrained cultural nuances, processes, strategy and hierarchies that may need to be combated at times. Great, I thought, […]
Analysing an emotional reaction during a training session
When conflict arises during training sessions, your initial reaction might be to shut down the other person immediately – but taking time to analyse their reaction can provide a greater learning experience for both parties. A few years ago, I was hired by a company to help them through a TUPE transfer (Transfer of Undertakings […]
Problem solving techniques: creative options for trainers and facilitators
As trainers, our job isn’t to solve an organisation’s problems, but rather to give teams the tools to solve any issues themselves. Therefore this article will provide some techniques to help get people thinking differently and collaborating better. As leadership and management become more focused on collaboration rather than command and control, it’s essential that trainers […]
13 Qualities of Effective Career Conversations
It’s a sad fact that people can often identify memorably bad career conversations more easily than effective career conversations. Particularly if one was of significant positive value to them Like that time at the end of a not particularly glowing performance appraisal when your boss asked you where you wanted to be in 5 years. […]
Creating a culture that values learning: how to avoid training cancellations
Participants cancelling their attendance at training sessions is not only inconvenient and costly, but it often points to a larger problem in the way an organisation approaches learning. Here, we look at the key issues and how to overcome them. Executives in your company say, ‘we must get management training going on this organisational change straight […]
