I am someone who absolutely loves training days (unless they are physical, in which case I will happily fake a sprained ankle). I feel training days for workplaces are so vital to development professionally and personally and we are so lucky that at Red PR so much importance is placed on it.
Coordinating our training day was a big job, but I was up to the challenge – traveling all staff from the two different offices (Brisbane and Sydney), the speakers, gifts, lunch and right down to what coffees would be drunk, was all my job. Then I was able to sit down, listen and most importantly learn. Speakers for the day included our two directors Fleur Madden and Rodica Titeica, Lauren from Reload Media speaking about SEO, Tracy McGowan a QLD veteran journalist with her insight into what is news and Sherrie Storor from Place Estate Agents with a presentation on how to have a 10/10 day everyday!
As a lifestyle PR agency in Brisbane and Sydney we can get caught up in how busy we are every day and forget about perfecting our craft and taking the time to be the best PR people in the world. So here are the top 5 key points I feel can be matched to any workplace or any personal situation:
1. Do your ten before ten
Everyone has a list of things that they constantly put off. Well, according to Sherrie, aim to do your top ten least liked tasks before 10am. Not only will you feel productive and motivated, but you will have the rest of the day to concentrate on tasks you do enjoy!
2. Pick up the phone
Sometimes we rely too heavily on texting, email and social media to contact people that we often forget about the ol’ telephone! Maybe next time before you type up an email to a client or Facebook your friend, pick up the phone and give them a call! Not only will you be able to discuss more, but it is a lot more personal.
3. What makes you happy?
Write down a list of the top ten things that make you happy and hang them on your desk, study or kitchen wall. Sometimes in our busy lives we forget to take a breath, stand back and remember what is important. Having this list in a location that you will constantly see will help you to refocus when things start getting stressful and busy. For me, my list consisted of everything from my job to family to cocktails!
4. Effective communication
Everyone has a different form of communicating and this is something to be remembered. Not everyone will openly tell you what they want, nor will others hold back from telling you what they don’t want…people just communicate differently. Effective communication is so beneficial in every aspect of life and to be effective you must remember that everyone around listens, speaks, thinks and therefore communicates differently.
5. Listen more than you talk!
This is a big one for me. I love a good chat, but sometimes it is important to zip up the mouth and listen to those around. What you hear and what you gain will be more beneficial if you take the time to listen carefully.
What are some training day tips you have? Is there something that you learnt that you feel can benefit personal or professional development?
I always found that the best training days, like the best media releases, do not try to cram too much in and instead focus on communicating a few key points well. People only absorb so much in one session.