Handling Difficult Conversations

How many times have you found yourself having to handle that “Difficult Conversation” whether it is with a client, staff member, peer group or other business stakeholders?

The way you handle those difficult conversations will have a major impact on your relationships with those people and on your results.

Do you plan effectively for any of these meetings, not just data and information, but around the HOW you are going to handle the meeting and the people attending it?
There are a number of ways improvements can be made in the way we handle our difficult and challenging conversations to make them more effective, improving individual and team productivity and our business relationships.

Essentials for Handling Difficult Conversations:

• Preparation
• Self Awareness of our emotional state and our assumptions
• Knowing your Goal for the meeting
• Understanding the other parties goal for the meeting
• Clarity
• Rapport
• Engagement
• Empathy
• Listening
• Authenticity

Being prepared for the meeting is not just about the data and facts; it is also about understanding the other people in the meeting. Are you clear what their preferred method of communication is: face to face, telephone, email so you can establish a two way communication channel that is effective both pre and post meeting. Being aware of someone else’s communication preference is important and we need to be able to flex our own style whilst ensuring we maintain our authenticity.

Be self aware of both your emotional state and any assumptions that you may be carrying about either the person you are meeting or the situation. Your state and your assumptions will seep out into the meeting unless you are aware of them and keep them in check. This seepage may happen either verbally or through your body language so self awareness prior to and during the meeting is critical to having a beneficial meeting.
Having a joint agenda for both parties at the meeting is very important so you and they know the aims and goals of the meeting. How will you know that you have achieved your meeting goal, what are the criteria that you will measure?

Rapport between individuals at a meeting is not built just by talking about the football or weather etc. It is built because you are interested in the other party, asking questions, probing and most critically listening so you can reply with pertinent facts and relevant questions, demonstrating your engagement.

Empathy is a big part of rapport and relationship building, putting you in the other party’s shoes and acknowledging the issues they may have and how that may affect them will build your credibility and trust.

Many Organisations have systems, procedures and methodologies that will need to be followed in order for the business decisions to be made. Sometimes these processes overtake the need to be able to communicate effectively with people in the organisation which then can lead to the difficult conversation.

Being able to handle difficult conversations benefits the organisation as people are dealing with each other in much more collaborative ways. Increasing productivity and moving the culture towards becoming less confrontational, more collaborative and focussing on the issues rather than defending their position or themselves.

Next time you go into a meeting or conversation make sure you give consideration to the above points and come out of the meeting with a win win solution for you, the other parties and the organisation.

Patrick Bird
Managing Director
InterActive Performance Management Ltd.

We have a super DVD by Patrick on our site - check it out!

Conflict and Psychology

The Underlying Relationship Between Conflict Modes and Psychological Types

by Ralph Kilmann, CEO and Senior Consultant at Kilmann Diagnostics

The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (also known as the TKI) assesses your tendency to use one or more of five modes of behavior—competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, and accommodating—in a conflict situation. After taking the TKI assessment, most people become aware they’ve been using, out of habit, one or more of the modes too much—choosing to use one they are comfortable with when another might have resulted in more satisfying outcomes. At the same time, people usually discover they’ve also been using one or more modes too little, not realizing that an underutilized mode could have saved the day.

Since people naturally wonder if they overuse and underuse certain conflict modes because of their personality, organizational trainers and consultants continue to ask me about the relationship between the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (which measures personality preferences in assimilating information and making decisions) and the TKI (which assesses modes of behavior in conflict situations). Here is a research-based answer to that enduring question:

Many years ago (1975), I published a research study with Ken Thomas, wherein we correlated the MBTI with the TKI. We found that people who are extraverted are more likely to use collaborating, while people who are introverted are more inclined to use avoiding (as a statistically significant correlation, not as a one-to-one relationship). It seems that collaborating requires a little extra energy in interacting with others (sharing ideas and discussing concerns), while avoiding naturally involves an element of shyness or aloofness in an interpersonal situation.

In addition, we found that the thinking preference is related to competing, while the feeling function is related to accommodating (again, as a statistically significant correlation). Perhaps the thinking preference allows a person to keep an emotional distance from the other person: to pursue his own needs at the expense of the other. Meanwhile, the feeling person's empathy for the other person might compel her to satisfy the other's needs more than her own.

For decades, I’ve been making use of both assessment tools in training and consulting projects, so people can become more aware of their proclivities for using certain conflict modes too much and others too little -- based on their MBTI preferences. With that awareness, people can then consciously compensate with their conflict-handling behavior: For example, an introvert can knowingly put out some extra effort in order to engage another in a collaborative discussion (when the necessary conditions for collaborating are evident). Similarly, a person who prefers feeling can knowingly assert her needs (when competing is called for), when her natural tendency would be to automatically accommodate the other person’s needs.

For the original article that reported the correlations between the MBTI and the TKI, including a figure that visually summarizes their relationships, see:
http://kilmanndiagnostics.com/interpersonal.html

Please note: If you or your clients are interested in receiving advanced training for the TKI and conflict management, Kilmann Diagnostics offers an eight-hour, live, online course to do just that. You can get more information about our online course by visiting http://kilmanndiagnostics.com

A guide to 360

A brief introduction to 360 degree feedback systems and their potential uses, by David Cooper


1. What is 360 degree feedback?
360 degree feedback (or multi source feedback) was first introduced in its current form in the 1970s and has its roots in executive management and leadership performance improvement.

The overall aim of the feedback exercise is to raise awareness of the participant to their known and unknown strengths and additionally to appropriate opportunities for development and continuous performance improvement.


The underpinning concept is to provide participants with the opportunity to see themselves as others see them. Quantitative and qualitative feedback about HOW the person does their job is collected from multiple sources (normally their manager[s], colleagues, direct reports and customers). A feedback report is then produced that allows the participant to compare their view of themselves with the feedback from others. The majority of programmes will allow this to be an anonymous process (so that comment can be honest).

2. What should you expect from the latest generation of 360 tools?
Early iterations consisted of internally driven, generic, paper based questionnaires that were manually processed and thus prone to error, sometimes causing those participating to distrust the process. Today, the best 360 degree feedback tools are:

Fully automated - They use a rigorously tested online system that guarantees the accuracy, quality and confidentiality of the whole process.

Proven Questionnaires – They use questions that are valid and have a sound theoretical foundation, measuring the things that differentiate high performing managers from the rest.

Flexible - Enabling all aspects of branding, process implementation, client support, design, development and questionnaire / report formats to be easily adjusted to meet the client's needs.

User friendly - Today's feedback reports must be easily interpreted yet comprehensive; no longer is it acceptable to provide reports containing cryptic data that appear confusing, overwhelming and require an analyst to decipher! Feedback reports should be clear, concise, understandable and easy to interpret.

3. Where can 360 degree feedback tools add value?
360s are viewed as critical components in a wide range of management development interventions. Below are some of the most common applications where 360s are used to add real value:

Performance Coaching - Used at the beginning of a coaching relationship, a 360 degree feedback report can be a powerful 'accelerator' and 'alignment' tool. By clustering and prioritising any undesirable feedback results the subject and coach can quickly gain a clear picture of where their coaching sessions should focus, ensuring key development issues are recognised and addressed. This approach to performance coaching ensures a needs driven focus based on valid, factual, accurate behavioural information.

Personal Development - Used as part of a 'life coaching' programme or as an annual development tool, 360 feedback can be used to provide genuine insight into an individual's working style across a spectrum of leadership and management behaviours and into how their 'personal brand' is perceived. The feedback report can be used to provide clarity of direction for future personal development and career planning. We are also starting to see a trend for using 360s to supplement and provide qualitative evidence in CVs!

