Train Routes

A wise man once said that apart from the spelling there is no difference between counselling and coaching. There’s a shade of truth in this but for the sake of the clarity I’m trying to achieve in this piece I am going to illustrate the differences such as they are. In fairness, it’s relatively easy for me to do this as I am concentrating on coaching that takes place at work; usually delivered by a line manager. We’ll see later on when we come to look at the different types and branches of coaching activity that the lines of distinction do become far more blurred.
As with mentoring, the skills of the coach and the counsellor are the same. They each listen attentively, ask probing questions and offer non-judgemental observations in the spirit of helping their ‘clients’ find their own answers. I don’t think either a coach or a counsellor would go down the “You should…”, “You must…” route. The difference does not lie in the skill set; it has much more to do with the content of the conversation and the desired result.
Counsellors are concerned with identifying root causes. They will guide us on a journey through our history to identify critical incidents and problems that have left a mark and cause us problems still. With such issues identified, the work of the counsellor develops into one of exploring ways of dealing with those problems and making changes. We can easily see that relationship counsellors, substance abuse counsellors, bereavement counsellors, etc. focus on dealing with what’s happened.
Coaches are concerned with moving forward. Coaches help the people whom they coach to identify a desired set of circumstances, to examine how that contrasts with current circumstances and then to plan out a series of steps to get from one point to the other. The coach starts from the here and now and, although aware that situations in the past can cause problems today, is more focused on creating mobility and momentum and on getting people started. Coaches focus on dealing with what must happen next.
Picture the scene: you’re three-nil down at half time. The team counsellor would examine the mistakes of the first half, but the team coach would set out the tactics for the second. Both are useful, and as ever are often combined. As always, the needs of the people we’re helping must override any semantic debate around the differences.
However, getting the positioning right is crucial. I’ve seen many a coaching programme get off to a shaky start because staff perceived that they were going to be counselled and were obviously uneasy about how well their managers were qualified to offer this kind of help and whether it was appropriate to talk about potentially emotive personal issues in a work context. Of course there may be a time for counselling at work, and what starts out as a straightforward coaching session may move in that direction. With this in mind it is worth checking out your organization’s welfare and access to counselling policy if you have the slightest suspicion that a coaching approach may uncover a deep seated issue and thus need a professional intervention.
The statements below are an attempt to put these comparisons in simple terms
Managing “Do this.”
Instructing “Here’s how to do this.”
Training “Have a go at doing this.”
Mentoring “My advice would be to….”
Counselling “What feelings does this invoke?”
Coaching “How do you think you could…?”
I wonder if in the end these differences are purely academic and of more interest to people like me who muse on these things, than to people like you who have the harder task of getting people to be the best they can at work.
Having said that, an appreciation of the similarities and differences is useful when it comes to positioning coaching in your team and in your organization. You may well find that if your team is unclear about what coaching involves and have confused it with other things, then they may not engage as fully as you’d wish.

Having been a self-development trainer for many years I have come to the conclusion that when looking at the many life skills that humans need to master in order to mould for themselves a joyous, fulfilling and creative life, accelerated learning skills are probably the most important of all. Not only do these skills make a huge difference to the individual, they also have a massive impact on the corporate sector. The annual figure spent on corporate training is colossal and yet without the implementation of these foundation skills it is apparent that the vast majority of this money, representing thousands of pounds, is being totally wasted.

As opposed to the ‘one career’ life typical of yesteryear, in today’s age most people are being required to make several changes during their working life. It is predicted by Charles Handy, Professor of Economics, that in the generation to come it will not be unusual for someone to have between 5 and 7 completely separate careers. This means that not only must we be adept at change, but also comfortable and confident amongst this constant bombardment of new information and demand for learning. It is already the case that ‘intellectually’ talented people demand higher salaries than those that are ‘physically’ advantaged, and this will be increasingly so in the work environment that is developing.

In this ever-changing world with its fast pace, uncertainty and job insecurity, the only thing that is certain is uncertainty itself. In almost all occupations knowledge is doubling every 2-3 years meaning that someone who is fully qualified in the year 1999 might find their qualifications woefully inadequate by the year 2002.

