May / June 2012

By Chris LaVictoire Mahai In the animal world, the food chain is the most critical driving force. In the business world, it’s the performance chain—defined as allthe tangibleand intangibleelements that have to move from the moment you trigger demand until you have cash in the bank; allthe ins and outs that have to work together and align to your target customer experience to drive the outcomes you want.

By Jason Womack, MEd, MA, Founder and CEO, The Jason Womack Company We love to read about life. We talk about what happened, who’s doing what, and where people are going. One look at the newsstand in a bookstore or airport and the headlines of what people did compete for your attention!

By Jim Hornickel, Director, Training & Development, Bold New Directions There are as many schools of thought about leadership as there are leaders. But in the larger view, one can say there are two basic types: leading “at” and leading “with.” And these two opposite models or sets of comprising actions can be called “Command and Control” and “Consultative Leadership.”

After reading the 100 Top Young Trainer nominations we received for 2012, I was awestruck by the commitment, passion, multitasking abilities, and willingness to help others demonstrated by these training professionals. If only I could bottle their energy, take-charge manner, and ability to get things done—I would be a very wealthy woman!

>>Meridian Knowledge Solutions’ new version of its learning management system (LMS) now includes Meridian Social, an array of online tools for extending informal learning across an organization. The Meridian Global LMS, which delivers and analyzes the impact of online learning, is part of Meridian’s human capital software platform.

>> Qumu, a business video platform provider, released the Qumu Video Control Center Professional Edition, a targeted solution for AV broadcast departments. The Qumu VCC Professional Edition is a central management system that allows editors to easily contribute, share, and track videos during the post-production process.

>> Cornerstone OnDemand, a provider of cloud-based talent management software solutions, forged a strategic relationship with Visier Inc., under which Visier’s cloud-based workforce analytics and planning solutions now are available to Cornerstone clients. >> To find and acquire the people uniquely qualified to lead its global hospitality operation, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts now is combining the direct engagement of social networks with the insights enabled by Taleo Corporation solutions such as Taleo Recruiting.

Even with limited resources, you can provide effective leadership training for your team, says Mike Noble, managing partner at Camden Consulting Group. Here’s how:

By Jason W. Womack, MEd, MA I’m curious: How do you judge a “productive” day as such? Is it defined by the number of e-mails you sent and received? Perhaps how many meetings you attended? It could even be how “early” you arrived home for dinner with your family. Before you leave work, for just the next five work days, stop and handwrite on a 3x5 notecard basic things about the day, such as:

According to Stephen M.R. Covey and Greg Link, authors of “Smart Trust: Creating Prosperity, Energy, and Joy in a Low-Trust World,” there are three primary reasons extending Smart Trust is smart: