8th May - Development Day 18

Team Coaching Network's 18^th Development Day for Independent Trainers and Consultants – Friday 8^th May 2009

You are invited to Team Coaching Network's 18^th Development Day for Independent Trainers and Consultants to be held on Friday 8^th May 2009 at Team Coaching Studio, 5 Valleys Enterprise Centre, Greenway, Caerphilly, CF83 8GF from 9:30am to 4:00pm

What are Development Days?

Development Days have been running regularly since 2005. The benefits we all get include:

• a chance to sharpen our skills in working with groups and giving feedback

• networking with consultants in different fields, leading to work referrals

• a support group of peers facing similar challenges, sharing advice and ideas

• a forum to try out new ideas and techniques and get high quality feedback

• Development Days are fun! You deserve some “you” time!

What will happen at this Development Day?

• We meet at 9:30 for coffee and breakfast and a chat. Tea, coffee, juice, fruit and biscuits are available throughout the day.

• There will be four “slots” - Dave takes the first one which helps everyone to get to know each other's work and style.

• The other three “slots” are taken by other participants. This could mean trying out a part of a course to get feedback on it, running an exercise with the group, or leading a discussion on a topic of interest. In the past we've had topics on marketing & sales, session evaluation, MBTI, RECIPE cards, collaborative working and many others!

• A buffet lunch is provided. There is space on the registration form to indicate any food preferences you have.

• You will be sent a video recording of the whole day so you can see your own brilliance and capture the feedback you got from your peers on the day.

What do I do next?

• Complete the brief registration form at https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=cGVWbG5PTlZ2X29tWmpqRHVxU1ZUVnc6MA..

• Consider taking a slot on the day – it's a fantastically useful experience!

• Pass this message on to other trainers and consultants who may be interested in joining us.

Summary of Event Details

Friday 8^th March 2009

9:30 am for coffee, kicking off at 10am, finishing around 4pm

Team Coaching Studio, 5 Valleys Enterprise Centre, Greenway, Caerphilly, CF83 8GF

Dress: No ties.

Your contribution: £40.25 including VAT.

Development Day 18 - 6th March 2009

Join us at Team Coaching Network's 18th Development Day for Independent Trainers and Consultants!

This exciting and worthwhile event will be held on Friday 6th March 2009 at The TrainerLab Studio, Valleys Enterprise Centre, Greenway, Bedwas CF83 8GF.

We meet at 9:30 for late breakfast (croissants and stuff), start in earnest at 10am, lunch and refreshments are provided, and we finish around 4pm.

Development Days give 3 or 4 participants in each session the opportunity to take a "slot" in the day. You might try running some material which is new to see if it works; you might run some material which is old to see how you can freshen it up; you might lead the group in an exercise, or in a discussion around a topic of interest, whether it's to do with the technicalities of working with groups of learners, or whether it's to do with the technicalities of running our own professional practices.

The key benefit of running a slot is the robust yet supportive feedback you get from your peers. People who have volunteered in this way are consistently enthusiastic about the value they get from this feedback.

Your contribution is £35 plus VAT (£40.25).

Please confirm your attendance by completing the brief online registration form, volunteer for a slot, and pass this email to anyone you think may be interested in joining us at Development Days.

All the best

Dave

Reminder for next week's Development Day

Team Coaching Network's 17th Development Day for independent trainers and consultants will take place on Friday 9th January 2009 at our TrainerLab Studio at 7 Valleys Enterprise Centre, Greenway, Caerphilly CF83 8GF. Full directions are below.

Those who have so far confirmed they will attend (thank you!):

Dave Bull	Team Coaching Network Ltd
Andrew Scowcroft	Development Consultancy
Charlotte Hitchings	C-Change
Peter Thomas	PT Communications
Dave Thomas	Call of the Wild (Adventure Activities) Ltd

The most convenient way to tell me whether you're coming or not is at https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=peVlnONVv_onfZRpvY7ogZA&hl=en_GB

All the best

Dave

Event Details

We meet at 9:30 for late breakfast (croissants and stuff), lunch and refreshments are provided, and we finish around 4pm.

Your contribution is £35 plus VAT (£40.25).

