Training Modules and Workbooks

On Selling Your Ideas to Decision Makers:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:51:00 +0000

Okay, I chose to go to this session instead of the one that I heard rave reviews about later. People who attended Luby Ismail's session, Teaching without Speaking: A Nonverbal Exercise to Turn Walls into Tables to Talk, said it was awesome. Oh well, I was convinced I could use some selling ideas.

Jim Dawson sure gave me plenty to think about. You see, I have my 30 second commercial down to a science. Other consultant friends of mine totally "get" what I do. Other training professionals probably understand what I do. The general public...not so much. Does it matter? Well, that's a whole other question. But here's the deal, Jim wants us to start a dialog with potential customers. I totally understand that philosophy. So instead of saying what I say, he suggested that I say, "I provide the fuel to facilitate your learning." He wants us to be intriguing so our listener keeps asking questions. So, this is supposed to get the other person to say, "What do you mean by the fuel?" Then I'm to say something else that gets them to want to know more.

So here's the deal...after contemplating this information and sharing it with others, I'm not convinced that I need to change my elevator speech. Perhaps I'm naive enough to believe that if someone doesn't understand what I do, then they are probably not a potential client to begin with. Oh, but am I missing out, because they might be able to connect me with a potential client? I'm not sure. But I am definitely giving it some thought.

All in all, Jim did an excellent job and I really enjoyed his session...though I must admit that I am still intrigued about teaching without speaking:)

On Art in Training:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:13:00 +0000

Sandra Fowler and Fanchon Silberstein allowed us an opportunity to see how art can be used in our training sessions. In the session, Art Postcards Make Interesting Intercultural Games, we learned five interactive exercises that can be modified in any training.

Here's a simple way to use art postcards. Have each learner choose a postcard that best exemplifies them. Then during the introduction, each learner shares their card and tells why they chose it. Simple, yet different!

On Intercultural Teamwork:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:23:00 +0000

Dr. Jessica Hirshorn facilitated a session titled, 3-2-1 Launch! Lessons from NASA on Intercultural Teamwork. I really enjoyed the simulations because it was not your "typical" teamwork simulation. In other words, all the elements necessary for excellent teamwork were required...but more was also needed. I "played" with a group where we were able to be contrary per the "instructions."

People walked away feeling a little uncomfortable after the activity, because we didn't have time for an adequate debrief. So, this is my continued mantra...you need to be sure that you have adequate time to do a thorough debrief. So, given the short timeframe for the session, perhaps Jessica should have stopped the game and allowed the necessary time for the debrief. Even though we are professional trainers and understand what happened, we still left feeling emotional about the experience after the game.

All in all, it was an excellent teambuilding activity. Jessica has written a book that explains the game. If you need an excellent teambuilding activity, consider contacting Jessica at Jessica.Hirshorn@asu.edu. Thanks for the experience, Jessica.

On Winning Prizes:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:49:00 +0000

I just won the quarterly "Why is English so hard to learn?" contest for Conversational Voiceover Snippets by Dottie Janson. Here's my winning contribution where I had to use "trifle" and "sound" as well as the various pronunciations of "omb" with comb, tomb, and bomb. Enjoy...

It might sound a bit trifle to those who aren't huge Halloween fans, but a fearless goblin tried to comb Dracula's hair in his big, black coffin. Yes, it was the very coffin hidden in a secretive tomb guarded by a wicked witch. Rumor has it that this fearless goblin had a conspiratorial ghost set a bomb off in the adjacent cemetery, located by the Pumpkin Sound, to distract the wicked witch who was eating a trifle with her black cat. They should have known not to trifle with the wicked witch because she was not of sound mind!

On Empty Bowls:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:57:00 +0000

This weekend Ron and I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the 11th Annual Empty Bowls for the first time. Empty Bowls benefits Kids Cafe, a division of the Freestore/Foodbank. The Kids Cafe provides low-income neighborhood kids with a nutritionally balanced meal in a safe and caring environment, besides offering programs and activities to aid in their overall health.

