Today we welcome the start of our third week of successfully delivering PRINCE2®:2009 training courses.
While we were getting ready and preparing our trainers to provide our delegates with our usual top-notch delivery, we were out and about the Maven Training Centre asking some of them to give us their views and opinions on it – this has become the “Maven Training Vox Populi on PRINCE2:2009”.
A series of six sessions, the second one, “What has changed on PRINCE2®?” is available for you NOW!
Watch the first video, “Why has PRINCE2® Changed?”, here.
The next four ones will be published on this blog, one per day, throughout this week.
Showing posts with label Changes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Changes. Show all posts
Monday, 20 July 2009
Monday, 13 July 2009
Interesting blog find of the week (so far!)
We have just come across a very interesting Project Management blog, Fear No Project, which purpose, they state, is to “share thoughts and experiences on issues affecting project managers and the world of project management”. Two of their recent articles, we think, are of extreme relevance – that’s why we’re sharing them with you here!
Role of Project Managers in Change Management
July 10, 2009 — Bruce McGraw
Because change is an organisational constant affecting everyone, we assume everyone knows about Change Management. However, change management requires more than the natural flow of change in an organisation. Change Management (emphasis on the management) begins with a desired behavioural outcome and works methodically toward that goal by re-shaping an organization’s culture or way of doing business...
Read full article.
Project manager – having difficult conversations
June 20, 2009 — Bruce McGraw
Whether it’s an underperforming developer, a lazy team member, some type of inappropriate behaviour, or a prima donna on the team that makes everyone angry, there are times in every project manager’s life when he or she must have a difficult conversation with employee team member. These conversations are always difficult because you will be saying something that the other person doesn’t want to hear. You will be asking the employee to change his or her behaviour which is not something people are often motivated to do...
Read full article.
Role of Project Managers in Change Management
July 10, 2009 — Bruce McGraw
Because change is an organisational constant affecting everyone, we assume everyone knows about Change Management. However, change management requires more than the natural flow of change in an organisation. Change Management (emphasis on the management) begins with a desired behavioural outcome and works methodically toward that goal by re-shaping an organization’s culture or way of doing business...
Read full article.
Project manager – having difficult conversations
June 20, 2009 — Bruce McGraw
Whether it’s an underperforming developer, a lazy team member, some type of inappropriate behaviour, or a prima donna on the team that makes everyone angry, there are times in every project manager’s life when he or she must have a difficult conversation with employee team member. These conversations are always difficult because you will be saying something that the other person doesn’t want to hear. You will be asking the employee to change his or her behaviour which is not something people are often motivated to do...
Read full article.
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Maven Training proud of Birmingham City Council
A long-term Maven Training client, Birmingham City Council has recently won the “Outstanding Employee Engagement Strategy HR Magazine Excellence Awards”.
Prior to CEO Stephen Hughes’ arrival in 2006, only 56% of BCC employees felt motivated and less than ¼ thought the council was well-managed.
A remarkable turnaround in fortune put the council back on track – and now they lead the way in staff engagement. Their £1.2m ‘Best’ programme – an initiative that turned disengaged employees into empowered staff trusted to identify and remedy problems themselves – has created over 1800 ‘best leaders’ who have the authority to implement service improvements. These ‘best’ leaders trained and run workshops for 23000 staff through management meetings, social relationship websites and a Dragon’s Den-style event where staff could pitch ideas for a chance to win £1,000!
The results of the investment are outstanding: now 75% of staff who have taken part on ‘best’ workshops say they feel more engaged and motivated, 83% of general staff say they feel motivated (up from 56% in 2006), 90% say they’re proud to work at BCC (up from 50% in 2009) – and that’s not all: public satisfaction of BCC residents rose from 53% to 62%!
Well done, Birmingham City Council!!
Prior to CEO Stephen Hughes’ arrival in 2006, only 56% of BCC employees felt motivated and less than ¼ thought the council was well-managed.
