Tag: <span>training</span>

[ad_1]

Did you know that adults have special needs as learners?

When we were kids, we went to school, and we sat through class every day, and our teachers taught everyone pretty much the same way. It didn’t really matter if you were a visual learner, an auditory learner, or a kinesthetic learner. The teacher pretty much did whatever s/he felt most comfortable doing. Times have changed, and teachers are more aware of learning styles now, and other issues that affect children’s learning.

But the principles of adult learning are still pretty new to most people. If you’re a speaker, and you’re doing any kind of education or training with the groups you’re speaking to, this applies to you.

First, a little history. Malcolm Knowles is considered the “father of adult learning”, although the topic had been discussed and researched over a century earlier.

Knowles’ assumptions were that adults:

1) move from dependency to self-directedness;

2) draw upon their reservoir of experience for learning;

3) are ready to learn when they assume new roles; and

4) want to solve problems and apply new knowledge immediately.

In his book, “The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to Andragogy,” Knowles opposes the view that adults are unable to learn: “…the rapidly accelerating pace of change in our society has proved this doctrine to be no longer valued. Facts learned in youth have become insufficient and in many instances actually untrue; and skills learned in youth have become outmoded by new technologies.”

The term “andragogy” has come to mean self-directed learning for people of all ages, as opposed to the term “pedagogy” which defines teacher-directed learning. In practical terms, it means that when educating or training adults, process comes before content.

Knowles may not have invented these terms or concepts, but he was the first to put them together into an organized theory. Additional theories of adult learning have been developed since Knowles’ time, as well. Here is an overview of adult learning principles that will greatly improve your understanding of how and why adults learn. This will allow you to tailor your presentations and training more effectively to the groups you serve.

1. Adults are autonomous and self-directed

Adults want to decide for themselves what, when, how and why to learn. Speakers/instructors should allow adults to direct some of their own learning. Here are some ways to facilitate this:

* Ask your participants what they already know about your topic and what they’re interested in learning. Find out what their goals are for being there.

* Share your agenda and ask for input. This might lead to switching around the order of your workshop to better serve the group’s needs. You might find you spend more time on certain subjects than you had planned, and less on others. Be flexible.

* Act as a facilitator, guiding the group and encouraging them to reach their own conclusions, rather than force-feeding information in a lecture format. Allow them to be responsible for their own learning.

* Do your research on the group and organizational needs beforehand, so you can provide a combination of information that meets their perceived needs and their actual needs.

2. Adults have a lifetime of knowledge and experience that informs their learning

Adult learners can be a valuable resource for you as an instructor/speaker. It’s also important for them to connect learning to those previous life experiences. Here’s how to make the most of your audience’s experience and knowledge.

* Don’t assume that your participants are “blank slates” and know nothing about your topic. Nothing is more insulting than a speaker who launches into a lecture without first finding out the needs and knowledge level of the audience. Do your research and ask first to find out what they already know.

* When appropriate, ask your audience to share their experiences, and create activities that call on them to use their experiences, for example, in small group discussions.

* Prepare activities that involve choice, so the learning process can better fit the individual levels of your participants.

3. Adults need relevancy in learning

It’s important to adults that they are learning something relevant and applicable to real life, whether it’s work-related or personal. Here’s how to make learning relevant to your audience.

* Identify learning objectives and ask participants to share their goals.

* Discuss and ask for sharing of real-world applications of your topic.

* Avoid giving a workshop or presentation that’s too theoretical.

In the book “Teacher”, Sylvia Ashton-Warner discusses relevancy in her work as a teacher with Maori children. She recalls trying to teach them to read out of European textbooks with images and language that mean nothing to them. When she starts working within their own language, culture and experiences to teach them reading, they blossom. Relevancy is one of the major keys to learning for people of all ages.

4. Adults are motivated to learn by both external and internal factors

When we were kids, many of us were not motivated to learn by anything other than our parents’ and teachers’ rewards and punishments.

As adults, we have many reasons for pursuing learning:

* it’s a requirement of a job

* we want to make new friends and connections

* for professional development and to advance our careers

* to relieve boredom

* because we’re interested in a particular topic and want to learn for fun

* to create a better environment for our children and families

. . . and the list goes on.

As an instructor/speaker, it’s important to understand the many reasons why your attendees are in your seminar. They may not be there by choice, for example. Ask them why they’ve come and what they hope to gain from the experience.

As it is important to understand what motivates your participants to learn, it’s also important to understand what might be barriers to their learning:

* worry about finances

* time constraints

* childcare issues

* relationship issues (one partner feels threatened by advancement of the other)

* lack of confidence in ability to learn (some people grew to believe they were not good in school, and they carry that with them forever)

* insecurity about intelligence

* concern about practicality and relevance

. . . and the list goes on!

Understanding the motivations and barriers your participants face can help you as an instructor pinpoint how best to serve them, by increasing their motivation for learning.

