SPEED READING
Hot on the tails of the Edinburgh Speed Reading course we are now researching venues for Bristol and Salisbury.
Once we have identified the venues we will do some market research to take soundings about the best dates for us to put on offer. If you have any suggestions please let us know.
NEWS
We are working on a schedule of short (one hour) online fully interactive training courses covering subjects such as:
- Chairing skills
- Public Speaking
- Time Management
- Influencing & Negotiating
- Delegation skills
Again please let us know if there are any other titles you would like us to cover.
Here is a link to a PDF about our online training:
http://gatewaytraining.net/downloads/Gateway_Online_Training_flyer.pdf
posted by Charles Jack : 12:13 location.href=https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=921944635581818798&postID=3353109135114917454;>0 Comments
Monday 8 February 2016
Great News!
We have organised a one day Speed Reading course in Edinburgh on Wednesday 2nd March 2016.
Cost £350 all inclusive of breakfast, lunch, refreshments, course workbook, group and one to one coaching.
Book early here for a discounted ticket:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/speed-reading-tickets-20917684357?discount=175off
Speed Reading
- WHEN
- WHERE
- Edinburgh Training & Conference Venue - 16 St Mary's Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1SU GB - View Map
posted by Charles Jack : 12:16 location.href=https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=921944635581818798&postID=6320915690041526037;>0 Comments
Tuesday 3 March 2015
Media Training and Handling
 |
| Ed Forbes |
We are very please to announce our association with Mediabeak and Ed Forbes its founder.
Mediabeak is at the cutting edge of Media Relations and has 20 years experience working in both the private and public sectors at senior management and chief executive level.
We like their tag line:
We don't do Press Releases - We do Communication
We like what they say:
In the digital, social media driven world of communication the key to successful engagement lies in creating carefully crafted conversations with your audiences.
Engage with Ed and his team to discuss how they can steer your senior officers and councillors through the forthcoming media feeding frenzy aka May's general election!
Email: charles@gatewaytraining.net
Phone: 07970 150 156
See more about our new Media Training and Handling services here.
Labels: councillors, election, genera, general election, Media, press, services, social media, training
posted by Charles Jack : 15:38 location.href=https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=921944635581818798&postID=329509767144303165;>0 Comments
Monday 15 September 2014
Charles Jack on Scottish Independence in the Sunday Times
"When Charles Jack saw last weekend's poll in The Sunday Times putting Scotland's independence campaign in the lead for the first time, he immediately booked a flight to Edinburgh ..."
From the Sunday Times 14th September 2014
Fallout!
When Charles Jack saw last weekend’s poll in The Sunday Times putting Scotland’s independence campaign in the lead for the first time, he immediately booked a flight to Edinburgh.
The 62-year-old Scot, who has spent 30 years in England and runs a training company in Salisbury, will fly to the Scottish capital today for back-to-back meetings with solicitors and estate agents.
Jack is desperate to set up a Scottish office ahead of Thursday’s referendum. About 40% of his business is with local authorities in Scotland and he fears they will freeze out English companies if the country votes for independence. The Edinburgh office is his contingency plan.
“My fear is councils will be more conscious of seeking external help from Scottish companies rather than one that is clearly based in the south of Eng–land,” he said. “I have lost contracts in the past because I am not based in Scotland.”
Jack remains passionately convinced that a continued Union is best. “American clients tell me they are buying British, they are buying the UK flag, they are buying quality. I fear we would lose that stamp of quality in the event of independence,” he said.
Five Scottish-headquartered banks, including Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Tesco Bank, have announced plans to move south of the border in the event of a “yes” vote, but Jack’s experience shows it could be two-way traffic — English companies as well as Scottish have much to lose in the short term from an independent Scotland.
Economists warned last week that the dissolution of the 307-year-old Union could throw Britain’s scorching economic recovery badly off course. Growth could slow, sterling could tumble and inflation could more than double from its current 1.6% — a blow to consumers hoping for a return to real wage growth next year.
“Household incomes would again come under pressure as they did in the great recession,” said Gerard Lane, investment strategist at the broker Shore Capital.
Companies would defer their investment plans, taking GDP growth next year below 2%, according to Axa Investment Managers. This compares with the 3.1% expected for 2014, and could force the Bank of England to delay interest rate rises until later next year, possibly after the election.
