Effective interviewing is a vital part of the selection process. This means that we need a consistent approach that is both professional and efficient.
One reason that consistency is important is that we must ensure that all candidates we interview are given a fair opportunity. We believe that one way to achieve consistency is to use a structured approach.
The approach we recommend is ethical and fair and you will be using it in a way designed to put interviewees at ease so that they feel confident to talk to you. It is also very effective at collecting quality information to help you make the best possible decision.
The structure we will be using is easily remembered using the mnemonic PRICE.
Prepare
The key to effective interviewing is good preparation and planning. Skip this stage or prepare inadequately and it is unlikely that the interview will be effective.
As a minimum you should be setting the criteria you expect successful candidates to meet and the questions you need to ask to help you assess whether they meet those criteria.
We also advocate preparing a question plan to use as the basis of questions you will ask all candidates.
Rapport
At the start of the interview the aim should be to establish the right level of rapport with candidates. It is important to remember that you are using the interview to obtain good quality information from candidates. Put them at ease and they are much more likely to talk freely.
Interview
Think of an interview as a structured conversation. The role of the interviewer is to give direction to that conversation by asking appropriate questions.
The aim should be for the candidate to do most of the talking and the interviewer to do most of the listening during this phase.
Close
Candidates must be given the opportunity to ask any questions of their own. Remember, they will also be using the interview to assess whether they want to work for you.
At the end of the interview the interviewer should explain the next steps in the selection process and when and how the candidate will be contacted.
Evaluate
After the interview the interviewer needs to evaluate the information collected against the criteria established during the preparation phase.
This article is a short excerpt from the Trainer Bubble training materials, Interview Skills developed by the author Karl Halliwell. Visit Trainer Bubble to purchase this great training resource today.
Friday 20 November 2009
Friday 13 November 2009
A short story for all business owners
A man owned a small farm in Hampshire. The Hampshire Department for Work and Pensions claimed he was not paying proper wages to his help and sent an agent out to interview him. "I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them," demanded the agent.
"Well," replied the farmer, "there's my farm hand who's been with me for 3 years. I pay him £400 a week plus free room and board. The cook has been here for 18 months, and I pay her £250 per week plus free room and board.
Then there's the half-wit who works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about £100 per week, pays his own room and board, and I buy him a bottle of whisky every Saturday night. He also sleeps with my wife occasionally. "That's the guy I want to talk to...the half-wit," said the agent. "That would be me," replied the farmer
"Well," replied the farmer, "there's my farm hand who's been with me for 3 years. I pay him £400 a week plus free room and board. The cook has been here for 18 months, and I pay her £250 per week plus free room and board.
Then there's the half-wit who works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about £100 per week, pays his own room and board, and I buy him a bottle of whisky every Saturday night. He also sleeps with my wife occasionally. "That's the guy I want to talk to...the half-wit," said the agent. "That would be me," replied the farmer
Monday 9 November 2009
Influencing Skills - Social Proof
The principle of social proof states that one important method people use to decide what to believe or how to act in a situation is to look at what other people are believing or doing.
Our need to revert to this behaviour usually happens in two instances. These are:
Social proof can be an extremely powerful tool in the marketing of a company’s products and services. After all, if your current customers (who happen to be a lot like me) are so happy with your products, then surely I will be too?
Social proof and it's application for influencing skills is discussed in some depth in our training materials,'The Power of Influence', which you can purchase from our website Trainer Bubble.
Our need to revert to this behaviour usually happens in two instances. These are:
- Similarity – people are more likely to follow the lead of others that are similar
- Uncertainty – when people are unsure and the situation is ambiguous they are more likely to follow actions of others to determine what is correct
Social proof can be an extremely powerful tool in the marketing of a company’s products and services. After all, if your current customers (who happen to be a lot like me) are so happy with your products, then surely I will be too?
Social proof and it's application for influencing skills is discussed in some depth in our training materials,'The Power of Influence', which you can purchase from our website Trainer Bubble.
Thursday 24 September 2009
Strategies for Handling Aggressive Behaviour
There are times when we all run into aggressive behaviour in the workplace or indeed in any social situation. The following strategies may be useful in defusing aggressive behaviour during discussions:
Maintain self-control
It is vitally important to maintain your self-control and not to bite. The other person may try to pull you in and may well use personal abuse, vulgar or unpleasant language and threatening gestures.
Try to retain your ‘state of independence’ and not be drawn in. It may help you to think of it this way – if you become angry – who has won? Your negative response may be helping them to achieve what they set out to do.
Signal non-aggression
It is important to catch the person’s attention and give signals, which will calm and de-escalate the situation. The most important thing to signal here is non-aggression. Remember that the other person is in a very emotional state and therefore their ability to think rationally is diminished – thus the actual words you use are less important than the tone and body language you display.
Match energy levels
It is important to match the energy level of the person. If you are slow to respond, or respond too calmly, it can give the impression that you don’t care or aren’t really interested in the other person’s problem or issue. Matching energy does not mean that you should be aggressive back to that person – it means that you should quickly engage with them and demonstrate with your body language and tone that you are concerned and interested.
This article is a short excpert from the Training Course Materials, 'Building Relationships'. Visit Trainer Bubble today to find out more about this and other exciting training course materials.
Maintain self-control
It is vitally important to maintain your self-control and not to bite. The other person may try to pull you in and may well use personal abuse, vulgar or unpleasant language and threatening gestures.
Try to retain your ‘state of independence’ and not be drawn in. It may help you to think of it this way – if you become angry – who has won? Your negative response may be helping them to achieve what they set out to do.
