Trainer Blog

I am doing some work with a very nice young man who wants to project himself a bit stronger, and to feel just a little more confident. He is a thoroughly nice chap, who should feel good about  himself, but for some reason does not.

Thinking about how I can best help him put me in mind of some advice I was given as a teenager playing around with amateur dramatics. My mum told me to project my voice so that I was talking to the join between the far wall and the ceiling of the room you are in.  That advice stood me in good part when I was the Squire in Bernhard Shaw’s St Joan, and it was something I remembered when I stood up in front of my first class to teach my first lesson.

To say I was nervous was a real understatement, but my feedback showed excellent voice projection. It matters not how big or small the room is, if you talk to that furthest point in it you audience will always be able to hear you.

How ever there is one other thing that people making presentations often fail to do, and this is to speak slower than they would normally. Particularly if you are making an address using electronic equipment, i.e. microphone, and speakers. I regularly go to a big sporting event where the Dee Jay has not mastered how to speak in a slower way than normal, and consequently a lot of the announcements cannot be heard.

To continue with this theme for just a minute longer I am doing some work in a college where the predominant language is Turkish and that has proved a real challenge in terms of the appropriate words when trying to explain something to them or to set them a task.  Some of the young men are very proud, and rightly so, and will not ask clarifying questions.  The technique I use to be sure they understand is to check out what they are doing and to ask clarifying questions of them myself.  That works as long as the question I ask is not patronising.

Here at Executive Guidance we offer one to one development, as well as train the trainer courses from our fantastic venue in Camberley.  If you don’t want to come to Camberley, we can always come to you.  However we can help give the office a ring or use the Contact Us page on this web-site.

See you all next week.

Phil Waters

©Executive Guidance Ltd

Trainer Blog

I was doing some work in a college in London this week where the students have a very diverse approach to their learning.  There are some who just get straight down to it, and some who take a measured considered approach, and others who are not quite a sharp as their fellows, but apply themselves none-the-less. 

I asked one of the guys in the office in the office what strategy he adopts when confronted with the student who just cracks on, produces good work, and has the task completed in record time. “Ah” he replied “That is where differentiation comes in to play.  I give them another more challenging task to do.” 

So I thought next time I would have that extra challenging task up my sleeve. Of I went into class fully prepared, five tasks, with more difficult supplementaries.  We had a very good discussion as a lead in and then I handed out the tasks.  Off they all went to various computers, in different parts of the room. Each working well, and diligently.  After about 30 minutes one of the students, a young woman from Poland came up and said “Excuse me, I have finished that, what do I do now?” I took her work thinking she must have rushed this, and read it.  It was excellent, I praised her and then gave her my additional harder task.  This was received with delight and off she went to do the research.

Shortly after this, another student came up to me with his work.  It had been completed in full, and very detailed.  I read it. “Can you tell me what so and so word means?” I asked. He coloured up. “No, not really.” He said.  “Best go and do it again, but this time do not cut and paste direct from the web.” I told him and off he went, not the happiest teddy in class, but a little wiser in terms of his ability to pull the wool over my eyes.

As for the Polish student, she was finished the secondary task quickly and well, before suggesting to me that she now use the time to revise her English for the exam she is to take shortly. What should I have done then?  I guess the answer is to go back into the office and seek out my colleague.  Let’s hope he has an answer.