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.
Showing posts with label trainer resources. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trainer resources. Show all posts
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
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, 4 November 2008
Learning From Horse Trainers
Every now and then it pays to be reminded of basic principles and I got a reminder of this from an unexpected source a couple of days ago. I found myself reading an article giving tips in horse training techniques. The article caught my eye because some of the tips could equally apply to the way in which we train people.
I am not for one moment suggesting that horses and people are the same but that we can sometimes learn from the way in which other professionals work.
There were six main ideas that I liked because they reminded me of the importance of treating participants in the right way in the training room. I thought that I would share these with you whilst at the same time giving my take on how these techniques might also apply to people.
1. Warm the horse up both physically and mentally before starting.
Anyone used to training people will be aware of the importance of icebreakers and energisers. It seems that trying to go straight into a difficult training session without an initial warm up is not productive for humans or for horses.
2. Plan your training sessions carefully.
This is common sense whether training people or animals. It is also important to have a back-up plan in case your approach does not work on the day. We all have off days and we all learn in different ways, so we need a plan that caters for this.
3. Give simple cues.
Keeping cues and instructions simple makes perfect sense. We own a dog and I know from training him that confusing or difficult instructions do not work. The same applies to people. The simpler the instructions and information we supply the easier it is for them to learn.
4. Use positive and negative reinforcement during training
Feedback is important and it needs to be well balanced. If all of our feedback is negative we cannot be surprised if the people we are training lose heart. At the same time feedback that is 100% positive is no use unless justified.
5. Recognise when the horse is trying to make a correct response and give small rewards.
I’m not suggesting that we give a lump of sugar to people when they are doing well. But well placed words of encouragement can be their own reward (e.g. Well done. You’ve almost got it). Anyone who is used to training others will be well aware of this.
6. Know the lesson you are trying to teach and be persistent with that lesson.
This comes back to knowing the purpose of your training and making sure that everything you do is aimed at meeting that purpose. If both trainer and trainee are clear about lesson objectives and are persistent in meeting those objectives then success can almost be assured.
Of course, horses are not people. However, consistently applying these simple ideas must surely apply to training in just about any context.
This article was written by Karl Halliwell who is one of the course designers for Trainer Bubble training resources. Visit Trainer Bubble today to find out more about our Train the Trainer course materials.
I am not for one moment suggesting that horses and people are the same but that we can sometimes learn from the way in which other professionals work.
There were six main ideas that I liked because they reminded me of the importance of treating participants in the right way in the training room. I thought that I would share these with you whilst at the same time giving my take on how these techniques might also apply to people.
1. Warm the horse up both physically and mentally before starting.
Anyone used to training people will be aware of the importance of icebreakers and energisers. It seems that trying to go straight into a difficult training session without an initial warm up is not productive for humans or for horses.
2. Plan your training sessions carefully.
This is common sense whether training people or animals. It is also important to have a back-up plan in case your approach does not work on the day. We all have off days and we all learn in different ways, so we need a plan that caters for this.
3. Give simple cues.
Keeping cues and instructions simple makes perfect sense. We own a dog and I know from training him that confusing or difficult instructions do not work. The same applies to people. The simpler the instructions and information we supply the easier it is for them to learn.
4. Use positive and negative reinforcement during training
Feedback is important and it needs to be well balanced. If all of our feedback is negative we cannot be surprised if the people we are training lose heart. At the same time feedback that is 100% positive is no use unless justified.
5. Recognise when the horse is trying to make a correct response and give small rewards.
I’m not suggesting that we give a lump of sugar to people when they are doing well. But well placed words of encouragement can be their own reward (e.g. Well done. You’ve almost got it). Anyone who is used to training others will be well aware of this.
6. Know the lesson you are trying to teach and be persistent with that lesson.
This comes back to knowing the purpose of your training and making sure that everything you do is aimed at meeting that purpose. If both trainer and trainee are clear about lesson objectives and are persistent in meeting those objectives then success can almost be assured.
Of course, horses are not people. However, consistently applying these simple ideas must surely apply to training in just about any context.
This article was written by Karl Halliwell who is one of the course designers for Trainer Bubble training resources. Visit Trainer Bubble today to find out more about our Train the Trainer course materials.
Monday, 26 November 2007
Effective Coaching - A Question of Questioning?
Questioning is the critical component of all coaching, it is the principle that coaching is based upon and all good coaches realise that the key to unlocking an individuals potential is through a good use of questions.
In its simplest form coaching could exist on the following three questions:
What worked well?
What didn’t work so well?
What will you do differently next time?
In any given developmental scenario, these questions can be used as a fail-safe approach to questioning. The output responses are what will drive an individual on to better performance.
This process is extremely simple and will work in most impromptu coaching scenarios. We have a tendency to overcomplicate processes in business and this for me really demonstrates that often the simplest methods are those that work best. Of course there are times when your coaching will need to be more specific and focused on the individuals needs.
When coaching to develop people it is usually best to avoid starting a question with ‘why?’ The reason for this is that by using ‘why’ we are establishing something as fact. For instance; when I ask a question like, ‘Why do you think you are not good at selling?’ we are subconsciously telling that person that the idea of them not being able to sell is already established. This of course, will undermine their confidence in this area and will ensure that our work to help them meet an objective to start selling is going to be made all the harder.
