Thoughts from Training Time

I gotta train them on WHAT???? WHEN???

2010-10-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, I've written enough over the past couple of years...it's your turn now. I want you to ask ME a question....

Below is a "Linky Tool" that will let you ask a question. Put your question(s) about HR, training or employee motivation into a post on your blog, then link to that post here using the tool.

I'll follow the links, go to your site, read your questions about employee training, and then post the answers here. Simple, right? Just like asking a question over the cubicle wall...except not because there are electrons and screens and ...you get the idea!

Ready to play?

A training must for marketing departments: customers DO talk about your company!

2010-09-30T07:34:00.001-07:00

Okay, maybe it's just me. But it seems that there is a blissful ignorance in marketing departments across the country. It goes something like this....

Marketer 1: Do you think customers will notice if we double the prices and start using much cheaper materials in our products?

Marketer 2: Nah. They're all too busy talking on Facebook and Twitter to care.

Why do I think that? And what in the heck does this have to do with company training? Let me tell you.

I just read a rant on a site called "Search Insider: The inside line on Search Marketing"... here's a little taste of what author Gord Hotchkiss had to say:

"...where do hotels get off charging exorbitant rates for WiFi access and then give you a thin dribble of bandwidth that shuts on and off like a bad neon light? Multiply 13 bucks a night by 200 or 300 rooms for an average-sized hotel. That's about $3,000 every day, or a million dollars a year. This isn't rocket science, people. For that money, I should have a data pipe the size of a Volvo plugged into my laptop."

Conversations like this, albeit maybe without Gord's style, are going on, online, every single day!

And yes, they happen on Facebook and LinkedIn and Twitter... (and maybe even on MySpace, although I think most of those are limited to random posts from non-existent Scandanavian models looking for cash, I mean American husbands...) but most marketing departments seem to be blissfully unaware of what's being said.

And the people in the big offices upstairs? Even more unaware.

So here is the training part:

Make sure everyone in your company knows how to use social media.

Teach everyone in your company how to monitor social media.

Get people in the habit of using it by creating company blogs, Facebook pages for employees, in-house Twitter accounts and other social tools. As a plus, not only will you be training people on the how-to's, you'll be increasing employee retention because connection=retention.

Not sure about the online world yourself? Look for webinars on social media, listening to buzz online and social marketing, then share the webinars and your new-found knowledge with the rest of the company.

Putting out the fires for employee burnout

2010-09-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

We all know the story. More work, less people, no extra money for raises, costs going up for everything else...put it all together, and what do you get?

Nope, not the hokey-pokey. You get employee burnout. Not your problem, you think? After all, lots of people would be happy to have a job, right?

Wrong.

Employee burnout is very much your problem as an employer or a manager or an HR specialist. Did you know:

Employees most susceptible to burnout tend to be your best employees. Yes, these are your star performers, your idea-machines, your "nothing is too hard for me" champions. So when they go down....well...you get the picture.

Burnt out employees tend to self-treat by working harder. Which makes them burn out even faster. And deeper. Sounds counter intuitive, but it's true. They push and work and try to get through their burnout by giving more. And if you're like most employers, you encourage that. Reward it, even. Until they crash or quit or make some dangerous mistake...which brings us to our next point

Burnt out employees make mistakes.
Lots of them and bigger ones. and because these tend to be your stars, odds are they have the access and the authority to do a lot of damage when they mess up. And those mistakes can cost you a lot of money.

Employees suffering from burn out at work usually start messing up other aspects of their life. Now, I'm not saying they're going to go postal or anything, but it is pretty well documented that employee burn out leads to marital and family problems, and is apparently correlated with increased auto accidents, family abuse issues and illness (including serious illness.)

So what can you do?

First, know the symptoms. Sudden increases in work hours, projects accepted and deadlines set can be a sign. But it's tricky. Another sign can be when a developed employee starts spending hours surfing the web or talking on the phone. Basically, it's a big change in behavior. Work behavior.

Look for the causes. Has this employee been charged with the work of several? Are expectations rising faster than any one can meet? Has there been a recent or radical restructuring of tasks or roles? Is there a constant threat of job loss?

Do something. Sure, it's great if you're saving the cost of two employees. But if that means your star employees are going down, the risk isn't worth it.

Provide training for managers and supervisors to help them avoid overloading staff. Teach them about the symptoms and the risks of employee burnout. Teach them why it matters.

Offer relaxation options like yoga or meditation or just a quiet room to sit and think.

Discourage working late and coming in early, as well as taking work home. Insist that vacations days are used, even if it's just for staycations. Make it a company policy, if you need to. Employee burnout is both caused by and symptomatic of an imbalance in work/life time. The few extra hours of work you may "lose" will be more than balanced by keeping your best and brightest employees happy and productive.

Are you seeing burn out at your company? Are you experiencing it? Leave a comment and let me know what you are doing about it, what caused it, or what you wish could be done. Let's share and see if someone has a way that works.

We're back!

2010-09-28T07:16:00.000-07:00

For the past several months, changes in priorities and roles have left this blog hanging out there somewhere in the netherworld. But I am happy to say, we are back, and I am excited about bringing you more information about employee training, motivation and performance improvement.

There are a few changes I'll be making. One is that I will be actively seeking guest posters to share their expertise. I will be adding a "Contact us to suggest a guest post" button, but in the meantime (like for the next day or two!) jsut click on the hot link in this post, and drop me an e-mail. Let me know what you'd like to write about, and tell me a bit about your area of expertise.

Looking forward to getting back in the conversation! :-) See y'all soon!

How many lines on a labor law poster can your employees read?

2010-03-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

In almost any kind of workplace, there are at least few "official" posters. There might be an industry-specific safety poster. Odds are there's a minimum wage poster. And most businesses will have a number of small posters or one combination labor law poster covering relevant federal laws, regulations and guidelines. State labor law posters and even local labor law information posters may be posted in some areas, too.

That means that the average employee is presented with at least 2, and as many as a dozen posters at work.

Now for the big question...how many of them have they read? How often do they notice when the posters change to reflect new rules and laws?

Odds are, the answer is none. And never.

When most employees are questioned, they say they either just know that something is on the wall (or in the poster display case) or they've never really noticed the posters at all!

So we need to do some training! Why? Training employees on the how and what of labor law posters could:

Prevent injuries to the employees, to co-workers or to customers
Reduce the likelihood of lawsuits for missed or misunderstood benefits like FMLA or ADA accommodation
Reduce the amount of time HR staff has to spend explaining protections and obligations covered in the posters

Some tips and suggestions for good labor law poster training

Focus on:

The reason the posters are there
The reason reading them is important to employees (they may miss a benefit until it's too late, etc)
The locations for the posters
An overview of the content

Do not:

Read the entire poster set to employees, unless reading skills are an issue. The focus should remain on the employee's obligation to see and read this material. Reading it may also set you up for a future lawsuit if an employee claims "that's not what so-and-so said when they read it to us!"

This little training could yield big results for your employees and for your company.

Is it sexual harassment to teach about sexual harassment?

2010-02-26T08:01:00.000-08:00

Awhile back I read about a woman who refused to attend the mandatory diversity training sessions at her company because the content violated her religious beliefs (she did not believe all people were equal -- specifically gay people.) The case went to court, and last I heard was being appealed.

But seeing a note to myself about that training issue made me think. What if the very nature of sexual harassment training, with all its talk of unwanted advances and inappropriate touching was deemed a form of sexual harassment by some employees? It could be seen by some, I suppose, as creating a "sexually charged atmosphere" while others might view the training content and.or images as offensive.

I'm wondering if any of our readers have encountered a situation like this. Has anyone at your company, or anyone you've known of, ever sought an exemption from sexual harassment training because of the content? And if so, how was it handled?

OOPS! Missed something in training and now the bank is on fire!

2010-02-19T06:18:00.000-08:00

Okay, maybe not the whole bank, but at least the ATM!

That's what happened to a fellow HR pro in a previous job. Just one missed element in his training, and boom! The ATM is in flames!

When you're training your new employees, have you covered all the bases? Sure, you know all the little do's and do not's, but are all of those in your training program?

Take a step back, and review every element of a task. Is there something you do, (or the person who is skilled in that job does) that is missing from the training, but matters? Maybe missing that step won't set an ATM on fire, but it might shut down a product line, accidentally cancel a critical order or cause your company to miss an important deadline.

So while you read about Ben's flaming ATM experience, think about your company training? Are there fires you could prevent now with the right training?

The blurry facts about sexual harassment training

2010-02-02T11:45:00.000-08:00

I guess it all depends where you look.

One study says sexual harassment in the workplace is down. Another one says it's up.

And then there are the stats on who exactly is being harassed. Used to be assumed that it was all women. Then gay, lesbian and transgendered employees moved up on the list. Now straight men are filing an increasing number of sexual harassment complaints, usually aimed at their female bosses.

As if all of this wasn't confusing enough, there are questions about what to do to stop, or at least reduce sexual harassment at work. Heck, most of us can't even agree on what is really is. Some things are easy to define as sexual harassment, like when sexual favors are a condition of promotion or even hiring (think the proverbial "director's couch.")

But other things are trickier. When does a compliment become sexual harassment? Or a hug or a pat on the back? Is it only the big things that count, or is everything potentially open to interpretation as harassment?

Amid this maelstrom of uncertainty, there are a few things employers can do to reduce the likelihood of sexual harassment at work. And as you probably expect on this blog, I'm going to list training first. So here goes...

1) TRAINING!

Yup, this is yet another case of what we don't know CAN hurt us. If your employees and your managers can't even come up with a clear definition of sexual harassment, how are they supposed to:

A) Recognize it
B) Prevent it
C) Deal with it when it happens

Now for the good news. Sexual harassment training does NOT have to be boring. In fact, it probably won't do a heck of a lot of good if it is boring. People who are falling asleep, daydreaming or doodling probably are not learning very much.

Look for a sexual harassment training program that gets people involved in the process. Something with role playing, humor or an interactive component will be much more effective than a lecture (remember that earlier post about why lectures are a bad way to teach? Well, here's your chance to apply that knowledge!)

2) Create a culture that doesn't enable sexual harassment

It can be as simple as open door policies for small meetings. You can also make sure spouses and partners are invited to social events on a regular basis. Let your employees, from senior management on down, know that any instance of sexual harassment will be investigated and dealt with promptly. No exceptions.

3) Remain observant

It's estimated that up to 70% of sexual harassment events are never reported, so it's up to you to be aware of the mood and tone of employee interactions. If meetings often include off-color jokes or references, it's time to pull in the reins and get that behavior under control.

Management needs training too!

2010-01-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

There is no nice way to put this...

Lots of managers are terrible at being managers.

Some are manipulative, some are glory-hogs taking credit for staff accomplishments, some hide behind rules instead of taking the lead, some are know-it-all's, and some are control freaks who micromanage employees to death.

If you're in the HR department, you know I'm telling the truth. You see it, hear about, and all too often, try to clean up the messes bad management leaves behind. So what is HR doing about it?

Are you training your managers? Odds are, the answer is no.

Somewhere, somehow, we got the idea that training was for the rank and file. Managers occupied a glorified, exempt realm where they were free from all training needs except for the odd time-management seminar or maybe an intro to the newest corporate initiative to reorganize the rank and file.

And that's sad. Because the right training at the right time could transform those rule-huggers and glory hogs into leaders. A properly designed workshop could teach managers why their success depends upon letting their staff do what they do best without the pressure of micro-management. Good management training can introduce an emotionally-distant manager to the idea of collaborative success through listening, engagement and participation.

No, it is not a cure all. Some managers are just wrong for the job, and will spend the rest of their tenure exemplifying the Peter Principle, as they continue at their level of incompetence.

But with training, the majority of bad managers can become, at the very least, less bad. Lots can become pretty good. And a few, with the right tools and training, will become leaders.

The very un-glamourous training hardworking employees need

2010-01-25T10:49:00.000-08:00

There was a time, not too long ago, when employees who worked in hazardous areas or at hazardous job had to supply their own Personal Protective Equipment, also known as PPE.

I guess that seemed like a good policy at the time. It saved the company money, because the cost came out of the employees pocket. And in theory, since the employee was protecting themselves, they would be extra careful and make sure all the bases (or the fingers or whatever) were covered.

In theory.

But in reality? Let's take the case of Pat. A good name that could apply to a woman or a man, so no one will be offended...or everyone will. Especially the Pats. But I digress...

OKAY....Pat comes to work. Pat is a machine operator who also has to use caustic chemicals from time to time. By industry standards and OSHA guidelines, Pat is supposed to use:

Protective goggles
A hard hat
Steel-toed boots
Heavy-duty, extra long gloves
Long sleeved shirts and long pants
A lab coat or smock over street clothes
A dust mask or respirator
Ear plugs

Now Pat only makes $9.75 an hour. And PPE can get expensive. The boots alone are well over $100. So Pat skimps. Regular workboots from the discount store, no steel toes, go for $22.95. Heat and chemical resistant gloves? A pair of garden gloves instead. When it's hot, Pat wears a t-shirt. There haven't been any lab coats around the plant in years, so that's out. The rest of the stuff? Pat just doesn't have the money -- $9.75/hour only goes so far.

This went on for years. Then the rules changed.

In Rule 72:64341-64430, enacted in late 2007, OSHA declared that an

employer must pay for required PPE, except in the limited cases specified in the standard. Safety-toe protective footwear and prescription safety glasses were excepted from the employer payment requirement, in large part because these items were considered to be very personal in nature and were often worn off the jobsite.

Unfortunately, years of ignoring the standards for PPE have made employees lazy. And years of not having to pay for PPE has made employers lazy, too. But with OSHA stepping up enforcement, and industrial accidents rising, employers need to train their workers -- and themselves in safe PPE practices.

With the increased attention OSHA is paying to violations these days, training Pat -- and providing all the necessary PPE could save your company thousands.

Getting training out of the box, Part 3 --- Finally!

2010-01-18T05:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay, so it wasn't the next day. But hey, it was New Year's Eve. And if you're like most of us here, that first week back after the winter holiday madness was, well, more madness!

But now we're a week into 2010 and it's time to get back on track. So where was I? Oh yes, your objections to opening the box on training.

Number 1

It costs too much.

This one had the most hands waving in the air, I'm sure. Budgets are tight. Got it. But how many people at your company are now expected to pick up the slack for those who have left -- or were let go?

When you eliminate a position or leave one vacant, you've not only cut costs, you've cut expertise and experience. Aside from the question of whether that saves you any money, there is the issue of keeping the business going.

So you need to, got to, have to, MUST train the remaining people so they can do their jobs AND the new job, too.

Hoping they'll "catch on" or figure it out is not a valid game plan. Too much risk for mistakes, and in today's sue-happy climate, that could cost BIG $$$$$.

And looking ahead, what happens when someone leaves unexpectedly, taking their expertise with them? People are still moving on, taking other jobs. Are your employees cross-trained well enough to pick up that now-vacant job, even for a short time if you do hire someone new?

And ALL OF THAT ASIDE....

Good training doesn't really cost that much. But you already knew that, didn't you. So on to the next excuse....

Number 2

It takes too much time away from work

Did I hear you right? Training people to do their jobs better, or to feel better about their jobs is a waste of time???

We live in a world where nearly half of all employees DO NOT LIKE THEIR JOBS. And we all know that people who are happy at work perform better, work harder, and make less mistakes.

And yet people are waving those hands in the air claiming that training is a waste of time? That means one of three things:

1) You have bad training, and no one should be going. So you need to fix what's broken rather than consider it a plus that you're forcing only a small number of your employees to suffer through miserable training.

2) Your training is not useful to your business. Sure, it might be fun. Or it might be your trainer's favorite topic. But if it isn't really useful to your business and your employees, it's time to replace it with something that does matter. And then invite more people to share in the wealth.

3) You are too focused on the short-term, at the expense of the long-term. Sure, maybe Sally in IT isn't a manager yet. But she wants to be. And she's a good employee. So let her go to the management training class. It will benefit the company in the long run, whether she moves into management, or just learns some new skills to apply to her current job. Or even gains a better understanding of what managers do. It's ALL good.

The Big Number 3

There's one more excuse, but this one is usually not accompanied by waving hands. It might be whispered. But usually it's not even spoken.

We are afraid that if "they" know too much, "they" will think they have a right to make choices. To think for themselves. Maybe...and this is the scariest part...shoot for OUR jobs. Gasp! I said it! I broke the code of silence!

It's nothing new. It's the reason so many cultures through-out history have clamped down on education. The more the masses know, the more dangerous they are. Or could be.

But as an excuse, even a silent one, for holding back on training in 2010, it stinks. If managers are so insecure in their skills, they need to get better at what they do, instead of acting as roadblocks to improving the skills of their teams.

Worst of all, if this is the real reason and it's coming down from the top, your organization is in a heap of trouble. And at that point, training is the least of your worries.

So which is it? And why are those gates still closed? Are there reasons I haven't covered? Let me know. Post your thoughts or drop me an e-mail at trainingtimeblog at gmail.com.

And while you're at it, I'd love to hear your thoughts for topics I should cover. (BTW, MLM, discount pharmaceuticals, or the latest gadget you're selling are NOT open topics, so skip those e-mails and comments please.)

In case you needed some more reasons

2010-01-14T09:27:00.001-08:00

Okay, I promise, this is the last post (for awhile!) on why you have to, must, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY need to train your employees!

I was on Facebook, and came across a post from Milton Corsey, linking to a truly awesome article by Bill Bartmann over at Entrepreneur.

Bill listed the six myths about training employees (including the all-time fave "It costs too much" that I just dealt with in my last three posts.

If my rants and tantrums haven't convinced you that training is a non-negotiable MUST for the very top of your professional to-do list, check out his 6 points, then let me know what you think.

Getting training out of the black box - Part 2

2009-12-29T10:05:00.001-08:00

Now that you know what training is wanted/needed, it's time to share the news.

In chatting with other HR pros, and even through my own observation, I hear a lot about training being available only to a select few.

Excuse me??

We are talking about something that will create a better informed, more productive, more motivated, and more committed workforce, and you are keeping it a secret from most of your employees?

