Archives for October 2015
Training: Influences Your Competitive Advantage
What does training mean to your organization? Does it mean anything? Is training a wishful activity, a hopeful phrase, or an empty promise?
It surprises me how much professionals talk the hype of training and development, yet don't implement the practices within their organizations. People may say that training is a quintessential ingredient to success but is it, and if it is, do people do it? Over the last four years, I have been a personal and professional journey of improvement. I have created, implemented, and monitored customized training for myself, colleagues, educational institutions, and small businesses. I have identified and concurred (at least for the time being) my training demons, and have identified three fundamental ways in which training does, in fact, influence your competitive advantage. Therefore, we will discuss “why” and “how” training influences your competitive advantage and what you can do to work on building a stronger competitive advantage.
PurposeÂ
Training requires knowledge. Knowledge is the sense of understanding the specifics of whatever it is you are trying to achieve. At the most basic level, purpose, within the scope of training is designed to help the individual clearly understand the 4 Wâs – what, why, when, and who. To do this, one must conduct a needs assessment. A needs assessment is an investigation of identification of the gaps in skills, competencies, or some other developmental gap. The strategy to conduct a needs assessment is different within the scope and evaluation for individuals, groups, and organizations. The reason there is a difference is because the dynamics are different. However, the concept and theory is the same, i.e. identification of competency gaps.
One of my biggest pet peeves that people tend to do when conducting a needs assessment is that they stop after the identification phase. The identification is the first step, however, stopping after identifying the specific training needs, is like saying âI know what my training needs are, and I am not going to do anything about it,â. Dumb. Seriously, why go through the effort of a needs assessment to simply identify the issues? Analysis of the identified competency gaps can help one to determine âwhyâ the competency gaps exist and the âinfluenceâ the gaps have on the current situation. A deeper investigation of the âwhyâ helps to uncover strategies to create the âhowâ can we move from where we are today with the identified competency gaps to where we want to be. The ability to connect these factors with the outcomes of the needs assessment helps to create the âpurposeâ behind the training. The âpurposeâ is the deeper meaning and understanding establishes the reasoning behind the call to action.
Focus
Focus without purpose doesn't exist. That is why it is paramount to establish âpurpose.â Purpose fuels focus. Focus is a means of a variety of attitudes, messages, and resources to get from the current state to the desired state with unwavering faith. Focus requires discipline, organization, and energy. It is easy to get distracted, lose motivation, and quit in the face of adversity or pain. However, the greater the focus, the hard it will be to quite. The less focus, the easier it will be to be motivated one day and disconnected the next.
Here, again another pet peeve when it comes to implementing and sustaining training a development model, the lack of continued focus. People can easily get all âgung-hoâ about starting a new training program, yet, forget that the means to which the delivery of the training occurs must be disciplined and inspire constant focus. The disciple side helps to ensure accountability of carrying out the essential actions. The inspired constant focus helps to connect the âpurposeâ with the emotion needed to sustain the continued efforts. People get bored, easily distracted, and unmotivated. Recognizing derailing behaviors during the creation phase can save time, money, resources, and energy. Establishing focus requires preparation. Preparation requires perspective and empathy toward the internal and external factors that may influence the attitudes and behaviors that are needed to carry out the training and development initiatives.
Direction
Direction serves as guidance on how to get from the current to future state. The ability to craft specific milestones that support and align with the objectives of achieving the competency training and developments will aid in a more structured approach to getting there. Think of direction as the systems that will be in place that support the objectives, illuminates purpose throughout the stages and pumps focus methodologies along the way. The system is the highway and navigation system to get you to each essential objective.
The key with direction is to know where you are going. This step requires purposeful planning with the use of the data from the needs assessment. The direction is the âhowâ to achieve the objectives. The âhowâ requires specific initiatives that support achieving the desired outcomes. In the scope of training and development, this simply means that gap competency training have specific actions, outcomes, and a clear âmapâ of getting there. Crafting direction requires understanding, analysis, and selection of the best âroutesâ that provide the greatest value and impact of achieving the desired results.
In conclusion, training and development influence your competitive advantage.
Your competitive advantage is simply what makes you a better option over your competitors. A competitive advantage can be narrowed down from an individual, professional, or organizational standpoint. From an individual standpoint, it could even be applied within the context of becoming the best version of you. From a professional standpoint, becoming a recognized expert in your field. From an organization perspective, becoming the leading choice for whatever it is that your organization does in comparison to your competitors. The training and development needs assessment allows you to assess your current state, identify competency gaps, craft objectives and initiatives to eliminate (or minimize) those gaps, and serve a greater purpose by achieving competency in the specific areas.
by Katie Doseck, PhD MBA
Chief Visionary and Strategic Ace Up Your Sleeve | Viral Solutions LLC
Copyright 2015 by Viral Solutions LLC
We help overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves – so business can be fun again
Viral Solutions LLC is a Digital Marketer Certified Partner, an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant, a Google Partner – Certified in AdWords and a Mobit Certified Partner.
