The 'knowledge tree' sounded like a great idea in my head. A great visual prop with brightly coloured gift tags for the delegates to right down their learning after each of the 6 sections we were running through during a workshop.

I had planned to use the leaf tags as part of a reflective exercise at the end of the session, but made a call to knock-it-on-the-head and changed the final exercise to a facilitated discussion, as it became clear that things were going to get overcrowded very quickly and getting up to place the tags was becoming rather monotonous.

Did I fail?

Yes, and no!  As a Trainer, it's comfortable to find an activity that works well and repeat it with different audience’s time and again, making tiny adjustments as needs be. But 'repeat and succeed' can only support your own, and your learner’s development for so long. Facilitating creative learning pushes you to think more about your design process.
 
But with more creativity comes more opportunity to fail.

So, why bother?

Put simply, if a Trainer isn’t willing to try out new ways of engaging their learners, they’ll soon have no learners left to try anything with at all!  In a world of instant gratification, our attention levels need more stimulation to learn.  Building in creative activities into training sessions is just one way to help this.
 
Failure is an option, but…
 
No one plans to fail, but with failure comes insight, (and also a healthy dose of resilience!)  So, the trick is to fail with a back-up plan that won't affect your learners experience or leave you in a flap!
 
I will use the tree again, but next time it will be more succinct, allowing my learner’s ‘leaves of knowledge’ to flourish and for my own creative design to continue.

“On the 11th day of Christmas a Manager said to me… 
CAN’T I JUST BRIBE THEM?“

🌟(Sing along to the 12 days of Christmas song!)🌟
…
(10) Why set expectations?
(9) How do I manage upwards?
(8) Why aren’t they listening?
(7) I don’t have time to do this!
(6) Another 4-box model?
(5) DO I REALLY HAVE TO DO THESE 1:1’s?
(4) What can I delegate?
(3) How do I give feedback?
(2) Who are my team?
(1) I don’t know what’s expected of me!

THE CHALLENGE
This was a genuine question I had from one exasperated manager once.  “NO you can’t!” 

THE SOLUTION
What you can do however is:
⛄️   Create a system of rewards and incentives. 
⛄️   Have a good balance for individuals and/or team reward and recognition opportunities
⛄️   Consider that not everyone will want public recognition, a simple 1:1 acknowledgement will work too
⛄️   BUT REMEMBER to always include the employees when first setting up anything like this to ensure the reward is actually wanted! – (I once won 12 cuddly turtles during an incentive programme in a contact centre!  12 of them! )

🎄Missed a day?  Catch the all at: https://www.curiouslighthouse.co.uk/blogs 🎄

#CuriousLighthouse
#ManagementDevelopment
#12DayOfManagerSkills

“On the 10th day of Christmas a Manager said to me… 
WHY SET EXPECTATIONS?”

🌟(Sing along to the 12 days of Christmas song!)🌟
---
(9) How do I manage upwards?
(8) Why aren’t they listening?
(7) I don’t have time to do this!
(6) Another 4-box model?
(5) DO I REALLY HAVE TO DO THESE 1:1’s?
(4) What can I delegate?
(3) How do I give feedback?
(2) Who are my team?
(1) I don’t know what’s expected of me!

THE CHALLENGE
People should automatically know what they need to do right? Wrong.  People will do what they think they need to do, and what they enjoy doing in the absence of any another information! 

THE SOLUTION
Use a simple model to set out your expectations:
⛄️  A) Announce (what is it you want to have happen?)
⛄️  B) Because (State the WHY's – why them, why now etc)  
⛄️  C) Clarify (Ask THEM to clarify back to you what they understand is required)

🎄Keep a look out for he last few days of Christmas to help develop Manager skills!🎄

#CuriousLighthouse
#ManagementDevelopment
​#12DayOfManagerSkills

“On the 9th day of Christmas a Manager said to me… 
HOW DO I MANAGE UPWARDS?“

🌟(Sing along to the 12 days of Christmas song!)🌟
…
(8) Why aren’t they listening?
(7) I don’t have time to do this!
(6) Another 4-box model?
(5) DO I REALLY HAVE TO DO THESE 1:1’s?
(4) What can I delegate?
(3) How do I give feedback?
(2) Who are my team?
(1) I don’t know what’s expected of me!

THE CHALLENGE
The term 'manage upwards' is often seen as either manipulative or even cheeky.  But the truth is, sometimes we need our own managers to do things, so we can succeed at doing our things!

