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BYOD! The change is here.

Posted on July 24, 2013 | 2 comments

Bring Your Own Device

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Tim T Dingle BSc (Hons) MIBiol PGCE MBA Chief Development Officer at the Academy of Vocational and Professional Training.

AVPT Global is issuing a technological tsunami alert; feel the force of a very real wave of BYOD / BYOT and new mobile learning and learn how to avoid being swamped.

Here at AVPT Global we like to bring you some advanced news and perhaps a serious warning of impending change. I have worked in the education sector for 25 years and seen many changes in technology during that time. There is a clear and present need to improve the soft skills and learning of individuals- whether at School, University or in business. Already at AVPT we are using the latest technology to improve training and it is clear that mobile learning is massive. I came across the term bring your own device (BYOD) in a recent workshop for employers. It means the policy of permitting employees to bring personally owned mobile devices (laptops, tablets, and smart phones) to their workplace and use those devices to access company information and applications. The term bring your own technology (BYOT) is being used more frequently in an educational context. It is a part of a supplementary school technology resourcing model, where the home and the school collaborate in arranging for use their own digital technology to be extended into the classroom to assist their teaching and learning and the organisation of their schooling.

The BYOD / BYOT ‘tsunami’ is rapidly coming over the horizon for educational institutions and businesses. BYOD is making significant inroads in the business world already with about 75% of employees in high growth markets such as Brazil and Russia and 44% in developed markets already using their own technology at work. In most cases, businesses simply can’t block the trend.

We believe that BYOD may help employees be more productive and become genuine Life Long Learners. It can and should increase employee morale and convenience by using their own devices and makes the company look like a flexible and attractive employer.  Many feel that BYOD can even be a means to attract new staff (and we all know how hard it is to get the right person on board): 44% of job seekers now view an organisation more positively if it supports their device.

AVPTGLOBAL almost 400 courses all globally accredited

AVPTGLOBAL almost 400 courses all globally accredited

We have found at AVPT that if businesses are to survive they will need to be proactive and really note and respond to the trends.  They will need to shape the largely inevitable development to the best advantage or try to surpass the deeds of King Canute and prevent the wave from swamping their institutions. Perhaps not surprisingly at this very early stage many of the early BYOT moves are making this mistake, are naïve, simplistic and preoccupied with the relatively mundane, showing little appreciation of what BYOT could entail.

We believe at AVPT global that there are least six global megatrends coming together that will impact on all businesses, schools, institutions to some form of BYOT. These megatrends relate to the normalised use of personal digital devices in every facet of life, the burgeoning digital and educative capacity of the student’s homes, cloud computing, parent digital empowerment, government’s increasing inability to fund state of the art personal technology for all and the inexorable evolution of schooling from its insular paper-based mode to one that is more digital and networked.

Fundamental to BYOT is that personal choice of the technology by the individual (whether in School, Higher Education and Business). While businesses /schools might and probably should provide advice, the final choice should rest with the individual. The will give an enhanced facility for the personalisation of learning in and outside the business and educational premises. That is the secret of the success of online mobile learners. In our online Learning Management System that can be used by the owner of device, at home, work or on the move (found out VTF are driving this change).The individuals are having their ownership of the technology and the information respected and absorbed.

Get qualified whilst on the move with AVPT

Get qualified whilst on the move with AVPT

So the future that BYOD / BYOT is creating will cause a profound educational change. It has immense potential that will assist change in the nature of schooling, teaching, learning and the relationship with homes and work. However, to realise this potential there has to be really strong leadership in education and businesses management. It has to change thinking and begin to understand what is needed terms of the power of mobile learning. Leaders have to take charge of the process, understand the possibilities and appreciate what is required for sustained success and development. At AVPT we see leaders training who are training to be proactive, learning about the forces impelling institutions to some form of BYOT. We see the need to appreciate the real potential for society in educational, social, economic, technical, administrative and political terms.

At the Academy of Vocational and Professional Training we believe these are still very early days with BYOT / BYOD. There isn’t much out there being written about these changes to mobile learning except in some pioneers in the field. The focus of most business and institutions is technical with little thought given the wider educational or financial implications. The greatest challenge with BYOT / BYOD will be human. The technical aspect is easy- and always will be. The key is to understand the historic significance of this development and to recognise that we are moving to a new model of mobile learning, teaching and institutional resourcing where everyone collaborates, facilitates and genuine accepts these changes.

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The Gulf Education Conference 2013

Posted on June 13, 2013 | 2 comments
Gulf Education

Gulf Education Conference 2013

Gulf Education Conference comes to London, UK for the 3rd year running on 19th/20th June.

Facilitating Innovation and Change-Rethinking Higher Education in a Global and Digital Age: Issue, Implication and Opportunities

by Arub Masoodi BA (Hons)
Public Relations Intern, AVPT Global Ltd

An impressive line-up of high profile ministers of education from the Gulf states will be coming to discuss innovation and change in education in today’s global and digital age. This unique event, already in its third year, allows a platform for leaders and education experts from around the world to meet and establish partnerships between organizations, academies and universities with an interest in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA).

AVPT Global will have the privilege of exhibiting at stand 13 at the Gulf Education Conference, which is set to take place in London at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel on 19th and 20th June, where it feels confident it will be able to meet the ways in which the world is rethinking the delivery of education and learning.

