Month: November 2021

In this series of Well Prepared Training articles we pay homage to the people we admire when it comes to the way they speak in public.

That last sentence probably doesn’t even do them justice. Our choices for these articles have truly found the purpose of their voices and speak so that everyone is listening to them. They inspire. They engage. They create passion. They can evoke tears. They tell compelling, human stories that make you feel something with every word. These are the inspirational speakers that blow our minds.

For this article, we have selected someone who speaks publicly with absolute ease. Joanne Rowling OBE, much better known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author, film producer, television producer, screenwriter, and philanthropist. Most famous for bringing the world her literary masterpieces with the stories of a certain young wizard, Harry James Potter.

We thought long and hard before selecting the speech that stood out for us, she has many under her belt, including reading a passage from Peter Pan at the 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony in London. We wanted a speech that stuck with us and we chose her graduation speech to students at Harvard University in 2011.

The overarching message we took from this, and would encourage you to do the same, is the perfectly played use of humour throughout. Her audience engages with her within seconds as she plays on the fears of public speaking and relaxes the audience (and herself) with the power of laughter. A clever trick many of us can use to ease into a public speech. The power of laughter and relaxing is incredible. She is, without doubt, a master at this. Her self-deprecating humour is powerful and empowering (along with her wicked twitter responses if you look at those).

There are many highlights to this public speech, but we picked some prime moments for you. We strongly advise you to watch as she masterfully tackles topics that many wouldn’t dare to even write down. Included in this speech are personal stories, anecdotes, government issues, African torture, personal failure, divorce and poverty.

Each topic is skilfully delivered using the power of her voice, knowing that her audience are listening to her with interest and compassion. She is a multi-billionaire, talking of poverty could be taken the wrong way, but the way it is delivered, and the story passed along instead warms you to her and the story even more.

She talks passionately about what imagination means to her, and the distinct lack of it in certain arenas. Her stature and body language are strong. She explains that for her, imagination is the powerful tool that allows us to empathise with others without ever actually being in their shoes. An interesting take from someone whose imagination has inspired millions of children (and adults) around the world through her writing.

We love her humour, both outright, and sarcastic and especially the little eye movements that show us how comfortable she is sharing her words and inspiring people to laugh with her. She genuinely seems to be there because she wants to congratulate the students and share her insights with them.

Even after going to more solemn moments during the talk, she ends with her humour when she discusses the reason, she will never be able to run for Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

You can watch J.K. Rowling speaking by clicking this link.

Now we can’t guarantee to make you speak like J.K. Rowling, but we can help you become an awesome public speaker through our own SPEAK programme so if we can support you get in touch.

In this series of articles we pay homage to the people we admire when it comes to the way they speak in public.

That last sentence probably doesn’t even do them justice. Our choices for these articles have truly found the purpose of their voices and speak so that everyone is listening to them. They inspire. They engage. They create passion. They can evoke tears. They tell compelling, human stories that make you feel something with every word. These are the inspirational speakers that blow our minds.

This time we are talking about a legend when it comes to speaking in public, and who has reached millions of people all around the world. Our choice is Simon Sinek. He’s a British-American, highly accomplished author and motivational speaker. One of his books, Leaders Eat Last, appeared on the bestseller lists for Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He’s famously helped many businesses come up with their ‘WHY’ from his book, Start with Why and his many speeches about finding the Purpose of your organisation.

We immediately had a favourite speech from this guy, it’s one that stood out to us, and we didn’t want to choose the ones that 50 million people have already streamed! Instead we chose What Makes a Great Leader from TED in March 2014.

There are so many parts of his presentation that really ticked boxes for us but we really enjoyed the way he makes it easy for the people in the audience to get on the same page as him quickly and want to move through his story with him.

He talks with passion and conviction about leaders needing to make their employees feel secure and letting them into a circle of trust and safety. He doesn’t just use the words and move on, he lets you know that if you want to do this it’s time to take responsibility. The message is clear – it’s on you, and yet you feel glad he’s effectively telling you to step up and make a change. That is a public speaking skill that many would kill for.