A remarkable turnaround in fortune put the council back on track – and now they lead the way in staff engagement. Their £1.2m ‘Best’ programme – an initiative that turned disengaged employees into empowered staff trusted to identify and remedy problems themselves – has created over 1800 ‘best leaders’ who have the authority to implement service improvements. These ‘best’ leaders trained and run workshops for 23000 staff through management meetings, social relationship websites and a Dragon’s Den-style event where staff could pitch ideas for a chance to win £1,000!
The results of the investment are outstanding: now 75% of staff who have taken part on ‘best’ workshops say they feel more engaged and motivated, 83% of general staff say they feel motivated (up from 56% in 2006), 90% say they’re proud to work at BCC (up from 50% in 2009) – and that’s not all: public satisfaction of BCC residents rose from 53% to 62%!
Well done, Birmingham City Council!!
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
BCS Debates - Making Projects Work
Last month our CEO Melanie Franklin was a panellist of the BCS Debate, “Making IT Projects Work”, along with David Hicks, CEO, RADTAC and Paul Major, CEO, Program Framework.
The debate, chaired by Brian Runciman, Managing Editor of the BCS , concentrated on discussing problems and solutions revolving around IT Projects. The high level of the participants brought interesting answers and comments on Project Management itself – amongst the questions answered was “Are project failures a perception or sheer reality?”. They discussed the real chances of acquiring more information about failed projects, the difference between projects and programmes (and the definition of both frequently seeming a bit “hazy”), projects that work, projects that don’t and why, and the benefits of a dedicated project office. However, it was the panellists’ years of project and programme management experience that drove the conversation to the human side of project management – knowing how to deal with the people who work in a particular project is as important as having a structured approach to managing it. The focus was on the migration of “techies” to project management, PM “lingo” on the way of success, how to engage people – including management of board expectations.
WATCH THE DEBATE!
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
The debate, chaired by Brian Runciman, Managing Editor of the BCS , concentrated on discussing problems and solutions revolving around IT Projects. The high level of the participants brought interesting answers and comments on Project Management itself – amongst the questions answered was “Are project failures a perception or sheer reality?”. They discussed the real chances of acquiring more information about failed projects, the difference between projects and programmes (and the definition of both frequently seeming a bit “hazy”), projects that work, projects that don’t and why, and the benefits of a dedicated project office. However, it was the panellists’ years of project and programme management experience that drove the conversation to the human side of project management – knowing how to deal with the people who work in a particular project is as important as having a structured approach to managing it. The focus was on the migration of “techies” to project management, PM “lingo” on the way of success, how to engage people – including management of board expectations.
WATCH THE DEBATE!
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Thursday, 21 May 2009
The Importance of Succession Training
By Craig Aldridge, Client Relations at Maven Training
Building on the back of the great experience we had at Project Challenge in Birmingham with our CEO Melanie Franklin’s Interpersonal Skills for Projects and Programmes speech we decided that recreating the performance in London would be a very good idea – hence we delivered an abridged version last Tuesday at the Barbican for the Public Service Events on Project Leadership 09. Needless to say it was a great success that all the attendees thoroughly enjoyed. However this was not the main talking point of the show turned out to be something else entirely.
Prior to Melanie’s presentation I was locked in conversation with two programme managers. They told me that their current offices ran efficiently, and the programme managers were excellent. They continued to explain that all these managers were properly trained and understood the nature of their role; however they were concerned. The main reason for their concern was these senior managers, while excellent at their jobs, had their eyes on gold watches. With their retirement coming up in the next couple of years the organisation still had no plan in place to appoint replacements.
The worry was that if somebody were to be appointed without the proper training and preparation, the consequences for the organisation would be dire; not catastrophic, but serious enough to set them back several months, even a year on their respective programmes. Throughout my conversations I brought up the topic of succession training. It became evident very quickly that this was something people had not thought about and immediately they grasped why it was crucial to their organisations.
Coincidently, directly following Melanie’s talk, there was a second session discussing this very topic. While the speaker may not have been as captivating as Mel, it was nonetheless still relevant. It highlighted transitional problems that people face when moving into a new role they are not prepared for, and the knock-on effect this has for the organisation.
