Microburst Learning

5 Advantages of Using an LMS

2008-03-03T11:29:00.009-05:00

A Learning Management System, or LMS, can be a great tool for you to use to help train your employees on a new skill or how to use a new piece of machinery. The LMS can provide you with a way to ensure that all of your employees are getting the same great level of training. Additionally, the LMS enables you to track the learner’s progress, offer a platform for testing, and sharing course material.

For those employees who may be a little hesitant to use a computer, an LMS can provide them with a simple easy to follow process to access training. The following podcast discusses 5 benefits of using an LMS.

Click 5 Advantages of Using an LMS to listen to the podcast and see how an LMS can make a positive difference in your training.

Visit http://www.microburstlearning.com/ to learn more about our soft and technical skills training courses. Our workflow enables a fast turnaround time to meet any custom training needs you may have.

Tips for Focused Meetings

2008-02-08T11:17:00.000-05:00

Have you ever left a meeting feeling that it was unorganized, poorly planned, or a waste of time? Have you been the person in charge of planning a meeting that didn't go as expected? This posting discusses 4 steps you can take to turn those unproductive meetings into lucrative sessions.

What can I do to make my meetings successful?

Have a good action agenda that outlines methods and approaches for the meeting
Assign roles in the meeting itself and share the leadership of the meeting

Ensure action items are captured

Follow-up after the meeting to insure people are executing their commitment

Questions: You Asked and We Answered

How do I make sure that people actually do what they agreed to do in the meeting?

Make sure you send out the action item list

For critical areas, call the individual responsible and ask them to review what they are doing to achieve the objective. Ask if they need more resources to complete the assigned task

I’ve tried using agendas in my meetings and I can’t get people to stay focused…now what?

Be sure that you only have the necessary people in the meeting that can contribute to the topic.

You may want to assign a gatekeeper who’s job it is to pull the group back to the agenda topic. This will help the group stay focused.

Another thing to try is to have an engaging process that involves the participants in the discussion.

Our meeting minutes are long and look like a dissertation. No one ever reads them. What can I do?

You should only capture the agreements for action and decisions made on a standard action item form. To download a free action item form template, visit our website www.microburstlearning.com/knowledgecenter.php

I would insure that team members realize that at the beginning of every meeting that you are going to review the action item list to determine if each of the action items is on schedule

A Night at the Movies!

2008-01-22T20:16:00.000-05:00

My husband and I went to see a movie recently. A rare occasion since he is a medical intern but a much enjoyed past time of ours! I am not planning on making this particular blog my personal movie reviewer so I won’t say things like National Treasure was a good date flick or P.S. I love you was a real tear jerker. I will leave that up to the millions of other bloggers out in cyber space.

What I will tell you though (hold on to your chair! Some free knowledge ahead!!) is that I noticed a few things during my premovie food hording event, when my husband and I purchased our vat of diet coke and our barrel of popcorn…Let me just pose a question to all theaters at this point, where are you getting your beverages from? Iran? Because Coke does not have to cost the same or higher than oil! Costco can probably help you out on lowering those costs. Just a side thought to help out the millions who cannot do without food or drink for a 2 to 3 hour flick (like me!).

Ok, back to my thoughts during the purchase. I had two thoughts: 1.) Never place a used dust pan on the top of a counter where the theater food is served (ingenuous I know) 2.) A lot of time and effort is spent training employees. Why did I have these particular thoughts you ask.

Well thought number one spawned from a (what looked to be very seasoned) employee placing a dust pan on top of the counter in between the popcorn machine and the oh so gourmet hot dog rotisserie. I am not going to mention that he did not wash his hands after cleaning what I am sure was an already spotless floor in the theater concession area or that it was a Regal Theatre because we love the Regal!

On to thought number 2. (Please try and hold all applause until the end of the blog, thank you in advance for your consideration.) All employees need training at some point whether it is new employee training, to fulfill OSHA requirements, or continued employee upkeep. Here is where MBL (please read previous blog titled “Shiftwork” for an explanation on this abbreviation and again you are welcome) can make training your employees or you; easier, faster, more efficient and (why are still reading this blog when you could be making your life easier, faster and more efficient by going to MBL’s, www.microburstlearning.com, site to find out more!) thorough. MBL offers over 2,000 different training courses. We have what you need! Check us out (seriously why are you still reading this!) at http://www.microburstlearining.com/ so that you can Live your Best Life oh wait that is Oprah’s thing. We will go with so that you can make training your employees better for all!