Performance Management - A common trend is to use 360 feedback to provide an 'all round view' of performance as part of the appraisal process. The feedback is used by line managers to inform appraisal ratings and contribute to the development discussion. Used in this way, the tool can also act as a management strength benchmark, as well as highlighting individual personal strengths and problem areas.

Development Programmes - Used at the beginning of a leadership or management development programme, 360 degree feedback tools can be used to:

Inform (or determine) programme content - The feedback data from a group of people can be combined into a Group Summary Report that provides an aggregated view of the group's strengths and key development areas. Using 360s in this way enables programme designers to effectively tailor their programme content to meet specific identified needs.

Individual alignment - Providing programme participants with feedback against what is expected of them in their role and then supporting them to convert their lower ratings into a meaningful personal development plan for the programme is a great way of making the programme 'real' for them and ensuring that they start their development journey with a clear picture of what success from the programme will look like for them.

Talent Management - Whilst 360 degree feedback provides insight into a manager's past and current behaviour, when the framework of questions used includes those attributes and qualities needed to work at more senior levels they can also acts an an indicator of future performance and growth potential. 360 feedback can be a powerful component within a talent management programme and is often used to:

- Identify those individuals who have the potential to operate at the next level.
- Highlight how ability and potential can be developed.
- Act as a progress measure.
- Provide evidence based data for any prospective 'chessboard' talent management process.

Team Feedback - Just as an individual 360 provides a snapshot of how the participant is seen by those they work with, a team 360 feedback report collects feedback from groups of stakeholders from across the organisation. There are tailored survey that can provide excellent feedback for use in team development sessions and can be used to help teams gain clarity of purpose and direction, understanding the expectations of stakeholders and providing a clear picture of a team's strengths and weaknesses.

To find out more about how Lumus™ 360 Degree feedback tools can support your development intervention, visit the Complete Trainer 360 resources or for bespoke solutions email davidcooper@lumus.com

What makes you special?

When it comes to being innovative, there are many training companies out there who claim that their programmes are unique. And, I fully believe it! No other programme on the planet will have quite the same content, quite the same presenter, and certainly not the same audience.

So what is a genuine ‘unique selling point’ for a training programme, and how do you go about making this distinction?

This was a challenge I discussed recently with John Giblin, Director of a company called Reach Another Level. His team have spent the last 18 months developing performance improvement programmes based on years of training and development experience. They run residential leadership programmes, experiential team development days (such as Tall Ship sailing events), and open programmes based on accelerating performance improvement in the workplace. Two of these programmes, The Big Picture and The £100,000 Crunch Buster Challenge, seem pretty unique in content, delivery and concept.

I looked at the descriptions on the website, and then used some search terms to see if I could find anything similar. I failed after the first ten pages of Google results. But, if you searched very specifically for these programme titles, you’d only find Reach Another Level, a company whose name matches one of the programme descriptions, and many other inappropriate references.

Switch it round. Looking at the audience for these programmes, the market is the same as for more familiar training programmes, but the challenge is to educate the audience into knowing that these solutions are going to be something they will find genuinely beneficial. That may seem like the challenge everyone faces, but when you take a product such as the forerunner to MP3 players, the Sony Walkman, until they invented it, we didn’t know we needed it!

But to return to marketing, the key is in education. Identify the right target audience; inform and explain your key differences; highlight the benefits that make your product or service stand way ahead of the competition. There’s the challenge – communicating what may be a new concept to an audience who are tired of words like ‘innovative’, ‘unique’ and ‘creative’. Don’t get too clever, and don’t alienate your audience by baffling them with concepts that they just can’t grasp quickly enough.

In this highly competitive world - one which the learning and development industry may find particularly squeezed by the global economy – standing out from the crowd is more important than ever.

Just because you think you are special, does not mean the client will think so. Think like the client, and you stand a better chance of really selling your USP.

Please add your comments - I'd love to hear what you think makes YOU special (or your products, of course!)

Four Ways to Handle the “I’m too busy” Brushoff

by Mike "Mr Inside Sales" Brookes

Let’s face it – we’re all busy. This is especially true if you are cold calling and are lucky enough to actually get a decision maker on the phone. Just like you, they’ll be in the middle of at least three things and be on their way to or from a meeting. Because of this, one of the most frequent objections they use these days to brush you off the phone is the, “I’m too busy/don’t have the time objection.”

Now here’s the thing: while this may be true, it doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t need or aren’t interested in what you have to offer. Like all initial resistance statements, what you must do with this objection is to quickly control the situation, assess whether or not your prospect is or can be interested, and then find a way to quickly qualify them. Sound like a lot? It is if you’re not prepared with proven and effective scripts like these:

Here are four ways to handle the: “I’m too busy, don’t have the time” brush off:

Response #1:
“I know that feeling; my desk is full of things I need to do, too. I’d be happy to schedule a time to call you back, but I don’t want to bother you if you’re really not interested. Let me ask you a quick question and be honest with me: If I could show you a (system/product/service) that is proven to (reduce your overhead, generate more sales, etc.), would it be worth it for you and I to take for just 5 minutes to see how it could work for you?”

If NO: “No problem. Before I go, who else do you know that might be able to use a system like this?”

If Yes: “Terrific. Do you have 5 minutes right now?”

If No: “I’m looking at my schedule, what is a good time later today?”

Response #2:
“___________ you probably get a lot of calls like I do, and my initial reaction is to say I’m too busy as well. But I can explain this to you in just 3 minutes and if you think it can help you we can schedule more time later - and if you don’t we can part friends, is that fair?”

Response #3:
“I’m with you. Before I schedule time to get back with you, just a quick question: Is it a priority for you to (fix or improve what your product or service will do for them) this quarter?”

Response #4:
“I’m glad you’re busy, that means that you don’t have the time to waste looking at things you have no intention of taking advantage of. Quick question: If I could show you a proven way to (get the benefits of your product or service), is that something that you would invest 5 minutes learning more about?”

If you found these scripts helpful, then invest in “The Complete Book of Phone Scripts,” which is packed with many more word for word scripts and techniques that you can begin using today to make more appointments and more sales.

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, works with business owners and inside sales reps all over the US teaching them the skills, strategies and techniques of top 20% performance. If you’re looking to catapult your sales, or create a sales team that actually makes their monthly revenues, then learn how by visiting: www.MrInsideSales.com

Association launches new branding for learning practitioners in the UK

The Learning Practitioners' Association, the voice, marketplace and professional route to excellence for learning practitioners in the UK, has launched its new branding to identify the Association as a distinct and unique body within the learning and development sector.

The Learning Practitioners' Association Ltd, now incorporating the TrainerBase learning industry marketplace, is establishing a family of logos for its learning practitioner accreditations and qualifications, including the Certified Learning Practitioner (CLP) accreditation and a new Certificate in Learning Practice Management (CertLPM) qualification, as well as a new identities for the Learning Practitioners' Association (LPA) itself and the TrainerBase (TB) marketplace.

The branding has come about as a result of the name change of the trade association in July of 2009. Peter Mayes, Chief Executive of the Association commented; "The Association will benefit by establishing its own identity and be more than the TrainerBase site from which it originated". He went on: "By changing the name and creating a new distinct image the Association will be seen as a truly representative body with its own aims whilst maintaining the services developed since the launch of the TrainerBase site in 2002. The Association is in a stronger position to expand its appeal to a wider group of learning and development professionals and support their career development."

