Monthly Archives: December 2018

It’s that time of year again to make changes, here we go it's 2019…….Yes our New Year is imminent and as always, we look to make changes to our lives. Every year the same process takes place, but did you know it is as little as 7% of the people who want to make the change who actually make the change and do something about it.

I always smile to myself as I enter the gym in January, the smile mixed with frustration. As I watch the people who have made a decision to get fit, I get very frustrated as the equipment is always taken especially the treadmills. But I know by the end of the month the die-hard trainers will be there with the majority of new fitness fanatics gone. Why is this?

Quite frankly people’s expectations are far from realistic, plus they want to make huge changes quickly not understanding they are life changes. Sadly, that is not the way to do it; it is about little changes. Whatever you choose to do in life whether it is personal or professionally it is the small changes

In a follow-up to Ralph’s excellent blog on “5 Christmas gifts for Managers” I thought I’d do something similar but from a Trainer’s perspective.  I got thinking if I was to make the ultimate Trainers wish list for those “must have” items, what would they be?  Here are my top Christmas gifts for the Trainer in your life:

1. Electronic Clicker – I’m a great advocate for PowerPoint when it is used appropriately to support learning, not as the be all and end all.  Therefore, it is convenient to have an appropriate clicker. I recommend one that had both the slide forward and back, blank plus PPt open and close; usually available for around £20.  Don’t forget those vital spare batteries just in case!

2. Flip Chart Pens – Another essential item and one thing I personally never think you can never have enough of.  I recommend chisel tipped pens rather than bullet as they’re easier to write with and also make your writing neater.

3. A Decent Laptop or Electronic device – I’ve tried

As I sit and reflect on the year, yes I know it is early but I do like to do this. Where is your place to go to really reflect personally?

My favourite spot is by the pool in my wonderful villa in Florida. But the place is more than what it reads. It is my personal tranquil place where I always think about when I am faced with the adversity of any sort. Not only when I face adversity also when I am not in the greatest of moods or feel low about something or myself. Let's face it we all go there from time to time but where do you think about it and what triggers you to climb out of it.

My place is here, in the villa by the pool, this is where I visualise, just sitting here now is no different to when I visualise this special place when I am at home or work in the UK. The smell of the air, the pool, the greenery lovely freshly cut grass and watching the wildlife that appears from time to time. I think about all of this, the beautiful special mornings of just sitting after my run or walk.

One of my all-time favourite films is Forest Gump and I absolutely love the quote he used “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get” because it’s so true; it works in so many circumstances including delivering training in different places.

When you are regularly delivering training in different cities and venues, it can be quite daunting as it’s rarely the same from place to place unless of course, you are always delivering in designated specialist meeting/training areas in Hotels etc. One of the greatest challenges is though when you visit different business and deliver in their premises; I’ve had lots of conversations with my fellow trainers about this, but we always have one thing in common – we adapt to the situation and just get on with the resources and facilities to hand.  When I get a “box of chocolates” type scenario, I have some simple principles I use when delivering in different locations I’d like to share:

1. Get some local help – First

We get many managers on our train the trainer courses.  I am always impressed with people in management positions who attend such a course. I think that all managers should be able to train, the reasons I would consider are essential to be an effective manager.

1. It’s your responsibility to teach – if your helping new starters or supporting individuals you have delegated work to you have to have the skills to be able to do this in the best way possible.  This includes the ability to engage with reasoning questions, something you are going to learn by being a great trainer.

2. You will get the best out of staff – knowing how to engage and deliver effective training using skills and techniques associated with great trainers will ensure you train staff effectively.  Remember just telling isn’t training and you will learn skills and techniques to check understanding and engage individuals effectively.

3.  You will learn the reading PowerPoint is poor – managers that just read PowerPoint

I thought I would follow on from the previous blog about why an individual has approached you. Is it out of choice, work has planted the suggestion that coaching may be a good idea or is it something about you that the individual feels comfortable with so they come to you.

When reading your reflection diaries, what informs you? What insight comes from your log. What patterns have you noticed in yourself and what does that trigger in you? There will be a voice in you that may need retraining, the voice that is so powerful. Deeper reflection helps you look for evidence in you to understand what may be seen, a pattern in you that offers some insight. Models offer insight, and you may offer different reactions depending on the coachee, deep reflection is needed to understand, really look at why.

Sometimes you may not be sure on what you do, you may have a strong feeling why, but where does that come from? Were you present in the conversation from the start, half present or entirely focused?

Many things in life have great synergy between them and I have written many blogs where I have used sport as a great learning example.  In this blog I've just had another great life experience that has taught me such a valuable lesson in confidence I’d love to share with you.

Some of you who have read my previous blogs may recall I’ve been in a long recovery process from a broken leg sustained while skiing in November 2016.  In those early days after the injury, I didn’t know if I’d ever recover well enough to Ski but fortunately, I made a good recovery, and I did get back on ski’s a little under a year later.  I can remember the sense of fear I had; almost like I was a beginner all over again standing while trying to muster the confidence to go down the slope.  I did, however, manage some very tentative skiing from low down and even mustered the courage to go up to the top of the snow dome slope for a final run.  While looking down, it was like standing at the top of Everest