Alicorn Learning
Where corporate training is neither boring nor annoying
WHAT WE OFFER
Team training
Your customized session will be designed to offer useful, science backed strategies and models to the team, but the discussion in the room will be about how they can take those models and make them real and applicable in their everyday lives.
Keynotes
Whether the group is 10 or 10,000, your keynotes will go well beyond just a body on the stage. The group will enjoy an interactive session that engages with the speaker, and their colleagues, for an experience that they will remember for a long time to come.
Video and online learning
When real-time training is not possible, your team can use customized video and online content for self paced learning. All videos are created to broadcast standard and online sessions can be interactive with in-built assessment.
Virtual facilitation
In a world of hybrid working you can engage in team training and keynotes in the virtual world. Using the tools of your chosen meeting platform, you will enjoy a session just as interactive and engaging as the in-person counterparts.
DO YOUR TEAMS LOVE TRAINING?
This may shock you, but many people do not love training. Even people who ask for training do not always love being there. When people are disengaged, or actively annoyed by training, your investment has been completely wasted. In fact, unnecessary, or unenjoyable training, is a reason many people choose to leave a job.
65%
of employees have had a negative experience with training
32%
of employees view training as a punishment
48%
of employees would be happy without any training in their role
What do teams need instead?
To give everyone the experience they deserve and the results you require, you need a training company that has taken all the old tropes that have caused these negative experiences and turned them around. Your team are experienced professionals and they should be treated accordingly.
Forced participation
becomes
All participation is voluntary
Long speeches by the trainer
becomes
Never more than 5 minutes without room involvement
Embarrassing "fish bowl" role plays
becomes
Small group practices and real world application
Asking cynics to "put their positive hat on"
becomes
Inviting cynicism and challenge so that theoretical ideas can become real and tangible
WHY ALICORN LEARNING?
Hundreds of companies can offer training solutions, from one-person outfits to the big four consultancies. All of their materials will be equally well thought out and professionally designed. What makes the difference is the facilitator in the room.
The founders of Alicorn Learning spent 10 years developing a facilitation methodology to move training into a new generation. This methodology has been used to train over 1000 facilitators at over 200 different companies.
It is designed to lead the room in an engaging and enjoyable manner that treats the participants as professionals, not students. It focuses on 5 key areas:
INCLUSION
Everyone should feel an integral part of the session IN THEIR OWN WAY. That means there should be no forced participation. No one is even forced to introduce themselves. People should choose to include themselves if and when they are ready. The facilitator's job is to create those opportunities for different people in a way that suits them.
ENERGY
Training should be energizing and fun. I'm sure everyone agree with that. The problem comes when facilitators try to enforce their version of "fun" on the participants, going so far as to repeatedly tell them how much "fun" they should be having. People want to enjoy training, but that means very different things to different groups. Instead of anticipating the group, the facilitator needs to build the energy and humor around the group as they experience it together.
EXPERTISE
The facilitator is there as an expert on the topic, but not THE expert. The facilitator has their own skills and challenges, just like every other human in the room. Together, the group discusses how each person can improve using both the science and ideas within the training and the knowledge and insight of every person there.
CYNICISM
There's no trick to winning people over who want to be in training. It's nice to have those people in the room, but they are already positively minded. The difference is in having a facilitator who is attuned to the cynic. Not only by allowing and encouraging their voice, but also by having viewed the materials and training through a cynical lens. The facilitator needs to look for the grey areas where a model may not have the answer. This gives the cynic someone they can trust and believe in, and helps them to find their own positives within the session.
FLEXIBILITY
Hitting breaks and ending on time are important, as participants may have calls and other responsibilities during training. But the art of flexibility is making every minute count. Not having a group chat for 10 minutes when 5 minutes is enough. Not running another activity when the group clearly understood it the first time. The facilitator must constantly move and shift timings and agendas to suit this particular group in this particular moment, no matter what was originally planned.
