Trainer’s tip: You can lead a horse to water…
How do you tackle managers who are stuck in their bad, old habits and refuse to change? Several trainers offer their advice. Motivating is crucial says Nick Hindley:It seems you have a lack of motivation from the managers concerned here. I would drive the agenda in two ways.Firstly, carry out some work with the team […]
Trainer’s tip: Weeding out the lemons
How do you ensure that you’re not stuck with a ‘lemon’ as a trainer? Do you get what you pay for? Can you see the trainer in action first? Is the way ahead performance bonds? Read the responses to George Edwards question here. Rus Slater advises:It takes the tree, the soil, the sun, the water […]
Trainer’s tip: Carrot or stick?
How do you make mandatory online learning a success? Is it better to use a carrot or a stick? It’s a topic that obviously caught your attention, with more than 1,500 of you looking at the answers in a short space of time. Here’s a rundown of all the helpful advice that has been posted […]
Trainer’s tip: The best way to charge for training
Daily rate, delegate rate, project rate – what’s the best way to charge for one-to-one training? This is a big question and one that I am often asked by our members; especially those entering the market from the ‘safety’ of employment.The basic premise is that you have to make your time pay. The model that […]
Trainer’s tip: Smoking the pipe of peace
Andrew Bradbury recommends the old Native American way of encouraging listening to what others have to say. Old Native American process – during tribal discussions one peace pipe was handed around the group, and only the person currently holding the pipe could speak. That meant that everyone else had to listen, even to the most […]
Trainer’s tip: More than a hat trick
Rus Slater says the seven S model is the secret to team goal setting. You might want to consider using a derivation of the seven S model for this. Although it was originally used as a way to evaluate excellence it can also be used as an holistic planning tool: The S’s are:- Shared Vision […]
Trainer’s tip: Orientation or Induction? That is the Question
Bob Selden says induction may be the most important training a company ever undertakes. I believe that induction is the most important training the organisation can undertake and deserves a large portion of the training budget – after all, this is where and when people are keenest and where you will shape the way they […]
Trainer’s tip: Team Building
Graham O’Connell says fun and learning can be combined to create a perfect team building exercise. My general tips are: Avoid too many activities that just make the point that team working or collaboration is a good thing; have a bias towards those activities that help people work together constructively and build those skills. Combine […]
Trainer’s tip: Increasing Staff Versatility
Karyn Romeis advises that adaptability can be the key to success Setting up a schedule of rotations is a great idea, especially since it will also get staff to re-examine what it is that actually do, as they train one another.In a company my mother used to work for (donkeys’ years ago) all the office […]
Trainer’s tip: Kirkpatrick’s Level 3 Evaluation
Martin Schmalenbach offers advice on how to encourage managers to return evaluation data. It’s hard to simplify an already simple process (I’m making assumptions here!).I suspect the reason why you are having to chase managers for this data is that they don’t value the evaluation process enough to give it attention, not thet there is […]
Trainer’s tip: To Brand Or Not To Brand, That is The Question
Martin Schmalenbach gives his advice about branding of training materials. Students of Accelerated Learning will know where I’m coming from in my reply.Those familiar with AL will tend perhaps towards the ‘yes’ camp – company style and branding CAN reduce effectiveness of the learning materials.Branding & transmission of values & ethos happens in every case […]
Trainer’s Tip: Toasting Public Speaking Success
Matthew Jennings suggests Toastmasters can help build confidence in public speaking. If it is just you as an individual looking for help, have you tried Toastmasters? It is an international not for profit organsiation aimed at helping people build confidence in public speaking. There will be a group near you – just type Toastmasters London […]
Trainer’s Tip: Upward Feedback
Rus Slater describes the unexpected outcome of a 360 degree feedback programme. I was peripherally involved in a 360 feedback programme some years ago and it brought earth-shattering results for one particular manager.The chap had always seen himself as the “salt of the earth” as he was an ex-shop steward. He was devastated to discover […]
Trainer’s Tip: Make Them Laugh
Natasha Goggin offers some fun ideas on how to bring questioning skills to life. A method that I’ve previously used to successfully bring questioning styles to life is the use of a tutor role play(using two tutors, if you have that luxury, or else a willing volunteer from the group to be questioned). I tell […]
Trainer’s Tip: Design Time
Members often turn to TrainingZone’s Any Answers board to pose the question: “How long does it take to design a new course?” Here Graham O’Connell pulls together a few of the discussions on the topic. Design time varies with a number of factors. See these earlier threads:Design & development timeTraining development. Do you have any […]
Trainer’s Tip: Avoid Email Embarrassment
Great advice on how to avoid the most common email mistakes from Jane Smith. Emails create more embarrassment and problems than just about any other form of communication – and it’s usually the email’s great advantages of convenience, speed and multiple connectivity that are the culprits.The most important rule is, of course, to think before […]
Trainer’s Tip: Telephone Techniques Exercises
Gail Winwood shares two exercises she has used successfully on a telephone techniques course. Here are a couple of exercises I have found very effective. Working in pairs and seated back to back the couples take it in turns to reproduce the geographic shapes that their partner has. Free communication is allowed however they cannot […]
Trainer’s Tip: Induction Feedback
Nik Kellingley has some advice on how to get solid feedback on an induction process. It will take an honest approach to things and to accept feedback in the spirit it was given but you could: Look at initial performance reviews, how well are people integrating and taking to the task in hand. Look at […]
Trainer’s Tip: Induction for Directors and Senior Managers
How do you put together an induction for directors and senior managers? Nic Shugar has this advice. Here are some thoughts based on some “100 day” coaching programmes I have run. Not comprehensive by any means, but hopefully a thought-starter or stirrer1. Organisational structure at overview and detailed level.2. Review of vision and culture for […]
Trainer’s Tip: Charging for Non-Attendance
How do you deal with the perennial problem of non-attenders? Graham O’Connell has some ideas. I have worked with a number of organisations on this very issue. I have found some where about 25% of the budget is effectively wasted because of last minute cancellations and ‘no shows’.I have used a range of options from […]
