Services Summary

Overview

commercial-awareness.com offers services in 3 areas:

• training - both class-based and virtual (online) learning
• coaching - to support the application of learning
• development - the production of training materials and support of facilitators

All services can be customized to meet your specific requirements. Please click on the boxes above for more details on each service area.

Train

commercial-awareness.com can provide training in the following areas: planning, finance, developing business cases, marketing, customer focus, managing multiple priorities, negotiation and, of course, commercial awareness.

"Learning occurs best when new information is is incorporated gradually into the memory store rather than when it is jammed in all at once.

So why don't we use such models in our classrooms and boardrooms?

Partly it's because educators and business people don't regularly read the Journal of Neuroscience."
John Medina, Brain Rules. Our modular design approach means that it is possible to tailor workshops to meet your specific requirements:

• duration - from a half-day workshop through to a multi-day programme
• content - combining your content with our material
• approach - conventional training through to user-created online learning

My approach is learner-centric. Workshops are participatory and involving and the emphasis is always on the practical application of skills and knowledge. A workshop will normally involve a mix of: group discussion, case studies, video, what-if scenarios, the application of models and tools, presentations and reflecting on how the learning relates to a participant's work context.

My personal experience has been that the greatest benefits are derived from a blended learning approach. There are many variations, including linking learning directly to the work of the participants, yielding immediate benefits to the organisation.

The diagram below illustrates a typical 3-phase programme, incorporating class-based and virtual learning with coaching.

For more on the benefits of virtual learning, please read the Develop section.

Coach

Coaching can greatly increase the effectiveness of training by helping participants to apply their learning to their current context.

A coaching session can provide a participant with perspective, enabling them to step back from the often overwhelming detail of daily work life and

• identify and proactively manage opportunities and threats
• understand the real drivers of success (not just what is measured!)
• create coherent plans and milestones
• establish effective habits and processes
• help them to present their ideas clearly

The coaching is focused on commercial aspects; it is not 'life-coaching', though it will build confidence, motivate and provoke action.

Coaching can be either face-to-face or via telephone and would, initially, consist of between one and three sessions.

"In a recent study, training alone improved leadership skills by 22%. When combined with Executive Coaching, improvement jumps to 77%."
Fortune;

Develop

I have considerable experience in developing extensive blended-learning training programmes for major corporations, encompassing all participant and facilitator materials - for class-based workshops and virtual learning. commercial-awareness.com materials can be combined with content specific to your organisation.

Workshop-in-a-Box

If you wish to use your own facilitators, I can provide everything that they require, including train-the-trainer sessions, to run effective workshops.

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Virtual Learning

Virtual learning can take many forms, such as:

• interactive multimedia
• video
• questionnaires
• articles to read
• links to websites
• virtual classrooms and discussions
• participant blogs and fora
• electronic portfolios - owned and managed by learners

I have created and used all of these approaches for over ten years. I understand the limitations of virtual learning and how it can be used effectively.

There are many benefits:

• cost-effective - no travelling or accommodation costs
• improves class-based learning - basic knowledge can be gained in advance, enriching class-based discussions and enabling precious workshop time to be spent covering important issues in more depth
• enhanced learning - participants have greater control over their learning, allowing them to learn when they have time, energy and inclination (so much money and effort is wasted because the emphasis is on 'teaching' rather than 'learning')
• learning transfer - online tools can act as a reference, a learning reinforcer and can be tied into actual work activities
• flexibility - easy to update material (and learners)
• tracking and evaluation

If you wish, I can provide the learning platform to host materials and manage learners - or simply provide SCORM-compliant content for your own LMS.