Why Train?
Simple really: training improves skills, techniques, knowledge and attitude whatever an individual's role within an organisation. Ongoing staff training and development is crucial if you want to improve business performance and meet your targets.
Without a well-trained, skilled team your business won't grow and prosper. But there are a number of initiatives to ensure your staff have the right knowledge and experience required.
When a company develops a learning culture, staff feel motivated to participate in it, resulting in an improvement in individual and collective performance. Morale will be raised, problems solved, efficiency improved and goals attained all because of the practical ability, confidence and motivation that effective training builds.
There is, however, a bewildering array of training events and self-taught training materials. Some of these events and materials may be inappropriate as they do not fulfil the skill and information needs of your staff. Some courses may be legally inaccurate, as they do not contain up-to date information on important relevant educational legislation of which staff need to be aware.
Ensuring that staff develop as educators, team members and individuals increases their sense of worth within your organisation, reducing staff turnover rates. Providing appropriate and ongoing training assists in maintaining the high quality of their work and output.
Psychological Training
Have you ever wondered what makes top performers excel time after time? The answer is they are not only highly competent; they are also psychologically fit.
These people have learnt to become - and stay – focused, resilient, confident and committed. This means they have that extra drive to perform in today’s highly demanding world of work. Psychological fitness, like physical fitness, can be learnt. It sits at the heart of a suite of programmes, each of which provides practical and sustainable tools to develop and enhance psychological fitness.
Together with complementary skills and knowledge, they provide the drivers for action in a wide range of contexts. In association with the Human Dimension, Phoenix are able to provide all your staff with the practical tools to perform at a higher level by enhancing their psychological fitness. Its application is extremely varied but recent workshops have been centred around Leadership, Change Management, Team Development, Tackling Absenteeism and Stress.
02 Dec 2008
(0)Everything You Need to Know About Snowboarding
Snowboarding is not for those who have a faint heart. This is an extreme sport and a very risky one that needs proper training and precaution.
Before attempting to engage yourself in snowboarding, do some research first. Try to assess, if this sport is really intended for you. Can you be a snowboarder who slides on steep mountain slopes or would you rather stay at home and watch others do it for you? The bottom line is you have to be fit and not just healthy to be in this sport. It would help if you consult your health provider first to know whether you are ready for this feat.
After doing some assessment, you still can't just hop on your snowboard right away. Engaging in snowboarding also requires having the right gadgets and proper apparel not only to look sheik on ice but also to ensure your safety. Once you have all you need. you may now begin taking lessons. At least, this time you get to do actual snowboarding even under the eye of a pro.
As a beginner, you first need to undergo a series of lessons before heading to the mountains. Usually, the first things you need to master are about basic safety, proper stretching, injury prevention, and maybe rules and policies of the resort. To learn the basic skills you need to master, you can take private lessons with an instructor but it will be more expensive. A better alternative is to learn with a group. Aside from it's practical, you can also interact from other snowboarders and also learn from them too.
As you advance your skills, you need to immerse yourself more in the sport. You have to learn new skills and continuously practice what you have already acquired especially if you are planning to compete in a tournament. Through time you will also need better and more challenging courses so that you'll learn how to adjust to a variety of settings while performing at the top of your game. Learning how to adapt to any weather condition and knowing what strategy to employ to such will also help you to be more competitive and unaffected by things beyond your control.
But practicing on the snow with your board is not the only way to make yourself more adept in snowboarding. You may also learn about snowboarding from Transworld Snowboarding magazine. By doing this, you don't need to wear your thermal gears or leave the comfort of your home. Subscribing to this will surely qualify you as a true-blooded snowboarder.
Transworld Snowboarding was a significant catalyst for the recognition of snowboarding as a sport. When snowboarding was still a young sport and skiing dominated the snow, many resorts were initially closed to snowboarders. To counteract this, Transworld Snowboarding hyped the sport by popularizing t-shirts called "Answers," which contains answers to numerous inquiries of curious skiers. Eventually, snowboarding was recognized as an official sport. In 1985, the first World Cup was organized for snowboarding. Then, in 1995, the International Snowboarding Association was founded.
