The Bribery Act became law on 1st July 2011 and prosecutions can be brought against companies if bribery is found to have taken place and they have not taken ‘adequate’ steps to prevent it.  Individuals can also be prosecuted and face up to 10 years in prison if they’re found guilty.  And it will be an expensive mistake too as fines are unlimited.

The act is not intended to stop corporate hospitality so you can still take that client out to dinner without fear of the police knocking your door … Continue Reading

It’s that time of the year again! Many organisations are carrying out their annual appraisals and performance development reviews at the moment. And of course the obligatory chasing up of some managers to encourage, remind and demand that they’re done – not necessarily in that order.

Appraisals are so important for motivation, performance management and staff development but we all know that they are ineffective and can even have a detrimental effect if done carelessly by managers who don’t ‘get’ their value. Make sure your managers … Continue Reading

When you realise (or are told) that you need some IT training then you’re already behind the curve and need to play catch up.  Many people just don’t think about online learning but this is an excellent option if you’re short of time and need to update your skills.  Online IT courses are effective, easy to use and you can learn fast. Here’s some reasons why:

1 No ice-breaker games and information on how to get out of the building if it’s on fire. And you already know … Continue Reading

Confession: this has been a fun post for me to write. I’ve been involved in e-learning sales and implementation in some capacity for around 13 years and many of the same objections to e-learning  come up time and again. My responses are mostly what I would like to say but am much too polite!  If I’ve spoken to you recently and you’ve proffered one of these comments, then I apologise but it’s not about you – really. They’ve all been … Continue Reading

Adult Learners week is a great way to get people engaging in a wider range of learning opportunities. Last year  around 100, 000 people got involved. This year Adult Learners Week  is celebrating it’s 20th year so why not get involved? It’s from 14th – 20 th May and you’ll find lots of ideas on their website.

I’ve worked with many employers in the North East over the years who have used Adult Learners’ Week to good effect. It’s a great time to introduce e-learning … Continue Reading

” Our staff don’t like e-learning. They prefer face to face training.”

Well, if you have been known to utter these very words then I have great news for you. If you’re concerned about what people write on your training evaluation forms then here’s a suggestion. It’s a new training course that will virtually guarantee that you’ll see a dramatic improvement in feedback from your users. You’ll have learners banging your door down wanting to get on the course. It’s pretty straightforward, all you do is fly them somewhere exotic, with drinks and snacks on tap and an industry leading … Continue Reading

 
“Don’t talk to Strangers”
Well, it worked when you were a kid but most adults talk to strangers all the time as part of their job. Sometimes we even meet up after chatting on LinkedIn or Twitter. (What would your mother say!) Some of us do it on our own with no one around to help us out if the stranger turns out to be “a baddie!” Lone workers often get no training in how to deal with difficult situations and are … Continue Reading

Many organisations have struggled due to the ‘challenging’ economic climate and even those not finding it tough have taken steps to cut costs and help ensure the viability of their business in future. This has inevitably led to redundancies, leaving a heavier workload for those who still have a job. These lucky employees have seen long term friends and colleagues leave and in many cases they are themselves left disgruntled and de-motivated.

Often the effect of redundancies on the remaining staff are underestimated by senior management and little effort is made to ensure that they are engaged and motivated. Management are often under a lot of pressure when this is all happening so it’s easy … Continue Reading

I always groan when football is on TV and I hear the manager of the losing side say “we had plenty of chances.” (Actually I generally groan when football is on the telly but that’s beside the point.) Where e-learning hasn’t worked or has failed to achieve its full potential there has usually been little or no integration with internal initiatives and processes. Don’t miss the opportunity to score!

Here’s a few ways to integrate e-learning with your … Continue Reading

 ’Blended learning’  can mean any training programme that uses different methods to teach the same subject so of course it’s nothing new to any good trainer. It’s also completely natural to us as learners. Think about how you would go about learning a language for example. You’ll almost certainly get a phrasebook or dictionary, some e-learning or audio CD’s perhaps? And maybe you’ll enrol on a short course. If funds allow, I’m sure that a holiday to practice your new skills will be pretty high up on your list too. … Continue Reading