The moral of the story is: “make sure that you have somebody who is ready and able to understand and fill the positions”. We understand organisations are wary of the big R, but the general consensus is, if you invest other staff lower down the chain of command, they will more than pay for themselves in the future.
Building on the back of the great experience we had at Project Challenge in Birmingham with our CEO Melanie Franklin’s Interpersonal Skills for Projects and Programmes speech we decided that recreating the performance in London would be a very good idea – hence we delivered an abridged version last Tuesday at the Barbican for the Public Service Events on Project Leadership 09. Needless to say it was a great success that all the attendees thoroughly enjoyed. However this was not the main talking point of the show turned out to be something else entirely.
Prior to Melanie’s presentation I was locked in conversation with two programme managers. They told me that their current offices ran efficiently, and the programme managers were excellent. They continued to explain that all these managers were properly trained and understood the nature of their role; however they were concerned. The main reason for their concern was these senior managers, while excellent at their jobs, had their eyes on gold watches. With their retirement coming up in the next couple of years the organisation still had no plan in place to appoint replacements.
The worry was that if somebody were to be appointed without the proper training and preparation, the consequences for the organisation would be dire; not catastrophic, but serious enough to set them back several months, even a year on their respective programmes. Throughout my conversations I brought up the topic of succession training. It became evident very quickly that this was something people had not thought about and immediately they grasped why it was crucial to their organisations.
Coincidently, directly following Melanie’s talk, there was a second session discussing this very topic. While the speaker may not have been as captivating as Mel, it was nonetheless still relevant. It highlighted transitional problems that people face when moving into a new role they are not prepared for, and the knock-on effect this has for the organisation.
The moral of the story is: “make sure that you have somebody who is ready and able to understand and fill the positions”. We understand organisations are wary of the big R, but the general consensus is, if you invest other staff lower down the chain of command, they will more than pay for themselves in the future.
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
Effective Project Management Delivery in tough times
Join Maven Training and Arras People for a FREE breakfast event that will give you an overview of project management market trends in these difficult times.
Melanie Franklin , CEO of Maven Training, will be talking about personal and professional development and how you can get the balance right between accredited qualifications and skills-based development, as well as finding the right balance of organisational needs vs. individual needs.
John Thorpe, MD of Arras People will share his thoughts on current trends in the PM marketplace – recruitment and people strategies, and current benchmarking information.
Venue: Maven Training Centre Location and Map
Cost: FREE
Bookings: info@maventraining.co.uk
Dates and times:
26th June 2009
08:00am - 10:30am
12:00am - 14:30pm
13th July 2009
08:00am - 10:30am
12:00am - 14:30pm
Limited availability, so BOOK NOW!
Melanie Franklin , CEO of Maven Training, will be talking about personal and professional development and how you can get the balance right between accredited qualifications and skills-based development, as well as finding the right balance of organisational needs vs. individual needs.
John Thorpe, MD of Arras People will share his thoughts on current trends in the PM marketplace – recruitment and people strategies, and current benchmarking information.
Venue: Maven Training Centre Location and Map
Cost: FREE
Bookings: info@maventraining.co.uk
Dates and times:
26th June 2009
08:00am - 10:30am
12:00am - 14:30pm
13th July 2009
08:00am - 10:30am
12:00am - 14:30pm
Limited availability, so BOOK NOW!
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
...So, what is going on with PRINCE2?
We hear this question a lot. People on the phone want to know about the PRINCE2:2009 project and whether it is better to take a course now or wait for the new release. We receive daily emails asking about Consolidation, Exam Prep, Re-registration and Conversion Exams – “what's the difference?” they ask, and “which one is right for me?”.
To answer your questions, Maven Training has put together the helpful
PRINCE2:2009 QUICK GUIDE
All you've always wanted to know but didn't know who to ask.
1) What is this PRINCE2:2009?
