Workshop Leaders from Hell [INFOGRAPHIC]
Posted by
Sam Davies on Thu, Aug 16, 2012 @ 04:00 AM
Excuse us for the digital marketing courses stereotypes
We’ve all been on tedious digital marketing courses that have cost an arm and a leg and wasted a day, or two, of our time. Not only do you spend the time trying to keep your eyes open as the idiot at the front who calls himself (or her, we wouldn’t want to be accused of sexism) a trainer drones on and on, you have to explain to your boss why the hundreds of pounds you convinced them to spend on it has resulted in nothing.
Here are four of the worst digital marketing course leader stereotypes we’ve come across and some handy tips to deal with them:
1. Enthusiastic Emma
Bless her, she means well and is clearly excited by the subject, but has no idea of how to teach it. She talks so fast that you have to dodge the spittle as she strides vigorously around the room, and the leaps from subject to subject could be described as quantum if you had a clue what any of them were. There are flipcharts galore, post-it notes everywhere and a forest worth of incomprehensible hand-outs. The chance of actually getting a chance to ask a question? Zilch.
Top coping tip: Take along some valium and slip it in Emma’s morning tea and things should calm down considerably.
2. Rambling Ray
The amount he can say on just one point is amazing really. I mean who knew that how he’d like the feedback form filled in at the end would be such an important element that half a morning would be dedicated to it. Digression and tangents are the name of Ray’s game so whether he knows anything about the subject he’s supposed to be teaching is anybody’s guess.
Top coping tip: pop down to your local stables and borrow some reins to attach to Ray. Then give a gentle tug whenever you need to get Ray back on the right track.
3. Slideshow Sally
Our personal favourite and the one that we all know best. Sally has several hundred slides packed full of text and quirky little images that are meant to represent the interactive element of the day. Not only has Sally fitted as much text as she possibly can onto each slide, she just stands there and reads it all to you, nodding importantly all the while.
Top coping tip: leave after the first slide and demand your money back.
4. Shanghaied Simon
He had a plan but it’s all gone a bit awry. The forceful one at the front and the joker at the back have taken over and he’s finding it very difficult to get a word in edgeways. He doesn’t like to be rude and talk over people so in the end he just leaves them to it and discreetly scratches his stress rash as he gazes out of the window and wishes the day would just end.
Top coping tip: take earplugs or you’ll go mad.
