Month: December 2013

Categories
Human Resource

Coaching or Training?

Coaching or Training

Developing your employees is an integral part of keeping your business a successful one. How you choose to do this, however, is another question. It varies greatly from business to business, because more often than not, it depends on the organisation itself and the skills needed.

Training and coaching often go hand in hand, and can work well together as part of a complementary development programme.

Training

Training is, simply, sharing of knowledge. Those who are experienced or have knowledge and expertise in a particular field teach individuals who have less knowledge of that field. This can vary from an instruction on the best way to lift a heavy box, to language classes to a wine tasting session.

Training is direct. The trainer is the expert, and will tell the trainee(s) what to learn and how to do it.

Coaching

A coach is not necessarily more knowledgeable, or has more expertise or experience in a particular area than the ‘coachee’ or ‘mentee’. Instead, a coach facilitates development in an individual. They don’t impart knowledge; instead, through coaching methods, a coach will raise awareness of the individual’s skills, knowledge and expertise, and their own possibilities. The coach will then motivate the individual to utilise these skills to be who they want to be or do what they want to do.

Coaching or Training?

The best answer is both, but it depends on how you want to support your employees. A typical training and development programme within an organisation looks a little bit like this:

Introduction – for new starters, an introduction to the company is essential. The company’s goals and how they as an employee contribute towards those goals, is a good place to start.

Review the Job Description – Identify anything that they don’t know how to do, or things that they want to know about in more detail.

Training – group training or individual training; make sure that your employee is competent and able to do their job.

Ongoing Development – on site training should be confirmed and updated regularly. Offsite training at conferences or workshops help your employees feel that they are valued, and equally have something of value to contribute to the company

Coaching – Coaching will help employees develop their skills, not only as employees, but in other aspects of their life as they begin to identify ways that they can develop themselves. You can hire a company like Watt Works Consultancy who can mentor your employees for you, or you can develop your own coaching programme, using other employees as coaches.

Categories
Operations

Why Process Management Software Should Be Adaptive

processbuisness

Article Contributed by Maricel Rivera

Everyday, new processes are emerging. And everyday, a good number of businesses, even those with already established protocols that have worked magnificently for a period of time, face process challenges that need to be promptly addressed to stay relevant in a competitive marketplace, customer-centric and staff-friendly while keeping a healthy bottom line.

Business process management, or BPM, isn’t new news. BPMInstitute.org, a peer-to-peer exchange platform for BPM professionals, asserts that BPM is a dynamic process and has, over the years, evolved – on the technology front, from standalone applications to workflow solutions to business process management suites (BPMS), and on the business side of the house, from total quality management to business process re-engineering and, finally, business process management.

Commercially off-the-shelf (COTS) platforms vs. adaptive solutions

The goal of BPM is not just process automation. It’s also about continuous innovation and process optimization. Software platforms that are commercially available off-the-shelf work just fine with zero or little tweaking provided your processes, say, your new hiring and onboarding protocols, don’t change much from one instance to another.

Considering the dynamic nature of most, if not all, business processes, this can be a limiting factor. What happens if a process change is warranted?

One significant weakness of packaged solutions or ready-made software is customization, particularly the lack or limited nature thereof. So when process changes happen or end-product specifications are updated, businesses are forced to consider any one of the following options to still meet their business obligations on time, on budget and as expected:

  1. Find and deploy a better software solution even if that means (a) ditching already existing systems, and (b) hours of staff and management training to familiarize everyone with the ins and outs of the new software.
  2. Build their own software.
  3. Commission the software vendor to make changes to the code.
  4. Hire coding experts to perform the needed changes.

Whichever choice they opt to employ entails possible project delays, additional expenses and, in the case of building their own software from scratch, a skilled IT team and a solid IT infrastructure.