The PRINCE2 manual gets updated every few years, based on current best practice, as well as any issues raised on the existing version. Since its launch in 1996 it has already been updated in 1998, 2002 and 2005. No reason to panic then: the PRINCE2 you know and love is not changing – this is simply a routine update to the product.
2) What are these updates, then?
The structure of PRINCE2 remains intact – although there are some changes to the naming conventions. For example, Components (things like Organisation Structure, Business Case, and Risk Management) are now called Themes, and they have been reduced to seven (Configuration Management and Change Control have been brought together). The Controls Component has been renamed Progress.
Processes are still Processes, but they have been reduced from eight to seven (this is because Planning has been incorporated into the other seven). On the old PRINCE2 each step within a Process was given a Sub-process number – this has been removed, although the steps broadly remain the same.
There has been the introduction of seven Principles of good project management. These are rules which need to be applied to all PRINCE2 projects for them to be run effectively, and includes guidance on learning from experience and tailoring the method to fit your own situation.
The number of Management Products has been reduced; this is because PRINCE2 is not about creating countless paperwork. For example, the Quality Plans have been rolled into other documents. Some documents have been reformatted as Strategies, explaining how the project is to be run. To emphasise the importance of realising benefits, a Benefits Review Plan has now been included in PRINCE2.
Summary of Changes
3) So should I wait for the change to take my PRINCE2 Exam?
The answer is NO, given the underlying concepts of PRINCE2 are not changing and the structure of the examinations (Foundation and Practitioner) remains the same. There is no need to postpone your chance to become PRINCE2 qualified, so book the course that meets your needs (timing and location), safe in the knowledge that your qualification is unaffected by the materials refresh.
There will be a crossover period when it will be possible to choose between taking the 2005 or 2009 version of the PRINCE2 exams. We recommend that:
* All candidates who have taken their Foundation or have sat and been unsuccessful with their Practitioner since 2005 should sit the Practitioner 2005 exams – after all, you still have the relevant manual!
* Anyone wishing to take a PRINCE2 course for the first time after the 2009 exams become available should go straight to the 2009 version, as 2005 will be phased out by the end of the year.
* Those who have already passed their Foundation and Practitioner exams on earlier versions of PRINCE2 (2005 and 2002) can keep their knowledge up to date by attending our PRINCE2 2005 to 2009 Conversion briefing.
Emma Jones, PRINCE2 Chief Examiner, advised candidates not to wait for the new scheme to be released. She said: “Although the new PRINCE2 manual will simplify the presentation of the method, the fundamental content hasn't changed. If an organisation is using PRINCE2 then it's far better to gain understanding of that as soon as staff need to. There will be no difference between the current qualifications and the 2009 qualifications.
4) What if I have just taken the PRINCE2 exam – will my certificate become invalid?
No – once you have a PRINCE2 qualification, it cannot be taken away from you. As is the case now, there is no expiry date for your Foundation qualification but all Practitioner qualifications have to be re-registered after five years be kept them current.
5) Is it true that there are two PRINCE2 manuals now?
Yes, there are: Managing a Successful Project (about 300 pages, for Project Managers) and Directing a Successful Project (about 125 pages, for Project Boards members).
Examination courses are based upon Managing a Successful Project, which is provided to you as part of your course material. Directing a Successful Project is targeted at senior managers who are Project Board members. This book forms the basis of sponsorship training and board briefings, but is not needed for the Foundation or Practitioner exams.
See what the available PRINCE2 Practitioner courses are, and which is the right one for you
To answer your questions, Maven Training has put together the helpful
PRINCE2:2009 QUICK GUIDE
All you've always wanted to know but didn't know who to ask.
1) What is this PRINCE2:2009?
The PRINCE2 manual gets updated every few years, based on current best practice, as well as any issues raised on the existing version. Since its launch in 1996 it has already been updated in 1998, 2002 and 2005. No reason to panic then: the PRINCE2 you know and love is not changing – this is simply a routine update to the product.
2) What are these updates, then?
The structure of PRINCE2 remains intact – although there are some changes to the naming conventions. For example, Components (things like Organisation Structure, Business Case, and Risk Management) are now called Themes, and they have been reduced to seven (Configuration Management and Change Control have been brought together). The Controls Component has been renamed Progress.
