A week in training: Beat the bullies
This week: Studies paint a worrying picture of bullying in the workplace. The almost 50% of workers claim to be, or have been, bullied, while managers and organisations seem largely ineffective in dealing with it. Elsewhere, the government pledges yet more money for skills and MEPs vote against the UK’s EU working time directive opt […]
Opinion: Another fine mess you’ve got me into
Former award-winning TV reporter Alistair Macdonald gets hot under the collar about the recent handling of the Brand and Ross debacle at the BBC. Even the director general may need training in crisis news management, he says, whilst BBC managers obviously need help to know how to keep maverick talent on a tighter leash. Oh […]
Trainer’s tip: Explaining John Adair’s Action Centred Leadership model
Harvey Bennett suggests an interesting activity to help explain John Adair’s theory, while other trainers offer their perspective as well. Harvey Bennett suggests this activity: 1. Outline the ACL model2. Show the movie ’12 O’Clock High’ (Gregory Peck, c1949, available on DVD) in two parts.3. After the first part, to the point where the CO […]
A week in training: The skills to survive recession
This week: More evidence that training and development is the key for companies wanting to survive the recession, the CIPD warns of redundancies to come and the CBI highlights the advantages for business of working with universities to boost skills. As the recession bites harder, a new Nurturing Talent report from Cranfield School of Management […]
If you can’t stand the heat…
In recent conversations with those at the coal face of learning and development, Donald H Taylor has been struck with how much pressure L&D is under. Taking inspiration from TV chef Jamie Oliver’s struggle to improve the nation’s diet, he asks, who are you in the training kitchen: waiter, chef or minister? “It’s just not […]
Simplicity: Are great leaders born or made?
Trevor Gay looks at what it takes to be a good leader, and suggests that training is all very well, but true leadership greatness comes naturally, and isn’t learned. To me, leadership and management are as different as chalk and cheese. My views have been formed over many years as a manager in the NHS […]
Best of 2008: Best leadership feature
Thanks to everyone who voted in this category. The award for Best Leadership Feature 2008 goes to, “Make me a better manager: Horse Whispering” by Steve Roth. Make me a better manager: Horse whispering By Steve RothWhen good leaders go bad: Training in the use of power By Dawn SmithJohn Adair: The rise of the […]
Trainer’s tip: Stretch that budget
Sheridan Webb offers five suggestions to keep training alive and kicking during difficult financial times. 1. Adopt a flexible approach. Embrace methods such as distance learning, buddying, secondments, action-learning and coaching to meet clearly specified development needs.2. Go for ‘bite-sized’ learning events. Taking people out of the business for two-to-three hours is cost effective, and […]
Agenda: What’s innovation got to do with training?
In the days of recession, creativity and the ability to come up with new ideas are set to be more important than ever for organisations to survive the downturn. What has this got to do with L&D? Well, just about everything says Nigel Paine, who reviews here a new book on the subject: Innovation to […]
A week in training: Will cash strapped councils axe training?
The collapse of the Icelandic banking system may well have some unexpected effects with warnings that, in the short term, cash-strapped councils may have to suspend their training initiatives in order to pay staff wages. Skills minister David Lammy left his post in the recent cabinet reshuffle warning employers they could still be hit by […]
A week in training: Innovation, what innovation?
This week’s round-up includes Train to Gain turns two, news of delegates compulsively consulting their smart phones, preliminary findings from a trainer rates survey and the CIPD finds that management innovation is low on the priority list for many businesses. Management innovation ‘not a business priority’A CIPD study of 500 senior managers found that organisations […]
Tandoori teamwork
If you want to see real teamwork in action, try your local Tandoori restaurant, says Simon Hollington. Every night, the team at your local curry house will be faced with a variety of challenges and business leaders can learn much from how they are handled, he says. Forget Manchester United or Chelsea, if you want […]
The perfect ‘sustainable’ leader
If there ever was such a thing as the perfect leader then amongst their considerable attributes, they’d also have their eye on sustainability, says Jenny Charteris. She explains the qualities the perfect ‘green’ leader should have. The most successful leaders plan for long-term success. But the sustainable development agenda is changing the definition of ‘long-term […]
A week in training: News round-up
This week’s stories include a survey to find the barriers of learning retention, a free presentation by Nigel Paine, a new trainer network and news of an innovative management job swap between McDonalds and John Lewis. Management buy-in key to learningLack of line management buy-in is the key barrier to learning retention, according to 40% […]
Agenda: Lead, teach, inspire?
Tony Blair’s appointment as Howland Distinguished Fellow at Yale has been met with mixed responses. Some believe the former prime minister’s high-profile role is deserved while others question whether he is qualified to take on the duties of professional trainer. John Fay, CEO and founder of leadership and change management consultancy SFL, looks at Tony […]
Web 2.0 in the boardroom & gorillas in our midst?
Having recently returned from Harrogate, I recall a significant amount of web 2.0 was being talked about. This included a session on 2.0 and HR, several of the exhibiters were using 2.0 technologies and there was a view that many organisations have yet to embrace this technology fully for:• Internal knowledge management • Networking (internal […]
Beating the leadership and management crunch
We’ve had the credit crunch, the energy crunch and the food price crunch. But are we also suffering from a management and leadership crunch, asks David Pardey? Good development is crucial, he says, if we want to ward off a leadership crisis. This summer we all suffered from the energy crunch and the food price […]
When the going gets tough…
John Pope says you can stare the recession in the face – and survive. Here he gives his practical tips on how to get going to beat the downturn. It certainly looks like a recession – all the symptoms are there: government in denial, remarks like ‘It’s always slow at this time of year’, ‘We […]
Reaching the top of the training career ladder
Scaling the sheer face of a training career takes more than just experience and qualifications, says Donald H Taylor – business acumen also plays a part. So, you’re a trainer, or maybe you’re thinking about becoming a trainer, and you’d like to know what the profession has to offer in terms of a career structure? […]
A week in training: News round-up
This week, just as TrainingZone.co.uk publishes its definitive guide to training qualifications, there’s a new kid on the block, courtesy of the Institute of IT Training. Meanwhile, a third of pharmacy staff are judged ‘poorly trained’ by Which? and a global survey finds that seven in ten workers feel under-trained. IITT offers trainer assessment and […]