Martin Miles

Retail Operations and Management Institute. Training Manager and then Senior Manager J Sainsbury, Ops Director Holland and Barrett. Coach with Institute for Independent Business

What has been your most rewarding training experience?

Being the trainer/coach to a competent and quietly effective junior manager and seeing her move up to Director Level.

Any bizarre or amusing training stories?

Stress management—a puncture left 4 stranded people waiting for the 5th with the spare wheel!! They had already abandoned him as too slow to keep up.

What made you want to become a trainer?

Found myself there because of someone’s sickness. They never came back!!

What would you be if not a trainer?

Sports coach or physiotherapist

Which four words describe your training style?

Fun, sharing, challenging, experiential

Feedback you’d most like to get from a delegate following your course?

‘trainer really made me think’ ‘I can do something differently now’ ‘we need more like this’

Feedback you’d probably get from delegates following one of your courses?

‘that was really thought  provoking’

Any words of advice for a delegate about to go on one of your courses?

“I’ll do my best to implement” will not get my support.
Tell me “why” you want to succeed at this?

What’s the most fun you’ve ever had while on a training course?

Team building for a Sales Team where you could ‘feel’ the testosterone—that was the women!

What’s the most important ingredient in order for a course to be successful?

Total buy-in to the event on behalf of trainer and delegate