Please confirm your attendance or not using the form, volunteer for a slot, and pass this email to anyone you think may be interested in joining us at Development Days.

Directions

From Newport and the east

Detailed:

Get to M4 Junction 28 (Tredegar House / A48/ A4072) Take the dual carriageway A4072 (“Forge Road”) North for about 1 mile. At the roundabout take the second exit onto the A468 and into Bassaleg (“Baize-leg”). Bassaleg School is on your left; the Tredegar Arms is ahead of you at a small roundabout. Follow the A468 left at that roundabout. You drive through Bassaleg village (note the “best kept village 1476 sign – I may be exaggerating. You drive past Rhiwderin (“Roo-derrin”) village and into open countryside. you drive past Lower Machen (“Mack-en”) and through Machen (watch your speed here, schools and stuff) and back out into the open. You drive through Trethomas and past Bedwas, stopping at traffic lights with the road into Bedwas village on your right and Bedwas RFC on your left. Get into the right hand filter lane. The Sign Factory is in your right. At the next lights, right is signposted into Bedwas House Industrial Estate. Drive in. On your right, just as the road starts to bend left, is a Venture Wales building. Park in there, come in through the front door, notice the toilets, turn right and go to the end of the corridor and here you are!

Brief:

M4 J28, north on A4072 1 mile, west on A468 7.5 miles, turn right before Peters Food Service and Welsh Assembly. On your right.

From Cardiff via Caerphilly Mountain

Detailed:

From Gabalfa roundabout, the A469 forks right off the A470, and goes through Birchgrove, Rhiwbina, past Llanishen and Thornhill then climbs over the mountain. At the top of the mountain it carries on ahead to curl around the west side of Caerphilly. This is the simplest but not the shortest route. Unless you live in Thornhill you'd be better off going to the A470. At the snackbar on the mountain you can turn right which takes you through Caerphilly town centre and past the castle. At the castle (which is on your left) you pass Caerphilly Job centre and Workingmen's hall on your right and come to some lights. get in the right-hand lane and follow signs to Newport. You will drive along Bedwas Road (B4600) with terraces on your left and open area on your right. At the end of Bedwas Road is a roundabout with 5 exits. Be in the right-hand lane to take the 3^rd exit for Newport A468. You pass a Welsh Assembly building on your right and Peters Food Service on your left. Get into the left hand lane and turn left at the next lights. On your right, just as the road starts to bend left, is a Venture Wales building. Park in there, come in through the front door, notice the toilets, turn right and go to the end of the corridor and here you are!

Brief:

If you're coming this way you probably don't need my help!

From Cardiff, the west and the Valleys via A470:

Detailed

Head for the Nantgarw exit from the A470 which is at the southern end of Treforest Industrial Estate, near Makro, Showcase Cinema, etc. Take the A468 east up the steep hill past GE aircraft engine works and Caerphilly Garden Centre both on your left. You come to a large roundabout with 5 exits at the top of the hill. Be in the left hand lane to take the 2nd exit. You come to a small roundabout. St Cenydd's School is on your left, be in the right-hand lane to go ahead. You come to a large roundabout with 6 exits. The 3^rd exit is the entrance to The Cedar Tree pub and Premier Inn. Be in the right-hand lane to take the 4^th exit, the A468 heading for Newport. Pass over the next small roundabout, with the retail park on your right. You come to a roundabout with 5 exits. Be in the left-hand lane to take the 1^st exit for Newport A468. You pass a Welsh Assembly building on your right and Peters Food Service on your left. Get into the left hand lane and turn left at the next lights. On your right, just as the road starts to bend left, is a Venture Wales building. Park in there, come in through the front door, notice the toilets, turn right and go to the end of the corridor and here you are!

Brief:

A470 Nantgarw. east on A468, follow signs from Newport around Caerphilly, turn left at Peter's Pies. On your right.

Attending Development Days Increases Your Sales

A blog entry from Trainers Training supports one of the rationales behind Development Days: meeting and hanging around with other trainers leads to mutual exchanges of work.

I have passed on work myself to colleagues who have joined us on Development Days, and I know other people have too. The unique opportunity we get at Development Days to see each other in action makes it easier to develop that confidence you need to be able to put someone in front of one of your own clients!