Signal non-aggression
It is important to catch the person’s attention and give signals, which will calm and de-escalate the situation. The most important thing to signal here is non-aggression. Remember that the other person is in a very emotional state and therefore their ability to think rationally is diminished – thus the actual words you use are less important than the tone and body language you display.
Match energy levels
It is important to match the energy level of the person. If you are slow to respond, or respond too calmly, it can give the impression that you don’t care or aren’t really interested in the other person’s problem or issue. Matching energy does not mean that you should be aggressive back to that person – it means that you should quickly engage with them and demonstrate with your body language and tone that you are concerned and interested.
This article is a short excpert from the Training Course Materials, 'Building Relationships'. Visit Trainer Bubble today to find out more about this and other exciting training course materials.
Wednesday 9 September 2009
Trainer Bubble has Changed!
You may have noticed the we have been a little quiet lately, but we've not just been out enjoying the UK summer! Our time has been spent updating the Trainer Bubble website in order to improve your user experience.
Although we felt it was time for some change, feedback from customers and our own discussions told us that we didn't really want to alter the look and feel of Trainer Bubble too much. However, we did want to make it work a little faster and to improve your general experience. Consequently, you will notice that we have added images to the product listings and also improved our search function. Our International customers will also note that there is an easy to use currency converter, which should make our prices much easier to review.
Most of the changes are in the background, but you should notice faster load times and a much better experience. Of course, we've kept all the great features, including a huge list of training materials and the free section. Visit us now to see for yourself at Trainer Bubble.
Although we felt it was time for some change, feedback from customers and our own discussions told us that we didn't really want to alter the look and feel of Trainer Bubble too much. However, we did want to make it work a little faster and to improve your general experience. Consequently, you will notice that we have added images to the product listings and also improved our search function. Our International customers will also note that there is an easy to use currency converter, which should make our prices much easier to review.
Most of the changes are in the background, but you should notice faster load times and a much better experience. Of course, we've kept all the great features, including a huge list of training materials and the free section. Visit us now to see for yourself at Trainer Bubble.
Saturday 1 August 2009
Honesty video - Great for Customer Care training
This video is great to use in training sessions where you want to demonstrate what is really going on during customer conversations...
Tuesday 14 July 2009
Speeches and Presenting - Tips and Techniques
This article from Denise Winterman from the BBC caught our eye recently, and we thought we'd share it with you...
A brilliant speech can go down in history. But most of us write words the world will never listen to. Can speech-writing teach us skills for dealing with tricky situations in everyday life?
Pants. Just one of the reasons the US Embassy in Britain is currently advertising for a speech-writer. It says knowledge of the nuances between the Queen's English and American English is vital, for obvious reasons.
However speech-writing is about much more than trying to avoid red faces. As far back as the ancient Greeks, the power of carefully crafted words has been fully understood and expertly exploited.
But rather than being all about creative flair a good speech-writer uses a number of techniques to get a point across. And these verbal tools are not only useful at the lectern, anyone can use them in everyday situations, from handling a boisterous child to reasoning with a traffic warden.
This is because speech-writing is the language of persuasion. And the average day largely consists of trying to persuade people, says Dr Max Atkinson, a communications consultant and author of Speech-Making and Presentation Made Easy.
"The way words are put together makes all the difference," he says. "It's often thought that great speakers are blessed with a gift, but they all use the same techniques. What makes people stand out is how often they use them.
"These techniques are the building blocks of effective speech-writing and can be used in other areas of life. Some people use them without even knowing. They are usually the best speakers and the most persuasive people, but anyone can learn them."
Mantra
Study great speeches and you will soon see a formula, agrees Adrian Furnham, professor of psychology at University College London. While some are more complex, others are relatively simple.
What makes the techniques adaptable to everyday life is the fact that language is governed by rules - rules we all learn from the time we begin to peak.
"Even the smallest child is learning the rules of language, and language acquisition and so these techniques can be applied to them," says Dr Atkinson.
"Research has shown that you can get a different reaction from a child depending on how you speak to them. Like everyone else, they respond to the way something is said."
In a nutshell, a great speech is communication at its most effective, and we all want to communicate effectively in whatever situation we find ourselves in, says professional speech-writer Lawrence Bernstein.
"The rules and techniques of good communication work on all levels - if you're on a stage speaking to thousands of people, asking your boss for a pay rise, trying to buy a new house, or teaching a class of 10 year olds."
So what are the best techniques?
CONTRASTS
A tactic used by John F Kennedy and by Margaret Thatcher.
People are still quoting JFK's line: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." And Baroness Thatcher was at her most formidable when she famously told the 1980 Tory party conference: "You turn if you want to, the lady's not for turning."
"Using contrasts is a real winner," says Dr Atkinson. "Research shows 33% of the applause a good speech gets is when a contrast is used.
"This is because you are often using a negative and then a positive and that has impact. It makes your point bigger and better."
It's a technique that translates into everyday life, especially with children. While explaining they can't have one thing, it's good to point out what they can have instead. "No, you can't have a skateboard of your own, but you can have a go on your brother's."
THREE-PART LISTS
Three really is the magic number. "Education, education, education" - Tony Blair's 1997 election-winning mantra. Or it can be a list as simple as "here, there and everywhere".
It's a technique used by US President Barack Obama - he used 29 three-part lists in roughly 10 minutes during his victory speech on election night, says Dr Atkinson.
The theory behind the technique is that three is the first and earliest point at which a possible list of similar words can become unequivocal. No other word needs to be added to make it a list.
"It's about completeness. A third word can give confirmation and completes a point," says Dr Atkinson. "It applies in all walks of life. Church services and prayer books are full of three-part lists. Research has shown that people know a prayer is finished when it ends with them praying for three things. They know to say 'Amen' and don't have to be prompted."