This magazine owned by Time Warner, showcases everything you need to know about snowboarding and snowboarding culture. Whether you are interested about the latest gadgets or has news about your favorite snowboarder, Transworld Snowboarding has it. If you are interested to learn about events or to read just about any article on snowboarding, you'll find it here. It also contains tricks and features great resorts that snowboarding enthusiasts will love to consider as part of his itinerary.
02 Dec 2008
Electric Radio Controlled Cars – The Recommended Choice For The Newcomer
One of the first decisions for the newcomer to the world of radio controlled cars is whether to buy an electrically powered or a nitro powered car.
As a general rule, electric radio controlled cars and trucks are the best choice for the beginner since they tend to be simpler, quieter, cleaner and easier to operate. The trade-off for this simplicity and ease of operation comes in the form of cars that do not have the realism and the power brought to radio controlled cars by nitro engines, but it is undoubtedly a wise decision to cut your teeth with an electric model before tackling the complexities of nitro power.
Electric radio controlled cars use battery packs to power both the motor and steering and these are normally recharged using either a 12-volt car battery or a mains powered charging unit. Batteries run for between 5 and 10 minutes, depending on the type of engine in the car, and re-charging usually takes between 15 and 30 minutes. Because of this, it is highly recommended that you buy at least two, if not three, battery packs to allow for more or less continuous running.
At first glance, electric radio controlled cars can appear to be much less expensive, but the cost of such things as additional battery packs, a battery charger and other accessories, will often bring the final cost of an electric car close to that of a nitro powered car. Naturally, the long-term cost also depends on the model of car that you purchase and the type and quality of battery pack that it requires, as well as how often you run the car.
The main difference between electric and nitro powered radio controlled cars is seen when it comes to maintenance. Though the cost of battery packs can be high, their care and maintenance is relatively easy when compared to the work involved with changing air filters, tuning, fueling and attending to a variety of engine parts on a nitro powered car.
As mentioned earlier, electric radio controlled cars are not as powerful as their nitro powered cousins but, nonetheless, modern electric cars are still more than capable of holding their own on the racing circuit. Perhaps more importantly however for the beginner, they provide a quick and easy answer to getting up and running and to learning the ins and outs of model car racing, without the steep learning curve, and often frequent frustration for the newcomer, provided by the complex modern nitro engine.
Many beginners are tempted into buying a nitro powered car because, in addition to simply running and racing the car, they also want to build their own car and mistakenly believe that this is only possible if they purchase a nitro powered vehicle. This is not the case.
Both nitro and electric powered cars come in kit form with complete instructions so that you can build your car from scratch. Admittedly, electric car kits are less complex and an electric car is easier to build, but this is still not an easy undertaking for the beginner and is certainly a challenge.
At the end of the day the choice is of course yours but, as with many other hobbies, if you rush in and try and achieve too much too quickly you often meet a host of obstacles and frustration and end up walking away feeling that it was perhaps not all it was cracked up to be. Radio controlled car racing is an exciting and rewarding hobby, but it will take time to master, so choose the simple route in and enjoy the speed and fun of racing your electric car before moving on to the added thrill and excitement that comes from nitro power.
02 Dec 2008
Electric Scooters: Love At First Spin
Gasoline prices skyrocketing? No need to worry – with a motor or electric scooter one gallon of gas will last for weeks.
As people start driving electric scooters, they find more and more reasons to like them. They’re practical, easy to park and get great gas mileage. With gasoline price raising day by day, the popularity of playful, fuel-efficient electric scooters has soared. According to industry experts, last years sales have doubled compared to a year ago, and only in 2005 more than 300,000 electric scooters were sold.
The hard-core scooter enthusiast enjoys the feel of scooting which many people compare to skating on land. For those who live downtown, scooters make the everyday commute fun and easy, and most models are compact enough to be taken onto public transport and then stored under a desk for the rest of the working day – and you can recharge the battery. Electric and motor scooters allow you to save money on gas – even Vespa, the grand dame of scooters, easily sips one gallon of gas during 50 miles of city ride.
Some people turn to scooters after losing their driving privileges; some find the scooter more romantic than bike and enjoy so-called scooter dates. Many people in the Far East switched to electric scooters for the fear of SARS, and this summer many scooter enthusiasts proudly looked up at their fellow city dwellers, as they were suffocating in jammed streetcars and buses.