If any of you are reading this, please comment to give examples of any work you've gained or given through attending Development Days.

All the best

Dave

Praise for Development Days

"Just wanted to thank you for another great day on Friday, really well organised, great feel and a super learning experience.  Looking forward to the next one."

 

Zanneta Neale, WHE (UK) Ltd

Tone, Plain English, MBTI, and Great Buffet

Hi folks! Once again a great day as we met for the 16th Development Day for consultants and trainers:  

• another first as we meet at Team Coaching Network's new larger office; 
• two more new members, both really pleased with the beenfits they got from the day;
  
• a really tasty lunch provided by Its A Wrap;
• useful DVD feedback provided to each attendee.

Professionals who attend these days say:

• great opportunity to meet other professionals, especially when you work on your own
• forces you to have some "me" time - you know you're going to benefit from it
• we each learn something new and useful every time
• the chance to test material and techniques in front of a knowledgeable audience is invaluable

So get your 2009 diaries out now, here are the dates for 2009:

• 9th January
• 6th March
• 8th May
• 10th July
• 18th September
• 13th November

All the best

Dave Bull

it's not unusual...

..or is it? Apparently so.

I am talking about my training methods. I regularly meet other trainers who say they are also using interactive, coaching- and facilitation-based, participant-led, experiential training methods, and then I read an article on trainingzone that suggests these methods are new and revolutionary and all made up by this professor bloke.

I just can't believe that after all this time there are only a few of us in the world doing this stuff? Surely everyone has realised by now that chalk 'n' talk is a waste of time effort and money?

• I train interpersonal skills by creating repeated learning loops based on practical experiences reflected upon and learned from.
  
• I teach finance by cracking open their real documents and coaching them through how to question and make decisions guided by the data.
  
• I teach coaching skills by getting participants to coach each other in how they are going to use coaching skills with their own teams back in work.
  
• I train trainers to be better trainers by making them train other trainers. That's what Development Days are all about, and participants constantly rave about the experience.
  

Easy. Obvious. Effective.

It's really really sad to me that any of this stuff is still being described as "revolutionary". Or is it the influence of accrediting and awarding bodies and formulaic Train The Trainer courses in the training "industry" that keeps Chalk 'n' Talk so prevalent?

Hm.

Dave

September Venue Arranged

Our next Development Day for Consultants and Trainers will be on 9th September 2008 at the Office Space development Riverside Court, near the roundabout where the link road south from Chepstow meets the M48, on the western side of the Severn Bridge. We had an excellent Development day a this venue in March. it is bright and modern with a fresh feel, which will no doubt help proceedings!

We are meeting at 9:30 for a 10am start and running through to 4pm. Refreshments and lunch will be provided as usual, and your contribution is £35 plus VAT (£41.13).

Please confirm your attendance, volunteer for a slot, and pass this blog address to anyone you think may be interested in joining us at Development Days.

All the best

Dave

Review of July Development Day

Hi Folks. Rachel Kelly, the Cogent Coach, has agreed to write this month's review of the Development Day. Here it is!
Team training day at Ystrad Mynach, 4th July 2008

Dave started the day in his usual relaxed style and set the tone for the day. Everyone was willing to share and explore ideas. Our introductions on the theme: ~WAS, ~AM, ~WILL BE, produced a variety of responses.

The theme of the day became STORIES

We all told stories about ourselves which helped everyone learn a little bit more about each other.

In fact, some of the mistakes people make when networking is that they try to sell themselves, rather than being themselves, so just tell some STORIES!

Peter took the second slot and was very brave to show an hour long video entitled 'Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes'. This showed the experiences of a 3rd grade teacher in the USA called Jane Elliot who used an experiment in her class to show the effects of discrimination and how she now runs training and speaks on discrimination across the world.

It generated discussion in the group about ethics and training style in a modern environment in comparison and how kinaesthetic learning is so powerful, by experiencing the situation rather than just talking about it.

After lunch, David told us STORIES about his rather varied life, from Hell in Bratislava to waste management in Bahrain and chairing the Monmouth Chamber of Commerce. In the feedback, we all commented on what we had learned about cultural differences, picking your partners and barcodes in the UK.

