The end of the year is a good time to reflect on your progress over the past year and plan how you want to develop. Do you want increased success in 2009 or the chance to enjoy the success you've achieved more? These top 10 New Year's resolutions are designed to help you strike a better work-life balance, so you can achieve a truly satisfying success in the New Year.
1) Learn how to delegate and do more of it. There are so many things to do it's easy to delude ourselves that we need to do all of them. Then we wonder why we're so tired and frazzled and have no time to do anything else! Determine your personal return on investment and decide to let someone else do some of the tasks for a change. Delegation is the key to a healthy work-life balance.
2) Promote yourself regularly and consistently.
Too often the task of promoting yourself and your skills slips to the bottom of the to-do list in the press of urgent tasks. If you want to get a raise, earn a promotion or just get noticed, you have to make self promotion a priority.
3) Make planning a weekly event.
Planning is vital if you want a healthy, growing professional life. Planning lets you take stock of what worked and what didn't work, and helps you set new directions or adjust old goals. So why do it just once a year or once a quarter? Set aside time each week to review, adjust, and look forward - or even better, make planning a part of each day. Not only will this help you avoid costly mistakes and stay on track, but you'll feel more focused and relaxed.
4) Learn something new.
What you choose to learn may be directly related to your job or completely unrelated. Learning something new will add to your skills and add a new dimension of interest to your life - another important part of achieving a healthy work-life balance. Depending on how you choose to learn, you may meet new and interesting people, who may become customers, colleagues, or friends. How will you find the time to learn something new? By delegating, remember?
5) Join a new volunteer organization or networking group.
There's nothing like talking to other people for sparking new ideas, refining old ones, and making contacts. Whether it's a group specifically designed for networking or an organization dedicated to a particular type of business, in person or over the 'Net, making the effort to be a part of a group will revitalize you.
6) Give something back to your community.
There are all kinds of worthy organizations that make a difference in your community. Make a New Year's resolution to find a cause that matters to you, and give what you can. Make this the year that you serve on a committee, be a mentor, volunteer, or make regular donations to the groups in your community that try to make the place you live a better place.
7) Put time for you on your calendar.
It is important to take the time to recharge and refresh yourself; a healthy work-life balance demands time out. All work and no play is a recipe for mental and physical disaster. So if you have trouble freeing up time to do the things you enjoy, write time regularly into your schedule to "meet with yourself" and stick to that commitment. If you won't invest in yourself, who will?
8) Set realistic goals.
Goal setting is a valuable habit - if the goals lead to success rather than distress. Make a New Year's resolution that the goals you set will be goals that are achievable, rather than unrealistic pipe dreams that are so far out of reach they only lead to frustration.
9) Don't make do; get a new one.
Is there a piece of equipment in your office that's interfering with your success or something that you lack that's making your working life harder? Whether it's an old fax machine that's a pain to use, or the need for a new employee to lighten your work load, make a New Year's resolution to stop putting off getting what you need. The irritation of making do just isn't worth it.
10) Drop what's not working for you and move on.
If a technique or a product or a business relationship isn't working for you, stop using it. Don't invest a lot of energy into trying to make the unworkable workable. Move on. Something better will turn up.
Achieving a healthy work-life balance is like maintaining a good relationship; you have to keep working on it. But if you apply these New Year's resolutions throughout the year, your success is guaranteed!
Adpated from an article from about.com.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Top 10 Resolutions for Workplace Success
December Theme - Making better resolutions
Monday, November 10, 2008
What Makes Change So Difficult?
A POETIC INTERLUDE:AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN FIVE SHORT CHAPTERS
by Portia Nelson
I
I walk, down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in
I am lost.... I am helpless
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.
II
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again
I can't believe I am in the same place but, it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.
III
I walk down the same street
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it there.'
I still fall in.... it's a habit, my eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.
IV
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.
V
I walk down another street.
Friday, October 17, 2008
How Coachable Are You?
How do you feel about receiving feedback at work? Do you welcome it, or do you cringe?
Effective leaders understand the value of coaching and feedback, both giving and receiving, when it is done with care. Sometimes we need another point of view to understand how we are really perceived by others. If we are willing to accept feedback, it can make us feel more appreciated, and guide us to better performance. Those who are willing to accept feedback also become better at giving it.
