So here I am, the proud owner of a brand new mini iPad!!

As I am an experiential learner I thought I would test out it's usability for a small business like mine, so here I am on the move writing to see how doable this social media stuff is!!!  I am also testing out access and making sure that what I am doing on my iPad is being saved and I can access it from my desk top....and yes it works!!!

Now I know for all you techie people out there you knew that this was going to work but as someone who has to learn from experience I had to check it worked....and it did!

I decided on a mini iPad as I found the original iPad too big, cumbersome & heavy to carry around. The mini is much easier to do this and is even small enough to get into all the handbags I use for work days! I know that is very girly but we are 50% of Apple's target market so it is important.

One of the best bits about the whole IT set up is how everything is connected so that I have all my bookmarks from my desktop  here with me on the move which is just fab!! It means that I can keep in touch with my social media connections and also to maximise the use of my time.  Being someone who hates wasting her time the ability to keep up with blogging,tweeting etc on the move means while I am waiting for a meeting to start I can do a bit of connecting.

So how has it travelled? Well it's easy and as long as there is an Internet connection, it is as good as being at my desk!  I have also taken it for a cover which amazingly Apple have not got round to making...so I've opted for one by Belkin which is great and allows you to read it at an angle etc and it is protected so I am confidently carrying it around and using it in some unusual places....currently in the kitchen!  Don't think the bathroom will be wise but I now fully understand how everyone has got hooked on them!

On reflection I do wonder how I ever ran my business in the 'old days' without all these gadgets!!  Do you remember memos and real post!! It is all part of the evolution of the workplace and it makes being connected and in touch with your clients and world events so much easier.  However, it does not make you a better sales person, trainer or business leader.  That still comes down to how you develop your skills, behaviour and attitude to the people around you.

This is something we have to consider as the digital native generation (born from 2000 onwards) move into the workplace....they might be very savvy about the technology and connected to everyone via social media but when it comes to managing people that is still a face to face relationship (even via Skype) and comes with all the foibles that us humans have.  So thankfully developing managers and leaders to be better at what they do will still be required!!

Thanks for your time, Suzanne Unsworth

www.rubusassociates.co.uk

30 minute training sessions

So here we are in 2013 with the prospect of the economy bumbling along much like last year…so what do you do as a manager who is trying to develop your people?  You only have so much money in your training budget, if any!

So how do you decide which is the best way to deliver the required training to your team?  Well in many organisations ‘tool box’ training is done on a regular basis, say once a week and takes only 30 minutes with the whole team. This is ideal in a shift environment at the beginning of a shift or at a team meeting or huddle as some people call them!

So what can you cover in 30 minutes I hear you cry…well quite a lot if you have planned your session well:

• Clearly defining what you want your team to 'know/explain/list' etc. after the session is crucial
• Ensure that all your people are engaged and involved…do NOT (yes I am shouting) talk AT your people for 30 minutes….get them involved in short, impactive exercises; get them discussing the issue…they might have a great solution that you have not thought about!!
• Put some form of assessment into your session at the end like a quiz so that you can check that the learning has taken place

We ask people on train the trainer courses to run a micro-teach for 30 minutes and you would be surprised at what you can learn in that time.

So yes, in these time constrained and cost restricted situations learning can take place, you cannot use excuses, your people still have to be developed.  Why not get them involved in sharing their skills & knowledge with the rest of the team especially if you have spent some of your precious training budget sending them on an external course….get them to run a resume of the learning for the rest of the team.

If you do not help your people to learn & develop in their role with you when the market picks up they will go elsewhere because you have not developed their potential, which for you as a manager is your job!!

Thanks for your time, Suzanne Unsworth

www.rubusassociates.co.uk