Also, it is economical - a third word is the earliest point at which a possible connection, implied by the first two, is confirmed. If you carry on listing items, say speech-writing experts, you risk being criticised for "going on and on". It can be the same in life in general.
IMAGERY AND ANECDOTES
Be it "opening doors" or "breaking down barriers", paint a carefully constructed picture with your words.
"It's about taking people on a journey and making it memorable," says Prof Furnham. "Imagery and anecdotes are some of the best ways to do this and they can personalise things."
Again, it's President Obama who experts say is a master of this technique.
"He knows how to use imagery both to increase impact and to make his points. He paints an image but also evokes associations with great communicators of the past like Lincoln and King," says Dr Atkinson.
This technique works whether addressing a nation, or guests at a wedding, say experts.
BREAK THE RULES
A good speech-writer knows the rules to follow, and also how to break these to maximum effect. There is always room for the unexpected in a great speech, and in life, says Phil Collins, former speech-writer for Tony Blair.
If done well it can grab people's attention - and he should know. Mr Collins penned Mr Blair's joke about there being no danger of his wife "running off with the bloke next door".
It was one of the former prime minister's most unexpected and memorable lines, delivered in his last speech to a Labour conference in 2006. It was deftly done and showed a real understanding of Blair and Gordon Brown's prickly relationship.
"No one was expecting it, which is what made it so good and so memorable," he says. "Pitched right and delivered well, something unexpected will make people sit up and listen."
A brilliant speech can go down in history. But most of us write words the world will never listen to. Can speech-writing teach us skills for dealing with tricky situations in everyday life?
Pants. Just one of the reasons the US Embassy in Britain is currently advertising for a speech-writer. It says knowledge of the nuances between the Queen's English and American English is vital, for obvious reasons.
However speech-writing is about much more than trying to avoid red faces. As far back as the ancient Greeks, the power of carefully crafted words has been fully understood and expertly exploited.
But rather than being all about creative flair a good speech-writer uses a number of techniques to get a point across. And these verbal tools are not only useful at the lectern, anyone can use them in everyday situations, from handling a boisterous child to reasoning with a traffic warden.
This is because speech-writing is the language of persuasion. And the average day largely consists of trying to persuade people, says Dr Max Atkinson, a communications consultant and author of Speech-Making and Presentation Made Easy.
"The way words are put together makes all the difference," he says. "It's often thought that great speakers are blessed with a gift, but they all use the same techniques. What makes people stand out is how often they use them.
"These techniques are the building blocks of effective speech-writing and can be used in other areas of life. Some people use them without even knowing. They are usually the best speakers and the most persuasive people, but anyone can learn them."
Mantra
Study great speeches and you will soon see a formula, agrees Adrian Furnham, professor of psychology at University College London. While some are more complex, others are relatively simple.
What makes the techniques adaptable to everyday life is the fact that language is governed by rules - rules we all learn from the time we begin to peak.
"Even the smallest child is learning the rules of language, and language acquisition and so these techniques can be applied to them," says Dr Atkinson.
"Research has shown that you can get a different reaction from a child depending on how you speak to them. Like everyone else, they respond to the way something is said."
In a nutshell, a great speech is communication at its most effective, and we all want to communicate effectively in whatever situation we find ourselves in, says professional speech-writer Lawrence Bernstein.
"The rules and techniques of good communication work on all levels - if you're on a stage speaking to thousands of people, asking your boss for a pay rise, trying to buy a new house, or teaching a class of 10 year olds."
So what are the best techniques?
CONTRASTS
A tactic used by John F Kennedy and by Margaret Thatcher.
People are still quoting JFK's line: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." And Baroness Thatcher was at her most formidable when she famously told the 1980 Tory party conference: "You turn if you want to, the lady's not for turning."
"Using contrasts is a real winner," says Dr Atkinson. "Research shows 33% of the applause a good speech gets is when a contrast is used.
"This is because you are often using a negative and then a positive and that has impact. It makes your point bigger and better."
It's a technique that translates into everyday life, especially with children. While explaining they can't have one thing, it's good to point out what they can have instead. "No, you can't have a skateboard of your own, but you can have a go on your brother's."
THREE-PART LISTS
Three really is the magic number. "Education, education, education" - Tony Blair's 1997 election-winning mantra. Or it can be a list as simple as "here, there and everywhere".
It's a technique used by US President Barack Obama - he used 29 three-part lists in roughly 10 minutes during his victory speech on election night, says Dr Atkinson.
The theory behind the technique is that three is the first and earliest point at which a possible list of similar words can become unequivocal. No other word needs to be added to make it a list.
"It's about completeness. A third word can give confirmation and completes a point," says Dr Atkinson. "It applies in all walks of life. Church services and prayer books are full of three-part lists. Research has shown that people know a prayer is finished when it ends with them praying for three things. They know to say 'Amen' and don't have to be prompted."
Also, it is economical - a third word is the earliest point at which a possible connection, implied by the first two, is confirmed. If you carry on listing items, say speech-writing experts, you risk being criticised for "going on and on". It can be the same in life in general.
IMAGERY AND ANECDOTES
Be it "opening doors" or "breaking down barriers", paint a carefully constructed picture with your words.
"It's about taking people on a journey and making it memorable," says Prof Furnham. "Imagery and anecdotes are some of the best ways to do this and they can personalise things."
Again, it's President Obama who experts say is a master of this technique.
"He knows how to use imagery both to increase impact and to make his points. He paints an image but also evokes associations with great communicators of the past like Lincoln and King," says Dr Atkinson.
This technique works whether addressing a nation, or guests at a wedding, say experts.