The theme for this year is facilitating innovation and change-rethinking higher education in a global and digital age: issue, implication and opportunities. This will be explored from all angles through interactive sessions and lectures given by key people attending.  There will also be an impressive gala dinner where AVPT will mingle with heads of state. AVPT has worked with the Oman embassy to train in soft skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, and will continue to do so in 2013. AVPT has also recently signed an exclusive five year contract with a university in Cambodia for the teaching of soft skills delivered online.

Several passionate experts in education are confirmed speakers at the conference. Among them are: Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, Kurdistan Regional Government High Representative to the UK, Dr.Ali Saeed Mohammad, KRG Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Anjum Malik, Co-founder of Alhambra US Chamber Director. Several other high profile experts with a passion for education will also be in attendance.

Diane Shawe, CEO and founder of AVPT Global stated that digital education is the education of the future in today’s technological age.

Registration is coming to a close soon. Read more here…

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Are you tired of being everybody’s dartboard?

Posted on May 15, 2013 | 65 comments
dart-board main

Learn how to stop getting darts thrown at you everyday

So how do you stay calm, composed and maintain your self-esteem when everyone around you is fire fighting?

Article by Diane Shawe MEd

Here are six tips you may wish to consider as a starting point.

Imagine yourself standing around as a Dart Board.

Now take a look around and see who has most recently thrown their dart at you.  What would you actually do if you saw a dart coming towards you? Would you just stand there and take the hit, run for cover or protect yourself whilst your on the move? Without protection these dart will destroy your self-esteem and pull you down.  So which dart pins should you avoid?

Dart Pin 1: Negative Work Environment

Beware of “dog eat dog” theory where everyone else is fighting just to get ahead. This is where non-appreciative people usually thrive. No one will appreciate your contributions even if you miss lunch and dinner, and stay up late. Most of the time you get to work too much without getting help from people concerned.  Stay out of this, it will ruin your self-esteem. Competition is at stake anywhere. Be healthy enough to compete, but in a healthy competition that is.

Dart Pin 2: Other People’s Behaviour

Bulldozers, gossipmongers, whiners, backstabbers, snipers, people walking wounded, controllers, naggers, complainers, exploders, patronisers, jealousy… all these kinds of people will pose bad vibes for your self-esteem, as well as to your self-improvement scheme.

Dart Pin 3: Stale or Stagnant Environment

You can’t be a green bug on a brown field. Changes challenge our paradigms. It tests our flexibility, adaptability and alters the way we think. Change can either inspire, motivate or be stressful when we resist but, only for a while. It is said that a change is as good as a rest, it will help you find ways to improve your self.  The world has changed right in front of our eyes, we must be susceptible to it.

Dart Pin 4: Past Experience

It’s okay to cry and say “ouch!” when we experience pain. But don’t let pain transform itself into fear, spite or vengeance. It might grab you by the tail and swing you around. Treat each painful experience, failure and mistake as a lesson. Stop and reflect and see what message you have been given or taught.  Decide how you can best use that experience to help you grow.

Dart Pin 5: Negative Biosphere

Look at what you’re looking at, absorbing and ingesting daily. Self-reflection.  Don’t wrap yourself up with all the negativeness of the world. In building self-esteem, you must learn how to make the best out of most situations.  How to separate who and what you are and how to repair and protect your self-esteem.  If you cut yourself, you would normally seek to clean the wound, cover it with a plaster until it heals, check it and then when it is much better remove the plaster.  If it’s a serious cut you would normally seek professional help.  Seek out the tools that can help lift you out of a negative mind set.

Dart Pin 6: Fait accompli

It’s not always your fault.  It does not always happen to you.  The way you are and your behavioral traits is said to be a mixture of your inherited traits (genetics), your upbringing (learnt), and your environmental surroundings such as your family, spouse, your job, the economy or your circle of friends. You have your own identity. If your father was a failure, it doesn’t mean you have to believe that your going to be a failure too. Learn from other people’s experience, so you can avoid or recognise mistakes and old patterns in advance.

In life, it’s hard to stay tough or unscathed especially when things and people around you keep pulling you down. Constantly firefighting without the right tools means you could continuously become burnt out.

There are three tools you need to keep polished:

lady with cup of tea

Nothing like a good dose of positive attitude

a) Your attitude,

b) Your behaviour

c) Your way of thinking.

Building self-esteem means we take responsibility for who we are, what we have and what we do. We become clear about our mission, values  all of which aids self-discipline.  You can start right away by thinking more positively, look for more things to be appreciative about and never miss an opportunity to compliment either yourself or others.

Building your self-esteem is essential for confidence and success and it all begins with you. Of all the judgments you make in life, none is as important as the one you make about yourself. Without some measure of self-worth life can be enormously painful. If you want to discover some simple techniques that will dramatically change how you feel about yourself such as how to recognise the importance of learning self-acceptance and nurturing your sense of self, take a look at our On Demand Course Directory and how you can start your own Private Tutors Business or create your own Directory. Click here for more information.

How to create a digital on demand course library

 

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Is Mobile Technology re-wiring the brains of our Children?

Posted on May 7, 2013 | 1 comment

Overload or Growth?

Overload or Growth?

Or is there hope in a BRAIN project funded by the President of the USA?

Well you do hear people say that mobile technology and smart tech is rewiring their brains brain, making a new breed of digital natives and even brain washing our children. The facts are that they will spend 11.5 hours a day using smart technology; whether that’s computers, tablets, television, mobile phones, or video games (and in my experience usually more than one at a time). That is a big chunk of their 15 or 16 waking hours. The media tend to exploit these facts and combine them with pseudo-science with outlandish claims of ‘brain rewiring’ and potential harm. I have heard this uttered in alarm, (usually by those concerned that children’s ability to learn and pay attention) and stated as a ‘good thing’ by others, convinced that a generation of digital natives has developed incredible powers of absorbing and applying information.

