Tag Archives: Productivity

Three Cs of Great Communication

Posted by on October 4, 2011 Comments Off
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D.J. Vanasby D.J. Vanas

The magical, mystical glue that holds teams together is trust.  With it, we see people follow their leaders through the fires of change, challenge, doubt and fear.  Without it, people won’t follow their leader to the bathroom.  But how do we build that trust and strengthen our relationships, our connections and ultimately influence how well we lead others?

Through communication.

We are all like human radio stations, transmitting information to those around us at all times.  We communicate through e-mail, texting and speaking, but also through our body language and most importantly, through the example we set with our actions.  In the end, our goal as leaders is to communicate in a way that strengthens the bond of trust and enables us to have more influence and impact with those we lead. Whether they are teammates, co-workers, fellow community member or our own families, good communication is a must. Read more »

Saying “Thank you” is Rude?

Posted by on April 18, 2011 Comments Off
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Tiffany Dahlbergby Tiffany Dahlberg

With the advent of email and the increasing reliance on this technology, human beings are communicating in person and via phone less often.  This disturbing trend not only impacts our interpersonal relationships, but also our business productivity. Although email is a useful tool, problems arise when email is used inappropriately.  Just as there is etiquette for face-to-face social situations, there is “netiquette” for communicating virtually using technology.

In February, Wells Fargo/Wachovia hosted a global conference for their international bankers in San Francisco.  My organization’s team (Ready2ACT) presented at this three-day conference on the topic of Netiquette.

One of the tips we presented was that email users should not send any replies if the entire message is only “Thanks” or “Thank you” – especially to an entire distribution list. Read more »

Zoe Presenter Spotlight: K.J. McCorry

Posted by on April 12, 2011 Comments Off
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K.J. McCorryby Zoe Training staff

K.J. McCorry thrives on helping people save time, reduce stress, and protect the environment. Upon recognizing the need for organizational help in the workplace,  K.J. founded her own organization in 1996 to offer a wide spectrum of productivity consulting services. Her consulting specialties include increasing efficiency using electronic tools and becoming less paper-based. K.J. has also founded an innovative sister organization called eco-officiency, which offers sustainability consulting to individuals and organizations.

We asked K.J. to divulge some interesting tidbits about herself that go beyond just her consulting background.

Three words to describe her presentation style:

Fun, practical and engaging!

What are your most popular presentation topics?

Email, Time and Task/Priority management. Read more »

What’s Your “Training Groundhog”?

Posted by on February 7, 2011 Comments Off
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groundhogby Ashley Andrus

In 2011, Punxsutawney Phil celebrated the 125th Anniversary of Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, PA.  On February 2nd, he emerged from his burrow and (according to folklore) predicted the arrival of spring.  According to the official rules of Groundhog’s Day, if he sees his shadow, there will be 6 more weeks of winter.  If, however, he does not see his shadow, we are in for an early spring.

Giving Phil the benefit of the doubt and assuming his prediction is correct, one must admire the precision of outcome metrics: Shadow = 6 weeks. No shadow = Less than 6 weeks. Clear, straightforward, easy to use.

Phil’s system got me thinking about the metrics (and lack thereof) often associated with training initiatives. Too often, organizations implement a training program with no clear plan for identifying actual outcomes and ensuring the ROI of the investment. Read more »

The Economy’s Ripple Effect on your Employees

Posted by on November 29, 2010 Comments Off
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acorn near oak treeby Ashley Andrus

- Is the economy finally back on track?

- Are we headed for a double-dip recession?

- Will hiring pick up again anytime soon?

These are important questions that will impact the future of your organization—however, the more immediate question is: How are the ripple effects from the ongoing tight economic conditions directly impacting your employees TODAY?

Just as an individual business functions within the tides of the economy, individual employees and team members are buffeted by the turbulence associated with the ongoing economic downturn. The “new normal” translates into longer working hours, shorter deadlines, expanded job duties and responsibilities, and increased stress levels throughout the organization—all of which directly impact morale, working conditions, and your bottom line.