No matter why people choose motor and electric scooters today, the thriving sales have resulted in many new models with exiting features and design.
One of the most popular scooter models is the eGO-2 Cycle, which combines the best features of a bike and an electric scooter. eGO can be used as a bicycle but has all the equipment of a scooter, including headlights, turn signals, brakes and throttle. With aluminum silver-plated chassis, this work of art can easily make up to 25mph climbing hill – and weighing less than 120 lbs! The eGO retails for around $1400 depending on a retailer.
Another two-wheeled whiz kid on the block is a Xootr, a cross between a skateboard and an electric scooter. Although Xootr can take you around at the speed of 10 km it has neither suspension nor real brakes but with its extremely light-weight, these disadvantages are easy to live with. And when the batteries run low, you can still propel it with kicking.
Speaking of scooters, it’s impossible to miss out the famous Vespa. These two-wheeled wonders of Italian design have enchanted Europeans since the end of 1940s, when designers Corradino D'Ascanio and Enrico Piaggio created an affordable two-wheeled vehicle for the masses. And Hollywood loves Vespa too, putting Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday and Nicole Kidman in The Interpreter on equally stylish Vespas.
Indeed, women comprise more than 60 per cent of all scooter owners. And with affordable prices – most scooters range from $800 to a $1000, while bigger and faster scooters can cost as much as $10,000 – scooters have quickly carved out their niche on today’s city road.
02 Dec 2008
Electric Scooters for the Physically Disabled
A scooter is one cool and chic motorcycle to ride on…for normal people, that is. I mean, it won’t do for physically impaired individuals, would it? But the imagination and creativity of the modern man had paved way for a scooter that handicaps can enjoy in far distance travels. Yes, handicaps can actually ‘drive’ a scooter-like vehicle, which is referred to as a electric scooter.
A electric scooter is also known as an electric scooter or a power-operated scooter vehicle. It is really not a scary thing to ride on but is in fact something that is very easy to use.
All electric scooters work in the same way. However, some have three wheels while others have four, depending on the model and type. They may also vary in the size, as well as the speed limit of this special scooter for the disabled.
Mobility electric scooters with three wheels are perfect for indoor use, like in a mall or at home because their turning circles are relatively smaller than those of the four wheel scooter types.
Electric scooters generally make use of rechargeable batteries that allow them to travel 30 miles, or more. Some smaller scooters can only travel a range of 10 to 15 miles. However, batteries can be upgraded or extra batteries may be added for a better or farther travel.
These scooters usually need a key to function and move. However, they may be put in freewheel mode, allowing them to be stirred even without the use of keys. With this function, electric scooters can be stored and transported easily even when batteries are being charged.
An adjustable tiller is typically used to steer the scooter. The latter is driven with a lever pushed (forward motion) or pulled (reverse) with the fingers or the thumb. The scooter’s speed depends on how much pressure is placed on the lever. An emergency brake, like that of a bicycle, is available in some types of electric scooters for extra security and safety.
Some electric scooters can be lawfully used on the roads. Such scooters are larger and rugged and must come with indicators and full lights. Oftentimes, deluxe electric scooters are used as a replacement for the car. The seats are usually removable and adjustable. And because the seats are also much larger, they are also more supportive and comfortable than the seats of smaller electric scooters. Oftentimes, they also feature headrests just like typical car seats.
Smaller scooters are expectedly less luxurious compared to larger ones. They oftentimes do not possess some features of more deluxe scooters, such as adjustable seats and pneumatic tires. Also, as the sizes of these scooters are smaller, it is expected that they can only travel smaller ranges of distance and can carry lesser weight. However they can be dismantled easily and readily transported inside the boot of a car.
Electric scooters do not just aid in regaining one’s lost independence, but they also enable any physically disabled individuals a comfortable and satisfying journey beyond their own backyards.
02 Dec 2008
Elements of the Game - Learning the Basics
Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world; this has been a staple sport in America where the best of the best battle it out in the NBA (national basketball association). The elements of the game have varied from the origin but haven't changed til modern times.