Processes are still Processes, but they have been reduced from eight to seven (this is because Planning has been incorporated into the other seven). On the old PRINCE2 each step within a Process was given a Sub-process number – this has been removed, although the steps broadly remain the same.
There has been the introduction of seven Principles of good project management. These are rules which need to be applied to all PRINCE2 projects for them to be run effectively, and includes guidance on learning from experience and tailoring the method to fit your own situation.
The number of Management Products has been reduced; this is because PRINCE2 is not about creating countless paperwork. For example, the Quality Plans have been rolled into other documents. Some documents have been reformatted as Strategies, explaining how the project is to be run. To emphasise the importance of realising benefits, a Benefits Review Plan has now been included in PRINCE2.
Summary of Changes
3) So should I wait for the change to take my PRINCE2 Exam?
The answer is NO, given the underlying concepts of PRINCE2 are not changing and the structure of the examinations (Foundation and Practitioner) remains the same. There is no need to postpone your chance to become PRINCE2 qualified, so book the course that meets your needs (timing and location), safe in the knowledge that your qualification is unaffected by the materials refresh.
There will be a crossover period when it will be possible to choose between taking the 2005 or 2009 version of the PRINCE2 exams. We recommend that:
* All candidates who have taken their Foundation or have sat and been unsuccessful with their Practitioner since 2005 should sit the Practitioner 2005 exams – after all, you still have the relevant manual!
* Anyone wishing to take a PRINCE2 course for the first time after the 2009 exams become available should go straight to the 2009 version, as 2005 will be phased out by the end of the year.
* Those who have already passed their Foundation and Practitioner exams on earlier versions of PRINCE2 (2005 and 2002) can keep their knowledge up to date by attending our PRINCE2 2005 to 2009 Conversion briefing.
Emma Jones, PRINCE2 Chief Examiner, advised candidates not to wait for the new scheme to be released. She said: “Although the new PRINCE2 manual will simplify the presentation of the method, the fundamental content hasn't changed. If an organisation is using PRINCE2 then it's far better to gain understanding of that as soon as staff need to. There will be no difference between the current qualifications and the 2009 qualifications.
4) What if I have just taken the PRINCE2 exam – will my certificate become invalid?
No – once you have a PRINCE2 qualification, it cannot be taken away from you. As is the case now, there is no expiry date for your Foundation qualification but all Practitioner qualifications have to be re-registered after five years be kept them current.
5) Is it true that there are two PRINCE2 manuals now?
Yes, there are: Managing a Successful Project (about 300 pages, for Project Managers) and Directing a Successful Project (about 125 pages, for Project Boards members).
Examination courses are based upon Managing a Successful Project, which is provided to you as part of your course material. Directing a Successful Project is targeted at senior managers who are Project Board members. This book forms the basis of sponsorship training and board briefings, but is not needed for the Foundation or Practitioner exams.
See what the available PRINCE2 Practitioner courses are, and which is the right one for you
Friday, 1 May 2009
Bespoke Training – brand new section of our website!
By Melanie Franklin, CEO, Maven Training.
Today sees the launch of our newest online enterprise: the ”Bespoke Services” section of our website. This new division of our website is aimed at providing you with information about our, well, Bespoke Services – that is, what we do and how our expertise can be used to create tailored training events based on specific needs. This new section is a reflexion of the many, many meetings and requests we have received from our clients over the past few years and it was put together to provide clear, straightforward information about what we can do to help other businesses grow.
