Training/Professional Development
- Writing a Course Outline
- Types of Test Questions
- Getting Along with Coworkers
- Homework in Corporate Training
- Sabotaging Your Career
- Decision Making in Teams
- Icebreaker Exercise Questions
- Gift Ideas for a New Job
- How to Make Budget Cuts at Work
- Excellence in Customer Service
Posted by
Joni Rose
Joni Rose
A great course outline can be instrumental in encouraging the target audience to enroll. It can also be a tool to encourage structure and clarity.
A good course outline will give you a clear idea of what content to include when designing presentations and handouts, make sure you have all of the supplies and equipment you need as well as attract enrollments.
Title
The title needs to be descriptive enough to stand alone and convey the content of the course or workshop. This is especially important if the titles are listed without the course descriptions in any of the promotional materials (web site, brochures, posters etc.). Be careful with cute titles that are not descriptive of the content as they can deter potential enrollments.
Course Description
The course or workshop description is a vital part of promotion of the session. The benefits to the participants will need to be clearly articulated. For participants to enroll, they need to clearly see how this training will improve their performance on the job. The course description also needs to include the main concepts that will be discussed in detail in the workshop or course. The description should be between 80 - 125 words for most web site or brochures, especially when multiple workshops or courses are being promoted. If this outline is to be used as a handout to students on the first class, add a detailed session by session break down and description.
Basic Facts
The basic facts are the important details that participants require apart from the course content. They include:
The instructor profile or biography is important to establish the level of expertise of the instructor. A typical profile describes the instructor’s past employment, education, and any relevant special projects or volunteer work.
Optional Sections
Title
The title needs to be descriptive enough to stand alone and convey the content of the course or workshop. This is especially important if the titles are listed without the course descriptions in any of the promotional materials (web site, brochures, posters etc.). Be careful with cute titles that are not descriptive of the content as they can deter potential enrollments.
Course Description
The course or workshop description is a vital part of promotion of the session. The benefits to the participants will need to be clearly articulated. For participants to enroll, they need to clearly see how this training will improve their performance on the job. The course description also needs to include the main concepts that will be discussed in detail in the workshop or course. The description should be between 80 - 125 words for most web site or brochures, especially when multiple workshops or courses are being promoted. If this outline is to be used as a handout to students on the first class, add a detailed session by session break down and description.
Basic Facts
The basic facts are the important details that participants require apart from the course content. They include:
- Start time
- End time
- Start date
- End date
- Number of sessions
- Location
The instructor profile or biography is important to establish the level of expertise of the instructor. A typical profile describes the instructor’s past employment, education, and any relevant special projects or volunteer work.
Optional Sections
- Course ID
- Fees
- Supplies
- AV requirements
- Registration instructions
- Target audience
- Promotional ideas
Posted by
Joni Rose
Joni Rose
The type of test questions used to assess learning in a corporate training environment depends on the whether qualitative or quantitative results are wanted.
If you require quantitative results to assess corporate training, multiple choice, true or false, fill in the blank, or matching questions should be used. If a more qualitative result is what you are after, then short or long answer questions will provide more detail.
Multiple Choice
Multiple choice questions are a great option when you want quantifiable results for statistical purposes or need to reduce the amount of marking time. Make sure that the options offered are worded in a parallel grammatical structure.
True/False
True or false questions are an easy option for a quiz or other shorter test. The statements need to be all true or all false i.e. very black or white in order for this type of question to be valid.
Fill in the Blank or Matching
When your goal is to teach terminology, fill in the blank or matching questions can test participant’s knowledge of the definitions taught.
Short Answer
Short answer questions provide the learner an opportunity to elaborate on their level of understanding of a concept. Short answer questions allow a more vivid picture of the learning but also require more marking/reading time.
