sheridan@keystonedevelopment.co.uk
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Getting Unstuck when Designing Training

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Why you need to ‘Turn Left to go Right’ Today I was suffering from training designers block. Similar to writer’s block, but training designer’s block includes not only what to write, but how to bring the content to life, how to present it visually, how to make it fit into the required timescales, take into account likely available resources at the venue, and all with a looming deadline. Designing training still forms a significant part of my role, even though I’m moving more into consultancy, mentoring and programme management, so getting ‘stuck’ is a major problem. But over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks. The most important of which is to lose time to make time. What I mean by this, is daring to step away (despite the looming deadline) and give myself a break. Do something completely different. It’s like when Doc Hudson told Lightening McQueen to turn left to go right at high speed. It’s counter-intuitive For me, the best way of getting unstuck is good old fresh air: A brisk 20 minute walk often does the trick, or maybe pulling a few weeds in the garden. Taking a shower also works (though I appreciate that may…

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Divided by Digital Learning

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There’s an item in the news today about how the elderly are feeling increasingly alienated in the high street. The introduction of self-serve checkouts, automated ordering points and lack of seating mean that shopping isn’t the social experience it once was. The modern high street doesn’t meet their needs, so they are starting to stay away. That’s a shame because the elderly form a significant part of our population, they have money to spend (if we make it easy for them) and more than that, we will all be elderly one day! It’s a similar story with digital learning. Everything I’ve read or listened to this year has been about making learning digital and instantly accessible. People want learning via an app on their smartphone; we can use virtual reality to simulate real life; ‘everyone’ accesses YouTube every day to learn something. Well I don’t. This is partially down to preference – I prefer to learn via other people, whether that’s formally on a workshop, or (more likely) informally via a conversation, group discussion, unconference or social media chat…all happening live and in ‘real time’, so I have some input into the learning. But mostly it’s down to the technology…

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Groundhog Day at the CIPD Annual Conference

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Today I popped along to the exhibition and free seminars at the CIPD conference in Manchester. I go most years, and to be honest, I have mixed feelings about it. This year was no different. On the plus side, it’s a great way to stay up to date with what the hot topics are, and thanks to twitter and the blog squad, you can get a lot of information from the key-note speeches without having to attend them. It’s also a good place to meet virtual contacts in person, and catch up with people you haven’t seen for a while. This year was no exception. On the down side, I’m getting fed up of hearing the same old things: We need to be more agile; we need to cater for millennials; we need to put the people back into people management; we need to use analytics; what can we do to be taken seriously by the Board? OK, things ARE moving forward, but it’s very slowly. There’s no doubt in my mind that HR people attend this conference for personal development and bench marking. They leave all fired up with ideas, armed with useful data to make their argument, and…

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Teach a man to fish (or a woman to do a website)…

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So, this is it. My new website designed by me, with just a little bit of guidance and hand holding from my friend Becs McNeill. I’m pretty impressed with what I’ve managed to achieve in a relatively short amount of time (probably 2-3 days in total). Of course, Becs (who is far more experienced than me) could have done it less time and possibly made it look just a teensy bit more professional. But she wanted me to learn so that I could be the one in control in the future. In essence, rather than bringing me fish, she taught me how to fish for myself so I could feed myself in the future. Much in the same way that I want to help busy L&D managers: I want to work alongside them, not use a load of smoke and mirrors to make things seem more complex than they are. I want to share my expertise, not keep it a secret. Yes, some things need expert knowledge or experience (just like building a website) but a lot of it is reasonably straightforward…if only you have the time. So by working together, we have achieved a win-win: She has earned some…

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Want learning to deliver? Join the dots

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Yesterday I attended my third ‘Unconference’ with fellow L&D professionals from a wide range of backgrounds. It was (as always) a very thought provoking day where many issues were discussed and some solutions identified! One of the sessions focused on empowering learners and engaging managers in learning. It was a very insightful discussion that considered how much training is VALUED in organisations, whether we are defining the right objectives (and whether the right people are involved in that process) to the metrics that we use to measure training (we decided that most metrics favoured by senior management were largely irrelevant to the measuring the effectiveness of a solution). Perhaps unsurprisingly, line managers were identified as one the biggest obstacles to effective transfer of learning. L&D teams may offer great opportunities and solutions, individuals may be motivated to learn, but when managers won’t ‘release’ them from their day job (proof if ever it was needed that learning is something extra, not related to the real work for which they get paid), when no-one takes an interest in what has been learned and how it has been applied, when no-one is helping them to see the link between learning and job performance,…

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Skin and Bone: Soft and Hard Management Skills

