Call Center Job Tips

Does your call center have team huddles each day?

Maybe you’ve heard about it, maybe you haven’t, but the Business Huddle is the most effective way of running a morning meeting! What is it?

Although it may come across sounding like a football game, it’s like a meeting that only lasts 15 minutes. Companies do the huddle either in the morning or before lunch. Some companies will push the boundaries and start at odd times like 8:03am. CEOs claim the odd times make people think outside the box’.

Although Business Huddles are fairly new to the corporate arena, there has been a general consensus among many CEOs from small, medium & large companies, that if you don’t use the huddle, you’re behind the times! Their reasoning? Using the huddle technique works well for any type of business, but especially those with an entrepreneurial culture.

Huddles have become an essential tool for fast growing companies where the CEO and other executives can and need to obtain prudent information fast. CEOs find huddles are effective because they keep everyone in sync and allow for the organic flow of information. Within 15 minutes you can be updated on all that’­s happening within your corporation.

Are there any rules? Yes, actually one - problem solving is forbidden, stay positive and don’­t get mired down in this. Beyond that, the huddle is as customizable as the corporation desires.

Because huddles are meant to be efficient, most corporations stick to an agenda that entails the following: the day’s top priorities are presented in 10-15 seconds, the idea I’lI have to do this today is imparted to increase productivity, department run-downs are presented by team leaders, and at the conclusion it is a good idea to talk about good news in the company or an individual accomplishment, which ends the meeting on a positive note!

So the next time you’re having a morning meeting give the huddle a shot, you won’t be disappointed - in fact, you will have saved the company 45 minutes of time!

Here are the main rules:

- 15 minutes in length (you must not go over 15 minutes!)

- Try the no-chair rule (people get antsy and if everyone is standing no one will talk long)

- Start at 11:45 AM everyone wants lunch, they’re hungry!

- Have a top priority - Problem solving is NOT allowed!

- Get an update from team leaders

- Get a run down on the Headlines and Activities in the company

- End with on a positive note!

David Woodward
http://www.sweetcareers.com

Sweet Careers.com is a FREE Job Board. Post Jobs Free or Search for your next Career Opportunity.
Visit us today!

Posted in News | No comments

Every organization has a sphere of influence that identifies it’s added value to the organization. Internal training has suffered serious setbacks in recent years indicated by widespread departmental cut backs and outsourcing across all industries, of all sizes, in this country.

Senior management questions to training groups have typically centered on the time spent on the “activities” of staff development without the noted and defined links to the company’s strategies and goals.

In addition, it is a fact that training cuts did not occur where the organization perceived value and where training units indicated the bottom line value that existed. That is how the game is played and won in successful organizations.

In organizations that see the contributed value of the training team, they see trainers as leaders who share the needed tools or techniques within the organization. These organizations encourage the training team to associate the results of the interventions loud and clear from the access of the highest levels of the company and prove the worth of training’s efforts.

Since line managers always appreciate a bottom-line approach but are reluctant to change the process of the approach, organizational leadership that want to encourage continuous improvement select quality trainers-as-leaders that are positive and proactive role models and historically, are proven business partners.

In many cases, training positions within the knowledge-oriented organization becomes a revolving job in which growth and visibility are the obvious outcomes for the business-based individual.

Most of all, progressive businesses want training not to just receive recognition, they want training to earn it. With training departments staffed with individuals who know the true nature of the business and who get to know business area partners, it becomes a win-win opportunity.

As learning organizations encourage their unit staff leaders to understand and participate in training, all of their action meetings and special projects will become raised to the level of its internal trainer expertise, its internal trainer relationships and most importantly, its internal trainer credibility.

Being perceived as the hands-on business advisor is an impossible role to play without hands-on business experience. Line managers know the paths to achieve business status in the organizations - they are tough roads and hardly ever directly positioned for the boardroom.

However, many line managers do not understand or value training’s role. It is on the organization’s leadership watch to keep improving their companies’ performance through staff development.

By including the practical values associated with re-directing the training role, organizations will achieve their goals through those individuals who are familiar with the business and who include themselves in the real issues of the work through active participation in the company staff’s ability to do the work.

Where this model is followed, trainers are already members of industry associations and are already reading industry newspapers and periodicals that highlight the industry’s business because they come from line management.

Knowledge organizations have training teams with inherent credibility due to the existing fact that they are the business. In addition, learning organizations’ trainers are typically fully engaged in sharing the risk of success and failure on work projects, fully challenged as business managers/trainers, assuring the business lines that training is their team.

Instead of being the last entity in a project, with this model, training owns early positioning on projects and ensures involvement all through.

Current business managers and current trainers should seek the importance of volunteering for job enlargement opportunities exchanging roles by being part of task forces that will stretch themselves as managers and as trainers. Both entities can learn the details of each other’s tasks.

In addition, these managers-as-trainers will become open to interpersonal relationships that will become credibility checks for the future and build a solid foundation as future company leadership.

In conclusion, organizations need to merge existing management and training groups. When a company uses an external consulting firm, they are always looking for hands-on experience that raises the bar on what can be achieved quickly by utilizing the external source as a resource. Looking to improve internal management and training relationships will only be reached with the organization’s targeted aim to transition training jobs into informed organizational players and thereby to reinforce the nature of continuous improvement through training.

Dr. Linda Eagle is Founder & President of The Edcomm Group Banker’s Academy-a 22-year-old education and consulting firm dedicated to serving Banks, Credit Unions, Money Services Businesses (MSBs)and all areas of the Global Financial Community with thousands of generic and customized training programs in areas such as BSA/AML, Regulatory Compliance, Teller Training, Systems Training, Sales and Service Training, and many more.

