What Sort of Training is Most Effective
Organisations are turning more and more to external training companies to develop the 'soft' skills of their staff. With so much expertise available what do people need to look for to get the best from the training they buy in? At Impact Factory we have evolved a way of working with our clients which produces truly effective training programmes that take into account different and changing needs all the way from the briefing process right through to the delivery of the training itself, and beyond. ...


What Makes a Good Performance Appraisal
There are increasingly two schools of thought (we're sure there are probably 2002): one for and one against Appraisals. And in both, the bottom line still is that they will cost your company money if not handled well. As we know, in vast numbers of cases they aren't. Although the appraisal format may be key, the best procedures in the world won't really be effective if the person running the appraisal isn't handling it efficiently, professionally and with long-term care involved. Performance appraisals are almost always a one or two-times a year process rather than something that is a daily part of a manager's job. ...


The Importance of Executive Coaching
Why executive coaching services are expanding and how best to use an executive coach. Why use an executive coach? Nothing to be ashamed of Unfortunately, for years, the idea of using an executive coach was looked on as a weakness. Somehow, the higher up people got in a company, the more responsibilities they were supposed to handle without any outward sign that they weren't superman or superwoman. It wasn't even supposed to be the image of the swan - serene and calm on the outside, but paddling like hell underneath. ...


The 12 Blocks to Listening
There are twelve blocks to listening. You will find that some are old favorites that you use over and over. Others are held in reserve for certain types of people or situations. Everyone uses listening blocks, so you should not worry if a lot of blocks are familiar. This is an opportunity to become more aware of your blocks at the time you actually use them. 1. Comparing Comparing makes it hard to listen because you are always trying to assess who is smarter, more competent, and more emotionally healthy, whether it is you or the other person. ...


Take Advantage of Training Videos For Fast, Affordable Instruction
A lot of businesses find themselves faced with some serious issues when it comes to training. Hiring a single training manager or even a team of trainers isn't always cost effective, but there are ways to still provide great training without having to add extra personnel. There are even ways to get expert instruction without actually having to hire an expert. Smart business turn to training videos to assist in the process. Whether custom created for a company or standard industry videos, this type of footage can be a valuable and cost savings tool for almost any business. ...


People Development vs Training - Its Not Training
People development has long been recognised as a primary need for any growing and developing organisation. However there seems to be little agreement as to what people development really is. What tends to happen is that companies, once they do decide that something is needed (through annual appraisals, personal development reviews, performance management reviews, change programmes, etc), put out a call for training, without really understanding the difference between it and development. Then they get saddled with programmes that 'train' people on the 'right' way to do things (communication, presentation, assertiveness, etc. ...


Five Truly Creative Ways to Train on the Cheap
If you're responsible for coming up with fast, interesting, and effective training for your company, here are some truly creative ways to spice things up. And surprise...they're CHEAP! DEVELOP A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION INTEGRATING DIGITAL AUDIOCLIPS. Wow! Microsoft PowerPoint has really come a long way. Originally designed to support presentations and speeches, PowerPoint is a nifty tool for non-techies who want to create self-directed learning modules. Looking good is a snap if you use some of the professionally-designed templates available on Microsoft Online (http://office. ...


Dealing with Change and Change Management
There is a lot of talk about "change" - how important it is, how we should alter the way we do to things at work and in our personal lives in order to be more effective. Sometimes we even hear how it is essential to change even if just for change's sake. At Impact Factory, we too think that change is important. However we are more interested in the process of change and what the implications of change actually are. We exist within contradiction. On the one hand, we need stability and perform well when we feel secure and established in our working and home lives. ...


Communication Skills Training - Effective Communication
Good Communication Skills are essential Being an effective communicator takes real skill. Communication skills have to be developed, honed and added to on an on-going basis. They are the heart of interpersonal skills and the greater your awareness of how it all works, the more effective your communication will be. To be effective in business, you have to communicate well. To be a good manager, you have to communicate exceptionally well. Here we look at basic communication dynamics, learning skills to improve your communication, using effective communication to improve and promote interpersonal relationships, creating an effective communication strategy. ...


Are You Tolerating Less Than Your Standards
"What You Tolerate Becomes Your Standards." This is a critical management philosophy that will assist you in driving high performance. When your employees are not performing, here are the steps to take to analyze why that performance is lower than the standard and suggestions for imbedding this philosophy into your organization's culture. 1. Do you have clearly defined standards? When employees are not performing, the first place to look is to your definition of what you would like for them to do. ...