Welcome to your April newsletter from Mindworks
Mindworks, seeing things from a different perspective...
STOP PRESS: "CREATING THE THINKING ENVIRONMENT" WORKSHOP TO BE HELD ON 5 MAY 2006 - BOOK NOW!
THE MINDWORKS MUSINGS
Greetings Everyone,....
I'm suffering from writer's block - I can usually talk under wet cement, but there you are. It happens. I've tried the Mindworks "clustering" & "cinderella" techniques, done the usual "right brain/left brain" dump and things are stirring. PACE has helped, as have the cross crawls, and suddenly, hey presto, the words are flowing again.
Those of you who have attended our "Maximise Your Training Impact" course will be familiar with these tools and they will have hopefully continued to help you since you enjoyed your day with Laurie Kelly. They've helped me (on many occasions) and I'm sure we all agree that they are of enormous benefit to our personal and professional lives.
But there are other blockages we can suffer from in the workplace, not the least of which is in the area of "information gathering". Throw a subject like "The Life & Loves of Paris Hilton" at a group of people, and you'll get information and opinions flying at you from all directions - let's face it, it's not hard to have an opinion about someone like her, and EVERYONE wants to tell you what they think (we're only human after all!) But how do you get a bunch of people to open up and really engage in a "think tank" operation on a topic that isn't quite as exciting or controversial as young Paris?
I recently went to dinner with a group of primary school friends and halfway through the evening I sat back and studied them, looking at them from an entirely different point of view. There was Nicky, holding court as usual, entertaining us with interesting details of yet another of her recent trips away. Debbie sat back, keeping her news quietly to herself until we managed to draw it out of her in bits and pieces. Sue only really gets involved when the subject is something she knows about or is interested in - otherwise she gets on with the business of simply listening or nicking the last piece of garlic bread. I stop talking (yes, really) because it's sometimes hard to get a word in, and Stacey manages to floor us on occasion with some long forgotten titbit from the old schoolyard that just pops into her head from nowhere. I love them all, but we are all so very different.
This is the same everywhere of course, my point being - how do you bring a bunch of hugely different personalities to a discussion table and get the best out of each one of them?
How often do you as a workshop Facilitator, Manager or simply a participant, find that the "thinking" is dominated by one or two of the stronger, more vocal personalities, the quieter ones happy to sit back and let the others do the talking? How often do you find it hard to engage the less confident of the group, or the ones sitting there with their body language screaming at you in the set of their face and their arms folded across their chest?
Mindworks has a course entitled "Creating the Thinking Environment" - and, as the title suggests, we do just that. We give you techniques, tools and tips on how to Create an Environment of Thinking Minds - and by doing so, getting EVERY mind on board and sharing their knowledge, ideas and information.
Firstly, these tools are fun - as we all know, if people are enjoying themselves they will learn and engage most freely. But, it's not all fun and games; our tools are serious strategies designed to get at the heart of any discussion, highlight key points and focus in on what your whole session is ultimately targeting.
Our presenter will demonstrate how you, as a Facilitator, can move from "showing" the group to "guiding" it gently to its conclusive result. We can show you how to turn the volume down on the more vocal of the groups and how to get at the knowledge and ideas of the more timid of your participants. We offer ways of sharing information, group to group, and improving on what has been gathered. Our workshop helps you understand how to hone into key points and break them down more efficiently.
If you are a Facilitator, Manager or Trainer, then this course is a must for your professional "tool kit". Ever heard of the Round Robin technique or the Noisy Round Robin? P.M.I? Decision Making Matrix? K.W.L.? 1:4:P:C:R? Hot Potato? These are just a few of the strategies our presenter will share with you in a day packed full of practical, hands on techniques that you can take away and immediatly apply to your own brainstorm meetings.
Personally, having done this course, I immediately wanted to go back to my old corporate life in the city and redo all those meetings I had to endure in the past, and show my Manager how to apply these amazing new tools to the discussions - how much better could our outcomes have been if we'd had these strategies at our fingertips?
Find out for yourself - our next workshop is scheduled for 5th May and we would LOVE to see you there. If you've already done our "Maximise Your Training Impact" course, you'll know how effective Mindworks tools will be!
Give me a call to book your place or if you want to know anything further - you know I'm always ready for a chat!
What we teach you is real. It’s proven. It works.
And people keep coming back for more…
Lindel Smedley - Office Manager
P.S. Are you interested in what Mindworks can offer your company, but would like to "try before you buy?" Our next Showcase/Morning Tea is scheduled for 21 July 2006 - come along as our guest, experience Laurie's delivery first hand and get a sample of the Mindworks Magic!
P.P.S. We believe that learning should be a series of personal victories, and our "Creating the Thinking Environment" course will show you just how effective this belief is when you experience it for yourself.
QUINTESSENTIAL QUOTES
“A Meeting consists of a group of people who have little to say - until after the meeting." PK Shaw
Don't let this happen at your next meeting - Our "Creating the Thinking Environment" workshop will show you how to turn this around!