As the economy in the world shifts, people who are appropriately educated will tend to do best and the premium that society will pay for such skills will climb. ‘Appropriate’ education will be increasingly biased towards the incorporation of accelerated learning techniques, which will provide the core skills necessary to succeed and grow in the years to come. It is important that you look upon life as a lifelong adventure, and appreciate that the future belongs to those who are prepared to change and learn, and that to stand still is really to go backwards

The most important aspect of learning is being proficient in how to learn. Once you can master this ability, no new project, language or situation will again overwhelm you. And once you possess the basic techniques then, like riding a bicycle, they will be with you forever, meaning ‘the world is your oyster’.

To increase your effectiveness in studying in this new age of information overload must you just push yourself harder? Fortunately, the answer is NO. Rising stress levels caused by the need to acquire boundless information forced a study of this issue and a search for solutions. The result was the set of principles developed by academics and known internationally as ‘accelerated learning’. This uses some of the recent advances in cognitive science and offers an exciting new prospective on harnessing the whole brain’s phenomenal capabilities. Accelerated learning offers ways to unlock an amazing array of cognitive skills.

• Exponentially increased abilities for gathering, storing, comprehending, synthesising, sorting, implementing and retaining new-found knowledge.

• Improved concentration and efficiency for stress-free learning.

• Better strategic, critical and creative thinking.

Paradoxically, the strategy to access your huge hidden capabilities is not simply to push yourself harder but to work much more closely with your own hidden mind. Since these concepts are different from most traditional approaches to learning accelerated learning has developed avenues to greatly facilitate whole and direct brain function. Accelerated learning improves our approach to study through learning, research and theory and the laws governing the functioning of the brain. And uses techniques that tap into your brain’s amazing and awesome capabilities.

But before considering entering upon the study of accelerated learning skills you should assess yourself – do you possess the two fundamental characteristics necessary without which you cannot even begin to develop yourself to your greatest potential?

1. A genuine desire to want to learn, and

2. A strong seated belief in your ability to learn.

Without fulfilling these basic criteria all the techniques and skills in the world will be of no use whatsoever and you will never fully develop.

So, what are Accelerated Learning Techniques? They are seven pillars, which combine to effectively provide a profoundly efficient and stress-free method of learning. These are:-

• Understanding the power of the mind and how it works

• Recognising the nine intelligence ‘types’ and identifying your own

• Using mind maps

• Using music

• Speed reading

• Developing effective memory techniques

• Knowing how to study and learn

POWER OF THE MIND. Amazing as it sounds, it is only in the last 150 years that scientists have pinpointed where our brain is, and the last 15-18 years that they have begun to have a proper understanding of how it functions. Dr David Samuels of the Weizmamn Institute estimated that underlying the brain’s basic range of activities up to 1 million chemical reactions take place every minute. There is a minimum of 1,000,000,000,000 (one million million) individual neurons or nerve cells. This figure becomes even more amazing when you realise that each of your neurons can interact with up to 100,000 other neurons in many ways at any one time. In fact, it has recently been estimated that the number of permutations may be 1 followed by 800 zeros. A number too enormous to think about. There really are no limitations whatsoever to the power of your brain. It is limitless.

INTELLIGENCE is not fixed but is a set of abilities and skills applied in a given context. A person can excel in one situation, displaying impressive intelligence and yet appear at a complete loss in another situation. Evaluated at its most basic level intelligence could be described as the ability to Learn – Retain – Recall – Apply. However, studied more closely, Professor Howard Gardner came up with the theory of multiple intelligences and it is now widely accepted that there are nine different ‘types’ of intelligence –

• linguistic/language

• mathematical/logical

• musical

• physical

• inter-personal

• intra-personal

• visio-spacial

• naturist

• spiritual.

Unfortunately, the educational system of today is derived from the 1830’s Prussian system, which addresses and values only two of these intelligence types – linguistic/language and mathematical/logical – and sadly fails those who fall into one of the many other categories. By identifying your own natural type of intelligence you are able to develop it to its full potential. Beyond this, it is also possible to learn how to consciously exploit your full range of intelligences; a technique that ensures balanced learning, and the ability to think in new and different ways.

MIND MAPPING is one of the fundamental keystones to accelerated learning. It is an invaluable device developed by Tony Buzan for learning, retaining, recalling and applying information, which is designed to use the whole brain. It will strengthen or develop your strategic thinking and problem-solving skills. Indeed, mind mapping is such a powerful tool that it can revolutionise your complete approach to work and life, allowing you to adapt a more dynamic, proactive approach to life and enhance your creativity. Mind mapping breaks away from the traditional method of ‘linear learning’ (eg writing in lines) and uses patterns that work more efficiently with your ‘multi-dimensional’ brain. If one had to choose just one of the accelerated learning skills it is mind-mapping that would have the most profound effect upon ones life.

