Have I really got the best job in the world...?

...after being told by one of the delegates attending a recent Laughology FLIP event that "she loved the session and it was one of the best and most useful training days she had experienced", being a Laughology trainer really does feels like the best job in the world.

The session was for staff at a primary school in Cheshire. It was the first time the head had decided to spend time on her team, treating then to an overnight stay in a fancy hotel.  They had amazing food, spa treatments & real quality time together.

My brief was to deliver the Laughology FLIP model and make the session, fun, relaxing and informative. Speaking to the head teacher before the event gave me a feel for the type of team she had. She told me they worked very hard, were often stressed, they were very dedicated but the role wore them down at times. She wanted to give something different back, so she booked Laughology.

They were a fantastic group, really throwing themselves into the session, watching them come alive with each activity was a pleasure. They were laughing with each other, discussing how they might use the new found thinking tools in everyday working practice and getting involved with all the practical exercises.   Their discussions enabled insight into how they would use the techniques delivered in the session to help turn challenges around and look differently at what may appear to be a stressful, difficult day and find its silver lining.

It's not a joke, but you can laugh

One of the teachers thanked me afterwards, commenting on how refreshingly different the training had been, not at all what she had expected!

This is a comment I often hear as the word 'Laughology' can throw up all kinds of preconceived ideas about what to expect. With some people thinking they will need to tell jokes in the session, others believing it will be 'enforced fun'.

More often than not we can prejudge people, events and training before we have all the information to hand, we do this on a subconscious level (often referred to as unconscious bias) and can be unaware of what we are doing.  This undoubtedly impacts on the decisions wemake and can sometimes cause us to block information and miss out on things.

Laughology learning and development is a unique style of training.  We believe development is achieved best when people are enjoying what they do and feel engaged and this is our philosophy.  There is lots of science to back this up too.

Do your research and keep an open mind

Finding out the facts and doing research is the best way to judge how an event or a meeting may turn out.  There are thousands of courses out there, so do your homework. Make sure you are aware of the course outcomes and their suitability for your team, and above all keep an open mind, enjoy the experience and make sure you get something from the day.