Article Summaries
Just a Jolt: Can You Feel the Pulse by Tracy Tagliati
Take a pulse outside of a health-type class as an activity!?!?! Sure. It’s a jolt. A jolt is an engaging learning activity that lasts for a brief period of time and illustrates one or more important learning points.
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
Fear Kills Creativity and Innovation by Dr. Todd DeWett
Todd looks at how organizations “say” they want creativity and innovation, yet don’t “practice” what they “preach.”
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Staying Focused During Meetings by Susan Otto
Do you feel as if all you do is bounce around from one agenda item to the next, rarely getting closure? You are not alone. Susan provides some ideas on how to stay focused during meeting.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Candidate Motivation by Applied Assessment Inc.
Finding the right candidate to meet your company’s needs can be daunting. Read about what Applied Assessment Inc.’s research showed.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Meeting Agenda Items: Let's Be Thorough by Susan Otto
Do you feel like all you do is bounce around from one agenda item to the next without ever really discussing the topic thoroughly? You are not alone. Susan provides some ideas on how to deal with meeting agenda items.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Delivering the Speech of Your Life by Dan Palotta
Dan gives you thirteen great tips for delivering a speech more effectively. See if you follow his basic rules.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
The 100% Ideal by Leslie Brunker
Consider what 100% accountability really is. Leslie gives you another opportunity to consider this level of responsibility.
Category: Designing, Training and Presenting
Read Article
Establishing Ground Rules for Meetings by Susan Otto
Ground rules are important tools for conducting effective meetings. Susan shares some important concepts around ground rules.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Vacation or a Vacant Stare? by Marla Riegel
Many of us feel that we just don’t have time to take a vacation. Marla asks us to consider whether taking time for a vacation would really benefit us.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
A Roadmap to Effective Meetings by Susan Otto
Meetings are prevalent in every organization. Effective meetings are a “must-have.” Learn the first step to take when determining a meeting is necessary.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Do You Need A Break? by Deb Thomas
Deborah provides some items to consider about when creating breaks for your training. Participants love them…so consider Deb’s rule of thumb and other tips.
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
Meeting Appreciation by Susan Otto
Susan reminds us that we should consider showing appreciation daily by adopting some simple, but effective behaviors during our next meeting.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Games by Deb Thomas
Deborah provides some basic ideas to consider when using games in training.
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
What Are the Ingredients of Piloting a New or Revised Program? by Susan Otto
Susan shares the elements needed to pilot a new or revised class, course, module, or seminar. Take the steps necessary to ensure that your training programs are effective and worth their cost.
Category: Designing, Training and Presenting
Read Article
Starting a Meeting Off Right by Susan Otto
How you begin your meeting can influence its effectiveness. Consider these simple tips for opening your next meeting.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Hiring Employees – You Must Take a Few Chances by Dr. Todd DeWett
Todd reminds us that when hiring we should be honest with applicants as well as be open to hire the three types of applicants: the Safe One, the Superstar and the Rabble-Rouser.
Category: Organizations
Read Article
Meeting Preparations: The Final Checks by Susan Otto
So, you think your meeting agenda is complete. Well, think again. Consider these elements before finalizing your meeting agenda.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Simulation by Deborah Thomas
Deborah provides easy to follow instructions on how to do a simulation in a safe environment.
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
What Are Training Materials? by Susan Otto
Susan shares some training materials you might consider using when designing your training. Depending on your participants’ needs, choose the ones that will be most effective in helping them apply the ideas and skills back on the job.
Category: Designing, Training and Presenting
Read Article
Teach Backs by Deborah Thomas
Don’t do all the teaching. Follow Deb’s suggestion and have the participants “teach back.”
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
During a Pilot Program by Susan Otto
Susan walks you through the elements needed to conduct a pilot program for your new or revised training initiatives. Find out what you should say to participants in a pilot training program. Discover what follow up steps you should take to ensure that valuable feedback of the pilot is collected.
Category: Designing, Training and Presenting
Read Article
Leadership Is About the Outcomes Not the Process by Dr. Todd DeWett
Todd takes a look at how micro-managing a process can have an effect on outcomes.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Lecturette by Deborah Thomas
Break up a boring lecture by doing a lecturette. Check out Deb’s article to encourage listening and participation.
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
The Meeting Agenda Details by Susan Otto
You’ve created your agenda for your meeting…but have you considered everything you may need? Look over the details that are often overlooked.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Getting a Raise Is Easy…If You Know How to Ask For One by Dr. Todd DeWett
Todd reminds us that asking your boss about a raise is the last thing you do, not the first. Find out what you should do first.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
One Way Designing Training Works by Susan Otto
Susan is often asked about how she designs training. Here is one example of how she worked with a client to create a first draft of a training program.