LISTENING TO MUSIC that you enjoy is an uplifting experience, harmonising body and soul. However, used properly it is also an invaluable tool for effortlessly easing new information into your long-term memory. Music can mimic the brain’s wavelength when it is in the receptive state for learning. The left half of the brain relates to the music’s rhythm and sounds and the right side identifies with the textures of each sound. Therefore, learning new words or information against a set musical pattern unites left brain activity (words) and right brain activity (music). For example, Bulgarian educator, Dr Georgi Lozanov, in his pioneering work with accelerated learning techniques carried out extensive studies that demonstrated how Baroque music’s steady tempo of 60 beats per minute parallels the brains wavelength when in a state of relaxed alertness, called Alpha, and is conducive to learning and retention.

SPEED READING is a technique which is governed by understanding how the eye interacts with the brain, recognising memory rhythms and adapting your reading speed for different reading matter. The average person reads at the rate of 240 words per minute, and yet, it is quite possible to obtain the skill of reading up to 2000 or more words per minute. The problems typically experienced by people include lack of concentration, poor recall, unsatisfactory level of understanding, limited attention span and the inability to deal with distractions. Many of these problems are routed in the traditional method of reading you were taught as a child. By re-adjusting this method most of these problems are eliminated and you can become not only a faster reader but a better one.

MEMORY. The belief that memory worsens with age is a fallacy. In fact, the memory is like a muscle; the more it is used, the better it gets. And vice versa. So it is important to learn how to utilise your natural learning style to ease memory recall. According to the 80/20 rule which is taken from Perato’s Law (Alfredo Perato, Italy, 1895) the average person loses 80% of what is learnt within 24 hours, because it is not learned correctly. By learning the differing techniques and systems available to improve memory skills, you can ensure that facts learned are locked into long term memory.

HOW TO LEARN AND STUDY. Preparation is vital to any task. To enable effective learning to take place painlessly you must first prepare the mind. Accelerated learning techniques will show you how to gather information, without overload, sifting important information from the superfluous. The unique M.A.S.T.E.R. system will effectively enable you to fearlessly approach all future learning.

• M – Prepare the mind for learning

• A – Acquire the information

• S – Search out the meaning

• T – Trigger the memory

• E – Exhibit what you know

• R – Reflect on how you learned

An increasing number of companies are feeling the economic strain of providing necessary training, and are realising that much of the money invested in this vital area is not justified by the subsequent results. Returning to people who have attended courses after periods of one, three and six months, it is devastatingly apparent that very little of the course learning has been retained, and even less implemented. If 80% of learning is so rapidly lost it means that effectively 80% of the training budget is wasted. Therefore, it is essential that the basic skills of learning be absorbed first so that subsequent training is worthwhile. People need to have an understanding of how the brain works so that they can use it in the most effective way, and once they have established the skills incorporated within accelerated learning techniques they will find their life very much enhanced. Not only will it help them in their work but many other aspects of their life.

Written by Gerard O’Donovan Founder of Noble Manhattan coaching Ltd

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You could work in the following institutes.

Nursery / Primary Schools:

Nursery and primary school teachers have a huge responsibility in the sense that, it is what children learn and experience during their early years that shape their views and affect success or failures later in their lives. Thus teachers play a vital role in the social and intellectual development of children. They introduce children to numbers, language, science; social studies as well social interactions. Here games, music, artwork, computers and other tools are used to teach basic skills. While kindergarten teachers deal with children of 3 to 5 years, primary school teachers deal with those of 6 to 12 years.

Secondary Schools:

The secondary school teachers instruct students from 8th to 12th standard. Usually they deal with one particular subject in which they specials. Good base in the subject is a must.

Colleges/Universities:

In universities or colleges in India as well as abroad there are lecturers and professors who specialize in a particular field. They give lectures, guidance and help the students in their academic and research work. Those who have organizing ability have a further scope to become a principal, vice-chancellor in the management level.