So why do some of us get so nervous about it? Because we tend to worry more about negative messages than to expect positive ones. In fact, coaching can (and should!) be used to recognize success as much as improve performance. It can generate new ideas. What about ‘negative’ feedback? Most people who have been coached realize it is not so scary after all, and usually very helpful.
Here are some tips for becoming more coachable:
o Trust in the good intentions of the person giving you feedback. Even if they are not yet skilled in the process, they are making an effort to help you succeed.
o Recognize that it’s normal to feel nervous. Many people are uncomfortable hearing things about themselves, whether positive or negative.
o Focus only on listening. Breathe. Pay attention to the full message, verbal and non-verbal.
o Take time to absorb feedback before you respond. Don’t dismiss it or react defensively. Use what you hear as a starting point for more conversation, if necessary.
o Make sure you understand. The feedback process requires effort from the receiver as well as the giver, so ask for clarification and examples if you need to. By the end of the conversation, both parties should be satisfied with the result.
o Be honest. If it’s really not the right time, or if you feel overwhelmed, say so. Be prepared to come back and start again later.
o Ask for feedback. Requesting a coaching session when you feel ready can make it more comfortable for you.
o Look toward the future. Coaching can help you grow. If you choose not to accept feedback, not to change, will your current path take you where you want to go?
Advance Corporate Training Ltd. (www.actraining.com) is offering a new one week Workplace Performance Coaching certificate. Public workshope in Vancouver, Yellowknife and Inuvik - in house also available. Contact us at 604.521.5473 or events@actraining.com for more details.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Tips for a Winning Holiday Recruitment Strategy
6 Tips for Creating a Winning Holiday Recruitment Strategy for Hourly Workers!
When it comes to the holiday hiring of hourly workers, employers need to put together a recruitment plan well before the radio stations start playing "Jingle Bell Rock". Here's a list of six tips from SnagAJob.com you can use in your holiday recruitment process:
1. Get an early start. Advertise open positions as early as October in order to snatch up quality employees before other companies beat you to it. Use an integrated recruitment strategy including "Help Wanted" signs, newspaper ads and online job postings.
2. Interview equally. Use a similar interview process for temporary employees as you would for permanent ones. Remember: You want qualified workers with an interest in the industry, not just available bodies.
3. Keep an open mind. Although you're initially only looking for seasonal employees, holiday employees could become valued workers to whom you want to offer a more steady position later on – or at least invite back for future seasonal / temporary engagements.
4. Play up the perks. Highlight benefits in job postings and reiterate them during interviews. Keep in mind that job seekers are consumers too, and with family and friends to buy gifts for, they'll appreciate an employee discount on merchandise or free meals to help cut costs.
5. Focus on quality over quantity. Although the window of time may be tight when it comes to seasonal hiring, avoid offering jobs to just anyone who submits an application. Look for people who can stay focused during the holiday rush or who you would want to ask back next holiday season.
6. Give some direction. Set up a holiday orientation or training session before the rush starts. This will save you time training people on the job when business really gets crazy.
The holidays can be a hectic time both in your personal and professional life, so you can't afford to be shorthanded or hire the wrong employees. Use these tips when you're putting together a recruitment strategy for seasonal hourly workers and your holiday hiring season will go as smoothly a glass of eggnog after a Black Friday shopping spree.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Managing Multiple Projects
When evaluating and selecting projects, key business drivers and the organization strategic goals are often not considered. Learning to apply a set of “filters” to assess all projects prior to making a “go-no-go” decision to commence a specific project is one of the key skills. Another is the application of scheduling techniques such as buffer management, which can aid the project manager in producing more realistic schedules.
Challenges
Many organizations have adopted project management best practices to manage projects more effectively, but project management on its own will not bring about the changes in improved performance that organizations are looking for. Project managers might try to compete for resources that are working on other projects in order to force their own projects ahead of schedule. Some of the consequences are:
· Other projects are delayed even more.
· Key staff members are working 60-hour work-weeks.
· Priority projects that only require two months of effort now take two
years to complete.
