TrainingZone.co.uk at World of Learning 2008
The World of Learning (WoL) event appeared to be a great success for all concerned. There was a steady stream of visitors in the exhibition hall (and to our stand) and feedback from those who attended the main conference and the free seminars was extremely positive. If you were unable to attend why not check out the Watercooler blogs from the conference posted in ‘real time’ from the event by TrainingZone.co.uk contributor Mike Morrison.
Leading the learning revolution!
A big thank you to the many delegates who stopped by our stand to say hello and who gave us such positive feedback on the site. In this ‘virtual world’ it’s rare that we escape the office and get to meet the visitors to our website face-to-face. Having spoken to a number of members it became apparent that TrainingZone.co.uk really provides a sense of community to many trainers, particularly important to those who work outside of the office environment. Indeed, one such member commented that “TrainingZone has revolutionised my working life”. To hear that we’re meeting the needs of our members is fantastic, but we always welcome both positive and negative feedback, so please don’t hesitate to contact us. Just drop a line to editor@trainingzone.co.uk
Competition winners
There were a phenomenal number of entries to our special WoL prize draw Prizes, which are listed below, included a Video Arts CD ROM worth £999 and hundreds of pounds worth of other training CDs and books. Our great thanks to all those who donated prizes, particularly to Video Arts.
And here are the lucky winners!
First prize: Goes to Claire Westwood, an HR consultant with Morton Fraser Solicitors
Second prize: Goes to Jo Charlesworth, a training officer at Sheffield City Council
Third prize: Goes to Jo Kaptijn, a learning designer with Infinity Learning
Fourth prize: And last, but by no means least, goes to Jack Tiley, the director of Keys Training
Catch us at the Learning Technologies show in January
For those who didn’t make it to the Birmingham NEC for last week’s World of Learning conference and exhibition we hope to see you at the Learning Technologies show in London in January where the TrainingZone.co.uk team will again be in attendance. This event is Europe's leading showcase of organisational learning and the technology used to support learning at work. We hope to see many of you there and look forward to announcing another special competition for this event in the near future.
Second prize: A £49.99 'Your Evening Class' box set 'Starting a Small Business, plus a choice of five books from our selection
Third prize: Two CDs and the next choice of five books from our range
Fourth prize: The remaining four books
To enter: Simply email your name, job title and address to: competitions@trainingzone.co.uk
Entries close at midnight 20 November.
We've a fantastic first prize of a £999 Video Arts CD-ROM of your choice in our special World of Learning competition.
With more than 50 titles to choose from, including titles on managing people, communication, creativity, coaching skills and team building, the only problem for the winner will be choosing their prize! You can see the complete list of titles here: www.videoarts.com/interactivecourses
This is the first prize in our draw, which is open to all visitors to our website and World of Learning stand – number F35, next to the Networking café - over the course of the 19 and 20 of November.
With 50 courses at your fingertips, Video Arts’ elearning library is an invaluable collection of tools covering all of your learning needs.
Each module uses the memorable video content that Video Arts is world-renowned for and includes thought-provoking questions that ensure the user is learning and being challenged. With access to full tracking and reporting capabilities you can keep tabs on your learners' progress.
Elearning seamlessly blends into your existing learning programmes, and offers great pre-course support, or as a post-course refresher.
Courses include:
Assert yourself: Learning to be assertive
Ideas into action: Stimulating creativity for success
Pass it on: Coaching skills for managers
You'll soon get the hang of it: The techniques of one-to-one training
Jamie’s kitchen: Fifteen lessons on leadership
The elearning library can be accessed through the online Video Arts learning portal or via your own network, meaning it's at your fingertips whenever and wherever you need it - perfect for busy learners.
The entire library is also available in standalone CD-ROM form.
For more information go to the Video Arts website: www.videoarts.com.
Here are the details of the runners-up prizes, worth more than £300 in total!
'Your Evening Class' box set: 'Starting a Small Business'
Plus a choice of five books from the list below. 'Your Evening Class' fills the gap in the market by offering the perfect alternative to a part-time course. Designed to suit your lifestyle without emptying your wallet, the unique audio-teach method will give you an in-depth understanding of the subject plus the support and inspiration you need, at a time and pace that suits you. Learn for less - an innovation in self-study from the original self-improvement publishers.
Each course contains:
- 10 workbooks, containing three tutorials each
- Your reference book
- 10 audio CDs or 2-3 DVD-ROMs featuring the voice of the tutor in real time
- Titles include: Starting a Small Business; Maths; Spanish; French and Complementary Therapies
- Your password for exclusive access to a bespoke online community
More information is available at www.youreveningclass.com.
A choice of five books from the remaining selection of titles below plus two CDs from Colin Thompson: 'It's a Digital Future' and 'Managing for Customer Care'.
The remaining four books from the prize selection.
Prize book selection
This is a goldmine of ideas, advice and techniques from one of the world's leading writers on management and leadership - see our recent interview with John Adair. It brings together all of Adair's thinking on leadership, teambuilding, creativity and innovation, problem solving, motivation, communication and time management. Full of practical guidance, experience and insight, it's packed with a large number of charts, diagrams and forms. This is a repackaged and updated edition of the best-selling John Adair handbook. Available from www.Thorogoodpublishing.co.uk
'Online Support for CPD: Lessons from Current Practice' reveals the findings of research conducted by the Professional Associations Research Network (PARN) examining the ways in which online facilities can support and enhance Continuing Professional Development (CPD) provision. There is much more to online CPD than delivery of online courses. This book explores the ways in which professional bodies are using online systems to support all aspects and stages of their members’ CPD – from planning to reflection. It also investigates why certain professional bodies have chosen the online path, how the development process has been negotiated, how members have responded, and what kinds of problems – and solutions – have been encountered on the way. Available from www.parnglobal.com
Rowan Gibson has spent the last 10 years helping businesses to tackle the innovation challenge. While companies like Apple or Google seem to have been born innovative, Gibson has become expert in assisting even the most traditional companies to flex their innovative muscle. “To drive success, innovation simply has to become part of a company’s DNA”, he says, “It must permeate the entire organisation.” His new book bridges the yawning gap between innovation rhetoric and practical reality. Published by Harvard Business Press and available from www.McGraw-Hill.co.uk. Read Nigel Paine's review of this book by clicking here.
