Make it happen in the workplace...

We find one of the most effective methods of ensuring that participants maintain the skills they learn, is to ensure that they all have an opportunity to review what they have learnt with their colleagues or manager in the days and weeks after the training.

This can be done in various ways such as:

• ensuring all participants have an opportunity to present the benefit of the training either internally or externally
• organise regular meetings or conference calls and discuss real client examples
• send newsletters internally to share best practices and sucess stories

A simple approach... but highly effective!

Corina Balaneanu
Sales Consultant

www.london.dalecarnegie.com

''The Dale''

What a great experience ''The Dale'' has been and we've only got to session 6. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, it's the Dale Carnegie Course: Effective Communications & Human Relations.

At the beginning I didn't know what to expect. It's certainly not like any other training courses I've been involved in, willingly or unwillingly. Because we are required to consistently participate, it really keeps us entertained and engaged.

For the last session there wasn't a lot of preparation required as it involved impromptu speaking. I think a lot of my colleagues exceeded their expectations for this exercise and everybody did very well despite the nerves.

In the other part of the session we had to present a skill or concept at work and make our ideas clear. It was great to see others being so creative and bringing their presentations to life. I've literally seen how easy it is to make a Cosmopolitan cocktail and how to transform a napkin into a flower. I've learned about sound waves and DNA.

I just can't wait for the next session!

Corina Balaneanu

Sales Consultant

http://www.london.dalecarnegie.com/

Natural Leadership

This is Emma and Juanci, my beautiful niece and nephew, 9 & 8 years respectively. Like many children they are spontaneous, energetic, fun loving, joyful, creative and daring souls. Their mission in life is being happy and their vision is doing the things that make them happy; simple really. They live each day to the full, content and satisfied and sleep deeply at night unless it is their Birthday, Christmas or another special event!

Recently a client of mine from the Finance sector said to me, ‘I want to be like my son. He is learning to walk. He falls down, gets back up again, succeeds a little, falls down, gets back up again and so on. He is fearless! If I did the same in my business I would achieve my dreams!'

Like Emma and Juanci and like my clients son, what if we woke up each day with a clear mission and vision in life that would have us leap out of bed with excitement and boundless enthusiasm? How many of us actually know and live the mission and vision of the companies we work for? What if we aligned our mission and visions with that of our organisation? Would we perhaps feel we were contributors and a part of a diverse leadership within our business and for our clients?

Despite the current economic situation, confidence is returning, risks are been taken, and opportunities are abound, if only we look for them. The overwhelming challenge for the UK is in leadership and management, we spend 1,100 Euros per manager on leadership and management training compared to our European counterparts who spend just under 5,000 Euros. Now is as good a time as ever whether you are an employee, a Manager, a Director or an Executive (if we are not already being this way) to be ourselves, to communicate our mission and our vision clearly with each other and to involve our customers, partners and suppliers in the challenges we face. We are all leaders after all and this collective, co-operative approach is what kids do so naturally. I know Emma and Juanci are constantly and unwittingly reminding me.

Lizzie Thomas
Consultant

http://www.london.dalecarnegie.com/

A Dogs Life!!

So I was sat in my living room, multi-tasking (watching a re-run of friends on the box and sending some tweets on Twitter to the world at large) when, SUDDENLY it dawned on me as I was checking out the plethora of “auto responses” from people claiming to be my “followers”!! Our generation is losing the human touch not because we have to but because the choice is made easy.

We have on-line chat rooms, e-learning, on-line shopping and on-line-check in, on-line dating and on-line takeaway booking and so on and so on. All of these great technologies could mean that we never ever have to leave the house or speak to a real person ever again, for some this is heaven on earth.

The people I often meet in the training room are driven individuals who want to overcome challenges and achieve more in life for themselves and their businesses. This is the same profile that would fit individuals who were taking Dale Carnegie Courses over 90 years ago. The fundamental challenges that we face with human beings and building relationships remain the same as they did back then, they are just contained within a different social setting and have a few more gadgets involved.

After training hundreds of people, there is one undeniable fact, when a group of people get together there is a great shared experience and connection that could not be replicated on-line. There is also a real buzz and energy created when people share challenges and solutions and overcome their fears.

So in conclusion, let’s celebrate technology for the freedom it gives us. Let’s also ask the question, “Do I sometimes use technology to avoid dealing with people?”...maybe in this instance we are actually restricting our freedom of expression.

There is a man in my life who always chooses people over technology and he has an amazing ability to “Win Friends and Influence People” effortlessly and with energy. If we could throw the same level of energy into meeting new people that he does then surely we could achieve anything. Please welcome Archie the dog!

Hayley Kennedy
Consultant

http://www.london.dalecarnegie.com/