Trainer’s Tip: Data Protection Training Exercises
Livia Dyckhoff shares her top tips on how to bring the key principles of the Data Protection Act alive. I start off with getting the trainees to brainstorm as many different sorts of data as they can think of with regards that a customer might provide: Name. Date of birth. Shoe size. Meter reading. Religion. […]
Trainer’s Tip: Time Management Exercise
Anne Fox has submitted this straight-forward exercise which helps delegates separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to their workloads. I run loads of time management courses and the exercise that I get most comments on is this:Ask the delegates to jot down 10 things they did at work yesterday (no order, no […]
Trainer’s Tip: Five Minute Trainer Assessment
Nick Hall submitted this practical exercise to be included in an interview when recruiting a new trainer. I have used this many times and it gives you a good feel for a new trainers potential without putting too much strain on the individual. Write and deliver an introduction to a training course using the INTRO […]
Trainer’s Tip: The Perfect Training Room
Imagine having to design a training facility from scratch. Where would you start? Graham O’Connell offers a few pointers. It is good to be involved from the ground floor, if you will forgive the pun, but there is a lot to consider. In a way it is a bit like deciding what training to do […]
Trainer’s Tip: Networking
Judith Perle shares her two top tips for effective networking. I spend much of my time training people to network more effectively, so I think I’m pretty much of an expert on the subject. My two top tips would be: a) be interested in other people; b) try not to think about what they can […]
Trainer’s Tip: Seasonal Ice-Breaker
An ice-breaker that’s perfect for the festive season from Jim Bradley. Here is a quick and easy intro that gets everyone up and moving and talking to each other. Have a go it works! It’s called the ‘Snowball Fight’ and the instructions are as follows: Have each person write their name, what they do, where […]
Trainer’s Tip: Guidelines for L&D Policy
Graham O’Connell offers this advice for drawing up a learning and development policy. I have seen quite a few different policies, strategies and plans, and there certainly isn’t a single definitive formula. For my part I think a policy is what gives licence and defines the character of Learning and Development (L&D) in an organisation. […]
Trainer’s Tip: Assertiveness Role Play
This week’s tip comes from Mike Kean, who shares his favourite assertiveness exercise. Invite each delegate to think of personal situation in which they need to be more assertive, then write the outcome they would love to have. Invite a partner to be the one you wish them to be assertive with and exchange the […]
Trainer’s Tip: The Induction ‘Funnel’
Rich Lucas passes on some tips about how to organise an induction programme. I use what I call a funnel effect, which lasts one week, but can be as long or short as you like. Day one is very general, company objectives, health and safety, all the hygiene factors etc. As the days progress, the […]
Trainer’s Tip: Management Training Exercise
If you have management training coming up, try this exercise from Phil Morgan. A nice simple exercise is to ask the following questions: Why do people perform? Why do people not perform? 1. Split the group into small sub groups and get them to answer the questions on a flip chart. 2. Debrief the answers […]
Trainer’s Tip: Stress Exercise
This week’s tip, from Rich Lucas, will help delegates identify when they are feeling stressed and their response to it. For demonstration of stress to each individual, you could try this: Get everyone to relax, close their eyes and breathe deeply. Then ask them to remember a time within the last week or month (or […]
Trainer’s Tip: VAK Exercise
This week’s Trainer’s Tip, from Eddie Newall, is an exercise to demonstrate the visual, auditory, kinesthetic (VAK) learning styles model. Give your participants the following scenario to discuss. Four friends are travelling home together after having attended the same training course, which lasted for a week. During the week a diverse range of training methods […]
Trainer’s Tip: To Train or Not to Train?
This week’s tip from Barbara Matthews aims to answer the question: is training always the answer? Training should only be done as a last resort. To determine if training is the answer, begin by performing a Needs Assessment. Ask these questions: What is it that they need to do? Is it really necessary for them […]
Trainer’s Tip: Conflict Resolution
How do you prevent a difference in opinion becoming a full-scale conflict? Rich Lucas has some advice. I’m an approved self protection instructor, we deal with conflict resolution with an ABC methodA – Avoid conflict if possible, prevention is the best cure.B – Breathe deeply, don’t take it personally or get upset.C – Control your […]
Trainer’s Tip: Serving Up Time Management
This week’s tip from TrainingZONE member Myrta Stager, to be used at the start of a session on time management, demonstrates just how much delegates have on their plates. For an activity to demonstrate how much your audience has “on their plate”, provide each participant a paper plate and a stack of sticky notes. Pick […]
Trainer’s Tip: Learning Styles Line Up
This week’s tip, from Joanna Howard, is a simple and effective exercise to demonstrate learning styles. Using a line along the floor as a continuum from theorist to activist, I ask people to place themselves on the line in response to the question: “Imagine you have to do something new, rather challenging, and you want […]
Trainer’s Tip: Successful E-Coaching
Coaching is so much about building a rapport, how can such a relationship be built if the people involved don’t meet face-to-face? Spencer Harris offers some advice. My top five tips for email coaching:1. Agree a protocol, a contract for how you will interact. Including: dealing with tempo, silence, literacy (computer and otherwise), when you […]
Trainer’s Tip: Benchmarking
Ever wondered how your department compares with that of other companies? Graham O’Connell offers some advice on how to work out how it measures up. Benchmarking can be very useful, however, there are a number of factors to consider. Firstly, how big, formal and sophisticated you want to make this project. I suspect that most […]
Trainer’s Tip: Planning for E-learning
This week’s tip, from Ian Fielding, offers five pointers on what to consider before implementing an e-learning programme. Taking the steps to implement e-learning within any organisation takes time and planning. Is the workforce ready for e-learning? Does the organisation have sufficient infastructure? And, more importantly, can e-learning demonstrate a return on investment?Here are a […]
Trainer’s Tip: Evaluating Vocational Training
TrainingZONE member Alex Paterson explains how his organisation evaluates vocational training. We did it from two angles: the student’s and the manager’s.1) From the student’s angle we identified what the course’s intended learning outcomes were and grouped them under “skills” (you could call them whatever you like depending on the nature of the course) headings […]