He cleverly draws you in from the very first words of his speech when he talks to you about Captain William Swenson (we won’t ruin it for you but it’s a heartfelt moment) and brings his words alive with analogies and experiences which help him drive home his point. That we all want to work for an organisation where we feel safe and protected and when we do, the evidence suggests we cooperate and work harder.

He owns the stage, he can interact with all of you and one of you, he writes on his flip charts and still has the audience waiting for his next word or story. He speaks so concisely and with such energy and passion that it’s hard not warm to him. His storytelling abilities are second to none. That’s why we chose him as one of our inspirational speakers.

You can watch Simon in action by clicking this link.

Now we can’t guarantee to make you speak like Simon does, but we can help you become an awesome public speaker through our own SPEAK programme so if we can support you get in touch.

In the spirit of being ‘well prepared’ we’ve invested in the capability to use an online platform for virtual learning with our clients. We know businesses are relying on their teams to be credible, speak clearly and influence well via virtual platforms & our solutions can support those skills.

• Our solution will enable your commitment and investment in your people to remain on track
• This is a motivating way to connect people in an otherwise lonely existence/ connecting people aspect in difficult times
• It’s the right time to keep things stable for employees and to continue to show your investment in their growth – especially as the requirements of virtual working will require new virtual skill sets

Interested in learning more? Grab a copy of the FREE download or get in touch. 

Start the conversation today. 

In this series of Well Prepared Training articles we pay homage to the people we admire when it comes to the way they speak in public.

That last sentence probably doesn’t even do them justice. Our choices for these articles have truly found the purpose of their voices and speak so that everyone is listening to them. They inspire. They engage. They create passion. They can evoke tears. They tell compelling, human stories that make you feel something with every word. These are the inspirational speakers that blow our minds.

Our first choice is Michelle Obama. Previously the First Lady of the United States of America and wife and ardent supporter of husband and President, Barack.

Never has anyone in that role spoken to the people as she did. As we now know, not every FLOTUS speaks or communicates like this but Michelle did, and she was truly a professional in every sense of the word.

We had a difficult time choosing the speech that we wanted to write about, because there are so many. A passionate protector of people, she spoke out on the topics that were important and were close to her heart and to her beliefs.

We settled, after much discussion, on the speech that she delivered at the Democratic National Convention in 2012. Now this isn’t about politics for us, we won’t even go there, this is about the way she delivered her speech and used the power of her voice to inspire thousands upon thousands of people both present and watching live at home. It’s an amazing thing to watch or listen to.

There are so many parts of this speech which really moved us, but we especially loved the human elements;, the references to her children and their future, the fact that Barack’s best shoes were a half size too small for him. She made us feel that she was sharing personal information with her friends.

We were in awe of her humour, both outright and tongue in cheek, the confidence as she delivered her messages, the eye contact on a stage being watched by thousands of eyes, the controlled passion when her volume increased and the eloquence of her words as she told a story about why, as Americans, they had to keep working for what was right for the USA. The audience applauded, they cried, they stood and waved because she moved them to. With her words and her voice.

You can watch Michelle in action by clicking this link.

Now we can’t guarantee to make you speak like Michelle, but we can help you become an awesome public speaker through our own SPEAK programme so if we can support you get in touch.

I was recently one of the lucky members to be in the audience of a panel discussion at The AllBright.  Hosted at the brilliant members club, the theme was ‘Power’; what it means, when you’ve used your own, how we pay it forward.

The panel were a mix of women from different industries; from one of the UK’s only crane operators to an activist & author who speaks actively against FGM.

One of my favourite moment was in answer to the question: “What’s the most powerful thing you’ve ever done?”

The answer that moved me the most was “I stopped trying to fit into a mould and I stopped accepting the shame of being different.

I decided I was proud to put my name to something I built” That is exactly how I feel right now. Proud to put my name to what we’re building. What we’re building with our BRAVE programme is awesome.   

And you know what?

Knowing the power of that statement felt pretty damn good.

