Trainer’s Tip: Team Tactics and Sabotage
Derek Hughes has come up with this team exercise that includes some underhand practices… Split into groups of six and give them a task to complete (eg build a bridge out of paper, card and paper-clips that can hold a cup of water).Distribute the resources randomly so groups have to barter with each other to […]
Ask the Expert: Training Portals
This week our experts look at how to create a useful and useable, in-house training portal. Question: Over the last few months, I have been involved in the creation of a number of user manuals and job-aids for this company that I am currently sub-contracted to. I suggested that it would be a good idea […]
Trainer’s Tip: Telling Tales
Mike Morrison recounts an exercise that puts a popular children’s story in a new light. The Story: Goldilocks and the Three Bears:Goldilocks wanders into the house of the Three Bears. She tastes their porridge, finding one bowl “too hot,” one bowl “too cold,” and one bowl “just right.” Goldilocks also tries out their chairs, finding […]
Trainer’s Tip: Translating Vision and Values
Kirsten Holder offers some ideas on how to meaningfully introduce the organisation’s vision and values during a staff induction. Unless people can see how the values can be integrated into their working life, they will remain something that simply sits on the wall.Activities that I’ve used in the past have included:1. Ask the group to […]
Trainer’s Tip: Secrets and Lies
A twist on an old favourite ice breaker, from Steve Mosley, helps delegates test their people skills. I use this exercise a lot on leadership courses as it covers one of the critical components of leadership in a fun way i.e. knowing the people behind the employee.Teams of two interview each other and find out […]
Trainer’s Tip: Energiser for a Large Group
Stephen Roberts details an energiser for a large group of managers. I have used a simple exercise in which everyone lines up, either as part of an inner or an outer circle (each circle must have the same number of people). Each circle faces the other. The participants (as the face each other – one […]
Trainer’s Tip: The Perfect Presentation
The nerves, the preparation and the risk of a sea of blank, or worse still bored, faces – public speaking is one of most people’s greatest fears. Mike Morrison offers some advice for first time presenters. My top tips include:1) Only talk about something for which you have passion or enthusiasm for.2) Have a very […]
Trainer’s Tip: Unleashing Creativity
In our latest tip, David Weeks discusses how to help staff rediscover their creative potential. I’ve just completed tutoring a very successful intense two day immersion into Creativity, Innovation and Change on an Open University residential (b822). Only after two days did the penny begin to drop.I usually find that most people just want to […]
Trainer’s Tip: Have To or Want To?
This exercise from Tony Boon helps delegates look at what they want and think about the consequences of their choices. Get them to split a piece of flipchart paper down the middle, and write “have to” on the left, and “want to” on the right. They will write things like “breathe” and “eat” in the […]
Trainer’s Tip: Ten Steps to Marketing Success
Make sure that employees realise the superb training on offer with these ten tips from Graham O’Connell. My tips for marketing are: Think beyond needs analaysis and consider marketing research – find out wants and expectations as well as needs; look at the differences in different ‘segments’ of the organisation. Work to a high quality, […]
Trainer’s Tip: Arrest the Time Robbers
This exercise, from TrainingZONE member Bryan Edwards, helps delegates address their time-wasters. I use a “time robbers” exercise that asks delegates to identify their time thieves, whether they are self-imposed (S.I.) or imposed by others (I.B.O.) and the reason for the time robber. It’s really important to identify the reason, so we get a solution […]
Trainer’s Tip: Gallery
This imaginative exercise, from Sean Kirk, asks delegates to describe themselves in a picture. A useful exercise that I have used with an HR department was one I call ‘Gallery’. It’s a simple exercise were you give everybody a piece of flipchart paper and different coloured flipchart pens. Ask them to find a quiet space […]
Trainer’s Tip: Training Key Performance Indicators
Lisa Young gets some advice on key performance indicators for training from Graham O’Connell. There are a whole host of measures that you could use but I would be inclined to prioritise them around the critical performance requirements of the business. The types of performance tend to fall into the following categories: quantity, quality, cost, […]
Trainer’s Tip: Changing Training Tactics – Making The Business Case
Darren Rhodes gets advice on just how to convince senior management to change tired training methods that no longer work. In my experience managers usually respond when you hit them where it hurts – in the financial area.Perhaps if you can make a business case to justify the improvements by demonstrating the cost to the […]
Trainer’s Tip: Managing Self Development
An excellent tip offering advice on CPD the DIY way. Lynn, while books are great for knowledge, there is nothing to beat human interaction for real development. There are a number of forums including TrainingZONE that not only offer discussion boards but groups meet regularly and share experiences, sometimes hiring wellknown presenters to run special […]
Trainer’s Tip: Ten Year Career Development Programme
Kon Stoilas gets advice from member Mike Morrison on how to develop a ten year career development programme for a large motoring company. Had this have been asked ten years ago I would have said easy. In ten years will the company even be building cars? Technology is changing so fast in this arena that […]
Trainer’s Tip: Competency Workshops
Buffy Sparks gets advice from member Mike Burney-cumming on content for a workshop focusing on competencies and competency-based interviewing. Here is an exercise I have used successfully in the past. It works work well with competencies and appraisals.It involves having a collection of Paintings, A3 size. Any Art type pictures or scenes will do, even […]
Trainer’s Tip: Training Academy For New Entrants
Heather Stockwell gets advice from member Rich Lucas on how to set up a training academy to ensure new employees have the required levels of soft and IT skills needed to work on a technical services desk. Have a good induction This can take care of most of your company procedures etc. After induction is […]
Trainer’s Tip: How Much Delivery Should Training Officers Do?
Glenn Bracey replies to Mandy Hetherton’s question about how much training should be delivered by training officers tasked with delivering courses rather than designing or developing them. If you want to stimulate, create and sustain burnout go for five out of five days. By doing this for any sustained period (in just a few weeks) […]
Trainer’s Tip: Training Feedback Forms – Suggested Questions
Eddie Newall offers some suggestions under the headings of trainee job role, presentation, trainer, environment and outcome. Trainee Job Role:How relevant was this training to your current responsibilities?Irrelevant 1 2 3 4 5 Highly relevantComment: To what extent did this training meet your expectations?Not met 1 2 3 4 5 Fully metComment: Presentation: What was […]