Category: Designing, Training and Presenting
Read Article
Agenda Additions by Susan Otto
Creating and distributing an agenda is important in making your meetings more effective. Get some hints on what you should consider in formulating your next meeting agenda.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Quiz Review by Deborah Thomas
Deborah provides simple instructions on how to conduct a quiz review. Make it as elaborate as you want and get your participants thinking.
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
My First Client by Susan Otto
Susan is often asked about how she designs training. Here is her first client experience when asked to document…and redesign a training seminar.
Category: Designing, Training and Presenting
Read Article
Six Sigma: Achieving Near Perfection by Debbie Hatke, MA, SPHR
Debbie defines perfection and makes the correlation to Six Sigma. She then encourages HR departments to not only be Yellow Belt members on other teams, but to create their own teams for moving their HR function to "perfection."
Category: Organizations
Read Article
Social Media: Risk or Reward – What Can HR Do? by Robin Throckmorton
Robin tells us that we must manage social media to fit our culture rather than letting it manage us. Consider the implications she shares in this thought-provoking article.
Category: Organizations
Read Article
The Dos and Don'ts of Creating Training Materials by Susan Otto
Susan shares the dos and don’ts of creating training materials. These quick tips are sure to help you to begin documenting your ideas, knowledge, and skills so that others can be taught these critical components which are necessary for your organization’s success. (Cincinnati Women Biz Magazine printed this article in 2007.)
Category: Designing, Training and Presenting
Read Article
What Has Happened to Face-to-Face Dialog? Getting Back to the Personal Basics by Stacey Hanke
Stacey gives you some advantages and disadvantages to consider when deciding if e-mail is the best way to communicate your message and influence your recipient. If e-mail is the answer, she gives you 10 best practices to follow.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Case Study by Deborah Thomas
Deborah provides easy instructions on how to conduct a case study activity, which allow the participants to apply the training concepts to a real world situation.
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
What? A Meeting Agenda? by Susan Otto
Most meetings are poorly planned. Creating an agenda is a great first step in making your meetings more effective.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Being Aware by Susan Otto
Susan encourages you to choose one moment in your day to be aware. She asks you to snap out of your routine and really consider your next step.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Performance Feedback: As Easy As Stop, Drop, and Roll by Randi Sandlin
Randi provides us with a simple model for the performance feedback process. Find out what the acronyms STOP, DROP, and ROLL can mean for you and your managers when giving feedback on performance.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
It’s Job Hunting, Not Job Wishing by Dr. Todd DeWett
Todd provides job hunting best practices for getting closer to realizing your new job.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Six Sigma 101 by Debbie Hatke, MA, SPHR
Debbie explains in simple terms what Six Sigma is, what the different belts signify, and how they come into play within the Project Team.
Category: Organizations
Read Article
How to Deliver Customer Service Like an Athlete by Drew Stevens PhD
Drew explains that to have good customer service, we need to practice it. Discover his seven-step protocol to enhance your service delivery.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Why Performance Evaluations Are So Painful by Dr. Todd DeWett
Consider a few of Dr. DeWett’s common sense moves to ensure that your evaluation system actually does what evaluation systems are supposed to do – help people.
Category: Organizations
Read Article
Communication: What's the Best Way by Robin Throckmorton
Robin discusses the type of, and steps to resolve, communication challenges that our workforce is experiencing everyday given the different communication styles of each of the generations in the workplace.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Hallmarks of Effective Leadership Coaches by Dan Averbeck
Identifying an appropriate coach can be challenging. Dan provides the distinguishing characteristics for coaches who deliver sustained behavioral change in leaders at all levels.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Use It or Lose It! Creating Support Materials That Impact Your Message by Stacey Hanke
Stacey reminds us of the purpose, advantage, and disadvantage of various visual aids that support our message. She also gives us nine strategies that assist us when developing our visual aids.
Category: Designing, Training, and Presenting
Read Article
Motivation Means More Than a Ham by Dr. Todd DeWett
Find out what ham has to do with motivation. You won’t be disappointed!
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Brainingstorming by Deborah Thomas
Deborah gives you a quick and easy way to conduct a brainstorming session. Does hitchhiking and free wheeling sound like fun? If so, check it out.