For more information, visit their website: www.learningpractitioners.org.uk

Profile of the Month Lumus 360 Feedback

An interview with David Cooper of Lumus™ 360

Established in 1999, Lumus are one of the UK’s leading suppliers of 360 Degree Feedback tools to trainers/ consultants and organisations. They specialise in providing fully managed online 360 degree feedback tools for individuals, medium and large organisations and development consultants.

About Lumus™

Carolyn (The Complete Trainer Ltd): Tell me a little about your company.

David: I’ve been with the company since we started. What is important to me, and to our clients, is that rather than being just a straightforward 360 service provider, our aim is to take the hassle out of designing, developing and delivering 360 degree feedback surveys. We also help with the strategic, project management and support to assist in implementation so that the surveys aren’t just done and forgotten, they become part of the organisation’s development framework.

Carolyn: What sort of clients use 360 feedback surveys? Is it just huge companies who use it to support manager development?

David: No, A good 360 feedback process works in any organisation. We have the privilege of managing feedback surveys for medium and larger organisations such as Dyson, Muller, DeBeers Diamonds, Greggs the bakers, Total, Local Authorities and NHS Trusts etc. We also provide bespoke 360 surveys to consultants/ trainers in support of manager and leadership development programmes/ interventions that they are delivering for their clients. When we work with a client, it’s not just sending them a link to a totally automated system (though that is part of it); it is about developing the relationship and making the 360 really count for something.
Carolyn: Where are you based and where do you tend to work mostly?

David: We’re based in Chepstow, South Wales but, because our products/ service are internet based - our clients come from all across the UK and Europe – we even have a client in Japan!
Carolyn: I’ve visited Chepstow, a lovely town and of course you have access to a great motorway network. Anyway, there are quite a few 360 providers out there (and indeed I know a few quite well), what do you think makes you stand out above the rest?

David: I would say, four key things:

 Our team: Unlike many of our competitors, we are not just IT/ systems experts. The team comprises a web designer, technical programmer, data analyst/ report specialist, permanently dedicated administrative support and several OD consultants who provide a broad range of strategic and project management implementation support. This great mix of people ensures that we provide technical excellence and the consultancy and administrative support demanded by HR professionals and consultants.

 The Lumus engine: all of our surveys are powered from an online web application that was specifically designed for the management of online 360 surveys. It’s fully automated and guarantees accurate, fast and confidential results. The system's built-in quality control mechanisms also ensures we get things right, first time

 Customisation: No two organisations (or consultants) that we’ve ever worked with want the same thing – our platform lets us easily customise the number of questions, rating scale type, user interfaces, reports, email message content etc

 The service: I know everyone would say this, but in our case, we really do ‘go the extra mile’ for our clients and always strive to provide an outstanding start to end service – we also provide briefing packs/ slide sets, internal communication plans, feedback coaching resources etc all for FREE

Carolyn: 360 Degree feedback is now well established and of acknowledged benefit – how do you see it further developing in the future?

David: For me, the future is not so much about technical process advances, but how the feedback collected can be better used – some of the projects we are working on include:

 360 multi-level feedback surveys – we’re currently working on an innovative multi-level 360 feedback tool, specifically designed to underpin the development and deployment of senior talent within larger organisations. This alternative report approach differs from traditional feedback reports in that it provides feedback on each management competency area at four levels of performance, allowing people to get a clear picture of how they are doing on a sliding scale from mediocre to exceptional performance

 Group summary reports – Using the feedback from a group of managers to produce TNA type reports - identifying population strengths and assessing group development needs which can subsequently be fed into management development programmes / strategies etc

 360 team surveys – Just as an individual 360 provides a snapshot of how the participant is seen by those they work with, we’re now developing a team 360 feedback report based on how team members rate the team, against those skills needed for successful team working and functioning

 Managers’ summary reports - This unique approach provides line managers with the headline news needed to start a meaningful action planning conversation, without them having to plough through 40 pages of data

 180 degree training course workbook - As trainers and developers we all recognise that the pre - and post-course discussions between a course participant and their line manager are crucial in the process of making training stick and ensuring a real return on investment. These pre-course reports combine feedback from the line manager and course participant and are designed to facilitated those conversations and ensure participants start their course with a clear set of development objectives

Products/Links:

Here’s some tailored 360 degree feedback surveys we developed specifically for the Complete Trainer: http://www.completetrainer.co.uk/360_Degree_Feedback

You can find out more about our bespoke solutions on our website: http://www.lumus.co.uk/

and we also recommend that you research and understand 360 before embarking on a feedback process, so we’ve set up this site which gives unbiased information: http://www.everything360.org/

Testimonials

Lumus designed an excellent 360 instrument that provided feedback on a range of critical leadership behaviours which enabled the team to significantly improve both their personal capability and their desire and ability to help and support each other. Considerable and valuable help and support was provided throughout the project and I look forward to future opportunities to work with the Lumus team.

Peter Underwood - Training Consultant

Lumus continue to provide Greggs of Treforest with a flexible, adaptable and tailored approach that meets the changing needs of our business. They do what they say they will do, on time with no fuss.

John Eagle, Greggs

Contact

To contact David Cooper at Lumus, please visit the website http://www.lumus.co.uk/ or email davidooper@lumus.co.uk

Book Review - Psychology for Trainers

Psychology for Trainers (E-book)

by Alison Hardingham

When I was first asked to review this e-book I must admit my heart sank as I have not hitherto been a fan of e-books. However – this e-book is quite different from others I have read. It is well laid out with good spacing and a clear and readable font. The graphics are clear and easy to read and one is not faced with a massive block of text to attempt to read and digest on screen.

So much for visual appeal. What about content?

As a coach who does training (or should that be a trainer who does coaching?) I have always been interested in the psychology of training so I was particularly interested to hear what Alison had to say on the subject.

As one might expect the book starts with building rapport and establishing credibility and then moves on through getting information across; gaining commitment to change; managing the group; counselling the individual; handling conflict, facilitating the transfer of learning and ending on surviving as a trainer.

Alison certainly practises what she preaches as she uses a wide range of communication techniques to expound and illustrate her points. There are questionnaires; diagrams; personal anecdotes all designed to catch and maintain the reader's interest while informing in a highly effective and clear way. There is something to suit pretty much everyone's learning preference Again the layout of the e-book contributes to the ability of the reader to take in and retain information. At the end of each chapter is an 'In Brief' section summing up what has gone before.

Whether you are at the beginning of your career as a trainer (or indeed as a coach) or have may years of experience in either field I am sure you will find this book of interest and use. In fact, far from avoiding e-books, I now have this one downloaded on my desktop as it is fast becoming my 'go to' book of reference every time I start designing a new training workshop or take on a new client. I heartily recommend this book!

Rating 5 out of 5

Angela Lawrence
The Cinnamon Coach
Isle of Man
angiecoach@manx.net

New book release

I am as excited as a labarador in a field of bluebells!* For the past few months I've been working with coach, trainer and - most importantly - author, Alison Hardingham. Alison is an amazingly talented and experienced L&D professional with affiliations with some rather 'special' organisations and her reputation is tremendous (search her name on the internet, you'll see what I mean).

Some years back she wrote 'Psychology for Trainers' for the CIPD as part of their Trainers Toolkit series. It's now out of print with the CIPD, but with their permission, Alison is now re-releasing the book through The Complete Trainer Ltd.