Long Answer or Essay
When it is necessary to test participant’s ability to apply the different concepts they have learned, case studies or broader essay questions may be the best choice. Some good starts to essay questions are:
Multiple Choice
Multiple choice questions are a great option when you want quantifiable results for statistical purposes or need to reduce the amount of marking time. Make sure that the options offered are worded in a parallel grammatical structure.
True/False
True or false questions are an easy option for a quiz or other shorter test. The statements need to be all true or all false i.e. very black or white in order for this type of question to be valid.
Fill in the Blank or Matching
When your goal is to teach terminology, fill in the blank or matching questions can test participant’s knowledge of the definitions taught.
Short Answer
Short answer questions provide the learner an opportunity to elaborate on their level of understanding of a concept. Short answer questions allow a more vivid picture of the learning but also require more marking/reading time.
Long Answer or Essay
When it is necessary to test participant’s ability to apply the different concepts they have learned, case studies or broader essay questions may be the best choice. Some good starts to essay questions are:
- Compare and contrast…
- Give an example of…
- Describe the process where…
- Explain why…
- Give a counter argument to the statement…
Posted by
Joni Rose
Joni Rose
Employees who get along well with their coworkers are valued employees. They are well liked and can easily assume leadership roles as their coworkers respect them.
Employers want to hire people that get along with their coworkers. How can you demonstrate that you don’t leave dead bodies in your wake? Demonstrate these behaviours and you’ll find that your coworkers genuinely enjoy working with you. This will not only make your boss smile, it will be seen as a sign of leadership potential. Dale Carnegie in his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People shares his pointers for making friends in and out of work.
Show Genuine Interest
Be sincere with your attention and focus on being interested in what others are sharing with you.
Smile
People want to work around happy people. Smile, stay positive and have fun! Participate in social activities and other opportunities to have fun.
Remember Names
Use memory tricks to remember people’s names. If you are good at remembering someone’s name, they will remember you. The company org chart or directory will give you the spelling of their name and the department they work in. Also, some companies post pictures of their staff beside profiles which can really help you learn who is who.
Listen
Spend more time listening than talking. If you hope to really understand someone, you need to listen carefully when they are talking.
Discuss What Interests Others
Being knowledgeable about someone’s interests, especially if it is a person you want to impress, will create an immediate bond that can weather difficult situations or challenges.
Make Others Feel Important
Everyone wants to feel they are important. Offer your respect and look for ways you can appreciate the contribution of others.
Getting along with coworkers is an essential skill if you see yourself in a leadership role in the future. Hone these skills now so that you will be seen as someone who people want on their team.
Show Genuine Interest
Be sincere with your attention and focus on being interested in what others are sharing with you.
Smile
People want to work around happy people. Smile, stay positive and have fun! Participate in social activities and other opportunities to have fun.
Remember Names
Use memory tricks to remember people’s names. If you are good at remembering someone’s name, they will remember you. The company org chart or directory will give you the spelling of their name and the department they work in. Also, some companies post pictures of their staff beside profiles which can really help you learn who is who.
Listen
Spend more time listening than talking. If you hope to really understand someone, you need to listen carefully when they are talking.
Discuss What Interests Others
Being knowledgeable about someone’s interests, especially if it is a person you want to impress, will create an immediate bond that can weather difficult situations or challenges.
Make Others Feel Important
Everyone wants to feel they are important. Offer your respect and look for ways you can appreciate the contribution of others.
Getting along with coworkers is an essential skill if you see yourself in a leadership role in the future. Hone these skills now so that you will be seen as someone who people want on their team.
Homework in Corporate Training
Posted by
Joni Rose
Joni Rose
Assigning homework outside of classroom or online corporate training allows an intensive topic to be covered. There are various types of homework assignments.
If your training is content heavy, one strategy to cover a larger amount of material than you can in one session is to assign tasks that participants complete outside of class. These assignments can require extensive time to learn new concepts outside of class or can be a refresher or reinforcement of material covered in class. Homework can be completed in teams or individually.
