Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Training Is Key to Business Success

Well-trained employees are the key to your small business success. Studies have shown that the most successful, productive employees are those who have received extensive training. They’re the cream of the crop, often having the strongest stake in the company’s future.




In an ideal world, you would be able to hire people who already possess the exact skills your business needs. But in today’s competitive labor market, demand for skilled workers far exceeds supply.



That’s where training comes in. Not only does instruction arm your employees with needed professional or technical skills, but it also shows that you are invested in them and interested in bringing them with you into the company’s future. This helps keep workers motivated and involved.



To successfully launch an employee training program in your own company, follow these 10 helpful tips:



1.Stress training as investment. The reason training is often considered optional at many companies is because it is thought of as an expense rather than an investment. While it’s true that training can be costly up front, it's a long-term investment in the growth and development of your human resources.

2.Determine your needs. As you probably don’t have unlimited time or funds to execute an employee training program, you should decide early on what the focus of your training program should be. Determine what skills are most pertinent to address current or future company needs or ones that will provide the biggest payback. Ask yourself, “How will this training eventually prove beneficial to the company?” Repeat this process as your business needs change.

3.Promote a culture of learning. In today’s fast-paced economy, if a business isn’t learning, it’s going to fall behind. A business learns as its people learn. Communicate your expectations that all employees should take the necessary steps to hone their skills and stay on top of their professions or fields of work. Make sure you support those efforts by providing the resources needed to accomplish this goal.

4.Get management on board. Once you have developed a prioritized list of training topics that address key needs within your company, you need to convince management to rally behind the initiative.

5.Start out small. Before rolling out your training program to the masses, rehearse with a small group of users and gather their feedback. This sort of informal benchmarking exposes weaknesses in your training plans and helps you fine-tune the training process.

6.Choose quality instructors and materials. Who you select to conduct the training will make a major difference in the success of your efforts, whether it’s a professional educator or simply a knowledgeable staff member. Having the right training materials is also important — after the training is over, these materials become valuable resources for trainees.

7.Find the right space. Select a training location that’s conducive to learning. Choose an environment that’s quiet and roomy enough to spread out materials. Make sure the space is equipped with a computer and projector, so you can present a visually stimulating training session.

8.Clarify connections. Some employees may feel that the training they're receiving isn't relevant to their job. It’s important to help them understand the connection early on, so they don’t view the training sessions as a waste of valuable time. Employees should see the training as an important addition to their professional portfolios. Award people with completion certificates at the end of the program.

9.Make it ongoing. Don’t limit training solely to new employees. Organized, ongoing training programs will maintain all employees’ skill levels, and continually motivate them to grow and improve professionally.

10.Measure results. Without measurable results, it’s almost impossible to view training as anything but an expense. Decide how you’re going to obtain an acceptable rate of return on your investment. Determine what kind of growth or other measure is a reasonable result of the training you provide. You’ll have an easier time budgeting funds for future training if you can demonstrate concrete results.
 
© Dun & Bradstreet, Inc., 2000-2009. All rights reserved

Employee Training Now Rather Than Later

Typical Reasons for Employee Training and Development


Training and development can be initiated for a variety of reasons for an employee or group of employees, e.g.,:
When a performance appraisal indicates performance improvement is needed

To "benchmark" the status of improvement so far in a performance improvement effort


As part of an overall professional development program

As part of succession planning to help an employee be eligible for a planned change in role in the organization


To "pilot", or test, the operation of a new performance management system



To train about a specific topic (see below)

Typical Topics of Employee Training

Communications: The increasing diversity of today's workforce brings a wide variety of languages and customs.



Computer skills: Computer skills are becoming a necessity for conducting administrative and office tasks.



Customer service: Increased competition in today's global marketplace makes it critical that employees understand and meet the needs of customers.



Diversity: Diversity training usually includes explanation about how people have different perspectives and views, and includes techniques to value diversity



Ethics: Today's society has increasing expectations about corporate social responsibility. Also, today's diverse workforce brings a wide variety of values and morals to the workplace.



Human relations: The increased stresses of today's workplace can include misunderstandings and conflict. Training can people to get along in the workplace.



Quality initiatives: Initiatives such as Total Quality Management, Quality Circles, benchmarking, etc., require basic training about quality concepts, guidelines and standards for quality, etc.