5. Adult learners have sensitive egos

Many of us, over the course of a lifetime, have developed a fear of appearing stupid or incompetent. As children, we were encouraged to explore, ask questions and learn about the world, but somewhere along the way, that was taken away from us. Many adults have mixed feelings about teachers, school, and structured learning.

Some people go to great lengths to hide their inability to read, for example, or their lack of understanding of the duties of their job.

An instructor/speaker must be aware of these issues and build trust by treating learners respectfully, sensitively, and without judgment.

* Allow participants to build confidence by practicing what is learned in small groups before facing the large group

* Use positive reinforcement to encourage participants

* If sensitive issues are to be discussed, create a safe space by enforcing confidentiality and allowing participants to “pass” if there’s something they’re not comfortable talking about

* Provide activities that are low-risk before moving on to activities featuring higher risk or greater trust

* Acknowledge participants’ previous life experience and knowledge and allow them to voice opinions and share in class leadership

A speaker who believes she/he knows more than anyone else in the room is asking for trouble, and creating an environment that will discourage learning.

6. Adults are practical and problem-oriented, and want to apply what they’ve learned

Probably the most important result for adult learners is to be able to apply their learning to their work or personal life – immediately. Help facilitate this by doing the following:

* Use examples to help them see the connection between classroom theories and practical application

* Use problem-solving activities as part of learning

* Create action items or task lists together with participants

* Help learners transfer learning to daily practice by offering follow-up coaching or mentoring

* Create an experiential learning environment that follows an experiential learning cycle

This has been just a brief overview of adult learning principles. I hope you’ve found some of the tips in these articles to be helpful.

At its most basic level, adult learning tends to be self-directed and based on the person’s individual needs and life experiences. Follow these tips when working with adults, and you will be on your way to creating a truly effective learning experience.

[ad_2]

Source by Lisa Braithwaite

[ad_1]

Although training with a partner is the ideal way to train Combatives, quite often we won’t have access to training partners. So rather than not train at all, we can train alone and still get a good session in.

A few pointers to keep in mind when solo training:

• Don’t try to do too much in one session. Pick just a few techniques or drills to work on throughout the session and stick to them. If you try to cover too much you will scatter your focus and end up learning nothing. Remember that good Combatives training is about repetition. To get good you have to train a select few techniques over and over until you master them. If you try to master too many techniques at one time you will end up mastering none.
• Train with the street in mind. This means you do not train in a sporting manner. So no shadow boxing or long endurance workouts. Everything you do must be combative, not sporting. Warm up first, then practice your drills and techniques in short bursts. A real street fight is an explosive burst of energy that doesn’t last very long. There are no rounds. Only periods of intense combat lasting only several seconds. Your training must reflect that. So basically, go like fk for no more than ten seconds then stop and repeat.
• Add emotional content to your training. Whatever you do, you must back it up with the correct mindset. If you hit the bag, do so with full intent and aggression. Really imagine that you are in a situation and you have to put this guy down. Anything less will not do. You are practicing accessing state as much as the physical techniques. Hit the switch, go like fuck and then knock the switch off again, making sure to check state every time. Training in this way, you are making sure the techniques will come out under pressure when you need them. This is the only way to train.
• Resist the temptation to do long sessions. Long training sessions are for endurance athletes and sport fighters. You will benefit most from shorter sessions of about fifteen to twenty minutes, but train at full intensity during that time. If you feel one session isn’t enough, train twice a day.

1. FENCE AND STRIKE DRILL

What’s good about this drill is that you don’t need any equipment and it can be done anywhere.

Start from a square on stance, then move into a fence position with your arms out front as if controlling your space, then from there throw a pre-emptive strike.

Repeat a number of times.

To make the drill more useful, bring your imagination into play. Pretend there is someone in front of you, giving you grief. Control your space as they try to enter it and then, when you think the moment is right, strike with full intent and see yourself knocking the guy out. Remember, emotional content is what makes these techniques stick.

2. FENCE, STRIKE, BLAST AND FINISH

As above, only after you strike pre-emptively you continue to blast your opponent with multiple strikes, moving forward as you do so (forward drive) before finally finishing your opponent off with knees and elbows or some other technique of your choice.

3. IMAGINARY BRAWL DRILL

For this drill you are going to be playing out a whole attack scenario from start to finish. Think of a scenario first. You could be walking to your car in a dimly lit car park after a particularly tiring day at work or you could be standing outside the chippy on after having had a few drinks with friends. Whatever. Your imagination is the limit here.

Once you have a scenario in mind, really put yourself into it, mentally and emotionally. Begin to act it out the way a real actor would.

Let’s take the car park example. You are walking to your car when you spot two dodgy looking guys loitering near your car. Your spidey sense starts to tingle and you can feel the adrenaline begin to bubble up inside you. Something isn’t right (really feel this!). As you continue to walk to your car, one of the guys (dressed in jeans, black jacket and baseball cap) asks you for a light. You tell him you don’t have one. No sooner have you answered him when the other guy (wearing track suit bottoms and a dark coloured hoodie) suddenly rushes towards you, drawing his fist back in preparation to hit you. The fight is on.