BREAK THE RULES
A good speech-writer knows the rules to follow, and also how to break these to maximum effect. There is always room for the unexpected in a great speech, and in life, says Phil Collins, former speech-writer for Tony Blair.
If done well it can grab people's attention - and he should know. Mr Collins penned Mr Blair's joke about there being no danger of his wife "running off with the bloke next door".
It was one of the former prime minister's most unexpected and memorable lines, delivered in his last speech to a Labour conference in 2006. It was deftly done and showed a real understanding of Blair and Gordon Brown's prickly relationship.
"No one was expecting it, which is what made it so good and so memorable," he says. "Pitched right and delivered well, something unexpected will make people sit up and listen."
Wednesday 8 July 2009
Great Leadership Skills - Delegation
The great leader realises that they cannot have hands-on control of every aspect of their work. In order to effectively deliver on the demands placed on them, they should rely on relevant members of their team for support. The leader that can successfully delegate will enjoy a greater level of achievement.
The Benefits of effective delegation are:
Top performers will be attracted by your approach and want to join your team, poor performers won’t!
You will have more time to focus on strategy and forward looking tasks
Team members will be motivated by the responsibility
Team members will be given the opportunity to ‘shine’
Your team will be more efficient
When carried out effectively, delegation can be a huge motivating factor for a team. Conversely, the team can be deeply de-motivated when a leader abdicates responsibility for tasks, palms off work that they do not like or delegates the task, but not the responsibility to complete it.
With this in mind, we must ensure that we are delegating work for the right reasons, at the right times and in the right way. First we must establish what it is we should, and should not, be delegating.
Do not delegate work that you can remove completely. If it is something that really does not have to be done, remove it.
Delegate routine activities that you may use to procrastinate. Things like filing, photocopying, data entry, collecting data – If it takes up a lot of time and someone else is better placed to do it, pass it on.
Things that you are not the expert at. If another member of the team will do a better job of it, let them.
Small projects – if a project can be completed by one of your team and you know it will develop their skills, discuss it with them and see if they want to take up the challenge.
Do not delegate something just because you don’t like doing it. This isn’t fair and will lose you respect.
Do not delegate jobs that require your level of authority or tasks that have a high level of responsibility and accountability i.e. job interviews, disciplinary meetings etc. (unless of course this is part of the role your team deal with).
The key is to be practical about delegation. Think about your motives behind why you are delegating. If you are honest with yourself, it is likely that you will choose the right reasons to delegate.
It is also important to delegate the authority and responsibility with the task. There is nothing worse than a leader who delegates the task, but then restricts the team member’s ability to complete it because they somehow feel they must retain control. If you are happy for that person to take on the task, you should be comfortable that they have the ability to get results.
Having said this, you should delegate the task, not abdicate it. The individual should not be left feeling that a task has been dumped on them with no more involvement from you. Schedule regular updates, ask casually how the person is progressing, give and ask for feedback and allow them to find their own way with guidance from you if required.
For positive results, you can follow this simple process...
- Define Your Desired Results
- Select an Appropriate Team Member
- Clarify Expectations and Set Clear Parameters
- Give Authority and Responsibility to Agreed Level
- Provide Background Information
- Establish a Clear Feedback Process
By following this simple process you will ensure that the person you delegate to feels that they have your full support throughout the process. Where they feel that the challenge is too demanding, they should have every opportunity to let you know.
One final thought to consider is that once the team member completes the task, you should ensure they receive the credit and your thanks. By celebrating their success you not only build a motivated workforce, you also ensure that your team are willing to work on further tasks for you.
This article is an excerpt from the Trainer Bubble training materials, 'Great Leadership', which you can purchase from our website at http://www.trainerbubble.com
Tuesday 23 June 2009
Where the money goes...
Did you know that in a UK class of 30 at least two of the children will have a parent that is employed by the NHS? The NHS is the fourth largest employer in the world.
In 1987-88 our government total expenditure was £339.9bn compared to £541.8bn in 2007-08. The signs are that this is going to increase dramatically moving on.
The FT Today has an interesting collection of stats regarding the UK expenditure now and in the past. You need to register, but it is free.
These stats are extremely useful when providing training and can be used to demonstrate growth, development, expenditure and excess! We suggest you take a look to find out more.
In 1987-88 our government total expenditure was £339.9bn compared to £541.8bn in 2007-08. The signs are that this is going to increase dramatically moving on.
The FT Today has an interesting collection of stats regarding the UK expenditure now and in the past. You need to register, but it is free.
These stats are extremely useful when providing training and can be used to demonstrate growth, development, expenditure and excess! We suggest you take a look to find out more.
Monday 1 June 2009
Client Relationships
Anyone who works as a training consultant and bills customers for work is likely to see the humour in this great video clip that we came across recently. Well, it made us laugh!
Wednesday 27 May 2009
Great Leadership Skills - Being Inclusive
A great leader realises that in order to ensure they achieve the best results, they must include the expertise and knowledge of their team in the decision making process. This approach means that leaders get the best from their people through empowerment, encouraging contributions and nurturing talent - rather than simply rewarding good work.
Far from just developing their own skills and knowledge, the great leader is determined to develop those around them by including them in key decisions, identifying and recognising the talents of people within the team and generally creating an environment where everyone not only feels they can contribute, but is positively encouraged to do so.
A great leader will also recognise that there may well be other leaders in their team and just because they have the title of leader, does not mean that the contributions from others should be ignored. There are times when everyone needs to display leadership skills within an organisation and a ‘titled’ leader ignores this at their peril.