On the other hand, adaptive solutions, like Comindware Tracker, are gaining a lot of traction and are largely being seen as replacement to “stiff” commercially off-the-shelf software. Some industry observers and practitioners agree that BPM will one day outplace traditional programming, especially in terms of rapid deployment of IT solutions.

Why choose adaptive BPM?

Aside from getting a packaged solution that’s based on industry research, with COTS, you’re entitled to vendor support whenever you run across issues and challenges while implementing the software.

In the case of proprietary software scratch-built in-house, you have the ability to design and create an application that meets your unique business protocols, which, unfortunately, is generally a costly proposition, considering the infrastructure and deep IT talent pool you have to have, plus the maintenance you will need to undergo from time to time.

Business process

BPM is a discipline that involves people, processes and philosophy. Adaptive BPM, mainly because of its ability to support customization at various stages of the business or workflow process, is like getting the best of both worlds. You get software support, and you’re awarded the ability to make changes to pre-built templates/solutions, sans the programming know-how, to adhere to current client or market demands.

People

Multitasking, they say, is a necessary evil modern-day workers are exposed to on a daily basis. Multitasking, however, results in execution errors and can trump information retention, problem solving and creativity. Adaptive BPM helps in multiple task management, and empowers your people in terms of real-time visibility and team collaboration.

Legacy tools

If your business has been operating for a while, chances are you already have system tools in place, like Outlook or SharePoint, for example. Adopting an adaptive BPM suite means keeping your legacy systems intact, data included, even being able to work in the same environment you and your staff are already familiar with while the BPM engine works silently in the background.

Conclusion

Working with commercially available software has its merits, but if your business processes are constantly changing, looking into a BPM solution that’s flexible enough to address your business needs without breaking the bank is a worthy exercise.

About the Author:

Maricel Rivera is a content writer for Comindware, a work management technology company providing easy-to-configure business process management software. Comindware Tracker, its flagship product, is an adaptive enterprise solution that comes with built-in process management templates that you can customize with drag-and-drop ease.

Categories
People & Relationships

LinkedIn Success: How This Entrepreneur Got Published on Forbes.com Using LinkedIn

LinkedIn-marketing-tools

Article Contributed by Kristina Jaramillo 

My latest article on “How to Mix LinkedIn Marketing with Content Marketing” just got published on Forbes.com.

Now, how did I get published on Forbes?

By implementing the same strategies that gained me recognition by the New York Times as a social media expert and got me published inside publications and on websites like Website Magazine. Electronic Retailer Magazine, MarketingProfs, RainToday and many more.

1. I’m actively sharing content that’s written by me – Kristina Jaramillo!

I know that finding the time to create high quality content is one of the biggest challenges facing marketing and communication professionals.  These organizations are looking to fill the gap by curating and aggregating content. The problem is – when you create conversations in social media circles like LinkedIn, you become more of a resource rather than a thought leader. You need to be creating content – and creating thought provoking conversations that take a stance so the prospects and the media will be drawn to you.

2. I go beyond industry news

A recent LinkedIn report shows that decision makers are 11.5 times more engaged with thought leadership articles and best practices on LinkedIn than industry news. So, I take the industry news to the next level. For example, a couple years ago, when a report came out that showed that 92% of the media is on LinkedIn, I wrote an article featured on Bulldog Reporter. In the article I discuss how more journalists, bloggers and other media professionals are on LinkedIn – more than any other network. But more importantly, I educate readers how to build and maintain relationships with the media on LinkedIn. This way there’s relevance

3.  I create discussions on the PR that I generate through LinkedIn and content distribution

By creating discussions based on my articles and my PR, I am displaying my credibility and thought leadership. In fact. here’s an actual email that I recently received from LinkedIn themselves!

Hi Kristina,

We’re hoping to tap into your savvy marketing expertise for LinkedIn’s new eBook, The Definitive Guide to Marketing on LinkedIn (working title).