That’s the set up. What way this scenario goes is up to you. The important thing is that you mimic every move as it happens. If you strike one of the guys, then do so for real and really feel the impact. If you get hit or grabbed, react to that for real.

Fall to the floor and grapple. Enact the whole fight. Then when it’s over, walk away.

Done right, with your imagination in full swing, this can end up feeling like a real fight. It’s almost like visualisation practice but you are physically acting out each movement instead of just picturing it in your head.

Try to be alone when doing this drill. If anyone sees you, they will think you’ve lost your mind as you throw yourself around and fight imaginary attackers!

[ad_2]

Source by Neal Martin

[ad_1]

Work on your employees’ effectiveness by setting up an employee development and training analysis method. Take a deep look at the results that you get and make changes accordingly in your training programs. It is important to understand that lack of career development opportunities can hamper the growth which in turn can cause lack of motivation and severe drop in performance levels. For businesses to become profitable the employees must be empowered and everything must be done to enhance their abilities. This is where an employee development and training program comes into picture. The whole process helps the growth of an employee and makes him suitable for any position, if required, and aids them in their career advancement. Cross training activities tend to bring great benefits for both the organization and the employees working there.

Organizations these days cannot ignore the employee development and training as it is a win-win situation for everyone involved. Without a proper training program the organization could go down hill in a jiffy and could have disastrous results. The reasons could be as simple as lack of communication between the top management and the rest of the people in the company. But this basic mismanagement can lead to loss of money for the company, loss of job for an employee, and possible loss to clients or customers. With proper and extensive employee development and training, the issues like ones mentioned above can be minimized. All new employees should be initially made comfortable and must be introduced to their work slowly. Burden shouldn’t be on them from the first day itself. The progress that is made then should be monitored by the team leaders or managers and corrected if some thing goes wrong.

To simplify the matter, an employer must talk to their employees about all the business procedures and processes. It is always a motivating factor when employee feels good that he or she has certain decision-making powers. A one to one approach works better than making an employee read manuals after manuals. Employee development and training is a continuous process and doesn’t end after an employee joins in as a fresher. At every stage of his/her development, the training becomes absolutely necessary.

With world coming closer and becoming more connected, the need for the employee development and training cannot be ignored. To be relevant in this very competitive global market, the employers need to constantly look after their employee needs and train them accordingly. Hiring a fresh recruit is not an answer and won’t help the purpose.

[ad_2]

Source by Anand Kr Tiwari

[ad_1]

“Why should I train employees for my competitors? They’ll just leave after I invest in their training. I’m smarter than that: I focus on hiring people who are already trained for what we need!”

I am sure my jaw hit the table when I heard that executive’s view of training during a break at a Chamber of Commerce meeting. How could he NOT do everything possible to maintain his biggest asset (and expense) – his workforce and their payroll?

I will admit it was very tempting to ask, “What happens if you don’t train them and they stay? Then what will you have?”

But, before I could say anything, he went on to top himself when a manager sitting next to him asked, “But as fast as technology and knowledge is changing, how do they keep up if you don’t train them?”

“I don’t worry about it. I pay them to stay productive. If they want to keep their jobs by being productive, it’s their responsibility to stay current!”

Unfortunately, his attitude of ‘why-train-them-for-my-competitors’ is fairly common when training is viewed as a unique event that disrupts productivity.

That is why workforce development means so much more than just training. ‘Developing the employee’ means that you are going beyond teaching job skills. You are also developing character, emphasizing values, and shaping attitudes about how they view themselves, their employer, their peers, and their future.

If an employer wisely spends money on maintaining equipment, software, buildings, and customer base to protect their investment in those costly categories, why not also invest (not ‘spend’) in maintaining the expensive workforce that is the source of their corporate income?

The old Army recruiting slogan, “Be All You Can Be” was an earlier way of describing workforce development. It is all about encouraging employees to expand their career horizons. It is saying, “Now that we have taught you how to do the basic job, we want you to figure out how do it more efficiently and increase your value to the company.”

‘Workforce development’ in its best sense means:

• We conduct needs assessments to develop our training curriculum so the employees always support the business mission.
• We do not conduct a training class if there is not a clear and distinct link to a business reason to do it.
• We do not conduct training classes without having specific, behavioral, or objective outcomes defined first.
• We have low tolerance for supervisors who discourage employees from attending valuable training classes.
• We have taught our leaders how to reinforce the skills taught in any of our courses.
• We view our training function as a valued business partner, not as a cost center.
• Before sending employees to a class, we require leaders to tell us first how they will work with the employee to reinforce the application of it AFTER the training event because we know that training without reinforcement is a waste of resources.
• Before sending employees to a class, we require leaders to review the learning outcomes most associated with the employee’s job, meet with the employee to be sure they learn them, and schedule a post-class opportunity for the employee to share those learning points with other employees in a departmental learning moment. This provides added value to the supervisor for the training.
• Every department has an orientation and training program that insures new hires (or transfers) become as productive as quickly as possible. It isn’t the same program for all departments but one that is tailored to their unique functions within the organization.
• Each employee can explain the difference between being ‘productive’ and simply ‘busy.’
• We have a program to develop leadership skills in our current supervisors and managers as well as a program to identify and develop future leaders.
• We know how to measure and manage performance in all job function so employees are assured that their work products are measurable and they are fairly compensated.
• We know how to develop and apply fair and measurable methods for determining “soft skills” performance such as communication, teamwork, and customer service.
• We have skilled employees sharing their knowledge with peers so that every employee becomes a trainer to some extent.
• We have a ‘measurement culture’ that is so focused on performance skills that diversity-related issues almost never come up.
• We teach employees to examine their work processes for opportunities to reduce cycle time, waste, or inefficiency.
• Each employee can explain how his/her job supports the mission of the employer.
• We have a performance assessment process that managers use as a tool to manage performance and employees see as a means of managing their self-development.
• Employees are self-directed because their leaders have done an excellent job of communicating expectations and there are processes to provide performance feedback.
• Tardiness, absenteeism, and turnover are very low because employees fell they “get to go to work”, not “have to go to work.”.
• Employees at all levels see real opportunities for self-fulfillment.
• We teach fundamentals of project management to line employees to teach “big picture’ thinking, process improvement fundamentals, and begin the development of future work leaders.
• Our employees would be pleased to tell friends about job openings in our organization they could fill.
• We teach the lowest level of supervisors how to collect and use historic data for measuring production capacity and forecasting potentials for staffing and productivity.
• We teach the lowest level of supervisors how to collect data to prepare a budget and monitor their group’s expenses.
• We teach our leaders at all levels how to lead a multi-generational workforce
• We help our workforce expand their range of skills to broaden their career opportunities instead of just focusing on “moving up”

There are probably many more activities we could add to what “workforce development” means but I am sure you get the sense of how it is so much more than just a training event.

I doubt that executive at the Chamber’s meeting will ever change and I also doubt whether he will be an executive much longer. That kind of thinking drives employees away and creates high (and expensive) turnover ratios. I can visualize him being shown the door muttering how you just can’t find good help any more!

[ad_2]

Source by Dick Grimes

[ad_1]

Let me guess, your kitten is not using the litter box and it’s driving you crazy. If so continue to read and you will learn some real helpful tips. Litter training kittens is not because the kitten does not like you, it’s because you are not kitten educated and it really make you and your cat frustrated. Litter training kittens can become a little frustrating but don’t worry her are some tips to keep in mind:

1. First and foremost you need to understand that a kitten learns how to use the litter when its mother teaches it how to do so. So now the mother kitten is not around, so that leaves you to teach your kitten how to train your kitten

2. Never place your litter box in the bathroom unless you have nowhere else to place it. Also do not place your kittens litter box in any busy place at your home, it does nothing but makes your cat feel uncomfortable.

3. Use great litter! If this is not new to you then you have nothing to worry about it, for those who use really dusty cheap litter, stop it now. It does nothing but hurts your cats lungs and the texture does not feel great your kitten.

4. Do not use scented litter! Yeah I know it smells good to you but you are not the one that has to use that area to go potty. Scented litter turns your kitten away from it because they want to smell themselves in there litter. It complicates the whole going to potty for the cat.

5. Empty the litter box completely once a month At least. This by itself will make litter training kittens much easier. Just dump the litter in a handy trash bag. Do not use any type of strong home cleaners to clean your kittens litter box.

6. Use a cat spray! Most cat owners don’t really know that there are sprays on the market that help you attract your cat to there litter box, check your local pet store and see which one will be best for you.

[ad_2]

Source by Jovan Johnson

[ad_1]

I have seen different types of training techniques for restaurant staff. Some restaurants send new hires to their corporate training school; others hire experienced staff thinking they already know how to work that position. I think all new staff members should receive quality training regardless of previous experience.

Each role in a restaurant is important for the restaurant’s success!

Management must be able to work in every position. Their knowledge of each job is vital. Managers must step into those other roles to maintain customer service. Some reasons could be if there is a call-out, or if the sales are higher than projected.

If people tell you that managing a restaurant is easy, they are dead wrong. In-fact it is the most difficult position in the restaurant. Running a restaurant is challenging; management needs to be able to multitask, give direction, and follow-up on that direction. Managers must be able to retain large amounts of information and make quick decisions and be ready to step into any position.

Managers are not born to run a restaurant; they are developed into that position. The same goes for the rest of the staff. Train the management staff, then the trainers. Management will oversee the trainers as they train the rest of the staff.