An example of what you could say instead of ‘Why do you think you are not good at selling?’ might be, ‘What is it about selling that you find difficult?’ This could then easily be followed up by a positive question of, ‘When have you been successful at selling?’ This is positive re-enforcement and will help the coachee establish the positive elements of their experience.
You may feel that this approach is not as direct. However, you should consider what it is you are trying to achieve. If you want to let someone know that they are no good at something, sure, go for the direct approach, but if you want to develop them, use effective questions.
By using questions and encouraging the individual to come up with their own answers, we are instilling a strong sense of ownership. If we as coach provide the answers, then the coachee has no reason to take action as they might not see the value. If a coachee does not complete an action they set themselves then the responsibility for failure is theirs.
Of course, the flipside of this is that success for the coachee is so much sweeter when they realise that the positive result is down to them.
This is an excerpt from the 'Coaching at Work' training materials from Trainer Bubble. You can view the complete course materials at our website - Trainer Bubble.
Monday, 14 May 2007
Trainer Bubble Sponsors Develop the Developer Survey 2007
Trainer Bubble are proud sponsors of the Develop the Developer 2007 survey.
To find out more about the survey and the history of the project click here
Background
A lot of research as gone into looking at the skills people need to fulfil occupational roles. Little has been done to explore the skills required for people who develop others but are not in the role of teacher or trainer. Even the role of trainer and coach has changed dramatically.
In 1991 AMED were involved in carrying out such research for the government. Now over 15 years on we will be running a similar survey and need your help.
If you consider yourself to be a people developer we would like you to complete the survey.
Developing the developers is a project with an aim of researching the current and future needs of people developers. As the business world progresses so does the role of people developers. At one time this was the remit of the HR or training team. Now with an increasing pace within the world of business, most of us have some responsibility for the development of others. But do we have the necessary skills?
What skills do we need and where can we get them?
This project sets out to answer these questions. So if you manage, mentor, coach, train teach, educate or develop people in any way we want to know how you develop these skills and most importantly how you learn new skills, just when you need them.
What and who are Developers?
Developers are people that help other people to grow. Other titles you may be more familiar with include: Manager, Trainer, Coach, Facilitator, Mentors, Team Leaders etc.
Over recent years more emphasis has been placed on people development than ever before, with the responsibility of learning handed to individuals the eye has been taken of the ball in providing the skills to those involved in support the learning of others. This project seeks to identify what the current responsibilities are and to identify the development and training needs of this audience.
We welcome your involvement in this ambitious project. All you need to do is to take the survey!
The Survey goes live on 21st May.
The project is the largest independent survey of people developers, trainers and managers.
MANAGERS, TRAINERS, DEVELOPERS, COACHES, TEAM LEADERS
The focus for the new research project looks at the current and required skills for people that develop others. - to develop the developer.
MANAGERS, TRAINERS, DEVELOPERS, COACHES, TEAM LEADERS
The focus for the new research project looks at the current and required skills for people that develop others. - to develop the developer.
To find out more about the survey and the history of the project click here
Background
A lot of research as gone into looking at the skills people need to fulfil occupational roles. Little has been done to explore the skills required for people who develop others but are not in the role of teacher or trainer. Even the role of trainer and coach has changed dramatically.
In 1991 AMED were involved in carrying out such research for the government. Now over 15 years on we will be running a similar survey and need your help.
If you consider yourself to be a people developer we would like you to complete the survey.
Developing the developers is a project with an aim of researching the current and future needs of people developers. As the business world progresses so does the role of people developers. At one time this was the remit of the HR or training team. Now with an increasing pace within the world of business, most of us have some responsibility for the development of others. But do we have the necessary skills?
What skills do we need and where can we get them?
This project sets out to answer these questions. So if you manage, mentor, coach, train teach, educate or develop people in any way we want to know how you develop these skills and most importantly how you learn new skills, just when you need them.
What and who are Developers?
Developers are people that help other people to grow. Other titles you may be more familiar with include: Manager, Trainer, Coach, Facilitator, Mentors, Team Leaders etc.
Over recent years more emphasis has been placed on people development than ever before, with the responsibility of learning handed to individuals the eye has been taken of the ball in providing the skills to those involved in support the learning of others. This project seeks to identify what the current responsibilities are and to identify the development and training needs of this audience.
We welcome your involvement in this ambitious project. All you need to do is to take the survey!
Thursday, 5 April 2007
Two new courses added!
Trainer Bubble today proudly announce the addition of two more training course materials to our growing selection.
These courses are; Time Management and The Power of Influence.
The first of these, 'Time Management', looks practically at the topic of personal effectiveness and how you can help your participants stop and take stock of how they are working and then make the best use of their time.
The second is 'The Power of Influence', which has been developed to help your participants understand the core principles of influencing and how they can be practically applied.
Both courses are priced at just £68, have never been available before and will make an excellent addition to your training resources. Visit us at http://www.trainerbubble.com/ to view the contents of these and our growing selection of Trainer Resources.
These courses are; Time Management and The Power of Influence.
The first of these, 'Time Management', looks practically at the topic of personal effectiveness and how you can help your participants stop and take stock of how they are working and then make the best use of their time.
The second is 'The Power of Influence', which has been developed to help your participants understand the core principles of influencing and how they can be practically applied.
Both courses are priced at just £68, have never been available before and will make an excellent addition to your training resources. Visit us at http://www.trainerbubble.com/ to view the contents of these and our growing selection of Trainer Resources.
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