Safety: Safety training is critical where working with heavy equipment , hazardous chemicals, repetitive activities, etc., but can also be useful with practical advice for avoiding assaults, etc.



Sexual harassment: Sexual harassment training usually includes careful description of the organization's policies about sexual harassment, especially about what are inappropriate behaviors.



General Benefits from Employee Training and Development

There are numerous sources of online information about training and development. Several of these sites (they're listed later on in this library) suggest reasons for supervisors to conduct training among employees. These reasons include:



Increased job satisfaction and morale among employees



Increased employee motivation



Increased efficiencies in processes, resulting in financial gain



Increased capacity to adopt new technologies and methods



Increased innovation in strategies and products



Reduced employee turnover



Enhanced company image, e.g., conducting ethics training (not a good reason for ethics training!)



Risk management, e.g., training about sexual harassment, diversity training

Written by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Copyright 1997-2008.

Types of Staff Training -- Employee Training & Development

Types of Staff Training -- Employee Training & Development

Monday, December 21, 2009

Avatar,Must See

                   Went to go see the movie last night.  It was great.  It was a story about military and science together trying to reach a goal.  The military was trying to get a rock that was very valuable and would do anything to get it. The science team is at the same time exploring/researching all the land and people of Pandora.  While the people of Pandora are very close to their land and connected spiritally, do not want the aliens (military/scientists) there.  So the military tries to the mother load which is sitting under their most sacred tree.  To not spoil the movie military and scientist do not see eye to eye. They end up fighting. 
                    The director puts the delimas we currently face in the movie, so we can relate.  Great plot, battle between science and military, love story and the future of the human race all tied in to one good movie.  I like it, my wife and kids loved it.   You should see it.   Oh, and there will be a sequel.  Cool
.   :)

Friday, December 18, 2009

a


I think this is going to be a great movie I have always been interested in sci fi.  It seems very well rounded with action, much imagination and of course the sci fi who doesn't love that. The kids are going to be estatic about seeing this. I like seeing a movie and it leaves you with a feeling of yeah I can't wait to see the sequel. 

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Creating Champions

Dallas Human Resource Firm Creating Champions


Dallas Area Students are the First to Benefit from Privately Funded Youth Leadership Program



MOC Trainers Graduating Class

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



PR Log (Press Release) – Nov 24, 2009 – Dallas, Texas – Pursuit of Excellence, Inc., has launched the “Making of Champions” (MOC), an after-school Youth Leadership Program to develop leaders among elementary, middle and high school students in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.



Together with the support of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Dallas, and the Dallas Independent School District, a team of students from Lowe Elementary, and Spruce High School are among the first to participate in the Making of Champions.



According to Marie Diaz, CEO of Pursuit of Excellence Inc., and the creator of the Making of Champions program, “The students will receive guidance and direction, and will be taught essential leadership skills that young people need to succeed in school and in the real world. As students complete certain levels of the program, they will then serve as mentors to younger students as a means of giving back to each other, and to the community”.



To deliver the training to the students, Pursuit of Excellence recruited and trained a team of individuals from the community, who volunteer their time to teach the after-school program to the students. The volunteers are required to participate in a 4-day intensive training course covering the art and science of delivering and facilitating the MOC Program.



The training course is normally offered by Pursuit of Excellence on a tuition basis to individuals desiring to become public speakers, corporate trainers, and executive program facilitators. However, for individuals who qualify and agree to serve as a MOC facilitator for one academic year, the tuition is waived. To date, the Company has certified as MOC trainers: Billy Peace, Daniella Toledo, Nidia Camacho, Alejandra Rodriguez, Diego Zaltron, Maria Pia Ferro and Steve Gallegos, from Dallas, and Andrew Lopez, from Austin, Texas.



“I am grateful to have found such remarkable individuals to serve as our MOC program facilitators. Their passion for the development of our youth, and their willingness to serve our community is truly a gift,” says Marie Diaz. “Studies reveal that students who are involved in after school programs are more likely to avoid using drugs and alcohol, more likely to attend classes, more likely to get along with their families, and are more confident of their performance in school overall. These students are part of our future workforce, so now is the time to teach them leadership skills," adds Ms. Diaz.



The Company is recruiting additional volunteers to serve as trainers, and is interested in meeting with school administrators that want to offer the MOC program in their schools. Those with an interest in serving as a MOC program facilitator, or to have the MOC program brought to their school, should contact Billy Peace, via email: bpeace@poehr.com.