The most effective restaurant training techniques are:

• Show-Do-Review: The trainer shows the staff member how to do the task. Then the trainer observes the trainee actually doing the task. After completion, they review the task together and the trainer gives feedback to the new hire. The Show-Do-Review technique is especially effective in learning recipes, kitchen duties, cleaning tasks, or service tasks.
• The Memory Game: Once the new hire has some understanding of their new job, the trainer shadows the staff member and helps the new hire remember different key components of the job. Periodically the trainer will ask the trainee a question. If the trainee does not answer the question correctly, then the trainer will provide the answer. The trainer will continually repeat the question all throughout the day or night until the trainee answers it correctly. The purpose of the exercise is getting the staff member to retain the information. The Memory Game can be used to remember important food time and temperature, menu and recipe knowledge, service steps, or even manager responsibilities.
• Role-Playing: Role-playing is one of the most effective training techniques to use in creating top-notch performers. Existing staff members and new hires experience real life situations and “learn by doing”. The trainees will experience “real life” situations in a simulated and controlled environment. This technique allows the trainer to evaluate the trainee’s strengths and areas to improve. This also helps to develop an action plan so that the trainee can overcome any obstacles to their success. “Practice make perfect.” This technique allows the employees to see different perspectives, build confidence, and form good habits. The trainer will observe the role-playing and my correct the staff members periodically to ensure they on the right path. Role-playing is a great technique for service staff and managers to learn the proper way to handle customer questions or complaints, how to approach a table, and the steps of service.
• Shadowing: The trainee shadows the trainer, and the trainer shows the trainee the correct procedures in completing the assigned task. The trainer should ask open-ended questions in reference to the task. Once the trainee is more comfortable, then the trainer will shadow the employee. Communication between the staff members is crucial in developing the trainees. Shadowing could be used for nearly any role, especially on the first days and last days of training.

Once the trainer evaluates the staff member and determines that the employee has mastered that position, then that person is ready to work independently.

Management should observe or be involved in the training process to ensure that employee is receiving quality training. The general manager/owner oversees the managers. The general manager/owner may have the final say in whether a new employee is ready to work solo.

Utilize any tool available to help achieve the training goals. During the training process using feedback or assessment forms can help track the quality of the training. Documenting the progress of the training and reviewing it with the employee will help the employee to know your expectations. It also gives you a paper trail of that particular employees training.

Using a variety of training techniques for your restaurant is useful in getting all your staff on the same page. It also is more interesting than sitting down with someone and reading a scripted presentation. It will help you retain staff, because too many people are thrown into their jobs without the proper training and get frustrated and quit. Having a training program that is easy and effective is important in your restaurant’s success.

[ad_2]

Source by Jeffrey Schim

[ad_1]

Anyone working towards the goal of seeing and feeling satisfying gains or weight loss knows that this process can become somewhat repetitious and expensive. Performing countless reps or tracking the distance you’ve completed hour after hour at the local gym can make success seem light years away from having the strength, stamina, and body type you long to achieve when beginning a training regiment. What is it that’s missing when so many training schedules fall victim to the, “It’s OK I can skip the gym today” or “I’ll start again on Monday” statements that we are so familiar with. Is it possible that the variety of machines and training routines available can sometimes get in the way of making simple decisions like how to go about getting the results you need to look and feel your best?

There is a traditional form of exercise that has been filling the void to these modern exercise conundrums we face when it comes to our physical appearance and mental well being. And martial artists have been capitalizing on these benefits for thousands of years. Practitioners of the martial arts have multiple requirements for self-defense techniques as a physical discipline, and combine it with the building of self-confidence and honor for both student and teacher. And this is considered basic training. Not only is this form of art a great blend of both cardio and anaerobic (weight training) workouts, it can help someone achieve a very defined physique by cutting and toning their body, in addition, this form of exercise teaches a self-defense system as the core foundation that contributes to the students dedication to progress and will to succeed. Weight benches, exercise bikes, and even loud personal trainers have yet to incorporate the three above mentioned martial arts attributes such as

1. Having a body of optimal strength and appearance

2. Feeling healthy inside and out and

3. Having the skills to protect all that you’ve worked for.

One particular self defense technique studied throughout the martial arts community and found in nearly every dojo as a mandatory skill taught to students around the world is the bo staff. Instead of stepping up to countless solid state machines or pumping reps with a free-weight bars jammed with dumbbells on both ends, how about taking and using just the bar itself? Probably the first combat weapon ever to be used following the fist, the bo staff would have been created quite easily with branches pulled from trees or fallen sticks found on the forest floor. If you have ever wanted a way to tone and shape your chest, back, and arms… the bo staff is a great tool for utilizing these muscle groups for a complete upper body exercise routine and there is no need to go to your local martial arts studio and register right away either.

