Training is highly effective at filling employee knowledge gaps and obtaining new skillsets relevant to a particular job. But without reinforcement, training may prove ineffective and a drain on corporate dollars. Having an online mentoring and coaching program available to employees post-training can increase workforce effectiveness by sustaining training and supporting real-world applications.…
Today’s work environment is inundated with change and the potential for change. In times like this, employees experience anxiety at higher-than-normal levels. That anxiety can lead to emotions like frustration, distrust, and even anger. Behavior follows emotions and can be manifested in many ways such as becoming pessimistic, only giving half an effort, and no…
It has been said that the differences among the people are what make this country great. In business circles, it is leadership that brings out greatness. Emotional intelligence has proven an essential characteristic for bridging the gaps that exist in the belief systems, work ethics, and behavioral approaches taken by the diverse workforces found in…
AN OLD JOKE GOES, “When it comes to a
breakfast of bacon and eggs, the chicken is
engaged; but the pig is involved!” Beneath
this witticism lies a deeper truth: when
we need the very best from our people –
when we need them to be ‘all in’ in terms
of their commitment — it's not enough for
them to contribute from…
Brain scientists have determined that the brain has four functional quadrants that play different roles in our personality. While we are meant to use all four quadrants and develop communication between these functions, we have found through our work with leaders over the last four decades that most leaders are only using a quarter to…
One of the best ways to motivate a team and produce phenomenal results in the workplace is by using positive reinforcement. When positive reinforcement is used, you focus less on what people are doing wrong and more on what they’re doing right. By rewarding and praising your team every time they do a good job,…
When learning and development (L&D) gets a seat at the table, it has the opportunity to be at the forefront of change. Developing a Corporate University that aligns learning to the business can create a strategic advantage, providing a sense of identity to L&D. By coming in at the front-end of strategic projects, L&D is…
So, the election is over. Most of us have breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe, now we should take a moment or two to think about what we have learned from it and to ponder what this has to do with leadership or leadership training? Plenty, I believe!…
Six staff members piled into their leader’s office late in the afternoon, insisting that she listen to their “BIG problem” and assign the necessary blame and, above all, “fix it.” They were upset, pointing fingers and saying the ball had been dropped.…
It’s not that “leaders should be seen and not heard,” but it is fair to say that they often should be heard less and seen more. That’s because people believe and “listen” to the actions of leaders more than their words.…
Our experience is showing that a really good instructor can usually overcome the deficiencies that may exist in a multi-platform training program's curriculum or its delivery mechanism. Moreover, unfortunately, even the strongest program can be undermined if the instruction is inadequate. The instructor is a critical make-or-break element in any connected classroom – and an…
We've heard it over and over as fingers point across the Atlantic: THEY are so arrogant! When the topic comes up in intercultural training, people from other countries usually laugh and say: Both French and Americans are arrogant! What's there to talk about?…
Every workplace has some behavior they need to change. Whether it’s getting the sales team to improve their success rate by relying on what they know rather than whom they know, or whether it’s training front-line employees to be better at customer service, behavior change is serious business. And it’s incredibly hard not only to…
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job openings are up 45 percent since the official end of the recession in July 2009. While this is good news for the U.S. economy, the increase in job opportunities also makes it more challenging to hold on to high-performing, talented employees.…
Have you ever wondered how George Washington became George Washington? Most American children are told stories about a certain cherry tree and are then skip right to Valley Forge and the presidency. But is that all there is to it?…