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
Does your Communication Style Make or Break You? by Stacey Hanke
When we’re presenting, facilitating a meeting, having a face-to-face conversation, or talking over the telephone, Stacey cautions us that we might fall into various categories. See if you fall into any of these categories and discover what you can do to “climb out.”
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
How to Increase Your Selling Effectiveness to Generation Y by Drew Stevens PhD
According to Drew, to achieve greater selling effectiveness, professionals must realize that they operate in a multi-generational workforce. Read about the different generations and how to sell to Generation Y.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Easy Ways to Keep Participants Engaged by Deborah Thomas
Stop “spoon feeding” participants or doing an "information dump." Allow participants to think, reflect, and apply the information to their current situation by using Deb’s techniques.
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
Enhancing Your Emotional Intelligence for Success in Business by Linda Gravett, Ph.D., SPHR, CEQC
Dr. Gravett recommends concrete steps that individuals can take to develop their innate verbal, visual-spatial, intrapersonal, and interpersonal elements of Emotional Intelligence for success in the workplace.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Want to Know More? by Deborah Thomas
Deborah provides references for more ideas on training games and activities. Be sure to check out the resources.
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
Excellent Time Management Is Vital For Success by Dr. Todd DeWett
Todd looks at three main issues people must contend with if they want to control time instead of allowing time to control them: what it means to prioritize and focus, when to work on what, and how to guard your time.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Are You Worrying about Retention During the Recession? You Better Be! by Robin Throckmorton, MA, SPHR
Robin reminds us of the cost of losing employees and the cost of hiring new ones. She provides a list of ideas on how some companies are choosing to retain their existing employees.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Building Winning Business Teams: Using the Power of a Vision by Sandy Gluckman
Sandy reminds us that teams must have spirit and to have spirit, teams must have a vision. Learn the five steps for successful vision implementation.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
How to Resolve the Morale Issue Work by Drew Stevens PhD
Drew gives us the causes of poor morale and then provides the cure. Read on…
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Visual Aid Madness: How to Effectively Interact with a Visual and Stay on Track by Stacey Hanke
Whether we are using PowerPoint, flipchart, notes, or marketing and sales aids, we have allowed these elements to become our message rather than support our message. Stacey gives us ideas on how to interact rather than distract.
Category: Designing, Training, and Presenting
Read Article
Leadership Is the Future, Management Is the Past by Dr. Todd DeWett
One of the longest running myths in the business world is that leaders and managers are somehow different. It is not true. Find out why Dr. DeWett thinks so.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Table Top Activity by Deborah Thomas
Deborah provides simple instructions on how to do a table top activity. See how easy it can be.
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
Being Aware by Susan Otto
Susan invites you to choose a moment and being – being aware.
Category: Alphabet Soup
Read Article
Lessin' Your Stressin' by Sharmen Lane
Adrian reminds us that training is an essential part of a successful enterprise and gives us the four most important factors in a successful training experience.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Why Your Employees Fear Training by Adrian Miller
Adrian reminds us that training is an essential part of a successful enterprise and gives us the four most important factors in a successful training experience.
Category: Designing, Training, and Presenting
Read Article
Training Roadies Secrets: Tips for Newbies by Doris Loretta
Doris provides you with back up tips or reminders for your presentations and training sessions.
Category: Designing, Training, and Presentations
Read Article
Secrets of Leadership Success by Drew Stevens PhD
Drew discusses five factors that lead to leadership success. Check them out.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Group Discussion by Deborah Thomas
Deborah provides an easy formula to follow when conducting group discussions.
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
Leadership in Three Simple Steps by Dr. Todd DeWett
All of the thousands of leadership ideas, tricks, and tactics really boil down to three simple ideas. To maintain and build high performance organizations you must focus on three core ideas: reduce ambiguity, be fair and stay positive.
Category: Designing, Training, and Presentations
Read Article
Game Day by Jon Gordon
Jon reminds us that 10 percent of our life is made up of significant “Game Day” moments, while 90 percent is made up of the time we are preparing, practicing, and waiting for those moments.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
The Eyes Have It! Is it Eye Contact or Connection? by Stacey Hanke
See why Stacy says that eye connection, not eye contact, allows you to conduct a one-to-one conversation with your listeners that’s professional and purposeful, no matter what distractions may be taking place at the time. When you’re focused in your eyes, you’ll be focused in your thoughts.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Documentation as a Training Tool by Doris Loretta
Doris provides guidelines or tips for documenting software packages or business procedures that can be used as a training tool.
