Monthly Archives: June 2020

I recently did a journal for teachers to reflect on their work role. How many of us do this, reflect on our work? I wrote the journal looking at reflection from a teacher's role, what their experiences of the day were and how could they change areas for the next time.

That made me think that people still have not grasped how important reflection is. Reflection is so powerful and growing further and I think it is a habit that could be encouraged further. Writing in journals is huge in the States and I think the UK is following closely behind but could improve. I feel we have not yet built the habit and routine of journaling writing to improve on any aspects in our lives. From diet to work to hobbies to personal development, all huge and relevant for improvement. Journaling has not been pushed enough yet for people to realise how brilliant it is to be the best you can be.

Journaling is not like writing a diary, it is 5 mins to think about some key areas that could be different for the next

Over the last few months, we have had to learn to deliver online training better.  Online training delivery uses modern technology and the ability to deliver training using information technology can reinforce key messages and therefore make it a great way of getting your message across.  

Unfortunately, poor use of information technology can add to the confusion and if we are not careful training can be tedious and highly non-effective.

Some key points regarding effective virtual or online training

Still ask questions – Really important we still ask questions for group involvement and engagement.  Unless checking understanding keep poll or multiple choice type questions to a minimum.  Use questions that have a good open technique to get delegates to think such as “Here we see a problem with …., how could we solve this”?

Don’t just offer an information dump – Like all training, it is essential that you just don’t tell.  If you're doing a webinar have a series of mini activities

We are having a great deal of interest in our ability to adapt our training courses. Since the start of lockdown, we have been delivering online training, and we have learnt how to provide it correctly. It requires a particular skill set, and I am personally very proud of how we have adapted to accommodate.

One thing that has particularly taken off is our ability to deliver online training in a one to one format. The format has some particular advantages:

Delivery Adaptability - We can adapt to suit the particular needs of the client; this includes areas covered and timings for delivery. We adapt to suit their needs so they can arrange other life commitments too, and we can fit into their schedule.

Specific Focus - Where individuals struggle with a particular area, we can focus on that area and where necessary extra time and additional support can be offered. Although we were always proud of our ability to do this with clients on open courses, we have found this works very well on an online

Time is a precious resource to us all and for all organisations. It is one of the few levellers, as time is the same for all of us; no matter what our role in the organisation. It's just how people choose to use it that differs, whether a manager, team leader, supervisor or any other member of staff we all need to assume control of this valuable resource and manage it; just as we would cash or other equally precious resources!

The whole time management discussion throws up some interesting statistics, for example, did you know that the average person gets 1 interruption every 8 minutes, or approximately 7 an hour, or 50-60 per day. The average interruption takes 5 minutes, totalling about 4 hours or 50% of the average workday. 80% of those interruptions are typically rated as 'little value' or 'no-value' creating approximately 3 hours of wasted time per day. No wonder then there is a problem!

Poor time management can cause misery, frustration and lack of focus. This can then cause problems

When you look at yourself, really look at yourself a good question to ask is “What I don’t want to write about” This is a beneficial exercise to do as a coach. To recognise some areas in yourself, you would least like your client to know about.

It is a really strange feeling to admit your faults, but as a coach, you do become used to sharing your innermost thoughts and feelings with peers. I always think you need to remind yourself of your vulnerability before a session with a client. Those feelings you carry are in everyone.

It is very useful to think about the areas you keep hidden, the imposter, the inner critic, thinking about the words that hold you back that trigger in a flash. Those moments you would prefer not to remember, but then the key is to flip it and recognise those are the times that made you who you are. We are all unique, but we must know ourselves and pay attention to the areas we prefer to not acknowledge as readily as our stronger areas, the areas we like about ourselves.

Public speaking is the most common of all phobias 75% of people suffer from speech anxiety, that is 3 out of 4 individuals suffer from anxiety when public speaking. I remember reading an article that said that some people fear public speaking over death!

This morning I delivered an online session on presentations and gave the delegates some keys skills and techniques for effective presentation delivery.

I covered the following areas:

OPEN UP - This is our acronym for effective presentations:

O...rganised
P...assion
E...ngaging
N...autural

U...nderstand
P...ractise

Structure

All presentations need a structure; without structure, we have chaos. All we need is a basic structure, including:

Intro - Tell them what you are going to tell them.
Main - Tell them
Summary - Tell them why you told them.

Killer introductions – Get people on board from the outset. In the intro if we just start with my name is... and I'm here to talk to you about... People are just going to switch off. Start the

A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Colin and Jean in a very snowy Aberdeen.  Although they had never met, it turned that they shared an off-shore connection with common colleagues and friends, so rapport built quickly with them once the ‘ice’ had been broken.  Getting rapport built quickly in your room is so important, as you will get a common bond and get them working as a team much earlier which (as a trainer) is going to make for a better learning environment and make life so much easier for you.  But what if Colin and Jean didn’t have that common ground, would it have been harder?

Well, the answer to my question is a definitive “No” as I would have used my tried and tested techniques to get the team talking, working together and building that rapport from the moment they stepped in the room.  Here are my four techniques to help build that rapport quickly:

Ask Simple Questions – Lots of simple questions such as “How was your journey today?” or “How

We're in a situation we more and more of us are managing staff remotely. Before COVID-19 remote working was on the up, more and more people were working other than their normal workplace either at home or in a remote location.   As COVID continues, the reality is that it is likely to be the norm for many people in the future.  Remote working requires some key skills from managers, and I want to reinforce these key areas that should be considered:

Resources - Make sure your team has the technology it needs to get the work done. If you suddenly have a team of remote workers, that means there's a good chance they need tools like laptops, software, mobile devices, or even a high-speed internet connection. It's not reasonable to assume that everyone has all of those things, and it's your responsibility as a manager to make sure they do.   Furthermore, this also means staff may need support and additional learning too.  Never assume that everyone has the level of knowledge to operate

Shame is a word that people prefer not to pay attention to; people prefer to keep it hidden. The problem is that it becomes much more powerful, staying silent.

The first question “What is shame to you”? Once you establish this you then need to ask yourself where does this come from, whose voices do you hear when shame creeps into my life.

Shame is everywhere, in all aspects of your life. Having a conversation with someone and apologising if you have to ask a question can make you feel ashamed, learning something new and feeling inadequate or not good enough creates shame, shame is huge.

You have to look at yourself and think about your own shame and if it shows up in your coaching. Shame will hold you back if you let it, again the key is to recognise it in yourself, and hopefully, you don’t project it onto others.

Think about what that inner critic tells you, your clumsy, not good enough; you are a failure, really think about those words that appear in your head. When do they appear, what