Personal Productivity

This truly unique course was designed by an organisational psychologist to help your people feel more comfortable saying “No”. “No” can be omnipotent and is often under-used for a variety of reasons including cultural, personality and cognitive differences.

The course can be very valuable at home too. Do you ever say “yes” to something you don’t want to do? Small children are the world’s best negotiators, and what about family and friends who expect you to follow their every whim.

“To stem the flow of dough, saying no is the go.” — J. Morris

What happens when people can’t say “no”

“One of our supervisors drove us crazy. When a complaint was escalated to him, he took great pride in showing us his problem-solving skills. He never just solved the problem, he always added an extra or 2 to delight the customer. Most of the time the extra would not be delivered, and the customer would call back the following week even angrier. We begged him to stop offering extras that we could not deliver, but he just couldn’t help himself. Our department had the highest level of complaints and was disbanded. It was a shame because we were a great team, and it was as a result of not being able to say “No” and extending ourselves unnecessarily.” —Anonymous and frustrated

How to Say No In-House Program Details

This program can be conducted as in house training at your offices.

• Group Size: An ideal group size is 6–10 participants.
• Venue: For your convenience, you can choose to conduct this program at your offices. Alternatively, we can provide a training venue at a small additional cost.
• Duration: Each course can be conducted as a one-day program.
• Cost: Upon request.
• Target Audience: Managers and staff: people who sometimes say yes when they should say no.

Personal development courses can immensely help you to grow and develop your abilities towards specific goals. In fact, personal development encompasses the overall development of an individual’s personality. With the right professional training, you are equipped to make the best use of your talents.

“LATERAL LIGHTBULBS” Improve productivity and promote simplicity!

The lights at Reception were misbehaving. Management decided to change all 12 lightbulbs. A project began with the file name “Change Reception Lights”. A steering committee was formed and a number of issues and concerns were raised. The table below captures the main activities:

*Total Costs was based on Cost per hr of $35.60 From ABS Report 6302.0 0

“Australia is likely to fall off a “growth cliff” when the resources investment boom ends in the next few years because the economy is not becoming more productive.” — Michael Chaney, Chairman of National Australia Bank and Woodside Petroleum.

Lateral Lightbulbs

A lot of activity was generated around this project. The only downside was that knowledge was replacing action. In the groundbreaking book ‘The Knowing Action Gap’ by Pfeffer and Sutton, the authors relate how organisations often act on gathering knowledge rather than executing the project. Now, this is certainly reflected in the Australian Labour Productivity below. Notice how productivity in Australia continues to decline.

Is your organisation complex or simple?

Are tasks overly complicated in your organisation? Try this HFH Diagnostic Tool, designed by Organisational Psychologists. The level of complexity within organisations is staggering, and it’s only getting worse. Even the simplest of tasks can involve myriad choices, endless stakeholders, data to analyse and processes to manage. Thinking of your own organisation, plot the amount of effort and time (1–10) it takes to complete the following tasks on the graph below. …

• Changing a light bulb
• Changing a position description
• Obtaining new software
• Updating a business process
• Moving a computer
• Keeping updated with organisational changes
• Upgrading equipment
• Adjusting the air con
• Keeping up to date with email
• Resetting passwords
• Getting travel authority sign off
• Getting critical information from other departments

Which quadrant is the most populated?

Q1 – Frustration Zone: Too much effort is required to achieve outcomes. Leads to medium to high levels of frustration, complexity and distraction.

Q2 – Dysfunction Zone: Way too much time & effort required to achieve outcomes. Leads to high levels of frustration, complexity and staff turnover.

Q3 – Ideal Zone: Appropriate amount of time and effort required to achieve outcomes. Leads to a calm, seamless working environment.

Q4 – Double Up Zone: Too much time spent to achieve outcomes, with medium to high levels of frustration, complexity and distraction.

“Organisations often act on gathering knowledge rather than executing the project.” — Pfeffer and Sutton.

Lateral Light Bulbs In-House Program Details

This program can be conducted as in house training at your offices.

• Group Size: An ideal group size is 6 – 10 participants.
• Venue: For your convenience, you can choose to conduct this program at your offices. Alternatively, we can provide a training venue at a small additional cost.
• Duration: Each course can be tailored to your timeframe.
• Cost: Upon request
• Target Audience: This course can be tailored to different audience levels

The key is to match your organisational skills with what the organisation needs. Maybe you can’t have every single report ready on time. But you can have the right reports ready at the right time. That’s the difference.