All I can say is you are nuts! (headwag and finger shaking to be imagined here!)

You have someone working on the factory floor who has aspirations of becoming a supervisor and wants to be able to do it well from Day 1 when the opportunity arises, and you are only letting people who are already supervisors in the door to that class?

You have a clerical employee who writes code on the side at home and you are NOT going to tell her about the database application class because it is not in her job description -- yet! Are you kidding me?

Stop thinking of training as a limited resource!

I will say it again! Training increases productivity, improves morale, and boost employee commitment. It is a tool like almost none other you have in your HR toolbox. So open up the box, and take it out!

How?

Publish a training schedule and let people pick the classes they want to attend. If there are a few people who NEED to attend a given class, put their names down first. Then let ANYONE sign up for the rest of the slots. ANYONE!

Send out in-house e-mails about upcoming training. Post signs on walls. PUBLICIZE IT! Think school dance -- the more signs, the more excitement, the more people attend. Same principle here, except your company benefits from all the people showing up and getting training! Pretty cool, huh? And you don't even need someone to watch the punchbowl!

Reward people for attending, reward improvement in areas that had been lacking, reward new ideas that came from the training. Pay attention to the after-affects of the training. When people do good things because of it, reward them. Chocolate bars, gift certificates, plaques, whatever you choose. Just follow through.

Tomorrow...your objections to this idea. Yeah, I can see those hands waving out there. And the "But...but..." excuse pouring out. Share yours. I'll share the ones I've heard. And tomorrow, we'll deal with them all.

Taking training and rewards out of the black box -Part 1

2009-12-28T13:42:00.000-08:00

In my previous post, I talked about making training into a reward. One of the biggest obstacles to doing that is getting the word out about:

1) Training needed/wanted
2) Training available

Without opening up these two things, your training program -- along with all the good it could do your company -- will remain in a black box. And we all know that the only time someone actually looks into the black box is after a disaster.

Here are some tips to open that box, and get training out where it belongs:

1) Find out what kind of training your employees want.

Oh, this sounds sooooo simple. Starting with the employees. Asking questions. But in reality, it is almost never done!

Training is fed to people, top down. With a "We who sit off in our offices and never do the daily work..." directive behind the training choices, is it any wonder that most training has little or no impact on learning, and is in fact dreaded by employees? Where did we forget that employees are grown-ups, and are perfectly capable of knowing what interests them, what would make their jobs easier and what questions they need answered!

2) When in doubt, ask why.

OK, let's say you asked what kind of training people want and you got the following list:

Chinese language (from a salesperson)
How to be a good manager (from a machine operator on the factory floor)
Microsoft Office skills (from the Art Director)

Wondering why a machine operator wants a management class? Or the Art Director wants training in office? And the Chinese language training? You have no idea!

Traditional black box thinking would be to say no to all of them.

But if you ask, you may discover that the machine operator is taking night classes, and hopes to become a manager or supervisor some day, the Art Director needs help setting up spreadsheets to track projects, and that salesperson just noticed a growing demand for products like yours from Chinese buyers, and wants to be able to open that market.

3) Take away the stigma of asking for training

In tooooo many companies, asking for training in anything directly related to your job is seen as an admission of incompetence. So even employees who really need the information, and who would benefit from the training are afraid to ask for it.

Letting employees know it's a strength to ASK for training in your field will open the door to a better trained, better performing, and (incidentally), more committed workforce. And what employer wouldn't want that!

Tomorrow, I'll talk about getting the word out about training.

Training and rewards, Santa style

2009-12-23T08:15:00.000-08:00

The connection between behavior and rewards is simple, if you're talking about Santa. You behave, you get toys. You misbehave? You can look forward to a stocking full of coal. Nasty.

The really cool thing about that plan is that it is clear and up front. No mysterious stockings full of coal because some bean counter said there where too many good children. The terms are clear...clean your room, help out mom and dad around the house, brush your teeth, and you're pretty much guaranteed that old Saint Nick won't leave you lumps of fossil fuel instead of a candy cane and toys.

Wouldn't it be great if corporate training worked that way? Or heck, corporate life in general.

Imagine this:

You come into work every day, you work hard. You do your reports and track your products. So when training opportunities come around, you can pretty much count on a sweet opportunity to learn something new, improve your skills, maybe get set for a promotion when a position opens up.

Sorry. The reality is far from the Santa-based system. We treat employee training like some secret formula we need to protect from the masses.

First, we limit the number of people who hear about the training being offered. It becomes something more like an invitation to a secret society than a chance to create a better educated workforce.

Then, we have an approval process for people who "heard" about the training and want to go. We screen them to make sure we only allow in those who already have jobs related to the training. The idea that others in the organization might benefit from diverse training is about as accepted as the idea of little green men -- we all know about the stories, but no one in their right mind would admit to believing them.

Finally, we make it hard to people to attend the training. In many organizations, salaried employees attending training are expected to do their normal job on their own time, outside of the training time. Now there's a big incentive, right?

There are literally millions of pages of research showing that a better trained and cross trained workforce is more productive, more committed and more successful. And yet, and yet...the stocking full of coal continue.

Can we take a page from Santa in 2010? If your employees are on the nice list, make training one of their rewards? At the very least, it beats vacuuming up all that coal dust.

New Year, New Training Goals, Part Deux

2009-12-09T10:09:00.000-08:00

It's almost the new year, you're all excited about getting going on the training schedule for 2010, you have your topics all lined up and...

STOP!

You did read my blog post from yesterday, right? You took the time to look over last year's training and pinpoint the shining stars and the absolute flops, didn't you?

No? Okay, I'll wait here while you go and check it out...(twiddling thumbs...) Take your time. (humming to self...playing with a pencil...)

You're back!!

Okay, now you're ready to move on and get that schedule down, right? Er, umm, just one more thing...you did check to make sure that you were up to date on any changes in labor laws or any court decisions that might affect your training choices, right?

Yeah, I'll wait....(...making a string of paper clips, drawing on my hand...)

Finally! Ready?

Okay, take that list from last year, the one with the successes and failures. Look at what bombed. Now, no matter how simple those things might be for you to do, DO NOT DO THEM!!!

The lectures that put half the group to sleep? No more of those.

The audio/video program that was rated a zero by 90% of participants (there are always those few brown-nosers who think you'll recognize their handwriting...) -- that goes, too.

The bad instructors, meaningless fill and generally ineffective lessons? All verboten this year.

Define your stuff!

To paraphrase Dr. Seuss, "A training's not a training if no one learns the stuff."

1) Make a list of the things you must teach.
2) Add the stuff you think you should teach.
3) Add the things you want to teach.

See what's changed

Look at those new labor laws and court cases. Which items on your list are affected by those. Make a note next to each, so you'll include the new information.

Look at your materials, if any, you plan to reuse. Is the new stuff in there? Or even more important, is there old stuff in there that is contrary to the new stuff? If so, throw 'em away. Not worth the risk.

Look at what worked and do a WHOLE LOT more of it!

Whatever got the most results, best training impact and most participant appreciation last year is how you are going to plan your training this year.

No whining about it being harder or more time-consuming. The whole point of training is training! Not putting on training classes or using materials. It's about making a difference and making people safer/more productive/happier/more effective, etc, etc.

Leave gaps in your calendar and spaces in your training

During this calendar year, something will change. A new or revised labor law or two. A company policy. An industry practice. Make sure your training schedule has room for a few ad-hoc sessions, and that your training classes/events have room for new information.

Happy 2010 Training!

FORTIFY YOUR OASIS: Walkin' in a winter wonderland ... It's the HR Carnival

2009-12-09T09:57:00.000-08:00

Check out our mention on the most recent HR Carnival! Thanks for including us! FORTIFY YOUR OASIS: Walkin' in a winter wonderland ... It's the HR Carnival

New year, new training goals PART 1

2009-12-08T08:25:00.001-08:00

News FLASH!

New Year's goals aren't just for losing those 15 pounds you put on during the holidays.

It's also a great time for reviewing last year's training program, and planning next the next year. Before you set your 2010 company training schedule, consider these questions and planning ideas.

LAST YEAR'S TRAINING

Start with a list of all training from last year. It's time to look at what worked and what did not. Consider:

Which two training classes or programs got the highest ratings from participants? Which two or three garnered the lowest participant ratings?

Which training programs had the fastest participant sign-up rate? Which had the lowest?

Which training resulted in the largest impact on your employees' behavior, performance or productivity?

Which training was a complete flop? This could be people falling asleep, disappearing after breaks, daydreaming, texting under the table, negative behavior not changing or really awful-terrible-miserable evaluations by participants. Be honest. Even if it was your absolute, favorite personal pride and joy session, if it flopped, it flopped.

Which training was the hands-down best for 2009? Again, be honest. Maybe it was one you hated or it was a pain to put together. But it worked and it worked well.

FINDING THE COMMON FACTORS

Now look at your list and find the things your really good training sessions had in common. And the things your really miserable ones had in common. You've heard of 6-Sigma? I call this 6-Tau. Consider:

Technique -- was it a lecture, video, activity, panel discussion or brainstorming session? Define the way information was conveyed.

Topic -- Categorize your training sessions into a few topics. Management skills, productivity, legal issues, etc.

Training Location -- Where was the training presented? In a conference room, on the factory floor, offsite?

Teacher(s) -- Who presented? Was it an individual or a team?

Tools -- What tools were used in the training? Computers? Game show-like elements? Toys? Paper and pencil?

Timing -- When was the training presented? First thing in the morning or right before quitting time? Over lunch or during a busy time of day? And how long did it last? An hour? All day? All week?

As you list these elements of the 6-Tau evaluation, odds are you will see some patterns emerging. Training that is scheduled in the morning may be more effective than in the late afternoon. Shorter may work better than longer (or vice versa.) Certain instructors may be key to effective training. And certain techniques or tools might work better than others.

Once you've identified what works and what doesn't, it's time to build your 2010 training program. Stay tuned tomorrow for more on building a training program that works.

Staying up to date on legal issues critical for trainers

2009-12-01T07:12:00.000-08:00

Outdated training could cost your company more than most trainers realize. A word of caution about getting too far ahead or reusing old training materials

Jackson (not his real name, but hey, we have to keep the attorneys happy!) is the training director for a large corporation. Let's call it XYZ, Inc. (Again, not the real name, but those attorneys are still watching, so....)

A bit a perfectionist, he prides himself on having all corporate training planned a year in advance. There are sessions on time management, on job skills, and even on touchy subjects like sexual harassment.

As of January 1st, the materials are ready and the entire year's training for all divisions is planned completely. He's even managed to reuse some old materials left over from a few years ago.

Pretty good, right? Not really.

Odds are Jackson's well-in-advance and recycled training will miss the mark on critical labor law issues. Employees at XYZ may not get the right information on some important legal issues. And that could cost XYZ money. Maybe even big money.

The thing that Jackson, and so many other trainers miss, is the fact that employment law is a moving target. And as a trainer, it's your job to stay on top of new developments and shifting regulations.

A few examples might help illustrate just how critical this is....

- Jackson's training plan included directing employees in the XYZ-owned medical labs in proper recordkeeping. But the class content was written before the new HIPAA Breach Notification rules went into effect in September of 2009. So the information Jackson gathered back in December of 2008, and the old materials he is recycling, are not only incomplete, they may be wrong.

The probable result? Records improperly maintained, with breaches unreported -- and that could lead to fines or lawsuits against XYZ.

- Jackson was very happy with his training plan for interviewing and hiring. He included age, disability and ethnic discrimination. Religious discrimination. Even pay discrimination between male and female applicants. He was certain all the bases were covered.

But during the year, the definition of an ADA disability changed. And legal decisions in a number of courts expanded protection to cover sexual identity, sexual reassignment and gender-based lifestyle issues. But Jackson's training doesn't cover any of that. And that omission could be costly for XYZ.

There are other issues Jackson may have missed during the year -- Changes in the FMLA regarding military families. Shifts in EEOC rules to cover genetic information. State-level changes in employment law. Court decisions that refine or even completely altered existing labor law practices.

If you, like Jackson, like to map out your training year, make sure you stay up to date on changes in labor law, both from legislative and judicial sources. Leave room in your curriculum for "as needed" special training sessions to bring managers and others "into the loop" on new rules and regulations.

And before you re-use older training materials, have your staff attorney or an outside employment law attorney look over the content. That little step could go along way towards keeping your company and all employees in step with today's employment law issues.

"Do or do not -- there is no try" -- Yoda

2009-11-24T09:57:00.000-08:00

Whether you're a Star Wars fan or not, the quote in the title of this post probably resonates. How many times have we heard (or said ourselves), "I will try to..."

The question is, how does this relate to training?

The answer? Too many people wearing the title "trainer" are out there saying "I will try to train the staff to..." And as Yoda so succinctly stated, that just doesn't cut it.

Why do we bother with training if it does not train?

As the trainer, either you do -- or you do NOT convey the information, demonstrate the steps, impart the knowledge or inspire the change. If the trainer is not even sure of his or her ability to really teach, how can there be ANY level of confidence in the outcome of the training?

The worst part is that most would-be trainers are pretty bad at teaching. Yet well trained employees are critical to a company's success!

A few examples:

People who need to learn how to maintain federal or state-mandated records, and do not learn well can cost your company money in fines and penalties.
Employees who fail to learn the lessons on sexual harassment, discrimination or workplace violence can open your company up to costly lawsuits.
And when it comes to how to operate a dangerous machine or handle a hazardous substance, that failure to have the right training skills can be deadly.

Training the trainers

The solution is to go back to Yoda's statement and apply that to every training program and trainer in your company. Ask yourself...are they "trying to train" or are they doing it?

If not, it's time to take a step back and provide your training staff (or training person, these days) with the tools they need to effectively convey critical information to employees. Whether that involves classes, feedback, training books, exercises, teaching practice, role playing or maybe just some new training tools, it is essential that it be done and done well. If you're the trainer in need of better skills or tools, what are you doing to correct it?

Bad training is worse than none. If you're an employer, what are your trainers offering? And if you're a trainer, have you fallen into the "I will try to.." trap?

Lectures are the worst way to teach employees -- and the most common

2009-11-20T10:26:00.000-08:00

Isn't it about time we hunted down and laid to rest lectures as a way to teach employees?

New Moon just opened in theatres, so maybe that's why I have vampires on my mind.

But as I was looking over yet another mailing filled with dry "training" books and canned lectures, I could not help but think of putting a stake deep into the heart of this long-since-dead training method and making the corporate world a whole lot safer for the rest of us.

We all know that standing at the front of a classroom talking at a group of people who would rather be almost anywhere else that this is a lousy way for one adult to teach other adults. Heck, we've suffered through it ourselves since elementary school and well into our professional careers. Over and over and over. And yet we do it.

Thank about what you and I and almost everyone else does during a training lecture...

We sit. We fidget. We doodle. We check our watches a dozen times, then count our blessings when the lecture is over, hoping no one answers the call for "Questions, anyone?"

Sound familiar?

How much learning do you think goes on in that kind of setting? So why, why, why are we STILL doing it?

Some alternatives to turning employees into glazed-eyed zombies drawing endless circles and squiggly lines on their notepads....

1) Give your employees something to read about whatever it is they're supposed to be learning. Oh, and make it entertaining. Boring is NOT more professional -- it's just boring.

2) And give them someone or something to watch so they can SEE how the process works. Again. Scrap the boring. Make them smile and their learning curve goes up. An example?

3) Let them try it out. Yes, they may mess up. But they will learn much faster and understand much better if they work through it with their own two hands. If it works for brain surgery -- that's what internships and residency are all about, after all -- it will certainly work for most of the things your company needs employees to do. Learning by doing. Or at the very least, a simulation of doing, followed by for-real doing.

4) If it's not something that can be taught by doing because it's an attitude or a personal skill, let them pretend they're doing it. Or trying to stop someone else from doing it. Or someone is doing it to them. This role-playing approach works great for intangible lessons like discrimination, harassment prevention or managing a group of difficult, opinionated, clueless...opps, sorry. Got off the track a bit there.

Back to what I was saying....

The only part of training employees that really matters is actually TRAINING them! Seat warming and doodling does nothing for them, for you, or for your company.

Get people out of their chairs and get them engaged in whatever it is they're learning.

If it matters that they learn it, make sure your training will actually teach them.

Cutbacks creating witch hunts at work -- and very little net savings

2009-11-18T06:23:00.000-08:00

Picture a department with a half dozen employees. They work together pretty well. It's a comfortable and productive group.

Then something changes. Someone in management decides that the best way to reduce costs is to eliminate an employee or two.

The word leaks out that someone is going to be cut.

And suddenly, that cooperative group of employees turns into a finger-pointing, fault-finding mob, all accusing each other of incompetence, malfeasance, or just plain stupidity. The witch hunt is on, and everyone is fair game.

And while such things can occasionally bring some relevant details to the surface, most of the time the "facts" about who's doing what, and who's been late and who made personal phone calls on company time have as much value as the crowd's logic in Monty Python's Life of Brian as they accuse a village girl of being a witch...

In the meantime, work doesn't get done, customers are ignored, and the company risks lawsuits for all kinds of things ranging from discrimination to harassment to creating an unsafe workplace.

From one HR pro to another, I am here to tell you that it just isn't worth it! Sure, there are times when a cutback is absolutely necessary. And in those cases, it needs to be done quickly and with chance for rumors to start.

But most of the time, the savings from eliminating a person are more than offset by the cost of lost productivity and higher turnover among those left behind. Unfortunately, most managers don't know it.

Training managers in the real versus short-term savings

As part of your management training program, address the cost of cutbacks. Teach managers how to weigh in factors like lost work hours, reduced productivity levels and higher error rates among survivors. Make sure they understand the price of a jump in turnover, as people scramble to move to someplace where they will not be "next on the list."

Emergency training -- okay so it's boring -- until it saves a life

2009-11-17T05:36:00.000-08:00

Let's face it...probably no one wants to attend an emergency preparedness or emergency response training session. It's usually pretty dry stuff, it may involve giving mouth-to-mouth to a plastic mannequin missing its limbs, and it probably will keep you away from that pile of work that's already overdue.