Edcomm Banker’s Academy is headquartered in New York, NY. For more information, email linda.eagle@edcomm.com or call +1.212.631.9400.

Posted in News | No comments

Call Center Cafe brings you this article by Rick Peden developing leaders.

Developing leaders in your business is how you make it strong and keeping it growing. It This sounds extremely difficult (and at times it is) but it usually doesn’t take much effort to help develop the qualities that someone needs to be a great leader.

I believe that most people already have some of these qualities so it usually takes some nurturing to develop them. Like it was mentioned earlier, it is important to work with someone that exhibits some of these qualities and want to lead a group.

Don’t try and develop a leader in someone who doesn’t want to lead as you’ll only be frustrated and they will lose respect in you. They can always change their mind later on. Just reassure them that they will get your help if they do change their mind.

So how do we develop these qualities in others? The first and most important way is to lead by example. You need to exhibit these qualities. You need to set the bar that they need to live up to. Show up on time. Know the business. Act with integrity and be consistent. Set the example and others will follow.

Second, spend time with them so they can see that you are setting the example. This may be difficult to do if you have downline in other countries. That can be dealt with though consistent conversations and following through on items that you said you’d follow up on.

Let you’re group see that you are setting the example on how to act and the qualities that you exhibit, others will start to emulate you.

Third, work with your chosen leaders. Critique them on their actions, don’t criticize. Show them how you would deal with an issue and allow them room to act and make mistakes. This is how they will learn and you’ll be more prominent as their leader. Provide them or point them towards other learning opportunities and mentors. Mentoring usually isn’t a one-on-one event. One protege can have many mentors, I know I do. Share the workload with others that can add value to their life. Help them get exposed to other leaders as it will enrich their training.

This is a life long commitment that both of you have to make. It takes a very long time to learn how to be an effective leader. They need to know that they can count on you for a long time to help guide them and to provide advice. They, in turn, will have to make the same commitment to you and to the people that they are going to develop as well.

Rick Peden.
Emagine Business Group.
Specializing in developing leaders in Network Marketing. Helping you achieve your goals and dreams!
http://www.emaginebg.com

Posted in News | No comments

Does your call center supervisor training cover employee privacy? Call Center Cafe brings you this article on the subject by Dr. Cubie Davis King.

In continuing your supervisors’ core training, one cannot omit a detailed discussion of how to protect employees’ private information. The very last thing your company needs in a down economy is a lawsuit filed by an employee for breach of private information.

Privacy is and will continue to be a red-hot issue because of identity thief. A simple breach of an employee’s Social Security Number (SSN), can have grave repercussions that can cause the company and the employee to experience nightmares. Here are some strategies to employ.

Common Sense Not All That Common

You don’t need a PHD in Engineering to understand this is a very serious area that must be addressed in the workplace. Anytime you can identify an employee by what is said or done- it’s a danger. The questions the courts want answered in a lawsuit against the company for breach of the employee’s private information is “how did you get that information?” Not “where” but “how? I know you got it from the AZC Company, but “how did you get it?

In today’s workplace you would think this issue is important enough that companies would train supervisors never to leave private information out for others to see, including at the end of the day when everyone goes home. If private information is left out for the cleaning crew to see, then we have a major problem. Common sense you say? Well I have found that common sense is not all that common any more.

You Need Written Policies

A company needs written policies that make it clear to supervisors that private information, held on employees, is to remain private. Therefore, your privacy policy should include at a minimum:

1. The definition of what constitutes private information,
2. How this private information is to be protected,
a. When it is written?
b. When it is spoken?
c. When it is transmitted electronically?

3. How is private information to be destroyed? Most companies have a shredding policy, but after consulting with hundreds of companies in every state in the Union, I’ve come to the professional conclusion that people do what you inspect, not what you expect. You may expect supervisors to shred important private documents, but time and again, company find highly classified documents containing private information in the trash can.

4. Who in the organization will see that your privacy policies are adhered to and who will take full responsibility for the actions of the company?

5. What are the sanctions for breaching the company’s privacy policies?

These are but a few of the core issues your privacy training for supervisors must include.

Privacy Is Here To Stay

When you consider the fact that your supervisors are privy to a lot more information about the company and your employees than the rank and file, is it any doubt that privacy training must be conducted like ASAP? Privacy is here to stay and it’s not going away. Think about this. Have you noticed that every company you do business with- sends you a privacy notice? Why do you think they are doing this? Because they have nothing better to do? No, it’s because they are covering themselves in case of a lawsuit.

Let’s Get Busy

The Human Resources Department must get busy writing the company’s privacy policies and make this a vital part of the company’s supervisors’ core training. Move quickly to make this happen.

Summary

In continuing your supervisor core training, one cannot omit a detailed discussion on how to protect employees’ private information. The very last thing a company needs in a down economy is a lawsuit filed for breach of private information. Privacy is and will continue to be a red-hot issue in the workplaces of the future.

© 2009 Cubie Davis King. All Rights Reserved.

Dr. Cubie Davis King, Ph.D is a Performance Technologist in the field of Training & Performance Improvement, with a resume that includes 9 years military service, and executive positions with Xerox & CitiGroup, Dr. King has won top performance awards at every level of his storied career. Dr. King is an adjunct professor at National University San Diego, CA.

His latest work is the SuperVisors’ Core Training 1.0 System. To reach Dr. King, go directly to his website http://www.goldcrowninc.com

Posted in News | No comments

For our call center team leaders:

Self motivation is by far the most powerful and sustainable form of motivation. That said we don’t always have all doors open to us. As a manager of an effective team you can help keep individuals highly motivated by opening doors for them.