Building and communicating shareholder value will be the single most valuable investment your organisation makes on the road to delivering sustainable shareholder value.
This book, says its author, will enable you to deliver superior long-term value to your shareholders and encompass the retention of your employees, customers and suppliers for long-term benefits. Available from www.arimapublishing.co.uk.
An inspirational autobiography written by disabled yachtsman Geoff Holt - read our profile of Geoff here. In 1984, 18-year-old Geoff, a professional yachtsman, dived into a tropical sea, hit his head on the sand, and broke his neck. The accident left him quadriplegic, completely paralysed from the chest down, facing the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Exactly 23 years later, he crossed the finishing line of what he had called his 'Personal Everest'. He had become the first disabled person to sail 1,500 miles single-handed around Great Britain. Writing the afterword for the book, Dame Ellen Macarthur describes it as “beautifully written and honest” and says that she was “truly inspired as I found myself glued to its pages”. Published by Seafarer Books and available from www.walkingonwater.info.
Improving the quality of people is necessary to take companies through the 21st century, says Colin Thompson. The competition for customers is fierce. Customers want and expect much more from company employees. "We need a new, positive approach to customer care throughout the business environment... The customer is ‘king’, and I hope that the contents of this book will help you win those customers who want the best service." Available from www.arimapublishing.co.uk.
Most coaching books are written – unsurprisingly – by coaches. This book has been written by two highly successful entrepreneurs who’ve actually followed and tested the advice they preach with very positive results. We all spend most of our waking hours working for other people and even if we’re self-employed we spend too little time thinking strategically and planning our own futures. The authors show you how to put yourself first for a change, how to properly understand your strengths and weaknesses and how to build a blue-print for success in life that can become a reality. Available from www.Thorogoodpublishing.co.uk.
Life is a zero sum game, right? The more we strive to win in one dimension, such as our work, the more we have to sacrifice performance and satisfaction in the other three dimensions - family, community, and private self. Not according to Stewart D. Friedman. He shows that we don’t have to make trade-offs between life’s most important domains, and nor should we. In the book, Friedman provides a game-changing blueprint for how to become a more successful and satisfied leader in all dimensions of our life. Published by Harvard Business Press and available from www.McGraw-Hill.co.uk.
Hilary Wilson is a much respected and sought after speaker, trainer and executive mentor who specialises in career success and inspirational leadership. Success leaves clues and she is an expert at spotting them, then leaving you with tools and insights to do the same. She combines statistical factual evidence with robust anecdotal evidence around how to create the career you want whilst achieving the highest rewards for the skills you have. Her approach is pragmatic, insightful and blunt. 'The Little Black Book of Career Success' is full of insights, actions and the unwritten rules, on creating the working life you want in the 21st Century. It outlines the blueprint for career success. It contains all you need to know about getting noticed and getting on in the 21st Century world of work. You’ll find out the rules of the game, what is really powerful and what they don’t tell you at interview. And no, it’s not about working harder, being something you are not or schmoozing. In fact it is about really tapping into your personality, skills and strengths. Available from Hilary Wilson at www.hilarywilson.net.
An introductory textbook for anyone working, or training to work, in the lifelong learning sector. Linked to the new Lifelong Learning UK standards for teachers, trainers and tutors, this practical book explores the fundamental aspects of teaching and learning, drawing on the most recent theories and developments. Chapters cover topics such as: communication; learning theories; planning and preparing; assessment for learning; and questioning and explaining. The book provides a framework for study and learning, which encourages you to make connections between the various aspects and to develop a holistic view of teaching and learning. Available from Open University Press www.openup.co.uk.
This book is a call to arms that will help you recognise the ways in which our culture perpetuates inequalities - and how you can begin to overcome them. The authors draw on research in psychology, sociology, economics and organisational behaviour as well as dozens of interviews with men and women from all walks of life, to explore the personal and societal reasons women seldom ask for what they need, want and deserve at work and at home. Discover how to take the first step and develop a comfortable, effective negotiation style and how to overcome fear, personal entitlement issues and gender stereotypes. Available from www.piatkus.co.uk. For more information go to www.womendontask.com.
A book that cuts through the jargon of leadership and personal development. It offers a real-world source of inspiration in areas such as: creativity, innovation, relationships, motivation, leadership, high performance, learning and reinvention. The unique approach springs from the mix of leading edge concepts with the wisdom of the street in the form of rock music. This is served up in a quirky, challenging but intelligent way. The book examines the issues using the analogy of 'sex, drugs and rock'n'roll' rather than the language of prophets, consultants and gurus. In this context, the letters MBA stand for Management By Attitude! Available from www.crownhouse.co.uk.
The second edition of this internationally acclaimed handbook presents a simple model which illustrates the wide range of factors that can be altered to enhance the learning experience. Available from www.Kogan-Page.co.uk.
This hardback offers four maxims by which employers can judge training professionals. Available from www.Palgrave.com.
Most of the books are also available from good booksellers and Amazon.co.uk as well as the websites mentioned.