There's only one thing worse than attending emergency training sessions -- and that's teaching them. You know, you just know, that everyone in the class would rather be somewhere else. And quite frankly, so would you. But you do the class because OSHA requires it. Or your state or your industry mandates it.

But then one day, the unthinkable happens. Someone falls off a forklift. Or has a heart attack right there in the lunch room. Or a blizzard shuts down the roads and the electricity, and you have two dozen people in the office. with no heat. And suddenly all that safety training or emergency response training kicks in, and people know what to do (and what NOT to do) and a life is saved. Or do they? Were they listening as someone droned on about first aid? Or emergency shelter?

That's the flip side of emergency training. The point of it all, that's hard to remember when that plastic dummy appears in the middle of the room. This stuff really is about life and death.

So what can we, as trainers and HR pros, do to make the very necessary and often mandatory safety training or emergency response training a little more palatable?

1) Make it fun

We've said it here before, and I will say it again. THERE IS NO REASON TRAINING CANNOT BE FUN! Whew, that felt good! Did y'all hear it? Examples?

Instead of training from a book, with a lecture, teach the basics and then turn the training session into a custom version of Jeopardy, complete with buzzers. "Yes, Alex, "I'll take Blood and Bones for $200" is lots more fun than "if a bone appears to be broken, stabilize the limb with a..." Yawn!

Throw things! Okay, not heavy things like supervisors or even small rocks, but fun things like foam balls or stuffed bears wearing safety helmets. Someone asks a question and tosses the toy. The catcher has to answer, then gets to ask the next question and toss the toy. And so on. The game moves fast, the answers stick. Much easier to keep people's attention on a subject like proper tagging of machinery when something is flying around the room and they have 30 seconds to answer!

Give prizes! No, we are not in third grade, but yes, we do still like to get prizes. Talking pens, chocolate bars, movie tickets, desk toys. Small stuff. But it keeps people paying attention and playing along.

That's it. Simple, right? You thought there would be more, just because I put a "1" in front of "Make it fun" didn't you? Ha! Just having some fun. Try it. As weird as it sounds, it just might save someone's life someday.

Sorry for the hiatus! Changing roles equaled some things slipping

2009-10-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

Hi all, yes, we are still here, alive and well at Training Time! Sorry for the silence for the past week or so...we've had some priorities that shifted and our beloved blog fell through the cracks for a bit.

But fear not! We are here, and ready to continue bringing you the best in training information, advice, tools, and yes, the much needed giggles now and then.

One thing I would like to add to our blog is more of a dialog. What would you like to know about training? Send me the burning issues impacting your company's training program, or the hot button topics you see in the HR and training world, so I can include them in our blog. Credit will be given, unless you'd rather keep your name out of the limelight (in which case, Mum's the word -- we can just attribute the idea to "a reader" or if you wish, make up a fun name for you to cleverly disguise your identity.)

Have a happy HR day!

Training for the HR Department

2009-10-14T07:16:00.000-07:00

Most of the time when we think about training and HR, it's the HR department providing the training. But a lot of HR bloggers are talking about the need for HR itself to undergo some retraining.

Trisha, at the HR Ringleader blog put out a call for re-branding the HR department and its functions, while Laurie at PunkRock HR thinks it may actually be too late.

I think it's somewhere in the middle. Rebranding, while certainly something we need to do to clear up the real role of HR in the modern corporate world, is critical. But unlike Laurie, I'm not quite ready to stand poised with pen in hand, ready to sign the death certificate.

I think there is still hope, albeit maybe only with the radical approach House might use on one of the patients everyone else has given up on. It requires major surgery, a complete change in life style and a different view of what a viable HR career looks like.

1) The surgery --

Centralized, standardized, cookie-cutter HR-driven performance evaluations, raises and promotions go first. Far too often, someone in the HR office who has never even met the employee in question rewrites appraisals, sets the raises or makes a firing decision. No more.

The people who know the employees best, make the choices, write the reports. HR can look them over to make sure they're legal and not likely to result in a barrage of lawsuits, but that is it.
HR as a policy-makers and enforcers on dress code, social media access, work hours and rules about whether or not someone can have a plant or a picture on their desk -- gone. No more. We're all grown-ups here, and can certainly make reasonable choices without a virtual parent on site.

Supervisors and managers can deal with the rules for their departments -- again, they know the people and the work requirements. They also have a direct stake in making sure the rules set result in better performance. Again, HR can enjoy an over-site role to make sure federal and state labor law rules are followed -- but last I checked, neither plants on desks nor jeans on bodies fell under any law-making body's jurisdiction.
Remove the phrase "We've always done it that way." and the equally offensive phrases "But it's our policy." from the vocabulary of everyone in HR. Forever. Gone. Cannot be spoken, or used as a excuse for any action or inaction.

2) The new lifestyle --

No that HR is so much lighter because of all that surgery, what can they do?

Learn about what motivates employees.
Set up programs to make those motivators available to managers and supervisors.
Learn about training needs assessment.
Make training needs assessments available to managers and supervisors.
Create a library of training opportunities for employees. Open the door so they can access that training AS THEY NEED IT! No more holding on to training opportunities with a closed fist!
Work with senior management to develop strategies to maximize every employee's potential, reduce turnover and improve job satisfaction.
Do not study the strategies. Act on the strategies. Now.
Learn about the power of social media. Use it. Allow employees to use it.

3) What an HR career is -- and is not --

What it is not:

A policing role
A top-down power role
A "rules-is-rules" role

What is should/must be:

A facilitation role
A problem solving role
A performance strategy role
An information sharing role

Is there still time, Laurie? I think so. The big machine that goes beep hasn't flat-lined yet.

Yet.

Improve your productivity at work with a few simple changes

2009-10-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

For most of us, improving our productivity at work seems like an eternal work in progress. We sign up for seminars, attend workshops and read thousands of articles on productivity in hopes to create some extra time in our busy, busy days.

Everyone’s process will be different, but there always seems to be a better way, a more efficient way to get things done. Implement a few of these simple changes and you may be surprised with the extra time you find in your workday.

Write everything down. Don’t keep your to-do list bottled up in your mind, write it down and post it in a highly visible place on your desk. Writing everything down will help free your mind, allowing more creativity to flow.

Prioritize. Put your to-do list in order, with the most important tasks at the top of the list. Knowing your priorities will help you focus more on what matters and less on what could wait until later.

Be aware. Do your best to focus on one task at a time and be fully conscious in whatever you’re working on. The less distracted you are, the more you will be able to accomplish.

Find your best time to work. Everyone has a part of the day where they get the most done in the least amount of time. Work on the most important tasks during the time of the day when you are most productive. You’ll produce better work, faster.

Take a break. Give yourself a break from time to time. When you start feeling stressed or tired, get up and take a walk. Whether it’s to the break room or around the building, a quick walk will help clear your mind and improve your personal productivity back at your desk.

Quality not quantity. It may be possible to speed through your to-do list and check off every task by the end of the day, but will you come out of it with quality work? Focus on each task as it comes and congratulate yourself for completing each one.

The grass is always greener... in the other cube?

2009-09-25T06:15:00.000-07:00

Ah, the great outdoors – green grass, blue skies, sunshine. Wouldn’t it be nice to bring a little bit of that into the office?

Look no further than the Breathing Partition from Yanko Design (via Geek Sugar). These super-cool cube dividers come equipped with an automatic watering system and room for all your favorite plants.

(Image via Yanko Design)

So, maybe the grass is always greener … in a Yanko cube.

In a state of swine-flu "freakout" at work?

2009-09-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

(image via PassiveAggressiveNotes.com)

Fall has arrived and flu season is just a few steps behind it, although this season is already proving to be anything but typical. Fear of catching the swine flu has played well above the usual fanfare that comes with any “normal” flu season.

People are worried, but not without just cause. Some public health officials are describing the first wave of the swine flu pandemic, which hit the U.S. in May and June, as just a “foretaste” of the upcoming fall flu season.

According to the official tally kept by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), there have been more than a million H1N1 cases in the U.S. alone.

Just like any normal flu season, high-density locations such as offices, schools and airplanes are considered higher-risk areas for spreading the flu. The risk of catching the flu at work is nothing new, but the risk of the swine flu hitting your workplace has many workers stuck in absolute “freakout” mode.

Of course, you want to limit the risk to your staff and customers, but creating a state of panic will sabotage your protective efforts.

Preventing a complete swine-flu “freakout” at your company doesn’t take a team of doctors and nurses, just some old-fashioned common sense. At the very least:

Distribute information on how to protect yourself from the flu.
Post flu-related information, including posters and signs, in high-traffic areas.
Supply employees with alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
Ask employees to stay home from work if they’re feeling ill to limit contact with others.

Another option - Tell them how CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta caught the H1N1 virus while reporting from Afghanistan. Read his first-hand account, "I went to Afghanistan and all I got was H1N1," and follow his lead - get medical care, get lots of rest and stay home for a few days.

As the swine flu continues to make headlines in our newspapers and nightly news shows, it’s no wonder why people are worried at work. Help employees stay safe without creating a state of swine-flu panic.

Read G.Neil’s white paper “Protecting Your Employees and Business from the Spread of Flu” (.pdf) for more information.

And “Flu prevention training: It’s a pandemic out there!” from the Training Time Learning Library.

Saying goodbye to summer...

2009-09-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, September 22, is the first day of fall. Goodbye summer, goodbye beaches, vacations and steamy temperatures. Hello football, prime-time TV and sweater weather.

In celebration of the new season, we’re taking a look back at the great summer we had here at Thoughts from Training Time.

And taking a look back at the posts readers enjoyed most during the past few months:

10 low-cost employee incentive ideas

Employee incentive ideas on a budget

5 tips to build employee morale in a down economy

Friday office humor: Olympics at work

Employee recognition ideas on the cheap, it’s easier than you think

Great ice breaker ideas start with three words

New icebreaker activities for meetings

Creative Icebreaker Games: Guess Who?

Taking steps to improve employee morale

How to have fun at work: Work like a dog

Help! Would your workers know what to do?

2009-09-17T05:37:00.000-07:00

Jane was on her usual route to the printer to pick up her morning reports when without warning, she collapsed to the ground.

Mary, who was just steps behind her in the hallway, rushed to Jane’s side, quickly determined that she’s unconscious and yelled for help. Other coworkers hurry from their cubes and offices to see what’s happening, but no one knows what to do.

They’re frantic, asking each other – Who knows CPR? What’s the extension for the medical readiness group? What do we DO?

Your company may have a medical response plan for emergency situations like these in the office, but how confident are you that everyone will know what to do when faced with a serious medical emergency?

The first step for any business is to develop a comprehensive Emergency Medical Response Action Plan. According to OSHA, an emergency action plan should include, at least:

Means of reporting fires and other emergencies
Evacuation procedures and emergency escape route assignments
Procedures to be followed by employees who remain to operate critical plant operations before they evacuate
Procedures to account for all employees after an emergency evacuation has been completed
Rescue and medical duties for those employees who are to perform them
Names or job titles of persons who can be contacted for further information or explanation of duties under the plan

Having a plan is only the first step. In order for it to work, employees need to know their responsibilities. After developing your medical response plan, here are some ways to ensure employees will know how to follow it.

Set up an Emergency Medical Response Team (MRT). Members of this team should be trained in CPR and AED use. At least one member of the team should be available during each shift.

Provide first aid training. Even employees who are not members of the MRT should be trained on basic first aid and know what to do until a member of the MRT arrives.

Keep first aid supplies easily accessible. Train workers on where these first aid supplies are kept and how to use each item.

Post medical response information in high-traffic areas. Create safety posters with the names and extensions of MRT members and hang the posters in highly visible areas in the building.

Train everyone. Train every employee in the building on your medical response plan and how they should respond in emergency situations. Develop role-play activities to ensure that employees understand the plan.

Remember that even a small accident like a slip and fall can put an employee out of commission for weeks. Have a plan and train employees on how to respond to and prevent emergencies and accidents on the job.

Carnival of HR goes back to school

2009-09-16T06:03:00.000-07:00

The latest installment of the Carnival of HR is up at the HR Maven. She did a fantastic job of harnessing the excitement that comes along with each new school year with a collection of posts that will "liven things up, straighten things out and/or make it fun."

Be sure to check it out here.

When the flu and bad manners collide at work

2009-09-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

From politicians interrupting Presidential speeches to tennis stars berating line judges and rap music moguls stealing an award winning teen’s limelight, recent news headlines have us gasping in disbelief and collectively wondering – “What would your mother say?”

Whether you’re a tennis champion or a grocery store bagger, people are taking notice of the disease-like spread of poor etiquette. Over at his Avian Flu Diary blog, writer FLA_Medic shared a recent experience at his local supermarket:

While paying for my goods, the cashier began counting out money. She then COUGHED into her free hand - and barely skipping a beat -continued counting out my change . . .

. . . I started to say something but was interrupted as this lady SNEEZED (loudly and wetly) into her free hand, wiped her hand on her pants leg, and then blithely resumed counting my change.

He pointed out the cashier’s poor (and germy) etiquette, she denied any wrongdoing, wiped her hands with a hand wipe then gave the shopper his change using “fresh” bills from the register.

I walked around the store for several minutes, fuming . . . and finally asked another cashier to page the manager. He arrived a few minutes later, and I explained what had transpired (I did not identify the cashier . . .this, I felt was a failure of Management).

I asked, “Have you had any employee training sessions on sneezing and coughing etiquette? After all . . we are in a pandemic.”

So, though it may be the simplest and one of our earliest learned lessons in etiquette (next to saying “please” and “thank you,” of course) some people need a refresher lesson on the importance of covering their mouth and nose while sneezing and coughing – the right way.

Now is the time to get your flu season training in motion, especially with some experts predicting flu season to hit its peak in October, before the release of the H1N1 vaccine.

Educate employees on how to protect themselves from the flu with posters, pamphlets and online newsletters – anything that could help prevent the spread of illness in your workplace.

Remember, the rules have changed since the School House Rock generation was in class (oh, you know who you are) – we use our elbows to cover sneezes, no more of that icky hand nonsense.

Teach employees to fish... for training

2009-09-10T07:24:00.000-07:00

You know how it goes, “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime.”

Well, the same holds true when it comes to employee training. When you teach employees how to fish, or find training on their own, they’ll continue on the same path for a lifetime, or at least for the time they spend at your company.

Teaching employees to fish for training begins with a course in company culture. Only by fostering a culture that promotes education and skills training will employees feel that learning is not only encouraged, but a necessary part of their career.

Getting started doesn’t have to use up a ton of resources either. Encourage employees to fish, for training, that is, by implementing a few of these ideas:

Improve education from the inside out. Instead of having employees look outside to seminars and courses, give them opportunities to learn within the walls of your workplace. Something as simple as an in-house learning library can give employees the tools they need to make a difference.

Create your own trainers. Some of the best training resources are right there under your nose – you hired them. Create a peer-to-peer training program where employees share their expertise with others. Without ever stepping foot outside, you’ll be fostering teamwork, improving engagement and encouraging employees to seek out training on their own.

Embrace technology. These days, finding new learning outlets can be as simple as turning on your computer. From Twitter to online learning courses, technology has made learning more accessible, and affordable, than ever before.

Try something new. Start a new in-house learning program, like “lunch-and-learn” training sessions. Typically more relaxed and less structured than traditional training courses, lunch-and-learns are a great way to fit training into everyone’s busy day.

Sign up an employee for a training course, he’ll have training for today. Encourage an employee to seek out training on their own, and he’ll have training for a lifetime.

Any more ideas on encouraging employees to discover training on their own? Please leave a comment and let us know.

Keeping employees on their toes, a field study

2009-09-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

Continuing with the Training Trends theme from last week, I’d like to demonstrate how you, too, can easily keep your employees on their toes. Depending on your line of work, it could be as simple as putting on a blue polo and a pair of khakis.

Back in 2006, the self-proclaimed “urban pranksters” from Improv Everywhere recruited a group of about 80 people to play an interesting joke on a local Best Buy store. After arriving to a secret location dressed in the company’s signature blue polo and khaki pants the group was given these instructions:

“We’re heading up to the Best Buy on 23rd Street. We’ll enter the store one by one. Once inside, spread out and stand near the end of an aisle, facing away from the merchandise. Don’t shop, but don’t work either. If a customer comes up to you and asks you a question, be polite and help them if you know the answer. If anyone asks you if you work there, say no. If an employee asks you what you’re doing, respond ‘I’m waiting for my girlfriend/boyfriend who is shopping elsewhere in the store.’ If they question you about your clothing, just explain that it’s what you put on when you woke up this morning and you don’t know any of the other people dressed like you.”

And, they caught it all on video:

Get creative, keep your employees on their toes and have some fun.

Training Trends: Keep your team on their toes

2009-09-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

Team coaching and employee recognition are two hot issues, especially in a down economy. It’s important that your team stays on their toes and feels appreciated for doing so. Check out our suggestions for designing training programs that will keep your employees going strong.

And then, check out FEMA’s tips and our supplementary training ideas to set up your fire safety plan. Keep your employees up-to-date with tools and information that can save lives and even your entire business.

Here’s a glimpse at the September issue of Training Trends:

Ready, set, hike… uh, I mean work!

Success in the world of professional football is measured in yards, touchdowns and winning games. In the world of business, however, the road to success is not always well paved.

No, there aren’t any play calls to memorize or grueling physical workouts, but the players on your team are still in need of a coach – someone to motivate and encourage them to do their best.

You want your team to grow, to be productive and win that big game (e.g. sales numbers, peak productivity), and coaching can help you get there.

Here’s the game plan: ... (more)

Putting the Arrrrrrrr in Recognition
Ways to recognize and motivate employees in a down economy

Ahoy, matey! It’s Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 19th and the perfect time to get out yer gold coins and stuffed parrot to honor the shipmates who so diligently scrubbed the ship deck and managed to avoid walking the plank.

