Grow your own new hires: Develop an outstanding internship program

Grow your own new hires
Develop an outstanding internship program

Don’t overlook your summer intern program as an excellent source for job applicants. Many organizations recruit summer interns each year, train them and then hire them as positions open up. The interns, already trained and acclimated, provide a tested talent pool. In effect, the intern has already undergone a trial period of sorts. Both the employer and the intern have already had an opportunity to see if the employment situation will be a good fit.

The organizations that have the greatest success with their intern programs are those that treat interns as potential full-time employees rather than part-time “extras.” They make a point to recruit for interns, interview them as they would employees, and provide them coaching and support to enhance their skills.Here are some strategies sure to bring success:

• Provide interns real, hands-on experience, not busywork. Expect them to contribute substantially to short- and long-term projects. You want interns contributing to the departmental daily tasks so that they can receive close supervision and coaching, but it’s a good idea to also provide a special project. For example, you might give them a chance to research and develop a program that you haven’t had time for, such as creating a public relations program. That way, you can observe their project management skills as well as their initiative.

• Give them their own workstation or office. You wouldn’t expect an employee to move from desk to desk, would you? Before your intern comes aboard, establish a space that he or she can report to every day. Make certain that there is a computer and a phone that works at the intern’s desk.

• Make them a part of your culture. Include interns in your organization’s meetings and parties. If you offer financial incentives, set up your program so that interns can participate. If you build a groundbreaking intern program, word will spread that your organization is the place to get a head start on a desirable career. Students are attracted to workplaces where their contributions can make the greatest impact. They thrive in settings where they are able to build their expertise and take ownership of their own projects.

• Keep your mind open. Most people consider interns to be college undergraduate students. But have you ever considered a high school internship program? One company, frustrated by the high turnover in its customer-service call center, decided to recruit high school interns—sophomores through seniors, ages 16 and up—to see how they would do in that environment. The students were naturals. They were easy to train, adaptable and loyal. Many of the students stayed on with the company.

This article comes directly from the pages of the brand-new training kit Hire Exceptional Employees. This resource offers you a simple and easy-to-follow plan for finding and hiring the best person for the job. Commit to the process to ensure that you don’t make another bad hiring decision.

This training kit includes the following:

• The 18-minute video Hiring Secrets: 12 Tips to Get Candidates to Reveal Their True Selves (a $149 value).

• The 60-minute audio conference presentation Avoiding Bad Hires: Systems for Effective Hiring (a $229 value).

• A 76-page workbook stuffed full of best practices, guides, tips, quizzes and more.

• Dozens of print-ready and customizable forms team leaders and employees can reference again and again.

Get it all now for just $287!

You will learn how to:

• Ensure culture and team fit.

• Define key jobs.

• Define the ideal candidate.

• Write a job description and posting.

• Surface top candidates.

• Expand your recruiting efforts.

• Weed through résumés quickly.

• Conduct phone interviews.

• Determine which candidates to interview.

• Draft interview questions.

• Prompt candidates to reveal their true selves.

• Uncover the true cost of a bad hire.

• Explore hiring trends and the impact of the current economy on the job market.

• Discuss the projected workforce shortage and how to adapt your hiring process to deal with increased competition for top performers.

• Identify the types of available hiring tools.

• Discover the importance of having a system in place rather than just a tool.

• Learn how to spend less time interviewing and still improve your hiring success rate.

• Discuss the specific hiring tools that are being used by “benchmark” organizations to ensure success: tests, simulations and inventories.

• Review sample systems for different jobs or position levels.

View the Table of Contents.

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Gain buy-in from change resisters

Gain buy-in from change resisters

Problem: When you were promoted to your management position, you were excited to shake things up and bring some much-needed changes to your department and organization. You quickly learned, however, that some members of your staff are very resistant to change. No matter what you suggest, you’re met with opposition. How do you convince those people that the changes you’re trying to implement are worthwhile?

Solution: Some workers are naturally resistant to change, either because of comfort with the status quo, general stubbornness or fear of what the change could bring. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t gain their support. Follow these tips you get even your most resistant employees on board with change:

• Watch what you say. Without realizing it, when you emphasize the need for change, you could be offending your team members. Choose your words carefully to avoid inadvertently disrespecting others. Example: You feel that the promotional literature your team provides to potential clients looks so outdated that it’s embarrassing. However, if you say that to employees, you risk offending the people who originally created the materials, and they likely will resist your suggestions if they feel like you’re mocking their efforts. Instead, maintain a respectful, matter-of-fact tone. Say: “Let’s compare our promotional literature to some of our competitors’. To keep it relevant, I’d like to adapt some of the changes they’ve made over the last couple of years.”