There are many resources available such as YouTube, eHow, or even the EzineArticles directory where you can find many different instructors teaching the basics for free and it’s as simple as grabbing that broom stick in the corner of the laundry room or visiting your nearest building supply center to pick up a wooden dowel for less than ten dollars. Practicing and training with a bo staff can bring a complete workout that sharpens your upper body. Movements such as spinning and striking with the bo can be both physically demanding, but also a lot fun. If you can remember flinging a branch around when you were younger, or finding that perfect walking stick when camping or hiking… there is almost a nostalgic feeling when training with a 6 foot wooden bo staff, making it feel less like a chore as exercise can sometimes be.

When training with a bo staff you are learning a more than a thousand year old traditional form of weaponry. It can look and feel quite impressive when performing its most basic level techniques and it can be very useful as a form of self-defense protection for your self and others.

[ad_2]

Source by P Cascagnette

[ad_1]

Recently I took my three year old filly to a local show to hang out. While watching a class, a woman approached me to ask the question, What should I do about …? In this case, her horse would fly backward every time she approached to put on the bridle. And so, the questions, What should I do? Why is he doing this? As always, difficult questions to answer. First, the horse tells me when to do, how to do, what to do in any given situation. There is no formula for “If he does this, then I do this.” Next, what the horse is actually physically doing may not be the problem, it could be the by-product of the problem. What you do know is that what he is doing is not acceptable behavior. The real issue leads back to mindset: the horse’s mindset and even more so, the person’s mindset. In other words, it isn’t necessarily what you’re actually doing that the horse has a problem with, it is the pressure created by what you’re doing, which in turn triggers a response; in this case, raising his head and flying backward. The horse is using something that Nature’s View calls the tyrant mindset: in other words, freeze flee or fight is his natural instinct. When he is in this mode, the horse is actually saying “I want to do what I want to do.” Sound familiar? There is nothing wrong with this mindset; in fact, in the wild, in Nature’s World, the horse would depend on it for his own survival. The problem is that in our world, that mindset isn’t beneficial to him and if he continues down that road, someone is likely to get hurt.

So, back to the first question, What should I do? The first thing to do is to introduce the horse to a new mindset: one called the alpha mindset. This isn’t necessarily the same alpha that you may have heard of in other horsemanship methods. With Nature’s View, the alpha is simply using the mindset of “How can I help you?” With the tyrant mindset that we mentioned before of “I want to do what I want to do.” the horse decides what to do or the person decides how much pressure to apply (usually evoked from past situations, so you may over or under react). The alpha mindset, the other side of the pendulum, is defined as whatever the resistance from the horse is in any given situation determines the amount of pressure that is applied, plus a little bit more. This mindset calls for dealing with the moment, riding the horse beneath you, not the one four strides ahead or behind. Remember, we teach and learn by example, so which mindset would you rather your horse use: alpha or tyrant?

In any case, there are four basic things that we use to accomplish a task or goal: movement, direction, rhythm and track. These are actually the things that you can see: in Nature’s View we use these things to work on the underlying things (things like problem-solving, timing, listening, etc.). This is actually true for us as well. Think about it: to get ready for work in the morning, first you have to move; then you need to move in the direction of the kitchen for breakfast; but back to the situation with the horse. As an example, within a segment of work, if we’re asking a horse to go in a particular direction and the horse decides on his own to change direction, the amount of pressure that you apply is equal to his resistance, plus a little bit more. If you pay attention to the horse and let him tell you what to do in applying that pressure, more than likely, the horse will change back to the original direction. Each time you apply pressure you are raising what we call his negative pole. The poles within (both negative and positive) are those feelings that let you know when a situation is beneficial or not to your well-being. If the resistance continues and you keep increasing pressure (remember, using the alpha mindset), finally, what they are feeling from you will be greater than what they are imagining (the pressure to change direction). As soon as you feel that they have switched to the new mindset, you should release the pressure. Don’t get caught up in watching for an action. Remember, as soon as you feel the horse switch to the new mindset, that is when you release the pressure.

So back to the questions; we use the bridle (the goal) as the reason for the journey (creating a relationship with your horse) to practice the unseen (timing, feel, anger management, listening skills) which allows you to develop a whole new alpha mindset, or way of thinking; lot to think about, isn’t it?! Just like jumping the jump, crossing the creek or loading into the trailer, putting the bridle on or taking it off is one of the many seen things that we do with our horses; but the icing on the cake is having a willing partner in any task that we attempt. It’s not about accomplishing the goal, not even about the journey; it’s about the mindset needed for both. The goal is simply the reason for the journey. Within the journey, we are allowed to practice the mindset, and the more proficient we are at the mindset we will be able to follow our passion, whatever that may be (dressage, hunter/jumper, trail riders, western pleasure). So instead of putting the cart before the horse and focusing on the goal or even the journey, we first need the alpha mindset.

