HR Archives - Keystone Development and Training Ltd

11 Reasons to use Case Studies in Training

July 28, 2019UncategorizedHR, learning, OD, training

Firstly, let’s clarify what I mean by a case study. I’m not talking about a retrospective account of something you (or someone else) did not demonstrate good practice. Leave those for the marketing people. I’m talking about a fictitious scenario that people analyse, discuss and make decisions about. Out of all the tools in my trainers kit bag, this is definitely one of my favourite – even for bite-sized sessions. Here are 10 reasons why: They appeal to everyone – no-one ever said they hate case studies, and everyone engages with them at some level. Whether you have more reflective learners or those who want to get stuck in, case studies allow everyone to contribute. They require very little introduction – with no complex instructions to explain, people instinctively know what do, so can get stuck in straight way. They are flexible – you can spend as little as 10 minutes on a case study or half a day, depending on complexity and number of issues being explored. They allow exploration of different perspectives – You can revisit them at different points and look at them through a different lens each time. They are versatile – you can use to…

Why L&D needs to be more like HR

July 10, 2019Uncategorizedcoaching, development, HR, L&D, management, managers, OD, performance, training

I’ve done a lot of work over the last couple of years developing the performance management skills of managers. This is because HR don’t have time to handle every minor performance issue – and some managers in some organisations were dodging responsibility for managing their own teams. It is widely accepted that HR is there to advise managers (not manage for them), and of course to step in when a situation escalates or is complex/unusual and a more expert hand is required. Makes sense doesn’t it? So why is L&D still expected to do ALL the development? Shouldn’t we be stepping in exactly the same way as HR people do – when informal methods aren’t enough, or a development need requires specialist input? There’s a LOT of talk out there about reducing formal training, and in particular, courses. I understand where this is coming from, but when L&D are expected to develop people, from different roles, different departments, in different locations, and they get a set time to do it, no wonder formal training won’t go away. Not that I think it should. I’m a fan of the workshop and a formal development programme. But just like HR only stepping…

When Creativity Strikes

June 17, 2019Uncategorizeddesign, HR, learning, managers, OD, pace, training, training design

Designing training is quite a creative thing. Yes – there are some things that you can do to progress the creation of a course when your brain isn’t in it, but when creativity strikes BOOM!! You work so much more quickly and what you create is so much better. I’ve just experienced this in a non-work capacity. In my lunch break, I decided to go and pick the raspberries (we have so many growing!!), and whilst I was outside, allowing my mind to wander, I suddenly knew how I wanted to re-design the garden. It’s been something we’ve been talking about for about a year, but despite looking in magazines, searching on-line, going round garden centres and so on, we didn’t move our thinking on much. But little ideas have been stored here and there. Last week, we found ourselves watching an episode Springwatch. We weren’t even giving it our full attention, but there was a small item on creating a nature garden in a small, urban space. What a nice idea I thought, but that was it. However, today, as I finished picking the raspberries, I turned and looked at my rectangular lawn and dilapidated shed and tatty patio,…

Pace… Fast and Direct or Slow and Meandering?

June 1, 2019Uncategorizedbehaviour, HR, learning, OD, pace, training

A number of things have prompted this blog: Various articles I’m seeing (particularly on LinkedIn) and my recent visit to Rome. Let’s talk about Rome. We had three full days at our disposal so had to choose how best to spend our time. My husband and I have been before, around 20 years ago, so we knew what was worth revisiting with young teenagers in tow, and what wasn’t. As such we had 2 full days all sorted, and a final day to decide what to do with at the time. On day 1 we saw the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, St Peter’s Basilica and went around the Vatican Museums. We’d allowed ourselves 3 hours for this (based on past experience) and it proved to be ideal. We saw all the bits we wanted to see and had time to listen to the detailed information about the rooms that caught our attention and took all the photos we wanted, as well as sitting in the sun for a 15 minute (much needed) break. Clearly, some people had a lot less time… many tourists practically running past us to get to the Sistene Chapel in the shortest time possible (and no…

Managers Need Inducting Too!

