Online Articles

By Peter Mulford, Executive Vice President, BTS Does your organization have the managerial know-how to innovate? If so, do your managers know the behaviors they must change in order to cultivate a culture of innovation? For most companies, in our experience, the answer is no. And the problem is neither a lack of resources nor of creativity itself, but of management capability—specifically, the capability to convert new ideas into value creation. The good news is that building innovation capability is not easy, but it can be done. Here’s how.

By Julie Bennett, Training Account Manager, Signature Worldwide We want our clients to like us. Sometimes we assume they like us, or that we satisfy, delight, inspire, them—add in your word du jour. But do we know and can we ask? It’s always nice to check in and confirm what we know—in all of our relationships. Head off a small problem before it’s a big one. And just like being thanked—it’s always appreciated.

How can you help clients and co-workers use the training you’ve spent hours preparing? Dan Pink, a Training 2012 Conference & Expo speaker, shares the surprising truth about what motivates us. This fascinating presentation covers everything from out-of-the-box thinking to economic reform—well worth watching!

By Hank Moore, Corporate Strategist Organizations are populated with individuals who possess a plethora of education, skills, and talents. Companies are composed of human beings, who bring their culturalization (or lack of it) to the job. Thus, they set the pace for the tree (company) in question. Business professionals are the sum of their life experiences. People, like organizations, develop, grow, and thrive. If not, they are of little market value in a career.

By Annie Beecham, Marketing Coordinator, Connect the Dots Consulting

By Laura Stack, MBA, CSP A good speech adapts to meet an audience’s needs. Good speakers maintain awareness of the audience throughout the entire presentation and make adjustments as necessary. How do you know if your audience is “with” you? What is your audience thinking and feeling? How do you read them? This doesn’t require telepathy, just a type of sensory intelligence derived from careful attention and experience.

By Bruce D. Stasch, Marketing Manager, Work Effects There are many different types of coaches out there, each claiming to be the best at what they do and promising to make you successful. What sets a good coach apart from an ineffective one? Educational background and experience are not enough. When looking for a coach, here are the first 12 of 26 characteristics every good one must possess to be effective (the remaining 14 characteristics will be revealed in Part 2 of this article posting January 16):

This clever metaphor from Franklin Covey captures the essence of being buried alive in too many responsibilities--many of them not even important. Ever been assigned more than you could possibly accomplish? Chances are you can relate. Use this video to open a department meeting or client evaluation. It will leave your beleaguered audience craving a solution.

By Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer

By Halley Bock, CEO, Fierce, Inc.