Training Trends: Can training = fun?

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)

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

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?

Worried workers opting-out at vacation time

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

Work/life balancing act has more moms burnt out

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

How to feel happier at work ... instantly

What’s one way to start feeling happier at work almost instantly?

Play an online game. But, not just any game.

The Matrix brainteaser at MindHabits.com is an award-winning program developed by a McGill University psychology researcher that has been proven to improve your mood.

The game, which asks you to find smiling faces in a sea of frowning ones, has been shown to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, making you feel happier. It’s free to play for an hour, but after that you’ll have to pay a one-time $20 fee for unlimited games.

Research suggests that playing video games at work may help employees reduce stress and increase productivity.

“More than 80 percent of online gamers who play on and off throughout the workday said they are able to better focus on work after playing. A reported 72 percent actually rely on game breaks to help them deal with job-related stress,” according to a WorldWinner survey released last year.

MindHabits offers three other games on their site, all aimed at reducing stress and improving self-confidence. Take a break and improve your mood by testing your gaming skills on the Matrix.

Poor ‘team spirit’ at work is depressing

Do your employees seem depressed? Are they mopey, dragging their feet and stuck in a general state of grouchiness?

On first guess, you may assume that it’s the economy to blame, but a new study is showing that may not be the case.

A lack of team spirit in the office and poor work climates could be causing employees to feel depressed, according to a new study published in the journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

"As depressive disorders are a major cause of work disability and account for a considerable proportion of the disease burden, more attention should be paid to psychosocial factors at work," lead author Dr. Marjo Sinokki of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health in Turku told Reuters Health via e-mail.

Through a series of tests, Sinokki was able to determine that people who work in a “poor work climate” characterized by feelings that their workplace was highly prejudiced and quarrelsome, were 61% more likely to be depressed. The same group of workers were also more susceptible to feelings of anxiety.

While there’s still more research to be done in this area, Sinokki notes that his findings provide evidence that a disagreeable work environment can cause depression.

"The U.S. work environment right now is far more tenuous and toxic than in recent history," said Josh Klapow, an associate professor of health-care organization and policy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who had no role in the study. "With layoffs and downsizing, the opportunities for increased stress, negativity and pressure have all greatly increased."

Because we spend most of the day at work, our work environments have a substantial effect on our overall psychological well-being, said Klapow in a recent BusinessWeek article.

With the effects our economy is having on our households and workplaces, it’s getting harder than ever for many people to cope with stress. A certain level of stress is a normal part of life, but when it starts to interfere with productivity and emotional and physical health, it’s time to find better ways to keep that stress under control

Earlier this month, TrainingTime.com published an article, titled “I’m Not Stressed – That Pencil Had It Coming!!!” that outlines a new training exercise to practice with yourself and your team to help reduce work stress. Feeling happier and less stressed at work all starts with a simple lesson in reading and writing.

1. First you must identify the source of your stress. Without knowing where the stress is stemming from, it will be next to impossible to treat it. Write down a list of specific things that make your job stressful.
2. Then review your list of stressors and determine at least one thing you can do do reduce or relieve each source of work stress. Identify specific, concrete and definable actions that would help alleviate each problem.
3. Systematically start going through your list to determine what you can do to change each stressor. If it’s within your power to change it, find a way to check it off your list and get at least one stressor off your back each week.

Write, read and review your list regularly to make a positive impact on your work stress levels. Read the Training Time Library article for detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to hold your own stress-reducing training exercise.


How do you manage work stress? As a manager, how do you help your employees reduce their stress levels at work? Leave a comment and let us know.