THE SOLUTION
⛄️  Be a grown up about it. 
⛄️  If you need something from them, ask them! 
⛄️  Consider the conversation before hand, what will they want to know, what objections might they have, will it cost anything, what impact will it have on your workload etc.
⛄️ Choose your timings carefully and be prepared to be answer more questions

🎄Keep a look out for further days of Christmas to help develop Manager skills!🎄

#CuriousLighthouse
#ManagementDevelopment
#12DayOfManagerSkills

“On the 8th day of Christmas a Manager said to me… 
WHY AREN’T THEY LISTENING?“

🌟(Sing along to the 12 days of Christmas song!)🌟
…
(7) I don’t have time to do this!”
(6) Another 4-box model?
(5) DO I REALLY HAVE TO DO THESE 1:1’s?
(4) What can I delegate?
(3) How do I give feedback?
(2) Who are my team?
(1) I don’t know what’s expected of me!

THE CHALLENGE
Managers often feel their suggestions and comments aren't being taken seriously, either by their team members or by more senior managers.  This is usually because they are simply not using the right language 

THE SOLUTION
⛄️  Consider things from the viewpoint of the person you are communicating with. 
⛄️  Team Members respond better when they know WHY they are being asked to do something. 
⛄️  Senior Managers respond better when they understand the impact to the bigger picture. 
⛄️  Tailor your message to different people for a better result.

🎄Keep a look out for further days of Christmas to help develop Manager skills!🎄

#CuriousLighthouse
#ManagementDevelopment
​#12DayOfManagerSkills

“On the 7th day of Christmas a Manager said to me…
I DON’T HAVE TIME TO DO THIS!”

🌟(Sing along to the 12 days of Christmas song!)🌟
…
(6) Another 4-box model?
(5) DO I REALLY HAVE TO DO THESE 1:1’s?
(4) What can I delegate?
(3) How do I give feedback?
(2) Who are my team?
(1) I don’t know what’s expected of me!

THE CHALLENGE
The problem ISN’T TIME management, it’s TASK management!  When people say, ‘I don’t have time to do this!’ it’s either because they don’t want to do it, or because they haven't found the right solution to their task management problem yet.

THE SOLUTION
If something feels like a chore and you don’t want to do it, you should really look at why.  Is it that you simply don’t know how, or that it goes against something you believe in?

If it’s a case of simply getting organised, check out these options:
⛄️  Agile thinking - sprint runs
⛄️  Kanban - simple column approach
⛄️  …and good old Excel - options to spreadsheet your task till your hearts content. 

The trouble is all this takes time too, so make sure you pick the one that works for you best and master it!

#CuriousLighthouse
#ManagementDevelopment
#12DayOfManagerSkills
​

“On the 6th day of Christmas a Manager said to me… 
ANOTHER 4-BOX MODEL?

🌟(Sing along to the 12 days of Christmas song!)🌟
…
(5) DO I REALLY HAVE TO DO THESE 1:1’s?
(4) What can I delegate?”
(3) How do I give feedback?”
(2) Who are my team?
(1) I don’t know what’s expected of me!”

THE CHALLENGE
4-box models are neat and tidy and help convey possible solution to managers questions.  The issue is there are a lot of them, and it might seem like you have to remember them all to be a great manager!

THE SOLUTION
⛄️  Remember that most training models or theories are there to add consideration to your personal journey NOT to constrain you. 
⛄️  The more you know; the more choice you have in how you deal with something. 
⛄️  Pick the one’s that work for you and ensure you personalise it for each situation and individual.

🎄Keep a look out for further days of Christmas to help develop Manager skills!🎄

#CuriousLighthouse
#ManagementDevelopment
#12DayOfManagerSkills

“On the 5th day of Christmas a Manager said to me…
DO I REALLY HAVE TO DO THESE 1:1’s?

🌟(Sing along to the 12 days of Christmas song!)🌟
…
(4) What can I delegate?”
(3) How do I give feedback?”
(2) Who are my team?
(1) I don’t know what’s expected of me!”

THE CHALLENGE
1:1’s can take time.  Time to schedule, time to prep for, time to run, time to write up etc.  And we all know that one of the biggest enemies of Managers is lack of time, right?

