Blog
Creating great training is an art
Another dancing analogy.
It's not a compliance exercise. It's a design problem.
Course designSafety standards and complianceFall protection
I used to perform as a dancer.
When the employer screws up, the worker dies
Safety standards and compliance
In a workplace fatality,
Teaching a course I've never taught before
Today I’m teaching a course I’ve never taught before.
I finally believe that I'm good at what I do
Instructor developmentFall protection
I'm really good at what I do.
Two things that quietly kill engagement
Most instructors don’t realize they’re doing these two things… and they quietly kill engagement.
You don't learn to teach in a room of 18
I took a Mobile Elevated Work Platform (scissor lift and aerial boom lift) instructor course years ago.
A planning error that cost us two extra days
A few years ago we were hired to deliver Mobile Elevated Work Platform training for a client.
The worst business rule I was ever taught
Years ago, when I was working as an employee, I was given a rule that never sat right with me: “Never let the company lose money on a job.”
People don't judge authenticity
Most new instructors believe they have to look calm, confident, and completely in control.
Most people only see the classroom, not the system behind it
Running a training businessSafety standards and compliance
Most people only see the classroom. They see an instructor teaching Fall Protection or MEWP.
Premium positioning requires premium clarity
Running a training businessFall protection
This week I made a mistake on a sales call. A prospect asked why our Fall Protection Instructor program is $2,500 when another provider is roughly half that.
Image protection or transparent growth: choosing clients who fit
I was teaching a course for an organization, and posted a photo on LinkedIn from a class I was teaching.
Silos kill alignment in course design
I was brought in to help revise a training program I had originally developed.
Effective instructional skills must be maintained
Instructor developmentSafety standards and compliance
From time to time, we’re asked: “If an instructor took the program three years ago and has been teaching regularly, why would they need to retake your entire 3-day instructor program?”
The readiness form our instructors complete before every class
A few weeks ago, one of the instructors licensed to deliver our programs was struggling with operational readiness.
When I failed to plan, I planned to fail: our course prep form
If you’ve delivered on-site training long enough, you’ve probably experienced one of these: “We have a big training space.”
Shortcuts shrink your students' opportunities
Safety standards and compliance
I’ve seen a pattern in the training industry over the years.
Hiring a carpenter because you like their tools
Years ago, I was invited by an existing client to help revise one of their flagship health and safety training programs.
Course alignment and the peanut butter and jam sandwich
In 2012, I completed the Provincial Instructor Diploma Program at Vancouver Community College (VCC).
When alignment is missing and you're not in charge
In the past year, I had two experiences that stayed with me.
A meeting that taught me something about worth
Recently, I drove across town to meet with a company we’ve worked with before.
Talking is not the same as teaching
I delivered an instructor evaluation lesson without speaking.
Behind every certificate is a system most people never see
Safety standards and complianceRunning a training business
When Haland Learning started, it was just me. I designed courses, taught them, revised them, and taught them again — over and over — until the learning actually worked.
Why I stopped fixing other people's systems
For years, I worked in two different worlds: consulting and contract training.
I never want to make someone's day worse so I can make mine better
I’m not a marketing expert. I’m not good at it. And I don’t even like it.
If people walk out believing they're trained, you're responsible
Safety standards and complianceCourse design
If people walk out believing they’re trained, you’re responsible for that belief.
Value vs. price: when cheap starts to feel expensive
Value vs. Price A few months ago, an instructor candidate joined one of our programs.
Certainty is comfortable, but curiosity is where the learning happens
Common Sense vs. Real Learning Are you certain — or are you curious?
Formal education or field experience? We need both
Safety standards and compliance
I saw a post recently about the value of formal education in safety — and it got me thinking.
Teaching is a skill you build through repetition
Every instructor who comes back for another course reminds us of something important: teaching is a skill you build through repetition, not a certificate you earn once.
Some things are worth losing business over
Running a training businessSafety standards and compliance
At Haland Learning, we’ve made it clear that: We do not support the practice of withholding training certificates from students.
Common sense isn't always common, and that's not a bad thing
At Haland Learning, we’ve had the privilege of working with a post secondary institution for several years, delivering a range of safety and practical training programs.
It's not about you: build the lesson around how learners should feel
It’s not about you! I used to be a burlesque performer in a past life, and appreciated some deep life lessons learned during that time.
Applying for Ontario approval of our fall protection course
Safety standards and complianceFall protection
We (Haland Learning) are applying to have our Fall Protection training approved by the Ontario Ministry of Labour.
This one page took 5+ hours: behind the scenes of course building
Stories from behind the scenes when building courses: I’m neck deep in a complete rebuild of our fall protection training.
Teach it, fix what doesn't work, repeat until awesomeness
We’re eyeballs deep in getting our new fall protection course ready-to-go.
It's not the volume of time, but the type of time
We used to believe the myth “it takes 10,000 to become a master at a given skill.”