Give high performance team members exposure to your management team or an area of the company that they aspire to be promoted or move to in the future. Keep the following points in mind though to ensure all involved get the most out of the experience:

1. Determine your team members comfort level in presenting:
* Some will love to be on stage and simply need you to open the door - review in advance their role and guidelines on “airtime”.
* Some will love to be “in the room” but need multiple visits to feel comfortable presenting - bring the team member along and introduce them as a significant contributor and with you to hear feedback, give the credit and acknowledgment but don’t push for too much too fast.

2. Be respectful of the audience - gain their buy in, in advance to ensure you aren’t bringing a team member to a meeting that was planned to review confidential information.

3. Plan out your opportunities in advance but don’t “fill the slot” if the fit between the person, role and meeting is not the right match.

This form of recognition will both motivate individuals and demonstrate your commitment to the development of your team members. Also, explaining your activities to your own manager might get him/her thinking along the same lines and give you some well earned positive exposure.

Lynn

Team Enthusiast

Lynn is a partner in Conundrum Adventures. Conundrum Adventures delivers team building programs to corporate clients http://www.conundrumadventures.com

Posted in News | No comments

In an effort to retain employees many call centers are looking for unique packages that will keep their employees happy. Here is an article by David Woodward with his thoughts on the subject.

Human Resource professionals and corporations need to understand what young people entering the work force value, so that a corporate benefits package can be designed to retain the leaders of tomorrow. The core values are finances, a life outside of work, education, and security.

Building a corporate benefits package today, as either a new corporation or old, is the most important tool in attracting young people. Corporate Cultures are starting to become an integral part of a candidates choice of work place. Many companies are now striving to better equip themselves to attract top talent.

An outside survey says the most important element is a life outside of the office. As odd as this may sound to some, when you work 35+ hours (more than you see your own family!) a week, this tends to almost be a requirement. Yes, you may love your job but to remain healthy, you need a life outside of the office!

Half day Fridays, shorter work weeks or four day holiday weekends!

A lot of corporations are starting to deploy half days, summer hours, four day holiday weekends and even every 2nd Friday off to give employees a chance to re-charge their batteries! These are inexpensive ways corporations allow a better family lifestyle, which in turn leads to better staff morale and satisfaction within the job!

Health Club membership

Staying fit leads to a better lifestyle both inside work and outside. Health club memberships are starting to become a popular extra in a lot of corporations. Whether they are offered as an extra or a part of a benefits package, it shows the employees that their employer cares about their physical well being!

Appreciation & Promotion is the Best Motivator

Today more than ever, young people want to grow within a corporation. They want to succeed and move up the ladder. Young employees want to know that they will be promoted based on performance, not on seniority.

Many young people who have left jobs within 1-2 years say that they have asked a team leader, manager or someone in the position they wanted to advance to about how long it took to get there. If they find out it took them 10 years, chances are they will move on to a new job. Reward your star employees, or there is a risk of losing them to a corporation that will.

Vacation Time

Lifestyle is everything for young people, so letting them know they will have vacation time is important. Many young people are looking for at least 3 weeks - as this is now becoming the norm. With 3 weeks’ vacation it shows the company values employee’s free time as well as the time that they spend at work.

Continuous Training

Young people know education is everything. They’re aware that they have to keep learning new skills to keep up with the job! Paying for an employee’s extended education and continuous training also promotes retention, since young people value continuous learning and new challenges.

Social Activities - Having fun!

If aren’t having fun you’re fired! Well, not quite, but employees want to have fun at work. When you spend 35+ hours at work, social activities become key! Whether it is sports teams, contests, recognition awards, or seasonal parties, these activities strengthen communication ties between young and senior employees in the corporation.

Stock Options & Profit Sharing

A great stock options plan and/or a profit sharing plan is a good way to not only help satisfy the financial needs every young person has, but also a great way to say “thanks for a job well done”. New employees tend to stay longer at companies that reward them for their work. A well-rewarded employee is also more likely to volunteer to come in on days off to do extra work, if needed.

Subsidized Employee Transportation

A lot of corporations are subsidizing employee transportation in the way of transit passes, whether a percentage or in whole. Some corporations are even going to the extent of facilitating car-pooling from the same geographic location. It really is a great way to say that you care about the environment.

Challenges & Projects

Young people need to be challenged, if you give a young person a task such as data entry, don’t expect them to hang around a long time, if at all. Young people enjoy the challenges that come with a position, or the prospect of receiving a challenging project to handle. Young people think on their feet, with creativity flowing along side of them. Allowing a young new employee to be included in a project is the right ingredient for retention and to keep those creative juices flowing at your corporation.

Being A Part of Something That Matters

Giving an employee a day off to participate in a charity or foundation of choice that they believe in shows they are able to lend a helping hand to the community, and gives them an appreciation for the betterment of their own community and the lives of others. It allows them to be a part of something. Community work or group work as a corporation is great, but if the employee is allowed to choose their foundation or charity they will work with, it is even more meaningful.

Little extras go a long way to retaining staff and keeping employees happy. There is a lot you can do to keep and boost your company morale!

David Woodward
http://www.sweetcareers.com

Sweet Careers is a Free Online Job Board. Search for great career opportunities or post free jobs.
Visit us today!

Posted in News | No comments

Here is information for our call center trainers on capturing your learners attention. Good luck from Call Center Cafe

Before you can share information and facilitate learning, you must first capture and hold learner attention. Recognizing the importance of this point is a key to better understanding what brain researchers know about how the brain best processes information.

