Training is a Serious Business – Isn’t It?
People’s reactions to words tell us a lot about their personal comfort zones and how they are changing. Nowadays, when discussing training, the word PowerPoint is as likely to provoke a grimace as a positive reaction, and almost everyone likes ‘participation’. (This wasn’t always the case – we went out on a limb in 2003 […]
Transparency, openness and outcome
No-one is an island runs the saying and in business that concept is certainly true. Interconnectedness abounds and not simply in complex worldwide supply chains. We see echoes of the same ideas across business approaches and strategies, across training methodologies and customer focus. Take for example the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) approach to conduct culture. […]
8 winning tactics for creating gold medal teamwork
This article was written by Mandy Flint & Elisabet Vinberg Hearn, authors of ”The Team Formula”. The Olympics are now in our rear view mirror. This is a good time to review and learn from the teamwork that goes into making an Olympian successful. Team GB had magnificent success at the Olympics. That kind of success […]
5 steps to building a winning team
In my last article I described five different team types including the Winning Team. The Winning Team is the one that gets exceptional results. Results which benefit the organisation(s) and clients they serve. (And they get results without exhausting themselves. That’s an important distinction as many teams get great results but at significant personal cost). These teams pay equal […]
Mental health training for line managers: useful online resources
Looking to raise your awareness of what resources are out there when it comes to mental health training for line managers? We’ve curated them from around the web, from different organisations, so you can browse them in one place. 1. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England Line Managers’ ResourceLink: PDFOverview: Starting with recruitment and promoting […]
Mindfulness: A New Year’s Resolution
If mindfulness is headlining your list of New Year’s Resolutions this year, here are seven ways to begin your practice effectively, so it is more than a #januaryfantasy and keeps you chill all the way through Summer and beyond! 1 – Begin Intentionally Mindfulness is going to take some of your time and will require perseverance before […]
Six top tips on how to be more emotionally intelligent at work
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the way we manage emotions, both our own and those of others and it can play a critical role in determining our happiness, success, motivation and productivity at work and home. To reap the benefits of Emotional Intelligence training or make significant and meaningful changes to develop our EI, we need […]
Are people holding back digital transformation?
Digital transformation. Businesses can barely escape the phrase. And, in principle, it seems so simple. In a digital age, when you can find smart technology in almost every person’s pocket, it makes sense that they should want businesses and brands to upgrade how they do things. Businesses do so by investing in and developing technology. […]
Flowers for Algernon
I’ve just read Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes. Occasionally, you read a book that you know will remain with you forever, and this is one. For those who don’t know it, and I didn’t, it’s a moving, thought provoking and clever novel written through the eyes of someone with learning disabilities who has the […]
How to unleash your inner charisma
It’s a common misconception that charisma is the luck of the draw. Many people believe that you are born either with or without it and that you can’t teach it. There are people who claim to teach charisma and will focus on tips on body language, eye contact, voice tonality, appearance and so on. While […]
Infographic: David Kolb: Training in circles
Learning never stops. It is a circular process that is better explained to us by education scientist David Kolb. Together with Ron Fry, he constructed a theory that has proved its relevance since the 70s and still helps in developing (online) training programs. See why you should train in circles in this infographic! Learning never […]
5 P’s of Vocal Impact in Presentations
When delivering a presentation, voice projection is essential. The 5 P’s is a way of maximising all the vocal aspects. P ower – Too loud a voice can be annoying particularly for those at the front of the audience – Too quiet can say that the Presenter lacks confidence and others at […]
8 ways to improve extrinsic training motivation
Imagine you have put a nice online training in place and you have thought of everything: the program meets your employees’ needs, it’s relevant to their work and it maps their growth. Everything seems to be in order and it kicks off! But then… After a few weeks, it appears that most employees haven’t even […]
5 simple steps to inspiring new employee behaviour
Employee behaviour is key to business success. A lacklustre workforce will negatively impact the bottom line, but the workforce’s inefficiencies could be attributed to shifts in the skills and behaviours that are required to help make a profitable business. It isn’t enough to simply demonstrate the workplace skills and behaviours required to turn things around […]
The funny thing about innovation: an interview with Tim Reid, Writer, Car Share
Tim Reid, comedy writer of Car Share, recently spoke at the Charity Learning Consortium conference. When it comes to comedy, he says, there’s a serious point, as laughter can unlock creativity and lead to big, bold ideas. Jamie Lawrence, Editor, HRZone: People want to believe they are innovative. But where do organisations and individuals go wrong? […]
Curse of Knowledge: how experts can improve their schtick
Why are experts kings or queens of their subject, but paupers when they explain it? These articles explore i) why experts are cursed by what they know ii) how to beat the Curse of Knowledge symptoms and iii) ways learning professionals can support experts to create videos, podcasts et al that make sense and help people […]
Curse of Knowledge: the symptoms and how to beat them
Why are experts kings or queens of their subject, but paupers when they explain it? These articles explore i) why experts are cursed by what they know ii) how to beat the Curse of Knowledge symptoms and iii) ways learning professionals can support experts to create videos, podcasts et al that make sense and help people […]
Curse of Knowledge: why experts struggle to explain their know-how
Why are experts kings or queens of their subject, but paupers when they explain it? These articles explore i) why experts are cursed by what they know ii) how to beat the Curse of Knowledge symptoms and iii) ways learning professionals can support experts to create videos, podcasts et al that make sense and help people […]
Forget Millennials, Prepare to Train Generation Z
A lot has been written about millennials in the workplace. Often, they’re observed like some kind of alien species, and discussed as if they’re all a single organism: They’re narcissistic and entitled, they want feedback that’s as instant as the gratification they demand. These strange and foreign creatures operate well within a structured chain of […]
Directing data security
GDPR! It’s a topic which seems to be on everyone’s lips and yet when a colleague recently attended a business show the organiser was complaining that they could find no-one to deliver a seminar on the subject. Perhaps that’s not so surprising. The General Data Protection Regulations don’t take effect until 25 May 2018 and, […]