A Scottish exit could also precipitate a euro-style currency crisis, with sterling devalued by up to a quarter as international investors take fright at Britain’s current account deficit. This could deteriorate without Scotland’s share of North Sea oil and gas, according to Lane. The weaker pound could push inflation back up to 4% as imported goods become more expensive, he said.
For Scotland, the fallout would be even more severe. Credit Suisse, the investment bank, warned last week that its economy would be plunged into recession, with wages falling 5%- 10% if a new Scottish currency slumped against the pound.
As much as £100bn in deposits could be pulled out of Scottish banks as customers de–camped to protect their assets.
The plans by Lloyds and RBS to move south may not stem the flow — the experience of Quebec in the 1990s shows “deposit flight” would be a risk even if the Union was preserved. Bank deposits in Quebec dropped by about 5% ahead of its referendum on independence from Canada in 1995. Sovereignty was rejected by the narrowest of margins but Quebec’s deposits continued to decline as a proportion of GDP for seven years.
“Every monetary union that has broken up in the 20th century was preceded by large deposit shifts in the banking system,” said Paul Donovan, economist at the investment bank UBS. He warned of “negotiated chaos” if there is a “yes” vote.
Hopes were growing at the end of last week that the unionists would secure a narrow victory, prompting a relief rally in sterling, but the damage may have been done. International investors may reappraise the risk of doing business in Britain, with lasting implications for the economy and markets beyond Thursday.
OWNERS of small businesses in Scotland say the prospect of a “yes” — and 18 months of protracted negotiations over independence — have cast a long shadow over their operations. Deals are falling through and hiring plans have had to be put on hold until the result is known.
Colin Thompson has been trying to sell his 15th-century hotel in the Highlands since January but said possible purchasers have been deterred. “The uncertainty has put off potential buyers for sure. We’ve had an overseas company that is keen to progress but would only do so provided it’s a strong ‘no’ vote. They like certainty,” said Thompson.
He plans to move his family’s money into England in the event of a “yes”. He and his wife are already transferring their pensions south of the border, regardless of the outcome of the referendum.
One of the biggest issues facing businesses is uncertainty over what tax regime would follow Scotland’s exit from the Union. Alex Salmond, the first minister, has pledged to undercut corporation tax in the rest of the UK by three percentage points — meaning a rate of 17% when Britain’s rate falls to 20% next year.
However, businesses are sceptical that he will be able to deliver when Scotland is running a deficit (including oil) of 8.3% of GDP — bigger than the 7.3% for the rest of the UK. The respected Institute for Fiscal Studies has argued that Scotland would in fact need to bring in tax rises or spending cuts equivalent to 10p on the basic rate of income tax.
Many retailers north of the border fear they could lose some of Britain’s precious VAT exemptions if an independent Scotland had to renegotiate its relationship with the EU.
Scottish booksellers fear an independent country would impose VAT on their sales (Stephen Finn)Rosamund de la Hey founded the Mainstreet Trading Company bookshop and cafe in the Borders village of St Boswells with her husband Bill in 2008. At present, printed books in the UK and Ireland are exempt from VAT, but de la Hey is worried that a newly independent Scotland would slap VAT on books at a rate of up to 20%.“Let’s say VAT is applied at 5%. At most independent bookshops the net profit, if indeed they have a net profit, is 5% or under. So there you go — it’s gone,” she said. Prices for Scottish consumers might have to rise, she added.
Some of Britain’s biggest retailers were galvanised into action by a reception at Downing Street last Monday night, when the prime minister evoked the defeat of Hitler in a “call to arms” to business leaders.
Sir Charlie Mayfield, the chairman of John Lewis, attended the event and took to the airwaves on Thursday to defend the Union. He said the higher cost of doing business in an independent Scotland would inevitably be passed on.
“It is the case that it does cost more money to trade in parts of Scotland and therefore those hard costs, in the event of a ‘yes’ vote, are more likely to be passed on,” he said.
Lord Wolfson, chief executive of Next, which employs 3,000 staff across 37 stores in Scotland, also went public with his fears over independence. He told The Sunday Times he would continue to invest in Scotland and did not see why the company’s internal costs should rise — but there would be challenges beyond his control.
“Where we are concerned — and this is a worry rather than a fact — is around three things. What will happen to the currency? If the currency devalues, that will push up prices in Scotland. Taxes — no one quite understands what the new financial situation of the Scottish government would be. If taxes go up that will be bad news. Financial sector jobs — some of the big players are now talking seriously about whether they will need to relocate.”