You do not have to be a neuroscientist to know that learning and retention can only occur when people are interested and engaged in the learning process. This is central to the concept of learner-centered training.

Getting learners focused is no small feat in today’s world of fast-paced action and shortened attention spans. Because many learners are constantly exposed to high speed technology and conditioned by an expectation that they can get anything when and how they want it, your challenge as a trainer, educator or facilitator is a complex one.

The following three strategies that you can use to grab your participant’s attention and begin the journey of learning.

1. Assess Content Engagement Factor. You can trace many instances of lost learner interest back to your design and delivery format. To ensure that you do not fall prey to bad content and presentation errors, consider the following questions:

• Have you created a way to inform learners of objectives and expectations?
• Does the program design incorporate the needs of learners that you discovered through a needs assessment?
• Does your design format require active learner engagement at regular points?
• Do the planned activities and support materials appeal to all three learning modalities?
• Are learners required to be creative in their thinking and opinions during the session?
• Are interim review points built in throughout the session to gauge comprehension and learning?
• Are support materials and verbal messages congruent and stimulating?
• Is the program content flexible, relevant and appealing to learners?
• Is the learning environment stimulating to the senses?
• Does what you are delivering mirror or tie to real-world needs?

2. Give Learners a Reason to Listen to What You Have to Say. Do this by answering a common learner question — “What is the Added Value And Results For Me (AVARFM)?” By sharing what they are going to get from the session and how it can immediately be used in the real world, you set up learner expectations of receiving something of value.

A helpful part of this is to share your credentials and help them understand why they should listen to you, based on your expertise. You might facilitate this by sharing a personal experience and lessons you have learned related to the session topic. You could then ask some of them what experiences they have had.

3. Make Learning Fun. Most participants love an opportunity to have fun when they learn. Look for ways to incorporate variations of games that children play to keep the energy level high in your sessions. For example, you can incorporate scarf juggling as an energizer and to teach one-on-one coaching, teambuilding and interpersonal communication skills. Give each person three brightly colored silk scarves, show them how to juggle them by having them toss one at a time into the air and continue to catch and toss again. It is a fun, highly active workout that allows people to learn new skills while interacting with others. It takes no special skills and can be learned and practiced in minutes. You can get scarves at magic supply stores and at Creative Presentation Resources online.

4. Follow the Lead of Advertisers. People are so used to technology and a fast rate of information delivery that trainers and educators must mirror what learners see elsewhere in order to keep them interested. An example of this is the rate at which television advertisers show commercials. In the middle to late part of the twentieth century commercials ran on the half hour. Eventually they came closer together until now they are seen every eight to fifteen (8 to 15 minutes) or in some cases more often. This translates to a psychological expectation from learners that something will change during a similar period in the classroom. For that reason, you should plan to change your delivery format (e.g. from lecture to discussion, activity, or demonstration) at least every fifteen minutes or so. This helps maintain learner interest and keeps them mentally engaged.

Bob Lucas is an internationally known consultant and author with over thirty years experience in the customer service, human resources and management fields. He has written hundreds of articles and written or contributed to twenty-nine books, including: Training Workshop Essentials: Designing, Developing and Delivering Learning Events That Get Results; Creative Learning: Activities and Games That REALLY Engage People; The Creative Trainer Idea Book; and The Big Book of Flip Charts. He can be reached through his corporate website at http://www.robertwlucas.com via email at blucas@globalperformancestrategies.com or at 407-695-5535.

Posted in News | No comments

Many call center managers are expected to wear multiple hats and pitch in to cover for others at times.
Have you been called upon to provide product or leadership training? Here are a few tips from Peter Grazier to help you with your next presentation.
Good luck from Call Center Cafe

As organizations struggle to keep up with the demands of a changing world economy, people at all levels of the organization are being called upon to make presentations, conduct training, and influence others to make changes. For those new to the world of public speaking this is a threatening proposition that frequently results in dry, monotonous presentations.

Even experienced trainers sometimes fail to maximize their teaching potential simply for a lack of a few strategically placed techniques to enhance the learning. Therefore, most trainers will “kill” for a new technique.
My purpose in this session is to share unique ideas for enhancing training and presentations that have worked well for me over the last 18 years, so that we will be able to move the concepts of quality, participation, and human potential forward more forcefully and effectively.

Introduction

Adults seem to learn best when they are enjoying the training experience. Think of those sessions where you came away energized and motivated as well as informed. What was happening? Chances are you will remember stories that clarified the points being made, metaphors that linked concepts to simple examples, visual props, gags, humor, and insights about yourself.

You may have participated in the learning experience or heard other participants share their thoughts that provided additional learning opportunities. Perhaps also, you felt you were “entertained” as well as taught..

OK, so now you have been given an opportunity to speak before a group or perform training yourself and you’re not sure what to do. Since most of our formal learning from childhood on has been in the “lecture” format, we tend to see most training performed in this way.

Much of the time little creativity was demonstrated by those who taught us early on, so we have grown up with teaching and learning “paradigms” that are less than exciting. So what do we do, we usually repeat what we learned, even though we yearn to do more.

When I first became involved with presentations and training, I was petrified with fear. But inside I felt I had an important message about participation in the workplace that needed to be told. Even though I had serious doubts about my abilities, I soon learned that I could create effective presentations and training sessions by applying some creativity in how I presented.

I will say, however, that many of the techniques I use today I would have never considered when I began. I just felt they were too “outlandish” for a “professional” trainer and consultant. I was wrong. I have since learned that the more I stretch the limits, the more effective and highly-rated are my presentations and training sessions.

