We’ve all been there. There’s a problem with our computer/device/appliance/thingy and we’re left with no choice but to call the dreaded tech support. A maze of menus (“listen closely as our options have changed”), seemingly endless hold times, and –…
Masterful Virtual Trainer Case 2: From Dull to Dynamic
How do you gauge the success of your virtual training? Is good feedback more than enough? Apparently, not. While getting ideas and reactions from learners, good feedback alone is not enough to assume that your session was delivered. Learners need…
Masterful Virtual Trainer Case 1: Delay Dismay!
Have you ever wondered how others are feeling when you do your virtual sessions? Even in training, understanding others is crucial to making your sessions work. Empathy is a key part of emotional intelligence that will help you gauge the…
Just What Are You Driving At – Tip #282
I have a confession. I’m not a fan of auto racing. NASCAR, sprint car, Indy car, Formula-1… you can have it all. Even if you took me out to a live race, and sat me down in a prime spot…
Digital Disruption – Tip #281
October 23rd, 2001. A day that will live in infamy. The day the music…lived. Up until that point, people listened to their favorite tunes on physical media – CDs, cassettes, 8-tracks, and records. And while this date likely didn’t mark…
Maneuvering in These Crazy Times (And We’re Not Talking COVID) – Tip #280
By now, we’re probably familiar with the term The Great Resignation, whereby employees seem to be leaving the workforce at unprecedented rates (though it can be argued this trend can be traced back as far as 2009), impacting everyone from…
Prepping for Turnaround – Tip #279
Turnaround can mean many things to many people. For some, they hear the first two lyrics of Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse Of The Heart. Others may think of a dance move while still others may consider it to be the…
Case Study 2: How to Manage a Customer Service Rep with Poor Customer Service Skills
Customer service can often become stressful and anxiety-inducing. But no matter how hard this task can be, customer service reps need to have focus and self-control — even when their customers don’t. The Challenge: How to teach Managers to use…
Critical Thinking for Better Judgment and Decision-Making
The last few weeks have been pretty risky for me, work-wise. Not “lose your job” risky but still… To put it another way, I’m stepping up to the plate and taking a huge swing. Either the ball is going out…
Critical Thinking Case 1: How to Get Managers to Use Critical Thinking
The Challenge: How to teach Managers to use critical thinking to solve a real-life issue such as, how to handle an incompetent employee. The Fix and Key Insights: 1. Tell a Story that Captures Their Attention To capture the…
Critical Thinking Decisions Are Made on the Spot – Tip #277
And now for something completely different. When faced with the question, “What is a problem you face at work?” People may respond with, “We are unable to reduce our response time for customer support. ” “This is the third time…
Getting Unstuck – The Power of “Might” – Tip # 278
Ah, summer…the season of travel. As we’ve survived the ice and snow of winter and the dreary days of clouds and rain (at least where I’m from), thoughts turn to vacationing and getting away. For many, that can mean hopping…
What Managers Don’t Know… Can Help Them! – Tip # 276
Employees are doing something all managers and L&D leaders never know about, but should. Individual employees are constantly figuring out how to solve problems or work better, faster, and smarter. Often they are meeting challenges that other employees just ignore,…
How I Learned To Train Senior People Who Think “Training” Is Just for Lower-Level Employees! – Tip #275
An American Fortune 50 company was unexpectedly running into competitive challenges in countries around the world where they’d dominated the markets. Although their offerings were limited, the local competitors were positioning themselves as understanding local needs. When the company’s CEO…
Vacation Time – Tip #274
ALERT: DO NOT LET MY CHILDREN KNOW ABOUT THIS BLOG POST…IT WILL RUIN EVERYTHING! Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here is what’s going on: For the better part of two years, we’ve been trying to go…
