July 05 - Training Update
Fast training, Learning theory, Standing ovation, Avoiding boredom, Quotes for presentations, Getting past the 'crap filter', Marketing...
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We've all had groups that had valium for breakfast - it's like playing squash with a cold ball. Forced speed may be a solution, and the Passionate group have assembled a pile of ideas and resources on how to do speed training:
One of the best ways to be truly creative--breakthrough creative--is to be forced to go fast. Really, really, really fast. From the brain's perspective, it makes sense that extreme speed can unlock creativity. When forced to come up with something under extreme time constraints, we're forced to rely on the more intuitive, subconscious parts of our brain. The time pressure can help suppress the logical/rational/critical parts of your brain.
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Learning Theory (with pictures)
More excellent material from Kathy Sierra on Learning Theory.
Good revision for the know-alls and an excellent downloadable worksheet for your students. Grab it...this is extraordinarily generous stuff. Pic on the left is just one of many used to illustrate ideas.
[hey, did anyone guess I'm highly V on the VAK scale?]
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How to get a standing ovation
Guy Kawasaki's tips on how to have the crowd eating out of your hand.
I hope that many of you are are called upon to give speeches -- it's the closest thing to being a professional athlete that many of us will achieve.
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Most training is boring...
So says Stanley Malcolm of Performance Vision. Yep, we'll agree with that. The article covers a lot of ground, especially the respect and expectations of training within corporations:
'Business sponsors and training participants have been conditioned to expect little of training. In fact, a common trainee expectation is to be entertained. Participants ought to expect to be made to perform real work during the event and as a measure of their success.
Ask yourself how the design of training would change if designers adopted this simple rule: The "course" isn't over until the learning has been successfully applied on the job. For example, the sales course isn't over until the learner has sold 500 of the new model widgets.'
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Quotes for presentations and training
If you need a "quote" on a topic to illustrate a point in your presentation, Garr Reynolds has pulled together a long list of sources online - from Wikiquotes to Famousquotes.com. Thanks!
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To-do Lists
A To-do List can be a useful tool when you want to supervise a trainee's progress. Ta-da Lists is online and totally free, and can be set up as a private version, editable by you and a designated group. Neat.
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Getting past the brain's 'crap filter'
That got your attention! It's the title of Kathy Sierra's great article on getting the brain to pay attention to matters beyond mere 'survival', like work skills and management practices:
So we've been spending a lot of time thinking about how important it is to get past The Gatekeeper (the brain's crap filter). If the brain is trying to save your life by keeping out the OBVIOUSLY unimportant thing like tomorrow's final, then how do you *trick* the brain into thinking the boring, dry thing is as important as that tiger that ate your ancestors?
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Marketing your training service
If you're a freelance trainer, there's no avoiding the challenge of marketing your services. Jay Lipe has a great checklist for Services Marketing. Everything from your briefcase, email format, domain name to envelopes, and all items that can be upgraded quickly and easily.
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