I am always interested in the requests for help that we receive from our clients, because it gives me a powerful insight into the issues of the moment, so that we can tailor our services to meet these needs. For example, at the moment, a very popular request is for help in establishing how teams or departments can adapt what they have learnt on an MSP™ course into a programme management approach that is developed by one area of the organisation, but shared across it as a whole. There is a definite feeling that creating an approach for programme management leads to more control across the projects that form the programme. This need for control is very popular at the moment. This is because there is real pressure on senior managers to understand the full costs of what they are authorising, and to know that any project they commit to is going to deliver on time. Sticking to budget and deadlines does not happen by magic, so they want to know that those involved know what they are doing, that they are following best practice and that risk across the team/department/organisation has been reduced because there is a systematic, consistent set of processes underpinning the work. I have seen a real upswing in the level of senior management interest in the way projects are managed, and more willingness to become involved in the decision making process. The number of master classes that we are delivering to senior management teams on project, programme and change management is certainly evidence of that. Also, the number of senior managers who are sending themselves on programme management training so that they know how to control the work within their departments is on the increase. Interestingly, they really appreciate attending open courses and mixing with delegates from other organisations, and there are lots of contact details swapped in the coffee breaks.
All of this activity is making me wonder whether sponsoring and managing individual projects is out of fashion and that the controls offered by programme management are fit with the need understand total spending plans across the organisation? What do you think? For more information, go to our ”Bespoke Services” pages to see how we can work with you to devise and implement your approach to programme and project management.
Today sees the launch of our newest online enterprise: the ”Bespoke Services” section of our website. This new division of our website is aimed at providing you with information about our, well, Bespoke Services – that is, what we do and how our expertise can be used to create tailored training events based on specific needs. This new section is a reflexion of the many, many meetings and requests we have received from our clients over the past few years and it was put together to provide clear, straightforward information about what we can do to help other businesses grow.
I am always interested in the requests for help that we receive from our clients, because it gives me a powerful insight into the issues of the moment, so that we can tailor our services to meet these needs. For example, at the moment, a very popular request is for help in establishing how teams or departments can adapt what they have learnt on an MSP™ course into a programme management approach that is developed by one area of the organisation, but shared across it as a whole. There is a definite feeling that creating an approach for programme management leads to more control across the projects that form the programme. This need for control is very popular at the moment. This is because there is real pressure on senior managers to understand the full costs of what they are authorising, and to know that any project they commit to is going to deliver on time. Sticking to budget and deadlines does not happen by magic, so they want to know that those involved know what they are doing, that they are following best practice and that risk across the team/department/organisation has been reduced because there is a systematic, consistent set of processes underpinning the work. I have seen a real upswing in the level of senior management interest in the way projects are managed, and more willingness to become involved in the decision making process. The number of master classes that we are delivering to senior management teams on project, programme and change management is certainly evidence of that. Also, the number of senior managers who are sending themselves on programme management training so that they know how to control the work within their departments is on the increase. Interestingly, they really appreciate attending open courses and mixing with delegates from other organisations, and there are lots of contact details swapped in the coffee breaks.
All of this activity is making me wonder whether sponsoring and managing individual projects is out of fashion and that the controls offered by programme management are fit with the need understand total spending plans across the organisation? What do you think? For more information, go to our ”Bespoke Services” pages to see how we can work with you to devise and implement your approach to programme and project management.
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
The Project Management Market – a survey by Arras People
Our friends at Arras People – project management & project office recruitment specialists – have carried out their fourth annual survey of the UK project management market. Having interviewed 1,200 project managers, and building on the picture from previous surveys, this one shows how the current economic climate is affecting salaries, aspirations and professional issues.
Arras People estimate that there are nearly 80,000 people working as project managers in the UK alone, and it classifies it as “an occupation which has evolved from short-term ‘task force’-type activities to a fully fledged professional career based on the effective management of change”.
Recession bites: according to the survey, it is only beginning to get tough, with 47% of contractors saying that the number of available contracts decreased in 2008 and 60% expecting cuts and redundancies in their sector. The number of employees who expect their salaries to remain unchanged – or even fall – in 2009, increased from 35 to 60% from last year’s survey.
Accreditations and qualifications: previous Arras People surveys have noted a continuing trend towards accreditation through qualification and/ or membership of a professional body.
Programme Office – has it caught on? Over 60% of respondents reported that their organisation had a PMO, with 35% of them working within one.
