Training to 'notice' details, Jamie Oliver as trainer, How to choose a digital projector, Training Generation X & Y, Value of review in training, 10 tips for presentation improvement, When do trainers become consultants?...

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Training to 'notice' - what's possible?
Local pizza place, great pizzas and the usual jumble of young staff... Waiting, waiting for them to come and clear our plates and take a coffee order, so I approached the counter...

'Hi, do you want to order take-away?'
'No, we're sitting over there...' [in front of her]
'Oh, ok... do you want to order pizza'
'No, we've eaten - we're ready for coffee. You took our order - don't you remember us?' [said with a smile]
'Oh we've just been sooo busy...'

How many of your under-30 staff actually notice anyone outside their social range? Is this a training issue or a more difficult 'attitude' issue...or an optometrist issue? Hahaha - it's actually at the core of what owners want addressed when they ask for 'customer service training' ie they really think the motivation spray exists...and will work!

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Jamie Oliver - the trainer
Jamie's enthusiasm is infectious, and the TV series on opening his restaurant 15 in London has plenty of great 'training scenes'. The DVD Jamie's Kitchen is now available (UK & Australia). How (and why) did he do it?! One reviewer described it as like watching a car crash - throw 15 grumpy teens together with a bubbling nutter (all using f*ck as the standard adjective) and spend £2 million on the building.

Legal caution: DVDs like this can't be shown in a group training session, but no doubt could be lent for individual viewing.

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Choosing a digital projector
Digital projectors are now (almost) cheap enough to be part of standard equipment for trainers. Which one to buy? You need to understand about the lighting power (lumens) and compatibility with different types of computers.

I recently purchased a small Sony with 2000 lumens power - it was dearer than the low-powered machines, but I can use it in training rooms with full lighting or daylight, and from a good distance - it's a great machine. There's a good guide to the different considerations at Projector Point and also Projector Central

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Training Generation X & Y
This is a BIG topic, and the article Does your service training stick? is a good summary to start with.

One major challenge - whatever style of training people may prefer, when they are in the position of coach or trainer, they usually start by delivering a one-sided 'broadcast' (until they learn a better way, or notice that no-one's taking much notice).

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Review activities to strengthen learning retention
Catherine Mattiske is passionate about the need for review activities to be built in as part of course design. Yesterday I ran a one-day workshop with the usual 'feedback' form at the end - useful for my review and just a little bit for participants. There could have been a lot more to increase retention. A little more searching came up with her trainer's programmes and book Train for Results. I like finding ways to double training effectiveness!

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Top 10 tips for image improvement
Haycom Staging deliver useful email tips each week - here are their Top 10 for improving the look and effectiveness of presentations - everything from Powerpoint and lighting to music and staging. I knew that hitting 'b' would give me a black screen on a PP presentation, but didn't know that 'w' would give me a white one.

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Trainer, consultant or facilitator?
Easy Training has a great article on the role of the consultant. This is often a cross-over for trainers who become the trusted outsiders in an organisation, and are asked to take on wider duties. It's not a bad thing, but the responsibilities are much wider, including for those who commission the work.

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Gelato food safety
Handling food and money with gloves is a classic 'blooper' situation - the gloves are usually protecting the hands of the server, who is touching money, cleaning and serving food all with her suppposedly 'sterile' limb. I love the gelato at Gelatissimo and notice every time how careful the staff are to hold the 'food hand' behind their back when they use the 'money hand' to give change. Nice - and it doesn't happen by luck - this is training. Subway make a virtue of nutrition, but their speedy hands-on sandwich-making seems to lack the same obsession to avoid cross-contamination.