What can you do from a training and development standpoint to ensure your employees have the tools they need to ride out the ripples? Read more »

Good Trade: Giving Up Our Time and Energy for Success

Posted by on September 22, 2010 Comments Off
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D.J. Vanasby D.J. Vanas

Before Europeans arrived on the shores of North America, our Native peoples had a vibrant, robust economy not based on a currency or coin of the realm – but on trade and barter. Buffalo robes were traded for pipestone, pipestone for turquoise and turquoise for corn. It was one great stock exchange with piecemeal trade routes running from Alaska down through South America. These were all seen as good trades.

Remember the scene in Dances with Wolves where Kevin Costner traded his hat for a knife, albeit unwillingly. What did the Indian guy say once the exchange was made? You got it – good trade.

In a very real sense, our entire lives work this way, constantly making decisions to give up something of value in return for something else. Read more »

Training, Development & the Employment Life Cycle

Posted by on June 7, 2010 Comments Off
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acorn near oak treeby Ashley Andrus

“Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.”
14th Century Proverb, Oxford Dictionary of Quotations

The Society for HR Management recently reported that expected hiring levels for May 2010 “could reach levels not seen since 2007″ and that this “spring fling” has led to increased difficulty in hiring qualified candidates.

In conjunction with the increased hiring many organizations will be implementing in coming months, we can also expect many current employees will take the opportunity to job hunt actively as the economy continues to improve and new opportunities open up.

And in the May 2010 Fast Company Magazine, Chip & Dan Heath argue that, “When you own the talent factory, you’ve created a permanent competitive advantage.”

Given these realities, now is a good time to examine the ways in which training and development directly impact YOUR organization’s employment life cycle and some high-return actions you can take to ensure you are positioned to take advantage of improving conditions. Read more »

How to Create More Time in Your Day!

Posted by on April 11, 2010 Comments Off
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Mike Faberby Mike Faber

A coaching client asked me recently how she could “create more time” for her personal and professional interests. While we all have the same twenty-four hours in a day, the way we use that time varies wildly. Here are four great tips for getting more out of the time you have!

  1. Clearly define what your priorities are for each day. Writing them out increases the chances exponentially that the most important things will get done.
  2. Understand what your compelling purpose is for achieving a specific result. Doing this simple association turns a “nice to have” into a “Non Negotiable” result. If a result or action doesn’t have a compelling purpose attached to it, that result or action cannot be a priority for you.

    3. Read more »

Becoming Paperless for Effectiveness and Efficiency

Posted by on November 9, 2009 Comments Off
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K.J. McCorryby K.J. McCorry

Efficiency expert K.J. McCorry, author of Organize Your Work Day In No Time, thinks that the world could be a better place if we’d all cut back on our consumption of paper. With the help of technology, that long-awaited goal might even be manageable.

Today’s employees are inundated with data, finding it more and more difficult to manage this overwhelming amount of data and yet be effective and efficient at their jobs. One of the keys to gaining efficiencies in data management and increasing productivity is to reduce the paper pileup.

Disadvantages of Paper

Although some workers still need, desire, and perhaps even love paper, it comes with some disadvantages: Read more »

Aging: Shaping a New Tradition

Posted by on January 1, 2009 Comments Off
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Rosa Mazoneby Rosa Mazone

The “Aging of America” and the growing percentage of our population 65 and older, is a trend of undeniable consequence. While advances in medical knowledge and technology have increased our longevity, our culture’s historical view of old age and elders remains.

Many studies debunk myths including the common belief that genetics are destiny, and physical and mental deterioration are coded into our genes. In fact, the studies say, “the influence of genetics shrinks with the years, while lifestyle choices become increasingly important in shaping the quality of later life.” Among the most important lifestyle changes they recommend are engaging in activities and cultivating new friends. According to a recent study on successful aging, longevity, and vitality by the MacArthur Foundation, only 30 percent is genetic. The other 70 percent is attributable to disease avoidance, exercise of mind and body, and staying involved in life. Read more »

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