Robert rounded off the day with a presentation on pressure and stress. What is the difference? Stress is the reaction people have to pressure. Robert also explained all the chemical things that happen to each of us when under pressure that can cause the physical stress reactions. This led to more stories being shared amongst the group.

I also learned that you can 'white' out a Powerpoint by pressing W during the presentation and 'black' out by pressing B! So useful.

It was another great day.

After 'giving out' all week it is so refreshing to have some time to oneself to share some STORIES.

Come along in September and hear some more STORIES.

Rachel

Rachel Kelly
The Cogent Coach
rachel@thecogentcoach.co.uk
01600 860497
07813 787637

Yet Another Fantastic Development Day!

Hi Folks!

Once again, we all met up for a Development Day and a great time was had by all. The success of these events is entirely down to the people who attend so massive plaudits to regulars, Sarah Hollyforde, Sue Turner, Andrew Scowcroft, Rachel Kelly and special mention with honours to first-timers Jackie Hooper, Jan Hill and Zanneta Neale.

Sue introduced us to a book which has recently given her new insights into her craft, took us through a guided coaching process based on it, and led a discussion on how we can each apply it for ourselves and our clients. The books is Solution Focused Coaching by Anthony Grant.

Andrew very cleverly showed us a model about facilitation which enabled us to see some very easy traps that we can all fall into when working with a group. The lively debate about the meaning, purposes and scope of facilitation that followed showed how much Andrew had stirred us up and how important the right attitude and perspective is to working effectively with groups.

Rachel led the group in trying out and then examining in detail an exercise designed to encourage openness and participation in a group.

Please make sure you have the rest of this year's dates in your diary, and invite friends and associates who may be interested in joining us. Our next event is 6th May, and is likely to be somewhere between junctions 24 and 30 of the M4.

All the best

Dave

Our next Development Day for Consultants and Trainers will be on 14th March 2008 at Beaufort Park, on the roundabout where the link road south from Chepstow meets the M48, on the western side of the Severn Bridge. This is a new venue for us, and a bright modern fresh building which will stimulate new and creative thoughts! Venue website here.

We are meeting at 9:30 for a 10am start and running through to 4pm. Refreshments and lunch will be provided as usual, and your contribution is £35 plus VAT (£41.13).

Please confirm your attendance, volunteer for a slot, and pass this blog address to anyone you think may be interested in joining us at Development Days.

All the best

Dave

Diary Dates for 2008 including Non-Fridays!

Hi everybody!

Part of January's fantastic Development Day was given over to discussing future improvements to these days. one is to make sure we have dates plenty in advance and to mix up the Fridays we have always had with alternating Tuesday events.

So get your diaries out and block out these dates now:

Friday 14th March
Tuesday 6th May
Friday 4th July
Tuesday 9th September
Friday 14th November

Venue for March will be announced soon - somewhere near Chepstow is likely this time. Please volunteer for your slot now - remember you can present some material, run an exercise or lead a discussion on an area of interest to you. Everyone who has taken a slot has found the experience and the feedback invaluable - and you now get a DVD of your slot to analyse at your own private leisure!

I will email you for attendance confirmations once the venue is arranged. All the best!

Dave

November 2007 Development Day

Hi Everyone

The next development day is approaching! Each one is

* a unique, challenging and memorable development experience,
* a chance to network and share ideas with colleagues
* some "you" time in your busy schedule to evaluate where you want to go next.

I need to confirm catering arrangements and agenda. YOU CAN HELP ME BY:

* emailing me this week to say whether or not you're coming
* volunteering to lead a slot on the day (present some material / lead a discussion)
* pass this email on to someone you know who is an independent trainer or consultant

This Development Day will be at Tredomen Business and Technology Centre, near Ystrad Mynach.

Arrive at 9 for coffee and a 9:30 start to proceedings. Tea/coffee/water/juice/lunch provided. Finishing around 4pm. £35 plus VAT on the day to cover room hire and catering.

Please also put next spring's dates in your diaries now: 18th Jan, 14th March.

Reply now please!

Dave

Future Development Day Dates

Once again our June Development Day was a great success of everyone who attended. Here's what people are saying about Team Coaching Network's Development Days:

"I promise to attend again soon in the near future"
"Such is the fantasticness of your Development Days that I have moved my meeting so I can attend - I hope you're not full."
"Thanks again for a great day. It was productive, stimulating and has given me plenty to reflect on. I don't intend to stop coming!"