May 10, 2019Uncategorizedbehaviour, business, coaching, HR, induction, management, managers, OD, training, values

It’s funny how in the last week I’ve had three conversations with three very different businesses about how the lack of a manager’s induction causes problems down the line: Inconsistent approaches to people management, having to go back to basics with experienced managers and the HR team getting way too involved way too often as small people problems haven’t been handled properly from the start. We know that a general induction is important for those joining the organisation, but people being recruited into management positions need a separate (additional) induction. New managers need to understand what’s expected of them, what support is available to them, and how to do things properly. People with managerial experience being recruited into a new organisation need an induction on top of the generic corporate one to help them to understand the managerial processes within their new environment. You would hope that they have been recruited because they have the necessary skills and experience, but the way they are expected to manage and report is probably quite different to their previous organisation. They need to know which forms to use when, where to find them, who to contact if… etc. They also need to know…

Creativity in Learning Design

March 3, 2019Uncategorizedbusiness, design, HR, managers, OD, training, training design

Last week, I attended the Manchester L&D ‘Unconference’ – an opportunity for L&D professionals to meet, agree their own agenda and have the conversations they want to have about all things L&D. The first session I joined was all around the question “How can we be more creative in training design?”. It was quite insightful, and here are the summary thoughts that I came away with. Firstly, what do we mean by creative, and why do we feel the need to be creative? We quickly agreed that creative doesn’t mean ‘wacky’. Creativity can be quite serious! Creative training is defined in relation to the topic and the audience. Yes, sometimes creative training may involve crossing streams and building rope bridges: It may involve Lego, singing, or lots of coloured pens; It may simply involve a live demo, detailed case study or expert interview. Creativity in training is simply about providing an alternative way in to the learning – a different way of exploring it from the norm. It’s about providing multiple touch points and appealing to different learning preferences. It’s about getting people off autopilot and grabbing their attention, taking them out of their comfort zone, but only by a…

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…

Boring or Delicious?

December 31, 2018Uncategorizedbusiness, HR, induction, management, managers, performance, training

At this time of year, I tend to withdraw from Facebook. I thought about never returning, but I have a couple of work-related groups on there, so probably will, despite getting little interaction from my ‘friends’. I withdraw because it makes me feel inadequate. It highlights exactly what I DON’T have in my life: No nights out with friends No work’s parties – in fact, no parties full stop! No exciting family evenings out (combination of unwilling teenagers and hubby’s punishing work schedule) No date nights (lack of baby-sitters and hubby’s punishing work schedule) No extended family get-togethers Not just at Christmas – at any time. And whilst I wish I DID have these things in my life, I also realise that these things are just the ‘extras’ in life: the icing on the cake. These aren’t the things that bring happiness (apart from very briefly). They enhance a happy life of course, but they aren’t enough on their own. What really matters is: Being healthy – thankfully I am. Party due to the fact that I Zumba regularly, almost always get my 10,000 steps a day, and cook balanced meals from scratch most days. Of course, this eats into…

Thank You

December 18, 2018Uncategorizedbusiness, design, HR, OD, training, training design

I’ve been working for myself for 12 years now. And for the first 4 or 5, I really did work by myself. I got by. Then, Pam Case, Deborah Dean and Lynda Walkley invited me to a monthly networking group in my village! So I started networking. I met some lovely people who lived near me and a few of them have become friends, which is great and I loved the social side. However, they weren’t the right people for me to talk business with. They didn’t really get what I did or know the people I needed to connect with. So when Rebekah Ayres started a networking group in Liverpool for ‘people’ people I made every effort to go. It was fabulous. I made some more friends there (Hi Simon Jones!) and was able to grow my professional network and meet potential clients through these contacts. I was able to do the same for others. They helped me to gain confidence in who I was and what I did – simply by taking a genuine interest, and being able to have a detailed conversation. They pointed me to useful resources, introduced me to other helpful people and also encouraged…

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…

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