Monthly Archive

At last, my IG application was approaved! I am very proud, and extremely happy!

 From the JCI Training Commision: 

The members of the JCI Training Commission would like to congratulate you for this outstanding achievement and welcome you to the International Trainers team.  As a member of JCI select group of experienced trainers, you are invited to continue your support to JCI by conducting international training courses as well as involve, inspire and support the new trainers who are working hard to climb the steps of the JCI Training.  At the same time, we encourage you to keep your focus on reaching the maximum level in the JCI University Certification, the ITF (International Training Fellow). 

I have now reach the second highest level of training achievement in JCI, second only to ITF now! Watch out, here I come and join you, ITF's around the world! 

Gifts&flowers should be BedNets, please!

This is an amazing production! According to the article, it is made as a school project!

Watch it and enjoy how a well known story can be retold in a very different way, amaze you and impress you!

Slagsmålsklubben - Sponsored by destiny from Tomas Nilsson on Vimeo.

I will be pretty busy this spring as well it seems.

April 17-19

Hosting a workshop for Trainifique, Oslo

April 23-26

JCI Latvia, doing JCI Presenter and JCI Trainer, Riga. 

May 1-3

JCI Sweden, doing communication skills training, Gothenburg.

May 8-10

JCI Sweden, doing JCI Presenter, Uddevalla

June 8-14

JCI European Conference, doing communication skills training, Budapest

Welcome to a two days training weekend the 2^nd and 3^rd of May (Saturday, Sunday). Kai Roer and Per Stilling, two very experienced and skilled trainers from JCI Norway will conduct training during the these days. The training is conducted in a fantastic scenery.

Planned programme:

Saturday:

• Negotion – Negotiate Now! From Basic to Best.
• Beige to Blossom

Sunday:

·          Coach to Lead

·          Active Listening

Transportation

Transport from the central station (Nils Eriksson Terminalen) to the training facility will be provided both during Friday evening and Saturday morning. If you are coming by plane to Landvetter Airport, let us know and we will arrange transportation.

The preliminary price is set to 900 SEK and includes training, breakfast, lunch, dinner and residence. Send an email to Martin Westerling and he will provide the specific price very soon. For a small extra fee you can also get residence for the Friday night (if you travel to Göteborg in the Friday evening) in the same training facility.

More information will be supplied later, please email Martin Westerling to confirm your interest in the course and receive more information: martin.westerling@jcs.se

I have had the opportunity to review the book Writing Learning Outcomes 2. edition by Leslie Allan .

Writing learning outcomes are one of (if not the one) the most important tasks a trainer and client does upon deciding to run a training program. Unfortunately not all trainers care about this, and not all clients realize the importance. The purpose of writing the learning outcome is to document the purpose of the training – what are the participants to learn, and what the impact of the learning to the organization is.

The book clearly shows Mr. Allan’s excellence in this area. His background is impressive enough by itself, and he is able to convey his message in a very detailed manner. He offers a clear structure, and even adds an easy-to-use template to use when setting up the learning outcome.

On the negative side, I personally prefer reading books and materials that are less academic in its language. Then again, I am pragmatic, not a theorist in my learning style.

I am also questioning the large focus on using the SMART model for setting goals. I would think that people reading this kind of books are well familiar with the SMART model, and hence a reference to it should be enough.

What I like particularly well with the book is the structure and method it offers. Writing learning outcomes will become much easier in the future, using Mr. Allan’s three-step model.

I like the way he goes into details that are relevant for writing learning outcomes, and the use of examples. It makes it clear to the reader what is supposed to happen in each step. Each step includes easy adopting templates.

The overall feeling of the Writing Learning Outcome is that it is a bit too academic to my preference, a bit too complicated (detailed). It is also a great resource to learn about learning outcomes, and a great set of templates to use when setting up your next learning program or training.

I will be using the Writing Learning Outcomes in Trainifique , as so far, I find it the best resource on the market.

Today, I will be visiting Campus Kristiania to speak about the value of networking. I will share my experience and tips about how to build a large and valuable network with the students.

My spot is 1130 til 1215 CET, so if you are around, you are certainly welcome to join. 

I have built an extensive network, which reaches to all continents. And I use my network actively - feeding the beast, as I call it - by offering my help wherever I can. 

What are your networking experience? Did you network already in school? 

