Knowledge management: L&D’s hidden asset
Knowledge management is an effective means of measuring and understanding the skills of your workforce. Mary Clarke explains how L&D should be taking advantage of this undervalued assett. In today’s business world, knowledge is a marketable commodity. It is the most valuable attribute for workers to promote when job hunting, and thus the most highly […]
Brit leaders are losers in employees’ eyes
Senior leadership teams in the UK are not seen as strong and visible leaders by their employees according to the latest global research. An international study of 28,810 employees revealed that the UK was ranked 10th out of the 15 countries included in the poll in terms of how well employees view their leaders. This […]
Beyond SMART – Writing effective learning objectives
Making sure your learning objectives hit the mark is more of an art than a science. Owen Smith says it’s all a matter of semantics. It’s no great secret that when it comes to writing any training or learning intervention, starting with the ‘end in mind’, i.e. the objectives, is best. But how can we […]
How to: Conduct a successful performance review
They may be part and parcel of the training manager’s life but there is a certain art to getting the most out of them. John Pope advises on how to tackle the dreaded performance review. Most of us will have had reviews which were skimped or ineffective, late or did not address issues we felt […]
Motivation training: Am I bovvered?
With employee satisfaction levels dropping faster than the interest rate, Stephanie Sparrow looks at the surge in popularity of motivation training. Has the UK workforce got an attitude problem? Surely not, when there are numerous reports of employees taking pay cuts and working shorter weeks in order to keep their companies afloat. Nevertheless, recent research […]
How to create a coaching culture
Organisations talk about having a coaching culture or a coaching style of management, but how often is this lip-service rather than a fundamental change? David Minchin looks at what it means to have a coaching culture and how to help managers become good coaches. A coaching culture involves a range of styles and techniques with […]
The balancing act
As the stresses and strains of modern life change, so too does the training managers’ remit. Tim Holden looks at how to help staff maintain a healthy work-life balance. In July 2009 I met with the head of human resources for a potential new client, listed as one of the Sunday Times Best Companies to […]
Leadership and the importance of talent management
Despite the economic conditions, investment in skills must not stop. And, as Ruth Spellman of the Chartered Management Institute explains, how employers choose to develop their talent now will be crucial to recovery. As one news story announces that confidence levels are on the up and we may be on the road to recovery, another pours […]
A calming force
Marielena Sabatier gives her top tips on conflict management to promote harmony in the workplace. According to report in 2008 from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and OPP, a workplace psychology company, poorly managed conflicts at work costs UK businesses £24bn a year. Whilst workplace conflict is nothing new, the impact of the […]
Diary: Plagiarism just isn’t fair
Training manager Josie Roberts tackles a blatant case of plagiarism in some training material, with mixed results. I am something of a stickler for correct grammar and spelling. This is not guaranteed to make me popular but if I find errors in training material distracting then there are surely trainees who share this view. My […]
How to win friends and influence people
In the effort to deliver more for less, organisations are increasingly turning to learning technologies yet while they offer great promise, staff resistance can often hinder their success. Laura Overton gives her hints and tips on how to engage managers and learners. At last month’s Learning and Skills group event, I was involved in a […]
Do new managers get a raw deal?
Speaking from his own first-hand experience, Allan Mackintosh has found that many organisations – both large and small – are guilty of not giving their new managers the support they deserve. Here Allan outlines the reasons for this – and also seven ways that new managers can achieve excellence. In 1989 I was appointed into my first […]
Six steps to team enlightenment
Do you believe in the adage ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’? Andrew Leigh warns that a team’s reluctance for ‘development’ may be a sign that all is not as it should be, and suggests six steps on the road to team enlightment. If you lead a team, you almost certainly know it makes […]
Motivated teams key to surviving downturn
Managers think that improving their team’s attitude and motivation iis their most pressing development need, according to a new survey. Training company Video Arts asked 400 line managers in UK organisations about the personal development needs of their staff. The managers responded that people in their teams most needed training in: attitude and motivation (34%); […]
Staying in or going out?
Internal and external coaches both have their place, says Alan Ward. However, they serve a different purpose and which to use depends on the situation. The economic downturn has blurred the distinction between internal and external coaches. So much so, that many organisations are beginning to question why they should pay for an external coach […]
Review: The Successful Manager’s Handbook
John Pope reviews The Successful Managers’ Handbook – and wishes he had had a book like this when he first started as a junior manager. Title: The Successful Manager’s Handbook Author: Moi Ali and 12 other writers, with an introduction by Robert Heller Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Ltd. 2002 and brought up-to-date March 2009. Price: […]
Leading teams in difficult times
Is your team under pressure? Neil Twogood gives 10 tips to help you provide more effective leadership. These points should help you to ensure that your team is able to collaborate and to perform, he says, even in these challenging times. It’s a paradox of teamwork that in stressful or challenging situations – when there’s […]
1000 Great Quotes for Business, Management and Training: Reflection
Management development providers GNP publish a monthly set of handy quotable quotes for use in presentations, speeches or training sessions. Arranged into 100 themes including vision, change, leadership, teamwork, communication, motivation and innovation. TrainingZONE has arranged to bring you the quotes on a regular basis. This month, the theme is reflection. “To do great […]