For $20.00 each, Ron and I choose a bowl made from a group of potters from the Clay Alliance. The event was at Baker Hunt in Covington, where musicians serenaded us every step of the way. We enjoyed a simple meal of soup, bread, cheese, dessert, and water. With the weather cooperating, it was a huge success. To add to this fun, we walked to and from the event, enjoying the various neighborhoods of Covington.

On Halloween:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:25:00 +0000

Halloween is my favorite holiday. I think it might be because you get to dress up and be someone you're not. I haven't dressed up in years...not because I'm "too old," but because there have been no parties to attend.

Our house is not really "accessible" for trick or treaters ,so for the past five years we have gone to other people's houses to see and feed their trick or treaters. Perhaps that's what we'll do this year too. We're selling our house so next year our house should be decorated in all the haunted, scary ways that punctuate the Halloween season. Stay tuned! And, Happy Halloween! Boo!!!

On Blogging:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:21:00 +0000

I typically write my blog before the day I post it. Then, the day of the post, I copy and paste it into "Blogger." Yesterday and today, I've been unable to "cut and paste" my message. As you can imagine, I really don't want to retype the whole darn thing...so today, I'm just sharing my frustration. Hopefully, tomorrow, blogger will be fixed and I'll be able to share more insights from my conference experiences.

Happy Thursday!

On the Wow of Me:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:46:00 +0000

Lisa Haneberg gave us five ways to knock the socks off our listeners and learners. They were:

Tell an amazing story (stories again...see, I heard about stories over and over...)
Give a repeat-worthy mantra - what one thing do you want the listener to remember?
Focus on you - perhaps you need to be great for the listener to "get it."
Fullest expression - are you fully expressing your style in order to communicate your message?
Show the way - in a manner that motivates the listener to act.

Lisa was to the point and very engaging. She told relevant stories. She shared key ideas and content to get her point across. She was....wow!

You can reach Lisa at lhaneberg@managementperformance.com.

On Knowing One Page is Enough:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:42:00 +0000

I attended Lisa Haneberg's session on Finding the Wow! You. It was excellent. One of the things I liked most about her session was the fact that she said that having a one-page handout was enough. If you can't say what you want to say in one handout, then you aren't really clear about what you want to say. I like that...and I like the idea of saving trees.

On the Hammer and the Nail:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:57:00 +0000

At one of the conferences I attended, one of the sessions was slotted as Behavior in the Workplace: Why People Click or Conflict. I expected the session to talk about conflict. Instead, the session was about the Enneagram. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the Enneagram...but I was there to hear about how people "click or conflict." I wasn't there to learn about the Enneagram.

One of the attendees whispered to me that this was not what she had expected. Another attendee indicated the same thing when she said, "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." She was referring to the idea that when we get "hooked" on one concept, idea, or tool, we tend to use it for everything and lose sight of what might be best.

What can I say, it just allowed me to leave early and enjoy the facilitation of two of my colleagues in the next room. Though I've heard Jessica and Dorothy facilitate lots of times, their session was much, much more fun than staying where I was!

On Stories:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:38:00 +0000

One of the "themes" I heard over and over at the various conferences I attended was to tell stories. Why? People remember stories...therefore, they remember the important ideas you are trying to convey.

Stories should be interesting, funny, and convey emotion. People connect to emotion. It makes the story memorable. So, let me tell you a story about the time I...

On Communicating:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

One of the sessions I attended at the GCASTD conference was on marketing. A key concept was to communicate often with your clients. Hmmmm... I want to communicate "appropriately" with my clients...so when does communicating become over-communicating?

Here's the thing...when I get too many emails from people, I start to delete them rather than read them. Sure the person is on my mind, but I don't know or care about their message.

So, if my clients are like me, I want to send just the right amount of email so that the communication I send is read. Hmmm...what a dilemma.

Give me some feedback. I really would like you to weigh-in on this dilemma.

On "Love Your Body" Day:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:53:00 +0000

Today is "Love Your Body" Day. "Most women are unhappy with some part of their appearance and automatically trash it when they see themselves in the mirror," says Leslie Heinberg, Ph.D., the Director of Behavioral Services for the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. "The key to breaking the habit is to notice the moment those self-hating thoughts start, see them for what they are - distorted and irrational - and switch to something positive."

