My Letter Regarding an 8-Hour Seminar ... Is it OK?

[Moose]

K, I spent 8 hours in a seminar today. I had to write this to their Corporate Office:

I was delighted with the seminar and I did gain some insight on how to manage my time better. I am however disappointed in #1. "Certificate of Attendance". And, #2. The overhead transparencies. I suppose they were productive, however, it says something about your seminars using, "old" technology. The "Certificate of Attendance", that was given to me was available to everyone halfway through the seminar, and left out in abundance on the table just outside the door. If that wasn't enough, they are in no way personalized, and could be duplicated easily. For the amount of money I personally spent on this seminar, I have to say that all in all, the effort to produce a professional, (authentic), certificate wouldn't be so much to ask. I probably would be able to justify spending more available funds to attend future seminars, however, as generic, (even though the name "___________ Seminars", as your "Certificate of Attendance" are).....I do not see myself attending another one of your seminars.

What do ya all think?

[moimeme]

I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill.

[Craig]

I think you could have easily written the following:

 

I was delighted with the seminar and I did gain some insight on how to manage my time better. I am equally pleased in #1. "Certificate of Attendance". And, #2. Rather than using newer technology the use of overhead transparencies worked well and were obviously easy to setup. They were productive and it says something about your seminars using so-called "old" technology to save time and money. Good for you for not following the crowd! The "Certificate of Attendance", that was given to me was available to everyone halfway through the seminar, and left out in abundance on the table just outside the door. What a stroke of brilliance to make them freely available and in non personalized format. We all know how easy it is to make a fake certificate and providing these kinds of certificates in a time management seminar is a clever way of leading by example. Some people, I am sure, are easily influenced by over produced seminars utilizing so-called modern technology to "wow" their customers...I go to seminars like yours to learn as quickly and efficiently as possible and not for a piece of paper with my name on it to hang above my desk. I see myself attending more of your seminars in the future.

[Rosalind]

Originally posted by Craig

I go to seminars like yours to learn as quickly and efficiently as possible and not for a piece of paper with my name on it to hang above my desk. I see myself attending more of your seminars in the future.

 

okay...some obvious game playing here.

 

Craig seems to think that a letter dripping with sarcasm would be more effective.

 

Whereas I think your letter is really good, Moose........just one thing I would change : the last sentence - instead of "I do not see myself attending another one of your seminars.".....I would say : "Give me one reason why I should attend another one of your seminars?"

[moimeme]

I don't believe Craig was seriously suggesting his 'letter' be written.

[soccorsilly]

Originally posted by moimeme

I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill.

 

You're wrong Moi. I think you are right Moose. No matter what it is as a business owner, you should be proud of your achievements and the fact that someone can achieve that same greatness simply by passing the table and picking up a xerox of the certificate sucks!

 

As for the new technology, I also agree, especially in a tmie efficiency seminar--I mean a PPT presentation can be customised in a minute and to redo overheads.

 

Did they hand out mimeographs and were you able to smell them just after they were done running?

 

Oh oh FLASHBACK--what a great smell that was--I want grade school again

[alphamale]

writing lame letters is not a good way to manage your time

[moimeme]

someone can achieve that same greatness

 

 

It's just a hunk of paper. Any schmoe with a graphics program and a printer can make up a whackload of 'certificates' for himself if he desires. It's possible the company thinks this old-fashioned attachment to certificates is kinda bogus these days. I've got a sheaf of the things stuffed in a folder someplace. I'm not about to frame them or anything because most of us know they're just a cutesy little token that you took the course.

I really think kicking up a stink about whether or not a certificate was made all special or not is bogus. Soccor, would you be at all impressed if you got this letter?

 

Is it a big company or a small operation? Did they use the overhead on purpose or did they have a last-minute equipment failure and had to go to overheads?

 

Surely you had a course evaluation to fill out?

 

I just don't think that letter will do much other than paint you as a nitpicker. You admit you learned stuff - and that, after all, is the point of going to a course, not being dazzled by high-tech shenanigans or getting a real purty hunk of paper to stick in your desk.

[soccorsilly]

Soccor, would you be at all impressed if you got this letter?

 

I might not be impressed, but as an executive or owner of this company, I sure as hell would want to know what impression I am putting out there.

 

Yes there was an evaluation, and I suspect they are glanced over. But the fact that someone took the time to write a letter does indeed impress me a bit more.

 

That is not to say I am going to change my methods of operations because Moose says so, but it gives me an idea as to how I am perceived.

 

Moose, stick to your guns.

[alphamale]

Originally posted by moimeme

Surely you had a course evaluation to fill out?

right!...like anyone actually reads those evals

[greenhorn]

Originally posted by alphamale

right!...like anyone actually reads those evals

 

 

Those who conduct the course they read them, last month I conducted one 8 hour workshop and at the end of it before the feedback form was sent to HR deptt, I read them for knowing how my session was received by them.

 

Of course there was no certificate involved as it was internal training, and next day when I went to conduct the same session in a different city of the same country I had modified the workshop to take care of the feedback recieved a day before.

 

So, according to my view people do read the feedbacks.

[Craig]

Of course I wasn't serious when I wrote the letter of the 2nd post. I thought the reason for not attending future seminars was silly.

 

We are talking about a time management seminar hear folks. Moose said " I was delighted with the seminar and I did gain some insight on how to manage my time better."

 

Moose's complaint is about the Certificate of Attendance and the use of Overheads.

 

For anyone that wants a Certificate of Attendance just google "certificate" and you'll get over 45,900,000 hits. You can get a magnificent and suitable for framing Certificate of Attendance or any Certificate for that matter for anything without attending the course. One company's slogan is "...and it's almost like having a license to impress on demand!" Aye carumba, as Bart Simpson would say.

 

Overhead projected presentations are cheaper and faster to produce than a powerpoint dig. projected presentation.

 

Cheaper, faster and of equal value. The most important reasons to use a digital projection system for non-animated presentations is to impress the audience and put money in MS pockets. It's the wow factor. That means that the perceived value and perceived truth of the dig. projected presentation is higher than the overhead projector presentation even though the content is the same. Producing a good powerpoint presentation isn't as easy as it looks.

 

Even NASA is reducing the use of slick powerpoint presentations. The report from the Columbia Accident Investigation Board found that NASA used powerpoint instead of ordinary pen and ink technical reports. The use of powerpoint presentations by NASA has been curbed substantially since the Columbia Accident since it was found that powerpoint presentations had a part in contributing to the accident.

 

The demands of the audience to be entertained by slick training presentations has spawned yet more jargon by the industry. Now some of these "training seminars" aren't referred to as "training" but as "entertrainment" by the people putting on the shows, er I mean training.

 

Here's an interesting link to the Gettysburg address in powerpoint...

 

http://www.norvig.com/Gettysburg/index.htm

 

Not quite as moving as the original huh?

 

So Moose was "delighted with the seminar" but then says "I do not see myself attending another one of your seminars." apparently because of the freely available certificate not being personalized and the use of "old" technology.

 

It was a time management seminar and the presenters seem to have managed their time and resources efficiently to provide value for Moose regarding time management.

[lindya]

My main concerns when I attend seminars are

 

a) Will there be wine and nibbles?

c) Will I get CPD points for attending?

 

If I want to be informed about something, I'll read a book or article on the subject. Unless there's something particularly atrocious or excellent about the seminar, I just tick "good" all the way down on the evaluation sheets. I know it's lazy, but by that stage getting to the food, wine and social bit is my priority.