We have updated and revised the book and it is now in ebook format. We are delighted to announce that the book is being published on 10th September 2009 and will be for sale via the Complete Trainer website.

Why am I so excited about THIS book? Well, not only is it the first book that we have actually published (under our own name, and with our own ISBNs), but when I was editing and formatting, I couldn't help but be drawn into the book - I learned so much and (as I am not shy to admit) I am not even a trainer! I love the opening - 'Trainers need psychology like a fish needs a bicylce. True or false?' and the way Alison leads you into each subject with clear examples, great references and in such an easy to read style.

But don't take my word for it:

"It's rare to come across a book that that provides practical ideas founded on intellectual rigour...Psychology for Trainers is such a book.

It provides insights into the psychology that effects every aspect of training, with illustrations that can be immediately applied without over complicating the message. A book that every trainer should read."

Brian Fitzgerald HR Director : Group Talent Management
ATKINS
The official engineering design services provider for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

That is what I call high praise indeed!

Well, mosey on over to the website, take a look, and if you are interested in writing a review for us, please let me know, we are looking for some appropriate individuals to send out preview copies to for review purposes.

*If you'd really like to know why I've posted the picture of Jasper the dog here, you have to read the book!

Profile of the Month - September

Michael Ronayne - communicating clearly, concisely and with confidence.

This month Carolyn finds out more about Michael and the College of Public Speaking. As the name might suggest, the College places Public Speaking skills at the centre of its training programmes; believing that the fundamentals of communication are unchanging and if you can communicate with conviction in front of a group of people, you will also come across as more animated and confident on a one to one basis.

Michael Ronayne, alongside Vince Stevenson and Richard Johnson, is one of its 3 Directors.

About the College

Carolyn (The Complete Trainer Ltd): How did you start and why did you decide to call it a college?

Michael (The College of Public Speaking): Each of us came into the College of Public Speaking from different directions, but unified by a public speaking background and with a passion for communication.

The root definition of ‘college’ as a group of people living together under a common set of rules (‘con’ with; ‘lego’ law) appealed to us. Happily we do not actually live together, but we felt it captured a little of the idea of educational diversity; the ability to provide recognised qualifications; that like a musician, communication skills can be honed, studied and refined throughout a lifetime; that we see the importance of speaking in a vocational sense, rather than purely as a business. It also allows for a more academic element (in September for instance I delivered a paper on ‘Successful Speaking in the Business Sector’ at the ‘Spoken Word Conference’ at Kingston University) and therefore providing a sense of skilled individuals with a common aim coming together and sharing and developing ideas.

For me it was a logical evolution. I was a professional ‘cellist for 15 years and then spent 8 years in the sales industry. Once I left the music profession I took up public speaking, as it gave me an element of ‘performing’ that I began to miss when I stopped playing the ‘cello.
Carolyn: You are a performer at heart. Where did you start? From playing music to just talking is quite a leap!

Michael: I started in my local speakers club in Wimbledon and went on from there. I quickly realised that speaking was a lot easier than playing the ‘cello – I mean ‘What can go wrong?’ The worst that can happen is you get your words mixed up; whereas when playing the ‘cello you can drop your bow, play wrong notes and shake so much that your fingers go wobbly. So quite quickly I moved on to reach National Speaking Finals - and became a UK National Champion in the process. It was challenging, and a great development path, being a ‘competitive’ speaker.

All areas of my professional life so far have had an element of performance and communication in them - sales then added the one element in the communication process that I have always found fascinating – people. Public Speaking for me is about learning to communicate directly and effectively with different types of people. And the more effective you are at communicating, the more effective you are at sales or whatever else you choose to do.

Carolyn: There are many training companies out there, what do you think makes you stand out particularly?

Michael: In our case it is simple: 2 things - Firstly, we are all active public speakers, so there is always an aspect of genuine experience and of “walking our talk”. I remember from my sales years going on a particular training session with my colleagues. It all started well, but within a few minutes we all started making eye contact with each other, because it was suddenly clear that our ‘trainer’ had never actually done what he was asking us to do. We made sure we never made that mistake! The results are consistent feedback references to us ‘knowing our stuff’ and ‘speaking from experience’. It means that when we are asked by a client ‘What would you do in this case?’ or ‘How do you react in this situation?’, we can usually answer from direct and recent experience.

Our second ‘unique selling point’ is that we are the only Public Speaking trainers that can offer nationally recognised BTEC qualifications, rather than just a certificate of attendance.
We offer a BTEC Professional Award in ‘Training the Trainer’ and a BTEC Advanced Award in ‘Public Speaking and Presentation Skills’. We are serious about our business, and passionate about our subject.

Carolyn: I’d love to be able to have people ‘hear’ you say all this, but we’ll have to rely on them reading. Can you tell me more about how you see your business’ future?

Michael: I have a very specific vision - to have Public Speaking and Presentation Skills recognised as a core competency from school onwards, rather than just and add on that some employers feel ‘would be useful’. Having delivered Public Speaking training in a number of secondary schools I would suggest it is simply a matter of developing awareness. Once a teenager realises that speaking skills are not just for lawyers and politicians, but they are an essential life and social skill for any career choice, their perspective changes. The debating societies of our great universities are about the only place where these skills are honed – and there’s some pretty impressive names in business, politics and the media that have cut their teeth in the Oxford or Cambridge debates.

Too often in business there still seems to be an almost childlike belief that for most people good speaking and presenting skills are not attainable. I really want to change that perception.
Carolyn: Your commitment is evident – what else would you say is important in this area of training?

On the broader level; self belief and confidence – it is nice to see the light coming on as a person realises that they can do this.

On a more specific and technical level; structure. Whether conducting training in public speaking, executive speaking, media skills or training trainers, the one key aspect that I believe has the greatest impact on how a person comes across is good structure. Not complicated or ‘clever’ structure, just clear, concise and transparent. After all, most of the detail of what is said in a presentation is forgotten within a very short time by the audience. Good structure leaves a good impression.

Carolyn: Where are you based and where do you tend to work mostly?

Michael: We are based in London and most of our work is in the South East of England. Our Training the Trainer programme usually runs at the City University in Islington and we are very fortunate to be able to use the Playhouse Theatre in London for many of our Public Speaking programmes. However we work more widely in the UK too. One of my colleagues has recently run a programme in the Isle of Wight and I have just been asked to run the BTEC Training the Trainer programme in Cyprus. I have travelled quite a lot as a musician, and I suppose the same rule applies; if it makes sense for us and for the client, we are happy to be flexible.

Carolyn: What are you most proud of about your company?

Michael: I think it is attitude and ethos. We do some advertising, but a lot of our work comes from recommendation. We are an accredited BTEC centre, which is something to sing about, but we do not attempt to be overly aggressive in promotion. We only take on clients and projects that we feel we are ideally suited for, and that the client particularly needs. For instance, a few days ago, after a brief conversation with a lady, who thought she might need to go on one of our open courses, I received an email from her thanking me very much for my time and saying ‘I still cannot believe you happily talked yourself out of a customer’ – the fact was she probably did not need a professional course, she probably needed to join a speakers club. In the end I would always want clients to come away thinking unreservedly, not just that we were excellent but, that they had genuinely benefitted.

Carolyn: I’ve heard quite a lot about training suffering in the current economy. You offer what you have already said many people consider a ‘non-essential’ business skill, has this affected your business?

Mixed. On balance I would say that larger organisations have been more likely to postpone training, while individuals have been more likely to take a view that they need to get the skills for themselves. So open courses and particularly the BTEC in ‘Training the Trainer’ have attracted increasing interest.