I don’t want to imply that simply being crazy is a solution. What I realized was that my quest for more effective training techniques was driven by a passion to enhance the learning experience. I truly wanted people to understand and learn the material, so if a strategically placed gag, exercise, story, or metaphor would help, I would use it. If I could get my audience to “feel” what I was saying to them, they would probably understand it better and remember it longer.

20 Key Learning Points
to Enhance Presentations and Training

The following ideas and techniques are not intended as the “be all and end all” list for effective presentations. They are simply a collection of interesting ideas that have helped me to give better presentations and training. They are also listed in no particular order. I hope you find them useful.

1. Start with a sincere belief in what you are saying - One of the comments I have heard frequently over the years is “You really believe in these concepts, don’t you.” When the audience senses that you live and breathe your message, almost instantly your credibility goes up. Conversely, if you are trying to present a message that you do not totally support, it takes a real acting job to pull it off—and usually you don’t. People see through the act quickly.

The reason for this is that although your words may be saying one thing, your nonverbal cues will usually give you away. Your tone of voice, your facial expression, your body posture—virtually every cell in your body—will be saying you don’t really believe your own message..

So the best way to begin your quest for a dynamic presentation is to first work on yourself and how you feel about your topic. If you have some doubts, study it, experience it, and practice it until you can gain confidence in how you feel about your topic. Audiences will forgive mistakes in the presentation if they sense you deeply believe in your topic.

2. Be yourself - Not long after I began giving presentations a friend mentioned to me that I was coming off stiff and very boring. Since he knew me and my work first-hand, he gave me some wonderful advice that I have never forgotten. He said that when I was speaking to people one-on-one about my work I was enthusiastic, highly-motivated, and could convince anyone about its benefits. He said also that when I made presentations to larger groups, my entire style changed when I attempted to look “professional.” His wonderful advice was “Let Pete Grazier be Pete Grazier.” Don’t try to be something you’re not. I took his message to heart and almost immediately my presentations improved.

3. Change your mindset about “the fear of public speaking” - Surveys of human fears usually put the “fear of public speaking” close to the top of most lists. Some people would rather die than give a speech. When I began studying the human mind, it became clear that I would need to change some of the programming I had received earlier in life about public speaking. My simple technique that worked for me was to reprogram my brain to think about “the excitement of public speaking.”

Fear and excitement have different physiological responses that can either enhance a talk or destroy it. With fear, one’s throat and voice are harder to control the heart races, palms sweat, eyes blink rapidly, and the face looks pale and more drawn. Although excitement can induce some of the same responses, such as a racing heart, there is usually more control and enjoyment. People will clearly be able to tell the difference between fear and excitement. Excitement seems to mobilize whereas fear immobilizes and one loses control..

When you have a speaking opportunity, begin to think of your butterflies as a natural by-product of your excitement rather than your fear. Focus on excitement and eventually you will begin to change your prior conditioning about speaking in public.

4. “Breaking the Ice” with the audience - The first few minutes of a presentation are important to establish the relationship between you and your audience. Will this hour or day be formal, loose, fun, boring, or what? The beginning is also the point at which you as the speaker are most anxious and tense. So why not design a beginning that loosens up both you and your audience?

There are many ways to do this (some of the techniques that follow will also give you ideas), but one of the easiest is to begin by asking the audience some questions and get them talking. I find that if I can get them to say something early in the presentation, it relaxes me by taking some of the burden off of me to do it all. Sometimes I do a quick demographic check to assess the make-up of my audience. For instance, I might ask how many managers or supervisors are in the audience..

Sometimes it’s best to tell a story relating to the topic. You might relate a personal experience that interested you in the subject. Personal stories are easy to tell because they come from your own experiences.

The point is to do something early that establishes a relationship between you and the audience.

5. Find out what the participants want to know - Probably one of the most important concepts in creating successful training sessions is finding out what the participants want to learn. The trainer has an agenda, but what does the student want to know about the topic?

I have found that if I can surface their needs and address them, people will feel the training was particularly useful to them.

My favorite technique for this is to give them advance warning that I will be asking for their expectations of the session so they can think about it while I am presenting my opening remarks. I have colored markers and paper on the tables, and after I have reviewed the training agenda with them, I ask them to write down one or two expectations—or questions they would like to have answered—on the paper with the markers. I ask them to sign them, then hang them on the walls with masking tape. I also call these expectations “objectives” and enlist their help in getting these objectives met. I tell them that I will do everything in my power to help them meet their objective, but that they must help me.

As the training progresses, students are asked to remove their sheets from the walls if their objective has been met. It’s an excellent way to see if people are getting what they need. The exercise serves other uses as well, for example, getting the class up and moving around early in the session (a “pattern interruption” which will be discussed later).

6. Using drama and effects to enhance learning - When I began training teams of people I struggled with how to teach the impact of personal values and beliefs on our behavior. A simple lecture wouldn’t necessarily do it. Somehow I had to get the audience to “feel” the impact of their beliefs.

I decided to “trick” my audience by wearing a suit of clothes that I now call “my nerd outfit.” Before the session I put on black shoes, white socks, blue suit pants, a brown striped dress shirt, a pink paisley tie, and a green corduroy sport jacket (with wide lapels from late 1970’s). When I wear these clothes, the behavior of my participants is always different than when I wear clothes that match and have more class. When I wear the “nerd outfit” they tend to ignore me prior to the session (for example, during coffee and danish), and they cluster in small groups and snicker. Of course they never say anything to me directly–They just behave differently.