This course will help you to be at your best in the workplace and equip you with essential skills needed throughout your career.

Organisational Skills In-House Program Details

For maximum effectiveness, this course is best conducted as an in-house program.

Venue: For your convenience, you can choose to conduct this course at your workplace. Alternatively, we can provide a training venue at a small additional cost.

Duration: Each course can be tailored to suit your timeframes.

Target Audience: Document control teams

If you would like more information on this training program, please contact us at 1300 323 752 or Email: [email protected]

Have a look at your workforce. If they do not appear content, then you are losing productivity. If they are unmotivated, wave goodbye to discretionary effort and engagement. Take the test below to see how motivated your team is.

How well does your organisation motivate your team?

Ask yourself the following:

1. Our people feel valued (if you answer no to this critical question, then your organisation faces an unnecessary uphill battle to survive).

2. Our managers understand the links between motivated employees and increased productivity.

3. We tackle motivational issues individually rather than a one size fits all approach.

4. We actively remove unnecessary processes that demotivate employees.

5. We share the vision, mission and principles of the organisation.

6. Our people are empowered to make decisions.

7. We encourage open and honest feedback.

8. We set and benchmark goals and stretch people to keep them motivated.

9. Our people often give discretionary effort.

10. We actively get to the root cause of any problems instead of focusing resources on symptoms of the problem.

11. The management team is motivated, positive, passionate and energetic.

12. Our values are embedded in our culture.

13. We remove any role ambiguity.

14. We actively listen to employees.

Motivating Employees Skills & Staying Positive In-House Program Details

For maximum effectiveness, this program is best conducted as an in-house program.

Ideal group size: 4–12 participants.

Venue: For your convenience, you can choose to conduct this program at your business premises. Alternatively, we can provide a training venue at a small additional cost.

Duration: This program can be adapted to meet your requirements.

Cost: Price on request.

Target Audience: Employees, Supervisors, Team Leaders, Senior Managers or CEOs.

If you would like more information on this training program, please contact: Deborah Dear on 1300 323 752 or email: [email protected] or contact us online today.

Workshop Action Plan to Influence a Behavioural Shift

• How to conduct a training needs analysis
• How to develop program objectives
• How to factor in stakeholder concerns
• Design the material
• How to anticipate the audience
• How to engage the audience
• Develop the structure and content to train your trainers
• Apply practical tips for training delivery

Who Should Attend

This program is aimed at human resources teams, design teams, trainers, facilitators who are inexperienced and instructional designers who are not overly experienced in putting together a Training Needs Analysis (TNA).

‘Behavioural Change Driving’ In-House Workshop Outline

Understand the business – job analysis before getting started

• List approaches to conduct job analysis
• List the major duties, tasks and sub-tasks for an identified workplace role
• Explain the purpose of a skills audit
• Describe the elements which assist in the selection of TNA methods
• Describe the relationships between job analysis, skills analysis and training needs analysis

Get started

• Conduct needs assessment in a systematic manner
• Discover the gaps between the current situation and the desired or necessary situation
• Understand the current situation includes determining the present state of skills, knowledge and abilities
• Distinguish between actual needs and the perceived needs or wants
• Practical application, interactive presentation and discussion

Process, needs and roles

• Differentiate among learning theory, instructional theory and design plans
• Identify the elements of the instructional design process
• Utilise the ADDIE strategy for design
• Define the role of the instructional designer
• Practical application, interactive presentation and discussion

Design the program

• Utilise the ADDIE strategy for design
• Break down tasks into separate steps
• Identify appropriate content for learning
• Pitch content appropriately at level of learners
• Practical application and discussion

Design the workbook

• Determine the best sequence for the content
• Sequence content to improve the learner’s understanding of the material
• Teach a fact, concept, rule, procedure, interpersonal skill and attitude
• Present the content in a way so that each learner will master the objectives
• Implement instructional strategies
• Use text and pictures within the content
• Computer coaching, internet searching and tips for practical shortcuts

Design PowerPoint and visuals

• The purpose of presentations
• Set up your presentation
• Determine content and structure
• Organise your presentation
• PowerPoint design rules
• Practical application and discussion

30 minute makeover

• Set aside the last 30 minutes for the makeover
• Last tips to add value to the workbook
• Let go – even Rembrandt had to finish
• Practical speed exercise

Benchmark and provide evidence of the quality of the design

• Did the design meet the training needs
• What improvements could be made
• How to separate lone remarks from statistically significant feedback
• Practical application and discussion

Present your program

• Present effectively
• Engaging the audience
• Apply methodologies to deliver time efficient training with impact
• Rehearse your presentation
• Handle questions
• Practical application and discussion

If you would like more information on this training program, please contact: Deborah Dear on 1300 323 752 or email: [email protected] or contact us online today.