Carolyn: Can you give me an example of where you think you have really made a difference?
I think we are very privileged in the area in which we work, because more often than not we do make a significant impact on an individual. However, the people that interest me the most are not necessarily those who display natural ability and apparently make the most progress, but rather the more timid soul who maybe was dreading the training, but really managed to get over a hurdle in the process. I had one such a little while ago from a very shy and nervous man working in the Royal Household, who went out of his way to tell Buckingham Palace training department what an enormous difference the training day had made for him.

Open Programmes

Introductory presentation skills (1 day) 17th October Premier - Euston: £150 + VAT
Training the trainer (2 days) 22nd-23rd October City University, Islington: £580 + VAT
Introductory presentation skills (1 day) 31st October & 14th November & 5th December Premier - Euston £150 + VAT
Introductory presentation skills (1 day) 19th November & 11th December Playhouse theatre £250 + VAT
Training the trainer (2 days) 23rd-24th November & 17th-18th December City University, Islington £580 + VAT

http://www.collegeofpublicspeaking.co.uk/
michael@collegeofpublicspeaking.co.uk

The College of Public Speaking donates a percentage of its profits to the Speakers Trust, a charity devoted to the development of effective communication skills throughout all strands of society.

Testimonials

"The BT Effective Speaking Programme has had excellent results. Participants have been able to learn how to improve their speaking skills in a safe and supporting environment. BT is very pleased with the College of Public Speaking’s programme and are looking to extend it next year"

Keith Dickerson, Head of Standards, BT


“From the outset, the approach of The College of Public Speaking to the task of running a series of training sessions has been friendly and efficient. Before any training took place, one of the directors of the College of Public Speaking, sat down with members of the Leadership and Professionalism team to identify the precise needs of the organisation and to discuss the most suitable structure and content for the proposed training.

From then on the trainers from the College of Public Speaking each demonstrated a very positive and professional manner and the clearly defined focus of the training has meant that, although different sessions were run by 3 separate trainers, the feedback has been universally very positive.”

Marianne Lister, Head of Leadership and Professionalism ,
Ministry of Justice (UK)

“I have undertaken a huge amount of training, but I can honestly say the trainer is one of the best trainers I have worked with. He had all the core competencies that you would want from a learning environment, supportive, caring, always willing to help further, flexible, but most important – really valued the work we the students undertook. I am going home on a real high.”

John Roberts (London Borough of Lambeth)

Coaching by accident

I had some new coaching cards arrive from Israel. I have to say that just by looking at the supplier's website I was 'taken' immediately, but once I'd spoken to my guy in Israel and got a real feel for them, I was hooked!

The Points of You cards arrived and within two days I'd had three sets taken by a training company who were delivering a series of 'coach the coach' programmes to a major UK insurer. All I'd done was show one pack to them, and they were instantly engaged!

Why do I like these so much? I don't really do my own product reviews, I like my customers to do that, but these cards have a lot going for them - not the least of which is the fantastic imagery they use.

What I learned, talking to Yaron, is that the cards themselves are made by prison inmates, and the packaging is made by workers in a factory employing the less abled. I didn't only like the product, but I liked the whole philosophy behind their creation and in the execution of their manufacture.

So why did I call this post 'accidental coaching'? Simple! I was showing them to a colleague. She chose three cards, laid them out on the cloth 'board', and we started talking. I asked the relevant questions, looked up the references in the book and... well, I very nearly gave an 'acciental coaching session'.

The cards are also promoted as a self-development tool and they are great for that too - I have sat with a set and looked through images and used them to help with creative thinking and also to lay out some personal issues and perceptions.

I have two sets of coaching cards on the site at the moment (and a third set coming soon) - I believe in offering choice and, of course, it's horses for courses (and cards for coaches!). Take a look at the cards, both sets, you'll find one or other appeals to you more.

I'd love some feedback, but everything I've heard so far about Points of You and the Kairology cards has been extremely positive. I'm meeting Ian, author of the Kairology cards and book in November - I'll post my thoughts on these cards then. I already bought his book for myself.

Telling Stories

I am a story teller! You may notice from my blog posts, articles or – if you know me personally – most certainly from my songs and my creative writing. I write about events and people (you can hear a snippet of my song about the infamous witch finder Matthew Hopkins on theMP3 page of www.shavethemonkey.co.uk/) , many of my articles feature on this blog and my story telling style comes through very strongly on my personal blog.

So why am I telling stories on The Complete Trainer? Because there is not a single training experience I have yet been on that does not, to some extent, rely on storytelling. No matter what slides or materials are presented, the trainer or facilitator can usually bring an example to life by adding a story of their own. Sometimes it’s a ‘stock’ tale, sometimes personal experience. But story telling in training, and in business, is important, for a very simple reason – it builds credibility.

In these days of information overload, with millions of messages hitting us every week from every direction, the brain does it’s favourite ‘delete, distort and generalise’. This applies not only to the many indirect messages we receive but also to the key messages we want to receive. So in order for us to really listen, we need to have belief in the information giver. Story telling is a great way of doing this.

Storytelling has been with us since humans could first speak – it is as natural to us as breathing. We are raised with the story, and stories are used to influence, inspire and persuade us. Advertisements for products don’t just extol their virtues any more (Irish Stout is Good for You, Mr ‘Shine’ Makes Umpteen Things Clean), they create stories around characters and we are involved in the mini tableaux we are presented with:

• Anthony Head visits his neighbour to borrow coffee, is there the prospect of romance?
• we know the whole gravy family
• we want to know what the ‘good news’ is that the man in the phone ad is telling his friends.

People LIKE stories.

Stories for business development are not just anecdotal – though the retelling of an incident that serves as an example is one great way. You can also use storytelling to teach lessons that only the listener can learn. By presenting a situation as a story, you can create discussion, evolve solutions and raise issues that engage us through the use of our own imaginations.

I’ve seen storytelling done by forum theatre actors (they leave the ‘action’ mid performance and ask for response from the audience), I’ve watched corporate videos that the group must then discuss and, of course, even the good old slide show can tell a story. But the use of audio – whether spoken by an individual or through recordings – allows even more freedom for the imagination because it presents no pre-set visual context.

I’ve been listening to the Telling Tales series and the pictures they create in my head are, undoubtedly, going to be different to the pictures they would create in your head. My interpretations of an accent or simply the sound of voice will have different associations for me than for others. This is amazing – it means that every single person can interpret and create their own meaning and learning from the sound of a voice as well as the content of the tale.

I also pick up ideas from the radio– from the BBC programme ‘Word of Mouth’ (on the power of language) to The Archers (wonderful examples of how not to communicate between family members), I learn from these ‘stories’. Something goes in that I will access and retain for future reference, even if it means using the ‘listen again’ function.

We may well admire the raconteur at the network meeting (as long as they are not too pushy) and we are entertained, engaged and entranced by stories. The same goes for the gregarious friend who delights us with their tales at the dinner table. We will talk about their story, what we would have done in that situation or marvel in horror or delight at what happened. We are fully engaged – our brains are keen to receive this information. This, surely, is an amazing tool to use when developing yourself, your people and your organisation.

Profile of the Month - July

Heather Butler – passionate about developing people

This month Carolyn talks to Heather Butler, MD of The People Development Team Ltd.

Established in 1998, The People Development Team Ltd (PDT) has grown from a partnership to a thriving consultancy delivering a range of highly interactive Leadership Programmes, bespoke and accredited management programmes, personal skills and career support.

