Author Archives: Jane

Men & Women Are Different? Frankly my dear, I don’t give a da….

Any minute now they’ll be a new book out, or a new piece of research explaining why men and women are different, why our brains are wired differently and why we like cats…or something!

And do you know what?

I don’t care! In fact, I really don’t give a damn. I know, and you know and we all know that men and women are not the same. Hooray for that!

I also know that for far too long for a woman to be successful she has had to meld into man’s own image. And because we are different that’s not comfortable; very few women in really senior positions can get there by being true to themselves; the ‘system’ mitigates against it.

So the why doesn’t matter. It’s a fact and I accept it.

I don’t accept that means we’re not as good, not as suited to leadership.

We just have to redefine the parameters, the old rules, to make sure it works for 100% of us, not just the 50% that happens to be born male.

That will be good for all of us, men and women, girls and boys and I don’t need a piece of research to tell me that.

Thinking of expanding your training business? I can help you. To find out more, click here.

Confidence, Gender Issues

Have Women Got Ability? Depends Who is Defining It

Written by Jane 2 Comments

This week I was working with an organisation which wants to increase the number of women it has in management positions; it recognises that it has an unequal gender distribution, particularly as 75% of its employees are female. There is the usual imbalance at the top.

I was talking to a small group about my course written for women to encourage them to think about a management role and how to lead while being true to themselves, called Women Ahead. On cue a man piped up that this was discriminatory, that a course ought to be offered to men as well because no one was now discriminating against women, they had equal opportunities and everyone should be appointed purely on ability.

I agree, but, I said, who defines what constitutes ability? If the ‘ability’ that is looked for favours just one segment of the work force, or population (of whatever gender) then that is not a true or fair test. It’s why, I continued, we had to have equalities legislation to make sure that people from ethnic minorities or with disability were given a fair crack of the whip. There is a mass of evidence to show that *wasn’t the case pre legislation as organisations stuck to ‘we treat everyone the same‘ line, without ever questioning what ‘the same‘ was. Now we need to look at custom and practice in this very traditional organisation and make sure it wasn’t disadvantaging women; this needed an initiative right across an organisation. Running a course specifically designed for women and their issues was one small part of a larger plan to redress the balance.

But I should have saved my breath to cool my porridge as he was already onto the number of immigrants taking jobs, people getting promotion just because they were in a wheelchair, and women bosses he’d had who were awful.

Sometimes you just have to know when to walk away….

Thinking of expanding your training business? I can help you. To find out more, click here.

* I know we still have plenty of problems in this area but we’ve moved a long way from the days when people could put up signs saying ‘no blacks’.

Photo by Stock Exchange Linden 6580

Courses, Gender Issues

Inspirational Woman – Sharon Gaskin

Written by Jane 0 Comments

Sharon is the face behind The Trainers Training Company which she set up in 2009. I know she has some amazing people in her group because whenever she lets them know about the RenewYou licensing course I get some really excellent women trainers calling me. (For which many thanks Sharon!) It’s very clear from even a brief acquaintance that Sharon genuinely loves to help others; read on to see how she has turned that quality into a successful business!

Jane: Sharon, many thanks for talking time out to talk with us today. The Trainer’s Training Company is a resource for trainers; where did the idea for the business come from?
Sharon: It was really just an idea that I had whilst I was out walking the dog one day. I was just thinking back to when I first started out as a freelance trainer and how clueless I was about it and suddenly thought wouldn’t it be really great to have a website or resource that would give you all this information without having to search all over the internet. I started by writing an E Book, How To Launch A Training Business in 30 Days, then I developed the 1 day Workshop How To Create a Successful and Profitable Training Business and it really just grew from there.

What are the main issues for trainers in running their business, in your experience?
Most trainers are very comfortable and confident when they are in the training room but the thought of going out and selling and marketing their services scares them to death. Well, it did me anyway! I deal with a lot of freelance trainers who just don’t; like the thought of marketing and wished they didn’t have to do it…. but of course they do have to if they want to have any clients. Other top issues are finding work, the constant roller coaster of feast and famine, getting your pricing right and the isolation that comes from working on your own.