Assigned Reading
Reading can be assigned from a course text book, articles or web content. Be sure to let the students know that you will be discussing the material in the reading in the next class if you feel this reading is mandatory to their learning. If it is very important, you can quiz them on the reading. Readings can also be of a more supplemental nature, to help students gain another point of view or reinforce the concepts discussed in class.
Research Assignment
Research assignments are a great way for students to delve deeper into a subject. The assignment can be a series of questions they need to answer, a list of facts they need to gather or can form the basis for a large assignment such as a research paper.
Interviews
Asking students to create a list of interview questions and interview people with a specific background or expertise can be a creative way to reinforce learning.
Field Trip
Take students on short excursions to learn about different environments or meet a group of people that can offer them a new view point. Learning is enhanced when the concepts are demonstrated in a real life setting. For example, if you are teaching customer service, a trip to a mall where students observe customer/sales staff interactions can be very enlightening.
Breaking up a lecture format delivery by out of class assignments can increase student engagement and ensure learning.
Assigned Reading
Reading can be assigned from a course text book, articles or web content. Be sure to let the students know that you will be discussing the material in the reading in the next class if you feel this reading is mandatory to their learning. If it is very important, you can quiz them on the reading. Readings can also be of a more supplemental nature, to help students gain another point of view or reinforce the concepts discussed in class.
Research Assignment
Research assignments are a great way for students to delve deeper into a subject. The assignment can be a series of questions they need to answer, a list of facts they need to gather or can form the basis for a large assignment such as a research paper.
Interviews
Asking students to create a list of interview questions and interview people with a specific background or expertise can be a creative way to reinforce learning.
Field Trip
Take students on short excursions to learn about different environments or meet a group of people that can offer them a new view point. Learning is enhanced when the concepts are demonstrated in a real life setting. For example, if you are teaching customer service, a trip to a mall where students observe customer/sales staff interactions can be very enlightening.
Breaking up a lecture format delivery by out of class assignments can increase student engagement and ensure learning.
Posted by
Joni Rose
Joni Rose
Setting expectations that are beyond that of your supervisor can lead to unnecessary job stress and effect job performance.
Sometimes employees are their own worst enemy. They set standards for their performance that far exceed the expectations of their bosses. They then feel extremely stressed when there performance doesn’t match these expectations.
Typically over achievers don’t listen to their bosses praise and if they do hear it, they quickly minimize it. Over achievers dismiss their boss’s opinion as it doesn’t match with their opinion of themselves.
These exaggerated expectations can translate into a very negative, blaming, victim mentality and can even lead to bad references or dismissal. No one wants to work with miserable person.
The irony is that their boss could have a very different opinion of their performance and wish that they understood that they don’t need to work as hard or beat themselves up for each minor mistake. In fact, most managers look at mistakes as learning opportunities and therefore expect employees to make mistakes. If an employee admits to their mistakes and takes responsibility for correcting and analyzing the problem to prevent a repeat of the issue, then a manager is happy.
Perfectionism is great in moderation, but if it is so extreme that it is impossible to be happy on the job, it is time to question whether the perfectionism is the real issue.
Typically over achievers don’t listen to their bosses praise and if they do hear it, they quickly minimize it. Over achievers dismiss their boss’s opinion as it doesn’t match with their opinion of themselves.
These exaggerated expectations can translate into a very negative, blaming, victim mentality and can even lead to bad references or dismissal. No one wants to work with miserable person.
The irony is that their boss could have a very different opinion of their performance and wish that they understood that they don’t need to work as hard or beat themselves up for each minor mistake. In fact, most managers look at mistakes as learning opportunities and therefore expect employees to make mistakes. If an employee admits to their mistakes and takes responsibility for correcting and analyzing the problem to prevent a repeat of the issue, then a manager is happy.
Perfectionism is great in moderation, but if it is so extreme that it is impossible to be happy on the job, it is time to question whether the perfectionism is the real issue.
- Do you spend a lot of time feeling inadequate despite your boss’s raves about how well you are doing?