All pirate-speak aside, employee recognition is an essential part of sparking motivation and creating company loyalty on the inside. Building employees’ self-worth and appreciating them for all they’ve accomplished will keep them going strong, especially in a down economy.

Here are a few tips that will make your employees feel recognized: ... (more)

Are you up to FEMA’s standards?
Fire safety training to prevent a disaster

September is National Preparedness Month and a necessary time to make sure your employees are trained and ready in case of a fire. Fire causes thousands of deaths and injuries and billions of dollars in damage each year, making it the most common disaster amongst businesses. Here are some ways the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends you stay prepared:

Have your office, plant or facility inspected for fire safety; ensure compliance with fire codes and regulations.
Install smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in appropriate locations.
Consider an automatic sprinkler system, fire hoses and fire-resistant doors and walls ... (more)

Each month, the experts at TrainingTime.com share all of the latest and greatest tips, trends and buzz from across the training industry in our Training Trends newsletter. If you’re not on our mailing list, please take a few seconds and sign up.

If you’re a training expert or HR professional and are interested in writing content for Training Trends or TrainingTime.com’s learning library, visit our “Write for Us” page for instructions on how to contribute.

Preventing swine flu at work: Prepare now

2009-09-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the H1N1 flu virus, familiarly known as the swine flu, the upcoming fall flu season will be unlike anything the U.S. has experienced in recent history, and government officials are urging businesses to prepare for a possible widespread outbreak.

With the pandemic estimated to reach up to 2 billion people, three Cabinet secretaries met last month to announce new guidelines to help businesses plan for and respond to the upcoming flu season.

“One of the most important things that employers can do is to make sure their human resources and leave policies are flexible and follow public health guidance,’’ said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “If employees are sick, they need to be encouraged to stay home. If people begin to experience flu-like symptoms at work, they should be sent home and possibly encouraged to seek medical treatment.’’

Employers’ flu season plans should address key preventative measures including:

encouraging employees with flu-like symptoms to stay home from work,
operating with less in-house staff, and
having employees at higher risk for illness or serious medical complications from infection work from home.

Before the season gets into full swing, employers should take a look at the company’s sick leave policies and ensure employees understand them, according to the CDC. Employers may also want to consider adopting flexible hours for employees who need to care for sick family members or if a child’s school is closed.

Other suggestions include offering on-site flu vaccines, encouraging employees to get the H1N1 flu vaccine, limiting face-to-face meetings and business travel, and allowing employees to work from home.

“Keeping our nation’s workers safe is a top priority,” said Deputy Secretary of Labor Seth Harris, who participated in the announcement. “Faced with a renewed H1N1 challenge during the coming flu season, we are developing tools that will help ensure America’s workers stay healthy and our businesses remain viable.”

Every company will have a unique plan that fits their business needs, but the main goal should be protecting workers. Help prevent the spread of flu at your company by training workers how to keep themselves and their families safe.

Related posts:

Training is key to preventing the flu at work

Preventing the flu in the office, six simple steps

Keep your germs at home!

Free online learning webinars

2009-08-31T10:11:00.000-07:00

The kids are finally back to school and you, too, can “hit the books” starting with this great list of free online learning webinars compiled by Jon Udell and Tony Karrer of eLearning Learning (via Workplace Learning Today).

From increasing your webinar effectiveness to coaching and even growing your business, their list is a great place to get back into the learning groove after a long, hot summer.

Upcoming eLearning Events from eLearning Learning.

New motivation trend: Plant a garden

2009-08-28T05:29:00.000-07:00

Really, plant a garden. It turns out that along with nutrition, peas and carrots also have the power to motivate.

Corporate gardening is one of the latest trends in employee motivation, and for many companies it’s proven to pay off in the hearts (and stomachs) of employees.

“Some small companies seeking an extra benefit for their employees are turning to their backyard for inspiration: a vegetable garden.

After laying off an employee, cutting hours and discontinuing raises, Sheryl Woodhouse-Keese, owner of Twisted Limb Paperworks LLC in Bloomington, Ind., invested $600 last fall to create a 1,500-square-foot garden outside the recycled paper-products company's office. Now, her four employees can take home their pick of 10 herbs and 22 vegetables.

"The garden really is a nice benefit, saving them on their food bills," said Ms. Woodhouse-Keese, who estimates the garden has meted out $2,400 in produce this season, from tomatoes to potatoes.” (WSJ.com)

Gardening at work can be an affordable and simple way to boost employees’ morale and give a ground-up boost to the company’s wellness program.

It’s also a great way to build employee camaraderie without ever leaving company grounds – no retreats, seminars or off-site meetings needed. All this retreat needs is a pair of gloves and a garden hoe.

If you’re a small business looking to attract new employees, access to a flourishing vegetable garden can be an attractive asset. So whether you have a spacious rooftop or a grassy patch of land behind the building, plant a few seeds and see what grows...

Keep training short ... but how short?

2009-08-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

When it comes to elearning, we’ve been told that keeping it short can improve retention, but cutting it down too much can backfire. So, how do we know when short is too short?

“It used to be that formal learning programs in a corporate environment could be a week long. People would pack up and spend an intensive five days in a dedicated facility and immerse themselves in a new skill set.

Then the tolerance by employees and middle managers for a formal learning program shifted to two days. Then one day. Then half a day. Then one hour. Now it is probably about fifteen minutes,” according to Simulation Designer Clark Aldrich on his Simulations and Serious Games blog.

Of course, technology has improved instructional design, significantly reducing the amount of time it takes to complete training and learning courses. And since the advent of Google, we’ve been trained to find and learn information using the fastest methods available.

Whether it’s in response to the recession or not, training has gone from weekly retreats to days of on-site training, to an hour-long webinar. We’re trying to get the most bang for our buck by racing through a mountain of information as quickly as possible.

What do you think? Is it possible that we’re losing out on quality because we’re so focused on efficiency? Are we trying to squeeze too much training and learning into a window of time that’s way too short?

Is cramming it all into 15 minutes ever a good thing?

Monday funday: Poetry at work

2009-08-24T06:13:00.000-07:00

Oh, the office – full of stressed employees hiding out in their cubicles, fueled by bad coffee and the latest coworker gossip, tirelessly punching keyboards in hopes of landing the corner office one day – it’s like poetry.

passing in the hall
My boss: "I volunteered you"
Me: [biting my tongue]
- Christopher

my first cubicle
decorated it myself
looks like IKEA...
-Jennifer

starting the work day
wondering when it will end
fighting for friday
-Sherry

These fantastic workplace poems come courtesy of the Jobacle blog, whose authors are on a quest to find the best haiku about work. Read the whole list and enter a haiku of your own over at the Jobacle blog today.

Carnival of HR comes to town

2009-08-19T05:28:00.000-07:00

Corn dogs, funnel cake, cotton candy … Oh My!

The Carnival of HR has made it’s way to Training Time. We got our hands on some fantastic submissions this week and would like to say thanks to everyone who contributed.

Just one thing before you enter – please ride the Screamin’ Swing before you visit the funnel cake vendor. Thanks.

Looking for a new job? Want a new position at the Tilt-A-Whirl instead of the Gravitron?

Laurie at Punk Rock HR reminds us that “we are who we pretend to be – even on our resumes,” so be careful.

For all those “Moms” out there, Kelly at Fistful of Talent has some recommendations on how to find a job that meshes well with your family life.

Don’t underestimate your social media connections, says Lance aka. Your HR Guy. Value your connections, learn new things and apply those new things to make personal improvements.

Listen to Michael VanDervort’s advice at Human Race Horses on how to interview like your in show business and you may have a shot at the carnival’s main stage next year.

Amit Bhagria the Young HR Manager has some tips for coping with a corporate layoff.

And The HR Store is asking recent interviewees, “What are you doing about the interview feedback you receive?”

One carnie short of the perfect carnival? Looking to fill a position?

Visit Recruitment 2.0 and read Susannah Cesar’s three part series on recruiting graduates in a recession.

If you’re looking to save money, you can always skip the carnival games, or listen to Melanie Quinn’s advice on how retaining human capital makes sense and saves cents.

We learn by doing, but taking the “sink or swim” approach to promoting an employee to management can be dangerous. Instead, use some management transition tools suggested by David Giffin from i4cp.

When the time comes to choose new leaders, why not take a look at some other tried and true methods, asks Wally Bock at Three Star Leadership.

When you’re ready to formulate a leadership development program, head on over to Benifys HR Solutions where Vishveshwar Jatain will get you started.

Someone call security, we’ve got problems

Broken Ferris wheel again? It’s safe to say a bit of human error was probably involved. Sharlyn Lauby aka. the HR Bartender examines why some people get desperate when faced with failure.

Lacking feedback from your manager? Dan McCarthy at Great Leadership shares his advice on coaxing feedback out of a reluctant manager.

Or maybe it’s an accountability problem. Denise O’Berry at Ask the Team Doc says assigning people specific roles is worth it and will help your team.

Spend ten minutes with Naomi Bloom, in a post by Melissa Prusher of The Devon Group, and learn from her successful project management tips.

Bad employees are very similar to smelly diapers, just read Suzanne the Evil HR Lady would handle Mr. Stinky. If you can’t change it, get rid of it, she says.

From smells to bad attitudes, Susan Heathfield from Guide to Human Resources hears countless horror stories of the way employees were treated by their HR staff person.

Wondering why everyone is walking around with masks? The swine flu has hit the carnival, and India. Read B.P. Rao ‘s common sense advice on minimizing your flu risk.

While we’re on the subject of health... Evan Falchuk of See First Blog explains why he thinks health care reform is going badly.

Don’t be afraid to put your foot down and take a stand when problems arise, says Ben Eubanks of Upstart HR in his rules for new HR professionals.

Maybe it’s time to revamp your required carnie training courses. Use these tips from yours truly at Thoughts from Training Time to reinvigorate your training programs.

The carnival is getting high tech these days

In order for collaborative communities to thrive in the workplace, you’re going to need three necessary conditions, says Steve Boese of Steve's HR Technology Blog.

Gireesh Sharma of Talent Junction explains the importance of HR data for a CEO, especially when you’re an entrepreneur pitching to investors.

Sakib Khan, of HR with Sakib Khan, explains how Google Wave can improve collaboration and HR.

And take a deeper look at the power of sticks and carrots at Prasad Kurian’s Blog on HR.

Integrating your networking and collaboration tools with enterprise systems might improve your chances of influencing behaviors that improve performance, says Mark Bennett of Talented Apps.

Also think about how a rollout plan could ease the integration of a new analytics initiative into your HR and business culture at Infohrm.

Of course, you gotta have some fun at the carnival

Invite your team to a “Night Out in August,” says April Downing of Pseudo HR. Set the budget, pick a restaurant, and set aside some time for your team to discuss what’s going on at work.

Or use Drew Tarvin’s tips from Humor That Works on how to build a better global team.

Sometimes you just have to accept that work is largely out of your control. So, find one thing that revives your sense of freedom this summer, says Mark Stelzner of Inflexion Advisors.

Time to revamp your training?

2009-08-17T07:15:00.000-07:00

It’s about that time of the year again, the summer heat is cooling off and kids are checking off their school supply lists before the new school year starts.

It’s also a great time for businesses to start checking off their lists to see what areas of employee training and development need a boost.

Here are some tips for reinvigorating your organization’s training programs:

Survey employees. What do they want out of the company’s training programs? What topics would they like to see? What would get them more involved?

Take a look at your budget. Where are you spending too much? Where could you be spending more? Which programs could use some financial tweaking?

Get creative. Try training naked or take advantage of the sunshine and enjoy a team building exercise outside. Find creative ways to get employees excited about training.

Refresh your training materials. PowerPoint looking a little dated? Books and training CDs getting a little worn out? Shop around for some new, fresh training materials.

Have fun. Find new ways to have fun within your training programs. Are there any new training games you’ve wanted to try? Or new, challenging team building activities you think would work?

Train the trainer. Turn existing employees into in-house trainers who can share their expertise with their coworkers. Not only will it save the company some money, but it can also help build teamwork.

Friday Funny: The Art of Demotivation

2009-08-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

“Every executive knows that employees love to complain,” says Dr. E.L. Kersten, co-founder and COO of Despair.com.

With Kersten’s “It Could Be Worse” program, all of those “silly” employee complaints seem to disappear.

The video below demonstrates how you, too, can rid yourself of complaining employees with his simple, yet effective demotivation strategy. Watch and learn:

How to have fun at work: Work like a dog

2009-08-12T05:55:00.000-07:00

Don’t think working like a dog sounds like much fun? Well, think again...

Dogs are some of the best role models for us to emulate on the job, according to Matt Weinstein, founder of international consulting firm Playfair.

When you think about it, working like a dog is what we should all look for in the perfect job. Here are just a few reasons:

Dogs don’t know the difference between work and fun. It’s all fun.
Everything is new and exciting.
They’re dedicated, loyal, disciplined (for the most part), sensitive and loving.
Their enthusiasm for life, fun and work is never diminished.
They live in the present.

The next time you’re wondering why there’s no fun in your work, try thinking like a dog. Listen to Matt explain it in his own words:

Great ice breaker ideas start with three words

2009-08-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

Can you sum up your job description in three words or less? Think you could describe yourself or your personality in only three words?

Give it a try the next time you’re preparing for job interviews, recommends UK management advisor Colin Beveridge (via Human Race Horses). You may find the exercise to be a powerful self-evaluation tool, he says.

But if you’re not interviewing anytime soon, try the idea out as a quick ice breaker idea at your next meeting or event. We’ll call it the Three-Word Challenge, even shorter than the six-word ice breakers we shared late last year.

Simply start off your meeting by asking everyone to describe their job, what makes them happy, or even an interesting, unknown fact about themselves. Give them a few minutes to mull it over, then go around the room and have everyone share.

Be prepared to give good examples to get them started. Michael VanDervort at Human Race Horses recently shared these great three word self evaluations:

Help people think (Beveridge)
Make information useful (VanDervort)
I think differently
Evaluate, encourage & execute

The possibilities are endless. Try the Three-Word Challenge as an ice breaker and let us know how it goes.

How would you describe your job in three words?

Extraordinary people at work

2009-08-07T05:35:00.000-07:00

Jorge Munoz is a school bus driver who lives in Queens, New York. Every day when he comes home after a full day at work, he rests for about 10 minutes, grabs a cup of coffee and starts his second job.

This second job doesn’t pay in dollars (it actually costs him money to do it), instead Jorge says he gets paid every time he sees a smile on the face of the people he serves.

Jorge spends about half of his salary, about $700 a week, to prepare and serve food to hungry people under a subway stop in Queens.

"The smiles on their faces, when see they got something to eat....aaaaah, [We're] feeding [more than] a hundred people," Munoz says passionately. "If you change the life of one guy, that's enough..." (Huffington Post)

Here’s a video of his story:

Training Trends: Can training = fun?

2009-08-06T07:50:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of our Training Trends newsletter hit inboxes yesterday. This month you’ll discover new ways to make training more enjoyable and even fun, how to unlock employee creativity and why it’s time to refresh your project management skills.

Here are some snippets from the August issue of Training Trends from TrainingTime.com:

Can Training = Fun?
Ways to make your training more enjoyable

Have you ever facilitated a training session and found that one or more attendees caught up on sleep the entire time you spoke? Let’s face it, training has the potential to be boring, for both trainer and employee. The last thing you want are employees trudging all the way to the training room feeling doomed to a session of uncomfortable introductions, awkward silences and yawn-worthy material.

As a trainer, there are ways to engage your employees with fun, worthwhile training that will relay useful and important information in a way that will stick. Take the initiative and use these suggestions to give your training an extra boost of enjoyment. (more)

Six strategies for unlocking employee creativity
Embrace creativity, create a competitive advantage

A few lucky companies are beginning to rebound from the recession, but most of us are still feeling the pressure. Employees and executives are stressed; budgets are tight and businesses are hunkered down. Though every business goes through natural ups and downs, stagnancy is something no business can afford right now.

Studies have shown that companies that emphasize employee engagement and encourage creativity will attract high-performing job candidates and retain loyal employees, giving the company a competitive advantage. Try these six strategies and unlock employee creativity in your organization today: (more)

Project management refresher
Skills to help manage your projects more efficiently

It’s Monday morning and, unlike your fellow employees, you’ve got your feet up in a lounge chair on the deck of a cruise ship. The sun is shining; a gentle breeze is blowing through your hair, and an ice cold beverage sits in the cup holder next to you. Then, exactly one week later, you find yourself dragging your sunburned heels across the company parking lot toward the entrance in a pre-coffee daze, still dreaming you’re on that cruise ship…

With all the distractions that come from the summer vacations, it’s a good time to brush up on your project management skills so you don’t fall behind schedule. If you have a team working with you on projects, it wouldn’t hurt to give them a refresher as well. Here are some basic things to keep in mind when managing your next project... (more)

Take a minute to sign up for the Training Trends newsletter and you’ll be all set to receive the best training information right in your inbox each month.

If you’re a training expert or HR professional and are interested in writing content for Training Trends or TrainingTime.com’s learning library, visit our “Write for Us” page for instructions on how to contribute.

A new look at the Carnival of HR

2009-08-05T05:58:00.000-07:00

Take a few minutes out of your day today and go have some fun at the latest installment of the Carnival of HR at Prem Rao's People at Work and Play.

Rao is calling it the Global Carnival, because the issues discussed are relevant to most organizations and human resource professionals anywhere on earth. So, go see a more worldly view of HR, make your stomach turn on the Tilt-A-Whirl, eat some funnel cake (after the rides, please) and have a great time!

Remember to mark your calendars - the next Carnival of HR will be hosted here at Thoughts from TrainingTime on August 19. To submit a post, please send an email to TrainingTimeBlog (at) gmail.com.

Senior executives report drop in professional development

2009-08-04T06:22:00.000-07:00

Slightly more than one-quarter (26%) of senior executives report reductions in their company’s professional development programs in the past 12 months, according to a new survey.