How difficult was it to set up a business from scratch? Had you any previous experience of running your own business?
No I hadn’t …. I was one of those people in corporate life who used to sign the invoices of training consultants and think ‘Ooh, they’re earning a lot of money, I’d like to do that ….’ But of course I never had the courage to jump and move away from the safety of my nice salary until I was forced to give up my job when we relocated to the Midlands.

It was really, really tough to begin with. I had 2 children under the age of 5 and didn’t know anyone in the new area I had moved to. I was also completely clueless about selling and marketing, that’s one of the reasons why, in my first year, I ended up doing a lot of low value associate work, one of the BIG things I advise people against now!

What advice would you give to any woman thinking of starting her own business?
Do your homework first,,, be very clear on what you are offering and to whom, the tighter you can get your niche the better as it will be easier to attract the right people to you and you can charge more money! Network…. but network in the right places, make sure your networking is effective by giving it some strategic thought.

Don’t stop investing in your learning just because you have to pay for it yourself, it’s vital to the success of your business. And don’t give up, believe in yourself and stick at it! It’s often the small things you do each day, consistently, that yield results.

Good advice! What has been the very worst job you’ve ever had, and how, in hindsight, did you benefit from the experience?
It was in the first year of my business when I was doing all this low value associate work I referred to earlier…. I can’t even remember what course I was running though! It was the middle of June, boiling hot. I was stuck in what can only be described as a broom cupboard in Coventry trying to run a workshop for delegates who were literally melting, I had to go out and get them ice lollies at one point, it was really really bad. Then when I put my bill in the training company put a great red line through my travel expenses (100 miles for 2 round trips) and said they had decided not to pay travel any more.

What did I learn? That was the tipping point for me …. I decided not to do this type of slave labour any more, I ditched all the associate work pretty much and concentrated on getting clients of my own – which I did!

If you weren’t running The Trainer’s Training Company what would be your dream job?
That’s an easy one! Can you imagine being Annabel Croft, commentating and working on Sky Sports tennis and Eurosport? Interviewing Rafa and Andy? I even tweeted her once to tell her she had the best job in the world and she tweeted back to say yes she sure did!

I know from your Twitter tweets that tennis looms large in your life as you have a son who competes regularly. How does that fit in with your work commitments? How do you manage the work/home balance?
Ryan’s tennis was the reason I started The Trainers Training Company as I had to find a way of earning income from activities that could be done at least 70% from home and passively too. Although by 2009 my training business was successful I could not run the volume of workshops I was doing and also get Ryan to Edgbaston every afternoon for training.

So, in creating the Trainers Training Company I have developed a business model that includes some live workshops (only 10 a year) but also 1 to 1 Mentoring and Group Mentoring that can be done at home over Skype. I also have a number of products and programmes which earn income for me without me having to be physically present. I’m constantly balancing work with the tennis and it does reduce the number of hours I can spend on my business considerably but I wouldn’t change it …. you have to give your kids every opportunity in life, if you can!

Do you have a role model, (you can have more than one) someone who inspires you and whose example has helped you develop.
I don’t have anyone specific in the business world but I’m an avid reader of self development books and pick up lots of inspiration from everything I read and absorb. The one thing I have learnt over the last 12 months or so is the absolute importance of positive thinking, it takes hard work to practice it on a daily basis but it makes such a difference to how you feel! And of course I am totally in awe and inspired by my tennis heroes, Rafa and Andy and really all other players who are at the top of the game. They don’t get there by accident, the amount of hard work they put in, the dedication they show and the sacrifices they make is truly amazing.

How do relax and unwind? And do you…?
I try to …. As you know I have a gorgeous cocker spaniel – Jem – and I love to just be in the outdoors and walk her. I’m lucky to live in a lovely part of the country surrounded by countryside and I take full advantage of it!