Which topics should we cover in each module?
Something as inane as… “which topics should we cover in each module?”
We only use a handful of engagement strategies, but they work
Teaching and facilitationFall protection
#1 Search & Discuss Students are provided with a question, asked to search for examples or ideas, then discuss.
Distilling 45 pages of regulatory wording into a single page
Course designSafety standards and complianceFall protection
It takes us (Haland Learning) a LONG time to create simple learning activities.
Sucky Zoom training sucks. It doesn't have to.
Zoom training sucks! No. Sucky Zoom training sucks. It doesn’t have to suck.
It takes effort to make it simple
“Anyone can make something complicated. It takes effort to make it simple.”
When instructing or facilitating, we have to be human first
This morning I was teaching a forklift class to some municipal employees.
What goes into making training materials so clean
Them "Who makes all this (training materials)?" Me "Me. I get graphic design help with images, and layout for printing, but I design every part of our courses."
We are not a body that shows up to talk and give out certificates
I recently taught a one day course for a client. It sucked. There were a few red flags in terms of timely/accurate communication before the day of training.
Honest self-assessment without negative self-talk
Honest self assessment is a big focus in our instructor training.
If it doesn't add value, we get rid of it
We’re giving our Fall Protection course (Version 3.3) it’s first test run today.
We take radical responsibility for client success
Accessibility, student and client success are vital. We were called by one of our very best clients (EllisDon) to deliver Confined Space training on June 1.
Instructional design and delivery 101, built live for one candidate
We were teaching an instructor program to a single instructor candidate from Mon-Wed this week.
We aim to provide space for students to think, apply and learn
Space We aim to provide space. Space for students to think, apply and learn.
The only thing I hate more than unanswered phones
I did something one Friday afternoon that most companies don't.
Turning hostile students into my biggest fans
Not long ago, a client warned me about a student. “Be ready for him…he may be hostile.”
A self-learning machine: when students teach each other
We’re running a forklift class today. The 6 students have never been trained.
Ladder safety can be made simple: designing a ladder selection lesson
Designing a ladder selection lesson. There's a LOT of content (this is related to yesterdays' post).
A tool that measures the wrong things: my silent lesson experiment
I was enrolled in an instructor training program some time ago.
Let learners choose their own adventure with a live poll
Last night I had the opportunity to facilitate a quick 45 minute online session in How to Deliver Engaging Training to the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering membership.
Designing learning from six perspectives, learner to competitor
My passion scares the shit out of me.
What I learned so far: finding out what learners actually received
What I learned so far... Oftentimes as instructors, we "think" we know how students are receiving information, but we actually have no idea.
Spotting opportunities: moving in-person courses to live online
Part of being an entrepreneur is learning to identity and IMMEDIATELY act on opportunities.
Crappy instructor bingo: the not-awesome things instructors do
Crappy instructor BINGO. I'm building a game for our next instructor training course.
What "approved" training actually means in BC
Safety standards and complianceFall protection
Our Fall Protection Course recently passed the vetting process at the BC Construction Safety Alliance.
Answering questions is easy; answering them correctly is not
As an instructor, I get asked lots of technical questions during class.
Three instructor skills: ego, self-reflection and managing questions
Instructor developmentFall protection
We're running a Fall Protection Instructor class this week with a great client.
I don't care how it looks, I care how it is
Sometimes learning design can devolve into an exercise in looking good.
Why workplace learning can be so hard (and so rewarding) to design
Why workplace learning can be so hard (and SO rewarding) to design and deliver.
Course material should not remain static
Course designSafety standards and complianceFall protection
Some of the things occurring with our existing Fall Protection User course:
Instructor vs. trainer: why I prefer the trainer approach
Instructor vs. Trainer I was initially trained as a Military First Aid Instructor back in 1998, and much of my time has been spent "instructing".
Why we don't lead with a list of courses
What is the list of courses you teach? I get asked this question a couple of times each week...
Preparing for an interactive class isn't glamorous, but it's worth it
Preparing for an interactive class isn't sexy. Yet, it's worth the effort.
The magic of the hidden curriculum
Most of the training I deliver is oriented towards Occupational Health and Safety (OHS).
Why training sucks: alignment and the learner's why
Have you ever taken a training class and had a hard time staying awake?
Professionalism is to authenticity as politeness is to kindness
Funny story: At the end of one of my classes, a participant said this "You had me at the word 'fuck'!"
Training is a structured conversation, and reciprocity is required
Training is a structured conversation in that RECIPROCITY is an absolute requirement.
Awesome or adequate: what's the goal?
A colleague recently asked if I'd like to hire someone to work for me.
Hazard exposure frequency: which level should you assess?
Safety standards and compliance
When assessing the frequency of hazard exposure do you instruct people to consider exposure at the corporate level, the site level, the crew level or the individual level?