Your previous post, “Are You Calling Yourself a Marketing Expert on LinkedIn? Then Prove It”  is exactly the kind of in-depth, thought-provoking analysis we’re looking for, and it’s why we immediately thought of you. Would you be interested in getting interviewed and featured in our upcoming ebook?

4. I’m inviting the media to join my LinkedIn group – Get Help with Linked Strategies

Studies show that B2B buyers are 70% ready to make a buying decision before they even speak to sales professionals. They are self-nourishing by reviewing articles, case studies, reviews, videos etc. I believe the media is doing the same thing and that they are 70% sure that they’re going to use an expert’s insights or articles before they approach the expert. Now, when the media is looking to cover a topic around LinkedIn marketing, I want them in my ecosystem.  So I invite media professionals to connect with me and to join my LinkedIn group where they can see the value I can provide. From there, I build and maintain relationships with the media while they see my content on a regular basis. The editor of the Women’s Media column that published my article on Forbes.com is a member of my LinkedIn group – and it took several months of her seeing my content before she was ready to publish my article.

Now If You Want to Attract More PR Like Me with LinkedIn Marketing – You Must Create Content That…

  1. Challenges the way people think or act. For example, in my MarketingProfs article that gained LinkedIn’s interest, I challenged readers to take a good look at their profile and see if they really are proving that they are the expert. As I share in the article, one of my clients was relying on his 40 plus years of experience and his word that he was leading edge.  He was using generic terms that anyone and everyone can and does use on LinkedIn when describing themselves. I challenged the readers to make their LinkedIn profile result oriented and case study driven. Don’t you think article content that goes beyond the norm – will attract both prospects and the media?
  2. Content based on case studies. Within my Forbes article, I shared four different case studies that demonstrated my expertise – and more importantly, my relevance. I shared how Jimena Cortes gained hundreds of leads and $60,000 by merging LinkedIn with content marketing, how Susan Tatum gained 4 new clients by challenging the way IT firms market their solutions, how an international coaching firm attracted more women business owners by telling stories along with how gain I more PR using LinkedIn. Because I shared this article in the different LinkedIn groups, I have women business owner publications wanting my content as well – because they see relevance.
  3. Offers real value and not the same information found all over LinkedIn. Editors and journalists are always looking for new ideas, topics and different spin on old issues. This may require re-defining your prospects’ problems. Most of Coreo’s competitors talk about the negative consequences security breaches. There are already so many doom-and-gloom videos and other types of content that depict lost revenue, lost customers, brand damage, and penalties that it’s almost a waste of time to bring them up at all. So instead of talking about security breaches, they redefined their prospects’ problems based on “unwanted traffic” like a competitor continually checking your prices to update their own.

Now, are you ready to start getting more publicity for your firm using LinkedIn and content marketing?

About the Author:

LinkedIn marketing expert Kristina Jaramillo (Founder of GetLinkedInHelp.com) helps B2B organizations, professional service firms and small business owners get even more exposure for the publicity they generate. To see how you should be mixing LinkedIn marketing with content marketing and PR, download Kristina’s interview with LinkedIn’s senior content marketing manager at: http://www.FreeLinkedInMarketingTraining.com

Categories
Entrepreneurs

Stuck In The “Entrepreneurial Lows?” 3 Truths to Help You Navigate Through It

We all talk about the entrepreneurial journey — how when you embark, the highs will be some of the best highs of your life … but there will be some lows too.

 

The reality is that just as the highs you can reach running your own biz are some of the highest you’ll experience, very few things may beat how low the lows can go.

 

And when you hit rock bottom, you can REALLY hit rock bottom. Because the truth of the matter is you can’t have the highs without the lows. They’re a part of the journey and they also make the highs soooo much more sweeter.

 

So I’m not writing this because I want to scare you away from the lows — on the contrary. The lows have made me who I am today (and I wouldn’t trade that). Why I’m writing this is to give you some support and love if you are going through a low right now.

