June 2018

On the last management blog, we discussed how paradigms cause us issues regarding our mindset and how we do things sometimes without thinking about them.  Research shows that 80% of our thinking is subconscious thinking and therefore throughout our working day we are using paradigms.  In other words, we have created habits of thought.  Of course, this can be positive if...

I love to share training experiences (good and bad) with people as it gives me a great impression of what goes on in the real world and also gives me some great topics to write blogs on!  Talking to someone about their training experience last week, I was astounded when they told me what the trainer did during one of their...

Decision making is such a significant area of life that some people tend to struggle. Procrastination is a common theme I hear which I always find interesting. When you think about this in a different way you realise we make decisions all day, clothes we choose to dress in, driving to work, drinking water, coffee or tea, all day, all the...

I thought I would write about something that is very important to me from a management perspective, dealing with conflict and over the next four management blogs I want to provide you with some essentials when dealing with conflict.  The ability to deal with conflict is essential for everything in life.  How we deal with it as a manager or leader, it...

Travelling around by train is (sometimes) quite a pleasurable experience, especially when you can work or relax without the worry of traffic jams etc.  A few months back I was heading to Edinburgh to deliver a PTT Train the Trainer, and upon entering the carriage, I noticed that a Gent was sat in my booked seat, but that indeed wasn’t the...

Coaching with someone in a very private, confidential place, that makes you feel safe and secure, is so powerful. Sometimes there is no one, and I mean no one that you want to share a problem with whether it is personal or professional.  I am always amazed at the reluctance of human beings in that we don't want to share what...

Yesterday marked an anniversary of the D-Day invasions where Operation Overlord was launched to beat the Nazis and ultimately saved us all.  I was thinking about this yesterday, and once again it got me thinking about the mental approach that those young men had in their minds.  Moreover, those left behind would no doubt have to have had the same attitude too...

In a previous blog, I talked about the importance of preparation in your lesson plans and specifically, having a structure that’s easy to follow.  This helps you, your fellow trainers and more importantly your audience but it won’t entirely be enough for you to deliver the very best sessions and here’s why: One of the stand out things I see on...