· Most projects run late.
Where to Start?
The first step in managing multiple projects is to assess the long list of potential projects and apply a system to help in the selection of projects.
Projects are often selected and prioritized based on filters and criteria like:
· Business Case
· Strategic importance
· Benefit or value to the organization
· Return on Investment
· Feasibility
Project managers then prepare a report and make a “Go” or “No Go” decision with key decision makers to commit to doing the project.
Selection Techniques
The selection and prioritization of projects is a two-step process:
1) Develop a balanced portfolio of projects. By categorizing projects, senior management recognizes that there are separate and distinct types and classes of projects and can assign teh right people to the right projects.
2) To promote the organization's long-term health and growth, it needs to invest in projects from each category. Project selection becomes a strategic business decision.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Dance Your Way to Project Management Success
RUMBA- The Fail Proof Project Management Dance
To interact with another is a complicated endeavour; project management is likened to dancing; it is a complicated, yet unified balance which requires total focus and complete awareness. RUMBA is a key component in the success of managing an efficient project.
REASONABLE- Interaction and direction within a project team should be Reasonable at all times; communicating reasonable goals aide in the balance between progress and success of the project with the importance of personnel management. Creating reasonable goals or ideas, staff will “buy in” and personalize the task at hand.
UNDERSTANDABLE- By verbalising tasks, goals and directions in an understandable way, you will ensure that your staff and Project Team are on the same page. Many times, it will take a variety of meetings or communicative methods to unify; by providing the communication in an Understandable and clear way, success is right around the corner!
MEASURABLE- When the goal is too large or the message is too broad, teams can become disillusioned and will often give up, making it a complicated challenge for the best Project Managers. By offering ideas and messages that are measurable and realistic, the team will be able to understand how and when they will reach the goal. Once the Goal is attained and measured, there will be a sense of accomplishment and pride through the group. By creating MEASURABLE goals for your group, they will feel inspired and will continue to work towards the next measurable task.
BELIEVABLE- Believe in your project! Set the stage and demonstrate your belief in what the end result is and what the success of the project will mean. If the role, goal or direction is not a subject that is believable, what would be the point of trying to accomplish it? The best Project Managers instil a belief and expectation that this goal and project can be and will be successful. When you create belief for the project and vision, connection grows; when teams have a connection to the project, they will want to see it succeed.
ACHIEVABLE- Project Managers often lay out the plan for the whole project at the kick off meetings, yet they often leave out the crucial aspect of explaining specific and achievable milestones. How can a team buy into a goal that has a scope that is too broad? Why would they want to? A goal that is achievable is definable, measurable and offers incentive; an achievable goal should offer personal connection to stimulate the personal achievement. In order to create achievable goals, Project Managers should communicate specific milestones and offer assistance for the achievement of the small milestones and large, completed project.
RUMBA is a dance that Project Managers will need to be experts at in order to create a team that works towards the project goal as efficiently and systematically as the Project Manger does, although in this dance, someone’s got to lead! To Learn More about RUMBA and how to enhance your Project Management skills, Advance Corporate Training offers many advanced courses in the Project Management field. Contact us at our office at 604.521.5473 for more information on how you can fine tune YOUR Project Management Skills!
Monday, June 23, 2008
How Advance Corporate Training incorporates brain-based learning
Advance Corporate Training Ltd. (ACT) is a brain-based learning specialist - our logo represents the six key secrets to ensuring learning takes hold in the learner and can transfer back to the workplace. Here are the six secrets and why engaging each one of them encourages higher learning levels.
Personal Relevance
(Association Cortex)
When we associate learning with what we already know, we are more open to a new idea. Info that supports our existing knowledge is better retained and transferred on-the-job.
Kinesthetic Learning
(Motor Cortex)
When we are engaged physically while learning, our brain operates more efficiently and we are better able to apply learned skills consistently.
Emotion & Engagement
(Somatosensory Cortex)
Emotion is often missing in many adult learning environments. When we emotionally connect to the material we learn more and deeper. ACT designs all its courses to engage this cortex.
Auditory Learning
(Auditory Cortex)
When we listen and speak we deepen our understanding. This cortex needs time to engage, so the start of all conversations should be “losable” data.