Special schools:

A challenging area in the field of teaching is that of dealing with children having physical and mental handicap and learning disabilities. The work is emotionally and physically demanding which needs a lot of patience. They have to work in close association with parents and medical professionals like speech therapist, physiotherapist etc. It is different from the normal teaching norms, as each child needs special care depending on his/her disability.

Pre-primary Most polytechnics and vocational training centers conduct training for pre-school teachers. The preferred eligibility is Class XII with 50% aggregate. Personal attributes are, however, more important. There is Montessori teacher training schools, which are privately owned in some large cities.

Primary teacher training

Teachers with diplomas in education / Bachelors in education teach the primary classes. Graduates of Home Science also serve as primary teachers.

Secondary and senior secondary teachers

Teachers having B Ed Degrees after graduation are called Trained Graduate Teachers (TGTs), after post graduation they are called postgraduate trained teachers (PGTs). This training is imparted in teacher training colleges.

Some universities offer these courses through correspondence for in-service teachers to get trained. There are contact programmes for giving practical orientation.

In 1996, the National council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has regulated the training of teachers. Correspondence/distance education courses are meant for teachers who are currently working.

Lecturers

College lecturers require a good academic record with at least 55% or an equivalent grade at master’s degree level in the relevant subject from an Indian University or a foreign University. The eligibility test for lecturers, National Eligibility Test (NET), is conducted by UGC, CSIR or similar tests accredited by the UGC. The State level test SLET is for appointments within the state. The promotion is based on performance, duration of service, and research publications.

Leading academics go on to complete Ph D theses. A doctorate (Ph D) is fast becoming a must-have for teaching postgraduate classes in leading universities.

After Class X/XII (any subject) Nursery teachers Training of 1-2 years at Polytechnics/ Vocational Training Institutes.

After Class XII (any subject) Early childhood education / preschool education courses offered by several universities. After Graduation (any school subject), Bachelors in Education (B Ed) for TGT Grade Jobs After Post graduation (any school subject), B Ed for PGT grade jobs. After Post graduation / M.Phil take the NET/ SLET Exam for College Teaching. Teachers may opt for writing text books/ conducting online / distance education classes.

Places to Study

B.Ed. / M.Ed. courses are offered by the following universities to graduates and postgraduates in any subject

Colleges Overseas

USA

UK

Australia

Event management is very closely related to advertising and marketing. Events can be thought of as another means of advertising and brand building. Courses in Event management involves conceptualizing, planning, organizing and finally executing an event which could be a concert, a conference, an exhibition, a product or a brand launch, an international celebrity appearance or even a fashion or charity show.

This industry is only about ten years old in India, but holds but is slated to hit the Rs 500 crore mark in the next five years.

The two routes into this sector are:

An Events Coordinator with a corporate, handling their launches and publicity events. This role in India is mostly merged with the Public Relations Management or Marketing and Advertising role

An Events Management Entrepreneur, working on projects with varied corporate clients. While this industry attracts many creative, enthusiastic youth, distinguishing oneself and building a client network take time and many young entrepreneurs drop out of the race.

Event management requires visualization, creativity, meticulous planning and venue management.

An event management entrepreneur holds the additional responsibilities managing the affairs of the business.

People in the industry count the pluses as being the opportunity to travel, to be creative, to work on varied projects and to meet many different types of people.

The cons include financial risk and liability and unpredictable schedules which often-requiring one to work late hours.

As an entrepreneur, of course, earnings are unpredictable. All you need to begin is a phone, a fax machine and a first project. The industry is expanding at a very fast pace and should accommodate many successful entrepreneurs before it peaks. However, one’s earnings are dependent on one’s entrepreneurial skills.

For most young people, it makes sense to join either an event management firm or the public relations department of a company before striking out on their own.

Many independent event managers do not have formal education in the field. Practical experience in the field is the best training that anyone in the field could have. Experience in marketing, vendor services, and time management are key training attributes.

A post graduate degree in Public relations, Marketing, Advertising, Human resources, or General business management would be useful and would command a starting premium in the corporate sector.

What is often more critical is one’s experience in handling events of many types and one’s reputation or references.

A high school or undergraduate student hoping to enter the field should build experience through projects and internships. It is also a great idea to volunteer at college and community events and take on responsibility. This will both hone one’s skills and provide future employers with proof of one’s abilities and enthusiasm.

Undergraduate courses in Public Relations – 4 to 6 month diplomas

Postgraduate courses in Public Relations