Get in on the great benefits by marking out these dates in your diary NOW:

Friday 14th September 2007
Friday 2nd November 2007
Friday 18th January 2008
Friday 14th March 2008

Venues to be confirmed - all in South-east Wales, of course!

"Yes"s and "No"s for September now gratefully accepted!

All the best,

Dave

June 2007 Development Day

Hi Everybody!

We had another useful, fun and inspiring Development Day in April - some new faces, some familiar friends and a fascinating presentation on Corporate Athleticism from Gerrit Bantjes. The subject clearly stimulated everyone's interest, judging from the questions and participation from colleagues. Gerrit received some useful and affirmative feedback from the group as well.

The next Development Day is next Friday 29th June, at Tredomen Business Centre (next door to our usual building).

Development Days are designed to provide us all with CPD, a support resource, networking and business opportunities, and a chance to try out materials and methods in front of an audience that will give you really useful feedback.

Please reply now to let me know whether you will be coming this month. We look forward to seeing you!

The session starts with refreshments at 09:00, and finishes around 16:00. Your contribution to room hire and catering is £41.13 on the day please.

A map of the location is here; we are in the building made of wood and slate - on the map it's the three rectangles together. if looks like this

All the best

Dave

June Development Day

Hi Folks

The next Development Day for Trainers and Consultants will be on 29th June 2007 in Tredomen. I need you to do the following:

1) Please contact me now if you are interested in running one of the sessions on this day.

2) Put the date in your diary so you can plan client commitments around it!

3) Think of one or two people who might like to attend, and send them a link to this blog!


Last month's Development Day was well attended and received, with several new attendees. For the first time we had video recording as well, to enable the presenters to view their own performances on DVD later, with feedback captured for them.

All the best,

Dave

Development Day - extra date

I have been able to arrange an extra date for a Development Day on 30th March 2007. This will be held at Tredomen Innovation Centre.

As usual, there will be slots available for one or two people to lead discussions, present new material, or otherwise work on your groupworking skills.

Please let me know if you can make this date, and pass this blog address onto any freelance trainers and consultants you know.

All the best,

Dave

March Development Day cancelled

Hi Folks.

Just to let you know, next month's Development Day cannot go ahead.

Now is the perfect time to put 4th May in your diaries for an experience you won't forget in a hurry. Here's what people said about the last Development Day:

"..a major contribution to my CPD. My learning is facilitated by knowledgeable peers in a fun and friendly way"
"clears the brain"
"an opportunity to learn new and test existing approaches"
"breathing space"
"one of the best places to share expertise, experience and ideas"

4th May Development Day will be from 09:00 until 16:00 at Tredomen Innovation Centre which is is the S-shaped building on this map

Please pass this on to anyone you know who might be interested in attending.

Dave

Dates for 2007

Here are the first three dates for 2007 Development Days:

2nd Feb (Tredomen Gateway (NOT our usual building!))

Ground Floor Meeting Room
Tredomen Gateway
Ystrad Mynach
CF82 7EH

9:00 - 4:00
Refreshments and lunch included.
£30 plus VAT per person

Map Link

Tredomen Gateway is the oval-shaped building next to the roundabout.

2nd Mar (Tredomen Innovation Centre, Ystrad Mynach)
4th May (Tredomen)

Please put these in your diaries.

Dave

Development Day 17th November

November Development Day

Team Coaching Network's Eighth Development Day for Trainers & Consultants will be held at Tredomen Innovation Centre on 17 November 2006.

As usual, the day will be a great chance to hone skills, meet like-minded others, get and give really useful feedback and enjoy a fantastic buffet.

We meet at 9am for a 9:30 start, and finish around 4pm. Your contribution towards room hire and catering is £30 plus VAT (£35.25)

Please do these three things:

1: Email me now to confirm your attendance

2: Volunteer to take a "slot" on a topic of your choice

3: Pass this blog address to any other independent trainers or consultants you know.

All the best

Dave Bull
Team Coaching Network Ltd
http://www.teamcoachingnetwork.com
http://makingteamswork.blogspot.com