Training Modules and Workbooks

On Cincinnati and Baseball:

2009-07-10T08:14:00.002-04:00

On July 16th the Brewers come to Cincinnati for a four-day series. We're hoping to go to every game and see my cousin's son, Mat Gamel play for the Brewers - and yes, beating the Reds. Things are looking good for Mat since he just hit his 3rd major league homerun. What to watch it? Check it out here.

On a Coaching Tip:

2009-07-09T08:27:00.000-04:00

Pay attention to what is not being said as well as to what you hear. Read that statement again. What is the tone...the inflection...the feeling? What does your intuition tell you?

For more on coaching, check out my Coaching: A Beginning and Coaching: Now Do It eWorkbooks and my Coaching: A Beginning and Coaching: Now Do It modules.

On Logo Designs:

2009-07-08T08:06:00.002-04:00

Each day you see logos for companies. Do you ever "really" look at them? Take a peak at these amazing logos and their hidden symbolism.

Once you "see" them, take a look at mine.

On Strange Facts:

2009-07-07T07:14:00.001-04:00

Tablecloths were originally meant to be served as towels with which dinner guests could wipe their hands and faces after eating.
Tourists visiting Iceland should know that tipping at a restaurant is considered an insult.
One car out of every 230 made was stolen last year!
Until the nineteenth century, solid blocks of tea were used as money in Siberia.
The Nobel Peace Prize medal depicts three naked men with their hands on each other's shoulders.

On Contagious Stress:

2009-07-06T08:09:00.000-04:00

Stress is highly contagious and, when unchecked, will spread across an organization rapidly. While there is both good stress and bad stress, it is usually the bad stress that you notice. Try not to "catch" it.

For more on stress, check out my Coping and Stress eWorkbook and Stress Management module.

On the Fourth of July:

2009-07-03T08:27:00.003-04:00

The fourth of July is a special time for people to picnic and celebrate family in the United States. Everywhere you go, there are fireworks in the evening. I love watching fireworks. I love the rumble and bang. I love feeling the earth shake. I just love fireworks!

My Dad, on the other hand, hates fireworks. He doesn't want to be anywhere near them. He doesn't want to hear them or see them. Yet you wouldn't blame him at all because he has experienced war - the Korean War. After what he has experienced, I suspect that I wouldn't want to see or hear fireworks either...I would have seen and heard them in a more frightening, life-changing form that I would never want to experience again.

Ah, fireworks!

On Feedback versus Coaching:

2009-07-02T08:27:00.000-04:00

Feedback is just one aspect of coaching. Coaching can take many forms. In fact, feedback situations can turn into coaching situations. Feedback is just one more way to help coach a person to be the best they want to be.

For more on feedback, check out the Giving and Receiving Feedback eWorkbook and module.

On July:

2009-07-01T07:38:00.000-04:00

July always starts on the same day of the week as April.

July and August are named for emperors Julius Caesar and Augustus. The months had been called Quintilis and Sextilis because they were the fifth and sixth on the Roman calendar.

July is traditionally the busiest month for air travel in the U.S.; while August is traditionally the slowest month for new-car sales and Web traffic.

On Happiness:

2009-06-30T07:36:00.003-04:00

A study in The British Medical Journal has shown that happiness actually spreads from person to person, up to three connections away. "So if your friend's friend's friend becomes happier, it ripples through the network and affects you, even if you don't know that person," says author Nicholas Christakis, MD, a medical sociology professor at Harvard Business School.

Proximity plays a part: A happy sibling who is a mile a way can increase your probability of happiness by up to 14%; a nearby friend by 25%; and a next-door neighbor by 34%.

The effect also applies to smoking and obesity. According to Christakis, "If people around you gain weight, it changes your expectations about what an acceptable body size is. Our work strongly suggests that when one person quits smoking, loses weight, or becomes happy, others around her follow suit. I am reluctant to suggest you pick your friends solely on this basis, but one could say that helping a friend do better is a roundabout way of helping yourself."

So, create a happy day and watch the ripple~~~~~~~~

On Standards of Performance in Performance Management:

2009-06-29T08:29:00.000-04:00

Standards of performance define what employees are expected to accomplish within a defined timeframe and the end result. Standards of Performance are reviewed and updated individually on an annual basis, subject to interim changes for legitimate business purposes.

For more on performance management, check out my eWorkbooks on Performance Management 1: The Cascade and Performance Management 2: The Details and my Performance Management module.

On Being Late:

2009-06-26T10:57:00.002-04:00

I hate to be late. Today I'm late providing my blog because there was a tremendous storm last night and we've been without power until just now.

We experienced hurricane winds (without rain that lasted for several hours) last fall. That was amazing...but nothing compared to the storm I experienced last night. I think it was the worst storm I've ever seen. It not only had the wind; it had the rain, too. It may have been short-lived as compared to the winds last fall, but it was destructive. For much of the time I thought I was Dorothy on her way to Oz.

On Leading By Example:

2009-06-25T07:55:00.002-04:00

Nell Merlino, in Stepping Out of Line: Lessons for Women Who Want It Their Way in Life, in Love and at Work (Broadway) says, "In bathrooms, boardrooms, buses, bagel shops, and everywhere else, we all need to imagine a little girl following us around, repeating everything we say and everything we do. Think about all of the things you want for yourself and your daughters, granddaughters, and girls everywhere - and teach them by living it yourself."

Hmm...something to consider.

On Customer Service:

2009-06-24T08:16:00.003-04:00

Some studies show that it costs up to 85 times more money to get a new customer than to make an additional sale to an existing customer. So how do we retain our current customers?