# # #



About Pursuit of Excellence: The company was founded in 1994 and provides small to medium sized companies with a full range of human resource services including human resource risk assessment, risk management, organizational and people development, payroll processing, and employee rewards administration. These offerings create the acronym H.O.P.E. which gives rise to the Company’s motto: Delivering H.O.P.E. to businesses and industry worldwide.



To learn more about Pursuit of Excellence, Inc., visit its web site at www.pursuitofexcellenceinc.com.





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Saturday, November 21, 2009

Sales Training Basics by Trainer Victor Antonio

Quote

"It is not what we have done that has made us successful, it is what we have believed"    Unknown

Quote

" We judge ourselves by our intentions. The rest of the world judges us by our actions."   
                                                                                                                Unknown

Monday, November 9, 2009

Effective Communication and Chicken Soup

              Communicating can be very hard to do, especially to a group. 

Here are a few things to remember:
1. Breathing
2. Salutation
3. Right words for right audience
4. Confidence
5. Attitude
6. Speak from experience using your own words
7. Eye contact
8. Good gestures
9. Organize your topic
10. Connect with individual


           Your main goal is to try and connect with each individual.  If each individual in the audience feels that you are trying to connect with them through your experiences they may be able to relate through a simuliar experience they may have had. In conditioning we are all conditioned to say and do certain things.   For example:  When we are offered something to drink in a new place or just visiting a place, the response used the most will be "no".   We have conditioned ourselves to respond this way.  When we know that if we think about the question first we will more than likely say "yes, please."
            Lets take chicken soup, for example,  we can go into a restaurant and smell the soup: meat, potatoes, parsley, etc.  In effective communication you must know the recipe to make a great soup mainly because everyone makes it different, everyone likes defferent soups,also.  In order to make someone elses soup you have to know their recipe, hence you must know and prepare to do the steps of effective communication in order to communicate effectively with others.   Everyone has a different recipe.  :)


In preparing, if we know how we have conditioned ourselves, how everyone has a different recipe ( so to speak) and use examples to get our message to the audience, then we will be more successful in effective commumication.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Women Soaring in business

Dallas HR Executive, Marie Diaz, Named Finalist In 6th Annual Stevie® Awards For Women In Business


Stevie Award Winners to Be Announced in New York on November 13



Marie Diaz

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



PRLog (Press Release) – Nov 02, 2009 – Dallas, Texas – Marie Diaz, CEO of Pursuit of Excellence, Inc., is a Finalist in the “Mentor of the Year” category in the 6th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business. The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, and the companies they run – worldwide. The Stevie Awards have been hailed as the world’s premier business awards.



Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word “crowned,” winners will be announced during a gala event at the Marriott Marquis hotel in New York on Friday, November 13. Nominated women executives and entrepreneurs from the U.S.A and several other countries are expected to attend. The presentations will be broadcast live on radio in the U.S.A. by the Business TalkRadio Network.



More than 1,100 entries were submitted this year for consideration in 54 categories, including Best Executive, Best Entrepreneur, and Best Community Involvement Program. Pursuit of Excellence Inc. is a Finalist in the Mentor of the Year category.



Marie Diaz was nominated for her significant contributions toward creating meaningful change and positive social impact in business, and in the community as a whole. One of these contributions is the “Making of Champions” Youth Leadership Program that she launched in 2009, in partnership with the Dallas Independent School District, and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Dallas. This program is designed to teach select elementary, middle and high school students the knowledge, and leadership skills needed to succeed in school and in the real world. Ms. Diaz also developed a Mentor Protégé program for the DISD to educate minority and woman owned businesses regarding best industry practices.



Finalists were chosen by business professionals worldwide during preliminary judging. Members of the Awards' Board of Distinguished Judges & Advisors and their staffs will select Stevie Award winners from among the Finalists during final judging.



“Being named a Finalist in The Stevie Awards for Women in Business is an important achievement,” said Michael Gallagher, president of the Stevie Awards. “It means that independent business executives have agreed that the nominee is worthy of recognition. We congratulate all of the Finalists on their achievement and wish them well in the competition.”



“I am honored to have received this nomination and to be among the finalists for the Stevie Award,” said Marie Diaz. “This nomination serves to strengthen my commitment to empower those students who will become tomorrow’s leaders, as well as those business owners that are seeking the final piece of the puzzle. It is only by giving to others that we can actually grow and succeed ourselves”.



