Mentoring & supporting your Training & Competency Manager

If you are new to your role as Training & Competency Manager, we can support you to build up your knowledge and understanding of what is required.

Tackling employee smart phone: who is in charge anyway?

Are your employees personal smart phones distracting them from their work?

We all know that smart phones are great but the majority of the time managers will agree that employee’s phones take control on a lot of things.  

Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards 2012!

A huge congratulations to all of this year's winners at the Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards, it was a great night!

Please click on the link below to see all of the gossip and photos from the awards ceremony which took place on the 19th October at the Drumossie Hotel in Inverness.

http://www.facebook.com/hifooddrink?fref=ts

A taste of Success!

Remember we still have Business & Administration VQ places left!

In-House Training

Next time you run in-house training, remember you need to get your audiences buy-in within the first 30 minutes.  What techniques work for you?

Hints & tips:
1.  Some trainers find a relaxed style works for them.  
2.  Make aims, objectives & plans for the day clear.  
3.  Make introductions relevant to what they will be learning:  what do they want to get out of the     day, what are their experiences and concerns?
4.  Keep it interactive.
5.  And don't bombard it with slides!

Dealing with negativity as a manager?

Dealing with negativity as a manager can be challenging.   If you reinforce the negative view, does it make it worse? Here's our thoughts...

Negativity at work:

1. Don’t dismiss what they are saying.  This is what they feel and they need to know you understand.
2. See if there is any area where you can both agree.  Once you have somewhere to start, you are more likely to be able to help them see different ways of looking at everything else that is bothering them.
3. Together work out some clear actions they can take to change the situation.  We always hear that ‘you can’t change others but you can change yourselves’.  Remembering this can help us feel more in control.
4. Look at the areas they do feel positive.  Add your positive thoughts to help reinforce this positive feeling.  By remembering the things they do like, you might be able to help them move on from that negative mood.

Ice Breakers: do you use them in training? What are the benefits?

Some trainers love them but we also know many trainers never use them. 
How much do they help kick off the training or do you prefer another option? 

Let us know!

Cracking your competency management system!

1. Identify the right competencies

2. Draw a map

3. Build a workable system

4. Prioritise your people

5. Get management buy-in

6.  Provide quality assessor training

7. Provide accessible guidance

8. Support assessors during the early stages

9. No snakes and ladders!

10. Recognise competency

4 things your Internal Verifiers need to know!

1.  Understand your assessment process
2.  Be able to guide & support assessors
3.  Know & address your auditors and clients' requirements
4.  Be occupationally competent in area being assessed.

If you were to give honest feedback to your manager, what would you say?

How often do we tell our managers what we really think?  What stops us?  And what would happen if we did it more often?  Receiving feedback, good or bad, is not something we all feel comfortable with.  Any giving feedback, especially negative, can be even harder.  But done the right way, there can be a lot of benefits and your relationship might be stronger!

Oil & Gas PILOT Fair Share 2012!

PILOT Share Fair
Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, 
Wednesday 7 November 2012

Come along and join us in attending the PILOT Share Fair this November to get the chance to be among the first to hear about the latest UK oil and gas business development opportunities from the major oil and gas players!  

In the meantime, why not visit their website for more information:

http://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/events/pilot_share_fair.cfm

How do you get 'good communication' in your team?

Positive communication is more likely if you:

- Offer help
- Show you are interested in each individual
- And remember to acknowledge each person's contribution

Buying in management training?

We find training that is most effective usually builds in the company's own processes.

Getting management training that results in change back in the work place can be difficult.  We find you need the following aspects in place for managers:

• Self awareness
• Motivations & behaviours
• Management skills
• Management processes
• Successful relationships.

E-mail inbox over loaded?

Remember it is your inbox, you can take control!  This keeps coming up at our time management training.  But some simple steps can help...

8 Steps to Tackle Email:

1. It’s your inbox. Take control of it!

2. Delete any irrelevant emails first.

3. Learn how to use your spam filter.

4. Don't sign up for any email lists.

5. Make a different, personal e-mail address for on-line buying, junk mail etc.

6. Make sure your colleagues are aware of certain subjects to copy you in on so you aren't bombarded with emails that aren't relevant to you.

7. Come to a solution where you can remotely access your work computer from anywhere so you don’t have to be at your desk to get to your emails.

8. If you can, try not to reply to every email you receive.  Maybe 3 or 4 times a day would be enough (OK to throw in a fifth!)

Assessors still struggling with assessment?

Go back to basics:  what, how & when.
Training packed with theory will probably not work.  Most assessors need training that is practical & hands on.

Do you work in Business & Administration?

If you work in Business & Administration, we might be able to help you achieve your VQ at no cost!  

Feel free to get in touch with us.

Trainees falling asleep?

How to.... liven up training. If your training is a bit dull then you might be interested in our training top tips:

1. Throw away the presentation and make the training hands on
2. Have fun - tell of experiences
3. Have a conversation - make them feel more relaxed
4. Be happy to be there, smile and be enthusiastic about what it is your training them on
5. Treat people like responsible adults

Supporting your supervisors to get it right first time!

Not everyone is a natural supervisor.  Without support they might struggle, be demotivated or make costly mistakes.  Some training early on can make all the difference.

Keeping your competency management system simple: a top tip!

Support assessors during the early stages!

Work with assessors during the first few months of assessment and provide good quality feedback so they know what is working well and what they need to improve on to make the training effective.

Tackling your smart phone: who is in charge anyway?

Smart phones are great.  But so often we hear managers saying their phones take over. 

3 ways to take control of your Smartphone:

1.      Be more favourable but respectful with caller IDs.

2.      If you have other deadlines to meet ask yourself if the Smartphone is just a distraction.  Allow some calls to go through to voicemail and pick them up when you have time. 

3.      Try not to allow for office calls to be sent onto your smart phone when you are out and about. 

Skills Scotland 2012!

Want to find out about careers and skills you need for a job? Then look no further than Skills Scotland! 
This is sure to be an opportunity you don't want to miss!

Success in Thornton!

Alastair Dickie (right) presenting a certificate to a graduate at Thomson of Thornton who recently completed his VQ Level 2 in Food Manufacture.  Well Done!