CYCLONE LARRY
Cyclone Larry really left his mark up north and to all our colleagues and friends who have been affected by this devastating whirlwind, we wish you well and hope you are back to normal as soon as humanly possible.
LOOKING FOR A CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKER?
Then look no further - Laurie has been a much loved Conference speaker for years and is perfect to either:
• Open your Conference and Open your delegates minds at the same time to accept
what is to come
• Deliver a Key Note address
• Provide interactive Workshops to really get your participants thinking
• Be the "After Lunch Energizer" - Laurie will get your delegates focused and back into
the swing of things immediately following the refreshment break
We are now booking 2007 conferences - if you're planning your next Conference and you want the best speaker - get in early and book Laurie Kelly.
TESTIMONIAL
I have been to various training and facilitation courses and I found MINDWORKS' "Maximise your training Impact" the most insightful, informative and useful course, than I have been to. I learnt more in one day than I have learnt in the last 6 months! The interaction with the other participants also improved my learning experience, even though we were from very different organisations. I have taken on board Laurie's suggestion to review the learning’s at certain stages after the course and this has enhanced my learning even further. In fact, I feel like I gain great insights at each review of the course. I now have a bottomless tool box of ideas to heighten the effectiveness of my training and facilitation methods. Thank you for sharing your insights and knowledge with us!
Our thanks to Katrina Boyle, Lions Nathan, for her comments.
We have done three workshops with Laurie and always enjoyed them; who would have thought learning could be so much fun? Following on from our last workshop, several members reported increases in sales and prompt payment of overdue accounts. But most importantly Laurie has taught us to trust our instincts and to see all the opportunities we may have missed, as well as new ways of doing things. Thanks Laurie,
RETENTION TIPS
Have you ever used the "Philosopher's Walk" in your presentation? If you are using Charts throughout your workshop, hang the finished charts up on the walls around your room and take 5 minutes at the end of the day for your participants to stroll around in groups and discuss what they remember about each subject - the Auditory, Visual and Kinesthetic learners will love it and it will help cement the areas covered in their minds. And don't forget to have fun with it - have a game of Pictionary afterwards, using key words from the day - this will go a long way in retaining that information for them. Want to know more? Give us a call, there's lots more we can teach you...
FEEDBACK
Comments
Thank you for your feedback. Below are comments received in March from happy Mindworks participants:
From the Public sector:
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Thanks for a great workshop - really gained from the experience.- Joy Leishman, Caboolture Mayor
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Absolutely wonderful!!! Excellent ++
From the Training sector:
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“I thought that Laurie’s workshop on Thursday was one of the best I have ever attended. His ability to explain relatively complex theories in a simple way was inspiring and I took away so many ideas that I know I will be able to implement. Thanks again. Rebecca Wilson, Recruitment & Training Co-Ordinator, Australia Post
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This training helps people believe in themselves and their capacity to learn grow and influence. Kay Gray, Diversicare
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Excellent session – will assist with delivery – Jo Abbatongelo, Diversicare
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Awesome course! I learnt more today than I have in the last twelve months. – Katrina Boyle, Lion Nathan (see Katrina’s testimonial)
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Great day, very beneficial and educational. Christine McKay
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A great shot in the arm of energy for those trainers who are stuck in a rut. – Graham Klaasson
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A very invigorating, enjoyable day with lots of learning. Leon Carrall
From the Rockhampton Public "M.T.I." course, March 2006 - 100% Excellent rating from all participants.
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It was most definitely the most beneficial “train the trainer” I have ever done. Tanya Szepanowski, Ergon Energy.
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This is something that is very valuable to any trainer, from all walks of life.
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Fun & informative – came away energised and enthusiastic.
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“Learning CAN be fun!”
From Showcase participants:
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This was a fantastic introduction to what Laurie can offer – I am excited about what is to come in other sessions - Bree Bignell Mar 2006
- A very good insight into the courses – Eamonn Taaffe, Mindpearl Mar 2006
- A great exposure to possibilities for integrating into the workplace – always good to know a sharp operator who I can refer on to others. Michael – Ingenius Coaching – Mar 2006
From the Local government sector:
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Excellent ability to offer learning opportunities for a group of wildly varying backgrounds.
Learning was fun and very motivating and makes you believe the sky's the limit if you let it.
Results
An Evaluation of our programmes from you:
| Number of responses | Excellent | Good | Acceptable | Disappointing |
| 1279 | 1094 | 182 | 3 | 0 |
| 85.4% | 14.4% | 0.2% | 0% |
DID YOU ENJOY THIS NEWSLETTER? - WHY NOT SHARE IT!
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After all, most of our business comes via word of mouth and that fact that we're still here after 20 years means we must be doing something right!
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Thank You.
MINDWORKS - Helping to make you "EVEN BETTER"
407 Cedar Creek Road, Samford Qld 4520 Ph: (07) 3289 4977 Fax: (07) 3289 4992
Email: Info@mindworksteam.com.au Website: www.mindworksteam.com.au