Though many companies are cutting training out of the budget, another 28% of the 150 senior executives surveyed by Accountemps said their company has expanded their training initiatives.
When asked, “Compared to 12 months ago, how, if at all, have your company’s professional development programs changed?” Their responses were:

Expanded significantly – 9%
Expanded somewhat – 19%
No change – 45%
Been reduced somewhat – 17%
Been reduced significantly – 9%
Don’t know – 1%

"While employers may be tempted to eliminate or scale back training in challenging times, they should think twice before making these cuts," said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps. "Skimping on employee education can dull your firm's competitive edge and undermine your recruitment and retention efforts."

"Providing targeted training enables staff, particularly those who have taken on new or expanded roles, to become more versatile and increase their contributions to the firm. In addition, employees who feel their company is invested in their careers will be more motivated to perform at a high level and less likely to resign when an improving economy spurs new job opportunities," he added.

Has your company been able to hang onto employee training during the past 12 months? How have your professional development programs changed?

Fake safety training cards resurface, shed light on serious problem

2009-08-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

Fraudulent safety certificates are surfacing around New York city, raising more concerns that the area’s safety training programs are in serious trouble.

Officials last month discovered a fake safety training certificate, complete with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) logo, trainee’s name and trainer’s signature, at a violation-troubled construction site. (NY Daily News)

Joao Dias, the card’s owner told officials that he had never received any OSHA training in return for the card, had never even met the “trainer” who signed it, and that a site foreman gave him the card.

The city of New York is no stranger to problems related to OSHA training. A New York Daily News investigation published earlier this year exposed a widespread network of fraudulent construction safety programs.

The list of alleged offenses include trainers teaching 10-hour federal OSHA courses in two hours and students taking classroom breaks with a beer or two at the bar.

New York city has since pledged to crack down on the “dangerously negligent” attitude toward mandatory safety training, but the problem may be more widespread than officials thought as fraud-related violations resurface.

Cutting corners when it comes to safety training is always a risky road to travel. Read some of our related posts on the dangers of cutting safety out of the budget and how to save money on employee training:

Investing in leadership development during a downturn

Recession-proof employee training tips

Is our economy causing more workplace injuries?

Employee training and the 2009 budget battle

Smile Detectors Enforce New Employee Policies in Japan

2009-07-31T09:45:00.000-07:00

Are workplace smile detectors on their way to a workplace near you?

Free e-book: E-Learning Survival Guide

2009-07-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

Whether you’re currently enrolled in an online course, or have employees signed up for e-learning opportunities, there’s a new free guide available online to check out.

Susan Smith Nash (aka. the E-Learning Queen) is offering a free pdf download of her E-Learner Survival Guide, “everything you need to know to succeed in the wild and wooly world of mobile learning, elearning, and hybrid college, K-12, and career courses.” (Thanks to those at Workplace Learning Today for sharing the good news.)

The book contains hundreds of essays on a broad list of topics from student engagement and institutional leadership, to mobile learning and corporate training.

Nash writes that the book is especially focused on creating successful outcomes for students and educational programs. Her essays also explain how to handle “often-overlooked” niches of learners, including generational differences and training.

Take a quick trip over to the E-Learning Queen to download your free copy of the E-Learner Survival Guide.

Hot new training trend: Go ‘naked’

2009-07-29T09:12:00.000-07:00

There’s a new idea floating around the education world that involves some stripping. Don’t worry... you can keep your shirt on. This type of stripping is less revealing, but more eye-opening and starts with taking computers out of the classroom.

I found this new training trend via Kari Quaas at the Seasonal Human Resource Blog who thinks there’s at least one educator out there “doing it right.” Teaching, that is.

Jose A. Bowen, a dean at Southern Methodist University, is teaching naked – without computers, without PowerPoint – and has challenged his colleagues to do the same. He thinks that by stripping the classroom of computers, he has a better chance of keeping his students engaged.

Instead of presenting during class, Bowen instructs students to watch a presentation beforehand. This way, students enter the classroom ready for discussion, rather than having to sit through a boring slideshow. Watch the video below to hear Bowen describe it in his own words.

Yes, the video is about lecturing in a higher-education setting, but the points Bowen makes on how a technology-less classroom can improve engagement resonate across all types of learning, even employee training.

Take a look:

Training + technology = Satisfied customers

2009-07-28T08:19:00.000-07:00

Throughout the recession, companies across all industries have been working harder to improve customer loyalty and satisfaction. For many, that hard work has been paying off.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index and other major surveys are hitting record high numbers. Experts say employee training and improved technology are two major factors contributing to those impressive levels, according to a Wall Street Journal article published online today.

Such high customer satisfaction numbers are abnormal during an economic downturn, when business’ cost-cutting strategies tend to cause them to plummet. But today, many businesses are using improved service to find cost-savings.

Executives at Sprint began a service improvement plan at the end of 2007 to turn around the company’s repeated poor customer satisfaction marks. Along with other improvements, call-center operators are rewarded for solving a customers’ problem during the first call. Before the new plan, operators were once commended for keeping calls short.

Other companies, like the Cheesecake Factory, are using customer satisfaction surveys to improve service. Customers’ online survey results have been used to better estimate waiting times for tables, improve food quality and are now used as a factor in determining employee rewards.

"If they don't like you, it's that much easier" for customers to switch to a rival, says Rick Germano, Comcast's senior vice president of customer care. (WSJ.com)

Last year, Comcast installed software that helped identify network problems before they affect service and alert call-center operators of customer problems before the calls come in. They’ve cut repeat service calls by 30%.

Has the recession impacted your company’s customer satisfaction ratings? How big of a role does employee training play in improving customer satisfaction?

Workplace flexibility muscles through recession

2009-07-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

Despite the recession, a majority of employers have maintained or increased their workforce flexibility programs. Recent research shows that more than a quarter of employers (26%) are used workplace flexibility programs in attempts to avoid layoffs in the last year.

The Impact of the Recession on Employers (.pdf) by the Families and Work Institute measured a variety of trends including how employers are reducing labor and operational costs, and how employers are helping workers deal with the recession.

"It is hardly surprising that our survey finds that 77% of employers are cutting and controlling labor and operational costs during the recession," said Ellen Galinsky, co-founder and president of FWI.
"What is surprising is that that between 34% to 43% of employers are actively helping employees weather the recession, that employers are largely retaining or increasing workplace flexibility as way to manage through a difficult economic environment, and that 57% of employers are giving employees some or a lot of input about the flexibility they use."

Other notable survey findings include:

Two-thirds of employers (66%) report a decline in revenues in the past 12 months. More than a quarter (28%) said revenues held steady and 6% saw increases in revenue.
Employers’ two most common cost-cutting strategies were decreasing/eliminating bonuses or salary increases (69%) and lay-offs (64%).
Most employers have maintained existing workplace flexibility options (81%) or increased them (13%). Another 6% had to reduce flexibility options.

The report also revealed how some employers have turned to their employees for ways to improve the business and cut costs. The most popular methods included a cost-savings program where employees submit cost-savings ideas and organizing active cost committees to make recommendations.

“Employers are increasingly recognizing the value of work-life balance policies to their bottom lines - now we see it's true in good times and in tough times," said Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney, Chair of the Joint Economic Committee.
"Offering flexibility to workers is a low-cost way to boost morale, loyalty, and productivity. This new report by the Families and Work Institute, confirms that smart employers are working with their employees to avoid layoffs. More employers should see these policies as an essential element of the 21st century workplace.”

How has your company helped employees get through the recession? Did they use workplace flexibility programs and/or other employee benefit programs?

Please leave a comment and let us know.

Goodies may not make training any sweeter

2009-07-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Trying to win over trainees at the beginning of a motivational or training seminar with goodies like candy and small gifts may be turning them off more than they spark any added interest, according to new findings.

The research, out of the University of Iowa, suggests that predicting employees’ reactions to a training setting may be trickier than once thought. Kenneth Brown, a professor of management and organizations at the University of Iowa, was surprised by his recent discovery.

"A number of people, particularly in the profession of training and organizational development, argue that if you are going to bring people into a room or you're going to work with group of employees on a change effort that you should really try to create a positive environment, you should try to create positive mood," he says.

As part of his research, Brown and an assistant gave a group of students small gifts when they came to a training session and played music during breaks. They found about a third reacted positively. Another third reacted negatively and the other third basically had no reaction to the gifts and attempt to lighten the mood with music.

"We had some people who, you know, just thought this was kind of neat," Brown says, "...and other people who actually ended up disliking the environment more." In the minds of that group of people, the gifts and the music meant trainers were "trying too hard."

Brown doesn't classify his research as "groundbreaking," but he suggests it may be a "wake-up call" to those who conduct employee training for a living and assume plying participants with goodies will make the training go more smoothly. (Radio Iowa)

So, what does work? Humor, according to Brown. Managers who are open to humor and find humor in tough work situations helps connect people in group settings on a more personal level. The ability to laugh is clearly connected to positive mood and relationship building.

Do you offer trainees any type of goodies during the course? Any candy, small gifts, music, etc.? Do you think it helps/hurts the mood in the room?

ICE steps up enforcement, Form I-9 recordkeeping under fire

2009-07-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

On July 1, 2009, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that the agency had issued 652 Notices of Inspection (NOIs) to look into suspected negligent hiring.

The new audit initiative illustrates the agency’s stepped-up focus on holding employers directly accountable for their hiring practices and their duty to ensure a legal and documented workforce.

The NOIs serve as an alert to businesses that ICE will conduct investigations to determine whether their hiring records, including employment eligibility forms (Form I-9), are in compliance with federal law.

For the countless number of businesses who weren’t served with NOIs, the announcement from ICE may be a jarring wake-up call to ensure that they’re in full compliance with the employment eligibility verification process.

Businesses should make certain that all employees involved in the hiring process are fully trained on the work eligibility process and Form I-9 best practices.

Employers are legally required to fill out a Form I-9 to verify the work eligibility of new employees and re-verify the eligibility of existing employees. Employers who fail to fill out I-9 forms for every employee may be subject to violation fines.

Learn more about Form I-9 documentation and recordkeeping compliance:

ICE announces audits, review Form I-9 best practices

Form I-9 expiration date extended past 6/30/09

Are your employees trained on the new Form I-9?

Illegal immigration enforcement shifts toward employers

Shut up and get back to work

2009-07-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

No, we’re not trying to sound like your boss, just telling you about a great new iPhone application to download if you come across some free time later today.

Shut Up and Get Back to Work is simple. When Frank the Foreman shouts a command, you do what he says within the given amount of time. He’ll tell you to pinch, slide, press or swipe the controls in the order Frank tells you. As you play, the game will speed up and Frank will mix up his commands.

No iPhone? You can still have fun on the SUAGBTW website. Go ahead, press a button and see how much Frank appreciates it.

Summer fun at the HR Carnival

2009-07-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

The HR Carnival is back, full of cotton candy, funnel cakes, kettle corn and a list of fantastic posts from some of the best bloggers in town.

The friendly folks at Effortless HR put together a wide variety of topics to browse through this time around, but keep a look out for these stand-out training-related entries:

Erik Samdahl of i4cp would like us to think about How High-Performers Support Employee Engagement

Drew Tarvin shows us how to Team-Build Through 3 Pictures

Chris Young posts a Book Review on Three Laws of Performance

Dan McCarthy wants us to Beware of Cult-like Leadership Development Programs

From the G.Neil HR Forum, some insight on Employees putting your data security at risk

And don’t forget to take a look at our very own posts on whether “lunch and learns” are bad for business and when cookie-cutter sexual harassment training just won’t cut it.

Just remember the number one rule of carnivals: Eat your funnel cake after you ride the Gravitron. Please.

Training Trends: Sexual harassment, diversity and inner-geekiness

2009-07-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

Sexual harassment and diversity are tow hot-button training issues in today’s workplace and two of the hottest topics to be featured in the latest issue of our Training Trends newsletter.

In this issue you’ll find out how to diversify your diversity training, how to engage employees in sexual harassment training, and find the right software training to nurture your inner-geek.

Here’s a quick look at the July issue of Training Trends:

Diversify Your Diversity Training

Improving productivity through sensitivity and understanding

In a world of 6.7 billion differences and counting, it’s often times difficult to understand and conceive why people are the way they are. From a philosophical standpoint, problems, arguments and even wars can occur from simply misunderstanding one another. What’s the obvious answer? Love and peace… and diversity training.

Like the term “harassment,” it’s important to know exactly what diversity is as well. (more)

Software Training for Your Inner-Geek

The importance of software training in the workplace

Let’s face it; we’ve been overtaken by computers… and it’s never been so cool to be a geek. Immerse yourself in the nerdifying glory that is software training. Dig out your favorite Star Trek episode, duct tape those horn-rimmed glasses and grab a pen out of your pocket protector. Let’s take some notes on why now is the time to be well-trained in the use of computer software… Engage!

It’s never been a better time for businesses, big and small, to train employees with the proper skills in tackling software-loaded devices. New programs and computer systems are meant to make your workload easier, allowing you to accomplish more in one sitting. Not only will training improve efficiency throughout your business, it will give it the potential to grow and compete. (more)

Side-Stepping Sexual Harassment Risks

Find ways to engage your employees in sexual harassment training

Sexual harassment. Employers cringe at the mention of these very words. Upset employees, court battles, and heavy fines are just a few of the nightmares that can stem from an inappropriate interaction at the office. One offensive comment or gesture can bring a world of legal and financial trouble from the EEOC or an aggressive plaintiff’s lawyer…

OK, enough pondering the horrors of harassment. What’s the best way to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace? With the proper training, of course!

First of all, it’s important to know exactly what sexual harassment is. And the reality is, it can be many things, (more)

Employers remain committed to health care amid recession

2009-07-07T11:37:00.001-07:00

Employers are hanging on to health care benefits including employee wellness programs, despite financial challenges created by the economic recession, according to a new HR and benefits survey by Towers Perrin.

Even in the face of salary and 401(k) cuts and freezes, many companies are still investing in employee wellness as a part of their workplace “deal” with employees, said the close to 500 HR and benefits executives surveyed.

"Employers recognize that we can't keep doing the same things and expect different results," said Dave Guilmette, Managing Director of the Towers Perrin Health and Welfare practice.

"So we're beginning to see leading companies taking steps to change the system from the inside out, focusing on new benefit designs, incentives for employees and providers, new technologies and new ways to measure and deliver the value of workforce health."

The survey suggests that employers and employees are now looking at health care as more of a shared responsibility between the two.

According to the survey:

53% of respondents are trying or considering new benefit strategies they would not have considered before the economic crisis hit.
70% of employers are increasing communication to address employee concerns
57% of employers are not cutting back on investments in benefit communication and education
50% of companies have or will introduce or increase investments in wellness and health promotion in 2009 and 2010

Employers are changing their ways regarding participation incentives and penalties for nonparticipation. Almost one-third (32%) of companies in the survey have or will introduce or increase financial incentives for wellness or health promotion activities within the next two years. Nearly half (45%) are considering introducing or increasing penalties for nonparticipation in wellness or health promotion activities.

"In previous economic downturns, investments in benefit communication and employee wellness were among the first to get cut from a benefit program," said Guilmette.

"The firm commitment to and increasing investment in employee wellness we’re seeing today shows that more employers are beginning to recognize the long-term financial benefit and business advantage they can achieve by improving the health of their employees."

Has your company been able to avoid cutting back on wellness programs, despite the recession? Does your company punish employees who choose not to participate?

Employee engagement at Campbell’s: It's mm, mm good

2009-07-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

Turning poor engagement around is a challenge for any organization, large or small. Finding a recipe for success came with its own set of challenges for one of the most recognized brands in the U.S., but the company now stands at the head of the employee engagement table.

In an interview with Forbes, Douglas Conant, CEO of Campbell Soup, shared how he took a “bad” company to a high-performing “extraordinary” company. We’ve put together some of the highlights in this post, you can read the full article here.

How did he do it? With a mix of “cost-cutting, smart innovations, increased marketing and, especially, a concerted effort to reinvigorate the workforce.”

"To win in the marketplace," he has said, "we believe you must first win in the workplace. I'm obsessed with keeping employee engagement front and center and keeping up energy around it." (Forbes)

The year after Conant became a part of Campbell’s he hired the help of Gallup, polling and research firm, to better understand his company’s engagement levels. Gallup found that 62% of Campbell’s managers were not actively engaged in their jobs and 12% were actively disengaged.

Today the engagement numbers look much different. According to the most recent poll, 68% of all Campbell employees say they are actively engaged, and only 3% say they are actively disengaged. The company’s engagement levels are “world-class” in Gallup’s eyes.

After Conant realized how it tied directly into shareholder returns, he used employee engagement as a tool to measure progress, build a high-performance company culture, and set high standards for Campbell’s leaders.

The company now surveys all 580 work groups at the same time once a year. Managers review the results with their direct reports and everyone is updated on their progress related to specific goals. The top quality leaders are measured on is their ability to inspire trust in those around them.

“The other thing we do is celebrate at a high level when people do things well. Learning to celebrate success is a key component of learning how to win in the market. On a personal level, I send out about 20 thank-you notes a day to staffers, on all levels. And every six weeks I have lunch with a group of a dozen or so employees, to get their perspective on the business, to address problems and to get feedback.”

How do you inspire trust in your teams? What is the most important factor any company can focus on to turn employee engagement around?

The simplest way to improve morale

2009-07-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

Say thank you.

Sounds simple enough, right?

In most businesses across the country, numbers are down and stress levels are skyrocketing. It’s an unfortunate combination that doesn’t do much for employee morale.

Right now, you may not have the money to take your team out for lunch or the company can’t contribute to a recognition program. It’s times like these when you’ll find that sometimes it’s the simplest signs of appreciation that can do an even better job than the fancy stuff.

Showing honest appreciation for the people on your team can do wonders for morale. Whether you stop by their desk to say thanks for their help on that last project or leave a funny greeting card on their desk expressing how much you appreciate all the hard work they put in, simple recognition can go a long way.

I recently came across a great post at Pamela Slim’s Escape From Cubicle Nation where Slim shared a personal story about a day that began with a not-so-pleasant experience at the airport.