We recently took advantage of the exceptional hospitality at AllBright for one of our planning sessions. If you haven’t discovered this secret yet, they celebrate the community and connection of smart-thinking women. We loved it and took one step closer to being ready to share BRAVE with all of you. 

“To love oneself,” wrote Oscar Wilde, “is the beginning of a life-long romance.”

The answer, if you haven’t already guessed it, is a big YES.

For most of us, it still feels a little foreign, but if you don’t show yourself some self-compassion then you’re probably in for a bumpy ride.

When things are going well, self-compassion is generally pretty easy. We’ve all been there. The going looks good and therefore it is very easy to feel good about what you’re doing.

It’s when things aren’t going to plan that we tend to forget to bring compassion for ourselves and instead replace with fault finding, criticism and negativity.

In the world we live in now self-compassion is super important. A simple concept that came from Buddhist psychology explains it in easy terms. It teaches us that self-compassion has 3 elements, 1. self-kindness, 2. common humanity and 3. mindfulness.

Being KIND to yourself is important. Especially at work, which is often where our stresses and pressures can be felt the most.

Self-Kindness

The next time something doesn’t go to plan, and you start to listen to the internal dialogue we all have that helps you to understand what’s happened. STOP. Just for a second or two and try to imagine what you would say to your best friend if this had happened to them or try imagining how you would phrase it to the newest member of the team. Chances are you would find a kinder way to say it than you were about to. It’s natural to be hard on yourself, but its not healthy so just try to be kinder with the voice in your head.

Common Humanity

To give you a simple sense of common humanity. It’s recognising that everyone makes mistakes, and no one is without their weaknesses. No-one is perfect (not even that John in Accounts who never seems to mess up). We are human beings and we make mistakes. Learning to accept that you are not alone in your errors can comfort you by feeling inclusive instead of feeling alone. Once again, think how you would advise others in the same situation to get some perspective.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness can sometimes conjure up images of lunchtime yoga and downward dog poses, and whilst they are in fact useful as part of mindfulness, they’re not essential. We simply suggest that you allow yourself some extra time to think, and consider how what is happening right now, in the moment, could impact others and you. It’s too easy to get caught up in what’s happening and lose perspective and mindfulness can help you calm things down. It could be that you give yourself a ten-minute breather when things are tough, or that you postpone making a decision immediately so that you can consider all the implications first.

Build your skills

One way to build stronger skills when it comes to these topics is to up-skill yourself. Get yourself onto some training courses that help you with the hard stuff. Learn to handle conflict, disagree well, think differently and creatively and learn to build your brand positively. A huge part of human development is constant learning, and at Well Prepared Training we can help. Check out our KIND page to see how.

Final thought.

Ask yourself this question. What do I need to make me feel good?

As we grow in size we’re committed to making sure the infrastructure we have around us can support both our clients and our own team to make sure we are at our best all of the time. 

We visited our friends at Microsoft today and enjoyed a training session  inside their stunning full training suite. We experienced truly fantastic, helpful training by Abdulla who was easily able to help us see how their tools can support our plans for Well Prepared Training’s growth. 

A great day, highly recommended. 

Technology is changing the world. And fast. Not a day goes past without a new piece of software, tech or app arriving into our lives. At We Are Brave we’re constantly looking out for how this can help people learn.

For trainers and those who teach, the impact of this has been huge. In the last 18 years, technology-driven learning has completely changed the training landscape. For the better.

For some of you reading this of a certain age, (not us of course, we’re all spring chickens – cough cough), you might remember Overhead Projectors and the incredibly thin transparent acetate sheets that you hand drew with marker pens as a pre-cursor to PowerPoint. At the time, these were the latest thing. We did not mourn when these faded away. If only the pen stains on our fingers had faded so fast.

Nowadays most businesses worth their salt will always look for a blended learning solution of some sort, whether it’s using their own tools, external suppliers, or simply utilising the resources that have been gifted to us by the introduction of the world wide web.

