bespoke Archives - Keystone Development and Training Ltd

Being “Better” in 2020

January 2, 2020Uncategorizedbespoke, business, design, development, HR, L&D, learning, OD, training, training design, variety

Here we are, the start of another new year. Many people are making resolutions – joining the gym, doing Dry January, setting ambitious business goals. I have not. That’s NOT to say that I don’t need to make improvements. I definitely need to lose weight (I’m currently a stone heavier than I’d like) and cutting down on the booze can only be a good thing. But you won’t find me reaching for the slimfast, joining Slimming World, hitting the gym 5 days a week, or cutting out the booze entirely. Because if I do that, I’m setting myself up to fail. It’s too BIG a change and it’s actually a bigger change than I need to make, so why make life hard for myself? I DO eat healthily most of the time (just need to watch those portion sizes and evening snacks). I DO exercises regularly – 3 Zumba classes a week most weeks. I DO generally have 4 alcohol free days a week In short, I get it mostly right most of the time. However, I need to be more consistent. I need to me more aware and notice more quickly if I’m straying from good habits. I need…

Is the future of L&D simply being curious and connected?

January 28, 2019Uncategorizedbespoke, business, coaching, design, HR, OD, training

“That’s what I do: I drink and I know things”. One my favourite quotes from my favourite character in Game of Thrones – Tyrion Lannister, played by the brilliant Peter Dinklage. Yesterday, as I took a short but very bracing walk, it occurred to me that my quote would be very similar: “I think and I know people”. After 12 years of running my own business, I’ve got the two off to a fine art. But I always feel under pressure to increase my skill set and prove my ability through qualifications. I don’t have a Level 7 coaching qualification – should I get one (even though I don’t want to be a coach)? I don’t have digital design skills – Should I invest in a course and expensive software if I’m going to stay in business? I’m not an apprenticeship or ILM provider – perhaps I ought to get accredited (even though I’m very rarely asked to provide this)? This feeling of inadequacy was heightened on Friday when I was talking to a freelance trainer just 3 months into her journey. She believed that she needed to have a raft of qualifications in order to be taken seriously, somehow…

How to Create an Award Winning Development Programme

November 22, 2018Uncategorizedbespoke, business, coaching, design, HR, management, managers, OD, performance, talent, training, training design

In L&D circles, the fashion is for agile learning; for bite-size sessions, or even micro-learning; for self-direction and curation. Surely no-one still attends workshops? Even worse, 18 month programmes? Well. Yes they do, and there’s a reason for it: They work. They work AS LONG AS the right people are on the programme in the first place, the programme is designed to take them on a development journey, AND those people are given high levels of support and challenge. I’m delighted to have played a supporting role in such a programme for the last 9 months – The award winning Academy at Johnson’s Apparelmaster. The Academy is multi-layered (internal) development programme that I’ve been supporting for the last 9 months. Here I am (on the right) with (L-R) Charlene Howard, Michela Deegan and Jan Fisher-Payne who each manage and deliver a specific stream. I have been supporting the largest group – the Intermediate level. Although my part has ended, the Academy is just half-way through. Twenty-Four people have been through 9 months of structured development, including self-directed learning, five 2-day workshops, telephone coaching and practical assignments. So far, the results have been pretty impressive. I’ve seen the majority of these…

We’re Different

November 12, 2018Uncategorizedbespoke, managers, OD, training

Our family is different to most, in that we have no extended family within a 100 miles radius. This brings challenges as we both work – but all families have challenges. The kids are both in high school and we are firmly into the mum/dad taxi phase of parenting. Every evening, one of them has some activity to attend to… and when you factor in hubbies evening work commitments, my occasional nights away for work and my love of Zumba, our evenings are spoken for. This makes getting out for leisure quite a challenge: Lack of time, lack of babysitters. So we have to think creatively. The kids are old enough to be alone for a couple of hours if we time it right. So yesterday hubby and I went to the cinema in the morning. We have been known to go for a quick drink in the afternoon. OK – it’s not what MOST people do, but our circumstances aren’t the same as MOST people. We have to think around the issue. As I have to in my work: No two clients are the same. What’s simple for one is impossible for another. What’s normal for one is unusual…