Details about The Stevie Awards for Women in Business and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at www.stevieawards.com/women.

# # #



About Pursuit of Excellence: The company was founded in 1994 to provide small to medium sized companies with a full range of human resource services including human resource risk assessment, risk management, organizational and people development, payroll processing, and employee rewards administration. These offerings create the acronym H.O.P.E. which gives rise to the Company’s motto: Delivering H.O.P.E. to businesses and industry worldwide.



For more information about Pursuit of Excellence, Inc., visit its web site at www.pursuitofexcellenceinc.com.





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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Top 5 Reasons A Business Outsources

Why Do Companies Outsource? The Top 5 Reasons Why Companies Outsource


By Mary Thomas



When talking about outsourcing there is a lot of information that you need to have. Unfortunately we are faced with lack of it but this can be fixed and it should not bother business owners. The one question that keeps popping up is "Why do Companies Outsource?" While some of the possible reasons are obvious, there are others that are not. The truth is that the reasons why a company would outsource are varied. It all depends on what the company does and its personal needs. For instance, if a company has a human resources department built in, why would it go after human resources outsourcing? It would not need it! The only real reason why it would is reducing costs but that means firing people and brings in different problems. Outsourcing is definitely not as easy as some people think and a lack of outsourcing strategy can cause a lot of problems. Leaving that aside, let us think about the top reasons why companies outsource:




1. Reducing Costs - This is the number one reason why companies outsource. In most situations you can find cheaper labor through outsourcing and if the quality level is the same there is no reason why you should not outsource.



2. Improved Business Focus - By directing a part of the work towards outsourcing you gain flexibility and you are able to focus on your company's core competencies. This increases work flow and allows you to finish projects faster.



3. Unfulfilled Needs - Sometimes you might have to outsource because what you are looking for can not be found locally. For instance, you might want a good project manager and the local market does not have one to hire. Outsourcing can provide you access to a need that is not available at a local level.



4. Risk Management - As a company grows risks appear. Most business owners fail to foresee this and are not prepared with a good risk management strategy to apply. In this case the only real solution would be to hire an expert company to do this and there are many that can be contacted through outsourcing.



5. Better Employees - By being able to contact people from other regions/countries you might be able to contact really good professionals. You can hire them through outsourcing and you would get better employees. Keep in mind that this is tricky and price must be considered as well in order to not make a bad investment.



"Outsource Method Saved Me Over 500% On My Staffing Costs"

Outsourcing can be a very costly and mistake ridden path if you don't have the connections or know the pitfalls. When we Interviewed the CEO of RentACoder.com we were amazed at how many buyers get this wrong.

Learn how to save yourself mistakes that could cost you 10's of thousands of dollars and how you can more effectively manage your business process outsourcing.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Thomas

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Our Economy in a Nutshell

In our everyday lives or in business there is a process. First you must follow, manage and then lead. Of course, once you have reached a certain level of leadership or management in your lives or business then at that level you have decided to use more of your leadership or management abilities.
Management by definition is a person who controls people or resources directly.
Leadership by definition is a person who influences people or motivates people in the direction of your family, business or personal goals, but does this indirectly.
We are all managers or leaders somewhere. Keeping this in mind every leader must know to keep his integrity together. These leadership qualities include: respect, honor, character, trust and dignity. These are only a few of the aspects which are important. This brings me to my point. If we as a society were putting more emphasis and more concerned about these qualities of leadership and management we could make it better. This is what it really comes down to when we look at how our economy has come to what it is today. In the news we have all heard many pyramid schemes, businesses such as Enron going down as they did and the sort, which tells us that these aspects of leadership and management have not played a very important role in these areas.

"We cannot control someone elses actions but we can control our own". Andrew Lopez

The Instrument

There is a concert where a violinist is playing exquisitely. Then the violinist breaks a string. Usually the violinist will signal for the director so someone can bring out another violin. The violinist does not signal so the director keeps going. The violinist plays with even more passion than before and finishes with a standing ovation.
In saying this I would like to say imagine you are that instrument, teach yourself all that needs to be learned than share those experiences with all the strings you have to give. Give them your heart and soul. Let them see that passion because after all you are the greatest instrument ever invented.