Most people will agree that they are most willing to change and adapt when they have been included in the decision making process. If you think of your own experiences I’m sure you will be able to recall times when you have been reluctant to follow a leader because you felt that you had no say in the process. By being inclusive and valuing the opinion of our team, we develop a strong sense of belonging and create an attitude that the team can overcome any challenge. The importance of this to the success of a department and ultimately the organisation is huge.
This is a short excerpt from the training materials, 'Great Leadership', which you can purchase at the Trainer Bubble website.
Far from just developing their own skills and knowledge, the great leader is determined to develop those around them by including them in key decisions, identifying and recognising the talents of people within the team and generally creating an environment where everyone not only feels they can contribute, but is positively encouraged to do so.
A great leader will also recognise that there may well be other leaders in their team and just because they have the title of leader, does not mean that the contributions from others should be ignored. There are times when everyone needs to display leadership skills within an organisation and a ‘titled’ leader ignores this at their peril.
Most people will agree that they are most willing to change and adapt when they have been included in the decision making process. If you think of your own experiences I’m sure you will be able to recall times when you have been reluctant to follow a leader because you felt that you had no say in the process. By being inclusive and valuing the opinion of our team, we develop a strong sense of belonging and create an attitude that the team can overcome any challenge. The importance of this to the success of a department and ultimately the organisation is huge.
This is a short excerpt from the training materials, 'Great Leadership', which you can purchase at the Trainer Bubble website.
Tuesday 14 April 2009
HSE gets tough on Stress Management
Employers are being urged to improve their management of stress at work issues after it emerged that the Health and Safety Executive issued an improvement notice for stress against the Lincolnshire NHS Trust.
This latest improvement notice shows that the HSE will not shy away from taking action when employers fail to meet their stress management obligations under the health & safety laws.
You should always take the health of your staff seriously and stress is often an area that is overlooked as the symptoms are not always physically displayed. Of course, this does not make stress any less important and we have an obligation to ensure that staff who become subject to stress issues are treated with the respect and care they deserve.
Recent statistics confirm that work-related stress is widespread in the UK working population and is not confined to particular sectors or high risk jobs or industries.
An annual absence survey carried out last year by CBI/AXA, found that non work-related stress, anxiety and depression was the most common cause of long-term absence. Government guidelines on how to manage it and a growing pile of evidence on tackling stress have not solved the problem.
Another report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists adds that sickness absences due to mental health problems such as stress are likely to be longer than those caused by physical health problems, accounting for 47% of long-term absence.
It is important that all businesses take the subject of stress management seriously. Ensuring staff are aware of stress issues and how to cope goes some way to ensuring they are better prepared to cope with stressful situations. Add to this a clear policy on stress and a structured method of working and levels of workplace stress can be reduced.
Make your staff aware of Stress Management and methods of coping with stress by delivering the Trainer Bubble training course materials on Stress Management.
This latest improvement notice shows that the HSE will not shy away from taking action when employers fail to meet their stress management obligations under the health & safety laws.
You should always take the health of your staff seriously and stress is often an area that is overlooked as the symptoms are not always physically displayed. Of course, this does not make stress any less important and we have an obligation to ensure that staff who become subject to stress issues are treated with the respect and care they deserve.
Recent statistics confirm that work-related stress is widespread in the UK working population and is not confined to particular sectors or high risk jobs or industries.
An annual absence survey carried out last year by CBI/AXA, found that non work-related stress, anxiety and depression was the most common cause of long-term absence. Government guidelines on how to manage it and a growing pile of evidence on tackling stress have not solved the problem.
Another report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists adds that sickness absences due to mental health problems such as stress are likely to be longer than those caused by physical health problems, accounting for 47% of long-term absence.
It is important that all businesses take the subject of stress management seriously. Ensuring staff are aware of stress issues and how to cope goes some way to ensuring they are better prepared to cope with stressful situations. Add to this a clear policy on stress and a structured method of working and levels of workplace stress can be reduced.
Make your staff aware of Stress Management and methods of coping with stress by delivering the Trainer Bubble training course materials on Stress Management.
Tuesday 7 April 2009
Embed a key learning point through humorous movies!
Always on the look out for novel ways to get a message across during training courses, I was excited when I found a collection of websites that allow you to subtitle your own words over different movie clips. These movies allow you to create your own input and develop a memorable clip related to any topic you want to present to your participants.
The possibilities are endless and you can play around with the idea as much as you want until you feel it is right. The method of delivery is both fun and memorable as the following clip on this link will show...
http://www.grapheine.com/classiktv/index.php?module=see&lang=uk&code=0a8dcc77381389d614bd8ff2f89e3be3
Give it a go yourself. You might want to use it to get across a message about a new product or to embed learning from a training issue that you are discussing. Here's another one I put together in about 2 minutes...
http://www.grapheine.com/classiktv/index.php?module=see&lang=fr&code=053a194bd64ba3387025223f43b202e6
Here's a few links of sites that provide this free service...
http://www.grapheine.com/classiktv/index.php
http://www.grapheine.com/bombaytv/
http://www.grapheine.com/bombaytv/v2/
http://www.grapheine.com/futeboltv/
Have fun!
The possibilities are endless and you can play around with the idea as much as you want until you feel it is right. The method of delivery is both fun and memorable as the following clip on this link will show...
http://www.grapheine.com/classiktv/index.php?module=see&lang=uk&code=0a8dcc77381389d614bd8ff2f89e3be3
Give it a go yourself. You might want to use it to get across a message about a new product or to embed learning from a training issue that you are discussing. Here's another one I put together in about 2 minutes...
http://www.grapheine.com/classiktv/index.php?module=see&lang=fr&code=053a194bd64ba3387025223f43b202e6
Here's a few links of sites that provide this free service...
http://www.grapheine.com/classiktv/index.php
http://www.grapheine.com/bombaytv/
http://www.grapheine.com/bombaytv/v2/
http://www.grapheine.com/futeboltv/
Have fun!