Category: Designing, Training, and Presentations
Read Article
Training is Not an Option - Adrian Miller
Adrian points out that training can no longer be viewed as a support system. It is important…essential. Find out why.
Category: Designing, Training, and Presenting
Read Article
Creating a Best Practice L&D Organization by Ruth Kustoff
Learn how Learning and Development (L&D) supports the business and how regularly planned organizational assessments provide for continuous improvement.
Category: Organizations
Read Article
Quick and Easy Ice Breakers by Deb Thomas
Deborah gives three ideas for getting participants engaged. These quick and easy ice breakers can easily be adapted in any class.
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
How to Build a Successful Lead Generating System by Drew Stevens PhD
Drew lists several methods to assist sales professionals on how to build successful leads. Be sure to check out his ideas.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
How to Find Content When You Need It by Susan Otto
Trade magazines, journals, and publications are great source of content, but you have to be able to find it. Read Susan’s organizing tip.
Category: Designing, Training, Presentations
Read Article
What Cultures Are at Work in Your Workplace? by Jana Kemp
Examine your workplace cultures. Can you really work there? Do you need to "tweak" it?
Category: Organizations
Read Article
Employee Morale: 5 Quick and Easy, Low-Cost Ways to Increase Employee Motivation by Harriet Meyerson
Here are five quick and easy tips for raising morale – on a shoestring budget.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
The Worst and Best Electronic Communication by Lisa Hughes
Lisa’s 10 worst practices for communicating in email and voice mail will make you laugh as you think of co-workers who actually follow these practices; lucky for us, far more use the best practices of electronic communication.
Category: Personal/People Competencies
Read Article
Most Training Fails: A QBQ (The Question Behind the Question) QuickNote by John G. Miller
Examine the “Do” and “Don’t” recommendations of ensuring that training is worthwhile.
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
Enhance Training with Analogies by Doris Loretta
Doris provides analogies for software training that can be used with adult learners to aid in their learning and retention.
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
Multi-Generations at Work – Where the Sum is Greater than its Parts by Ruth Kustoff
Doris explores the workplace phenomenon of three generations working side-by-side – identifying differences in how we work and learn, and our motivations and ambitions for career advancement.
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
Prejudice by Alison Junker
Consider whether you are prejudice and what you can do about it by looking at Alison’s perspective as a teenager.
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
Leadership: A Call for Acknowledgement and Uniqueness by Susan Otto
Acknowledge, recognize, and support – find out why these three components are necessary in being a successful leader.
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
Lessons Learned from the Inside by Bob Riess
As leaders, we must help individuals execute to the best of their abilities and exceed the measurable goals established by the organization. Learn some activities to “keep your head above water” and stop "treading water."
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
Attracting Perfect Customers by Susan Otto
Attract your perfect customer by standing firm in who you are and what you do. Read about the lighthouse as a metaphor to this idea.
Category: Alphabet Soup
Read Article
Procedure Is Not Punishment by Jana Kemp
Jana suggests that you look at meeting procedures as a way to protect your people and their productivity.
Category: Organizations
Read Article
Define the Non-Negotiable by Jana Kemp
Jana asks you to consider what the non-negotiables are in your life. What are they?
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
Where Do I Sit? by Susan Otto
Susan provides you with options for moving participants around in seminars and workshops so that participants have opportunities to work with, and get to know, other participants.
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
A Two-Step Process for Accelerating Your Success by Kevin Eikenberry
Kevin says we should reflect and project. Find out what he means, why you should do it, and how to do it.
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
New Year Change-Up by Jana Kemp
Jana challenges you to do things differently this year. Look at your ruts and routines, ideas for doing things differently, and workplace traditions.
Category: Alphabet Soup
Read Article
Seven Steps to Getting Started with Goal Setting by Kevin Eikenberry
Kevin gives seven steps to get your goal setting started – the first two are making a decision to set goals and then making a list.
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
HR versus Vendors: Why This Needs to Change by Steve Browne
Steve led HR folks and vendors through a discussion about their relationship with each other. Find what he discovered.
Category: Organizations
Read Article
Strategically Expand Your Influence… Use Handwritten Notes to Build Connections by Vanessa Lowry
Vanessa gives you several ways to expand your influence to build connections.
Category: Alphabet Soup
Read Article
Agreeing to Disagree Still Works by Jana Kemp
Do you often say, “Let’s agree to disagree?” If you do, you are showing signs of respect. See what else Jana suggests about that phrase.
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
PowerPoint: Learning Help or Hindrance by Gary Trotta
Gary provides suggestions on how to turn ordinary PowerPoint instruction into engaging learning. Be sure to check out his valuable resources on how to design PowerPoint games.