Indeed 4 years ago President Obama officially announced in 2013 that 100 million dollars in funding for arguably the most ambitious neuroscience initiative ever proposed. The project has the catchy name of Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neuro-technologies, or BRAIN, and aims to reconstruct the activity of every single neuron as they fire simultaneously in different brain circuits, or perhaps even whole brains. If you have seen Iron Man 3 there is marvellous moment when the evil Aldrich Killian (played by Guy Pearce) shows the beautiful Gwyneth Paltrow inside his brain in real time; a must see moment. The next great project, as Obama called it, could help neuroscientists understand the origins of cognition, perception, and other brain activities, which may lead to new, more effective treatments for conditions like autism or mood disorders and could help veterans suffering from brain injuries. It also might just help people realise why they need to choose a great course and real focus.

neuroscience and nerve system neuroscience brainSo what are facts about neuroscience and mobile smart technology? Can we learn effectively using smart devices? Well, when our minds are engaged in a simple or complex task, the information relevant to that task is held in our STM or short-term memory. According to the late but great psychologist, George Miller, this mental holding space can only contain four to seven pieces of information at a time. To be retained it needs to be transferred to the LTM (long term memory). We can only move information from short-term to long-term memory using our attention; we have to be paying attention to, and thinking about, a fact or a concept in order for it to be encoded in memory.

To encode properly you need to eliminate distractions, which are often caused by multitasking events. Young people report frequent media multitasking (texting, emailing, surfing the web, Twitter and Facebook) while also doing homework. Their belief is they can do it effectively, but research shows otherwise. In fact, research demonstrates that individuals who multitask the most are actually the worst at it. Whether we’re learning with a tablet, smart device or a book, it’s best to give it our best attention.

The rapid evolution of mobile technology has placed quite a burden on our concentration. The day is constantly being challenged by external sources. Even the most pressing of matters can be interrupted at any moment by a familiar buzzing in the pocket. This gives a friendly nudge to pay attention that the brain responds to and many find virtually impossible to resist; alarmingly even while driving. These all too frequent interruptions, coupled with growing expectations for immediate responses (emails responded to at 2am), will challenge our cognitive control system at its very core.

The cognitive control system is our ability to focus on accomplishing a task in the context of competing demands. You might want to look at a course that explains this in more depth. This special ability is what has allowed humans to achieve remarkable achievements, from developing languages and building complex societies.

It doesn’t matter that we think children are growing up digital natives and somehow addicted to technology. It simply doesn’t change how we come to understand new information. Basic understanding happens when we process new information in terms of its meaning, rather than its surface features. Understanding happens when we connect new information to what we know already.

It seems that the competing noise and multitasking distractions, will have a more significant negative impact for those with undeveloped or impaired focus and cognitive control. Those that easily lose focus such as children and us older adults, or in the presence of neurological or psychiatric conditions like ADHD or Alzheimer’s disease. There is no doubt that we have to be careful about the influence of unending data streams of interference on our minds. We need to make more informed decisions about how best to interact with the technologies around learners and how we use the technology positively every day. Perhaps the BRAIN project will guide us on new ways being effective learners.

The lesson seems to be that when we are engaged in something that requires high quality attention (like one of our excellent express courses in critical thinking we should conduct ourselves in a manner that is most appropriate for how our brains function: in the absolute focus mode.
So it seems that despite all the real concerns, technology is not rewiring young people’s brains or brain washing them. Indeed mobile smart technology must and can be harnessed to improve our minds. This will come as a relief to some and a disappointment to others. This new brain research will shed light on our understanding, our attention and focus systems and better memory that can now be applied to a new generation of humans, not so different from the ones who came before.

Mindfeed ebooks by Diane Shawe

Get a copy of Diane Shawe book from Amazon

 

 Shawe’s eBooks are available on Amazon right now at: https://www.amazon.com/Diane-Shawe/e/B0052WG8V6

About the Author

Diane Shawe is an author, speaker, trainer, mentor, consultant and entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience. She has personally trained over 2800 people around the world in a variety of fields and has published a number of works. She has contributed to over 100 Kiva Entrepreneur’s around the world.

She was also one of the producers of a Day time Ladies Talk Show in 2015 and Host of one of the UK’s best loved Annual Hair Extensions Awards.

Diane also enjoys oil painting, sailing and clay pigeon shooting. She focuses on topics that she is passionate about in her writing and has attracted over 36,000 followers on her popular blog.

Media Contact
Company Name: AVPT Short Courses & Hair Extension Training Academy
Contact Person: Diane Shawe MEd
Email: Send Email
Phone: +44 208 1333120
City: London
Country: United Kingdom
Website: http://www.academyexpresscourses.com

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TOP 10 HAIR EXTENSIONS TECHNIQUES FOR 2013

Posted on May 5, 2013 | 13 comments

Hair extension advert avptglobal small 2013

 

Why setting up a hair extension business or service in your salon could be profitable

Article written by Diane Shawe M.Ed

We have seen the hair extension market grow over the past 15 years, now there are more hair extension techniques than ever before and it can be confusing to decide which is the right one for you to either apply to your own hair or become a qualified technician.

If you are thinking of becoming a qualified technician, it is important to consider how potential clients might make their decision.  Some people will make a decision based on price, others on their hair type and some based on what they need to achieve. Click to see our training school video

Here are just a few tips to help with your decision making process.

