Customer Reviews

Training from the Heart

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This is one of the few books that I have read on the subject in the last several years that I not only kept in my library, but continue to read and recommend to others. The information covered is broad enough to be relevant to just about anyone in the training field, whether you train internal staff or are a trainer/speaker in the outside world. Getting 2 authors' experiences and perspectives is an added bonus. This book is an easy read that you will probably find yourself going back to again and again, which is rare to find in our information overload society!

Sometimes a book just speaks to you...gives you that spark that develops into an insight, provides the nudge that moves you to action. Training From the Heart is one of those books. A must for those new to the field, and a thoughtful "coach" for those of us seasoned in the profession, the book is a combination of "how to's" and "how do you presently do?" As an independent OD consultant, I found particular value in the chapter addressing gaining intimacy with the client...something one tends to forget in the faster faster world of today's business. The chapter on creating a service motto motivated me to reflect on my own purpose for being in the business. I came away from the book with valuable ideas and new personal insights.

I have been a trainer over 15 years and a trainer of trainers for over 10. There are many courses to deliver skills, there are a number of books to catalog "tools and techniques," but Lyerly and Maxey have invited you into their living room for an interview with them! Training from the Heart captures the work and the spirit of of the profession then provides great tools to challenge the reader to apply the material in their own work. Many trainers I meet want to be more heartfelt in their facilitation but too often slip back into traditional lecture, "I'm the teacher" modes. This work more than any other I know will resonate with the sincere trainer, then powerfully show them how to lead learners and yet still join the participants as a partner.

I highly recommend this work to trainers in any field and especially to those who train other trainers.

This is a "Must Read" book for all trainers - both beginners and experts. You get drawn into the book through the insights about learning partnerships and by discovering your readiness for training from the heart. Then in each Chapter, the authors share personal experiences that help you learn along with them.

After reading the book, you will discover that it is like a "spacious meadow" that you can turn to for inspiration when you need it. I keep returning to the Chapter on "Creating a Service Motto". Maybe you will want to return to the Chapter "Become Intimate with the Client".

I found the book to be very helpful in managing my attitude toward training in a non-supportive environment. I have taken the time to create a motto that has taken me places and opened the doors for new discovery. I was pleased to find that meeting Cyndi and Barry in person at a CCASTD meeting was just as enlightening as the reading. Thanks to you both for opening my eyes a little wider and taking the chance to grow.

You would expect by the title that this would be described as both warm and thoughtful, but the bonus for this 160 page book is that it is also highly pragmatic and useful. Barry and Cyndi's approach is rooted in research and experience but much of the wealth comes from their myriad of anecdotes that supplement each and every topic. As trainers, we know that participants learn from our stories and tales, this is evidentally true for the written word as well. The authors share their years of experience with us but without the usual "ivory tower" approach that many authors take. A few weeks ago I read Barry and Cyndi's words about generative learning and used the concept in a recent train-the-trainer. The true worth of a book comes from its application in the real world: this book's worth far exceeds whatever its cost.

Having worked with(and admired) both Cyndi and Barry, I was delighted to see how well this wonderful book brought me back to the learnings I had gleaned from watching and listening to these master trainers. The real value of this book is that the tools for self-development and skill improvement are here along with a generous dose of the passion that comes from making a commitment to learners and following through. Master level training not just about knowing your subject, it is understanding how to help your audience grasp their own learning from the experiences, content sharing and practice opportunities they begin in your classroom. Read and enjoy, then use it.

After being a trainer for over ten years I assumed that the content would be things I already know. However, this team has done an outstanding job of helping me look at my work as a trainer in a different way. Especially helpful to me was chapter 7 on listening. No matter where you are at in your career as a trainer, new or expereinced, this book should be added to your resource library.