Training a new generation of leaders means utilising a new generation of training tactics. How does the Asian Institute of Hospitality Management prepare its students with skills relevant to business today and the always-changing needs of the hotel industry?
The answer is its hospitality instructors and the progressive educational experts it employs to create a cutting-edge curriculum and a supportive learning environment. AIHM’s students enjoy an unmatched hospitality education powered by the world’s best instructors in the heart of Asia.
Our Meet the Instructor series invites you to get to know our faculty—their passions, their areas of expertise, their own career journeys, and the lives they enjoy outside the classroom. Discover more about AIHM instructor Alison Stanworth below.
Alison Stanworth, Education Expert at the Asian Institute of Hospitality Management
Once upon a time the world was a very different place. This is a story that constantly repeats itself. How does the story end? That all depends! With an instructor like Alison Stanworth, you can expect a very happy ending. Few people are so caring, so insightful and so dedicated to the lives of their students—not just as university learners but as full individuals.
As a Master Trainer within the business world, Alison knows what it takes to inspire others. In addition to teaching at AIHM, she’s the founder of Avenir Training, which is committed to facilitating organisational, team and individual growth. She’s spent three decades honing her talents in empowering others. Prior to her move into education and corporate training, she was a dedicated social worker focused on youth development. Knowing this background, her warmth and her progressive pedagogy is no surprise! She’s devoted her life to helping others develop the skills to lead better lives, to become the people they want to be and to create paths tailored to a life full of success, self-fulfillment, wellbeing and the ability to “pass it on” or inspire others.
Credit: https://avenirtraining.com/work-mastery/
In fact, she emphasises, “The highest form of learning is teaching someone else.” When a student is able to teach others what they’ve learned, it means they’ve truly understood. They can put their learning into practice.
In addition to her skills mastered as a trainer and social worker, she brings to AIHM her past experience in pastoral care and student engagement, helping create learning environments that care for students’ lives holistically, ensuring rewarding lives inside and outside of class. Beyond her teaching at AIHM, she plays a vital role in shaping the curriculum for key topics and building the scaffolding that helps students succeed.
Credit: https://avenirtraining.com/charity/
Alison teaches a variety of AIHM courses such as Academic Communications and Leading Teams to Success within the degree and certificate programmes, as well as Executive Education professional development courses such as Emotional Intelligence and Train the Trainer.
Get to know Alison Stanworth in the Q&A below.
Q&A with Alison Stanworth
Give us 4 words you would use to describe yourself.
- Learner
- Futurist
- Opportunity-minded
- Motivating
What could a visitor to your classroom expect to see?
All senses would be engaged. You would see movement, interaction, a thriving community. You would hear laughter, debate and discussion. You would feel an energy of interest, learning and collaboration. You may even smell Ylang Ylang essence, proven to be the best for the development of the brain. Most importantly you would see benefit and growth.
What are the greatest challenges facing teachers today?
One of the greatest challenges facing teachers today, and one I feel passionate about, is the need to move away from the old models of how we do our job as teachers and to find more relevant and progressive ways to prepare young people for their future, not ours.
The world is constantly changing and education must change with it. I had a wonderful education that helped me succeed early in my career. I’m grateful for that education. And I would never recreate it today! The world young people are living in now is a different place. The skills they already have, the values they hold, the tools they use in their day-to-day lives—all these things are different now!
Education is about more than just learning information. Students can find info on their own today…quickly. Probably more quickly than I can. My goal is to help learners reflect on this information, evaluate it critically and apply it to benefit their lives or to benefit society and the world we live in.
The real value in education is in how it changes our behaviour. For example, when I teach communication for the hospitality industry, my goal for students isn’t simply to have them gain knowledge. I’m helping students to create a positive change within themselves. We reflect on information, ideas and questions so students can grow and be their best selves, so the ways they speak with customers align with their values, so they move through their careers and lives with confidence and purpose, so that the success comes naturally. Communication isn’t about what you know; it’s more about what you do with what you know, how you share it, how you use it to assist and inspire others.
You have one afternoon free in Bangkok. What do you do?
There would be a mixture of the following in any order: meeting friends, laughing, talking, learning and inspiring each other; eating, massage and pampering—relaxation and calm in the beauty of the city; something cultural; maybe a rooftop for the view. Bangkok is a wonderful city to live and work within.
What is your dream vacation?
For me, a dream vacation wouldn’t be one note. It would be a symphony—a beautiful collection of different notes, a variety of moments and experiences coming together. I’m envisioning a holiday composed of a balance of beach and solitude, spending precious times with loved ones, creating new memories. There would be time for reading, and swimming—in the sea and pool. I’d also want to experience the culture of the location.
And wherever it is, it would be warm. My dream vacation would be filled with warmth, in terms of weather and memories!
What inspires you?
My inspirations come from the courage of others. I’m inspired by the strength of human beings and what they can accomplish—on their own and, especially, together. Having reason and purpose are fundamental elements of my own day to day living.
Who are your heroes?
When it comes to teaching, my greatest idol has to be Sir Ken Robinson. He was such a change-maker for education within the UK and beyond. I’ve learned so much from his ideas on the role of creativity in education, how to make education relevant to each individual, how to personalise teaching to individuals’ passions and lives, and how to really revolutionise the entire educational system.
Credit: https://creativeeducationinaction.com/
Looking beyond education specialists, I find inspiration in people like Walt Disney and Thomas Edison. Walt Disney was rejected for financing by over 300 banks until he finally got a yes! Look at the empire he built and how much happiness he’s brought to the world. According to Thomas Edison’s records, he failed 2,774 times before he finally invented a lightbulb that worked. Think about how different the world would be today if neither of these men had the resilience they did.
Credit: https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/
This kind of resilience is what I’m helping instil in my students. I make sure my students understand it’s safe to get it wrong. I don’t expect perfection from them. I’m focused on growth. I’m helping them develop their professional toolboxes, and resilience is one of their most important tools for a successful future.
Credit: https://clickamericana.com/
I have a background as a professional coach, helping businesspeople and organisations find new motivation and coaching them to develop the skills to achieve their goals. This is really my way of being with people. This drive to motivate and help others succeed is core to my personality. It’s fundamental to my way of moving through the world, both inside and outside of the classroom.
When teaching and mentoring others, I aim to push them gently out of their comfort zone, into what’s called the “zone of proximal development” in education-speak. This is where the growth happens. This is where students develop the resilience and individual strength that will power their growth year on year. This is how they can ready themselves for the future.
Meet the Experts Empowering Tomorrow’s Hospitality Leaders
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