About The People Development Team

Carolyn (The Complete Trainer Ltd): How did PDT start and what motivated you to get into training?

Heather Butler (PDT Ltd): The Company originally formed as a partnership by me and Angie Peacock. My previous roles were all involved in Leadership Training and Consultancy and it became obvious when we met that our high impact form of training that gave companies the sustainable results they needed was what companies were looking for. As many companies do, we have grown organically starting with an extra consultant and an administrator then as we gained more contracts including some really terrific leading edge consultancy so our team grew and we knew early on that we must have been doing something right if our clients kept coming back. We soon added career development onto our product range when we realised that clients wanted an end to end service which included the consultancy piece, the change piece which included the training and then assistance for individuals on their new career paths whether internally or externally of the company.

Carolyn: There are many training companies out there, what do you think makes you stand out?

Heather: That’s the question that any potential client always asks and throughout our journey it has changed and will carry on changing but the one thing that has been maintained throughout is that we design and create events which are exciting, sustainable and meet the objectives set and more importantly move people forward so the company can see a real ROI. We also have a number of superb courses which are accredited (ILM, C&G, CMI) and for many companies that gives them the quality framework they need. Delegates come away with real skills, real learning and a qualification that is theirs, for life. More importantly employer benefits from any great training include: increased retention, motivation – and a workforce who can demonstrate the effectiveness of their training.

Our unique selling point is not just one thing – it’s not just the accreditation or our programmes, it’s the way the whole structure works together with us as a partner to our clients: administration, programme content, marketing, client management, flexibility, quality control and our great trainers; it’s the whole package. We often say to our clients that the only way to see all of this in action is to try us out and we are happy to come along and do a session for their senior decision makers – at no cost – so they see real training.

Carolyn: You are obviously passionate about training and development and believe firmly in the value of that training. What is your business vision?

Heather: PDT has a very simple vision – to help individuals, teams and organisations to be the best they can. Training, really effective training, has the potential to change organisations completely, not just give individuals an extra skill or qualification. Bespoke and accredited management training is one aspect of our work, but we also continue to support organisations through Outplacement, helping transition people both as they leave and those who remain. The important thing is to meet the needs of the client.

Carolyn: What is the single most important aspect of the training you deliver as a company?

Heather: That’s hard to answer. I can’t say there is a single thing – but top of the list is quality. We assess our trainers regularly; we are assessed as an organisation regularly by the various bodies which we align ourselves to and we ensure our trainers have their own CPD programme too. But then making sure our programmes meet a client’s needs is also paramount – you can deliver the best programme in the world but if it isn’t what the client actually needs, then you are wasting effort. As I said, with PDT it’s the whole package – everyone in the organisation strives to deliver great service and brilliant results for our clients.

Carolyn: Where are you based and where do you tend to work mostly?

Heather: Our Head Office is in Hertfordshire but we work all over the country. Many of our clients are national and international, so we also work overseas in Europe, the USA and the UAE, however the vast proportion of our work is in the UK.

Carolyn: What are you most proud of about your company?

Heather: Simple! Our people and our clients. We have won a National Training Award and been a finalist for many more awards with our clients, we are Matrix accredited, we have our Investors in People as well – all of this is because of the people in our organisation and the relationships they have with our clients.

Carolyn: I’ve heard quite a lot about training suffering in the current economy. Has this been your experience?

Heather: Business is still good, and fortunately still growing, but I would say that organisations are sometimes taking slightly longer to commit to some of the largest projects. Conversely we have found that the Government Funding opportunities have encouraged more clients to continue with their training and development programmes using the opportunities presented to enhance their training projects rather than cut back. Reducing training is a false economy – increased competitiveness means that you have to invest more in people, improve performance and do the best you possibly can in these difficult times.

Carolyn: Have you any closing comments to add before I send this ‘to press’, as it were?

Heather: Yes, I’d like to make a special offer to your people, if I can. We have open programmes running in London and Stansted shortly – if any of your clients want to book, we are more than happy to give them a second place free if they book using this link: http://www.people-development-team.com/tct-promotion.htm and discount code TCT0709

Carolyn: Thank you Heather. All the details are listed below:

- Open Programmes Impact and Influence – 3 August London and 8 September Stansted
- Introduction to Coaching – 12 August London and 23 September Stansted
- Presentation Skills – 14 August London and 10 September Stansted

To get your ‘buy one get one free’ on any of these programmes please book via this link http://www.people-development-team.com/tct-promotion.htm and enter the promotional code TCT0709.

PDT offers a wide range of training options and delivers bespoke and accredited programmes for both the private and public sector. For more information visit their website at: http://www.people-development-team.com/

Testimonial

Learning and Development is a crucial part of our business. We believe that if our Team Members are happy, well-trained and committed to the job that they will deliver a better guest experience. And if our guests have an enjoyable experience they are more likely to want to repeat it ….which is good for everyone. We want people to recognise that we are giving something back in terms of investment in their personal development.

In return we find that people are more loyal to the company and the brand and more productive in their jobs. We encourage Managers in all areas of the business to continue their development with the externally recognised Institute of Leadership and Management scheme that includes written assignments, formal presentations and tests their leadership and team building skills in an environment well beyond their normal comfort zones. To deliver this extremely vital development to our Management population we have partnered with the People Development Team on several development programmes and the feedback from delegates has been extremely positive.

HR Manager, Bourne Leisure

Behavioural Analysis

Trainingzone have published Carolyn's article on Behavioural profiling. Visit or you can read more here:

For the last four years I have regularly used DISC profiles which give you a snapshot of your ‘behaviours’ in a work environment. DISC is an acronym:

D = Dominance-Challenge: How you respond to problems or challenges.
I = Influence-Contacts – How you influence others to your point of view.
S = Steadiness-Consistency – How you respond to the pace of the environment.
C = Compliance-Constraints – How you respond to rules and procedures set by others.

The concept of DISC profiling is based on the work of Dr. William Moulton Marston who, in 1928, published ‘The Emotions of Normal People’. This book described the theory which is applied to nearly all the versions of DISC profiling available today. The profile is a behavioral assessment designed to accurately measure the four dimensions of normal behavior.

A few years back I completed a Level 3 ILM management qualification and I chose Communications as my main project. For this I mapped all the preferences for the office staff using their DISC profiles and created a ‘how best to communicate with xx’ chart. It was used for many years, indicating communication preferences and styles. It was a very simple and effective way to implement the results of our profiles and use them practically. Nothing more personal than communication preference was shared.

DISC profiles were used for recruitment and appraisal and with clients. The reports, which are created by answering very simple ‘most like’ and ‘least like’ questions, give a comprehensive summary of behavioural preferences. They are used by line managers, trainers, HR, recruitment and outplacement consultants.

The value of using these profiling tools is not just in ‘input and output’ – you put in your answers and get your report – but what happens next. Many people will be open minded enough to accept the validity of the report, feel happy to internally challenge areas which they do not feel accurately match their perceptions, and even perhaps accept the areas which may indicate a need for self-improvement.

I recently took a different profile from the one I’d done for the last four years – this one was from The Trusted Adviser and followed a similar DISC format so it was not unfamiliar. The resulting report, however, was superior to those I’d taken before. The depth of information was far greater – the profile included more aspects and gave a greater analysis of my behaviours and preferences. Though every assessment is affected by variables (hence taking them annually), this one was definitely the most accurate I had ever taken.