 

I think the worst part of the lows in the entrepreneurial journey (which is why I think the lows are that much lower) is how alone you feel. You own your own business — who are you going to lean on in your life who “gets” it? And who do you have who can help you through it who has “been there, done that and got the tee shirt to prove it?”

 

So that’s why I want to share these truths you can hang on to as you navigate the sometimes choppy waters of entrepreneurship.

 

1. You’re not alone. I know I just said this but it’s worth repeating. When you’re in the middle of muddling through a low, you may feel like you’re all alone — but you’re not. Everyone who has run a business has been there. It’s just part of the path of being an entrepreneur.

 

2. It won’t last. No matter how bad things look and feel right now, know this is only a part of the journey. Things WILL turn around. And the reality is, the more you feel like you’ve hit rock bottom, the faster you’ll experience the turnaround.

 

Now this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be taking action to change it. Not at all — instead I just want you to really feel this isn’t your “new” reality (no matter how much it may feel like it is) and instead know deep down that
it’s just a part of the journey.

 

3. Only what challenges you changes you. I actually saw this at my local YMCA. They of course were referring to actually doing a tough workout (versus showing up and going through the motions and calling it a workout) but this actually is applicable to all sorts of things in life. If it’s NOT challenging you, then it’s probably not changing you. So if you are in a challenging spot, know that if you’re open and you let it, it could actually be the catalyst that transforms you.

 

Now if you are stuck in the lows, you may be thinking to yourself “Well Michele, this is all well and good, but I don’t want to be here anymore. How do I get myself out?”

 

I’m so glad you asked! If this IS you, then here’s something you can do to get yourself back on track – out of the lows and heading into the highs:

 

Don’t do what you’ve always done.

 

I’m serious. We’ve all been in lows before and you probably have something you do to cope (maybe it’s a bad habit — like drinking an extra glass of wine or collapsing in front of the television — or maybe it’s something you don’t think is bad, like overworking). I’d like to suggest maybe you DON’T do what you always do, and instead do something different. (And if you’re not sure what that would look like, you could try doing the exact opposite from what you normally would do.)

 

Regardless of what you choose, just keep breathing. You’re not alone and it WILL pass.

Categories
Operations

Lanonyx – Talking for Training

Talking for Training

Recruitment of staff is hard enough, but the retainment of quality staff is even harder. All too often businesses struggle because of a high staff turnover, with staff leaving and taking their skills with them. This type of turn over results in frequent repeated initial training at the basic level combined with frequent loss of the time and money put into that training. So how do we keep our staff on the payroll for longer than a few months?

Developing a Community

One of the most important aspects of any business is the working atmosphere. Get it right and it can be one of the leading factors in why your staff come to work. Get it wrong and it can really get your staff down, potentially even making them consider taking another job elsewhere. Creating a positive atmosphere that is inviting for new staff and makes existing staff feel secure and valued can be difficult, particularly if you have a large workforce and/or many sites. Take time to read up on new techniques  you could try and enforce them slowly so you can monitor the effect accurately.

Developing Basic Skills

Staff feel much more positive about their jobs when they are certain of the expectations on them and they know that they can carry out their duties effectively. Nobody likes to feel that they don’t know what they are doing. Make sure that staff in customer facing roles understand their roles by training using call logging software like Lanonyx. Playback example calls to demonstrate good and bad practice and ask staff to discuss other ways that they could have dealt with this particular issue.

Developing Your Workforce

One of the major reasons for staff leaving and moving onto another job is that they feel there is no chance for progression in their current role. Make sure that this isn’t the case in your company by being clear about the various progression routes on offer and also how to work towards them. Do you want interested parties to work on an evidence portfolio? Will you interview a number of interested parties for upcoming roles using a standard application procedure? Are you planning on simply offering the most deserving candidate a promotion and if so, what are the criteria? Be clear and transparent about your procedures to ensure that everyone feels like they have an equal opportunity.