Category: Designing, Training, and Presenting
Read Article
It’s About Trust by Jana Kemp
Jana has you consider the various elements of trust. Do you have to earn it or do you have it to “lose?”
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
The Power of Appreciation…Handwritten Notes Can Increase Influence and Trust by Vanessa Lowry
Vanessa cites examples of how handwritten notes have increased influence and trust to help with sales and success.
Category: Alphabet Soup
Read Article
Meeting Minutes as Living Documents by Jana Kemp
Jana suggests that meeting minutes should be living documents and not static, historic documents that sit on a shelf to collect dust. Discover the elements that make documents living.
Category: Organizations
Read Article
Well, I’m No Einstein But… by Gary Trotta
Gary provides suggestion how to effectively engage learners through awareness of right-brain and left-brain tendencies. Get some ideas on how to be a more effective facilitator.
Category: Designing Training Presenting
Read Article
Team Activity – Spirited Role Clarification by Susan Otto
Susan shares one of her favorite activities to use with teams – especially those who need to clarify the team members’ roles and responsibilities.
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
Why Your Organization’s Culture Matters by Kate Nelson
Kate reminds us that an organization with a culture that won’t allow a great strategy to happen is doomed at the onset.
Category: Organizations
Read Article
Quotes To Take Action Upon by Jana Kemp
Jana inspires us to be inspired by quotes. See the great quotes she’s been inspired by in the past.
Category: Design, Training, and Presenting
Read Article
Coping with the Resident Witch by Marta Brockmeyer, Ph.D.
Marta gives us guidelines on how to deal with aggressive behavior.
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
The Holy Grail of Full Team Engagement by Kevin Eikenberry
Kevin provides guidelines on how to fully engage your teams. Read about his four tips.
Category: Organizations
Read Article
Training Myths by Gary Trotta
Gary provides suggestions for looking at myths about training from a different perspective. Check out the three myths he busts!
Category: Designing, Training, and Presenting
Read Article
Law of Attraction in Action by Kevin Eikenberry
Learn the three parts of the Law of Attractions and prepare to receive what you have created. Kevin also gives you tips on how to start applying the law.
Category: Alphabet Soup
Read Article
Recognize this Woman? by Marta Brockmeyer, Ph.D.
Marta reminds us of who we should be – assertive, appropriate, and anchored. Check out her tips for adopting a more appropriate style.
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
Build Productivity and Profitability with Effective Workplace Design by Jackie Messersmith
By designing a better workflow, organizations can become more productive and effective. Read about a simple case study and its results.
Category: Organizations
Read Article
Enthusiasm! @ Work by Antoinette SO. Webster
Enthusiasm! is Antoinette's rallying cry. By engaging Enthusiasm! people can increase their already positive attributes, which also result in many benefits in the workplace.
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
Bringing People, Processes, and the Workplace Together to Create High Performance Work Environments by Jackie Messersmith and Anne Schrader
To achieve high performance work environments, three elements must be studied and addressed – workflow, workspace, and workforce. Read a case study and assess your own organization.
Category: Organizations
Read Article
The Top Ten Joy and Money Tips for 2007 by Mackey McNeill
Mackey shares the top ten tips for increasing joy and money in our lives.
Category: Alphabet Soup
Read Article
Understanding Change by Marta Brockmeyer, Ph.D.
Change is all around us – whether it’s our choice or forced upon us. Delve into the various elements of change.
Category: Organizations
Read Article
Building Your Own Board of Directors by Susan Smyth
Even as an individual, you may want to create your own Board of Directors to assist you in accelerating your learning and take the fear out of any change process. Be inspired by Susan’s ideas.
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
Creating a Powerful Project Vision by Kevin Eikenberry
How do visioning and apples go together? Read Kevin’s article and have the mystery solved.
Category: Organizations
Read Article
A Guide to Strategic Planning by Marta Brockmeyer, Ph.D.
Marta provides a process to move you towards effective strategic planning, which will reduce stress, conserve resources, and generate excitement from stakeholders.
Category: Organizations
Read Article
Enthusiasm! @ Work - Timely Tips by Antoinette SO. Webster
Antoinette is an expert in Enthusiasm! Check out her timely tips for generating “Enthusiasm!” at work.
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
The One Thing You Must Do Every Time You Make a Speech by Dorothy Lynn
When speaking in public, don’t forget to SMILE. Check out what the acronym stands for in Dorothy’s article.