Most importantly the language it used was more accessible – though probably still generated by an American English language programme, the terms and language used were easier to understand and I found much less to challenge than in previous reports. My next stage, importantly, is to go through the report with my coach.

The real power and value of behavioural assessments is how they are used to develop individual performance. The ideal scenario is that the report is not just given directly to the respondent but is reviewed by an appropriately qualified coach or manager who can then spend time going through the report with the individual and build a positive action plan.

There are many ways in which assessments can be applied:

Recruitment: does the report reflect the right personality for the role they are being considered for?

Job hunting: the report may produce some excellent wording and highlight skills and strengths that the respondent can use in their CV or job applications

Appraisal: the line manager and respondent can work together (both may have their profiles completed) and improve working process and performance

Team building: pick members of a team who have the right mix of skills or who you know will work best together

In fact behaviour assessments can be used in many ways, for leadership development, trouble shooting, team development, sales skills, benchmarking; with the right training and understanding of the psychology behind how these reports are generated, they can become an extremely powerful tool for trainers, managers and the individual respondents.

Finally, the most important question - do they work? From personal experience, yes; impartially, one assessor I know performs over one million assessments per year – that’s just one provider! I think the proof is in the pudding, as they say.

Carolyn Sheppard is director of The Complete Trainer, a training resources ecommerce company. She has been in marketing for over 30 years and directly in learning and development for over five years.

On line learning

One of my favourite quotes is from Winston Churchill:

“I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.”

We learn best by doing, and Churchill certainly ‘did’ a lot – from his career as an officer in the British Army, through his exploits as a historian, writer, and artist to being the only British Prime Minister ever to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.

There was no on line learning in Churchill’s day, but I am sure he would have embraced it. You may think on line learning was not available during Churchill’s life time, but in fact on line learning pre-dates the internet. The first recorded system was the Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations, developed at the University of Illinois in 1960* (and remained in operation until the 1990’s). In 1994 the Open University in the UK developed a Virtual Summer School. Those are just some examples of how long on line learning has actually been around.

As computers became an everyday item in households throughout the Western World, so on line learning also grew. During the early 1980s (in the days of 8” floppy disks) I worked for a large international computer company. There was excitement as the concept of desk-top computers equally as powerful as machines which, at the time, occupied whole rooms, were a reality that we saw grow nearer every day.

On line learning is now part of everyday life. Children today are given homework assignments and assistance via the internet, you can gain business qualifications and learn new skills without leaving the comfort of you own home. You can study with fellow students at a University half way round the world, if you so choose.

However, if you want to train to be a chef, you can complete a training programme, check recipes, find out about new foods, techniques, purchase the best tools – all on line. On line learning is an excellent enhancement to classroom and practical learning, in this example. The practical side can be done without external tuition, but the results and the credibility of the training may be perceived as inferior.

There are tremendous advantages to on line learning – but what are the barriers to learning? Access is important: you need a computer, probably internet access, and appropriate programmes for audio and video content. Learning styles are also highly individual and many people don’t like ‘reading’ what to do. There are also issues for those with reading disabilities (though audio and visual options are available for many systems). Some people just don’t like learning with a computer instead of a person. For example, I may find using the internet an excellent way to research a subject, but if I want to learn to identify birds, no matter how great the video, audio and catalogue resources on the internet – I actually want to be outside, listening, watching, and learning with a book or (even better), with an expert.

With management development, in a corporate environment, access is usually facilitated through the workplace. Individuals can work not only in the place of their choosing, but also at a time that is convenient for themselves and the business. Teams can work together in remote locations, company competency frameworks can be implemented globally and individuals can be given access to the tools they need to develop their skills.

Much has been, and continues to be, written about on line learning. What advantages does it hold over face to face, how flexible is it, do people really learn from electronic resources or is it just a cheap alternative to ‘proper’ training? I don’t need to go into a detailed breakdown of the pros and cons, because they are highly individual – the important thing is that this resource exists, in many forms from simple on line documents through interactive e-learning to simulations and live web and pod-casts.

On line learning is, above all else, a wonderful opportunity. For self development, business development, individual skill building or implementation of organisation wide knowledge sharing – on line learning is an extraordinary resource that, had he been alive today, Churchill would no doubt have welcomed with open arms and mind.

Stop press: The Complete Trainer launch their own on line academy - find out more on their main website: The Complete Trainer Academy

* Sir Winston Churchill died in 1965

Complete Trainer Academy is Launched

The Complete Trainer Academy is a brand new offering which features an incredible on-line resource. We first saw this product a while ago and knew we wanted it for the Complete Trainer portfolio. You have access to thousands of in depth articles, assessments, book reviews, a management newsletter and an on line coach.

The site is easy to use, the material well written and you can navigate the site quickly and easily. The Academy provides learning pathways which is a guided route through the site. It takes you through a selection of articles and learning exercises that are relevant to the topic you want to study and gives you a commentary and explanation. Pathways are a bit like programmes or courses and cover a wide range of subjects.

In the current economic climate, the pressure is on training budgets. This system is affordable, flexible and accessible. With an increasing number of employees in disparate locations and improved internet access, the ability to collaborate over the web is rapidly becoming a learning imperative. As well as being web-based, we believe that the engine that drives the Complete Trainer Academy is unique:

• Easily integrated into a blended learning solution
• You can create your own customised learning paths
• It is quick and easy to implement – all you need is a log in to the Academy
  
• The Academy tracks and measures activity, performance and even changes in behaviour
• It provides a flexible way to increase the learning of your people without the impact of taking them away from the workplace
• Very cost effective – at just £200 per year per log in, you could train as many as ten managers for less than £6 a day!

The Complete Trainer Academy launches on 1st July 2009 and we are delighted to give our site members a unique opportunity to ‘try before you buy’. Please contact us for a trial log in and we will give you full, unlimited access to the site including:

• Access to over 40 different learning topics
• More than 100 exercises and assessments
• Over 50 different ‘top ten tips’
• Articles from luminaries such as Edward de Bono
• Book reviews, case studies and much more

We are really excited about the Academy here at The Complete Trainer. Contact us now for your free trial log in*.

* Your log in will expire after two working days. Please bear this in mind when you ask for your log in so that you can make the most of this opportunity to explore our on line Academy.

Profile of the Month: June 2009

An interview with Sharon Gaskin

Sharon Gaskin is the Founder of The Trainers Training Company. She works with freelance trainers to help them create successful training businesses. I first met Sharon last year via Ecademy and since then we have stayed in touch and shared ideas and information in our shared passion – learning and development.

About The Trainers Training Company

Carolyn (The Complete Trainer Ltd): Tell me about your company and why you started this venture.

Sharon Gaskin (The Trainers Training Company Ltd): I started the Trainers Training Company in 2008. It was an idea that I had had for a while, but had never done anything about. It was only when I had a spate of questions from different people – all wanting to be freelance trainers – and all within the space of a week – that I realised there were people out there who really needed my help.

We help trainers develop their businesses. Our clients include trainers who have been made redundant and decide to go freelance. It can be a bit overwhelming coming from the secure environment of being employed to going freelance. We help them get started and approach their future in a positive and purposeful way.

Sometimes trainers make the decision to break out of corporate life voluntarily – they have tremendous experience but may find taking that first independent step daunting. Our company offers support and guidance – helping people turn what was just the dream of being self-employed into a reality.

Not all our clients are brand new start ups. Many people we are working with start out with lots of ideas and enthusiasm but are now becoming disillusioned because the market is challenging and they haven’t got enough work. We help them with practical strategies that they can start applying to the business to bring in more clients fast.