She was dropped off almost two hours before her 6:30 a.m. flight, well before Starbucks opened their doors, and had to navigate through a blockade of airport construction. The caffeine-less Slim decided to sit down and write a blog post, but the only topics that came to mind included why mean people suck and sleep deprivation.

Then, almost magically, she received a tweet from a fan of her book: “@pamslim Pam, your book really is an achievement. It’s the best book I have read on the topic and the one I will be recommending widely.”

The message changed her mood right there on the spot. So much of a change that she started thinking of ways to show the same kindness as her tweeting fan.

Now I will look for opportunities throughout my trip to show the same kindness as Daniel, by doing things like:
Saying thank you often and sincerely
Complimenting someone on a job well done
Encouraging to my clients and students
Kindness is not a little thing. It is not fluffy, unicorn and rainbow coachy stuff.

Kindness heals.

I highly recommend it.

The next time someone on your team looks like they’re having a difficult day, use it as an opportunity to share some words of encouragement and appreciation. In the same way it turned Slim’s day around, your words have the power to change their day for the better.

Study: Online, blended learning better than face-to-face

2009-06-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

Incorporating technology in classroom instruction can enhance learning, according to a U.S. Department of Education analysis of controlled studies comparing online and face-to-face instruction.

The Department of Education analyzed 46 studies comparing online learning to face-to-face education and concluded that “blended learning,” or program that utilize both online and face-to-face learning, is more effective than using one method alone.

From the Department of Education press release:

The meta analysis showed that “blended” instruction – combining elements of online and face-to-face instruction – had a larger advantage relative to purely face to face instruction or instruction conducted wholly online. The analysis also showed that the instruction conducted wholly on line was more effective in improving student achievement than the purely face to face instruction. In addition, the report noted that the blended conditions often included additional learning time and instructional elements not received by students in control conditions.

From the authors’ discussion section of the study:

That caution [not to assume that an effect is due to a given medium] applies well to the findings of this meta-analysis, which should not be construed as demonstrating that online learning is superior as a medium. Rather, it is the combination of elements in the treatment conditions, which are likely to include additional learning time and materials as well as additional opportunities for collaboration, that has proven effective. The meta-analysis findings do not support simply putting an existing course online, but they do support redesigning instruction to incorporate additional learning opportunities online.

Read Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies (2009).

The department noted that this new meta-analysis goes against previous studies, which generally found that online and face-to-face education methods were comparable in their learning effectiveness.

Are “lunch and learns” bad for business?

2009-06-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

“Lunch and learn” programs are used by countless businesses to fit training and development into everyone’s busy day by turning employees’ lunchtime into informal training sessions.

While some feel that squeezing more learning into our jam-packed days with “lunch and learns” is a boon for business, others strongly believe that they can be quite a bother.

Nick Milton of Bath, UK, recently explained why he thinks “lunch and learns” are a bad idea in a post last week. While learning during lunchtime makes sense at first glance, it may be sending employees the wrong message. He writes:

But what message are you giving? You are giving the message that learning and knowledge sharing is not something that should be a priority during working hours, and should be fitted into spare lunchtimes. You are giving the message that learning is not real work, to be done during work time. You are giving the message that learning is something you can do while eating, and that you don't need to give it full attention. You are making the tacit assumption that people will not turn up to learn something unless you bribe them with cookies.

If learning is important, don’t relegate it to lunchtime. How many other business activities would you hold at lunchtime, so people could eat as they participated? Would you have "lunch and budgeting?" "lunch and project planning?" lunch and personal appraisal?" "lunch and recruitment interviewing?" No you wouldn't, so why relegate learning to lunchtime? (read the full post)

We’ve written before on the benefits of “lunch and learn” training, and how it can help businesses save money and improve employee productivity. But what works for one person or company may fail with another and it’s our job to learn from both sides of the equation.

So, we want to know what side you’re on. Have you tried “lunch and learn” seminars? Are you a fan? Why or why not?

 Please leave a comment and tell us about it.

Gifts for the boss you loathe so much

2009-06-26T00:14:00.000-07:00

They're mean, they're malicious and they're definitely nothing like Oprah. But somehow you've been forced into buying a gift for that boss or coworker you hate working with. What do you do?

Try the Ugly Flower Store where you can "Send virtual Ugly Flowers for free to anyone who deserves ugly flowers."

There are six beautifully ugly arrangements to choose from:

1 Dozen Dead Yellow Roses
Dead Plant
Dead Rose Bouquet
Single Dead Rose
Dead Flower Arrangement
Dead Yellow Flowers

Choose the arrangement that fits your situation, fill out a quick form and the ugliest flower arrangement you've ever seen will be on its way (via email) to your unsuspecting recipient.

Show someone how much you don't care today.

And have a happy Friday!

Carnival of HR: Lions, tigers and bearded HR ladies?

2009-06-25T10:43:00.001-07:00

The latest installment of the Carnival of HR is up over at the Inflexion Point Blog, hosted by Mark Stelzner.

Mark has put together quite a show, with freakishly interesting posts from some of the leading HR bloggers on the carnival circuit. Check out the wild side of HR at the HR Carnival today.

When cookie-cutter sexual harassment training just won’t cut it

2009-06-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

The number of sexual harassment charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) are up 11% from last year and stand at the highest rate since 2002, according to EEOC data.

But as the statistics show, many of the cases don’t resemble the situations portrayed in most of the “cookie-cutter” sexual harassment training videos out there. Sexual harassment charges filed by men amount to 16% of total charges reported to the EEOC, up almost 5% from the late 1990s.

A recent case involving retail giant Dillard’s reveals just how important same-sex harassment training can be.

According to the EEOC, Dillard’s violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by permitting a sexually hostile work environment to exist for male employees at one of the company’s Florida locations. The charges against Dillard’s included verbal and sexual harassment of a male store associate and young dockworker by a male supervisor.

The male workers accused their supervisor of exposing himself to them, making sexual propositions, and making sexually explicit and derogatory comments. Managers continually ignored complaints made by the workers about the harasser.

After the store manager told the associate involved in the case to “get back to work” because he was being “hypersensitive” and “overreacting” to the situation, the associate quit.

It wasn’t until another employee reported similar offenses made by the same supervisor that the store manager decided to take action. The store manager notified the district office and fired the supervisor.

The EEOC filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Dillard’s in response to the two employees’ complaints. Dillard’s argued that it was not liable because the company had an anti-harassment policy and had fired the accused supervisor. The company also claimed that the supervisor’s actions did not create a hostile work environment.

The court rejected Dillard's argument and found that Dillard's anti-harassment policy could not absolve it of liability if the policy hadn’t been effectively implemented. The store manager’s failure to report Reed’s two claims was a violation of the company’s own reporting procedures.

The court noted that the store manager held one of three positions detailed in the anti-harassment policy’s reporting procedure. When he twice failed to escalate the complaints to the district office, he violated Dillard’s policy. (Business Management Daily)

Use this case as a reminder that even though harassment may not look exactly like what you saw in the training video, it’s still harassment. Male-on-female, male-on-male, female-on-female or female-on-male, sexual harassment is sexual harassment and should be treated as such.

Employees’ #1 summer wish: TIME

2009-06-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

If employees had it their way this summer, they’d be given the chance to leave early on Fridays and would have more flextime to work with, according to a new survey.

OfficeTeam recently polled more than 450 workers and found that time is at the top of most employees’ summer benefits wish lists.

Workers were asked “Which of the following summer benefits would you most like to have?” Their top answers were:

Flexible schedules - 38%
Leave early on Fridays - 32%
Activities (e.g. company picnic, potluck) - 6%
More relaxed dress code - 5%

“Employees appreciate flexibility in their jobs because it gives them greater control and enables them to handle other commitments without sacrificing their work performance,” said Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam.

Allowing employees to have more flexible schedules during the summer months and throughout the year can be an inexpensive way to improve motivation. Just like the “Leave the Office Earlier” holiday promoted earlier this month, most of us could use a break away from the office.

Employees are more stressed than ever, spending more time at work to complete increasingly heavier workloads. Allowing for workplace flexibility benefits both employees and employers by improving retention rates, productivity and reduces stress.

So, if you’re looking for a simple way to improve morale around the office, give employees more time away from it. Let them leave early on Friday or work from home for a few hours next week and make your employees’ wishes come true.

Does your office loosen up during the summer months to allow for more flextime? Is going home early on Fridays ever an option? Leave a comment and let us know.

Is Oprah the world’s greatest boss?

2009-06-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

She’s No. 2 on Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list, made an estimated $275 in 2008 and this year Oprah may have earned herself the title of world’s greatest boss.

At least that’s the title they give you these days when you take your entire staff and their families on a Mediterranean cruise.

From The Oprah blog at the Chicago Sun-Times:

For the second time in recent years, she's making a strong case for that title by taking her entire staff and their families on vacation. This time they're going on a lavish Mediterranean cruise.

Winfrey and her staff will leave Chicago on Saturday. The cruise ship will stop in Spain, Italy, Turkey, Greece and Malta. She is covering transportation, food, drinks and activities at port stops.

In 2005, Winfrey celebrated the end of her "Wildest Dreams" season by surprising her staff with an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii.

According to Chicago-based Best Travel, a cruise like the one Winfrey is taking her staff on costs about $5,400 a person.

So, most bosses don’t have the same kind of resources that Oprah does, but there are a ton of bosses out there that know how to recognize employees even on the most limited budget.

Have you ever had a boss do something so great that you wanted to nominate them for a world’s greatest boss award?

We’d love to hear the story. Tell us all about it in a comment below.

Look like a pro and keep your cool with the "New Ice Suit"

2009-06-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

You can now keep up with dress code during the summer months without looking like a hot mess with the "New Ice Suit" out of Japan.

(Image via CrunchGear)

It's specially designed to alleviate the usual discomfort that comes with walking around a steamy downtown during the hottest months of the year. A few, strategically placed ice packs keep any suit-wearing businessperson comfortable and cool. Read more at CrunchGear.

What will they think of next?

Does your office change the dress code during the summer? Would you ever consider dropping $520 on the "Ice Suit" to keep cool, but still look like a pro?

Negative feedback can be a gift

2009-06-18T13:43:00.000-07:00

At least that’s how Sam Chapman, CEO and author of The No Gossip Zone, chooses to look at it. In Chapman’s opinion, positive and negative feedback both play important roles in our careers. Instead of looking at negative feedback and constructive criticism as an insult, we should be thinking of it as a gift.

“Without negative feedback, we would never improve ourselves and our lives,” said Sam Chapman. “And after enough practice at accepting negative feedback, you might even find yourself letting out an involuntary “hmm” noise as you realize the truth in a bit of negative feedback.”

Here are four of Chapman’s steps to dealing with negative feedback in a positive way (via Talent Management):

Don’t blame the messenger. By accepting that everyone has something valuable they can teach us about who we are, we open up to a realm of creativity, growth and success that we never thought possible.
Curb your defenses. Take a step back, a deep breath and remove yourself from the situation for a moment.
Feel the emotions, but don’t get stuck. Be careful not to get so caught up in being angry that you don’t have the energy to realize what you need to do to improve.
Turn your feedback into a request. Make sure your feedback isn’t in the form of a complaint. The gift of feedback is much easier to receive when it’s in the form of a request rather than a complaint.

And here’s some more great advice on how to handle negative feedback from Alissa Livingston, a merchandise planner for men's clothing and furnishings at Polo Ralph Lauren, from All Business:

Fraudulent OSHA trainers under fire

2009-06-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has implemented more rigorous guidelines and improved monitoring standards to eliminate fraudulent trainers from the ranks of its Outreach Training Program.

The 36-year-old Outreach Training Program is a voluntary program that has grown to a national network of more than 16,000 independent trainers. Eligible trainers teach workers and employers about workplace hazards and are also authorized to provide OSHA 10-hour course-completion cards.

However, some trainers have been fraudulently issuing course-completion cards without providing the appropriate workplace safety training.

"The use of independent trainers has allowed OSHA to significantly extend its training capabilities," said Jordan Barab, acting assistant secretary of labor for OSHA. "But OSHA will not tolerate fraudulent activity or unscrupulous trainers when workers' health and lives may be at stake.” (OSHA press release)

As the program’s success grew, some states and cities made the 10-hour courses a mandatory term of employment. Fraudulent training activity became more apparent to OSHA after businesses started making it a requirement for workers.

To fight the fraudulent training activity, OSHA has increased unannounced monitoring visits to check that trainers are adhering to program requirements. Any fraudulent activity will continue to be reported to the Labor Department’s Office of Inspector General. Trainers caught falsifying information may be subject to criminal prosecution.

"Strengthening the integrity of the Outreach Training Program will help ensure that workers receive quality training, help them gain employment and return them home safely at the end of their workday," said Barab.

OSHA has asked the public to call a new outreach fraud hotline at 847-297-4810 to file complaints about fraud and abuse related to the Outreach Training Program.

Bring your (inner) child to work day

2009-06-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

Time to get your dodgeballs and jump ropes ready, this Thursday, June 18, marks the sixth annual Recess at Work Day.

Held every year on the third Thursday in June, it’s a day set aside for “employees and employers to take a break from the stress of today’s economic worries and celebrate their successes.”

“It has been proven that breaks are essential for satisfaction,” says Rich DiGirolamo, founder of Recess at Work Day. “Breaks lead to satisfaction; and satisfaction easily transfers to increase morale, reduced employee stress, more engaged and healthier employees; ultimately having a positive impact on productivity, absenteeism and profits.”

There are no set rules to the day, just a mission to take a break from our daily work routines and get engaged in something fun with your peers.

It could be as simple as starting up a game of dodgeball or adding a new event to your office Olympics competition, as long as it gets you away from your desk and into something fun.

What are your thoughts on Recess at Work Day? Just a silly idea, or something to get excited about? Could you see your office participating?

Leave a comment and let us know.

Unpaid training time puts employer in trouble

2009-06-15T14:31:00.001-07:00

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recovered $117,023 from America’s Car Mart in overtime back wages for 103 current and former management trainees, following an investigation that found the company violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The DOL found that America’s Car Mart failed to pay its employees overtime compensation they were legally entitled to receive for the time they spent in training.

“This company failed to follow federal wage and hour regulations,” said Cynthia Watson, regional administrator for the Wage and Hour Division in the Southwest. “In this case, non-exempt trainees were not compensated at time and one-half their regular rate of pay for overtime hours while in training.” (DOL press release)

The company cooperated with the DOL investigation and agreed to future FLSA compliance.

Remember:

The FLSA requires that covered employees be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $6.55 for all hours worked, plus time and one-half their regular rates of pay for hours worked more than 40 per week, unless otherwise exempt. Employers must also maintain accurate time and payroll records. Effective July 24, 2009, the minimum wage will increase to $7.25 per hour.

To determine whether an employee is exempt or nonexempt, they must meet certain job responsibility and salary tests. Current information on FLSA exemptions can be found on the DOL’s site at www.dol.gov/fairpay.

Because FLSA violation lawsuits can critically damage your business, it’s important to understand all of the federal the state labor laws on employee time and pay requirements. Know how to navigate the confusing FLSA compliance waters now, and eliminate the risk of fines and penalties later.

Corporate data security: You’re gonna need more than a policy

2009-06-11T10:27:00.000-07:00

An alarming number of employees are ignoring data security policies and are routinely engaging in activities that could put their employer at risk, according to a survey released by Ponemon Institute Wednesday.

According to survey results, the most frequent data security offenses were employees copying secure data to USB drives, turning off security settings in mobile devices like laptops and sharing passwords. All offenses that have the potential to put a company’s data at risk.

Of the 967 IT professionals surveyed, around 69% said they copied confidential company data to USB sticks, even though they knew it was against the rules. Still worse, some employees admit that they lost USB sticks housing company data, but failed to report it immediately.

Another disturbing trend is the amount of workers engaging in online activities that raise the risk of infecting company computers with malicious software.

About 31% of respondents engaged in social-networking practices on the Web from work PCs and around 53% said they downloaded personal software on company PCs, increasing the risk of spreading malware in the workplace, according to the research.

“Mobile technologies that let employees do more while on the road are contributing to the issue, said Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder of Ponemon Institute, in a blog entry. As the use of mobile devices grows, the inability to enforce data security policies could increase the possibility of data breaches. "I’m seeing a confluence of conditions that appear to be contributing to this challenge to data integrity," he said.

Over half (58%) of the IT professionals surveyed put the blame on companies for failing to provide employees with adequate data security awareness and training. About 57% also said their company’s data protection policies were ineffective and 43% said there was poor communication and enforcement of data security policies.

“The Ponemon Institute believes these results show overall lack of urgency by companies on the need to address data security. Unfortunately, our studies have also shown that it often takes a data breach incident before an organization will finally get their wake-up call and take data security seriously.” (Dr. Ponemon’s blog)

Like the survey results showed, it’s going to take more than just a policy to ensure that your company’s data is secure and protected. Read some of these past posts for more information on not only setting up a data security policy, but also training employees on how to keep your company safe:

Employee anti-phishing training, one scam at a time

Six tips for setting up a computer security policy

Employee security training: Spam 101

Employee security training: How to catch ‘phish’

Disgruntled Chrysler employee fired after Internet post

Quick tips for dealing with annoying trainees

2009-06-10T15:29:00.000-07:00

Whether you’re lecturing a large group, or training just a few, every once in a while you experience the joy of having to deal with an annoying and/or obnoxious trainee.

From interrupting the trainer with unrelated questions, to disagreeing with certain training methods and even arguing with instructors, disruptive trainees can be a handful. Not only are they annoying to you as the training instructor, but the entire classroom of students also has to deal with their shenanigans throughout the course.

Dealing with these pesky students can be difficult, but getting disruptive behavior under control should be done early and sternly if you want to get through the training course with your sanity intact.

Here are some quick tips for dealing with an annoying trainee:

Don’t ignore it. Rather than letting the behavior grow into a big problem, confront the disruptor. Have a conversation with the student during a break to let them know about their disruptive behavior and how it affects the rest of the class.

Empathize. However bad their behavior may be, remember that you’re still dealing with an adult here. Most adults know better than to be rude to an instructor. So, pull the annoying trainee to the side and explain that you understand their frustration, but would rather discuss it another time and not in front of the entire group.

