Number 7 has been the most satisfying of my 'seven lives'. The best
part of being my own boss means
that I can choose which direction to go in. In practical terms, it means that I can learn what I
am most interested in, pursue
challenges as they arise; in other words I have complete freedom to enjoy my life.
When I started my own business in 1990, in common with many
entrepreneurs, it was not a success. However, I tried again and formed
Computer Performance Ltd in 1996 and have not looked back since.
A Typical Day's Training for Guy Thomas
Preparation
A typical training day starts the night before! I like to run through
my PowerPoint presentations and think about how I am going to bring each slide to
life. Even if I have trained the course many times before, I still go through
the course notes to guard against rushing an explanation, or omitting a key
point. Sometimes a new analogy or a topical story springs to mind and I
add that to the module.
Where there are practical labs, I look for improvements. If
delegates were confused by a lab last time, then I substitute a 'Guy lab'.
This is a high risk, high reward strategy, but since I am confident of the
subject matter it is worth experimenting with new ways of getting the knowledge
across to the delegates. Incidentally Windows Server 2010 courses have new
look labs which have had great review. The key point is that the delegates
are given just enough information to do the task, but no more. As a result
people have to think, which they like.
For a new course I would have begun preparation a week or even a
fortnight before, reading the trainer guides and making notes in the margin. The
hardest part is to anticipate the questions that delegates will ask.
Finally I can hear Pauline's voice saying 'have you got all the disks that
you need?'. That means check the laptop, check my CDs and check my brief case.
The Course Itself
Just before the delegates arrive I get into 'state'. I try and visualise the
delegates, their experience, background, what they want from the course.
This vision of what the delegates need becomes clearer as on each subsequent
day, that's one reason I like five day courses.
During the course my twin aims are to bring the slides alive, and provide the
delegates with plenty of hands on experience.
On the first morning I like delegates to introduce, not them selves, but their
partner, this acts an ice breaker and encourages team work.
It's a Man Thing
Pauline is brilliant at multi-tasking but I am one of those men who can only
do one thing at a time. So when I am training I am totally focused on
presenting the course, hosting the delegates and coaching the practical
tasks. I have to admit that returning phone calls, dealing with admin has
to wait until the evening.
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It usually starts with a phone call. Some-one has a computer ailment,
often they are vague about the symptoms However they set a solution
in motion by phoning a colleague, agent or friend and asking for help.
That person then phones me, so I get a second hand version of a the problem. No
worries! This is a situation I am used to. Once I contact
the owner of the predicament two things happen; firstly by judicious questioning
they are able to crystallise the problem, secondly I am able to give them some
initial advice and set them on the road to recovery.
There are few magic bullets. What I bring is network know-how and
familiarity with computer problem solving. Sometimes they just want an
independent view from an outsider with no department to defend or axe to grind.
On a good day, I have seen the problem elsewhere and know what the cure
is. On a regular day I get out my toolkit, and go through my problems
solving repertoire. On a bad day, I have to confess it's not in my expertise
and pass them on to another expert. Their good news is I work on a
no fix no fee basis.
My role is to ask the right questions, make sound deduction and build up trust
so they put my suggests into action.
One of the sad paradoxes is that large companies, who have little problem
with my modest fees, need my services less then small companies, who are
unwilling to pay even when I offer them a cut rate. Another indication of
the difference is that large companies often have too many servers, whereas
small companies sometimes only have one server - not even a backup.
My altruistic streak cries out to help small organisations, there are so many
things that I can help them with. This is tempered by my business streak
that says they are terrible payers, and occasionally they go bust and I do not
get paid at all.
The Horror of 'Keyboard Error 401'
One day I was running a training course for a Technical support outsourcing
company. At break one of the delegates was on the phone and I could not
help overhearing 'what's the fault again - 'Keyboard error 401 oh dear...', I
whispered tell 'them to plug the keyboard back in. He put his hand over the
phone and said to me,' shhh, we can get a nice little earner out of this'.
Then he said to his customer 'right we will send an engineer around this
afternoon'. Well I was horrified.
With me its often the reverse; I am forever giving free advice. For instance I tell them not to install more domains, so
they do not need to spend out on kit for backup domain controllers. I
always look for cost nothing solutions such as load balancing. For example
rather than having a domain controller do everything, move tasks to the under-worked
member server.
Writing the Report
The day does not finish with visiting the site, there is the report to
write. Its not just enough to list faults with cures, I have to
present a well argued written case. The client needs a document that can be referred
to as well as actioned. Writing a report is a separate skill, and always takes
longer than you think. A spell checker is a help but then I am indebted to
Pauline's for her hawk eyed proof reading.
This is where I served my apprenticeship as a trainer. I learnt so much
from the other trainers: dealing with delegates, technical tips and how to
develop a training persona. The best trainers are actors as much as
technical gurus. They each live the part, and have their own tricks to
engage the audience.
My training managers first words were 'you will never please all of the
people all of the time'. To me this was a challenge, I have tried to
disprove this cynicism, but alas it is true. With skill, preparation and
interest in people you can succeed 98% of the time, but there will always be
those personality clashes, that technical glitch. All the trainers I meet
dwell on those 2% of problems rather than focus on the 98% of people they help
master the software.
For eleven years I felt I was doing a lot of good teaching at Northease.
The boys at this 11-17 boarding school were all of above average intelligence,
but all had one factor that stopped them achieving at a regular school.
Most of their problems were dyslexic, but some had maladjustment traits.
My roles of science teacher, boarding master, and games supervisor enabled me
to see many sides of the boys. It was rare that a boy was good at all
three aspects of school, equally it was rare that someone was bad at all three.
People often ask why I left. The reasons are complex but basically
driven by two thoughts, one I wanted to try something else, secondly I became disillusioned
with education. One of my best pupils went for a job at BT. BT said
'what do you know about electronics?' 'Nothing they replied, it was not on
the syllabus.' Well that's no good to us they replied'. If this had
been an average pupil I may have thought no more, but he was the pick of his
year, so began to question what school in general was achieving. I still
believe that education needs a complete overhaul. In a nutshell, education
should prepare pupils for the 21st Century, rather than try and create pupils in
the image of teachers of the 19th Century.
I had a very good innings at University, and left with the idea of
teaching. I had experience of demonstrating to undergraduates and this
lead me to think that science teaching would be for me. What a shock I let myself in
for. In retrospect I should have left after the first term. But I
had the determination not to let the pupils or the system beat me. Well it
took 5 years to master teaching by which time I found it satisfying and moved on
to another school.
Three years at the cutting edge of research flew by and I wish that my
contract had been extended. 20-25 is a great idealist age. Just
enough experience to apply to the creative ideas, but at that age we all need a steadying
older hand to guide us. I still believe that the 'young Turk' and the old
professional are a great combination.
A gap year between 'A' level and University is a great idea, it is just a
shame that it was not popular in my youth. University was a wonderful time
with dazzling opportunities in the academic, social and sporting front. I thoroughly
enjoyed every minute but often wish that I could go back for a
purely academic time.
Guy made, carefree, happy, smooth progress through 'O' Level and 'A' Level.
Lived breathed and dreamt of sport when not in the classroom. This
typifies my feeling that at each stage of my life I have done the appropriate
things at the appropriate age, and that is the secret of having no regrets.
Recently I have had much pleasure in tracing old friends from Friends
reunited
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