1. Wigs:  Wigs are a quick and easy way to give yourself a quick makeover.  What you need to bear in mind is that the cheaper the wig the more un-natural it will look.  You don’t need to spend a lot of money but it is worth investing in a wig that you can use from time to time.  Client will pay between £120 – £300 for a good quality wig which could last for up to 12 months.

2. Hair Pieces: There are lots of different hair pieces from pony tails to rear hair attachments in all different shades, curly, straight or plaits. There are also specialist hair pieces for thinning hair that can help disguise any problems.  The thing to bear in mind is that hair pieces are not often very secure and could make you feel a little uncomfortable.  Some of the ponytail pieces can be securely fixed, so if you want a demure look go for a ponytail.

popular integrated weave

See what one of our students said about her 2 day course

3. Integrated Weaves: This is when wefts of hair is sewn onto a fine cornrow which is then hide by the bulk of your hair on top.  It is a popular technique because if done correctly it can look very natural and offer up a robust and secure hair enhancement solution.  If you look after the hair you can reuse it when you go back to have it re tightened. Clients could pay between £190 – £330 for the integrated weave.

4. Pre-tips: This is small pieces of hair that have been pre bonded together.  They can be added in sections all over the head to aid thickening, give the impression of highlights or lowlight and length.  Pre-tips can be applied using heat, micro rings or even small elastic bands.  Be aware that they have to be professionally removed so as not to damage your own hair.

5. Strand by Strand (glue gun): This is when hot bond is used to bond small sections of hair to the recipients own hair.  It was a very popular technique in 6 years ago, but requires professional application and removal by a qualified technician.  Can give the appearance of flyaway hair that you could somewhat run your fingers through.  It is a very time consuming technique and is much better for a long term wear over 3-4 months.

6) Clip in hair extensions: These are now very popular.  They are best used for lengthening mid should length hair.  If the hair is shorter they don’t sit very well because they can be a little bulky in appearance.  They don’t offer up much security unless they have been professionally fitted.  This is when a very small cornrow is done and the clips are slipped through for much added security.  Great for an evening occasion but not advisable for long term wear.  click to read more

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net weave for a seamless look

7) Net Weave:  This technique is used when the client wants to partially extend just a section of their hair or if the client suffers from patchy alopecia.  This technique is suitable for 2-4 months wear.

8) Hook and Latch: This technique does not use any glues or threads. It is a beautiful technique, flat to the touch and hair could be worn up.  It works well with shorter hair especially the Micro ring track technique.

9) Lace Wigs: Lace wigs have become very popular. They are really good for girls with short thin hair, damaged hair, hair that needs a rest or a complete makeover.  Top celebrities have made them really popular and you can see why from the video testimonial below. See Radio TV presenters new lace wig

alopeciaconsultant

Hair2Skin is also popular for hair loss.

10) Braides and Plaits: Braides and Plaits have been around for hundreds of years.  A technique that can look very simple or quite exotic.  Braids can be worn for a number of months until the hair grows out, they can even have beads added to the end for that extra special look.

Hair Loss Specialists
Clients also suffer from thinning hair can be helped, click here to hear what one client had to say.

As we see an aging population, people are becoming more confident about getting help to resolve short term or long term hair problems.
HAIR EXTENSION TRAINERS
There is s shortage of qualified hair extension trainers in the UK. Visit this link to find out more and how you can become qualified.

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The Academy Of Vocational And Professional Training look forward to the year ahead after a year of success and achievements

Posted on March 22, 2013 | 9 comments
Lord Ahmed congraulate students and AVPT on achievements

Lord Ahmed congratulates students and AVPT on achievements

The Academy of Vocational and Professional Training (AVPT) have had an exceptional year, with a huge list of positive achievements. A year in which AVPT launched globally was marked the first cohort of students being presented with their certificates by  Baroness Uddin followed by congratulations from Lord Ahmed, in the impressive setting of the House of Lords.

“This was a huge achievement for us,” explains Diane Shawe, the CEO, “Our 395 courses are all globally accredited by the International Accreditation Organisation, meaning that they are accepted anywhere around the world. We’ve achieved so much this year and we felt very excited for the future when watching the first generation of our students receive their beautiful and meaningful certificates.”

The globally accredited status given to AVPT by the International Accreditation Organisation in June 2012 means that the courses available hold a big draw to students that want to travel. Diane sees this as recognition of the significant rise in e-learning.  This has also meant that AVPT’s launch of its Scholarship Den initiative hasStudent pitching to judges at ASVPT Scholarship DenStudent pitching to judges for scholarship happened at just the right time; young people, with a desire to better themselves or start a business are awarded with £2,000 of AVPT training. This has led to the continued and dynamic success of the academy’s offering.

In October 2012, AVPT was the main sponsor of the education section of the Youth Enterprise Live Show 2012 at Earl’s Court in PA9C1793London and had the Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham as the guest of honour to officially open the AVPT stand where they attracted over 350 enquiries for the short courses.

To finish off an already exceptional year, AVPT won a contract with a Middle-Eastern Government to provide crisis management and leadership training to the government heads of departments.  After a highly successful training programme, AVPT was also added to the official procurement list for the UK’s Ministry of Justice and Department for Work and Pensions and so is able to provide training for these two large departments.

Rachel Fanshawe receives her certificate from Baroness Uddin

Rachel Fanshawe receives her certificate from Baroness Uddin at the House of Lords

This remarkable success story has continued into 2013 and the AVPT team are already setting their sights on the next target. The company has begun work towards striking up a partnership with The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills to carry on its successes with departments of the UK government.