Know that you may hurt their ego. You’re in charge, it’s your classroom and you have to do what’s best for the group. Your comments regarding their behavior may hurt their feelings, but trust me, they’ll get over it.

Let them be heard. The reason behind an trainee’s annoying questions may be because they don’t feel like their opinion is being heard. Let the student say what they have to say and their comments or questions may die down once they’ve had the chance to talk.

Engage. Create training activities that engage students in a hands-on activity. If they’re busy working with other students on a clear and focused task, they may be less likely to act out.

Include. Sometimes a person is being annoying because they are knowledgeable in the topic you’re training and want to share what they know. If possible, make the student responsible for a piece of the training course. It could help add more life to the training and you never know, you could actually learn something new in the process.

Dealing with difficult people at work or in a training setting can be a challenge, to say the least. Remember to bring along a little patience and understanding to the situation and you’ll soon be on the road to success (and sanity).

How do you get through a training course with an annoying trainee in the bunch? Share your tips in a comment below.

Do not disturb: Daydreamers hard at work

2009-06-09T12:33:00.001-07:00

The next time you walk by Bob’s desk and see him staring into space, daydreaming about his summer plans, you may want to think twice about telling him to snap out of it and get back to work.

What looks like lazy daydreaming on the outside may actually be a sign that Bob’s brain is busy finding the solution to a difficult problem.

New research out of the University of British Columbia suggests that our brains are still hard at work while we daydream. The study found that activity in numerous areas of the brain increases when our minds wander. Researchers also discovered that the problem-solving areas of our brains, once thought to stay dormant while daydreaming, are actually highly active during such episodes.

"Mind wandering is typically associated with negative things like laziness or inattentiveness," says lead author, Prof. Kalina Christoff, UBC Dept. of Psychology. "But this study shows our brains are very active when we daydream – much more active than when we focus on routine tasks." (Science Daily)

“One of the things that I hope might come out of our study is that people realize that their brains are definitely not getting shut down when they mind-wander,” she said. “They’re very active….You have this unique brain state where instead of having one or the other shut down, both networks are available to be used. It’s a mental state that’s really not lazy, from the point of view of the brain.”

That may be why it seems as if many people’s best ideas come from inadvertent straying of the mind.” (Ubyssey Online)

So, the next time you have to solve a difficult problem or come up with a creative idea, sitting down and aggressively thinking about it could be the least effective way to find a solution.

As the research suggests, it might be best to let yourself work on a simple task that gives your mind room to wander. You may be surprised with the creative ideas your mind comes up with while you were daydreaming.

We’ll leave you with a quick clip from a commercial you’ve probably seen before. But this time, the practice of “ideating” may not look like such a bad idea. Take a look:

Harnessing the power of group productivity

2009-06-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

Does the number of people in a group improve the group’s productivity or does it just enable more in the group to slack off?

The authors at PsyBlog explained the answer in a post about the psychological effects group dynamics can have on productivity. It turns out that many workers will use the cover of group work to slack off.

Psychologists call the workplace phenomenon social loafing. And it’s the reason why you may want to think twice the next time you start adding more employees to a group when you want them to complete more work.

Since the idea was introduced in the 1890s, researchers have fount that social loafing can affect people in a wide range of group settings. From pulling ropes to yelling and even clapping, when people were in groups of six or larger their output was only one-third of what it was on their own.

The author does note that the findings don’t necessarily translate to groups focused on knowledge-based production:

For example a group problem-solving session relies on the brains of the best people in the group - social loafing wouldn't necessarily reduce productivity in this group as markedly.

However, it may be easy to find examples of social loafing in our own group work or in the actions of a former group member.

Why do people slack off in groups?

Standard explanations for the social loafing effect involve three main factors:

Expectations - That person is probably slacking off, so I can slack off too.
Anonymity - When the work is spread out, so is the blame.
Standards - Most groups fail to establish clear standards, so some will be confused about how much they need to do.

Understanding the reasons behind social loafing can help us reduce it. Here’s how the author suggests deterring it:

Task importance. If workers think the task is important enough, they’ll work harder and slack off less.
Group importance. When workers can identify with the group or feel a better sense of belonging, they’re less likely to partake in social loafing.
Understanding workloads. Or as the author explains it, the “sucker effect” is when you feel misled when you think others in the group are slacking off. Understanding that everyone has a responsibility can eliminate such feelings.

Unfortunately, most of us have either been guilty of slacking off in a group setting or have had to deal with a social loafer at one time or another. Knowing how to deal with those slackers can make a big difference in the group’s productivity.

How do you deter employees from “social loafing” in group work settings? What have you found that worked or failed to keep employees contributing equally?

Just when you think you've got it bad...

2009-06-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you ever start thinking you've got it bad, just remember there's always someone who's got it worse.

Take the employees at Canon Electronics, for example, who can't sit down while working and set off security alarms if they're walking too slowly around the office.

From Gizmodo:

The president of Canon Electronics, Hisashi Sakamaki, is also the author of a book proposing some of the same measures he takes with his own company. His theory is that forcing employees to stand not only saves money but increases productivity and enhances employee relationships.

In the hallway, if an employee walks slower than 5 meters every 3.6 seconds, an alarm and flashing lights are set off, reminding the poor startled worker that he's an inefficient waste of air. Even better (or worse), there's a sign on the floor in said hallways that reads, "Let's rush: If we don't, the company and world will perish." The big boss, as a reward for thinking up all this stuff, gets to lounge in a nice, relaxing chair.

(Image via Danny Choo, sign reads "Lets rush - if we don't then the company and world will perish.")

Like I said, just when you think you've got it bad...

Have you Wowed your employees lately?

2009-06-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

I came across an interesting post earlier this week at Jay Sheperd’s Gruntled Employees blog with a great message on recognition. In the post he explains how awarding workplace “Wows” could one day replace traditional annual performance reviews.

Here’s a piece of the story:

My daughters go to elementary school in Newton, Massachusetts. The principal — who is, sad to say, retiring this year — is a brilliant, caring, dynamic educator named Christine Moynihan. One of our favorite things about her — and there are many — is that from time to time, she makes schoolwide announcements over the loudspeakers in which she awards chidren “Wows.”

What is a "Wow"?

A “Wow” is a short description (maybe three or four sentences) of something a pupil did to earn the Wow (yes, it's self-referential; get over it). Examples include working extra hard on a particular project, helping a classmate during a difficult situation, or showing unusual courtesy or friendliness or determination. Dr. Moynihan says the Wow winner’s name and describes what he or she did to earn the Wow. That's it. It’s short, it’s public, it’s concrete, it’s earned — and it makes the kids feel great.

The only thing closest to a “Wow” in the workplace is the annual performance review, says Jay, something that as an employee and employer he hates. Jay is not alone on this one. Remember the Wall Street Journal article from last year suggesting that we should get rid of the employee performance review all together?

Instead of waiting an entire year to discuss performance, Jay thinks there’s a better way:

I propose that we replace formal annual performance evaluations with a workplace equivalent of the Wow.

Jay’s “Wow” delivery system would use the power of Twitter to force managers to deliver focused and public employee performance recognition (read his guidelines for a “twevaluation”).

Whether you choose to use Twitter, the company newsletter or the company’s PA system, anyone can mold Jay’s “twevaluation” idea into something that works for your company.

Employee recognition should be heartfelt and should happen often, no matter how you decide to deliver it. Say it in a tweet, write it in a card or simply stop by an employee’s desk to tell them how much you appreciate the work they do. You’ll be surprised at how simple and easy employee recognition can be.

How do you “wow” your employees? Please leave a comment and let us know what works for you.

Training Trends: Training for a healthy bottom line

2009-06-03T08:59:00.000-07:00

Got training?

See if it’s time for a training check-up in your business in the latest issue of our Training Trends newsletter. In it, you’ll also find expert answers to these key training questions:

What are the three kinds of training a company needs to keep its bottom line healthy?

Are your employees up to the challenge of doing business across language lines?

Providing your employees with the right training is important, but how do you know they’re using what they learn?

Here’s a quick look at the June issue of Training Trends:

Got training?

It’s dairy month, and that means lots of photo ops for celebrities sporting milk mustaches. Ads will tout how healthy milk is, and why everyone who is anyone just can’t wait to down their next ice cold, creamy glassful. A few years ago, the slogan was “Milk. It does a body good.”™ Catchy.

We’d like to say the same thing about training. Okay, so it’s not creamy and probably shouldn’t be served ice cold, but otherwise it’s pretty much on target.

The right training is healthy for your company. A well-trained employee is less likely to make mistakes, generate errors, get hurt at work or waste materials. Teams with the right training perform more efficiently, require less supervision and are more likely to stay with your company. That means a healthier bottom line for your company. (more)

Going global with language training

It’s a fact. The world has gotten noticeably smaller in the past 50 years or so. Okay, maybe the geographers wouldn’t agree with that, but marketers, sales people and just about anyone who uses the Internet knows exactly what I mean.

We have gotten used to doing business with people in different countries, chatting with friends across the globe and seeing images of places thousands of miles away in real time.

The one skill that has not kept up with this nearly borderless worldview is language. Most Americans speak only one language fluently. That’s not the case in the rest of the world, where learning effective communication skills in two, three or even four languages is considered a basic part of childhood education. (more)

Down the road: Is your safety training staying on track?

You’ve done it all. Harassment training, forklift training, hazardous materials training and first aid training. Your employees are ready for anything. But before you pat yourself on the back and sit back to enjoy that wonderful sense of being up-to-date on everything, we have two questions for you.

First, where are your training records? If there was an accident at work and OSHA came knocking on your door, could you show them proof that your employees had received the right training at the right time? If you were served with a lawsuit for sexual harassment, could you show proof of your company’s efforts to train employees in what is and is not acceptable behavior at work?

And second, are you following through? Even if you have training records, are you following up to make sure the lessons learned in the training seminar or interactive CD-ROM are being applied at work? Are you posting signs and reminders to keep safety practices or acceptable behavior standards in front of employees every day? (more)

Go ahead, leave work earlier today. It’s a holiday.

2009-06-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

Today is the 5th annual “Leave the Office Earlier” day. No, we’re not making this up, you can read the press release.

Productivity expert and best-selling author, Laura Stack created the holiday based on the idea that most employees are dealing with increasingly heavier workloads by spending significantly more time at work. “Leave the Office Earlier” day is a way to get employees and employers to agree to limit their time at the office to eight hours, at least just for a day.

New productivity statistics show that most of us could probably use a break. During the first quarter of 2009, U.S. workers, who are already the most productive in the world, improved productivity by 1.1 percent in the business sector, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"Given today's economy, the eight-hour work day will probably remain a myth to working Americans for the foreseeable future," says Stack. "June 2nd isn't about playing hooky or ditching work sooner. It's an opportunity for people to focus on changing work patterns, adjusting priorities, and engaging in conversations to find ways to achieve work/life balance while improving workplace productivity."

Another study by Corporate Voices for Working Families, revealed that workplace flexibility benefits employers and individual employees in such areas as productivity, customer service, employee work-life effectiveness, stress and well-being.

Eight out of ten employers and employees surveyed also said flexibility is important to recruitment and retention. Additionally, flexible schedules and innovative time-off policies help companies become an “employer of choice” for younger workers, according to the study.

Whether you think it needs an official holiday or not, workplace flexibility is quickly growing as a popular benefit that many job hunters in today’s labor market are looking for. But with the recession thinning out offices and putting more work on a smaller group of employees, some are finding it harder than ever to take that much-needed break.

Maybe a holiday like “Leave the Office Earlier” day is exactly what we need. What do you think?

Will you be participating in “Leave the Office Earlier” day? Do you think we should recognize the day each year? Or do you think we should stop watching the clock and get back to work?

Are hard times improving employee health?

2009-06-01T13:36:00.000-07:00

In the past few years we’ve been witness to layoffs, cutbacks, furloughs and a number of other tough decisions among the long, long list of recession repercussions. But even through all the difficulties, some people are actually using this time to make positive, healthier changes.

New research shows that the recession is causing many workers to adopt healthier lifestyles. A recent survey by the National Business Group on Health of 1,500 workers ages 22 to 69 found a majority said that a healthier lifestyle is more important now than it was to them just one year ago.

One third of survey respondents said they are exercising more and about half say they’re eating healthier. The survey also found that 44% of respondents were eating fast food less often.

Whether you’re just trying to live healthier or wanting to cut back on health care costs, making healthy decisions regarding food and exercise is one of the simplest ways to get started.

Unfortunately, many of us spend most of our day inside office buildings where unhealthy junk food lurks around every corner and the thought of getting a workout in during lunchtime sounds more like a joke than a great idea.

So, lets skip the jokes and instead focus on some real-world tips for staying healthy at work:

Get outside. Even if it’s only for five minutes at a time, grab your walking shoes and take a quick stroll around the building. If possible, set aside 15 to 30 minutes for a walk in the sunshine everyday.

Pack your lunch. Bringing a brown-bag lunch from home will help you eat healthier and cut costs. If you’re not into the assembly, buy a week’s worth of healthy frozen meals at the grocery store to keep in the office freezer.

Snack smart. Offices are full of snacking dangers, from vending machines to the office manager’s candy dish. Curb the urge to seek out these dangerous snacks by keeping a stash of healthy snacks like fruit and nuts at your desk.

Say no to Joe. Though certain studies have shown that drinking coffee is healthy, drinking too much can be harmful. If you usually drink more than three cups of coffee a day, try to cut back by alternating each cup with a glass of water.

Do you have any other advice for making healthy choices at work? Leave a comment and share your tips and tricks for workplace wellness.

Need a productivity boost? Take a table nap

2009-05-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

We all know we're not getting enough sleep, but catching up with a "table nap" at work probably isn't the best idea.

Happy Friday!

OSHA fines Wal-Mart $7k for employee’s trampling death

2009-05-28T15:17:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Wal-Mart Stores Inc. for inadequate store management after completing an investigation into the death of an employee last year.

On November 28, 2008, Jdimytai Damour, a seasonal worker, was trampled to death by a crowd of customers rushing into the store to take advantage of its annual “Blitz Friday” pre-holiday sales event at a New York store.

The OSHA inspection "found that the store's employees were exposed to being crushed by the crowd due to the store's failure to implement reasonable and effective crowd management principles," according to a press release.

The citation carries a proposed fine of $7,000, the maximum amount for a serious safety violation. Within 15 days from the receipt of the citation, Wal-Mart must comply, hold an informal conference with OSHA or contest the citation.

OSHA said in a statement that Wal-Mart did not give employees enough training or tools to deal with the large crowd of shoppers that day.

"This was an unusual situation but not an unforeseen one," said Anthony Ciuffo, OSHA's acting area director for Long Island. "The store should have recognized, based on prior "Blitz Friday" experiences, the need to implement effective crowd management to protect its employees."

Though the $7,000 fine equals the amount of money Wal-Mart makes in about 18 seconds, the retail giant may still contest the OSHA violation, saying that the trampling was unforeseeable.

The criminal investigation into Damour’s death ended earlier this month after Wal-Mart agreed to pay nearly $2 million and improve safety at its 92 New York stores. Wal-Mart also said it would consider making safety improvements in more of its stores outside of New York.

While this case may have been an “unusual situation,” it still brings needed attention to the importance of employee safety training. From learning how to work in the summer heat to managing crowds during the holidays, every season comes with its own set of safety challenges.

To help your employees prevent injuries, the National Safety Council has designated June as National Safety Month. The Council tackles a different workplace safety issue each week: teen driving, fall prevention, overexertion and distracted driving. For more information, visit the official 2009 National Safety Month site.

For more information on employee safety, read these helpful posts and articles:

The heat is on: Stress worker safety in the summer sun

Danger! I mean peligro! No, gefahr!

Is the “dork factor” hampering your safety training?

The ugly side of safety incentives

Name your poison: Dealing with MSDS sheets

Top training tips any company can put to work

2009-05-27T11:11:00.000-07:00

It doesn’t matter whether your trainees are young or old, new hires or existing employees, or even if your topic is safety or sexual harassment, every form of employee training will share a common thread.

Especially today, companies are looking for programs that deliver the best training ROI. At the very least, these programs must be designed with a clear purpose and outline measurable objectives for employees to reach.

Any organization can use these top five employee training tips to help design their own training courses or to improve the ROI of any current programs:

Set clear goals. Identifying goals should be the first step to developing a new training program or enrolling employees in outside courses. A clear set of goals will ensure that employees complete the required course material and know what is expected of them once the program is finished.

Keep it ongoing. Employee training should be viewed as a way to continually learn and improve, rather than just something to check off your to-do list. With continuous training, employees will develop new skills and abilities that will improve their productivity and boost to your bottom line.

Keep it simple. Keep training programs focused on one topic at a time. If there are too many topics or too much information, you can easily overwhelm employees and turn training into a burden instead of an opportunity. If necessary, split up a large training program into smaller, more manageable courses.

Spend wisely. Do your homework and make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck when investing in employee training. Whether you’re using an outside resource or developing an in-house training program, ensure the materials are the best quality for your budget.

Follow up. After the training course or seminar is complete, managers should meet with employees on a regular basis to determine the effectiveness of the training and to monitor employees’ progress. Managers can also help employees who may be struggling with any new information.

You can only improve your employee training ROI if you put in the time to plan an effective program and are prepared to follow up. Without any follow through, many employees will lack the motivation to hang onto their newly-learned skills, turning the training into a waste of time.

A business is only as good as the people who work for it. Help your business succeed by giving employees the tools and training to perform at their best.

Employee engagement starts with a smile

2009-05-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

Whether you’re kicking butt or dragging your feet at work today after the long holiday weekend, this short video (via Employee Engagement Zingers) may help you smile just a little brighter.

Since “the small things can have the biggest impact,” this “small” three minute video briefly explains how smiling and movement can have a big impact on service. Set three minutes aside today and watch:

Or, watch the video here if you're having trouble above.

Only in it for the incentives?