Monday 30 March 2009
Ridiculous Customer Complaints - A fun activity
I recently came across 20 ridiculous customer complaints. A list made up from research by Thomas Cook and ABTA.
Having looked at the complaints and laughing a lot, it occurred to me that this might make a fun activity to carry out during a customer care or complaint handling training session. You simply provide the participants with the list of ridiculous complaints and ask them to come up with the best response possible by way of feedback. This will test their ability to respond to customer demands as well as providing a bit of fun to the training session.
Here's the list...
Having looked at the complaints and laughing a lot, it occurred to me that this might make a fun activity to carry out during a customer care or complaint handling training session. You simply provide the participants with the list of ridiculous complaints and ask them to come up with the best response possible by way of feedback. This will test their ability to respond to customer demands as well as providing a bit of fun to the training session.
Here's the list...
- A tourist at a top African game lodge overlooking a waterhole, who spotted a visibly aroused elephant, complained that the sight of this rampant beast ruined his honeymoon by making him feel "inadequate".
- A woman threatened to call police after claiming that she’d been locked in by staff. When in fact, she had mistaken the “do not disturb” sign on the back of the door as a warning to remain in the room
- "The beach was too sandy."
- A guest at a Novotel in Australia complained his soup was too thick and strong. He was inadvertently slurping the gravy at the time.
- "Topless sunbathing on the beach should be banned. The holiday was ruined as my husband spent all day looking at other women."
- "We bought 'Ray-Ban' sunglasses for five euros (£3.50) from a street trader, only to find out they were fake."
- "No-one told us there would be fish in the sea. The children were startled."
- "It took us nine hours to fly home from Jamaica to England it only took the Americans three hours to get home."
- "My fiancé and I booked a twin-bedded room but we were placed in a double-bedded room. We now hold you responsible for the fact that I find myself pregnant. This would not have happened if you had put us in the room that we booked."
- "I compared the size of our one-bedroom apartment to our friends' three-bedroom apartment and ours was significantly smaller."
- "The brochure stated: 'No hairdressers at the accommodation'. We're trainee hairdressers - will we be OK staying here?"
- "There are too many Spanish people. The receptionist speaks Spanish. The food is Spanish. Too many foreigners."
- "We found the sand was not like the sand in the brochure. Your brochure shows the sand as yellow but it was white."
- "We had to queue outside with no air conditioning."
- "It is your duty as a tour operator to advise us of noisy or unruly guests before we travel."
- "I was bitten by a mosquito - no-one said they could bite."
- "I think it should be explained in the brochure that the local store does not sell proper biscuits like custard creams or ginger nuts."
- "It's lazy of the local shopkeepers to close in the afternoons. I often needed to buy things during 'siesta' time - this should be banned."
- "On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don't like spicy food at all."
- "We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our swimming costumes and towels."
Tuesday 17 March 2009
Self-Study Workbooks
We've been working hard to add Self Study Workbooks to our growing portfolio. In the fast paced work environments we encounter today, these workbooks provide the perfect opportunity to develop and build on skills that might otherwise be neglected.
The workbooks provide clarity and insight to the specific topic, whilst including activities, questions and practical tasks. So far we've added four of these workbooks to the Trainer Bubble website (Business E-mails, Leadership, Report Writing, Time Management) and we are working on providing a complete range. So visit Trainer Bubble to find out more.
The workbooks provide clarity and insight to the specific topic, whilst including activities, questions and practical tasks. So far we've added four of these workbooks to the Trainer Bubble website (Business E-mails, Leadership, Report Writing, Time Management) and we are working on providing a complete range. So visit Trainer Bubble to find out more.
Monday 9 March 2009
...and more on airline service
Following on from the Ryanair post last week. Here's an interesting new promotional clip I've spotted...
Friday 6 March 2009
Low cost, or, customer service?
So, Ryanair seem to have upset a lot of people again with their plans to charge people £1 to use the toilet on one of their flights. It begs the question, what is more important, low cost or customer service?
Ryanair would no doubt argue that the fact they charge people for heavier luggage, eating and now possibly going to the toilet, means that they can keep their low cost flights at the smallest costs possible and if people really want more than to be flown to their destination, they will have to pay for it. In a lot of ways, this is reasonable, after all you know what you are getting when you sign up and if you expect first class service, then you'll have to pay for it (with another airline).
I heard a story of a Ryanair staff member who was rude to a customer and upon complaint was told that if you wanted great service, which I guess included being treated politely, you should pay for it. The trouble as I see it is that people want both. They want to pay a cheap price for things, but when they don't get exceptional service as well (this includes the 'extras' mentioned above), they are not happy. Is this reasonable? Well, to a certain degree it has to be. After all, without customers, no company will succeed and they can always vote with their feet.
What you cannot deny though, is that Ryanair is a very successful airline. So, are they right or wrong in their approach? Well, to be honest I'm undecided. I could argue that people who book Ryanair know what they are going to get, but then in the same breath, I put my customer care hat on and say that all companies should work towards providing exceptional customer service.
Whatever my thoughts are, the ultimate truth is that the success of the company will provide the answer. Because, I suspect, people will still book flights with Ryanair and continue to complain about them...after all, we all enjoy a moan don't we?
I think the following image provides a perfect example of this...