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Last weekend I went on a day’s family bushcraft course (thanks to Komaru Outdoors for such a great day!). Our day was more about having fun than serious learning, but the owners do run more corporate and social sessions with more emphasis on learning and development. Often, their clients are used to living in a black and white world: right and wrong, love and hate, my way or the high way. They learn about collaboration, team work and problem-solving and can then take these new inclusive skills into their workplaces and communities. The course leader and I were chatting. He assumed that (in my role as a training consultant) I was dealing with similar issues. The fact is, we are dealing with total opposites: He works with people who have all the ‘hard’ skills they’ll ever need – in fact, in many cases, these hard skills are over-done and over-relied on. They need to be balanced with what’s traditionally be termed ‘soft’ skills, but really it’s about people skills. They know WHAT to do, but they only have one way of doing it, which may not always be the best way. In my small part of the corporate training universe, most…

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The Customer waits for the Fish

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On Friday, by some fluke of nature, both hubby and I were working at home. We decided to treat ourselves to fish and chips from the local chippy at lunchtime. I went in and placed the order “One large fish, chips and peas please” (It’s plenty for 2 – especially at lunchtime). Despite it being 12.30 and with no-one else in the shop, I was surprised when the cook started to batter up a fish to fry. “Haven’t you got any ready?” I asked. “No. I only cook them when they are ordered. The customer must wait for the fish. The fish doesn’t wait for a customer. That way they are fresh and crisp.” I was told. And I realised that I apply the same principles to my business. Recently I’ve been sent lots of training requests. All great opportunities, but none of which I can take advantage of. Each opportunity is like a shopping list: The vendor must have role/industry-specific experience The provider must have a course ready The ‘syllabus’ must meet XYZ standards The course must be accredited with this body or that body The course must cost X and be able to be delivered in Y town…

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Balancing Expertise with Active Learning

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Last week, I got involved with social learning on Twitter via #LDInsight – a rare treat as the school run takes place at the same time! The question was ‘How do you balance the need to be an expert with facilitating access to learning?’. My immediate (and typically blunt) response was “I don’t”. I don’t set myself up as an expert. When delivering training I make it clear that everyone in the room has knowledge, experience and good practice to share: I’ve noticed that this immediately reduces any resistance to learning that may be present. Those experienced, competent people in the room inwardly give a sigh of relief that they aren’t going to be ‘told what to do’. When designing training, I add value around the learning process and in particular by harnessing accelerated learning techniques. The nitty gritty of the content is often added by an internal expert. In fact, my last three big projects followed this model. I’m not an expert in finance or HR, but I have been able to create great workshops on these topics by working with internal experts. The key is not being precious about ownership. It’s about using people to their strengths. With…

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For Performance, Conditions Matter!

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I’m writing this on my ski holiday. Today I have finished early because the conditions aren’t great. Light snow is falling and visibility is poor. Even doing ‘blue’ runs has been a challenge. Yesterday I skied from one end of the skiable area in Andorra and back again. Mostly on the harder ‘red’ runs which I found relatively easy. Yesterday the sun was shining, the air was clear and the runs were in good condition. My ability on skis hasn’t changed in one day, but my performance certainly has! It’s all down to conditions…the environment in which I can use my skills. It really brought home to me how vital conditions are for people going back to work after training. If the conditions are good, i.e. Supportive and in line with what’s been trained, performance will surely follow. Skiing in good conditions is easy…and I’m willing to push myself. Skiing in poor conditions is hard, and I have to concentrate to do the basics. As a training provider, I can help to create great training programmes, as indeed can internal L&D teams. That on its own isn’t enough. Managers, HR departments and organisations in general need to make it easy…

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Capital Training?

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Last week I went to central London to deliver some training. It’s a rare trip for me – usually southern-based workshops are run by our southern-based trainers, but on this occasion, it was me. I get quite a buzz out of going to London: the sheer size, pace and diversity fills me with awe. I love to be a part of it…for a little while anyway. London is so unlike anywhere else in the UK. Yes, Manchester, Birmingham and even my home city of Liverpool can feel busy, metropolitan and multi-cultural but they don’t feel like London, or work the way it does. The underground system is simply amazing in it’s efficiency. ‘Boris’ bikes – brilliant. The sheer diversity of restaurants and eateries is mind boggling. Even the clothes that people wear are somehow different (I’ve never seen a man in his mid-thirties wearing skinny jeans in Liverpool and it looking normal, yet in London this somehow worked!). And this is why I love to visit: It’s so different to my home town. The difference is striking. What works in London would seem bonkers up here. What works here wouldn’t work in London for a whole host of reasons. A small village…

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