Training in the UK

In March, I went to the UK for a month-long training assignment for a major telecom company. In four weeks I visited over a dozen sales offices in Scotland, England, and Wales. It was my third time over and I have to say I had been unimpressed before. Training overseas has its unique challenges. In Scotland, the dialects take some time to decipher. In England, it's their wicked sense of humor, and in Wales, it's both.

But as I said, before, the UK seemed grayer, dismal, lazy and stubborn. This time I found a new energy. The learners were enthusiastic, engaged, attentive, supportive, and motivated. In addition, management was firmly behind the initiative and once I started training, the news of my visit traveled fast.

In each of my training assignments to the UK, I've attempted to blend classroom, self-paced, and e-Learning together. So far, the feedback is this, "Ditch the CBT and give us classroom training with web-available simulations."

Works for me and when I showed them their software simulation, they ate it up and it spread like wildfire across 600 sales desks.

A month-long assignment seemed like forever when I landed in Heathrow Airport in London. It went fast, too fast.

Some tips for England Travel
1. Avoid Heathrow - Try Gatwick instead
2. Always buy your train tickets before 6PM the day before
3. Tipping is not common, but I still did it.
4. Avoid the fast-food restaurants, too expensive. Try the all-night take-aways instead. Personally, I rent an apartment/flat with a kitchen and stock up at Sainsbury's or Tesco. Eating out gets to be a bore after a few days.
5. Edinburgh - The George Hotel - Outstanding
6. Newcastle - The Royal Station - Victorian decay but close to everything
7. Birmingham - The Home Serviced Apartments on Granville - Outstanding, even amazing
8. London - The Chelsea Cloisters - Quiet, clean and comfortable in Kensington.
9. Avoid Heathrow, I can't say it enough and avoid British Airways, too.
10. London - Harrods is a must. I felt like I was five years old.
11. London - Portobello Road is the place for gifts.
12. London - Walk everywhere.
13. Fall, Winter, Spring, everyone wears a scarf. Get a long one and don't tie it, loop it.
14. Visit Stratford-on-Avon and see Shakspeare's grave.
15. Watch footy (football) especially Manchester United.
16. F--K is a common adjective, adverb, verb, and other colorful parts of speech.