Salaries: there are both high and low earners in most roles across genders, but there is a pecking order: programme managers earn more than change managers, who earn a little more than project managers, and they all earn more than project staff. Higher salaries are on the private sector, the lower band is in the public sector, but the middle band has the same weight on both. And there is a gender gap: more males are on the higher salary brackets and more female in the lower ones.
The overwhelming majority of interviewees (a resounding 84%) believe that they have “a significant contribution to make in turning the UK economy around”. We think they are absolutely right in following Sir Winston Churchill’s advice: “When going through hell, keep going!”
If you would like to check the full report, just clck here.
Arras People estimate that there are nearly 80,000 people working as project managers in the UK alone, and it classifies it as “an occupation which has evolved from short-term ‘task force’-type activities to a fully fledged professional career based on the effective management of change”.
Recession bites: according to the survey, it is only beginning to get tough, with 47% of contractors saying that the number of available contracts decreased in 2008 and 60% expecting cuts and redundancies in their sector. The number of employees who expect their salaries to remain unchanged – or even fall – in 2009, increased from 35 to 60% from last year’s survey.
Accreditations and qualifications: previous Arras People surveys have noted a continuing trend towards accreditation through qualification and/ or membership of a professional body.
Programme Office – has it caught on? Over 60% of respondents reported that their organisation had a PMO, with 35% of them working within one.
Salaries: there are both high and low earners in most roles across genders, but there is a pecking order: programme managers earn more than change managers, who earn a little more than project managers, and they all earn more than project staff. Higher salaries are on the private sector, the lower band is in the public sector, but the middle band has the same weight on both. And there is a gender gap: more males are on the higher salary brackets and more female in the lower ones.
The overwhelming majority of interviewees (a resounding 84%) believe that they have “a significant contribution to make in turning the UK economy around”. We think they are absolutely right in following Sir Winston Churchill’s advice: “When going through hell, keep going!”
If you would like to check the full report, just clck here.
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
Singing Lessons for Trainers
By Joe French, Training Consultant
Like most other trainers, when not delivering courses, I spend a lot of time learning the subject matter, course materials, student activities, exam developments etc. But it was only at the beginning of last year that I realised I had never done anything to develop the tool I use more than any other: my voice.
As it happens, I am quite musical, and I fancied improving my (musical) voice anyway, but I thought I could also take the opportunity to get some advice about voice technique for training. I found a nearby singing teacher/voice technician and, trepidatiously, went for my first lesson.
The first surprise was that we hardly did any singing at all for the first half hour! We looked at posture, back position, exhaling and "getting in touch with the animal within" (it got quite drama-schooley at times!)
After floor exercises, breathing routines, and a few fine adjustments to posture I found, as if by magic, that the note that came out when I finally did sing was about twice as powerful as I had ever sung in my life. It was quite miraculous!
In total I only had three lessons, but that has given me permanent benefits in terms of singing, and has, I believed, improved my abilities as a trainer. Hard to measure, but for those parts of a course when one has to talk through slightly dry subjects, I find I command delegates' attention a little more than before, and have received positive feedback on that aspect of my training.
The singing led me into the Alexander Technique: a general approach to posture and movement which is used by all sorts of people but especially singers, musicians and actors. Whether or not singing is for you, I would recommend the Alexander Technique, to anybody. You will be amazed at how much it can improve all sorts of aspects of your professional and general life.
I once read a training article which said that the greatest visual aid any trainer has is his/her own body. I wholeheartedly agree. Add the amazing audio aid we have all been given in our voices, and you wonder why so few trainers emphasise developing these aspects of their work!
Like most other trainers, when not delivering courses, I spend a lot of time learning the subject matter, course materials, student activities, exam developments etc. But it was only at the beginning of last year that I realised I had never done anything to develop the tool I use more than any other: my voice.
As it happens, I am quite musical, and I fancied improving my (musical) voice anyway, but I thought I could also take the opportunity to get some advice about voice technique for training. I found a nearby singing teacher/voice technician and, trepidatiously, went for my first lesson.