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
Development Time by Susan Otto
Susan is frequently asked about the amount of time it will take to design a class. Here are some thoughts to consider.
Category: Designing, Training, and Presenting
Read Article
Our Love/Hate Relationship with Networking by Sandra Vogel
Ah, networking! Read and reflect on the "shoulds" and "shouldn’ts" of networking…and then, let's network!
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
Imagination and Brainstorming Bring Immediate Results by Susan Otto
Do you want to add two new games to your training opportunities? One is on conflict; the other one is on stress. And if they don’t work for your situation, they might spark your imagination!
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
Just Because I Can: The Secret by Susan Otto
Susan shares what she knows to be true.
Category: Alphabet Soup
Read Article
Outsourcing Success: Getting the Right Start by Debbie Friedman
When outsourcing, exploring four factors can assist you in making a good decision: expertise, timing, cost, and context.
Category: Organizations
Read Article
Generosity of Spirit -
The Lubricant in Successful Business Relationships by Susan Smyth
Susan discusses the importance of generosity of spirit in building business relationships that last. Generosity of spirit is the lubricant that can solve problems, support relationships, build customer loyalty, and increase workplace satisfaction. Read the suggestions for developing this approach to relationships and life.
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
Team Teaching – Playing Doubles Tennis by Kevin Eikenberry
Kevin compares the strategies and complexities of team teaching to playing doubles tennis.
Category: Designing, Training, and Presenting
Read Article
What Does "It" Look Like?
by Susan Otto
Want a fun activity to have learners focus on the topic being discussed? Check this article out!
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
Managing Conflict Across Generations by Dr. Linda Gravett
Find out how the generations respond to conflict as well as how you might provide feedback depending on the generation who needs it. Learn some ideas on how to turn conflict into collaboration, which provide positive results.
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
Can People Really Be Motivated? by Dave Blum
Motivating by reward is common practice. Consider restructuring the workplace to inspire intrinsic motivation, using Alfie Kohn’s 3 Cs.
Category: Personal / People Competencies
Read Article
Partnering with a Purpose: Does Your Company Pass the Strategic Readiness Exam? by Dave Koester and Greg Werner
As internal resources within most organizations become increasingly scarce, many companies are attempting to form strategic partnerships or business alliances with other complementary companies in order to expand their overall value proposition and compress the traditional timeline for new business development. However, industry statistics tell us that 9 out of every 10 alliances that are formed do not make it more than one year and are doomed to failure. The reason – they try to take short cuts to accelerate the process or simply do not follow the process at all. So, having said that, companies actually need to be trained in how to build successful partnerships that will succeed in the marketplace and withstand the test of time.
Category: Organizations
Read Article
Providing Effective Training by Bob Riess
Are you an IT professional, or a “soft skills” training expert still struggling to make end-user training for technology an interactive, measurable, and rewarding experience for you and the recipients of training? The most important step in providing effective end-user training is to understand what the users must be able to DO as a result of the training, and then design a framework to help the participants produce measured output, which makes it much easier to measure results. Measurements should be realistic, address business results, and provide examples of how training will contribute to those results. Providing customer training can offer you a significant edge in the marketplace and help you generate more sales opportunities while learning more about your existing customers. If the product or service you provide is the least bit complex, you have a tremendous opportunity to provide customer training that will remove many of the barriers between you and your customers.
Category: Designing, Training, and Presenting
Read Article
Facilitator, Trainer, or Presenter? by Susan Otto
Training terms can be so confusing and, unfortunately, I don't have a solution to this issue. However, if you'd like to see all the terms other people use to describe me (Susan Otto), what I do, and what I create, take a look. You will no longer feel like the only confused training practitioner in the world of training vocabulary.
Category: Designing, Training, and Presenting
Read Article
Designing Training Materials by Susan Otto
If you want a summary on how to create training materials, here's a brief article on a complex subject. The article provides you a variety of concepts to consider when designing.
Category: Designing, Training, and Presenting
Read Article
Dinner with Thiagi by Susan Otto
Check out a quick, yet interactive, activity that Thiagi had ASTD attendees participate in at a dinner meeting. It's a simple frame game that you can use with a variety of content. Quick, simple, effective…and it's no secret!
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
Do You Remember?: The Interviewee’s Comments by Susan Otto
Do you need a game to remind interviewers how important observation, remembering, note taking, and group sharing are to the interview process? Read about this game, which was accepted by ASTD and included in their 2006 ASTD Training and Performance Sourcebook.
Category: Training Games and Activities
Read Article
|