Well, customer service is about reliability and it's about relationship. It's about trust. It's about the quality of your product. But more importantly, it's about the quality of your service before, during, and long after the sale.

So, what one step will you take today to retain your current customers?

On Mental, Physical, and Spiritual Energy Drains:

2009-06-23T08:02:00.000-04:00

What mental, physical, and spiritual energy drains have you allowed to enter and stay in your life? Are they tangible or intangible? And, what will you do about it?

For more on stress, check out my Coping and Stress eWorkbook and Stress Management module.

On Technology:

2009-06-22T12:50:00.003-04:00

Oh, technology. We have gotten so "hooked" on technology that when it isn't working like we want it to, it throws off our whole day. I've been having "issues" with my wireless connection...ergo the late blog entry. I'm connected now, but not in my office...it seems to be too far away. A "booster" is on order that we hope will address the situation.

Not being at your desk brings up a whole other set of issues...like carrying everything to the new location...and forgetting some things, even after multiple trips. Not very efficient.

Life is good if this is the only issue I have to complain about:)

On the Brewers in Cleveland:

2009-06-19T08:03:00.002-04:00

Luckily Ron had business in Columbus and Cleveland, which allowed us to go to Cleveland to see Mat Gamel, the Designated Hitter for the Brewers (and my cousin's son), play Cleveland on both Tuesday and Wednesday night. We got to see him bat 10 times for a sweep of the Indians.

It was really exciting to be there. It was my first time in Cleveland's stadium. I hope I get to visit a lot more stadiums over the next decade! Congrats, Mat!

On Giving Thanks:

2009-06-18T08:48:00.003-04:00

I don't know about you, but each day I thank for what I have and ask for what I want...my desires.

Catherine Ponder, author of The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity, said "I give thanks for the immediate, complete, divine fulfillment of these desires. This or something better comes forth with perfect timing according to God's rich good for me."

I like that Catherine reminds us to be ready for what we ask for...it or something better. I like to "breathe in" that idea...it makes me smile!

On Kentucky Mr. Baseball:

2009-06-17T09:10:00.003-04:00

Senior catcher, Luke Maile, was named 2009 Kentucky Mr. Baseball. Our nephew was also named the Gatorade Kentucky Baseball Player of the Year.

Luke has had many other honors, which I can't seem keep up on. Regardless, Luke is a talented, intelligent, young man to watch. He'll be successful whatever he chooses to do.

Good luck, Luke.

Feedback and Coaching:

2009-06-16T08:48:00.001-04:00

Both feedback and coaching are ongoing processes that help others improve and grow. Yes, not events, but processes. Feedback and coaching are meant to uplift; make us better; help us grow. What a gift to have someone help me grow and be better. I feel uplifted already!

For more on feedback, check out the Giving and Receiving Feedback eWorkbook and module.

On Strange Facts:

2009-06-15T07:56:00.000-04:00

The king of hearts is the only king without a moustache on a standard playing card.
The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows. It was the fashion in Renaissance Florence to shave them off.
There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos.
Every day 20 banks are robbed. The average take is $2,500.
The most popular first name in the world is Muhammad.

On Interviewing:

2009-06-12T08:17:00.001-04:00

According to Dan and Chip Heath, authors of Made to stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Other Die, research consistently shows that one of the best predictors of job performance is a work sample. So, if you want to figure out whether the candidate can do the job, get them to "do" what they will need to do on the job. Interviews just show how well a candidate can interview.

For some of us, this requires us to rethink a belief about interviewing and consider modifying our approach. Happy interviewing...

On Keys to the City of Covington, KY:

2009-06-11T06:51:00.003-04:00

When my Great-Aunt Dorothy turned 100 years old on Tuesday, she was given the keys to the City of Covington by Mayor Bowman. Dorothy Muehlenkamp is the oldest of seven siblings. Her brother, Tom, lives in Hyde Park, Ohio and her sister, Betty Royce, lives with her husband, Bill, in Bend, Oregon.

Aunt Dorothy looked beautiful in her red dress. She had many well-wishers to celebrate this auspicious milestone. Congratulations, Aunt Dorothy. We love you!

On Position Descriptions in Performance Management:

2009-06-10T07:29:00.000-04:00

Each position description should contain a list of principal accountabilities that are required for the job. Principal accountabilities should not change unless the position description changes. Standards of performance are derived from the principal accountabilities.

Is this confusing? Then check out my eWorkbooks on Performance Management 1: The Cascade and Performance Management 2: The Details and my Performance Management module.

On Being 100 Years Old:

2009-06-09T08:19:00.003-04:00

Today is my Great-Aunt Dorothy's 100th birthday. She is a true testament that you can drink and smoke until old age. And, she even breaks the idea that you live longer if you're married - she's been single all her life. She's a "squeezer" (Ron's term) like me. For example, her favorite restuarant was Bill Knapps, where we had to go on our birthday - you got your age percentage off (her dinner would be free today) plus you got a chocolate cake! (No wonder they are out of business now!)

Dorothy Muehlenkamp is the oldest of 7. My grandfather was the second oldest. Other siblings are Sue, Bob, Tom, Rita, and Betty. Tom still lives in Cincinnati, Ohio and Betty Muehlenkamp Royce lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband Bill.

Happy Birthday, Aunt Dorothy! Here's to a life well-lived!

On Copy and Paste:

2009-06-08T08:15:00.002-04:00

Blogger has always let me copy and paste my thoughts for the day. Today...no luck. Which reminded me of how we get use to doing things a certain way. I must admit that I wish it would work, but I'm not frustrated. This experience reminds me that I always have a choice as to how I react. How will you react to things that happen to you today?

In the meantime, I'll hope that the copy and paste feature works tomorrow:)