Mobile Engagement to be a $32.4 Billion Industry by 2018
A recent study by Forbes indicates that by 2018, companies will spend $32.4 billion globally on making sure that they are able to get engagement out of their mobile marketing practices. With the way that peopleâs web browsing habits have shifted to the point where most internet browsing is done on mobile devices, experts believe that delivering great mobile experiences will be the backbone of web marketing for the next decade.
Part of this growth also has to do with the way that people use apps has changed. The first apps that companies put out tended to just be platforms to direct customers to their websites. Now, however, apps are expected to create engagement and assist people themselves, helping them to take action as quickly as possible.
So what are some ways that you can increase mobile engagement with your customers?
âą Build trust. This goes beyond mobile platforms, of course, and extends into all of your business practices. If your customers trust the quality of your products or services, theyâll be more likely to get engaged with your mobile marketing.
âą Provide individual value. Only send marketing messages that have relevant, valuable content to your customers. For example, you could offer personalized recommendations based on other brands theyâve viewed or purchases theyâve made. The last thing you want is for people to think âthere are thousands of other people who probably got this exact same message.â
âą Inspire urgency. For example, if customers add an item to their cart, you could customize a message that appears after a certain amount of time to remind them that they have an item waiting for them.
âą Donât spam. People will be much more likely to engage with your company if they donât feel like youâre flooding them with messages at every opportunity. Be smart about when you send out push notifications or messages and accommodate peopleâs preferences in terms of time of day and message frequency.
Have more questions about how you can increase mobile engagement? Work with Viral Solutions to put together a comprehensive mobile marketing automation campaign today.
by Christine Kelly
CEO and Queen Bee | Viral Solutions LLC
Copyright 2015 Viral Solutions LLC
Viral Solutions LLC is a Digital Marketer Certified Partner and an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant.
We help overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves – so business can be fun again.
Better Optimizing Your Mobile Web Presence
Search engine optimization is just as important for mobile devices as it is for desktop users. After all, the amount of people using mobile devices to perform web searches has skyrocketed in the past few years, and there are a few differences in best practices for mobile SEO than standard SEO.
Here are some ways that you can better optimize your mobile sites for searches:
- Site design. Websites that have versions specifically for mobile users will get higher priority in mobile searches over websites that do not. Additionally, the quality of the design matters a lot. You will be punished if you use flash or pop ups. You will also be punished if you have links or buttons that are too close together. Basically, your site should be easy to use and navigate.
- Page speed. Page speed is more important on mobile than desktop because of the kinds of hardware involved. In addition to optimizing images on your site,
you will want to minimize the amount of code being processed, reduce redirects to other URLs and more. The better your loading time, the better your rankings will be.
- Go local. If you have local elements to your business, then make sure that youâre following local search optimization practices. Keep your city and state in your metadata on your website and keep your name, address and phone number easily visible.
- Keep URLs, content and meta descriptions short. Remember, your users have a lot less screen space, so itâs important that you be concise with all of your titles, URLs and meta descriptions, as well as the content that you have on all of your pages.
- Donât block certain web elements. You should never block images, Java or CSS. This used to be common in the past when mobile devices didnât necessarily have the ability to support these features, but these days they just about all do, and you will be punished if you block them.
For more assistance in improving your search engine optimization on mobile devices, work with the skilled mobile marketers of Viral Solutions.
Copyright 2015 Viral Solutions LLC
by Thomas von Ahn | Chief Elephant Slayer
We help overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves – so business can be fun again.
Viral Solutions LLC is a Digital Marketer Certified Partner, an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant, a Google Partner – Certified in AdWords and a Mobit Certified Partner.
How to Become a Better Public Speaker
Public speaking is rarely anyone's favorite task. In today's business climate, entrepreneurs must be prepared to pitch new ideas and promote their business. Learning to become a better public speaker is an invaluable marketing tool. Use these tips to improve your next presentation.
Learn Your Venue
If possible, head to your venue ahead of time, even if only by a few minutes. Get a feel for the room. Will you have a lectern to put your notes on (or to hide fidgeting)? Is there a big stage you'll want to use?
Know Your Tech
Technical difficulties can detract from great speeches. Ask questions of the event organizer ahead of time. Will there be WiFi? Do you need to bring your own laptop, or projector cords? When you visit the room ahead of time, scope out the tech set-up as well.
Engage the Audience Early
If the group is small enough, chat with a few members of your audience beforehand. They may offer some insights of what points you'll want to cover, or what their interests are. By the time you start, it will be more like continuing your discussion.
Memorize Your Introduction
Your entire speech shouldnât be read off cards, or memorized completely, but knowing your introduction is solid can give you the confidence to keep going strong. After that, rely on prompts in your presentation or on note cards to carry you to the next thought.