In the rules of the game or rather elements of the game, there are limits in time, these constraints often change during tournaments but the international and NBA rules are the most widely used. The most basic elements of the game is outscoring opponents by shooting the ball through the opposing court while constantly preventing the oppositions actions' from doing so. Attempting to score a basket is called a shot. A normal shot is worth 2 points, and a 3 point score for a successful shot outside the three-point arc alongside the shooting court.
The basic rules according to NBA standards is that there are only 4 quarters (10 internationally) which spans 12 minutes. There is a 15 minute halftime break and 2 minutes for all other breaks. There are five players on each team and seven substitutes along with a coach. Substitution is allowed only during breaks.
With the uniforms on a usual basketball match, players wear jerseys with visible numbers imprinted on them, and a logo of the team. The game is officially controlled by a referee, and other tables' officials such as statistics, timekeeping and other things on a match.
The game is played with a ball, a court and a basket at opposite ends, the violations of the game are strict, you must not stop dribbling the ball while running, and also the ball must stay in the court, there are limits of time remaining to shoot the ball inside the basket and other rules such as fouls, they are usually an attempt for an unfair disadvantage of the opponents using force and other violations.
There are also positions of players on the elements of a basketball game, namely; point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and the center player. They are likely to be flexible and can be maximized with the help of the coach to promote strategies and power plays.
These are the usual elements of the game. One of the most popular people that played basketball is Michael Jordan; one of the greatest basketball players of all time. As with the sport being one of the best ways to exercise, the sport seems to have been favored also as one of the best sports of all time.
02 Dec 2008
Elevator Shoes- How to increase height and grow taller with elevator shoes
Every man has a desire to look taller, which is surely a positive characteristic to highlight one's personality. A man of short height has to meet so much of hardships, either they go to a gym or undergo medical treatments in order to increase few inches in their height. But the shoe industry has brought an end to such worries. They have produced height increasing footwear which will make any man look taller instantly. Also, this will add upto your confidence.
The internal making of these elevator shoes is such that after wearing them, the height of a man can increase from 2 to 4 inches. The built of the height increasing footwear is very inimitable. In the internal built of the shoe, a light cork is used that is responsible for an increase in the height. The height increaser hidden inside the shoe does not give any unusual look. It has been so shaped and placed inside the shoe that the outside look is similar to any normal platform shoes.
These shoes are made keeping in mind the quality, style and the most important comfort. Light weight is also one of the best key features of the elevator shoes. With this feature, you don't have to compromise on the comfort issue. Another unique aspect is that it helps in maintaining a good posture. Also, these shoes are made out of finest leathers and meet the high standards, so you don’t have to worry about the quality issue.
These exclusive shoes come in an assortment of forms and sizes. So, there is a vast collection of the elevator shoes for you to choose. The range includes shoes for sport events and work place to casual wear and formal occasions. The elevator sport shoes are so comfortable that you will not only enjoy looking taller in height but also you will enjoy the sport more actively. And if you are going to a special party wearing the elevator shoes, you will indubitably be surrounded by the company of gals. These shoes not only make you taller but also enhance your appearance and make you more attractive.
Now, the guys with shorter height don't have to envy the taller men till the time they are wearing these elevator shoes. So, go and try out these distinctive height increasing shoes. The increased height will not only build confidence in you but also will surely give an affirmative feeling of a well being.
02 Dec 2008
England’s Chances in the World Cup
It has been 40 years since England last lifted the World Cup in our one and only triumph. The team of that day contriving the Charlton brothers, Jeff Hurst, Alan Ball, Bobby Moore and the rest of the lads has been immortalized in history, with the achievement held close to the hearts of football fans across the country.
That victory against West Germany though has stood as a high point in a mostly underachieving half-century. Italia ’90 saw us progress right through to the semis only to be knocked out on penalties, penalties again saw us defeated on home soil in Euro ’96. The World Cups of 1998 and 2002 have seen us progress well but meeting unfortunate fates in the final stages.
This World Cup however has entailed fresh hope and optimism not seen for half a century. With many of our players matching and in some cases outperforming many of the foreign stars in our league, and their achievements being recognized by the likes of EUFA in their award ceremonies, the optimism this time round has a sense of basis in our having a genuine chance or success.
This optimism has been carrying right through this season unhinded until the tragic Wayne Rooney injury on the last day of the season. Waybe who would see his inclusion in any other national team in the world and seen to be the player who can make our World Cup dreams possible with his attacking power was tragically diagnosed with a broken Metatarsal. With 6 weeks put on his recovery time and just 6 weeks to the beginning of the World Cup, the optimism seen previously was replaced with disappointment.
In the few weeks since though the reports coming from Rooney and his medical staff seem to be good, and he well now might play a role in the latter stages of the competition. If though this isn’t to materialize then the magnificent attacking displays of Gerard this season could see him being given an advanced role in Rooney’s position, where-by in doing so the thinking is we will not lose any of the cutting edge we need to progress all the way.
Whether Rooney makes it to Germany or not we still have one of the best squads in the world and our chances are just as much as a number of other teams. Whether without him we will have the X factor needed to reign supreme over such teams as Brazil, Argentina, Germany or France, is yet to be seen.
Whatever happens on the injury front though I will certainly still be hanging my England flag out the window with a sense of optimism that this could be the year.
02 Dec 2008
England’s World Cup Dream Over
Once again England’s remarkable inability from spot kicks has cost them a place in the semi-finals of the World Cup.
The 3-1 shoot out defeat to Portugal was a repeat of the European Championship exit two years earlier when the Portuguese where on home soil.
Owen Hargreaves was the only Englishman to convert his penalty as the England curse continued.
England have now lost six of the seven penalty shootouts they have been involved in.
Contrast this to Germany, who since defeat to Czechoslovakia in the 1976 European Championships have won every shootout they have been involved in.
That record becomes even more incredible when you consider they have also scored every individual penalty within the shootout.
But England’s demise could have been avoided had Sven-Goran Eriksson employed better use of the players at his disposal.
His decision to stick with David Beckham when the England captain is clearly past his best has caused frustration for many fans.
This was compounded by the performance of Aaron Lennon when he finally got his chance in place of Beckham during the second half of the quarterfinal.
His pace and dribbling caused panic in the Portuguese defence, something Beckham rarely achieved, and fans can only wonder how England would have faired had he been used earlier.
England’s chances were further inhibited when their one genuine world class star Wayne Rooney was played out of his best position and employed as a lone front man.
Rooney is at his devastating best playing behind a main striker and running at defences from thirty yards out.
England’s tactics of hitting him with long balls was a complete waste of his talents and a let off for the Portuguese defence.
But with Eriksson now departed, the reigns of the England manager’s job are passed on to Steve McClaren, Eriksson’s assistant for the past five years.
Fans can only hope McClaren introduces a new attacking brand of football to excite the supporters and break with more defensive instincts of Eriksson.
We await with baited breath.
02 Dec 2008
England’s World Cup Foundation For Failure
I suspect few tears were shed as head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson left his post with the England football team.
Well, except maybe for big Phil Scholari who had just masterminded his third successive tournament victory against the laid-back Swede.
Eriksson has had his critics during his five-year reign with England, time and again engineering some baffling decisions to confuse not only the fans but also the players themselves.
England’s latest failure can be traced back to the day Eriksson first announced his World Cup squad to a bewildered nation.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but even back then eyebrows were being raised at the choice of only four strikers for our assault on world glory.
The incredulity was compounded by the fact two of the strikers (Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen) were returning from injury and not yet match fit.
Having told Chelsea’s Shaun Wright-Phillips he wasn’t in the squad due to his limited number of Premiership appearances, Sven then incredibly proceeded to pick Arsenal’s Theo Walcott, a player of such inexperience he hadn’t made a single first team appearance for the Gunners.
Fourth and final choice was Peter Crouch, a player of such prolific goal scoring ability it was nearly Christmas before he broke his season’s duck for Liverpool.
Following Michael Owen’s injury and subsequent World Cup exit, Eriksson decided England’s best offensive option was to play Wayne Rooney as a lone striker.
As our one genuine world class footballer, Rooney was wasted in a role that expected him to run around like a lunatic chasing long balls all game in the heat and humidity.
A lack of support inevitably led to Rooney’s frustration, concluding with his red card and England’s exit.
Rooney is at his frightening best playing off a front man and running at defences with the ball. England supporters can only hope and pray that new boss Steve McClaren appreciates this and plays to our strengths.
02 Dec 2008