- Do you complain about not having skills or resources and yet meet deadlines and produce results that far exceed your predecessors?
- Are you suffering from stress related illnesses?
- Was your performance review above average according to your boss and/or coworkers and yet your self review was well below average?
Posted by
Joni Rose
Joni Rose
Determining when to involve your team in decision making is dependent on a few factors regarding the decision.
When considering whether to involve your team in a decision, consider the following factors.
Impact on Work
Will the decision impact their daily work? Will it require that they change processes or procedures? Will it mean a restructuring of their role?
Expertise or Experience
Do one or more of the members of your team have specific expertise or experience that would be useful in the decision making process? This is an important factor if their experienced and expertise compensates for your areas of weakness.
Buy-in
If you know that the changes you want to see happen will require big changes, you will need buy-in for the change to be implemented with ease. Allowing the team to participate in the decision making will engage them in the process and create buy-in if they have made the decisions collaboratively.
Team Building
Do you have new members of the team? Does the team’s ability to work collaboratively need work? If so, then allowing your team to be a part of the decision making process and coaching them through the process will be an opportunity to build team unity.
Encouraging Innovation
One of the best ways to encourage innovation is to be open as a leader to unique perspectives. Invite an open dialogue where all opinions and suggestions are respected and considered.
Accountability
Will the team members be as accountable for the outcomes or products of the decisions? If so, then their contribution to determining the correct course of action will also be an opportunity for a discussion around responsibility and accountability for any change in process or procedure.
If these factors are not relevant to the decision, then making the decision without consultation makes sense.
Copyright © 2008 Joni Rose and Suite 101. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use will constitute an infringement of copyright.
Impact on Work
Will the decision impact their daily work? Will it require that they change processes or procedures? Will it mean a restructuring of their role?
Expertise or Experience
Do one or more of the members of your team have specific expertise or experience that would be useful in the decision making process? This is an important factor if their experienced and expertise compensates for your areas of weakness.
Buy-in
If you know that the changes you want to see happen will require big changes, you will need buy-in for the change to be implemented with ease. Allowing the team to participate in the decision making will engage them in the process and create buy-in if they have made the decisions collaboratively.
Team Building
Do you have new members of the team? Does the team’s ability to work collaboratively need work? If so, then allowing your team to be a part of the decision making process and coaching them through the process will be an opportunity to build team unity.
Encouraging Innovation
One of the best ways to encourage innovation is to be open as a leader to unique perspectives. Invite an open dialogue where all opinions and suggestions are respected and considered.
Accountability
Will the team members be as accountable for the outcomes or products of the decisions? If so, then their contribution to determining the correct course of action will also be an opportunity for a discussion around responsibility and accountability for any change in process or procedure.
If these factors are not relevant to the decision, then making the decision without consultation makes sense.
Copyright © 2008 Joni Rose and Suite 101. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use will constitute an infringement of copyright.
Posted by
Joni Rose
Joni Rose
Sharing fun facts with fellow participants in a workshop is a great way to get to know each other.
One way for participants to get acquainted in a training session (workshop, conference or other gathering) is to provide them with questions and ask them to interview the other participants. The group can then come back together and share their most interesting answer.
An alternative is to send the questions to the participants in advance of the training session and ask them to reply with their answers. Then prepare cards or slips of paper with individual questions and the participant’s answer. Distribute the cards at the event and then ask participants to guess who gave that particular answer to the question. This can be a great icebreaker for people that work together and know each other a little bit, but not enough to predict their fellow participant’s answers easily.
Create a series of questions based on a theme.
Childhood
Copyright © 2008 Joni Rose and Suite 101. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use will constitute an infringement of copyright.
An alternative is to send the questions to the participants in advance of the training session and ask them to reply with their answers. Then prepare cards or slips of paper with individual questions and the participant’s answer. Distribute the cards at the event and then ask participants to guess who gave that particular answer to the question. This can be a great icebreaker for people that work together and know each other a little bit, but not enough to predict their fellow participant’s answers easily.