Carolyn: What about trainers who have been in the business a long time? Do they come to you for help too?

Sharon: As, they say, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” In these times, even the most established of trainers and training providers need to look at their practices and re-energise their business methods to really get their business moving forward.

Carolyn: What is your business vision?

Sharon: We aim to be a 1 Stop Shop for freelance trainers providing a range of services to suit all needs and budgets including Workshops, Teleseminars and 1 to 1 Business Coaching.

I am passionate about helping freelance trainers to develop and grow profitable businesses. I know what it feels like – I am a freelance trainer myself. I have been there and done it and know how hard it can be, particularly when you first start out. The reason I can offer such good advice is that I am not shy to admit my mistakes and to share them. In the first year as a freelance trainer I learned a lot – not about training but about how to operate as a successful business.

Carolyn: Where are you based and where do you tend to work mostly?

Sharon: I live in the West Midlands, about half an hour from Birmingham. The beauty of my job is that most of it is done from home, I give people coaching sessions and run Teleseminars over the phone.My workshops are run in Birmingham but I have plans to widen the net next year.

Carolyn: What is the weirdest experience you have had as a trainer?
In the course of 20 years as a trainer I’ve seen a lot of things and dealt with all types of people and situations. But I have to admit that the weirdest thing I have ever experienced is having my husband as a delegate on a management training course - and having to put up with everyone else's jokes!

Carolyn: Sharon, any last words to say about training in today’s economic climate?

Sharon: I’m seeing a mixture of people who are undoubtedly finding it more challenging than usual but there are also others who have never been busier. In my experience the most successful freelance trainers are the ones who continuously market themselves regardless of whether they have plenty of work or not and who make it a priority to work ON as well as IN their businesses. And I think in the majority of cases these are the trainers who are reaping the benefits at the moment.

Products/Links:

• Downloadable E Book: How To Launch A Training Business in 30 Days
• Teleseminars: Live Teleseminars and Downloadable Recordings on topics such as How To Build Relationships That Win Corporate Business and How To Overcome Your Fear of Selling Yourself
• 1 to 1 Business Coaching
• 1 Day Workshop: September 29 in Birmingham - Workshop: How To Create A Successful and Profitable Training Business - The Easy Way
• Get your FREE Enterprising Trainer Pack at http://www.thetrainerstrainingcompany.co.uk/

Testimonial
“Having recently taken redundancy after 31 years of working for a major retailer, I’d decided to start up my own freelance training business. I’d attended several workshops on self-employment, networking etc, and my brain was buzzing! I was unfocussed and beginning to worry about where to start, and then!I discovered How to launch a training business in 30 days!

This book is fantastic! It helped me order my thoughts, gave me focus, and produce a clear plan of action. The language is easy to understand, the exercises are practical, and the overall product gave me the motivation to continue – and I’m now feeling much more confident. One of the major plus points for me, was that it is specifically about a training business – everything else I’d read or attended was quite general.

Thank you Sharon – a great tool for brand new freelance trainers!” Sue Parsons

Training games? I’d rather be...

“I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand”

Confucius

Whether it’s soft skills or compliance training, there are very few people in the finance sector who don’t have to attend a training session at some point in their careers. And training games may well be part of the programme. The question of whether training games are effective or not is a challenging one. Every single person has their own preferred learning style and a different motivation for being in a training session. Do training games work for you? That I can’t answer, but I can recount some of my own experiences.

In training and development you reach many different audiences, but the company I used to work for had a huge number of clients in the financial and insurance sector. I attended training (helping facilitate, never actually training) and events (at networking evenings such as Women in Banking and Finance). One of the key tools used by the trainers I worked with was a game called Colourblind®.

The Colourblind game requires your delegates to be blindfolded. They are then presented with a series of unusual shaped pieces of different coloured plastic. With very basic instruction from the facilitator, the group are then left to organise the shapes into sets.

The group has to rely completely on verbal communication and the outcomes are always stimulating and engaging – watching who takes the lead, the different language used and the communication skills of everyone involved. It was sometimes hectic, sometimes quite emotional, but always interesting (for the observer if not always the delegates).

RSVP Design, who developed the game, say it takes about 40 minutes for a group of 8-10. The very first time I saw it was with a group of 12 and, astonishingly, they took just 17 minutes to complete the task. A ‘natural leader’ took charge and, with a clear lead, the patterns were established and the sets made up quickly. It was a mixed group – an open programme with delegates from several different companies and industry sectors. A completely new ‘team’ that had never met, let alone worked together, yet they still hold the record in my experience.

Conversely, the trainer said their worst experience with the game he had ever had was when it had to be abandoned after nearly three hours. The record holders for the longest (and uncompleted) test were, interestingly enough, the senior team of a major financial company.

Some of the feedback from the first team (the speedy mixed team) was ‘fun, exciting, learned a lot’, whilst the senior team reported ‘frustration, pointless, difficult’. The key of course is not in the composition of the teams, but in the communication skills of the members of those teams. Perhaps the motivation was not right? The mixed team were there for a day that they had volunteered to attend, the senior team were being ‘sent’. But both outcomes resulted in serious learning for each group.

By using training games you can stimulate new experiences in a group who may think they already ‘communicate well’. Exercise can comfortably show where communication skills may be lacking and also highlight strengths. The object is often to teach new strategies, in the context of what is learned through the game. By being interactive, cynics and the ‘untouchables’ (who think they are right anyway) can find out exactly how effective their techniques and strategies are in a very simple simulation.

There are more complex games on the market and there are many simple training exercises that require no props whatsoever. The most important element is an effective facilitator or trainer and a clearly set objective. Playing a ‘game’ without having clearly defined learning outcomes would be self-defeating.

People learn in different ways, but by using activities that get delegates ‘doing’ instead of listening (or not), you will be able to develop training programmes that ‘stick’.

(C) Carolyn Sheppard 2008

NB: This article was written in 2008 for a financial website. It has disappeared into their archives now, so I have also put it up here for easy reference.

A Tale of Two Pots

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole that she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream "I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house." The old woman smiled,
"Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them."

"For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

Story provided by Iain Wilson.

Save money on training

Use your brains and save money on training - by Stella Collins

Whether there’s a recession or not, companies always need to ensure their training budgets are being used properly and not wasted.

It’s estimated about 80% of what is ‘taught’ can be forgotten 24 hours later – so when you have to continue to invest in training people in the important stuff (health and safety, IT, finance, products etc) then it’s vital they remember what they’ve learnt.

By understanding a little about how brains work and applying a tried and tested process to training, you can challenge this natural tendency to forget. Instead people can consistently remember at least 50% and up to 100% of what they learn – and that means they can apply it back at work, and you can recoup your return on your investment.

This effective process has 6 steps:

Step 1: motivate people to want to learn the information, however technical.

Step 2: present information through different mediums so they absorb it in their preferred way

Step 3: encourage people to use multiple ways of exploring information to search for their own understanding

Step 4: generate strong memory triggers so that, when it matters, they can recall the information again

Step 5: ask people to test and exhibit their new learning

Step 6: create regular opportunities for people to review and reflect on their training to ensure it’s learnt for the long term.

You will find more ideas about how you can use your brain in business and save your training budget by reading more in these great books: Learning - the Creativity Myth and Learning - Begin with the Brain in Mind

Article kindly provided by Stella Collins of Stellar Learning www.stellarlearning.co.uk and author of Learning - the Creativity Myth and Learning - Begin with the Brain in Mind