Online Articles

By Jack Zenger, CEO, Zenger Folkman

By Maura Nevel Thomas, Chief Trainer, RegainYourTime.com

By Margery Weinstein Jiffy Lube depends on the technical skills of its employees to support its customer experience and its full range of preventive maintenance services. The services must be done consistently, correctly, in a team, and at a fast pace. That makes the technical training a key to Jiffy Lube’s success. By policy, stores can’t offer services until employees are certified in that service. For that reason, the certification program is a structured, time-based process.

By Giselle Springer Douglas When faced with top brass who ask you to douse a performance or business problem by throwing training at it, you might find that training actually isn’t the correct solution for the problem at hand. But how do you offer a succinct explanation to training requesters on why, say, developing a new training class to remind customer service representatives of some of the details they already learned in new hire training probably isn’t an effective solution?

By Rodger Dean Duncan People notice even the smallest behavior nuances of their leaders. Then they talk. They pass along their perceptions about the way they are treated.This is one of the most important determinants of loyalty, commitment, and return business. Hmmm. That sounds a lot like what the experts say about customers, doesn’t it? Why the similarity? Because people’s feelings cannot be neatly compartmentalized. People have many of the same needs in every one of life’s roles.

By Brad Karsh, President, JB Training Solutions “Time is the quality of nature that keeps events from happening all at once. Lately, it doesn’t seem to be working.” It’s not easy managing people—especially when stress levels are up and you have 57 other urgent things to do. No matter the circumstances, being a great manager takes time and dedication. But let’s get real: You literally have no time to spare!

By Curtis L. Odom, Ed.D. There is a question organizations need to ask (and answer) so they don’t become stuck in the middle. And that question is “How do we keep our top talent engaged and retained?”

By Dr. Beverly Kaye and Julie Winkle Giulioni If you’re like most managers, you care. You’ve become accustomed to taking on more and more, expanding your job description with countless “other duties as assigned”... and even some that aren’t. Developing the careers of the people who report to you is on a growing (read: crushing) list of to-do’s.

By Bruce Hodes I have never been a lover of the sandwich. It sounds un-American and un-manly. However, my lack of interest comes from the bread—the sandwich’s top and bottom. What’s the purpose? However, I am wildly attracted to the middle of the sandwich. Whether the sandwich is ham and provolone, chicken and mustard, or peanut butter and jelly, for me it is always the middle that dictates how much a sandwich is enjoyed and appreciated.

By Tim Toterhi, Senior Director, Organization Development, Quintiles