Create a series of questions based on a theme.
Childhood
- What did you dream of being as a child?
- What was your favorite toy as a child?
- What was your favorite activity as a child?
- What frightened you when you were a child?
- Where did you grow up?
- Were your parents strict or lenient?
- What do you collect?
- What do you hate to shop for?
- What is your favorite outdoor activity?
- What is your favorite type of music?
- What is your favorite movie (or book)?
- What do you like to cook?
- What food do you refuse to eat?
- What is your favorite food treat?
- What food do you crave most often?
Copyright © 2008 Joni Rose and Suite 101. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use will constitute an infringement of copyright.
Posted by
Joni Rose
Joni Rose
It can be tough to find a good gift for someone starting their career or moving up the corporate ladder. Here are some ideas of practical gifts for office workers.
Need a gift idea for someone who just received a new job offer, starting their first job after graduation or received a promotion? Here are some ideas to help celebrate your friend or colleague’s new career direction.
Desk Accessories
Pencil cup, drawer organizers, in box trays and the like are great gift ideas for someone starting a new job.
Fancy Sticky Notes
Take a pass on the boring yellow sticky notes and purchase a variety of shapes, sizes and colors of sticky notes.
Coffee Maker
If the person who is starting the new job will have their own office (not a cubicle) a small personal coffeemaker can be a great gift.
Travel Mug
A mug the new employee can use on their commute or to be green at work can be a good idea for the environmentally conscious worker.
Briefcase
A briefcase, laptop bag, or commuter’s knapsack can be a great gift for someone who needs to bring home reading, marking, editing or other project documents.
Meeting Portfolio
Someone who will have to participate in multiple meetings will appreciate a portfolio with a pad of paper that can be taken on sales calls and client meetings.
Business Card Holder
A fancy business card holder to hold the new employee’s business card is a great idea for a small gift that is practical as well as impressive.
Office Decorations
A plant, vase or framed print can be another great gift for a new office.
Practical gifts can be some of the best gifts especially for young employees that may not have the financial resources to purchase these items for themselves.
Copyright © 2008 Joni Rose and Suite 101. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use will constitute an infringement of copyright.
Desk Accessories
Pencil cup, drawer organizers, in box trays and the like are great gift ideas for someone starting a new job.
Fancy Sticky Notes
Take a pass on the boring yellow sticky notes and purchase a variety of shapes, sizes and colors of sticky notes.
Coffee Maker
If the person who is starting the new job will have their own office (not a cubicle) a small personal coffeemaker can be a great gift.
Travel Mug
A mug the new employee can use on their commute or to be green at work can be a good idea for the environmentally conscious worker.
Briefcase
A briefcase, laptop bag, or commuter’s knapsack can be a great gift for someone who needs to bring home reading, marking, editing or other project documents.
Meeting Portfolio
Someone who will have to participate in multiple meetings will appreciate a portfolio with a pad of paper that can be taken on sales calls and client meetings.
Business Card Holder
A fancy business card holder to hold the new employee’s business card is a great idea for a small gift that is practical as well as impressive.
Office Decorations
A plant, vase or framed print can be another great gift for a new office.
Practical gifts can be some of the best gifts especially for young employees that may not have the financial resources to purchase these items for themselves.
Copyright © 2008 Joni Rose and Suite 101. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use will constitute an infringement of copyright.
How to Make Budget Cuts at Work
Posted by
Joni Rose
Joni Rose
Cutting operational expenses to solve deficit issues and prevent staff lay offs requires a careful examination of the larger categories of spending.
Consider some of these cost saving ideas to help trim expenses.
Reduce Phone Expenses
Phone expenses, including cell phone and long distance expenses, can be reduced by shopping around for a better plan. If you have ten or more employees that expense cell plan charges and you are not on a corporate plan, consult local providers. Have an estimate of your current monthly and yearly spending patterns in mind when negotiating a new plan.
