Bob Morton from LDC talks about Client Centred Learning

The legendary driving instructor that is Bob Morton from LDC and Client-Centred Learning talks us through how CCL really helps ADIs get decrease stress and anxiety and how to prepare your business for the future.

Bob, why don't you get started by telling us a bit about yourself and your background and how you ended up on this journey?

Okay, well Good Morning Michael and thank you for having me! I'm Bob Morton from the Northeast of England and when I became a driving instructor, I went on a training license back end of 1988 and qualified 1989 in the days before mobile phones.

I joined LDC two years later, as an instructor then became team leader and then trainer, then trainer of trainers and eventually had a department and then got involved in other areas of the business. Eventually, i came to becoming Director of Training a little while ago.

I'm retiring this year as I'm 65 in August and handing over to the very capable people.

Client-Centered Learning is is my company that's run all the way through all of that but I've I'm starting to ramp up my my efforts because i'm not gonna retire retire!

I'll be doing a lot of work under the client-centered learning brand which as it happens is now the modern thing isn't it?! Client-Centered Learning without I've had clients that are learning for years and years and years I've always believed in this kind of training if you like empowering people.

It's about driver behavior, that we're trying to influence and if we get people to come up with their own version of what they should do through a process of helping them examine what's good and what any disadvantages about the plan i think contributes towards it we have no hard and fast facts.

I'm convinced that people who come through my hands with this process become better drivers better trainers better trainers of trainers and it's this empowerment end of things and it excites me because i see it having an impact outside of the environment. If they become empowered in this environment some of that transfers to the rest of my life.

I've watched your talking at the Driving Instructor Show Live and one of your pieces of advice that you gave during that was instructors should be asking questions that they don't know the answers to. I just love that that.

Yes. It allows for a process that opens people up and what I get people to do when they look at the coaching courses I'll say them I want you to choose a friend that you disagree with on Brexit and I want you to start a conversation when they say something instead of going: "You're an idiot! You're a racist! You're a bigot! You're a fool!"

Instead of that, just go "well that's interesting what makes you say that?

What books have helped you develop this mindset and what books would you recommend?

The go-to one for me now and the first time i read it i was like "what that makes no sense" is Timothy Gallwey's The Inner Game of Tennis. When I first read it i thought what the hell's he on about.

Just working out your subconscious is incredible it's like a super computer the answer to everything lies in there. When I first read it I didn't quite get it, every time I go back to it now I get something else from it.

One of the other books that i did was A Way of Being - there's some genius stuff in there.

What would be your three top tips on how to get started with Client-Centred Learning?

One - keep it simple and be prepared.

Two - forgive yourself coming for the inevitable mistakes that you're gonna make.

Three - and probably most importantly, keep a reflective log and learn from the process.

The Part 3 is really stressful time for PDIs, and it creates a lot of anxiety. What are the biggest mistakes you see in in people going in?

I think if we look at the Part 3 not as a test of your instructional ability, but it's a test of how you differentiate yourself from school of mom and dad - are you worthy of being paid for what you've just done. If you're put a plan together, and adapt and change that plan when needed. It works because it's so simple and being flexible.

In my role as Director of Training, I know that if we focus on that process it gets a success, it's easy, it's not hard - don't make it too complicated.

What I've always felt is if you're an LDC driving instructor they stay longer with them. Why is that?

Franchising is something that's in the news at the moment, it's all over social media. As with every story, there's two sides, If you're brand spanking new and you've got no idea about marketing or how to run a driving school business, then franchises the likes of AA and BSM are fantastic.

In 1991, when we first started, we used those models but we realized we were turning over a lot of instructors so we knew we didn't want that to happen.

We realized that we're going to have to make people want to stay, so we started talking to people that they left and said "well what have you got now you didn't have before?" And they wanted their own name on the car, they wanted their own telephone number, what they choose what kind of car, they have they wanted to control their own diary.

This is a big ask so we worked about building just that.

I mean I've been with LDC for 30 years and we have people that have been there here 20 or 25 years. It's because we see it as you know you don't work for us, we work for you. People do feel a connection to us so you know.

Is there enough awareness about CPD and industry?

I think there's enough awareness there's not enough motivation to do it. People don't need to. We need to just be better, and improve ourselves.

I speak to people about going on holiday and ask what their dream holiday is. Swim off the reefs in indonesia, they want to visit visit family in Australia or New Zealand or Canada. How much does that cost? About £2,000. So I can get you that being helping you offer more and increasing your lesson payment.

We're in march 2021 what's your biggest piece of advice for ADIs and PDIs?

I think that probably separate those...

For PDIs, stop worrying. It's not going to be as bad as you think. Focus on things you can control and stop worrying about the things you can't. Take care of your mental health.

For ADIs, plan for a different future. Do you want your dream holiday? How many weeks holiday would you like? start looking at your working processes . Start thinking about is there some meaningful CPD you could do to add extra value.

What's your course called?

It's ClientCenteredLearning.com. I'm doing stuff on coaching coaching 101. I've got standards check stuff on there, anxiety and stress which is a big thing. Mental preparation for these tests is key. I do stuff on coaching on cognitive anxiety and stress on standards check - that kind of stuff. The subscription service covers all of it.

And that includes time with yourself is that right?

Yeah yeah I run the zoom sessions on a Friday.

If you if you pay £19.99 you get yourself on a zoom call every friday?

Yeah, now at the minute i'm just doing doing the one where everybody comes together and you'll find it really useful mixing ADIs and PDIs. They all coach and help one another.

Michael: Thank you very much Bob that was great.

Thank you for your time! Speak soon!