Wednesday 18 February 2009
Managing Negativity at Work
Unfortunately, negativity is a natural part of wokring in a business environment. There is often discontent in some form or another and a good leader recognises this. By developing an inclusive approach to leadership and involving your team in decision making processes it is possible that the likelihood of negativity arising is minimised, but you should be prepared to deal with it when it does appear as even the most effective leader will run into negativity at some point in their career. The big problem is that negativity can be contagious and once it rears its head, can be very difficult to manage.
Sometimes negativity will arise as a result of company processes or changes required to make an organisation more effective. It can also arise over time for what appears to be no obvious reason.
An organisation that is in the grip of negativity will display an increase in the amount of complaining, a focus on why things cannot be done, a ‘what’s in it for me’ attitude and a view that things will never get better.
When negativity arises, it can sap your energy as a leader and potentially pull you into its grasp. A great leader will use simple techniques to manage negativity in the workplace and ensures their own attitude remains positive and focused.
The following suggestions will help you to overcome negativity when it arises:
Acknowledge negativity
Negativity will not go away if you ignore it, in fact it will most likely get worse. If it is not acknowledged, you will lose credibility as a leader. Discuss the negative feelings with those concerned, show that you care and ask for suggestions on how you might overcome the issue.
Identify the positives in all situations
It is easy to be dismissive and ignore the input from our team members. Celebrate the small victories and where suggestions will not work, try and identify the elements that you can work on. Positive actions are often a result of lots of little actions rather than one big one.
Give positive recognition often
This is something that is often overlooked and leaders can fall into the trap of considering the efforts of their team as ‘part of their role’. Everybody likes to be recognised for their success, so be prepared to acknowledge it at every opportunity.
Avoid colluding on negativity
This can be hard! We all like to have a moan about things. However, by remaining upbeat and positive, we put out the flames of negativity before they start.
Focus on issues, not personalities
When you are addressing negativity head on, you should remove the focus from the person and instead look at the issue at hand. Otherwise you risk undermining that person and might escalate the negativity.
Understand their feelings
Put yourself in the shoes of the person who feels negative. This does not mean for you to become negative too, but for you to understand how they might feel in this situation and resolve it accordingly.
Express your ideas and feelings
Don’t be scared to let people know how you feel and provide an insight into what you are thinking. Most negative issues can be resolved when everyone is open and honest about their feelings.
Be willing to compromise
As long as the new position is fair, you lose nothing by moving your stance slightly on an issue to ensure all parties are happy. Just because you are the leader, it does not mean that you cannot modify your position.
It’s not unusual for organisations to go through periods of negativity. How long that negativity progresses is often down to you as a leader. By displaying the correct attitudes and behaviours, you are likely to managing negativity and stop it from becoming an inherent problem. With an open and honest approach to the workplace, you might even remove the likelihood of negativity arising in the first place.
This article is taken from an excerpt in the training course materials, 'Great Leadership', which are available to buy from our website - Trainer Bubble training course materials. Visit today for this and many other great training courses.
Sometimes negativity will arise as a result of company processes or changes required to make an organisation more effective. It can also arise over time for what appears to be no obvious reason.
An organisation that is in the grip of negativity will display an increase in the amount of complaining, a focus on why things cannot be done, a ‘what’s in it for me’ attitude and a view that things will never get better.
When negativity arises, it can sap your energy as a leader and potentially pull you into its grasp. A great leader will use simple techniques to manage negativity in the workplace and ensures their own attitude remains positive and focused.
The following suggestions will help you to overcome negativity when it arises:
Acknowledge negativity
Negativity will not go away if you ignore it, in fact it will most likely get worse. If it is not acknowledged, you will lose credibility as a leader. Discuss the negative feelings with those concerned, show that you care and ask for suggestions on how you might overcome the issue.
Identify the positives in all situations
It is easy to be dismissive and ignore the input from our team members. Celebrate the small victories and where suggestions will not work, try and identify the elements that you can work on. Positive actions are often a result of lots of little actions rather than one big one.
Give positive recognition often
This is something that is often overlooked and leaders can fall into the trap of considering the efforts of their team as ‘part of their role’. Everybody likes to be recognised for their success, so be prepared to acknowledge it at every opportunity.
Avoid colluding on negativity
This can be hard! We all like to have a moan about things. However, by remaining upbeat and positive, we put out the flames of negativity before they start.
Focus on issues, not personalities
When you are addressing negativity head on, you should remove the focus from the person and instead look at the issue at hand. Otherwise you risk undermining that person and might escalate the negativity.
Understand their feelings
Put yourself in the shoes of the person who feels negative. This does not mean for you to become negative too, but for you to understand how they might feel in this situation and resolve it accordingly.
Express your ideas and feelings
Don’t be scared to let people know how you feel and provide an insight into what you are thinking. Most negative issues can be resolved when everyone is open and honest about their feelings.
Be willing to compromise
As long as the new position is fair, you lose nothing by moving your stance slightly on an issue to ensure all parties are happy. Just because you are the leader, it does not mean that you cannot modify your position.
It’s not unusual for organisations to go through periods of negativity. How long that negativity progresses is often down to you as a leader. By displaying the correct attitudes and behaviours, you are likely to managing negativity and stop it from becoming an inherent problem. With an open and honest approach to the workplace, you might even remove the likelihood of negativity arising in the first place.
This article is taken from an excerpt in the training course materials, 'Great Leadership', which are available to buy from our website - Trainer Bubble training course materials. Visit today for this and many other great training courses.
Tuesday 10 February 2009
Twitter as a Learning Tool?
I've recently started using Twitter to communicate and keep in touch with people in the world of training and it occurred to me that this simple little tool could be a great way to stimulate learning & development in the eyes of a whole new generation.