2009-05-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Think your employees are only in it for the incentives? Worry about it on Tuesday.

Have a happy Friday and enjoy your long Memorial Day weekend!

(image via Cubunga)

Top 10 learning tools for training pros

2009-05-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

For the past few years, Jane Hart of the Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies has been asking learning professionals, from education and training, to chime in on what productivity tools would make their personal top 10 list.

Right now, Jane is in the process of compiling the Top 100 Tools for Learning in 2009 and it’s looking like a tough race. As the rankings stand today, here are the Top 10 Tools for Learning:

Twitter - Microblogging tool
Delicious - Social bookmarking tool
Google Reader - RSS/Feed reader
Wordpress - Blogging tool
Google Docs - Web-based documents
Skype - Instant messaging/VoIP
Slideshare - Hosting presentations
Google Search - Web search tool
PowerPoint - Presentation software
Firefox - Web browser and extensions

It’s interesting to see what other professionals out there are using, but even more interesting to see how the trends have changed over the past few years. Last year it was Delicious, Firefox and Google Reader at the top and Twitter ranked down at number 11.

Almost 100 learning professionals have shared their top 10 learning tools so far this year. Visit Jane's site and suggest what tools you think should be at the top.

The heat is on: Stress worker safety in the summer sun

2009-05-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

Summer doesn’t officially start until June 21, but people living in the central plains are feeling the heat, with temperatures already hitting the 90s in some spots.

As the heat index begins to rise across the U.S., it also raises special safety concerns for anyone working outdoors or in confined spaces with little to no air conditioning.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandates that all employers provide a safe working environment for employees, including keeping workers safe in the summer heat.

Before the summer months get into full swing, employees should be trained on how to prevent and recognize heat-related illness when temperatures and humidity are high. Proper training will ensure that employees have the information they need to keep themselves and their coworkers safe when it’s sweltering outside.

Protect employees from the dangers of heat stroke and heat-related illness by following these guidelines:

Train employees on the dangers of extreme heat and promote awareness with workplace safety posters and heat exposure hand-outs.

Educate employees and supervisors on heat illness prevention. Ensure your safety training includes topics on how to prevent heat illness, common symptoms of heat stroke, and how to respond if a coworker is showing symptoms, including:

High body temperature
Absence of sweating, with hot red or flushed dry skin
Rapid pulse
Difficulty breathing
Strange behavior
Confusion
Agitation
Disorientation
Seizure

Keep ample amounts of drinking water readily available for workers throughout the day. Encourage employees working outdoors to stay hydrated and take frequent water breaks.

Allow workers to take regular cool-down breaks in shaded areas. Outdoor workers should rest for at least five minutes when they begin to feel overheated.

Encourage workers to wear hats and clothing that is light-colored, lightweight and breathable.

Line managers and supervisors must be prepared to respond in an emergency situation. Ensure they have access to a working telephone and know to call 911 for help.

OSHA has devoted an entire section of its Web site to preventing and keeping workers safe from heat stress. Learn more about OSHA standards related to heat stress hazards here.

Summer will be here soon. Prepare your team now, before the temperature becomes a threat to workplace safety.

No money? No problem. Motivate without it.

2009-05-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

Times are tough out there, you don’t need to tell us twice. Our budgets are strapped, employees are stressed, and layoffs are looming (if they haven’t happened already).

Instead of just worrying about your lack of money and employees’ low morale, why not look for a cashless way to get employees motivated?

Some think it can’t be done, but motivating employees without spending money is possible and a recent BusinessWeek article explores how many businesses managed to do it.

Here it is in four manageable steps:

Step 1: Managers must be self-motivated. How do you get employees to rally around you if you’re in a bad mood and locked up in your office all day? It’s easy for managers to hide behind email, what’s tough is connecting on a personal level. Even the busiest manager can find time to connect with and recognize employees every day.

Step 2: Get creative. Companies with the resources, like Google and Starbucks, offer employees option-exchange programs where workers can trade “out-of-the-money stock options” for new ones. For companies without that luxury, consider moving annual programs up a few months, like how software developer Intuit was able to do earlier this year.

Step 3: Make it personal. Since stock options and bonuses aren’t an option for many of us, you’ll have to find a way to recognize employees without money. Find out what each employee values and give it to them. We’re not talking about a new car or plane tickets to Europe, but something as small as a gift certificate to a fancy new restaurant for a food aficionado in marketing can make a big impact.

Step 4: Focus on intrinsic rewards. While extrinsic rewards can give employee morale a quick boost, internal motivators will have the longest-lasting effects. Show employees how their work has had a direct impact on customers and the success of the business. Whether it’s through peer recognition or sharing positive customer reviews, recognize their hard work regularly.

Keeping employees engaged is essential during an economic downturn. Not every idea will work for every business or employee. Put in the effort to find what works and run with it, your business depends on it.

Why it pays to stay healthy at Target

2009-05-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

Target Corp., the largest discount retailer next to Wal-Mart, is testing a new employee program aimed at improving wellness and lowering health care costs, by paying employees to participate.

As part of the new pilot program, Target will pay employees to undergo a health screening and follow recommended steps. Executives hope to turn it into a larger program to help the company and employees save money on health care.

Right now, the program has only been offered to about 4,000 Target employees, including 10% of workers at their Minneapolis headquarters, a distribution center and 11 stores.

"We're going to measure biometrics progress through time," said John Mulligan, vice president of Target Pay & Benefits, in an interview. "How are the average cholesterol scores of our population? How are the average blood pressures of our population?

"We're willing to make the bet that if we see those numbers improve, we will see the financial benefit of that to our team members and to Target. Both of us will share in the cost savings." (Reuters)

Target employees enrolled in the new program were paid $25 to undergo a biometrics screening that included measuring cholesterol, glucose and triglyceride levels, as well as blood pressure, height and weight. Employees were also required to fill out a health risk assessment and register for the program online.

Once completing those steps, employees were given a tailored health plan and were paid $50 each quarter they followed the plan’s recommendation. Employees could also earn $25 for visiting a doctor for annual preventative care.

So far, the program seems to be a success, with 59% of eligible employees at Target’s headquarters completing the first three steps to enroll. Of those who are enrolled, 38% remain “engaged” in the program each quarter.

Target executives are still analyzing the program to see whether they should offer it to all 350,00 of their employees.

“We're trying to engage 350,000 people in caring about their health, their family's health and do it in a way that makes getting and staying healthier easier," said Jodee Kozlak, Target's executive vice president of human resources.

In 2005, Safeway CEO Steve Burd developed a health care plan for his company, similar to Target’s new plan, focused on changing employee behavior and improving the company’s overall wellness to keep health care costs under control.

Over the past three years, most companies have seen about a 16% increase in family premiums, while health care costs for Safeway increased by only half a percentage point. Health care coverage costs among employees enrolled in the wellness program fell 11% after only one year.

In today’s economy, companies are continually searching for ways to cut costs. Finding ways to cut health care costs generally falls in the top spots on that list, but is paying employees to stay healthy the best way to go?

Does your company offer monetary incentives to encourage employees to live healthier? Do you think employee wellness plans like these are the right way to reduce health care costs, or are they going too far?

And the award for smelliest office fridge goes to...

2009-05-15T03:24:00.000-07:00

The AT&T building in San Jose, California, where seven employees were sent to the hospital after one worker took it upon herself to clean out an office refrigerator on Tuesday. The odors were so noxious that another 325 people were evacuated from the building.

From the CNN article:

"It was like a brick wall hit you," employee Robin Leetieh told CNN affiliate KGO-TV. "Stopped you immediately."

The refrigerator had been unplugged for some time and moved into a conference room for cleaning. When the woman tried to scrub down the mess, the stench from the cleaning chemicals combined with the rotting food.

"It caused some to vomit, some to just get nauseous. And it, for us, activated a hazardous incident," Capt. Barry Stallard of the San Jose fire department told the television station.

Another office worker tried to cover up the odor -- and made matters worse.

"Someone also took some spray and tried to deodorize the air," Stallard said. "And it turned out that was spot cleaner, not a deodorant. So it made people very sick."

Firefighters set up a triage area in the building's parking lot. In all, 28 workers reported feeling sick. Seven were taken to hospitals for evaluation.

Not among them: the woman who volunteered to clean the fridge.

She suffers from allergies, firefighters said, and had had nasal surgery.

She didn't smell a thing.

No fake moldy sandwich bags needed here. Happy Friday!

Worried workers opting-out at vacation time

2009-05-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

This is usually the time of year when employees start handing in vacation requests for time off during the summer, but this year is proving to be a little different.

Along with our bank accounts, Americans’ summer vacations are taking a serious hit because of the bad economy, according to a recent CNN article.

This year, employees are worried that taking a temporary vacation could turn into a permanent one. The risk of losing their jobs has more American workers choosing the office rather than some much needed time off.

But even when the economy was good, Americans still found it hard to take vacations. Studies conducted over the years have shown that we just don’t know how to let go of work and relax.

Expedia.com, the travel reservation company, recently released the results of their survey comparing the vacation habits of different cultures across the globe.

While we’re not as bad as Japanese workers, who are the least interested in taking vacations with about 92% of workers not using all of their vacation days. Over a third (34%) of Americans don’t take all the vacation time they earn each year.

Compared to French and German workers, of which 22% and 24% don’t use all of their vacation time, it sounds like most of us are in need of a nice long vacation.

Workers who continually opt-out of vacation time tend to be overworked, overwhelmed and on the verge of burn out. But the guilt some workers feel when taking a vacation can be just as bad.

How can managers help their employees feel comfortable that they’ll still have a job after handing in that vacation request form? Here are a few tips:

Lead by example. The best way to show employees that it’s ok to take time off is to do it yourself. If they see that you were able to disconnect from work and relax, they’ll feel more comfortable using their vacation time.

Suggest staycations. Taking a vacation closer to home is a great solution for the employee who’s stressed they’ll miss something big if they’re too far away. A staycation (vacation in your home town) can help employees find relaxation without traveling or spending too much money.

Have a plan. Employees will be more willing to go on vacation if they know there isn’t a big project coming up. Plan vacations around big events and allow workers to delegate their tasks to coworkers they trust to get the work done.

Take a look at these related posts for more tips and advice on taking work-free vacations:

Work/life balancing act has more moms burnt out

Go on vacation without worrying about work, 6 tips

Work/life balance: Simply a matter of choice?

New employee vacation trend: Staycations

The Carrot Principle: Motivating without money

2009-05-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

What we need now, more than ever, is day-to-day employee recognition, according to motivational expert Chester Elton who shared his thoughts in a recent interview with BusinessWeek's Management Editor Patricia O'Connell.

 The co-author of The Carrot Principle who’s been called the “apostle of appreciation,” suggests that small gestures, such as handwritten notes or funny voice mails, can go a long way in increasing employee engagement and retention.

In her first question for the author, O'Connell asks how he expects businesses to continue delivering quality recognition, even though there's not as much money going around as there used to be.

Elton says that what we need now is low-cost, high return recognition. It’s about doing simple things that engage employees and really make them feel valued. He also explains how even the busiest manager can find the time to deliver employee recognition on a daily basis.

It's only five minutes long, but full of useful ideas and advice. Take a look:

Companies restructure faster by firing and hiring, not retraining

2009-05-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

As many of the country’s largest employers eliminate thousands of jobs, they’re simultaneously hiring workers for new positions to adapt to the market’s changing needs, according to a Wall Street Journal article published yesterday.

U.S. employers eliminated 539,000 jobs in April alone, said the Labor Department on Friday. However, the government also estimates that employers hired roughly 4.4 million workers in February, the most recent numbers available.

"It's not just routine turnover," says Lori Kletzer, an economics professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. "Quite often the people being laid off don't have the requisite set of skills or experience to move into the growth areas."

Some experts say the churn also shows changes in workplace policies. In past decades, many employers retrained and relocated underused workers, says Peter Cappelli, director of the Center for Human Resources at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. “Now they've discovered that you can restructure even faster by laying off and hiring.” (WSJ)

Microsoft, IBM, AT&T, Yahoo and Time Warner are among the companies laying off thousands, while hiring new workers to fill positions in different business units, other places or to fill a need for new skills.

These latest employment numbers support a belief that many Americans currently share -- without continued training and skills development, their current workplace skills will be outdated within the next few years.

Workers across all generations depend on training and development to stay competitive in the changing labor market, but more than three-quarters of Americans believe the training provided by their employers will fail to meet their future career needs.

Has your company decided to fire and hire, instead of training existing employees for new positions? Is it the employer’s responsibility to develop workers’ skills for their future career needs?

Leave a comment and let us know what you think.

Work/life balancing act has more moms burnt out

2009-05-11T11:18:00.001-07:00

Spending quality time with family was at the top of most moms’ “to-do” lists this Mother’s Day, according to CareerBuilder’s annual Mother’s Day survey.

We hope they were able to check it off their list this weekend, but even during an average week our current economy is making it harder than ever to balance work and home.

Some working moms say they’re having a hard time finding work/life balance as they take on extra hours and second jobs as the economy falters, according to the survey of almost 500 women, who were employed full-time, with children under the age of 18.

The survey also found that:

30% of working moms, whose employers have had layoffs in the past year, are working longer hours and 14% have taken on second jobs to help make ends meet.
34% of working moms reported they are burned out.
40% fear losing their jobs today more than they did 12 months ago.
43% work more than 40 hours per week.
16% bring work home at least twice a week.
6% bring work home every workday.

“Nearly one-third say that despite it being one of the toughest economies in the nation’s history, they would even consider taking a pay cut to spend more time with their kids. If you’re struggling with work/life balance, talk to your manager.

Working moms who communicate their need for flexible time, job sharing or something in between will find that most companies are receptive to these kinds of policies,” said Mary Delaney, President of CareerBuilder’s talent management and recruitment outsourcing division, Personified, and mother of three.

The survey revealed that many working moms’ would gladly accept alternative schedules in order to spend more time with their children. More than half (55%) of working moms already take advantage of flexible work arrangements at their organizations, and most say that their decision has not adversely affected their career progress.

Whether you’re a working mom searching for work/life balance or just an average employee on the verge of burnout, follow these tips to reduce work stress and find balance:

Take a vacation. It’s the most tried and true method for finding relaxation and getting some perspective on your situation. Even if you don’t leave town, use your vacation time to determine the source of your stress and find a way to change it.

Talk to your boss. Sit down and have a serious conversation with your manager about finding a work arrangement that will help you achieve better work/life balance and improve your productivity. Whether it’s coming in early or working a few days from home, there’s always an alternative option out there.

Set boundaries. Avoid bringing work home at all costs. Do your best to get it all done during the workday, but know that it’s not the end of the world if some unfinished tasks make it on tomorrow’s to-do list.

Get out and play. Take time out each day to play with your kids. If you don’t have kids, take an hour or two out of your day to spend with friends, exercise and/or meditate. Eliminate distractions by turning off your cell phone and computer.

Also take a look at:

Burned out at work or bad day? Know the difference and how to beat it

How to feel happier at work ... instantly

I’m Not Stressed – That Pencil Had It Coming!!!

Are you living to work or working to live

Change puts engagement and productivity at risk

Ditch the high five. Do The Xena.

2009-05-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

When it comes to preventing flu in the workplace, you want to do everything you possibly can. But can you ever be too cautious?

Over the past few weeks, the fear of spreading the swine flu had people stocking up on hand sanitizers and face masks, led some colleges to take hand shaking out of graduation ceremonies or canceled them all together, and shut down dozens of grade schools full of healthy kids.

Swine-flu fears seem to be simmering down, especially after health officials announced that the current strain is no more dangerous than the run-of-the-mill flu that makes its way through our workplaces and schools each year.

So, isn’t it about time to take a deep (maskless) breath and have a good laugh about all of it?

Even some of the leading news providers, including National Public Radio (NPR), think it’s about that time.

Recently NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey and All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen illustrated the most popular workplace greetings that will keep you social and safe during a contagious illness outbreak.

Your options include:

The Xena - An alternative to the fist bump where you use your forearm instead. “Be like Xena, Warrior Princess.”

Bow Nouveau - The “tete-a-tete,” forehead-to-forehead greeting, should be replaced with a Renaissance-style bow or curtsy.

The Wave - Maintain a 3 to 6 food CDC-recommended distance and choose to wave instead of shaking hands during flu season.

Smackdown - Because there’s never been a documented case of passing the flu from foot to foot, try a variation of the foot smack rather than kissing someone on the cheek.

Self Hug - “Hugging yourself might seem odd at first, but surely it can catch on... maybe.”

And our favorite ... the Snap and Flick - Because high-fiving can be just as bad as kissing when it comes to passing on the flu virus, try this alternative:

View all of NPR's new workplace greetings.

A “super-sized” lesson in diversity training

2009-05-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

McDonald’s settled a gay discrimination case yesterday and agreed to require diversity training for managers at 30 Louisville restaurants. McDonald’s must also pay $2,000 each to two men who said a restaurant employee directed anti-gay slurs at them.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky filed a complaint with the Louisville Human Relations Commission on behalf of the two men last year. According to the Courrier-Journal, the two men alleged that after ordering food, a female employee directed several anti-gay slurs toward them and used other derogatory language. They complained to a manager, who said she didn’t see the matter as a “big deal.”

McDonald’s said in a company statement that the matter has been resolved and that the company has strict policies against any discrimination in its restaurants.

"We work with our restaurant managers and crew to ensure our policies are followed and that we provide a respectful environment for all our employees and customers," the statement said.

The case serves as a “super-sized” lesson that when you have your attorney draft an anti-discrimination policy ensure it states that your company is committed to creating equal opportunity for all employees and customers. State that your company will not tolerate any form of discrimination including age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability and sexual orientation.

Your anti-discrimination policy should also include an outlined procedure for making, investigating and resolving complaints. Train managers to follow the policy, know how to identify discrimination and how to respond to a compliant against one of their employees.

Ongoing training on diversity in the workplace and setting clear anti-discrimination policies can be your best way to avoid problems.

What else can employers do to avoid discrimination? What has worked or hasn’t worked in your company?

Leave a comment and share your advice.