The first surprise was that we hardly did any singing at all for the first half hour! We looked at posture, back position, exhaling and "getting in touch with the animal within" (it got quite drama-schooley at times!)
After floor exercises, breathing routines, and a few fine adjustments to posture I found, as if by magic, that the note that came out when I finally did sing was about twice as powerful as I had ever sung in my life. It was quite miraculous!
In total I only had three lessons, but that has given me permanent benefits in terms of singing, and has, I believed, improved my abilities as a trainer. Hard to measure, but for those parts of a course when one has to talk through slightly dry subjects, I find I command delegates' attention a little more than before, and have received positive feedback on that aspect of my training.
The singing led me into the Alexander Technique: a general approach to posture and movement which is used by all sorts of people but especially singers, musicians and actors. Whether or not singing is for you, I would recommend the Alexander Technique, to anybody. You will be amazed at how much it can improve all sorts of aspects of your professional and general life.
I once read a training article which said that the greatest visual aid any trainer has is his/her own body. I wholeheartedly agree. Add the amazing audio aid we have all been given in our voices, and you wonder why so few trainers emphasise developing these aspects of their work!
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
Blogging
Browsing through the blogosphere, we found welcome to optimism, a blog about life at the London-based advertising agency Wieden + Kennedy. There, we learned about Yvon Chouinard and his book, "Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman" and thought of sharing a quote/ thought for the year ahead from it:
"The owners and managers of a business that wants to be around for the next hundred years had better love change. The most important mandate for a manager in a dynamic company is to instigate change. In his book 'The Beak of the Finch'Jonathan Weiner talks about an insect that was found preserved in amber. The specimen, millions of years old, is identical in appearance to that species living today - with one big difference. The present-day insect had developed the ability to shed its legs and regenerate new ones after touching plants covered with pesticides. Surprisingly, this ability has evolved just since the time of World War II, when pesticide use began. The lesson to be learned is that evolution (change) doesn't happen without stress, and it can happen quickly."
He goes on to say:
"Just as doing risk sports will create stresses that lead to bettering of one's self, so should a company constantly stress itself in order to grow. Our company has always done its best work whenever we've had a crisis. I've never been so proud of our employees as in 1994, when the entire company was mobilized to change over from using traditional cotton to organically grown by 1996. It was a crisis that led to writing down our philosophies. When there is no crisis, the wise leader or CEO will invent one. Not by crying wolf but by challenging the employees with change.
As Bob Dylan says, "He not busy being born is busy dying."
New employees coming into a company with a strong culture and values may think that they shouldn't rock the boat and shouldn't challenge the status quo. On the contrary, while values should never change, every organization, business, government, or religion must be adaptive and resilient and constantly embrace new ideas and methods of operation."
"The owners and managers of a business that wants to be around for the next hundred years had better love change. The most important mandate for a manager in a dynamic company is to instigate change. In his book 'The Beak of the Finch'Jonathan Weiner talks about an insect that was found preserved in amber. The specimen, millions of years old, is identical in appearance to that species living today - with one big difference. The present-day insect had developed the ability to shed its legs and regenerate new ones after touching plants covered with pesticides. Surprisingly, this ability has evolved just since the time of World War II, when pesticide use began. The lesson to be learned is that evolution (change) doesn't happen without stress, and it can happen quickly."
He goes on to say:
"Just as doing risk sports will create stresses that lead to bettering of one's self, so should a company constantly stress itself in order to grow. Our company has always done its best work whenever we've had a crisis. I've never been so proud of our employees as in 1994, when the entire company was mobilized to change over from using traditional cotton to organically grown by 1996. It was a crisis that led to writing down our philosophies. When there is no crisis, the wise leader or CEO will invent one. Not by crying wolf but by challenging the employees with change.
As Bob Dylan says, "He not busy being born is busy dying."
New employees coming into a company with a strong culture and values may think that they shouldn't rock the boat and shouldn't challenge the status quo. On the contrary, while values should never change, every organization, business, government, or religion must be adaptive and resilient and constantly embrace new ideas and methods of operation."
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