Copyright Nature’s View, Inc. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

[ad_2]

Source by Bruce J A Anderson

[ad_1]

Investing in sales training is essential if you are going to enjoy success as a business. In the United States, billions are invested in sales training annually. There is a generally held belief that anyone can sell therefore there is little or no investment in sales training in some organizations. There is need for a paradigm shift and change of attitude towards sales training because it is what brings in the revenue. Whether it’s a manufacturer of tangible goods or a provider of an intangible service, sufficient sales must be recorded for the business to continue operating. It means that it would be irresponsible to employ sales people and allow them to “get on with it” on the assumption that they know what they are doing. Let’s explore some reasons why it is important to invest in sales training with a special emphasis on the service industry. As we focus on the service industry we need to broaden our definition of salesperson to include anyone and everyone who is the company’s link to its customers. They interface with the customer and how they handle the customer greatly impacts the customer’s decision to buy.

1. Trained salespeople ensure sales success, goodwill and customer satisfaction because they connect better with customers, are knowledgeable about the company and its products, are confident and believable. This believability makes it easy for the customer particularly for intangible products which you cannot touch, feel, smell etc. People buy you before they buy the product.

2. The business environment is extremely competitive. It is “dog eat dog” out there and there is sometimes little differentiation in terms of the products on offer, for example financial services, hospitality. Therefore, a high calibre sales force can be a source of differentiation and competitive advantage.

3. There are many skills demanded in the modern – day selling situation and there is a need to equip your staff on an ongoing basis, for example with communication skills, information technology skills, problem solving, emotional intelligence and administration skills to name a few. You cannot assume that your team is equipped without investing in them.

4. Salespeople are better able to adjust their way of thinking to the company culture, brand values and project an image aligned to what your brand stands for. I remember when I worked for a certain courier company that was a market leader at the time. We had a sense that sense of pride and confidence in the company’s products instilled in everyone from the courier, the salesperson to the executive. It was a result of constant training.

5. Trained sales people are able to build trust and credibility with customers more easily. Tangible products are generally considered to be easier to sell because you are able to demonstrate the features and benefits and you able to “show and tell”. The customer knows exactly what the product looks like before they buy and it’s easier to compare. What makes a service more challenging to sell is the fact that it is intangible, therefore trust and credibility become very important. Most sales training programmes deal specifically with this subject.

6. Most people will do better if they knew better. I don’t believe anyone sets out to wake up in the morning to go to work to be unproductive. John Maxwell says, “good leaders set up their followers to succeed whilst bad leaders set them up to fail. Deliberate training is important because it’s not everyone with a brilliant resume that will perform on the job. The business has sales targets to achieve therefore training gives one tools to produce good results in perpetuity.

7. The service industry relies heavily on brand image and perceptions. It is important to ensure that all client-facing staff project the right image. I worked at a courier company where the commercial manager who had a strong background in the hospitality industry insisted that whenever sales conferences or any other scheduled sales training workshops or seminars were held, customer service agents, operations staff and even the credit controller who managed customer accounts participated. The results spoke for themselves

8. One of the biggest challenges I faced when in my early years of selling was overcoming objections. Nowadays customers are better equipped with information about products including the ones you are selling. Train and equip your staff to be on the cutting edge in order to overcome objections with skill and close more sales.

9. For new recruits training makes adjusting into the new role, imbibing product knowledge and hitting the ground running smoother.

10. One of the major issues that service – delivery companies need to focus on is giving the customer an enjoyable experience, handling customer complaints as well handling difficult demanding customers, taking corrective action when things go wrong. You are judged on the basis of the perception you create about your product and at the point of consumption, where the customer is either delighted or disappointed. A lot of time, energy and resources need to be deployed to ensure that you win all the time in satisfying your customers.

In conclusion, I believe that training must be on an ongoing basis post the induction that happens when one joins the company. I recommend that training is conducted monthly if possible. Whether it’s a workshop, conference or a Friday afternoon in – house training make it happen. Whilst technology has made it possible to benefit from a plethora of online courses, interactive videos, white papers and eBooks, it is no replacement for the good old training workshop. It’s an opportunity for team – building, bonding between colleagues and time away from the office which is good for the team. Develop a training calendar budget. I highly recommend that you invest in sales training for your team.

[ad_2]

Source by Fitzgerald Mujuru

[ad_1]

I was looking at my rather impressive bookcase recently when I realized that my literary tastes are kind of …dark. I wish that I was talking about dark, as in vampires or medieval times or even your basic murder mystery. No, I mean I have books on ancient martial arts, terrorism, firearms, police officer survival, edge weapons, stalking and rape prevention, etc. Then, of course, I have the odd doomsday thrillers. If my home were ever searched, I’m sure I would end up on the Department of Homeland Security watchlist. I can pull down a few volumes on how to make improvised explosives, how to launder money and even how to pick an armored vehicle for family protection in a violent world. You might think I’m a little paranoid at first glance, but not exactly…

Since the early eighties, I have been a police instructor tasked with training officers how to survive a dangerous job using dangerous tools. Officer survival has become an obsession with me and I decided early on that the best way for me to pass on this knowledge, was to actually have the knowledge. All police officers have seen their share of violence and danger. We have all witnessed horrible crime scenes and have long since stopped shaking our heads in amazement that people could treat others with such bizarre and creative forms of chaos. I enrolled in numerous armed and unarmed response classes and became in instructor in too many programs to list here.