Did you know the number one cause of conflict in the workplace is role ambiguity? How many internal problems could be solved in organisations if they eliminated role ambiguity? Instead, most organisations will tackle the symptoms of role ambiguity rather than the root cause of the problem.

Think about the difference in your organisation if your people could effectively find the root cause of problems like:

• Too much ego
• Rifts between managers and staff
• Hierarchical snobbery
• Staff retention problems
• Customer loyalty lags
• Measurement discrepancies resulting in surplus stock
• Conflict with key stakeholders

Participants will be thought to think laterally. They will learn techniques to quickly get to the root cause of a problem. They will learn to identify and label problems quickly and learn world’s best practice to problem identification and solution techniques.

Real Problem-Solving exercises for you to consider at your next meeting

Slow lifts

The lifts in your organisation are slow. Everyone complains that they are losing productivity.

The lifts cannot be sped up.

What is the real problem, and how can it be solved?

Dissatisfied airline customers

An airline has the industry average delay from disembarkation to passengers picking up their baggage on the carousel. The airline receives multiple complaints, and it is impossible to speed up the process any further due to OHS restraints.

What is the real problem, and how can it be solved?

Cancelled trains

A train company in Europe is fined every time a train is late. There are so many reasons outside their control that delay trains. Passengers expect delays and the fines are crippling the company.

What is the real problem, and how can it be solved?

Poor first impressions

A high quality entertainment venue has beautiful carpets in the foyer. The carpet cost over $200,000 and needs to be replaced quarterly as it gets scuffed and looks worn. Patrons are expecting the highest quality, and it is critical that first impressions are very favourable.

What is the real problem, and how can it be solved?

These are well known short outlines. If you would like to know what actually happened, just call us today, and we will give you the outcomes.

Problem Identification At Work In-House Program Details

For maximum effectiveness, this program is best conducted as an in-house program.

• Ideal group size: 4–12 participants.
• Venue: For your convenience, you can choose to conduct this program
• Duration: Your Problem Identification Course can be modified to fit inside your timeframe.
• Cost: Price on request.
• Target Audience: Employees, Supervisors, Team Leaders, Senior Managers or CEOs.

If you would like more information on this training program, please contact: Deborah Dear on 1300 323 752 or email: [email protected] or contact us online today.

How good are you at motivating others?

Ask yourself the following:

1. I understand the theory of motivation. (If not you can skip the other questions as this is critical)
2. I believe that there is a direct link between motivation and organisational performance.
3. I know that each person gets motivated by different factors.
4. I am aware of the practices that lead to demotivation of my team.
5. I share the vision, mission and principles of my organisation.
6. I give my team autonomy in performing tasks.
7. I use different techniques to constantly motivate my team.
8. I discuss the thoughts and concerns of my team members.
9. I ensure that my team feels valued by giving them regular feedback.
10. I have set goals for myself and my team.
11. I actively listen to people without judgment.
12. I am aware of my own strengths and weaknesses.
13. I try to make the workplace an interesting place for everyone working with me.
14. I set achievable challenges for my team and reward them when they succeed.
15. I am personally very motivated and energetic.

Your Empowerment and Motivation Skills program can be custom designed to help your people to become better team and self motivators. The program provides an understanding on how people can be motivated in many different ways. Participants will learn the concept of motivation from a theoretical perspective as well as a practical perspective.

Motivation Skills & Empowerment In-House Program Details

For maximum effectiveness, this program is best conducted as an in-house program.

Ideal group size: 4–12 participants.

Venue: For your convenience, you can choose to conduct this program at your business premises. Alternatively, we can provide a training venue at a small additional cost.

Duration: This program can be adapted to meet your requirements.

Cost: Price on request.

Target Audience: Employees, Supervisors, Team Leaders, Senior Managers or CEO’s.

If you would like more information on this training program, please contact: Deborah Dear on 1300 323 752 or email: [email protected] or contact us online today.