Visual Learning
(Visual Cortex)
We all need to have visual stimulation to be energized by learning. If we visualize our changed performance, we are more able to achieve it.
Broca's Area
Our ability to communicate clearly and to understand complex concepts is controlled here. Without learning that engages this area of the brain, we know but we don't understand and can't share our knowledge. True learning occurs after we achieve understanding, and performance change can not occur without understanding. This area was identified in 1861 by Pierre Paul Broca to be the “seat of articulation”.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Employee Orientations:
Get the Party Started
Too often in today’s workplace, a celebration is thrown when an employee leaves an organization, but little is done to recognize the new employee joining the company. After all, this is the person you will be motivating and engaging for the next two, five or (hopefully) more years. Why not start doing so right away?
A new employee’s first impression of your organization is equally as important as your first impression of the employee. An orientation party is just one tool to put in your work belt to make an impact on new employees. In this article I will go into further detail and give you practical tips on how to maximize an employee’s first two days on the job, which is the most crucial period when it comes to establishing whether a new employee will be a superstar employee or lame duck.
Day 1
What is the first task you remember doing when you joined your organization? Odds are, it involves reading a thick manual, filling out forms and signing employee agreements. Nothing says “Welcome!” like sitting in a room reading page after page of information that ends up flying right over your heard. To maximize absorption of this plethora of new information, let your new employees take these documents home and bring them back the next day.
Instead of this wasted time, meet with new employees to determine how much training they require and what they would like to get out of their orientation process. At this stage you should also set specific objectives and measures as well as a development plan for their first few months. Ask them how you can make their new position their “dream job,” and then do everything you can to make it happen!
Upon their arrival, ensure that new employees have their email address, passwords, telephone number and identification card ready for use. It’s also a great idea to courier new employees their business cards the day before their first day.
Assign new employees a “mentor” who will give them a detailed tour around the office. The mentor should be a manager, not an HR employee, because it shows the importance of their assimilation to the company and gives the manager a sense of accountability for getting the employee productive as soon as possible. Make sure the tour involves a stop at the CEO’s office as well as the offices of other key upper management personnel. An excellent conclusion to the tour would be at their surprise welcome party!
If a cake, candles and balloons seems a little over the top, a luncheon or potluck will also do. This is where you will give the new employees a welcome card signed by their coworkers that contains a gift certificate for dinner at a nice restaurant (where you already made reservations), so they can take their spouse/friend out for dinner and talk about their great first day!
Day 2
The helpfulness of coworkers is a huge aspect of an effective employee orientation, so here’s a tip to give incentives for coworkers to answer questions and offer suggestions and tips: before new employees arrive for their second day of work, place an envelope full of gift certificates or movie coupons on their desk. Encourage them to give the rewards away to coworkers who do a great job of easing the transition.
Schedule a department or team meeting that involves new employees. Not only will the meeting give them a chance to get to know their coworkers better, but it will make them feel important and valued.
Towards the end of the day, have a meeting with new employees so you can evaluate how the orientation process is progressing. Make sure you quickly solve any problems that have arisen. It is also a good idea at this point to ask them if there is anybody they would like to meet with, and then schedule these meetings yourself right away. The purpose of this meeting is to ensure any existing remorse concerning accepting their position is eliminated and they are excited about their new job. At the meeting’s conclusion, schedule similar weekly gatherings.
Unhappy workers will not hesitate to leave your organization after a dreadful orientation. Sadly, that may be the best-picture scenario. Would you rather offer the position to the second-best applicant or devote countless time and resources orienting and training an employee that isn’t motivated, isn’t engaged and certainly isn’t putting maximum heart and effort into his or her work?
Your work belt is now full of tools that you can use to get your new employees as productive as possible, as soon as possible. Go ahead and use them, and see the results for yourself.
After all, who doesn’t love a good party?
Advance Corporate Training Ltd. provides active, participant-centered training and consulting to performance-driven businesses, institutions and organizations. Visit www.actraining.com for more info on how we can design, deliver and implement an employee orientation program customized for your workplace. Janet Dean can be reached directly at dean@actraining.com.