Diane explains, “We have built solid relationships with all that we work with, and over the course of 2013 we want to be able to offer students from across the world a larger platform of study. We believe by building foundations with The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, we can do this efficiently.”

AVPT is dedicated to helping students in reaching their full potential and have launched the first UK voucher code website offering customers the chance to find special offers and deals on short courses. The website, expresscoursevouchers.com, allows the general public to take advantage of new education and training deals everyday.

Tim Dingle, the Chief Development Officer at AVPT says, “We’ve been extremely busy this year and have created a paradigm shift for online adult education.  Our Social Enterprise division, known as ACEE, will also begin to deliver training courses to the wider community, by awarding bursaries to people who are disadvantaged or cannot afford to up-skill. We are totally committed to life-long learning  and to helping students better themselves. We are passionate is this goal and believe we have a unique and powerful product that people are connecting with very quickly.”  The National Lottery has view our proposition in a positive light has it helps the wider community.

Next generation of mobile learning

Next generation of mobile learning

The Social Enterprise division of AVPT  ‘ACEE’ will launch a project in July 2013 called ‘Switch Momentum’.  ‘Switch Momentum’ is targeting the areas where knife crime and gang problems pose a real threat for teenagers who do not want to get involved but are locked into their homes in order to be safe.

Diane says, “Switch Momentum will provide teenagers with a way out of challenging and pressurised situations. We believe everybody can fulfill their potential given the right opportunities and we believe we can offer this positive environment.”

Diane Shawe finishes by saying, “This is targeting young people in the summer vacation who may not be going on holiday, a projects like ‘Switch Momentum’  can offer that inclusive learning experience in a calm environment to them”.

As a natural progression of their growth, AVPT is also looking to inspire and train  a new workforce of Virtual Tutor Facilitators (VTFs). AVPT  has already trained several individuals and have found that they help create a seamless bond between the student and their studies. By May 2013, AVPT will have created 300 jobs.

Tim Dingle explains, “The VTF is a revolutionary new idea. Teaching is changing, and we are creating dynamic change. We have created a jobs and helped people to work creatively and passionately in adult life-long learning. We’re extremely pleased with this.”

AVPTGLOBAL almost 400 courses all globally accredited

AVPTGLOBAL almost 400 courses all globally accredited

AVPT will be present at three major exhibitions throughout 2013.

The Scottish Beauty Show 2013, which takes place in the heart of Edinburgh  and the Wales Hair and Beauty Show 2013 which is in Cardiff. Finally in this busy year, AVPT will be presenting at the Business Start Up Show 2013, at the Excel centre, London.

Visit www.avptglobal.com to view our range of courses and services and see if we can help you upskill yourself or team.

 

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5 Things Great Leaders No Longer Do

Posted on March 14, 2013 | 1 comment
Fast Track leadership courses

Fast Track leadership courses

Here are five things great leaders no longer do:

1. Stick to annual performance reviews.

Annual and semi-annual appraisals waste everyone’s time.

Years ago, my review was late so I mentioned it to my boss. He said, “I’ll get to it… but you realize you won’t learn a thing. You’ve already heard everything I have to say say, good and bad. If anything on your review comes as a surprise to you I haven’t done my job.”

He was right. The best feedback isn’t scheduled; the best feedback happens on the spot when it makes the most impact, either as praise and encouragement or as suggestions for improvement and training.

Waiting for a scheduled review is the lazy way out. Your job is to coach and mentor and develop — every day.

2. Say, “Look, I’ve been meaning to apologize…”

Apologies should be made on the spot, every time. You should never need to apologize for not having apologized sooner. When you mess up, ‘fess up. Right away.

Don’t you want your employees to immediately let you know when they make a mistake? Model the same behavior.

3. Hold meetings to solicit ideas.

Leadership: Becoming management material

Leadership: Becoming management material

Many people hold brainstorming sessions to solicit ideas for improvement, especially when times get tough. Sounds great — after all, you’re “engaging employees” and “valuing their contributions,” right?

But you don’t need a meeting to get input. When employees know you listen, they’ll bring ideas to you.

Plus, the best way to ask for ideas is to talk to people individually and to be more specific. Say, “I wish we could find a way to get orders through our system faster. What would you change if you were me?”

Employees already have ideas. Trust me: They imagine themselves doing your job — and doing your job better than you do — all the time.

Be open, act on good ideas, explain why less than good ideas aren’t feasible and you’ll get all the input you can implement.

4. Create formal development plans.

Development plans are, like annual performance reviews, largely a corporate construct. (HR staffers love to monitor compliance and alert managers when supervisors are late turning in their employees’ development plans. Or maybe that’s just my experience.)

You should know what each of your employees hopes to achieve: skills and experience they want to gain, career paths they hope to take, etc. So talk about it — informally. Assign projects that fit. Provide training that fits. Create opportunities that fit. Then give feedback on the spot.

“Develop” is a verb that requires action; “development” is a noun that sits in a file cabinet.

5. Call in favors.

I know lots of bosses who play the guilt game, like saying, “John, I’ve been very flexible with your schedule the last few months while your wife was sick… now I really need you to come through for me and work this weekend.”

When you’re a boss, generosity should always be a one-way street. Be flexible when being flexible is the right thing to do. Be accommodating when accommodation is the right thing to do.

Never lend money to friends unless you don’t care if you are repaid, and never do “favors” for employees in anticipation of return. As a leader, only give — never take.