When I begin the session, I give them the definition of values and beliefs then ask them if they notice anything strange about me. They usually say nothing. When I probe further, eventually someone will break the ice by saying how my clothes look, and then they all chime in. Some say I look like I dressed in the dark; some say I look like an engineer; some say I look like a used car salesman; some say I look like I should be at the racetrack; and on and on..

I then take off the clothes revealing a set of clothes underneath that match and you can hear a collective sigh of relief. They were really worried that this “nerd” was their teacher. In just a few minutes, they have been put in touch with their belief systems in a dramatic way that they will never forget. It sets the stage for a meaningful discussion on the topic.

7. Using magic as a metaphor - A few years ago I began using magic tricks to help make important points. What I found was an immediate benefit from a teaching point of view. First, the magic was a diversion from the other techniques being used to train. Second, there was an entertainment value… people truly seemed to enjoy the tricks. Third, was the impact of the message. If a trick can be linked to a concept being taught, the message will tend to be clearer. Fourth, was the retention value. If the concept can be linked with something unique and different, the student will likely never forget the message.

8. Audience participation as an art form - Over the years that I have been working with the concepts of workplace collaboration and participation, I have gained an enormous appreciation for the innate abilities of people. People have so much more to contribute if we’d just let them. And this certainly holds true when training.

People like to contribute to the discussion at hand, so the presenter should provide opportunities for this participation. In training sessions in particular, I now strive to have the participants talking or working together about 70-80% of the time. This can be accomplished by applying exercises that reinforce training points, group discussions, question and answer periods, small group break-out discussions and problem solving, and a host of others. This is particularly useful when question and answer periods are coming up short. Simply ask people to turn to each other for 1 or 2 minutes and discuss any points of the session that need clarifying. This is a wonderful technique for generating questions. Surprisingly, this can even be done with large audiences..

When audiences participate in the learning experience, everyone benefits. More knowledge and insight is shared within the group, people enjoy the opportunity to participate, and it relieves the responsibility of the trainer to do it all.

9. Using “pattern interruptions” to maintain audience energy - When people sit for any length of time, energy levels tend to go down quickly. Even the best speakers and trainers may experience this energy drop in their audience if they sit too long without some kind of re-energizer.

One of the best ways to re-energize an audience is to perform what is called a “pattern interruption” every 5-10 minutes. A pattern interruption breaks the pattern of listening and causes the listener to re-activate the brain. There are many ways to inject pattern interruptions:

The speaker might simply change the tone of voice or pattern of speech
Move to a different part of the room (the back of the room, for example)
Use props, magic tricks, videotapes, or music
Use waterguns to break tension
Use audience participation
The trainer might stand on a table to make a quick table discussion or exercise
Have participants go for a short walk in pairs to discuss some relevant question about the training
One of the best times to plan for pattern interruptions is after lunch. This is the time that energy levels drop most severely due to the digestion of heavy food, therefore, plan for the worst. I usually design training sessions to have my most active, and entertaining, exercises right after lunch.

If you can provide some form of pattern interruption at least every 10 minutes, your audience will stay energized throughout.
10. Waterguns as tension breakers - It is almost inevitable that during a training session, one or more participants will try to hit you with an antagonistic question or comment simply to get attention. They might also direct these comments toward other participants. These “zingers” sometimes cause a brief moment of tension in the session, leaving all participants looking at you for how you will respond. I have found that one of the best ways to break this tension is to pull out a water gun and simply shoot the offender. This surprise response completely changes the psychological state from one of tension to one of humor. The offender receives the attention he or she was craving and the rest of the class simply enjoys the experience. I usually carry two or three waterguns of varying sizes, pulling out larger and larger ones with each successive zinger. This is one of the best techniques I have found for breaking tension, adding a needed pattern interruption, and simply having fun.

11. Exploring the range of emotions - Much of the training we perform in team building, employee involvement, human potential, creativity, and so forth involves putting people in touch with themselves. Most of us have never received training about ourselves. Therefore, I try to create a learning experience that covers a full range of emotions. Anger, frustration, joy, excitement, sadness, hope, and pride are just a few of the emotions that can be generated in a training session or presentation.

There are a number of ways to accomplish these, but some of the best are through stories and exercises. One of my stories talks about a construction worker I encountered early in my career who was emotionally affected by simply being thanked for his outstanding work. As it turned out, never in his 30-year career had he been thanked for his work. This story affected me personally when it happened in 1981, and I have told it many times over the years..

Another way to invoke emotion is to design an exercise where people can tap into their own experiences. I will frequently ask people to think about the most successful and rewarding teams or groups they participated on in their lives, then tell those stories to each other in small groups. The stories they tell each other are usually exciting, heart-warming, full of pride, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but always powerful.

12. Using prizes as incentives for participation - People love prizes, and they make excellent incentives to enhance participation. Just about anything can be used for prizes, but one of my favorites is potatoes. Potatoes seem to have no intrinsic value so at first appear to not be much of an incentive. But after I give out two or three potatoes to people who have contributed something to the class discussion, others can’t wait to get a one. It’s not the potato they want, but the recognition.

Obviously, if a potato can work, then just about anything else can be used as an incentive. Incidentally, if you mention to the first person awarded a potato that it’s theirs to do with as they want, sometimes they will draw on it with markers which creates further interest and opportunities for pattern interruptions. Sometimes they give away their potato to someone who is deserving of one, but was missed by me. It moves the subject of “recognition” from the trainer to the participants.

13. Setting up the classroom for success - The physical layout of the training room will either enhance or detract from your learning environment. If you are teaching team concepts and skills, for example, and the seating is in a “theater” arrangement, the meaning of “team” sometimes gets lost.