• Anticipate their concerns. No matter how enthusiastic you are about a change, take time to reflect on potential difficulties it could cause for each staff member. Will the change mean more work for some people? Will it eliminate others’ responsibilities—leaving them feeling vulnerable to layoffs? Will it force employees to work outside of their comfort zones? Once you’ve compiled a list of likely concerns, consider how you can ease people’s worries. That way you’ll be prepared with a thorough and thoughtful response when a staffer does raise a concern. Note: Many concerns are completely valid. If there’s risk involved, be honest and open about it. If your team members feel like you gloss over potential problems, they won’t trust you enough to buy in to your plans.

• Invite others to contribute to the plan. If you show up one day with a flushed-out plan for a major change, don’t be surprised when employees resist it. Your employees are much more likely to buy in to a plan when they feel like they’ve contributed to it. Offer them the opportunity to brainstorm with you and to make their own suggestions. They will be more likely to keep an open mind about the change, and they will likely offer ways to improve your plan.

• Show appreciation for buy in. When a well-known change resister doesback one of your ideas, don’t ignore the gesture. Tell the person that you appreciate his or her support. Say “I know that you were leery of this plan originally, and I just wanted to say thank you for giving it a chance. Because of your support, others were willing to keep an open mind, and we’re already seeing the change pay off.” That will reinforce the behavior in the future.
  

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Meeting Makeover

Say ‘Goodbye’ to Inefficient, Poorly Run Meetings

Studies show that the average person spends about five hours a week in meetings. Of course, some weeks are more packed with meetings than others, and some employees must attend more meetings than their co-workers. But on average, your employees are spending a good portion of their work hours in meetings.

By following the advice presented in the Meeting Makeover Training Kit, you’ll learn a process for transforming dull, unproductive, time-draining meetings into efficient and effective meetings that make the cost of your employees’ attending them worth it.

This multimedia resource includes:

• The 20-minute videoLeading 20-Minute Meetings That Matter, with a Trainer’s Guide and a Viewer’s Guide.

• The 60-minute audio conference presentation Meeting Makeover: Lead Meetings That Grab Employees’ Attention and Spur Them Into Action.

• A 66-page workbook stuffed full of best practices, guides, tips, quizzes and more.

• A CD with dozens of print-ready, customizable forms that team leaders and employees can reference again and again.

Learn more!

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It’s not the end of the world: 5 tips for recovering when you make a mistake

It’s not the end of the world!
5 tips for recovering when you make a mistake

by Catherine Ahern

Public speaking is nerve-wracking for a number of reasons, but one thing you shouldn’t be overly concerned about is saying the wrong thing. Making a mistake—whether it be incorrectly citing a statistic, mispronouncing a word or something else—need not derail your presentation.

Follow these tips when you make a public speaking blunder:

1. Relax. Remember that your audience is not looking for perfection. People are just hoping to leave a bit more knowledgeable or inspired than when they arrived. Chances are great that no one is waiting to catch you in an error. And if you do happen to have someone like that in your audience, there’s no pleasing that person anyway. Focus your energy on the rest of your listeners. Those people recognize that everyone makes an occasional mistake and won’t discredit you for it.

2. Know when to let it go. The majority of mistakes aren’t worth mentioning. If it’s something that your audience won’t notice or that doesn’t affect the message of your speech, it is not necessary to point out your error. Example: You share an anecdote about your sister but accidentally refer to her as your cousin. That mistake might require an explanation at a family gathering but not when speaking to an audience of strangers. They won’t know the difference.

3. Take your time. Some mistakes do require an explanation, so don’t rush through those corrections.Example: Because you are very familiar with your topic and your presentation, your brain can easily leap to “I just realized those graphs from five minutes ago were about 2010, but I referred to them as 2012!” Your audience members, on the other hand, will be confused if that correction comes out of nowhere. Instead, finish the point you are making, pause and say “Excuse me. It just occurred to me that I misspoke earlier.” Bring up the slide with the graphs and explain the mistake. Then ask the audience if they have questions about the information. After that, move on and don’t worry about it.

4. Be gracious. If an audience member points out a mistake from your presentation, don’t take it personally. Remember that your main objective is to impart information—not to impress people. A correction from an audience member helps ensure that you reach that objective, so appreciate the input. Example: Say “Thank you for catching that! I must have been so excited that I mixed up the names.” Then repeat the correction loudly and clearly so the rest of the audience hears it.