Source:  CEO.com

AVPTGLOBAL almost 400 courses all globally accredited

AVPTGLOBAL almost 400 courses all globally accredited

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Diane Shawe nominated at International Women’s Day Roll of Honour 2013 at the House of Lords

Posted on March 14, 2013 | Leave a comment

Lord Errol and Jill Pay

Una and Diane Shawe

At the House of Lords, Helene Martin Gee and Jill Pay presided over the announcement of the 2013 Roll of Honour to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Diane Shawe CEO of AVPT was amongst several other women who was nominated for the 2013 IWD Roll of Honour.

After the presentation, guests enjoyed a sparkling afternoon tea hosted by The Earl of Erroll and Baroness Morris.

This year’s theme is ‘Wonderful Women’ inspirational women who have touched our lives. These amazing women were nominated by Pink Shoe members and friends. All those nominated are included, there was no selection process, as all these wonderful women have inspired those who nominated them.

As Helene said in her introduction, the list comprises women from all backgrounds and areas of life, and all have achieved a great deal, working locally, nationally, internationally. Some are household names and others are well known within their communities.

What they each have in common is they are all making a tangible difference to the lives of others. These women are truly inspiring!

We were delighted to be joined by many of the women included in the Roll of Honour, and those who had nominated them, along with Pink Shoe members and friends, as well as students from Lambeth Academy and Cardinal Pole schools.

With huge thanks to Ling Tyler-Bennett; to all who nominated the Wonderful Women for the Roll of Honour, to Lucy Temple for researching and compiling the list, and to Sanna Shahzada who did a great job of managing the presentation on the day.

International Women’s Day Roll of Honour 2013

 Wonderful Women       


The 2013 IWD Roll of Honour, nominated by Pink Shoe Club members & friends is announced. Those nominating said about these inspiring women:

 

She demonstrates that women can be great, respected and liked leaders 
She inspires me with her vision, her application and her work ethic
She speaks sense and gives practical advice 
She cares and goes out of her way to make a real difference 
She demonstrates how consistency creates results  
She embodies the ethos of helping others reach their full potential 
She has made an outstanding contribution to the lives of others
 
……What she has achieved so far is only the beginning of a long and fruitful journey

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The 6 Secrets for the Perfect Pitch in the Digital Age

Posted on March 11, 2013 | 10 comments
group of people

Get qualified in days not years with AVPTGLOBAL

Pitch & Grow Rich:

Tim T Dingle BSc (Hons) PGCE MBA
Chief Development Officer AVPT Global

Pitching comes with a health warning. It can make you seriously rich, but you need to make a transformation to the digital platform for pitching.

You may be surprised that we need to step back a bit and re-visit the ‘old school’ values of the successful elevator pitch. Ironically these skills are so poorly perfected by the majority of companies and business owners that you could make your fortune by getting them right. You will need to understand something of the neuroscience behind pitching, simple psychology and some basic, good old fashioned common sense. The premise for the perfect pitch should then become your essential mantra; the natural, automatic response when someone asks you what you or your company does. In our digital world, you will need to know the real secrets of pitching before entering your Twitpitch and Youtube contributions.

Regardless of what you call it, the perfect pitch, an elevator pitch, the elevator speech, your lift story or your perfect 60 seconds, it is one tool every entrepreneur, salesperson, business owner and job seeker must possess is an overview of their solution. With one, they will be able to catch the often fleeting attention of the people who can help them bring their solution to life. The simple truth is without one, they just won’t.

Back in the room, sixty seconds isn’t much time to pitch a client, a group or investor. The elevator pitch is a great exercise to develop a very short message which says what you do to potential clients, investors, media or partners. Your pitch should leave your target audience hungry for more.  You should understand that you must create clarity and buckets of curiosity. This is a vital online as it is in person.

One of the most enjoyable events of last year was being part of the Scholarship Den, run by the Academy of Vocational and Professional Training. It involved an ‘elevator pitch’ competition, where hopeful young (and not so young)entrepreneurs extol the virtues of their business idea with the best getting free training and mentor packages. These sort of events are both joyous and yet frustrating. There is nothing more joyous than listening to entrepreneurs explaining how they are going to change the world. What is more than frustrating is that few people have worked out how to pitch their ideas in a simple, concise and powerful form.

To the best of my knowledge, the standard lift (or elevator) really does not get stuck for several hours. I haven’t tried the lift in the Shard yet. Therefore you have to keep your pitch short and punchy. The worst sinners seem to be start-up businesses, consultants and technologists who feel that they have to cram as many features as possible into their three minutes presentation. The human brain cannot cope with this assault of facts, features and benefits. Most customers have in fact very short attention spans and can only remember three things at a time (see my articles about George Miller and Chunking, 5 plus or minus one). As soon as you mention the fifth star item the first and probably most important one drops out of their short term memory; boom, gone for good. By the time they get to number fifty, all the most compelling ones have long since gone, and the prospective customer has truly lost the will to live.  The objective in delivering an elevator pitch or 60 seconds is not to secure an order there and then. That is simply not going to happen.  Try to stimulate enough interest for them to give you another fifteen minutes and to hand over their business card.

The great elevator pitch is very simple to understand having the key 6 Ps of passion, pain, premise, people, proof and purpose. It uses the inner workings of the brain (at the reptilian level) and your ability to deliver these 6 answers:

Passion: You will remember being in a classroom and knowing instantly that the teacher (or supply teacher) really was not passionate about the subject they are trying (unsuccessfully) to teach? That feeling is detected in a flash: their lack of passion. If when you pitch you don’t have a certain sparkle in your eye, a passionate purpose or that palpable X factor, you will have the same effect on your audience as that hapless teacher. If you are not passionate about your company, close it now.