I almost always request round tables when training because I use so many group exercises, discussions, and so forth. When I need small groups to perform some task, the participants are already in natural teams..

Another benefit of round or separate tables is the opportunity to move people around during the session. True team building requires the breaking down of barriers between people. If I can move people to different tables during the session and have them perform an exercise together, barriers come down quickly. People form relationships that they might not have if the opportunity for this interaction was missing. The class, in itself, becomes a team building experience.

14. Using a flip chart - Most of us never receive any “formal” training on the use of a flip chart. One probably never even thought about it.) There are, however, a few tips that can turn the flip chart into a “success” tool.

First, use many colors to do your work. I like to use coordinated colors when writing on separate sheets, for example, dark blue, light blue, purple, magenta, and pink. I use the darker colors for the words or diagrams, and the lighter colors for highlights. It brightens the entire page and creates interest. I avoid using red for writing because a significant percentage of men are colorblind to red. Red’s and black’s are also “blocking” or “stopping” colors..

I also tape all flip charts to the walls during the session. Since I use flip chart paper extensively throughout my training, by the end of the session the walls are almost completely covered by the work. This sends a powerful subliminal message that the class has covered a lot of material and worked hard.

The covered walls also lend themselves to another interesting feature.. .the final review. To review the materials covered, I ask all participants to think about what was most important to them in the session, then get up and stand in front of the flip chart page(s) that represents this. When everyone is standing (usually spread conveniently around the entire room), I ask them what was important to them in that concept. They usually give a glowing testimonial about that particular concept, summarizing it better and with more feeling than I ever could. Since it comes from the participants themselves, it also has more impact. As each one gives his or her summary, they return to their seats, and when all are sitting down again, the review is complete. It’s a wonderful way to review the material.

15. “Simplify” training for comprehension and enjoyment - Through the years it has become clear to me that people come to training sessions looking for practical and useful information, not theoretical constructs. Although there is sometimes a need for the theory, more time should be spent on practical application so that people know what to do with it.

For example, in quality management, process improvement is a key concept. Some trainers spend inordinate time explaining the theory of processes and how to improve them. Today I spend little time on theory and simply show participants obvious examples of process improvements. This is a good opportunity to use props in the training. For example, I carry with me bottles of shampoo, skin cream, and others that I have collected from hotels. At one hotel, the shampoo and skin cream are in almost identical bottles—you have to read the fine print to determine which is which. I tell them a story of how at 4:00 a.m. while showering at that hotel; I used the skin cream to shampoo my hair (true story). I, as a customer, was upset because it was hard to tell the difference between the two bottles..

I then project the story further and ask them how hard would it be for the maid to set out the proper bottles each time a room is cleaned. Immediately they see that the process of setting out these bottles is not a good one. I then ask them how this process could be improved and they toss out some good ideas, such as make the bottles clear and put different colored fluids in each, or different colored bottle caps, and so on. I then show them bottles collected from other hotels that reflect their ideas and the point of process improvement is made instantaneously. The obvious visual cues in the bottles eliminates mistakes and reduces the time involved in “putting out bottles.”

Using these simple practical examples reduces tension in people, particularly some front-line workers, who feared coming to the training. They see the concepts as “real world” techniques that can be useful to themselves and the organization.

16. Moving people to action - A question that always haunts people about training is “What will people do with what they learned?” The fear, of course, is that they will leave the training and apply little or nothing. Many times this has more to do with understanding how to apply it than wanting to.

Today I conclude almost all my training sessions with a segment I call “Action Steps.” At the end of the training I break the group into pairs and ask them to “take a walk.” During the walk, which lasts about 15 minutes, they are to discuss ways to apply the materials learned and list for themselves at least 3 or 4 “next steps” that they can put into action immediately upon returning to work. These steps are to be practical and do-able with an emphasis on simplicity..

When they return to the room, we share most of the ideas in an open discussion. This is another good opportunity to pass out small awards.) The participants leave the training with a short list of practical ideas on how to apply the concepts. As simple as this technique is, I have been surprised by how many participants appreciate it.

17. Adding humor to your session - For years I envied others who could make people laugh. Laughter has many psychological and physiological benefits, not the least of which to a trainer is fun and energy. However, I never thought I could adequately do humor. I was wrong again.

There are many ways to inject humor into a talk or training session, some of which we have already discussed above. There are books for speakers with humorous stories and jokes. Listening to other speakers is another source for good humor. Sometimes you will say something and people will laugh but you weren’t sure what you said that provoked the laughter. Therefore, a good technique is to tape record your sessions and play back those parts where people laughed..

Don’t be afraid to be playful. If you can create a playful atmosphere, people will laugh naturally. Once when I was beginning a talk for a large audience, a photographer snapped a few pictures of me for the organization’s newsletter. All of the sudden I remembered that I had a small camera in my briefcase. I paused, went into my briefcase, pulled out the camera, and shot a picture of the photographer. The audience went crazy! I have used this technique many times since, always with the same effect.

Another way is to tap into the humor of the participants. Some of my exercises let the talents of the class come to the surface, and there have been times when they had me rolling on the floor with laughter.

If you can envision your class or audience enjoying your presentation, you will carry that mentality with you always and new ideas will come to you naturally.

18. Story telling to sell a point - How often have you heard someone give a talk, when suddenly your interest was peaked by a personal story injected by the speaker? Consultant Tom Peters is a master at this. His successful talks are simply a series of one story after another.