5. Follow up. Collecting attendees’ contact information is useful for many reasons, including correcting a major error that you made during your presentation. Send audience members a brief email with the accurate information. Example: “Dear friends, I enjoyed speaking with you last night and appreciated your attention. I realized this morning, however, that the data I gave you on XYZ contained an error, and I felt you should have the correct numbers. Here they are …” Note: Do not use this method to follow up on minor mistakes. You do not need to email audience members to explain, for instance, that the quote you attributed to King George IV on slide 16 was actually from King George III.
   

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Assisting disabled customers

Assisting disabled customers 

As a customer service representative, you will have opportunities to work with disabled customers. Not all disabilities are obvious. Any customer may have a disability, even customers with no outward signs of injury or impairment. And even those customers will obvious disabilities may not want to be coddled and could become offended if you rush to their aid or patronize them.

When you will be assisting a disabled person, ask yourself three questions:

1. Does the customer need assistance? For example, is anything obstructing the customer’s view, mobility or access to a product?

2. Can I improve things right now? Do you have the ability or authority to better the customer’s experience (e.g., move products positioned high on a shelf down so that a customer in a wheelchair can more easily see them)?

3. Is this a more substantial issue that I should share with my boss? For example, if you are unable to communicate with hearing impaired customers, perhaps it’s time for at least one rep to receive training in sign language, and you’ll need to discuss that with your boss.

Next, assess the situation from your customer’s perspective, and work to meet those needs. Examples:

• If a high counter interferes with serving a customer in a wheelchair, walk around it.

• A customer with a hearing or speech disability may be more comfortable communicating in writing.

• Providing information in short, simple sentences will allow customers with cognitive disabilities to better grasp information.

Important: Never assume that a person wants help. Instead:

• Smile and offer “May I help you?” rather than forcing your assistance on a customer.

• Offer available solutions without calling attention to the disability. Example:Say “I can offer you a seat nearby,” without pointing out “so you don’t have to walk so far.” Let the customer choose the accommodation.

Finally, ensure their satisfaction. You want their repeat business, so ensure that you:

• Ask “May I do anything else to help you?”

• Wait patiently for a response, because the person may not ask if you appear to be rushed or annoyed.

• Attend to their additional requests enthusiastically. It is critical that you maintain an upbeat and accommodating attitude.

Source: First-Rate Customer Service Training Kit, WorkplaceTrainingCenter.com.

Purchase the First-Rate Customer Service Training Kit and learn how to make the most out of the opportunities you’ll have with these customers:

• Customers with children.

• Customers with disabilities.

• Distracted customers.

• Emotional customers.

• Customers for whom English is a second language.

• Indecisive customers.

• Senior customers.

• Talkative customers.

• Teen customers.

• Uninformed customers.

• Unresponsive customers.

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 First-Rate Customer Service Training Kit

The First-Rate Customer Service Training Kit is an essential resource for developing the front-line employees in your organization into confident and effective representatives of your brand.Customer service reps will discover how to:

• View service situations from customers’ viewpoints.

• Act in the best interest of the organization to please customers.

• Avoid phrases that irk customers and damage your organization’s reputation.

• Handle the most difficult customers with confidence.

• Turn service situations into greater sales.

• And so much more!

This resource includes more than a dozen guidelines that show customer service reps step by step how to handle the most challenging situations they will encounter. They will learn how to assess each situation and quickly adapt their responses. The result:reps who shine in every service interaction.

View the Table of Contents.

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Clear the way for productivity

Clear the way for productivity

This is a guest article by Jeff Davidson

None of us can make our interruption-based culture less onerous. We can, however, make changes in our immediate environment, with our own correspondents. We can be more diligent and thoughtful in what we choose to send. Within weeks, or months at the most, we can train others to not overwhelm us.

What we give out we tend to receive. We can practice the Golden Rule as it applies to the sanctity of someone else’s space, making fewer interruptions and offering higher quality messages at digestible intervals, in the manner and form that best suits the other party.

Effective communication partners, in time, begin to emulate each other’s interaction pattern. The positive changes that you make within your inner circle are likely to be revisited upon you as others acknowledge them on some level, and accept and emulate your practices.

Office mates in productivity

Within an office setting, we can make great strides toward ensuring that all staff professionals have the opportunity to work for uninterrupted stretches for at least some time throughout the day or the week. Establishing such an environment will require the participation and cooperation of all involved.