Pain: Can you answer this simple, crucial question ‘where’s the pain?’. Decide right now what pain or real problem you plan to solve with your business or service. The key is that the bigger the pain, the more likely people are to pay you to take it away. It seems very negative but is at the heart of everyone’s primitive brain thinking. The movement away from pain is unbelievably powerful. The pain presents itself in many forms and multiple guises. A simple rule to remember is that if your product or service saves time and money then you are on your way.

Premise: “So Tim, what do you actually ‘do’?” You need to be able to explain in pretty simple terms the ‘premise of your business’. Does that seem too obvious? Well for this to work you have to use language that is basic, literal and not some clever beefed up, steroidal slogan that is meaningless. When asked what I actually do then I make it a simple statement: We delivery outstanding online and workshop training for soft skills, using blended mobile learning and virtual tutors.

AVPTGLOBAL almost 400 courses all globally accredited

AVPTGLOBAL almost 400 courses all globally accredited

People: Here is the thing: every customer says they buy from people not companies. Every investor I have ever met has confirmed that they look for a credible team rather than a good idea. Get the best people you can around you and get yourself a Mentor as soon as you can. It really changes everything.

Proof: So Why should I buy from you, not your competitor?; great question.  Maybe you have a killer product or service and the greatest team money can buy, customers can still be skeptical and have doubts, reservations and remain unconvinced. Evidence suggests that testimonials and the tales of your happy customers and clients can make a huge difference. Have a look at those on my Linkedin and see the difference between ‘endorsed for’ (laughable in some cases, as I have never met them) and someone taking the time and trouble to write a glowing, current and accurate testimonial. Thank you to those that have!

Purpose: One of the oldest jokes I have heard is ‘What did the dolphin say to the whale when he bumped into him? I didn’t do it on porpoise’. Sorry. So the most important purpose of any business is to make money. I know crazy, eh? The thing is that the potential investors will be looking for a great ROI in any deal (return on their investment) and your prospective customers and clients will want to know that you run a sensible and profitable business. Why so? Well they need to know you have built a reliable and consistent delivery model for your products and services.

I believe even in the fast moving digital age, the premise is the most important part of an elevator pitch and the best pitches with the most traction also give some idea of the market. Consider these three:

– John Rockefeller at Standard Oil:  ‘Let the poor man have his cheap light’

– Merill Lynch: ‘Bring Wall St to Main St’

-AOL’s Steve Case: ‘Make the internet easy and fun’

Even as I write this, the standard elevator pitch however is under-going a face lift with new media. The truth is that getting clients or investors’ attention may never be the same again with You Tube pitches and the short punchy Twitter pitches. As new social media has exploded in recent years and slowly businesses are becoming more social media aware, the number of channels and methods to pitch has dramatically increased. The new digital elevator pitch allows you to reach a broader audience and receive critical feedback to really improve your pitch and business. So, if you find getting access to potential clients to pitch challenging, try the new dimension in digital opportunity.

The Tube Pitch: YouTube is quite simply MASSIVE. Consider these stats and prepare to change your pitch (still using the 6Ps) forever:

  • Over 800 million unique users visit YouTube each month
  • Over 4 billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube
  • 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute
  • 70% of YouTube traffic comes from outside the US
  • YouTube is localised in 53 countries and across 61 languages
  • In 2011, YouTube had more than 1 trillion views or around 140 views for every person on Earth. Yes, 1 Trillion!

Using your newly acquired 6 P Pitch & Grow rich strategy you need access this market, right now. A search on YouTube for the term elevator pitch returned millions of results. Forget your boring 80-page business plan, ditch the figures and research and get that new pitch ready and evoke the passion behind your idea or business for the new digital market.

The Twitter Pitch (Twitpitch): If you have just returned from a 5 year space mission, Twitter is micro-blogging allowing text messages of 140 characters or less (see also  @timlondonset and #expresscourses). So here comes the new idea: the Twitpitch, and yes, it’s just what you think – the same pitch narrowed down to 140 characters or less. The Twitpitch is the invention of Stowe Boyd, a business strategy and information technology consultant. Boyd had plans to attend the upcoming Web 2.0 Expo, but was having trouble scheduling meetings with startups. To address this problem, on Tuesday he posted on his blog that in order to make things simple for himself, he was posting a schedule of times when he was available for meetings. He added that he would not accept email-based proposals for these meetings, only Twitpitches.

To further explain the concept, Boyd put forth a set of rules for the pitches as follows:

  1. All companies who would like to have a meeting with me, need to send me a Twittered description of the product. Yes, please Twitter it to me at http://www.twitter.com/stoweboyd. Yes, one tweet, 140 characters less the eleven used for “@stoweboyd “.
  2. Optionally, send a supporting twitpitch with one link, and no other text. Could be to anything: website, video, press release, Rick Astley, etc.
  3. Then, twitter me one or more suggested times/place to meet at the event, using the times on the calendar, and a location in the conference building I won’t have time to visit your nearby hotel or offices.

This new way of getting the perfect pitching, now being dubbed the ‘twitpitch’ is quick, painless, andcuts through all those wordy distracting elements I talked about earlier. It cuts through the endless pretentious PR stuff and dramatically forces companies to summarise what they do in 140 characters or less. Mighty good work that!

