Training

Like everything we do in life, if we don’t do things continually or refresh / re-visit skills we’ve acquired, we can get what’s called “skills fade”.  If then your skills have faded as a Trainer, how can you expect to be able to give your people the very best training sessions? I know that in a lot of professions, the need...

There are many reasons that you may look to use “off-the-shelf” training solutions, but it’s hugely important to be mindful of the dangers in comparison with the perceived advantages: The training world is full of individuals and businesses that are more than willing to provide you with their take of a training package that sounds like it might fit you...

On one of my latest train the trainer courses, a lovely delegate called Lotta introduced me to one of the latest innovations in technology, the Samsung “Flip” (This is not an advertisement).  Having never heard of it and Lotta’s excellent description, I decided to investigate: I love technology and can remember the excitement building in an old training establishment I worked...

Have you ever asked this question or been asked?  As you can imagine, I have on many occasions, and my answer is always the same: Many attributes are used in tandem to become “great”, but for me, there is one major stand out factor: I remember as a young man being trained in my early days in the RAF by quite a...

One of the many reasons people come to train with us is to learn what they can do better when delivering training and very often a bonus of finding out they are also actually doing things right too.  One of the most significant realisations I experience from people though is just how much their training practice is embedded as a habit and...

For anyone considering a Train the Trainer course for themselves or others in their organisation, there is a wide choice.  With advances in technology which offer a wider range of delivery methods, we get numerous questions and enquiries about whether we provide an online course.  We love questions like this because it’s always a great way of looking at it in a...

In my last blog, I talked about a recent poor training experience someone had when the trainer handled questions poorly and how it completely disengaged the person who was meant to be there learning. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the only poor practice that was going on that day; here is part 2: It’s always critical to remember the reason that training has been...

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...

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...

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...