Have a (once again why aren’t you at our site already!) great day!

Oh yeah, I bet you are thinking she never let me know why she started thinking about employee training in the concession line. I promise never to leave you hanging again. Remember the employee with the dust pan? Well he was training a new employee, which really made me think about our refresher courses!

"Shiftwork"

2008-01-11T18:03:00.000-05:00

So I heard the new country music song by Kenny Chesney and George Strait (When I say “by” I mean they sing the song…not too sure about who wrote the song…you know the writers never get the street cred they deserve. They should get together and strike or something to that degree.) “Shiftwork” earlier today. A funny song but also true to life!! If you work in any field on shifts you should have a listen to the song. So the song in turn got me thinking about what Microburst Learning…At this point I want to make your life and mine easier, I want to do what the rest of the fast passed American world is doing (ie. McDonald’s with the number ordering, cell phones manufactures with the one touch number dialing, pretty soon you will just have to look at the number and the call will be placed! Hurry up cell phone people! I do not have time to hold down one number anymore!!) oh back to the making your life easier part. Drum roll please…I am going to formally announce the abbreviation of Microburst Learning to MBL!!! You are welcome. Reading this blog will now be informative with the added benefit of a quick read!!

Now back to the song and what it got me thinking about. So MBL (see how much time you saved! Once again you are welcome.) has many online learning programs that can help with a lot of task that deal with shiftwork jobs. Like what you ask. Well MBL has e-learning safety training, forklift training, and how to nap during your shift (ok we do not have the last one but wouldn’t it be nice.) Here is what I am saying; we can help you streamline your training for shift workers. Make your life easier (faster, isn’t that what we were going for earlier with the whole MBL thing?) check out how we can help you and your company at www.microburstlearning.com or call me at home on weekends very earlier in the morning at 1.800.yeah. right.

Have a great day!!

Generational Differences

2008-01-11T13:55:00.000-05:00

How can some people not know about blogging! That is what I have recently run into in my work. Some of the older employees (I am 27 so I am getting up their too!) are not up to speed on what is going on in the ever changing world. We all work with people from different generations which at times can be trying. At my age I do not understand the need for the long drawn out meetings where we talk about the same things over and over again. Let’s get online and get something done already! But I am learning that the Baby Boomers do have somethings that we do not have to to offer us for our career growth. They bring experience that we Generation X and Y folks do not have…seeing as how we do not choose to stay in the same jobs for very long at all! The company that I work for Microburst Learning, LLC has developed an online learning course to help the different working generations understand why they are the way they are. I have recently taken the course myself. The lesson was helpful! I now understand (to some degree, ha) and can better work with people from the other generations. They are just from a different time that taught them different things about the world and jobs. If you are running into the same thing in your daily work routine take some time to help yourself by going to http://www.microburstlearning.com/ to learn more about our working in a Multi Generation course. The course has helped me!!

Effective high performance meetings: the new year’s resolution.

2008-01-08T07:52:00.000-05:00

There are simple ways to make your meetings more effective and efficient. When you can, you should to plan the meeting. This is more than just doing an agenda that includes only a topic and someone’s name. Your agenda should be an action agenda. This means that if your team needs to make a decision then an agenda item should include not just the topic for the decision-making, but should also include the method or process you intend to use to help the group make the decision. So if your group needs to select the best marketing approach, you may want to have each person present a marketing model and have the total team follow a very specific approach while reviewing each model. For example, during each marketing presentation the rule should be that each person listens and takes notes, but does not interrupt the presenter. Once the presentation is complete then the listeners can ask questions, but rhetorical questions are not allowed. Once the questions have been answered, you can have each participant provide a PIN assessment of the marketing plan. Basically each team member will say what he or she believes is positive, interesting and negative about the marketing plan. Once every one has provided their PIN and the results have been recorded, you’ll follow the same approach for the next marketing presentation. Once a complete around of PIN’s have been done for all marketing presentations The group will be able to make a better fact based decision about which plan to select or which plans to modify, merge or reject. The website for Microburst Learning, http://www.microburstlearning.com/ contains indepth training and information on ways to hold an effective meeting.