Reduce Travel (Flights, Hotel and Car Rental) Expenses
If travel expenses are a large part of your operational budget, there may be ways to trim expenses before having to ban traveling all together. To reduce travel expenses, negotiate a contract with a travel agent by committing to using them exclusively to book travel in exchange for discounts. Another alternative is to sign up for a corporate plan at a hotel chain or car rental chain and using them exclusively or if a plan is already in place, research a plan at a hotel chain that is one or one half of a star rating lower.
Reduce Office Supply Costs
Companies such as Corporate Express will give significant discounts for companies with multiple branch offices that spend a certain dollar amount annually. Alternatively, buy commonly used supplies in bulk if you have storage available.
Reduce Advertising Costs
Trim advertising budgets by placing display classified ads instead of regular display ads or inserting black and white ads in place of full color ads. Other options are to reduce the number of ad placements, reduce the size of regular placements, and look for niche print advertising options. Analyze the results of advertising over the past year and determine the most effective vehicles and eliminate the vehicles that did not produce impressive results.
Related Article: Reducing Training Costs
Reduce Phone Expenses
Phone expenses, including cell phone and long distance expenses, can be reduced by shopping around for a better plan. If you have ten or more employees that expense cell plan charges and you are not on a corporate plan, consult local providers. Have an estimate of your current monthly and yearly spending patterns in mind when negotiating a new plan.
Reduce Travel (Flights, Hotel and Car Rental) Expenses
If travel expenses are a large part of your operational budget, there may be ways to trim expenses before having to ban traveling all together. To reduce travel expenses, negotiate a contract with a travel agent by committing to using them exclusively to book travel in exchange for discounts. Another alternative is to sign up for a corporate plan at a hotel chain or car rental chain and using them exclusively or if a plan is already in place, research a plan at a hotel chain that is one or one half of a star rating lower.
Reduce Office Supply Costs
Companies such as Corporate Express will give significant discounts for companies with multiple branch offices that spend a certain dollar amount annually. Alternatively, buy commonly used supplies in bulk if you have storage available.
Reduce Advertising Costs
Trim advertising budgets by placing display classified ads instead of regular display ads or inserting black and white ads in place of full color ads. Other options are to reduce the number of ad placements, reduce the size of regular placements, and look for niche print advertising options. Analyze the results of advertising over the past year and determine the most effective vehicles and eliminate the vehicles that did not produce impressive results.
Related Article: Reducing Training Costs
Excellence in Customer Service
Posted by
Joni Rose
Joni Rose
The principles of exceptional customer service involve careful attention to a customer’s needs and wants. Improve your customer or client relations with these tips.
Improving customer service requires attention to details. Pay attention to promptness of service, how you treat your customers, your product knowledge, and how you listen to customer’s requests.
Promptness
Promptness
- Answer a customer inquiry line by the 3rd ring
- Reduce order processing times to 24 hours or less
- Treat a customer the way you want to be treated
- Treat all customers equally – new prospects, repeat clients, online, in-person etc.
- Develop relationships with your customers so that they feel special
- Use positive language – compliments, highlight strengths, frame everything in a positive light
- Make things easy for the customer as much as possible
- When a mistake is made – apologize, fix it happily, quickly and liberally and resolve to not have this happen again
- Don’t underestimate the power of word-of-mouth advertising. Bad service is talked about as much as good service.
- Know the differences between product lines and models
- Understand what has been improved upon or changes with the new model
- Be able to speak to the benefits of the product – specifically, how it saves time, money or energy, solves problems or brings pleasure
- Offer the customer the least expensive option that meets their basic needs and then let them know clearly what a higher price can offer them
- Be a detective searching for clues as to what the customer wants
- Don’t waste a customer’s time focusing on what you want, not what they want
- If you show them a product or service and you get a negative reaction, ask questions and listen carefully as to why they did not like the suggestion
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