The Blog Pitch: One of the areas of rapid advance that can use the power of the 6P Perfect Pitch is in the channel of blogging. TechCrunch is one the popular blogs around and has created TechCrunch Elevator Pitches with the great strapline: One Startup. 60 seconds. Go.   The blog describes its core service as a place where business founders and CEOs get a chance to pitch their startups directly to you, the TechCrunch audience. The instant (or certainly rapid) feedback is enhanced via a vote the best pitches up and the stinkers down, and tell them exactly what you think of their businesses in the comments.”

The Slide Pitch: There are yet more interesting styles of digital pitching developing that allow you to use your 6P skills to dramatic effect. The relatively SlideShare group (Google it please) is an online slide presentation community. Have a look at the Linkedin version of this which is rapidly gaining traction. Creating your perfect pitch, remembering the crucial 6P elements, in a brief slide presentation can reach a new audience or push them to your website for more details and edge them closer to a sale.

These new media ideas offer a massive opportunity to use your Perfect Pitch: Pitch & Grow Rich skills. It is a new opportunities for the average person or business to really stake their premise and their endorsement right out there for everyone to see. Yet at the heart of a any successful pitch, online or in person, is understanding the 6Ps and getting your story across in the most powerful manner. Pitching just got more interesting and the chance for you to pitch and grow rich has never been greater.

A selection of Sales and Marketing courses: Available at www.avptglobal.

Join us now with over 200 courses

Join us now with over 200 courses

Academy of Vocational and Professional Training

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Why Stress can stop you from achieving excellence in 2013

Posted on December 22, 2012 | 1 comment
managing your stress

managing your stress

Article by Diane Shawe M.Ed.

Take 5 minutes a day to keep your stress level down

Everything seems much faster, urgent and possibly unfulfilling! Just after Christmas and heading into the New Year it can often be a stressful time for lots of people for lots of reasons.

Stress is created by worrying about things in the future or things that have already happened, both of which you cannot change at the very moment you are worrying about it.

Before you read any further do this little test.  ‘At this very very moment whist you are reading this is there a problem affecting you reading this article at this moment in time that is stopping you from reading it? If your answer is ‘no’ then this is because you are living in the ‘NOW’

Living too much into the future or reliving the past are both causes of fear and pain. You would probably find yourself concerned with some of the following thoughts…

  • How can I stop the pain?
  • How can I switch your mind off,
  • How can I stop worrying?
  • How can I relax?
  • How can I be happy?

Well I invite you to explore two words ‘acceptance’ and ‘surrender’ a good place to start.

Become fully present is very empowering and helps you live in the higher order of thinking.

If only our lives was like typing when we can simply undo, delete or Hyperlink to a quick useful reference but alas, lots of things are unavoidable in life.  Never before has it become more important to find ways to decrease and prevent stressful incidents and decrease negative reactions to stress, especially as they can lead to short or long term illnesses.

Here are some of the things that can be done instantly by just remembering to be conscious of them.

Managing time

Time management skills can allow you more time with your family and friends and possibly increase your performance and productivity. This will help reduce your stress.

To improve your stress management:

  • Save time by focusing and concentrating, delegating, and scheduling time for yourself.
  • Keep a record of how you spend your time, including work, family, and leisure time.
  • Prioritise your time by rating tasks by importance and urgency.
  • Redirect your time to those activities that are important and meaningful to you.
  • Manage your commitments by not over- or under committing. Don’t commit to what is not important to you.
  • Deal with procrastination by using a day planner, breaking large projects into smaller ones, and setting short-term deadlines.
  • Examine your beliefs to reduce conflict between what you believe and what your life is like.
  • Build healthy coping strategies

It is important that you identify your coping strategies. One way to do this is by recording the stressful event, your reaction, and how you cope in a stress journal. With this information, you can work to change unhealthy coping strategies into healthy ones-those that help you focus on the positive and what you can change or control in your life.

Lifestyle

Some behaviors and lifestyle choices affect your stress level. They may not cause stress directly, but they can interfere with the ways your body seeks relief from stress. Try to:

  • Balance personal, work, and family needs and obligations.
  • Have a sense of purpose in life.
  • Get enough sleep, since your body recovers from the stresses of the day while you are sleeping.
  • Eat a balanced diet for a nutritional defense against stress.
  • Get moderate exercise throughout the week.
  • Limit your consumption of alcohol.
  • Don’t smoke.

Social support

Social support is a major factor in how we experience stress. Social support is the positive support you receive from family, friends, and the community. It is the knowledge that you are cared for, loved, esteemed, and valued. More and more research indicates a strong relationship between social support and better mental and physical health.

Changing your thinking pattern

When an event triggers negative thoughts, you may experience fear, insecurity, anxiety, depression, rage, guilt, and a sense of worthlessness or powerlessness. These emotions trigger the body’s stress, just as an actual threat does. Dealing with your negative thoughts and how you see things can help reduce stress.

  • Thought-catching helps you stop a negative thought to help eliminate stress.
  • Disproving irrational thoughts helps you to avoid exaggerating the negative thought, anticipating the worst, and interpreting an event incorrectly.
  • Problem solving helps you identify all aspects of a stressful event and find ways to deal with it.
  • Changing your communication style helps you communicate in a way that makes your views known without making others feel put down, hostile, or intimidated. This reduces the stress that comes from poor communication. Use the assertiveness ladder to improve your communication style.

Why Continued Personal Development is important

Lifelong learning it’s important to your continued growth and smiley to core with lives every changing environment, circumstances and economical. Everyday life can often present challenges and like any thing in life if you don’t equip yourself with the right tools trying to fix the problem with the wrong tools can itself be the greater source of frustration.

www.expressingtrainingcourses.com

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