If you answered “Yes” to any of the above questions, you are a CREDIDIOT®. How’s your personal financial awareness? Credit companies make billions of dollars every year from CREDIDIOTS. Not long ago, people prided themselves with how little debt they had, whereas nowadays, marketers have made it almost trendy to be severely in credit card debt (to large organisations). Personal banking behaviour is now a huge industry. Below are the 11 golden rules to reduce credit card expenditure and interest rates.

Follow these credit card rules, and you will stop wasting valuable dollars paying inflated interest payments. Do yourself and your family a favour and don’t be a CREDIDIOT®. Learn how to reduce credit card debt and make sure you attend this credit card reduction training program.

1. The best number of credit cards to own is zero. Credit cards are too tempting, and the cash is far too available.
2. The only other acceptable amount of credit cards is one. Refer to all other credit cards in your possession as credidiot® cards.
3. Phone all the major credit card companies and ask for their current credit card interest rates.
4. Ignore the enticement offers of low interest credit card rates as once the honeymoon period expires these rates are likely to rise
5. Ask competing credit card companies if they are interested in taking on the debt from an existing card. This “Balance Transfer” is standard practice, and a competing bank will often offer you a very low balance transfer rate. The bank will transfer the debt to your card but will charge you a far lower interest rate on the transferred amount.
6. Enquire at your bank about a term loan to pay off your credit card. You can get a term loan at a far lower interest rate. Write a promise to yourself that if you get the loan then you will cut up the credit card. Otherwise, you will have increased your credidiot® behaviour by getting more lines of credit.
7. Pay your debts according to the highest interest rates. Identify the highest interest rate and make it a goal to rid yourself of this millstone.
8. Call your credit card institution and tell them you want a reduced interest rate. You will be surprised how willing they will be. Credidiots are always very profitable, and credit institutions are very smart businesses.
9. Fight back against the people that make credit seem trendy. Every time you hear the word credit, think Credidiot®.
10. Don’t get overexcited about collecting credit points. If you really want that trip overseas, cut the credit, and you will be able to afford it at its normal price very soon. You will also enjoy the trip more as you know you haven’t been saddled with extra debt.
11. Avoid annual charges, call your bank and tell them that you don’t pay annual credit card fees. You might be surprised how willing they might be to waive these fees for you.

How’s Your Financial Awareness In-House Program Details

For maximum effectiveness, this program is best conducted as an in-house program.

Ideal group size: 4–20 participants.

Venue: For your convenience, you can choose to conduct this program at your business premises. Alternatively, we can provide a training venue at a small additional cost.

Duration: Usually conducted as a 60 minute or 90-minute session.

Cost: Price on request.

Target Audience: All staff.

If you would like more information on this training program, please contact: Deborah Dear on 1300 323 752 or email: [email protected] or contact us online today.

Note: Credidiot® is a Registered Trademark of Niall Kennedy. All rights reserved.

Boost productivity levels with this tailored in-house workshop. Designed in Australia, this practical program develops skills to streamline tasks, reduce friction and sharpen attention to KRA’s.

Taking a meta-approach, the workshop targets mindset, habits, and systems to improve how work gets completed seamlessly, without burnout. Productivity levels in Australia have nosedived. And people are unaware of the consequences if productivity levels don’t improve. Australia will fall down a slippery slope. Participants develop action plans to get your organisation back on track with productivity improvements

Ask yourself the following:

1. We often set achievable productivity targets that do not get met.
2. Our people are not highly motivated to achieve targets.
3. Whenever we fail to meet a target, there is always an excuse.
4. Our people are not proactive.
5. We have poor performance management systems.
6. We often accept less than optimal poor performance.
7. Our managers are not confident at having tough performance management conversations.
8. Our people tackle spot fires daily rather than organisational objectives.
9. We have communication silos in the organisation.
10. Morale is low.
11. People think and work individually rather than as a team.
12. There is often conflict among the employees.
13. Role ambiguity causes boundary disputes.
14. Our organisation has a lower than industry average employee retention rate.

Productivity Improvement Workshop In-House Program Details

For maximum effectiveness, this program is best conducted as an in-house program.

• Ideal group size: 4–12 participants.
• Venue: For your convenience, you can choose to conduct this program at your business premises. Alternatively, we can provide a training venue at a small additional cost.
• Duration: This program can be adapted to meet your requirements.
• Cost: Price on request.
• Target Audience: Employees, Supervisors, Team Leaders, Senior Managers or CEOs.

If you would like more information on this training program, please contact: Deborah Dear on 1300 323 752 or email: [email protected] or contact us online today.