So, today, focus on something you like about yourself. Perhaps it's your beautiful eyes, or you elegant hands, or the dimple on your cheek, or the freckles on your nose, or you sexy arms, or your agile ankles, or your strong legs, or how you body is always healthy. You get the point - focus on the positive and begin to notice things you like about your body. Celebrate you!

On Learning:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:31:00 +0000

As you know, I attended and delivered many sessions at multiple conferences in early October. When I returned from each conference, I went over all the information I "collected" and determined what action steps I needed to take. Some of the material got tossed. Some of the material got filed. And all the while, I took notes on any action steps I wanted to take to elevate my business and/or me.

Over the next few weeks, I'll share with you some of my "take-aways." Perhaps you will be able to create some of your own action steps to enhance "you."

On Business Finance Training:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:47:00 +0000

At the NASAGA conference, I played an excellent simulation, which helps employees understand business finance...and it was fun! It was rich in the financial "lingo" that at times leaves me wanting to cross my eyes and say, "Why am I here?" But the competition and complexity, yet simplicity, of the simulation was excellent. If it wasn't heading towards 10:00 p.m., I'm sure we would have wanted to play more and more rounds to immerse ourselves further into the situation and see how our decisions resulted in the consequences for a "healthy" business.

If you're interested in the simulation, check out http://www.income-outcome.com/. The name of the session was The Entrepreneurial Challenge. The presenters were Robin and Elizabeth Helweg-Larsen. Great job!

On GCASTD's All-Day Conference:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:51:00 +0000

Dick Axelrod was the keynote speaker for the GCASTD conference this year. His topic was Leadership with an Engagement Edge. Studies from Gallup and Northwestern University show that engaged employees are more productive, provide better customer service, and out perform their competitors. The sad news is that only 17% of people surveyed described themselves as engaged.

I'll share more information next week...but if you are interest in his research, check out his book, Terms of Engagement: Changing the Way We Change Organizations.

On the Organizational Development Network:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:18:00 +0000

On Tuesday evening, I presented at the ODN meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio. The topic was The Eight Guidelines for Designing Training and How to Use Them to Create a Leadership Program. Participants walked away with my 8 guidelines, leadership ideas to use for each of the 8 guidelines, plus several frame games that they could adapt in any training they design. Everyone seemed to enjoy learning new ideas and then doing activities to make the learning "stick." What a wonderful evening of professional community sharing!

On Wednesday, I attended the GCASTD annual conference (more about that tomorrow) where I saw Randi Sandlin, who asked me to speak at the ODN meeting. She shared with me that I had some of the highest ratings ever for presenting at the ODN meeting! That just added to a fabulous day!

On Laughter and Performance:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:24:00 +0000

Marla Allen, my good friend and roommate from the NASAGA conference, presented a session on Laughing All The Way To The Bank...with Peak Performance and Profits. Marla had us all in stitches as she gave us facts about laughter in the workplace. The activities she had us do together created a bound that lasted the whole conference. Really, what should I expect when your title is Chief Energizer Officer & Director of SUCCESS?!?!

Marla, thanks for a great session at the conference and your positive energy throughout the energizing week!

On NASAGA:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:25:00 +0000

I just returned from my favorite conference - NASAGA, which is the North American Simulation and Gaming Association. It's all about putting games and simulations in your training material to address your adult learners' needs.

As usual, it was awesome. I'll tell you why in future blogs. Happy Monday.....

On ODN and NASAGA:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:19:00 +0000

On Tuesday, October 13th, I will be presenting the Eight Guidelines for Designing Training and How to Use It to Create a Leadership Program. This ODN meeting will be at the Hyde Park Library (in Cincinnati). Come network and eat at 5:30. The presentation will begin promptly at 6:15 and end by 7:30. I hope you all can make it!

Tomorrow I head to Washington D.C. for the NASAGA conference. I will not be sending out a blog for the rest of the week, because I want to totally focus on this conference. NASAGA is all about putting activities and games in your training to meet the adult learners' needs. The people who attend this conference are some of the most giving, brilliant, and fun people I know. If you'd like to hear about the conference, please send me an email.

