March 2011

A few days ago I found some pictures on my mobile phone. I don't take snaps on my phone very often, so it came as a shock to find a photo taken in Shetland last year of a sign beside a litter bin that said 'Dunna Chuck Bruck' (translated means: Don't throw away your rubbish). I now have this picture in my office and look at it regularly. It reminds me not only recycle my paper, but also that we are at a time when we need to consider what we can reuse?

A few years ago at a CIPD conference I heard Rita Gunther McGrath speaking about Entrepreneurial Leadership. One of the key things I remember is her talking about looking at a company's 'scrap heap'. She turned what they did not use in to a mini scrap heap challenge. My training company does not have a big scrap heap but it does have a lot of training stuff at the back of my filing cabinet, what I thought was Bruck - turned out to be very useful.

Amongst other things I found a box of plastic tools (bought in one of my weaker moments in Poundland). I am going to use them to explain Quality Tools in my next workshop: 'Find your way through the Quality Jungle'

For example in the tool box I will say red plastic hammer in the box could be used to remind you to see everything as a nail - and then your screws will end up on the scrap heap.

Re-use Your Learning 

I have recently been looking at what I had learnt and wasn't using. Have you got knowledge and skills on your scrap heap? I decided to go back to study to add to knowledge I had, but wasn't using. Over 15 years ago I worked in the Neuroscience department at Edinburgh University. The knowledge that I picked up at that time has come in very useful as a base to study Cognitive Psychology.

I am studying Memory at the moment and relating this to how I design training programmes. I am using the techniques to ensure the training I design is in brain friendly chunks. And I now have the scientific evidence to hand of why these techniques work. Key messages stick in our long term memory if participants are able to:

• Sort information themselves
• Think about information from their own perspective
• Test then correct - if people get it wrong in the test and are corrected quickly they will remember it longer. 

I use these learning strategies in Boredom Buster training. I now know why they work. Try this simple training exercise with participants on your training courses:

The answer is...

Put people in groups and then get the participants to write down the answers from the materials you are teaching i.e. health and safety document. They present the answer to the other groups and they come up with the question. This activity can be used with a wide range of participants and can be used with most topics. The technique of teaching what you learn aligns research about how we learn the most effectively. Psychologists call this testing.

With participants who are not confident with written English try adapting the game 'Pictionary'.

Invite Me To Lunch

If you are interested in what I have been learning about cognitive psychology and how it relates to training design invite me to join you for lunch. I learn best when I am talking to other people! I don't know all the answers but I would like to hear your questions.

Writing about lunch reminds me Elizabeth Lesser has a lecture on TED about taking others to lunch. Who would you invite?

To help my learning and knowledge I would also like to have lunch with anyone who has read Rita Gunther McGraths book 'The Entrepreneurial Mindset' (see above) which I have but never got around to reading, I would love to hear what you say about it.

Don't be shy - contact me at sheila@sheilafraser.co.uk

Funding for Training and Learning

If you are interested in attending one of my training workshops, but don't have a budget for learning and development, you can apply for the cost.

Flexible Training Opportunities gives Scottish businesses with up to 150 employees the opportunity to apply for up to £5,000 towards employee training costs. Funding is available for up to ten employees per business and the money is not a loan so there's no need to pay it back.

People who have attended my one day workshops have applied and received the funding.

Where To See Me

Mondays - Edinburgh University - Cognitive Psychology
Wednesdays - A new Toastmasters club in Falkirk

March

18th March - Keynote speaker at 'Movers and Shakers' Community and Voluntary sector conference in Dunkeld Hilton
31st March Boredom Busters - open course - Falkirk

April

EFQM assessing for Quality Scotland
29th April - Sprit of Dance - Edinburgh Festival Theatre (watching not Dancing!)

May

5th May - Edinburgh Training forum (find us on Linked in as a group 'Edinburgh L&D network'
6th - 8th May Spring Odyssey Toastmasters conference - Winsor to promote the Flourish Toastmasters conference in Glasgow in November

June

6th June - Find your way through the Quality Jungle workshop - Falkirk with a new section on tools used to improve Quality (see above)

Who I Am

I am a designer of training. I design training for trainers and non trainers to deliver. An activity, film clip or game can often make a point quicker than lots of power point slides and handouts.

I specialise in being at the forefront of everything that is new in training and development. I study neuroscience and cognitive psychology research to ensure my designed training will have the biggest impact.

I offer an extensive range of tools and activities to liven up any event and to make sure that learning is remembered.

To find our more click here to access my website or call for a chat on (01506) 650953.

[Ezine developed and produced by Mind Over Matters]