Many companies are making plans to up sticks and leave. One in 10 is considering moving from Scotland in the event of a “yes” vote, 8% have definite plans and 5% intend to increase their English operations or set up an English company, according to a poll by the Scottish Chambers of Commerce.
Individuals, too, are pulling money out of Scottish banks and moving deposits south, where they feel regulators are more likely to stand behind their assets in the event of another banking crisis.
Chris Fisher, chief executive of Multrees, a wealth manager with offices in Edinburgh and London, said it had moved hundreds of millions of pounds out of Scottish bank accounts on behalf of wealthy individuals, family offices, charities and endowment funds over the past week.
“The last time clients were this jumpy was during the Cyprus bailout. People saw what happened to bigger depositors and are worried it could happen again. We are simply custodians of clients’ deposits; it is not our job to say whether they are being rational,” he said.
The risk of “deposit flight” forced many big Scottish-headquartered companies to go public with their contingency plans last week. Lloyds and RBS, which employ 19% and 16% respectively of their UK staff in Scotland, confirmed plans to move their legal headquarters from Edinburgh to London. Tesco Bank, Clydesdale (owned by National Australia Bank but registered in Scotland) and TSB, the bank spun out of Lloyds, followed suit.
Among Scottish life insurers, Standard Life and Aegon will set up English companies to hold pensions and investments. This would protect them from higher taxes, a weaker currency or inadequate regulation in an independent Scotland.
Both Lloyds and RBS insisted they would remain big employers north of the border, but their moves raised fears that Scotland’s financial services would be irreparably damaged. “A vote for independence would call into question Scotland’s ability to maintain both a viable currency arrangement and the large financial services sector that currently supports a large tax base,” said Neville Hill of Credit Suisse.
FOREIGN news crews have been massing in Edinburgh, showing the reverberations of a “yes” vote would spread well beyond the British Isles. A win for the nationalists could encourage separatist movements in Catalonia and Flanders, reviving fears of a eurozone break-up.
“If Scotland shows the way for independent states to break apart currency unions, we have to revise the possibility, downgraded since July 2012, that euro-area nations may have increasing incentives to do the same,” said Hill.
A “yes” vote could also tilt the balance of opinion in Britain towards leaving the EU, ahead of the “in-out” referendum promised by Cameron in 2017. Scottish voters are generally more enthusiastic about membership than the rest of the UK. An EU exit could ultimately spook international investors even more than a Scottish one.
Foreign banks are warning clients that even if the Scots vote “no”, the closeness of the referendum could destabilise markets for some time to come. “Political risk in the UK disappears if Scotland votes ‘no’?” said Jordan Rochester, a currency strategist at the investment bank Nomura. “Far from it; it is only just beginning.”
posted by Charles Jack : 12:14 location.href=https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=921944635581818798&postID=1092914933292715137;>0 Comments
Monday 1 August 2011
Achieving goals
Settings goals
Yes, I'm sure we all know the theory - especially the well known SMART acronym:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-bound
But setting our goals in order to bring our visions alive is just the start of, what can be, a lengthy process of strategising, action planning, reviewing and refining. In principle this is all good stuff and all well documented in any book or article written about time management or project management. There is nothing better than having a good plan. As the old saying goes - 'when all else fails, you can always fall back on the plan'.
The trouble is; following through on a plan can take an enormous amount of time and energy - to say nothing of resources. This is often where we can fall down in achieving our goals - we can become distracted, disillusioned, lose our focus and lose sight of the big picture or vision we originally set out to achieve.
In terms of achieving our goals we need to turn theory into a highly practical experience laced with a variety of human traits such as single mindedness, tenacity, concentration and having the spirit and the will to succeed. I saw all of this in spade loads recently when our daughter Tamara - aged 10 years - decided she would like to experience what it would be like to be a fashion designer.
She set her dream in place and followed through with simple goals and objectives and a structured plan - but most of all she set out with great determination.
And so it was that after many drawings and sketches, visits to fabric shops, asking for advice on sewing and such matters that she finally; this weekend; presented her first creation to the fashion world - Versace and Coco Chanel should be afraid; very afraid!
In achieving her ambition to design and produce her first dress I saw Tamara immerse herself in her project with a clear set of goals and a single minded determination to stick to her process, problem solve all the issues that arose and keep going until she was entirely satisfied with the results of her extensive labours.