Sharon, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and tips with us today and I wish you much continued success with your business.

If you’d like to find out more about Sharon’s very popular days for trainers check out her website The Trainers Training Company

Thinking of expanding your training business? I can help you. To find out more, click here.

Inspirational Women

Do You Hate Going to Work?

Written by Jane 0 Comments

Do you hate getting up to go to work in the morning? You’re not alone; in fact, more and more often I find that women I meet are really unhappy in their work but in the current economic climate feel they have to stay put.

“I always try to go the extra mile at work, but my boss always finds me and brings me back.” – Anonymous

If that describes you then you have my sympathies. It’s not a good place to be – I’ve been there. Usually we have to stay because we need the money, for rent, the mortgage, paying off loans, to eat…

Of course we all need money. But do you know how much money you need? Do you know what you have to earn every month? The essentials, not the ‘nice to haves’. Do you know how much going to work costs you each month?

If you work it out you may just find yourself pleasantly surprised. I’ve talked to lots of women who for one reason and another have had a drop in salary recently. It’s not brilliant but the in all cases the impact has been less dreadful than they thought it would be. Sorting out our money is one of those things we tend to ignore and so it can become an unmanageable fear for us.

Look at the questions I asked you above. Answer them again but this time include the non tangible things like quality of life, your health, your relationships? Factor those into the equation and you get a much more realistic idea of what your work is costing you.

You may have to stay put for now but don’t stop dreaming. Do what you can now to amass skills, qualifications, and experience and make yourself new job ready for when opportunity strikes.

Thinking of expanding your training business? I can help you. To find out more, click here.

Photo by Dora Mitsonia

Motivation

Play Your Occasional Wrong Notes with Gusto!

Written by Jane 0 Comments

Time and time again when women’s advancement (or not) is being discussed we return to the issue of confidence. Confidence is elusive, attractive, and mercurial. You know when you’ve got it and you know when it goes!

There is pukka research that a lack of confidence in women is a significant factor in women not reaching the top, although if you read my blog regularly or get the newsletter you’ll know that I believe that has as much to do with the way the world rewards male behaviour as it does with something innate in the female of the species, and there is masses of anecdotal evidence too (like the BBC saying women always say no when asked to go on air).

No one is immune from the confidence wobble; it can strike us any time, whatever gender.

I was having this conversation with my *actor son, currently on tour: I was confessing to the odd momentary wobble myself about launching my new venture to some really excellent trainers – there are parallels with delivering courses and being on stage- and he gave me this brilliant quote:

“A wrong note played timidly is a wrong note; a wrong note played with confidence and gusto is an interpretation“

Isn’t that so true? If we look like we don’t have belief in what we’re saying or doing, our audience won’t believe it either.

So, stand tall, shoulders back, deep breaths, and go out there and believe in yourself!

*If you want to check my adorable son and daughter in law out go to newoldfriends. Obviously they are brilliant!

Thinking of expanding your training business? I can help you. To find out more, click here

Confidence

Why Young Women Need Mentors

Written by Jane 1 Comment

Yet another *report is published saying woman’s lack of confidence is a barrier to career success. One of the conclusions is that girls need to be encouraged to think about leadership and management at an early age. I was very lucky; at age 17 I was the very first female chair of the Medway School’s Council, an event so unusual in 1975 that it made the papers. I am so very grateful to the teacher that encouraged me to take part where I gained invaluable experience and confidence.

A few very simple questions for you today:

What can you do to develop and support the next generation?

Is there a young woman in your office who might benefit from your wisdom and support?

Do you have a mentoring scheme at work? Is yes, are you part of it? If no, could you suggest one?

If you run your own business can you make time to help and support young women?

If you are involved in mentoring and supporting the next generation please do tell us how.

Thinking of expanding your training business? I can help you. To find out more, click here.

*Chartered Institute of Management-Women in Leadership March 2013

Check out Role Models for Women – does it matter?

Photo by Joe Zlomek

Confidence, Motivation