Convene once a week, perhaps on a Friday, when people can reflect on the work week that just transpired and look forward to the next. Meet in a conference room, an empty office or even a reception area. Encourage people to be informal.

Have a moderator illicit the participation of all concerned. Ask penetrating questions such as:

• What are the major ways in which you are interrupted? What can we do collectively to diminish or eliminate such interruptions?

• What are officewide, systematic assaults on your concentration that could be addressed by changing logistics or policies?

• For in-person visits to one another’s office or workspace, what ground rules can we establish to more greatly respect each another?

• For electronic messaging, in any form, what ground rules can we establish?

• What type of written communications could be reduced or eliminated, thereby diminishing your paper handling and filing responsibility?

• What other suggestions do you have that would make a positive impact, groupwide?

At first, more senior staff might dominate such meetings, but that’s OK. Soon, staff at all levels should feel as if they can speak up and convey their feelings without retribution. The meeting has to be supportive for the best ideas to spring forth.

As suggestions are implemented and their merit exposed for all to experience, fewer, shorter meeting might be possible. However, with the introduction of new technology, new types of challenges and other directives from above, it’s not likely you’ll be able to eliminate such meetings altogether if you’re committed to keeping productivity high, while keeping interruptions at bay.

It is not our sealed fate to be endlessly interrupted throughout our days. Individually and collectively, we can take the time and expend the effort to make our environments more suitable for reflection, concentration and focus, as well as remaining responsive to others.

Jeff Davidson is “The Work-Life Balance Expert®,” and the premier thought leader on work-life balance issues. He has written 59 mainstream books, is a preeminent authority on time management, and is an electrifying professional speaker, making 806 presentations since 1985 to clients such as Kaiser Permanente, IBM, Novo Nordisk, American Express, Lufthansa, Swissotel, Re/Max, USAA, Worthington Steel and the World Bank. He is the author of Breathing Space and Simpler Living.

Jeff believes that career professionals today in all industries have a responsibility to achieve their own sense of work-life balance, and he supports that quest through his websitewww.BreathingSpace.com and through 24 iPhone apps at www.itunes.com/apps/BreathingSpaceInstitute.

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Get more done, in less time, with less stress!

Ever had to hunt for a document that you desperately needed? A survey shows that workers waste an average of 2.5 hours every week just hunting for documents. That’s about 16 days a year—roughly equivalent to an employee’s vacation time.

And what about meetings? How much more work could you get done without meetings about how the work is going and updates that don’t even pertain to you? About 6.5 days’ worth of work—that’s how much. Just cut out an hour’s worth of meetings each week, and you would have an extra 6.5 days a year to get your “real” work done.

So, how do we tame the technology around us, change our own habits and behaviors, and ultimately stop falling victim to the distractions that are claiming our time and our productivity?

The answer: Productivity Training Camp.

In this amazing new Productivity Training Camp, join acclaimed speaker and trainer Bruce Lee for timely, mind-blowing techniques and systems for time management and project management that will help you reclaim your day—and accelerate your career.

Register now for the upcoming session in Seattle on June 27-28! 

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7 surefire methods for managing pessimists

7 surefire methods for managing pessimists

Some people are innately negative. They are quick to shoot down others’ ideas, rip apart plans and pinpoint every little thing that could go wrong. You won’t hear them talking about the positives of an assignment or find them pointing out the good in another person’s ideas or work.

Other people are negative because of their circumstances. Whether they’re having personal problems or they’re angry over recent changes at work, they can’t move past their bad moods to work in a professional and positive manner. They allow their emotions to dictate their attitudes.

Both types are draining. It’s tiresome to feel as if you’re constantly going to battle with someone, always expecting to hear criticism and forever trying to defend your ideas and work. That kind of combat slows progress, and as co-workers opt to avoid negative types, it hurts collaboration. Plus, one person’s negativity can spread to others and destroy morale.

Follow these seven strategies to address negativity effectively:

1. Anticipate the negative comments and concerns, and prepare responses. Rather than saying “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” tackle negative teammates’ concerns now.
2. Look for merit in naysayers’ points. They can spot pitfalls or weakness, so consider one or two of their points, and move on. Don’t get caught up in discussing a long list of problems they anticipate.
3. Show them respect. Avoid sarcasm as you acknowledge their points. Don’t roll your eyes or sigh with exasperation, and demand the same from your other employees. Even the most taxing employees deserve for you to listen to them.
4. Ask for positive suggestions. Say: “You’ve given us a number of reasons for not using the plan. Now I’d like to hear you present a couple of advantages.”
5. Hold them accountable for finding solutions. Tell them: “That’s an interesting point. I’d like you to research that and come to me with a recommendation by Friday.”
6. Show appreciation when they support a plan. Example: “I know you took a leap of faith when you endorsed the plan. Thank you; it’s already paying off.”
7. Don’t let negativity rub off on you. When you find yourself doubting everything, spend time with more positive people.