For those that don't know, Twitter is a social networking tool that allows you to keep in touch with different people as well as letting them know what you are up to at any time. The process is simple and you just have to add in a bit of text to a text box and it is posted for your 'followers' to see. It is really easy to use and if you want to place a link to a website or some other information, you simply add this into the text box.
This application could be a great way of sharing information and gathering feedback before and after training events, as well as being a way to keep in touch with those that are interested for as long as you want to keep on posting. The possibilities for learning are endless.
The reason I think this is such a useful idea is that more and more I notice that learners like to get information in short snippets, rather than spending a great amount of time researching and developing ideas. Twitter is a great way to do this. What is also good is that this tool is already being used by hundreds of thousands of people, it wouldn't be a great leap to get them to buy in to the concept of learning in this way.
So, why not consider how you might use this application for future learning and development. A few ideas are:
1) Post pre-course learning information
2) Evaluation - Check people's views before and after training events
3) Add snippets of learning information that learners can follow
4) Re-cap key points from a learning session
5) Ask for others feedback, feelings and thoughts on learning
These are just a few ideas off the top of my head. Have a look for yourself and see how this might work for you. You can also follow Trainer Bubble on Twitter, just look us up!
For those that don't know, Twitter is a social networking tool that allows you to keep in touch with different people as well as letting them know what you are up to at any time. The process is simple and you just have to add in a bit of text to a text box and it is posted for your 'followers' to see. It is really easy to use and if you want to place a link to a website or some other information, you simply add this into the text box.
This application could be a great way of sharing information and gathering feedback before and after training events, as well as being a way to keep in touch with those that are interested for as long as you want to keep on posting. The possibilities for learning are endless.
The reason I think this is such a useful idea is that more and more I notice that learners like to get information in short snippets, rather than spending a great amount of time researching and developing ideas. Twitter is a great way to do this. What is also good is that this tool is already being used by hundreds of thousands of people, it wouldn't be a great leap to get them to buy in to the concept of learning in this way.
So, why not consider how you might use this application for future learning and development. A few ideas are:
1) Post pre-course learning information
2) Evaluation - Check people's views before and after training events
3) Add snippets of learning information that learners can follow
4) Re-cap key points from a learning session
5) Ask for others feedback, feelings and thoughts on learning
These are just a few ideas off the top of my head. Have a look for yourself and see how this might work for you. You can also follow Trainer Bubble on Twitter, just look us up!
Tuesday 3 February 2009
Great Leadership Skills - Self Awareness
A great leader has a strong sense of self and will identify with both their strengths and their weaknesses. It means recognising what you are good at and acknowledging that there is still a lot for you to learn. It also means being prepared to state when you do not know the answer and addressing the mistakes you might make.
This can often go against our in-grained beliefs, often we are determined to demonstrate that we know and can do everything. However, just because we don’t recognise our weaknesses, it doesn’t mean they don’t exist. If you try and hide things, it will mean that others might question your abilities, which in turn will undermine your efforts as a great leader.
When you develop a strong sense of self you will model behaviour that demonstrates that it’s alright to admit to not knowing all the answers, to make mistakes and to ask for help. All characteristics that, when adopted by the staff, will help an organisation to develop and grow.
On an individual level, by having self-awareness, you will be able to identify where the support of your team is required and utilise their expertise to ensure effectiveness.
There are many ways that you can develop your self-awareness. A few things you can start to focus on are...
- Be true to your strengths
- Solicit feedback
- Ask good questions and listen to the response
- Commit to lifelong learning
Friday 16 January 2009
Trainer Bubble Adverts
We recently designed some adverts to promote Trainer Bubble and our training course materials and thought we'd share the designs with you. The idea was to show our fun side. We hope you like them...
We call this picture, 'When you've got to go!'. Of course we don't provide these type of training course materials, but perhaps we should...
This ad we call 'Shot stopper'. Originally one of our course designers turned down the idea of this image as it showed the worng colour football top! The MD won out though as his team play in blue (you need to hunt down the address on our website for a clue to that one!)
Advertising is a funny old business and along with training can be one of the things that people cut back on during the leaner times. As with training, I think this is a mistake and these are the times when a company needs to stand out more than ever.
Of course there are many ways to advertise, and any business should be careful before they splash out on a big campaign that will provide little or no return. Another thing to be wary of is how equipped you are to cope with the success of a campaign. I recently heard a story of a company that spent thousands on the ad campaign for a telephone based service and tried to save money by not recruiting enough staff to cover the phones...certainly a backwards step!
So, by all means, keep spending money...but spend it wisely.
p.s. you don't get much wiser than a Trainer Bubble training course!
Monday 12 January 2009
Trainer Bubble mentioned in Training Zone
Trainer Bubble was extremely pleased to recently be mentioned in the Training Zone 'Quality and Cost Free Training Materials' article. The piece on Trainer Bubble was as follows...
"Trainer Bubble A virtual treasure-chest of training materials, management documents, models and tools for all your business development needs. Some great icebreakers, energisers, training games, team building and PowerPoint games, quotes, puzzles and quizzes."
It's good to be spotted for all the hard work and dedication the training team put into this section.
"Trainer Bubble A virtual treasure-chest of training materials, management documents, models and tools for all your business development needs. Some great icebreakers, energisers, training games, team building and PowerPoint games, quotes, puzzles and quizzes."
It's good to be spotted for all the hard work and dedication the training team put into this section.
Sunday 4 January 2009
Motivational Speech from an unlikely source
I'm always on the lookout for motivational clips and speeches or little snippets that I can use in training courses and for presentations. I was a little surprised at how good the motivational element of this clip is considering the source (although I am a closet Rocky fan...who isn't really?)
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