THE SOLUTION
⛄️ One of the key points of 1:1s are to allow team members individual time with their manager to discuss what’s going on for them.  If they feel rushed or like they’re an inconvenience, they simply won’t open up  
⛄️ Find a frequency that works well for you both (Newer team member may benefit from more frequent, structured meetings, while more established members may prefer a more relaxed approach.) 
⛄️ Doing your regular 1:1s will help with any annual review later down the line

REMEMBER ... DO THEM, but do them in a way that works for the you, them and the company!

🎄Keep a look out for further days of Christmas to help develop Manager skills!🎄

#CuriousLighthouse
#ManagementDevelopment
​#12DayOfManagerSkills

“On the 4th day of Christmas a Manager said to me…
WHAT CAN I DELEGATE?”

🌟(Sing along to the 12 days of Christmas song!)🌟
…
(3) How do I give feedback?”
(2) Who are my team?
(1) I don’t know what’s expected of me!”

THE CHALLENGE
Technically, you can delegate anything… the real question is WHY should you delegate it?

THE SOLUTION
⛄️ You can delegate to reduce your own workload …but you can also delegate to increase development opportunities.
⛄️ If you are looking to reduce your own workload ensure it’s not just the sludge you’re passing off, or people will see you as having sloppy shoulders
⛄️ If you are delegating to help develop someone, ensure you’re staggering the skill level, and supporting them in the process so it’s not too much too soon  

🎄Keep a look out for further days of Christmas to help develop Manager skills!🎄

#CuriousLighthouse
#ManagementDevelopment
#12DayOfManagerSkills

“On the 3rd day of Christmas a Manager said to me…
HOW DO I GIVE FEEDBACK?”

🌟(Sing along to the 12 days of Christmas song!)🌟
…
(2nd ) Who are my team?
(1st ) and… I don’t know what’s expected of me!”

THE CHALLENGE
The biggest challenge here is the perception of what feedback is and is not! (and avoiding the feedback sandwich like the plague!)

THE SOLUTION
The best advice I can offer in this short space is to consider your purpose and context! 
 ⛄️  Set the context before you start to enable the other person to understand what it relates to
 ⛄️  Be specific (using vague language like ‘that was great’ or ‘You shouldn’t done that’ are not going to help anyone
 ⛄️  Be very clear on why you want to change or continue


🎄Keep a look out for further days of Christmas to help develop Manager skills! 🎄

#CuriousLighthouse
#ManagementDevelopment
#12DayOfManagerSkills

“On the 2nd day of Christmas a Manager said to me…
WHO ARE MY TEAM?”
​---
(And…  I don’t know what’s expected of me!”)

🎄 (Sing along to the 12 days of Christmas song!)🎄 

THE CHALLENGE 
Undefined reporting line can cause havoc with communication and generally getting things done

THE SOLUTION
​1. Hold meeting with all managers to define split between Technical Management accountability (projects, products etc) and Personal Management accountability (1:1’s, holiday requests, development etc)
2.  Draw up a org chart that represents this
3.Hold meeting with team members to highlight this and how it might work going forwards
4.Review regularly

🎄Keep a look out for further days of Christmas to help develop Manager skills! 🎄 

#CuriousLighthouse 
#ManagementDevelopment 
#12DayOfManagerSkills

“On the 1st day of Christmas a Manager said to me…
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S EXPECTED OF ME!”  

🎄🌟(Sing along to the 12 days of Christmas song!) 🌟🎄

THE CHALLENGE: 
For smaller fast growing companies, this is usually because they simply haven’t had to think about it before. 

For larger companies it could be down to lack of development planning around the transition from role to role.


THE SOLUTION:
If you're the Manager that needs clarity, take the lead on this.  Approach the/your boss and ask for a conversation to help define your role and what is expected from you.

If you're the boss, take time to consider the key things you want from your line managers and ways you can support them to learn and grow in the role. (Keep it simple, focus on the top 3 things to start with and set milestone review dates to follow up.)

🎄Keep a look out for further days of Christmas to help develop Manager skills! 🎄 

#CuriousLighthouse 
#ManagementDevelopment 
​#12DayOfManagerSkills

As the plethora of perfectly carved pumpkins start to appear on social media, I find myself saying ‘I’m happy for these people, they have creativity, patience and time to spare’..,

But I also find my inner voice saying... ' I bet what they didn't have was a bouncy overexcited 7-year-old wielding a Sharpie and dinner knife in front of them, declaring that the pumpkin only needs half its head, otherwise we wouldn't be able to see the brains falling out!