Training Design and Learner Maturity

October 4, 2018Uncategorizedbespoke, design, HR, management, OD, training, training design

In September I ran 2 (identical) workshops for one of my main clients. One of the topics we were covering was Conflict management. It’s not my strongest subject to cover, so during the design phase I spent a lot of time researching different theories and models to get myself up to date. None of the models or theories jumped out at me as being particularly relevant for my client and the likely conflict situations my delegates would find themselves in. So I did something I would never normally do… I DIDN’T design part of this section of the workshop. As someone who ALWAYS designs in detail (I figure it’s better to give the trainer more than they need than not enough – even when that trainer is me) I felt nervous about this. Just to clarify – I didn’t leave a hole full of nothingness: I did include a section on exploring what conflict is, what causes it and created some bespoke case studies/role plays to explore the practical side of conflict resolution. What I DIDN’T do was prescribe HOW conflict should be resolved. Instead, I asked delegates to complete their own independent research into conflict resolution as pre-course work,…

The Secret Benefit of being a Bespoke Training Designer

March 26, 2018Uncategorizedbespoke, business, design, OD, training, training design

In my last blog, I questioned whether bespoke training was always the right thing to offer. Creating programmes especially for a client, reflecting their culture, structure, language and good practice means that there is always the danger that boundaries aren’t being pushed. BUT, pushing boundaries isn’t always what’s needed. Often, we need to share good practice and help people to achieve high standards (which have been agreed) across the whole organisation, and that’s where bespoke training really adds value. As a bespoke training designer, I need to really get to know the business to do this – recently I’ve been getting to grips with Industrial laundry. It also means working closely with the internal L&D team and taking a steer from them about what should be included. And this is where I benefit personally. If I was a typical training provider, I would have a handful of set courses that I was an expert in, and clients would select the workshops (or programme) that they felt best meets their needs. If I’m selling a set programme, it’s set. I would deliver the same thing over and over, reinforcing my expertise in these areas, yet having no incentive to diversify. Any…

Is Bespoke Training Best?

March 18, 2018Uncategorizedbespoke, design, managers, OD, training, training design

Naturally, my view is ‘YES’! (in most cases). This is why… Recently, my husband attended a leadership course. It was the first he’s ever been on, despite being in a senior role for more than 10 years. Naturally, I grilled him about it! It was a good course – no question about that. The trainer was knowledgeable, engaging and experienced. The concepts covered were interesting, up to date, and provoked thinking and debate. He enjoyed it and found it useful… in the main. But it wasn’t bespoke to his role, or even his industry (though in fairness to the trainer, he acknowledge that everyone worked in the NHS). As someone who ALWAYS creates programmes that are bespoke to a specific organisation, I thought this was the one thing that would have made this workshop better – after all, training is all about application to the job. If we can’t apply what we are learning what’s the point of learning it? I put this to my husband, and he agreed to a point: Tech companies and manufacturing work very differently to the NHS, and although it was interesting, it was sometimes difficult to understand the link and apply the principles to…

The Same but Different

February 20, 2018Uncategorizedbehaviour, bespoke, training

Because we didn’t get back from our family holiday until late on Sunday evening, I did the weekly grocery shop yesterday (Monday) rather than on a Saturday when I usually do it. I went to the same place, at around the same time of day, and although everything looked the same, I quickly felt like I’d entered a parallel universe!!! The shop was quiet for a start, I mean audibly not just less busy. The regular staff (in my mind) were nowhere to be seen. But perhaps the biggest change was the behaviour of the shoppers. As a busy working mum, I have my list (written out in the order of the shop), I grab a large trolley, fill it up and am out again around an hour later. Yes, I check the sell-by dates, but it’s quite grab and go. This is normal for Saturdays. It’s what we all do. On a Monday morning the (mostly retired) clientele take their time. They go in pairs too. They discuss every potential purchase. One woman spent 5 minutes examining punnets of pears before putting on in her trolley. And it became very clear that they aren’t used to waiting at the checkout whilst a…

Skin and Bone: Soft and Hard Management Skills

August 25, 2016Blogbespoke, management, managers, OD, training

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…

The Customer waits for the Fish

July 4, 2016Blogbespoke, business, OD, training, training design

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…

Tag: bespoke

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