A few years back, I put together a few thoughts on what I believed were personal protection skills necessary to help both police and civilians survive. It was simply listed under three categories: Awareness, Avoidance and, Defense. I believed then, and still do to a degree, that if you were in that condition ‘orange’, you could anticipate most danger and avoid it. Failing in that, there were some basic things that could be taught, bought or supplied that would help protect us. It never fails to amaze me how crime and violence always manages to evolve, keeping us (good guys and protectors) off balance. Just when you think carrying a pistol with you offers a great measure of security, some fanatic intentionally drives a plane into a building. Just when you think that your martial arts training dollars were a good investment, we find a world of mutants who don’t respond to pain the way they’re supposed to. I won’t even get into the suicide bombers at this point in my comments. So, where are we headed with our survival training today?

At one time in my police career, I was a member of our SWAT team. We trained for every imaginable scenario we could come up with. Usually we gleaned some lessons from other agencies failures and successes. We never really failed ourselves, because we were well trained, you see. If we could visualize a mission, we would buy the needed equipment, and seek training. We evolved into paramilitary team that could solve most problems with firepower, trained negotiators or just plain patience. Today, there are not enough hours in the day or days in the week to cover all of the threats. However, we still are expected to have an appropriate response prepared.

Realizing that 99% of our contacts do not involve the judicious use of deadly force, agencies began to emphasize so called “less lethal” techniques and technology to save them from liability. We’re still waiting for the Star Trek phasers to hit the market, but until then we’re forced to use what we have. Let’s begin with a working description of what is meant by the term “less lethal.” These are tools and techniques that are developed to help us gain control of a violent person with a low probability of causing death or serious injury. Death can occur, but we can honestly say that we tried to avoid it.

There are many weaponless defensive tactics programs that claim to provide the practitioner the skills necessary to meet violence with love. Pardon my sarcasm, but that’s not reality. Pressure point tactics have always been suspect, but gained favor when politicians saw it as humane and less likely to cause a lawsuit. It was abandoned when we were able to convince the bosses that the violent folks out there had the ability to ignore pain and really didn’t appreciate our honest efforts to gently persuade them to stop their antisocial behavior.

Batons, Mace, pepper spray, TASERs, long range impact weapons ( bean bags, SAGE guns, etc.), Kubotans and tools were tested, issued and remain as options. All of these tools, along with Verbal Judo skills of communication, remain in our arsenal and can be accessed when appropriate. However, they can only help us if we have them when we need them. All require manual training and even more importantly, the right mind set to employ them when necessary. So in the parlance of law enforcement, we have a Use of Force Continuum (or Matrix) to choose the right level of force to use against a specific level of threat.

During a recent training session I conducted with private security personnel, I realized that all of those choices were mind boggling to the class and almost to a student, they preferred martial arts and firearms. I’m not referring to the years of discipline, ‘know yourself before you can defeat your enemy’ type of martial arts either. I’m talking about the Ultimate Fighting Championship stuff they watch on television. Empty hand destruction, or shoot ’em! Not a very large arsenal for personal or legal protection. Being so under prepared means that much of their game plan relies on luck. I’d rather play the lottery.

With the help of some colleagues in the executive protection field and some uniformed security officers and private investigators, I floated a short survey to see if there was a great deal of emphasis on less lethal training and equipment in the private sector. The results were predictable, but raised some concerns as well. Here are some of the responses I received. (I’m still receiving the responses)

1. Have you received less lethal training? 80% yes

2. What type of defense training?

a) Unarmed defensive tactics-80%

b) Pressure point tactics-40%

c) Friction lock batons-60%

d) Pepper spray-80%

e) TASER-0%

f) Long range impact weapons (Sage guns, bean bags, etc.)-0%

g) Kubotan/ Persuader-40%

h) Nunchakus- 10%

i) Other less lethal tools-60%

3. Was training documented and retained in your records? 40% yes, 60% no

4. Ever used techniques or tactics that were taught? 40% yes, 60% no

5. Ever use deadly force? 10% yes, 90% no

My unscientific reading of these results would indicate a need for training in less lethal techniques and technology. There are about one in five security professionals that have little or no training in conflict management. This concerns me because a great majority of those also feel the need to get their Concealed Weapons Permits.

This is a very unscientific survey and was used to generate discussion; however, most who responded were prior or current law enforcement officers. Although no concrete conclusions can be made by these responses, it does point to a need for additional tools to be added to our tool box. The difference between a street fighter and a professional is the amount of time we spend weighing the consequences of our actions. Whether it is protecting a client or a family member, we must be ever mindful of end results; physical, psychological and legal.

Does our training reflect reality? Or does it merely reflect wishful thinking?

[ad_2]

Source by Jerry MacCauley