It is time to reveal my newest venture - Trainifique!

This is a company specializing in mentoring and mentor programs, using a framework to create an efficient and valuable learning environment. Our unique framework, developed by Thor Erik Gulliksen over the past decade, uses a mixture of methods for mentoring, trainings, networking and followups to create the results. 

Trainifique is a new venture. Yet it has created an impact around the world already. We are, only two weeks after launch, recieving requests from all continents, forcing us to turn down many. 

I will keep posting from our programs and projects, so stay tuned if you want to know more about Trainifique! 

My IG-application is re-entered. I have made adjustments to my Active Listening training - in particular I have made the Trainers Guide more readable, easier to understand and hopefully according to the quality requirements of JCI.

I must admit it was a tough thing to get rejected the first time. Hopefully the training materials have improved, and I do know that I have learned many things - including:

• it is not over 'til it's over - so no celebration until I am accepted (and yes, I will continue to apply until I get approved...)
• remember that the Trainers Guide is a tool for other trainers - so it must have enough explanation to help other trainers to conduct the training without me being there to mentor them
• my friends still care for me - so a minor setback like this is no ruin to me, nor my friends. Thank you all for the support! I love you too!

So again I cross my fingers, and that is all I can do now.

This is an interesting article by Jonathan Mead, the author of Reclaim your dreams.

A bit long (others enjoy writing just as much as I do, it seems), but very interesting and to the point! If you plan reading anything today, spend 10 minutes on If it's a good idea, don't do it !

Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of being a judge at the Youth Entrepreurs convention in Oslo.

My role was to find the best seller - man and woman amongst aprox 200 participants, and the best sales- and marketing team of 57 different teams. The task was daunting. Challenging. And great fun! 

Posing as a photographer, I could easily check the eagerness of the sellers, and the attention I got from each team. As expected, most team disregarded me immediately, and let me hang around without paying me any - or just little attention. The two other judges where given great attention, and the students tried to impress them, while with me, only a few even approached me uninvited.

And this reminds me of a story I heard some years ago:

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The local BMW dealer just got the new 700-series on display, and had bought a demo car. One day, a man enters the shop. He is dressed in working habit - dirty trousers, big boots, a shirt with holes, scratches and staines on it. His hands where hard and rough, and his face where dark from working outside. You clearly saw that this guy had not seen a shower since early morning, and he had obviously been hard working with construction. 

The man walks over to the nice, shiny black BMW 700 series, gazing and taking it in with his eyes, noticing every detail. Liking every detail. He opens the door, and touches the cream colored leather interiors, feeling the cool leather against his own hard skin. 

After a while, he approaches the sales guy, a young man with manicured hands, a tailored suit, blue shirt and a red tie to go with it. He cannot hide the fact that he does not think this working man can ever afford the BMW 700 in his lifetime. 

The sales guy reluctantly allows for a test drive, insisting he must go with him. 

When they return to the BMW dealers shop, the working man asks the sales man if he can borrow his office phone. Yes, this was before the cellphone explotion. The sales man and the working man enters the office, and the phone is picked up. The working guy calls a number, and order two new BMW 700 series with full specifications directly on the phone, from the BMW dealer in the neighbor city. 

Imaging the looks on the face of the poor sales man. 

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Images of the winners are found here . 

Fra JCI Trainer_dombaas

A couple of weekends back, I was Assitant Trainer on JCI Trainer taking place in Dombås, Norway.

The trainers team where Per Stilling (CNT, JCI Norway) as Head Trainer, Thor Henning Volla (CLT+25, JCI Norway), and myself. We had great fun, and it was very inspiring to see  all the new JCI Trainers evolving during the weekend.

Most participants are young (at least way younger than myself), so the future of trainers in Norway looks very good indeed. Their next challenge is to collect the 25 first hours. 

A couple of images :) You can see all images in Picasa !

I just got word from the JCI HQ that my IG application got rejected.

First I was terrified. How is it possible?

Then, at least they explained why. They want me to add purpose to the exersices, and if that is all I need to add, it is no big deal. And it is a great reminder to myself that the trainers guide need to be self explanatory. It need to state the why's AND the how's. Because if the trainer do not understand the purpose of the the learning exersice, how can she be expected to guide the participants in the right direction?

So, I'll continue my work and refine the materials, and apply again!

Thank you all for your support!