Raised. Okay, maybe with some natural predilection towards showmanship, genuine compassion for other people and small furry animals…but raised for the most part. When I was exploring the possibility of becoming a trainer with Learning International (one of AchieveGlobal’s legacy companies), it was a very rigorous process. After submitting my resume and having a chat with the Master Trainer, I had to make a presentation – on the topic of my choice – to a group of Learning International employees that included a Regional Vice President. Made sense to me. If I was going to be standing up at the…

They say Christmas is the magic time of the calendar when people are giving and generous and happy. But isn’t January really the magic time when people try to convince themselves that this will be the year when it all happens? Isn’t this the time to reflect on new changes, new starts, new ideas, new development? Isn’t that exciting?!!! Well it would be if it weren’t so freaking cold and dark and slippery and, well, so freaking January. Really we’re talking about two different kinds of magic here. December magic is the fairy dust, whimsical, lovey-dovey let’s be kind to…

Okay, it’s not like I actually saw a recruitment poster, but I certainly would have been drawn to one like it. When I first began my training career, I cut my teeth and honed my craft pretty close to home. I never said no to a new training opportunity, and within two years, I had a solid base of training programs I could deliver to a wide variety of companies and industries. I began travelling to more and more client locations, attended annual sales conferences at resorts and cool destinations and worked almost as much in the US as I did in…

There is one commonality that strikes me at virtually every office I frequent in my work as a facilitator: the inevitable kitchen signage encouraging decency, respect and goodwill towards all civilization. I’d be amazed if there isn’t some version hanging in the kitchen down the hall from where you are sitting as you read this.  Generally these messages fall into two categories: the friendly, civilized Mary Poppins nudge towards decency, “Just a friendly reminder to clean up your dishes” with a smiley-face cartoon, to the marginally less direct drill sergeant approach, “Hey Pigpen, your mother doesn’t work here and if…

The annual Canadian Society for Training and Development (CSTD) Conference and Trade Show is taking place Nov 13 – 15 at the Toronto Metro Convention Center, North Building, and AchieveGlobal is excited to be there again this year! To learn more about our research-based solutions, sustainment tools, multiple delivery options and our global reach, come visit us at booth #809. Pass by, say hi and enter our draw for a swell prize. View the full conference schedule of events and learning sessions here. Which sessions will you be attending?

I was recently intrigued by a decision made by a US restaurant to offer diners a 10% discount on their bills if they checked their cell phones at the door upon arriving. Novel idea. It still remains to be seen if the 10% is enough of an incentive for patrons to participate. I’ve been pondering the whole techno-distraction question in the classroom for a long time. Back in the day, phones weren’t smart and bag phones were anything but portable. The biggest distraction faced by trainers in the classroom was quiet, real time conversations between participants upon completion of reading assignments. Participants…

Seeing Dion Kostiuk’s official appointment notice in the Globe and Mail last month reminded me of the commitment he and Keyera’s senior leadership team made to invest in the development of their leaders. Keyera is one of the largest independent natural gas and natural gas liquids midstream businesses in Western Canada. As a “midstream” business, Keyera focuses on providing essential services to producers and delivering natural gas liquids and other related products to key markets across North America. The Challenges In the fall of 2009, Keyera had completed an Employee Engagement Survey. From the results, they saw a priority to develop their mid-level…