I have certainly learned a few lessons about focus and concentration from watching Tamara over the last week or so.
I am looking forward to seeing more of her creations and picking up more tips about establishing a vision, setting goals and achieving the plan.
Well done Tamara and we all look forward to the forthcoming Tamara Alice Collection.
Charles Jack
(aka Proud Dad)
posted by Charles Jack : 09:50 location.href=https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=921944635581818798&postID=7795026144097203601;>0 Comments
Thursday 2 December 2010
Introducing our at desk training and online meeting services.
We can deliver training to your staff at their desk in the office, or at home if they cannot travel. Fully interactive sessions last one hour and you can choose from an extensive list of subjects. Also - see below for details of our hosted online meetings service.
At desk training
Gateway Training is now offering all of our clients two new services which are:- Low cost
- Quick to implement
- Travel saving
- Time saving
- Money saving
So; no travel - no venue costs - no overnight stays - just quickly delivered quality training.
Just ring 07970 150 156 to discuss exactly what training you need delivered in this way and we will quickly design a solution for you.
Costs are from £35 per person.
Online meetings
Using the same system we can set up an online meeting for you and your colleagues wherever you and they are (within the UK and Europe), as long as you all have access to a pc or laptop and a phone. Share documents and presentations as if you were in your own meeting room.
Don't let the snow reduce your productivity!
Ring us now on 07970 150 156 to book your own meeting.
Costs are from £15 per person.
Although these services are an ideal solution to the current weather and travel problems, they are primarily designed to help organisations and businesses deliver quality training to staff and employees during a time of tight budgets and the need to reduce external training, venue and travel costs.
The only thing you really can't use these services for is your office Christmas Party. I think - for that - all of you have to be there in person!
Cheers!
Costs are from £15 per person.
Although these services are an ideal solution to the current weather and travel problems, they are primarily designed to help organisations and businesses deliver quality training to staff and employees during a time of tight budgets and the need to reduce external training, venue and travel costs.
The only thing you really can't use these services for is your office Christmas Party. I think - for that - all of you have to be there in person!
Cheers!
Labels: desk top, low cost, meetings, online, snow, training
posted by Charles Jack : 09:53 location.href=https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=921944635581818798&postID=2051490236907810553;>0 Comments
Sunday 9 August 2009
Reflections
Hi, I'm Charles. Do you know who you are?
On a walk through town a few weeks ago my life changed. I caught my reflection in a shop window. It was, for a split second, like looking in a full length mirror. Strangely I really wasn't sure who I was looking at - yes, of course it was me but in that instant I wondered who me really was. Which of my many personas was staring back at me? Charles the dad; the husband; the businessman; the coach; the trainer; the facilitator....... The list - no doubt like yours - could go on!
But where was the real Charles that adopts these personas? Where was the real me? Where now was the core person who was born before all these personas were developed? Don't get me wrong, I know that we need different personas for survival, to get things done, to influence people and to progress through jobs, careers and life in general - no problem with all that!
But, just for a moment, I wanted to connect with the real me. I started asking myself some questions:
- What is my dream; my vision; my big picture?
- What are my values; my standards; my principles?
- What traits or aspects of myself do I like and dislike?
- What do I trust and distrust about myself?
- What do I really appreciate about myself?
My reflection in the window was gone in a second but the questions are still with me. Happily a few thoughts and answers are beginning to formulate in the old grey matter. And most profound and enlightening some of these thoughts are too! A couple have really made me stop to think about and review what I'm doing with my life, my family, my career and my business.
Although my walk through town was only a few weeks ago addressing these questions seems to have had quite a profound affect, there is movement; things are changing, opportunities are appearing and (strangely!) I have a greater sense of the core me - of the real Charles.
When the cranial dust has settled on all my musings I may share some of them with you.
In the meantime why not look in the mirror - ask yourself some questions - and reflect on who you really are.
It just might change your life. ..............!
www.gatewaytraining.net
posted by Charles Jack : 11:07 location.href=https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=921944635581818798&postID=3282131230218038302;>1 Comments
About Me
I have worked in training and management development for over 25 years. I am passionate about helping people develop their businesses or organisations through developing their people. I specialise in designing and delivering Leadership and Management development strategies and, over the years, I have built up a team of professional trainers and coaches - all of whom are highly professional and great fun to work with! |
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