Find a Friendly Face
A smile from the audience can reassure you that the speech is going smoothly. Find a couple of friendly faces to make eye contact with, and rotate between speaking to each audience member. This can help block anyone who looks bored, or is playing with their phone.
Open Up to Questions
Donât wait until the end to ask for audience questions. Give them the opportunity to ask questions as you transition topics, or if you're comfortable, as listeners raise their hands. Participants can provide great content for your overall presentation, and remind you to cover ideas you may not have remembered.
Finish Strong
Don't let your final sentence trail off and leave everyone in awkward silence. After questions, finish with a firm “Thank you.” Even better, finish with a call to action that tells audience members what they need to do next, i.e. visit this website, sign up here or find you afterwards for more information.
Here is a friend of Viral Solutions we admire very much. He is Michael Angelo Caruso and he has some wonderful tools to help you improve your public presentations. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE! Michael's process, experience and wonderful programs were the inspiration for this article. Enjoy!
Need more help becoming a better public speaker? Contact us at Viral Solutions!
by Christine Kelly
CEO and Queen Bee | Viral Solutions LLC
Copyright 2015 Viral Solutions LLC
Viral Solutions LLC is a Digital Marketer Certified Partner and an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant.
We help overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves – so business can be fun again.
Everyday Habits of Great Leaders
Whether youâre a C-suite exec, a project leader or a freelance leader of one, being a leader means adopting a different mindset and skill-set.
First, it is important to refresh our understanding of leadership and the styles that form around those definitions.
A leader is a person who influences a group of people towards a specific result. It is not dependent on title or formal authority. (Elevos, paraphrased from Leaders, Bennis, and Leadership Presence, Halpern & Lubar.)
Over the years the philosophical terminology of “management” and “leadership” have, in the organizational context, been used both as synonyms and with clearly differentiated meanings. Debate is fairly common about whether the use of these terms should be restricted, and generally reflects an awareness of the distinction made by Burns between “transactional” leadership (characterized by e.g. emphasis on procedures, contingent reward, management by exception) and “transformational” leadership (characterized by e.g. charisma, personal relationships, creativity). [Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper and Row Publishers Inc.]
Leaders who demonstrate persistence, tenacity, determination, and synergistic communication skills will bring out the same qualities in their groups. Good leaders use their own inner mentors to energize their team and organizations and lead a team to achieve success. [Dr. Bart Barthelemy (1997). The Sky Is Not The Limit – Breakthrough Leadership. St. Lucie Press.]
Work like the best leaders by following these six habits.
1) Do ârealâ work first thing in the morning â no email
If you start your day by checking email, you may be sidetracked by small tasks before you even make it to the office. Take advantage of your mornings and block out time to address larger tasks that require more creative thinking. Save the emails and any small tasks for after lunch.
“Our future is written by hopes, fears, dreams, expectations, and decisions made about life. In the same way, organizations have futures written by history, circumstances, culture, aspirations, successes and failures.” ~ Dave Logan
2) Connect with your team
Check in with your colleagues daily. Donât treat it as micromanaging. Yes, you should learn more about status of a project, but also use it as an opportunity to make a connection. Ask about current challenges, ways you can help and their vision for the project. Being a leader means earning respect from colleagues, and those relationships grow over time through daily interaction.
3) Delegate
Being a leader also means knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Leaders donât have time to be bogged down by small tasks, but as administrators should be coordinating big picture items. Use daily discussions with colleagues to learn individual strengths, and trust your team to help work towards common goals.
4) Stay active
President Obama runs daily to stay healthy and de-stress, as President Bush did before him. Start the day with a morning yoga routine to help you focus, or take a walk at lunch to clear your head. Encourage coworkers to have walking meetings; sometimes stepping out of the office is all you need to inspire creativity.
5) Visualize your day
Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs started his days by looking in the mirror and asking himself, âIf today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?â Take time to reflect each morning on what drives you. How will your actions today bring you closer to your goals? That focus can help put less desirable tasks into perspective.
6) Take time for whatâs really important
No one likes a cranky manager. Participating in favorite activities can help you bring a fresh perspective when you return to work. Set an out-of-office reply or outgoing voicemail message stating that if itâs a certain time, you are simply unavailable.
Historically, leadership responsibility has usually been placed in the hands of a select few, usually placed at the top of a companyâs organizational chart. This older, more bureaucratic, approach has typically implied that leadership, particularly as it pertains to driving improvements in the organizational structure and processes within the organization, has been a top-down phenomenon. We know instinctively that the old bureaucratic method is no longer effective particularly in the light of new communication methods (social media, new technology platforms, etc). To be successful, organizations will need to attract individuals that understand that they will own the outcome of their work and that they have a moral responsibility to the organization to contribute to leading other peers and in some cases superiors as well.
by Christine Kelly
CEO and Queen Bee | Viral Solutions LLC
Copyright 2015 Viral Solutions LLC