On Rock and Roll:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:39:00 +0000

We just returned from Cleveland where Ron's corporate band was one of eight to compete for the 9th Annual Fortune Battle of the Corporate Bands. Manage This, Symantec's band, was awesome. It was fun watching everyone have a great time doing what they love to do. As one band member said, "We're enjoying our 15 minutes of fame."

Two of the three judges were Jeff Carlisi from 38 Special and Tommy Lee from Motley Crew (or as I knew him, married to Pamela Anderson:)). And, yes, I saw some of his tattoo as I was standing within arms length of him. - darn, he had on long sleeves! He's a "waif" of a guy.

And, yes, we stayed for the whole game...watching the Bengals barely beat the Browns in overtime! Who-dey!

On the Talent War:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:46:00 +0000

I couldn't help but share this tip from the Institute of Management Consultants USA - Consultant's Tip of the Day for October 2, 2009#145: Helping Your Clients Manage Their Talent

Today's Inquiry:
We all know demographics and knowledge economic forces are conspiring to create a "talent war." If we are not in the human resources or workforce management consulting areas, how can we best help our clients?

Today's Answer:
Great question. It is logical to think that with the recession, the pressure to find talent might be reduced for a few years. Good employees are going to stay while those around them are being laid off or are wary of changing jobs and losing any seniority. However, consider a survey by salary.com earlier this year that found, even in this recession, that 2 of 3 employees were actively or passively looking for jobs. This is almost twice the rate employers estimated.

The most talented employees are logically looking for opportunities inside and outside the companies in which they work. As the economy undergoes major shifts, more opportunities and new challenges will certainly open up at other companies. Because they will remember how they and their colleagues were treated when times were tough, they will act on bad treatment as soon as the economy improves. Probably the best thing you can do for your client is to assure that they clearly show their employees how valuable they are and to carefully consider what may be considered by employees as a lack of loyalty. Executives must level with employees, even letting them know that they don't know. Historically, this may not have been the right advice, but in this environment, when your best employees are more mobile than ever (and more are Gen X and Gen Y, for whom loyalty means less than for Boomers), disclosure and engagement are critical.

Tip: Joe Pine (The Experience Economy: Work Is Theater & Every Business a Stage) and others talk about how increasingly important experience is to a brand. This is true for employees as well as customers. Help your client make the employee experience more meaningful and trusting by not focusing on negotiating benefits, or promising more benefits when the economy turns around. If layoffs occur, use your skills in technology, strategy, process, or other discipline to help your client understand what elements of those activities in which you are an expert employees find most valuable or most significantly impact the employee experience.

Copyright (c) 2009, Institute of Management Consultants USA Get your own subscription to Tip of the Day by email.

Truly something to think about...right?!?

On Being in the Present Moment:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:30:00 +0000

"Don't let yesterday use up too much of today" is a Cherokee Indian Proverb. If you must "look back," this is wise advice.

On Feeling Small:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:43:00 +0000

Watch this incredible video and never allow anyone to make you feel small again. Less can be more...and you do matter.

On "Topless" Meetings:

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Otto) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:13:00 +0000

According to Emory University English Professor Mark Bauerlein in his article, Why Gen-Y Johnny Can't Read Nonverbal Cues, cited in the Wall Street Journal, "Users insert smiley-faces into emails, but they don't see each others' actual faces. They read comments on Facebook, but they don't 'read' each others' posture, hand gestures, eye movements, shifts in personal space and other nonverbal - and expressive - behaviors."

Based on this new phenomena, some organizations are beginning to take steps to improve the situation. In Silicon Valley, several companies have implemented "topless" meetings in which laptops, iPhones, and other similar tools are banned to combat the problem of "continuous partial attention." With a device close by, attendees have proven time and again they are unable to devote their full attention to who is speaking.

Bauerlein points out, "It's too easy to check e-mail, stock quotes, and Facebook. While a quick log-on may seem a harmless break to the user, others in the room receive it as a silent dismissal." Consequently, such devices must now be checked at the door.

Bauerlein is the author of "The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future."