So we set everything up, get ready to carve, the excitement at fever-pitch and then… he’s loses interest and we end up with slightly quirky, rather than a scary looking pumpkin!   

​I had several options:

1. TRY and coerce my Son into creating a more elegant pumpkin masterpiece
2. LIE and create my own ‘slightly better’ pumpkin and take a photo of him next to it
3. BUY a ready-made carved pumpkin and be vague about its creation

Or…

4. Let him loose (safely!) with his creativity and equipment and see what we end up with!   

Being a manager sometimes means we look at others and judge ourselves against their; results, team, awards etc. But when you’re too busy looking at what others are doing you can miss out on the talents of your own team. 

​So, whether your switching off the lights and pretending you're not at home, or out and about with the Zombies, Witches and Batman, (there's always one dressed as Batman!) have a ‘perfectly’ personal Halloween.

Last week I opened a Management Development workshop by recounting the events surrounded the saving of the Titanic survivors. (Granted, it wasn’t the cheeriest of openings, but it was certainly powerful!)

​The sequence of events that the Captains of the SS Californian and the RMS Carpathia took that night are often overlooked when the Titanic is mentioned.  Yet that moment in time followed them for the rest of their lives.

The SS Californian 
The inquiry records reveal contradictory evidence from the crew of the SS Californian.  Discrepancies in how

Last week I opened a communications workshop for managers by talking about Honeybees!  Yes, you did read that right… Honeybees!

Honeybee’s have communication nailed.  They locate flowers for nectar and let everyone in the hive know exactly where to find them.  How?  They do a waggle dance!

As the kids head back to school, I’m reminded of my own early days in education.  A time when, we covered our exercise books to make them last longer (Yes, that is wallpaper from our 1970’s living room!)  and I took my ‘words’ to and from school in an empty (but still rather smelly) Golden Virginia tobacco tin!

Times have changed, and whilst I might look back nostalgically, I wouldn’t expect my own Son to do the same now-a-days.
​
So why would any business expect new managers to follow practices that are probably as old as my exercise book! ​...

When I landed my first official job as a Trainer for a large DIY store many moons ago, I was delighted!  I learnt on the job, running rousing inductions and traveling the length and breadth of the UK to meet eager (my words not theirs) learners to induct them.

After some time, I realised that if I was going to progress to other forms of training i.e. Management Development, I was going to need to develop my own skills further.  Back then the key attributes of a great Trainer were

Several years ago, my mum ventured into her first ever Starbucks store. Nothing particularly interesting about that, however, they were just starting their 'can I take your name for the cup' shenanigans, and my mum answered, 'Ruth'.

Again, not much interesting about this either, until you understand that, a) her name is not Ruth! and b) when I asked her why she had given a different name she replied...

“If you’re telling me I’ve done something wrong, then at least give me enough information to do it right next time!”

Many Managers struggle with giving real-time feedback.  The concept of praising and correcting a team member in the moment can feel uncomfortable.  More so for ‘Accidental Managers.’  Those who have been promoted to manage a team because they were good at their previous role… which probably involved very little people management at all!

In this article we’ll look at what feedback is and is not, and we’ll also introduce a simple four-part model that you can use for positive and constructive feedback.  Let’s dive in…

“Just because YOU think you’re right, doesn’t actually make you right!”  This was a conversation I heard between two learners during a Management Development workshop I was hosting. 
 
It opened a really interesting discussion about how much some people hold on to their views in order to prove themselves correct.  Even when they start to believe there may be merit in other people’s views.
 
Some of the best Managers I’ve worked with have a talent for being able to step back and take on other people’s opinions.  These Managers also happen to be excellent at conversation and communication.  Coincidence?  I think not!  

I love this TED Talk from Celeste Headlee about ‘10 ways to have a better conversation’. Celeste is a radio host and her advice translates beautifully from advice for individuals to advice for business managers too. 
 
The topic of ‘communication’ crops up a lot the Management Development programme I design and deliver, but this different slant on ‘conversations’ is well worth a view with some great points for all. Enjoy!

​Get the FULL guide to the '12 Days of different delegates' in one PDF... CLICK HERE 

Find out why learners behave the way they do in workshops, and more importantly what you, as there Trainer can do about it.  

Props can really help increase curiosity and engage learners in different ​ways to traditional discussion.

I used this prop during a Mini Masterclass about 'Proactive Management Conversations.'  Can you tell what it is and why I might have used it? 
​