While most businesses we work with are not fully abandoning the conventional modes to solely favour online learning, blended learning is emerging as a preferred route. Making sure that learners have access to the right skills and knowledge to meet the business requirements and goals, companies are choosing blended learning because they realise that plain, non-interactive online or standalone face-to-face training sessions just don’t do it anymore. 2020 forced the world to fully embrace virtual learning and made Zoom and Teams household names that every adult and child now know. It’s changed the game for learning, and with it, the opportunities to blend.

SO, WHAT IS BLENDED LEARNING ANYWAY?

In a nutshell. A blended learning program should contain some media, some human touch, some classroom elements and some web-based training. It basically makes the most out of all the elements available and therefore engages learners with different styles and keeps learning fresh and interesting. It can even mean fully online virtual classroom training…more likely if you’re one of those lucky people with a super strong, faster than a speeding bullet 5G signal! More and more we now see whole programs being delivered totally online.

We utilise the amazing wealth of content on YouTube and create curated video playlists to be used before attending a session. This can all happen at the learner’s pace and before we ever meet them, on any device they choose to use.

We work hard to keep our content up to date, relevant and engaging. We use PowerPoint, but we do it in a way that engages and supports rather than taking over and causing sleep paralysis. We always include interactive activities, face to face, video learning and engaging case studies to bring the learning to life. We also help to keep learning alive by providing follow up content in the forms of useful links and videos.

One of the latest things we have worked on with clients is the use of chat groups, quizzes and voting with cohorts of training courses both pre-courses, during and post course. Software like Teams allows us to communicate better, engage and chase progress and even the ability to share videos and short clips to the group to help them learn.

This kind of chat software feels natural these days, and comfortable for most learners. We have even started sharing the post course surveys via this medium to make it a seamless experience for the learners. And all in one place.

WHY ARE WE DOING IT?

There are many reasons – one of which is that we move with the client and learners – we won’t be left behind!

We know that every learner’s needs are different and it’s important for us to try to meet everyone’s needs so our course to be effective. We also know when to use it, and when to stick to the old-fashioned way – sometimes it just works!

At We Are Brave we know that blended learning brings a stack of benefits for trainers and learners and it is worth its weight in gold. With blended learning, trainers are better able to bridge knowledge gaps and help learners reach their full potential. We’re not saying we are leading the industry, not by a long shot, but we are playing the game and adapting to give the best offer we can to our clients and their learners.

IN SUMMARY

The world is changing, you must change with it.

Nowadays you can watch a YouTube video on how to do pretty much anything. We can all now fix the unreliable pilot light on a boiler, that would have cost a call out fee 3 years ago. All by watching a step by step video. The way people learn is changing. If you want to improve information retention, engagement, and learning then blended learning is more important than ever.

But please, please, never bring back the Overhead Projector. It’s dead to us.

Soft Skills. Hmm. We always thought that sounded a little weird, but you know what we mean, soft skills are the personal attributes, personality traits, the social cues, and ways people communicate that are needed for success on the job. Soft skills generally characterise how a person interacts in their relationships with others. So when you think about it, they’re kind of important.

Technology is evolving the way businesses operate through automation and even artificial intelligence, and this means that the future of work will include jobs that don’t exist at all today. Now for some, this instils a deep sense of panic and makes them think of evil robot overlords taking over and enslaving the human race. That’s unlikely to happen.

As this automated transformation starts, one thing we do know is that soft skills like creativity, agile thinking, adaptability, decision making, communication and collaboration will always stay in high demand. A robot, computer or automated system won’t be able to bring these skills to the workplace (at least not yet!)

One thing to bear in mind, no matter how far you are down the automated technology journey, is that research shows that gaps in soft skills already exist across most businesses and industries and the best way to resolve this is by providing a variety of forms of training.

Research also tells us that soft skills are not learned in one session, instead, to make sure these skills stick and get embedded then your people need multiple training experiences over a longer period to learn and practice them. The future needs a continued focus on soft skills training, and at Well Prepared Training we’ve created comprehensive learning solutions to develop this critical skill set for you.

And right now, we don’t need to plug our trainers in to charge, update their software or worry about malware. Yet.

Think we can help you? Start the conversation today.