Negativity and other bad behaviors can be toxic in the workplace, but with the Detox Your Workplace! training kit, you can address negative behavior before it destroys your team. Even if you feel your team is healthy, you can use the advice presented in this training kit to recognize warning signs and flush out toxic behaviors—before they contaminate your team.

This multimedia resource includes: 

• The 19-minute video The Cure for Toxic-Boss Syndrome: Avoid the Blunders That Disrupt Teams, with a companion Trainer’s Guide and Viewer’s Guide.
• The 60-minute audio conference presentation Conflict Resolution—Dealing With Really Difficult People.
• A 64-page workbook stuffed full of best practices, guides, tips, quizzes and more.
• A Customizable, Print-Ready Forms CD trainers and trainees can reference again and again.

View the Table of Contents.

Order today!

Spur continuous improvement

Spur continuous improvement

by Amy Beth Miller, editor, Communication Briefings

Every day can present an opportunity to improve team members’ performance, and many of you are missing it.

Only 20% of the readers who responded to our most recent poll say they discuss performance with team members daily, and an equal number do it weekly. A third of the respondents say they discuss performance monthly. But 13% still rely on annual reviews, and an equal number discuss performance only quarterly.

Here are some ways to increase the amount of feedback you’re offering employees:

• Walk around and talk daily. Make it a habit to set aside time each day to visit your team’s work area and chat with people about what they are working on. Ask about their challenges and successes so that you can coach and praise them.
• Discuss goals regularly. During team meetings, talk about team members’ goals, the progress they are making and how they can support one other. That will keep everyone focused on those goals. Another option: Schedule a 5- to 10-minute meeting once a week with each team member to discuss his or her work.
• Check in at milestones. Take time after key points in projects and other assignments to review the work, offer feedback and review their plans for the next step.
• Prep for success. When you make assignments, discuss how team members can best use their skills, and point out areas where they can make improvements.

When you coach and provide feedback daily, you show your interest in team members’ honing their skills. You will see improvement throughout the year, and you’ll catch any performance problems before they escalate into major issues.

Important: Keep a file of notes about your performance discussions with employees. That way, you will be ready for formal reviews or to back up any other actions you must take, such as terminating a poor performer who hasn’t responded to your efforts.

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You shared
Quotes that inspire

Last month we shared some inspirational quotes and invited you to share others.

Jean Farmer has this quote from Thomas Jefferson at the bottom of her email signature: “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” Because she is a communications specialist for the Virginia lottery, the quote is particularly appropriate!

A reader named Yoginder shared this motivational quote:

“A great deal of talent is lost in the world for the want of a little courage. Every day sends to their graves a number of obscure men who have only remained in obscurity because their timidity has prevented them from making a first effort; and who, if they could have been induced to begin, would in all probability have gone great lengths in the career of fame. The fact is, that to do anything in this world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can. It will not do to be perpetually calculating risks and adjusting nice chances; it did very well before the flood, when a man could consult his friends upon an intended publication for a hundred and fifty years, and then live to see his success afterward; but at present a man waits, and doubts, and consults his brother and his particular friends, till one fine day he finds that he is sixty years of age; that he has lost so much in consulting his first cousins and particular friends that he has no more time to follow their advice.” —Sydney Smith.

Visit our Pinterest boards for more Wise Words or a bit of Humor.

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The Complete Performance Review Toolkit

It’s that time again … your palms sweat … your stomach is in knots … it’s time for the dreaded performance review.

But wait, it doesn’t have to be that way!

The Complete Performance Review Toolkit has the training and the ready-to-use forms that will make your reviews hassle free and turn them into comfortable meetings that will motivate your employees and improve their performance all year long.

What it does:

• Trains managers to give properly structured performance reviews, which makes the reviews easier on your managers and improves their effectiveness.
• Gets managers to properly document the evaluation, which keeps information available to future managers and helps avoid problems down the road.
• Improves productivity by keeping staff working toward the organization’s objectives.
• Decreases turnover, saving time and money.
• Strengthens communication between employees and their supervisors.
• Raises morale.
• Reduces legal problems.

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