The beauty of stories, particularly if they come from the speaker’s own experiences, is that they come off as genuine, they hold the audience’s attention, they are easy to tell because they come from personal memory, and they can be used to generate an array of moods. They can be humorous and they can make people cry and each time you tell the story, you get better..

In Idea No.11 above, I told the story of a crusty old construction worker who had been emotionally affected by simply being thanked for his good work for the first time in 30 years. This is a powerful story (I even had trouble telling it for years) because we can understand the pain of a person who has worked hard his entire career and never been thanked in some way. When this story is tied into discussions of paying recognition, it serves as a powerful reminder that we do not thank people enough for their contributions. The training takes on an importance that would be missing without the story.

19. Post-training follow-up - After the training session is over, a critical question that arises is what will people do with the information they learned? We talked about “Action Steps” as a way to jump start the use of the concepts learned, but sometimes additional reinforcement is needed.

One of the techniques I like is to have the participants call each other about two weeks after the training. I do this by having them write on a piece of paper their name, their phone number, the date two weeks after the training finishes, and the sentence “What did you do with the information you learned at our __________ training session?” I then have the participants form two lines in the room facing each other, ball up their papers, and on the count of “three” throw them at the people in the opposing line. Each person picks up a paper and takes it with them after the session. Nobody knows who will be calling them, but they know someone will..

The beauty of this little reminder is that it applies subtle pressure to do something with the lessons learned. A call or e-mail two weeks after the training also re-kindles the interest and brings back the training experience which, experts say, enhances retention.

20. Expand your speaker/trainer toolbox - The old adage “What you sow, you reap” should be a guiding principle for growth. If you are constantly learning new techniques to add to your toolbox, your sessions will be top level and you will seldom be caught off-guard.

Look for training seminars, conferences, newsletters, and books that can assist you. I have enjoyed Bob Pike seminars and materials for trainers (Creative Training Techniques 800-383-9210) and learned many new techniques that have enhanced my training. Another resource is Toastmasters International, which probably has a club somewhere close to you. These small clubs are wonderful opportunities to hone your skills as a speaker in a safe, supportive environment..

Another way to learn new techniques is simply to ask another trainer if you could sit in on one of their sessions. Most good trainers usually do not mind, and if you can share some of your techniques with them, it improves your chances. Another way to generate interesting ideas is to visit a toy store. The playfulness associated with toys opens a whole new range of possibilities when looking for ideas. The same goes with stores that sell puzzles.

The point is that if you push yourself just a little to look for new ideas, you will find your toolbox, and your skills, growing rapidly.

To learn more about the author, Merrick Rosenberg, please log on to http://www.teambuildinginc.com/about.htm

Posted in News | No comments

How do you get your employees to work together as a team? This is a question that many managers are asking.The bottom line for managers is getting the results needed, and if employees would work as a team instead of as individuals, getting the results would be much easier.

One of the most effective ways to do this is to create a working environment where your employees see themselves as part of a team and you as a manager as the coach of the team.

The traditional model of supervisor and subordinates does not create a willingness in employees to take ownership of their responsibility, and become motivated to put more than minimal effort into their work. The team building model, however, when effectively implemented, can produce better results, and increase participation and cooperation among the employees.

The manager has a essential part in creating a sense of team, and the approach taken is a critical factor for success. A successful model of team building can be seen in sports.

Every sports team has a coach. The role of the coach is to strategically position the players, train and coach them, and motivate them towards becoming a champion team. There are many useful analogies between a sports and a work team.
The more managers consider themselves as a coach to their team, the more the team will respond positively to their leadership.

This article explores some of the team building skills of a sports coach, and how they can be successfully applied to a workplace supervisory position

Relationship Building

Managers need to be able to build a good relationship, not only with the team as a while, but also with individuals on the team. Relationship builds an essential team building block - that of trust. Trust is vitally important for encouraging cooperation and for motivation

Availability

Managers need to be available to the team and approachable. They need to seen to be around, not shut away behind a closed door doing administration. Do your employees feel they can approach you about their concerns? Are you around enough to know and feel the pulse of the team.?

Set goals

Planning and setting goals is an important aspect of supervisory success. Does your team know what the short. mid term and long term goals are for the team? Are the goals realistic, and communicated well? Does the team have a sense of purpose and direction?

Promote participation

Managers need to be able to motivate team players to fully and willingly participate and buy in to the team purpose. It is the role of the manager to focus employees on the goals and purposes of the team, and facilitate everyone working together to get the needed results.

Share Information

Successful managers do not keep information to themselves. They keep people informed and provide them with all the information needed for them to take on a task or project.

Being a role model

Managers need to be a positive example of what they want to see in the team. That means walking the talk, having exemplary standards and consistent expectations of themselves as well as the team.

Celebrate Attempts

Coaches encourage their team to try new things and create an environment where people feel comfortable learning and trying new things. Progress and personal achievements are to be celebrated as people attempt challenging tasks.

Delegation

Coaches do not do everything themselves. Rather they view delegation as a means to develop their players, and enlarge their skills by positioning them strategically. They see delegation, not just as a means of dividing up the work, but as an opportunity of building self esteem and confidence and increasing skills

Be A Team Player

A coach doesn’t just manage the team but becomes part of the team. Don’t ask a team member to do something that you would be unwilling to do yourself.

Developing a coaching style of managing will create the team that will get the results managers want. Managers have the greatest influence on the job satisfaction on the employees they supervise. The role of supervisor means the authority to make decisions that directly impact the team. As a coach, developing team building skills will give you the power to influence and motivate your employees to participate as team players, and work as a team .

Barbara White gives training in management skills. For more articles on effective management skills, check out this Business Management Skills lens.

Posted in News | No comments