Amazing Training Tool!

I recently purchased The Flip, an amazingly tiny video recorder. Not only is it small, it is incredibly user-friendly and the ability to incorporate this relatively inexpensive and easy-to-use tool as a trainer is invaluable!

Even a true beginner can use this, and create videos in minutes. The Flip plugs directly into your computer's USB port. I got the mino HD which would even allow you to directly connect the The Flip to a television that you have set up in an office area or training room! No brain damage on figuring out wires, how to connect the video to a computer or tv. So easy, I CAN DO IT!

Here are just a couple of tips on how to use the Flip Video to improve and impact how you train your team on a daily basis:

Create a short video (you get 60 minutes of recording time, so that is more than plenty!) on a how-to that is important to your business. You could easily video tape an associate building an endcap, for example. You can show how to merchandise it, how to label and sign it, how to select an impactful aisle presentation, etc. You can easily edit, add some music, and run on a continuous loop in a break room, play for team huddles, play for one-on-ones and play for new associates.

The next time your District Manager or Regional Manager, or any corporate partners visit your store, ask them if you could record a special message for your team. So often, a team works incredibly hard for a store visit, but only a select few may be part of the visit itself. This way, your leadership can provide a message for all of your team to view and listen to. They can share what the focus is, help drive the company message and impart some tips or insight to your team.

You can tape your walks with your executives and then edit and play back those discussions and to-do strategies. Your team can see what you are focusing on, what needs to be improved, and what the team is already doing very well. Furthermore, it can become a follow-up tool, reminding your executives what they signed up to accomplish and what your expectations are.

You can tape fun messages, team building events, team parties, and more. Drive morale by showing your team that while they must work hard to get results, hard work can be fun as well! I can tell you from my experience, my team loved it when I was silly. Doing "Cartwheels for Credit", dressing up as a hula dancer for a special Luau...to capture those moments for your team to enjoy (and tease you about!) for months to create bright and joyful moments for a hard-working team!

One strong suggestion, however: make sure that you have permission of those that you are taping, and you may need to partner with HR to ensure that they are aware of how you are using this recorder as a tool to build morale, send an impactful message to your team and to continue to drive results in a challenging economy.

Want more information? Click on this image and you can explore how The Flip Video recorder can be a fantastic training tool for your organization!

A Plea to Retailers and Small Business Owners: Do Not Neglect Training

This is a challenging time for retailers and other small business owners who depend upon an associate base with keen product knowledge and customer service skills. Many continue to cut labor costs in an effort to keep the doors open, and I know how tough those choices are. I was in retail management during recessionary periods, and experienced first hand the layoffs, the cutbacks and the need to reduce costs to boost profits. I have been with retailers in the best of times and still experienced massive changes to streamline operations. However, when the economic outlook is shaky at best, bleak at the very worst, these cutbacks hit associates and manager far more deeply as there are simply fewer job opportunities for them to turn to.

With that said, I offer the following advice: Do not neglect training, this is a necessary labor expense. It may seem painful upfront, but the investment is crucial to staying competitive and profitable in the long run.

Exhibit #1: I recently shopped at a national big box retailer. In the course of the transaction, the cashier was unable to process part of the transaction and had to get a supervisor involved. While waiting (with many others behind me in line) and watching a frustrated cashier get flustered, I told her, "It is okay. Everyone has been new once in their career". Her response? "I am not new, I have been working here for almost 4 months. They just did not give me much training". I told her to simply delete the item in question (which was a big ticket item for which I had a special coupon) and continue with the transaction.

Exhibit #2: I also recently was shopping with a major electronics chain. In looking at laptops to get ideas for a present, I asked an associate to describe the difference between a few of the laptops on display. The associate walked up to the signs and read off the descriptions. I told them that I had already done that. I asked for some additional specific information, and he said that he was "kinda new" and would have to ask someone else. I waited almost ten minutes, another associate showed up and asked me if I was the lady "confused about the laptops". Confused? No. In need of more information, yes. This associate then began to read off the product information from the same signs. I walked out.

Two simple shopping outings proved the point that if you skimp on training and you "assume" that they will pick it up when you throw them onto the sales floor you are wrong. You will alienate customers, you will lose precious sales, you drive down morale, you will negatively impact your ability to compete and survive in an ever-changing economy and retail environment. Here are the top reasons why you need to continue to invest in training, teaching your associates your expectations, your corporate culture, product knowledge and how to best assist your customers:

1. Corporations and small businesses alike are cutting back on staff, tasking fewer people to do more. However, in these times there is still turnover and businesses have opportunity to fill open positions. When businesses do bring new people into the organization, all too often it is a rush to get them in position, get them in their job function as quickly as possible as labor is precious and there are many tasks to juggle. However, without thorough training do they truly know and understand their new responsibilities? Morale takes a huge hit when associates feel that they are doing things that they cannot do well, and other associates get frustrated when they have to pick up the slack for those who cannot perform.

2. Cross-train your associates NOW to avoid the issues that arise when labor is cut and associates are even laid off. Invest the time in these associates upfront to ensure that they understand the new tasks that may be expected of them. Get ahead of the curve and get your staff as proficient as possible in a variety of work centers. Even simpler still: sit down with each one and ASK them what they would like to learn in the store or business. They will surprise you when you find how truly hungry they may be to learn and develop. Associates are pretty savvy, they know that this is a tough job market and they will know that the more you depend upon them and their skills, the more likely they are to maintain that highly-valued employment.

3. Technology is going to continue to change and you will need to train your associates to be proficient with the new technology. This may include training on product knowledge, this may include training associates how to deal with new computer systems and other technology that they will use to make their jobs easier. When new items hit the sales floor, have daily huddles by that product. The morning crew, afternoon crew and evening crew can learn in a few minutes of your time what that new item is, what it does, how to sell it to a customer. When new technology arrives take the time to train each associate, set up training buddies and do not assume that they will "learn it on the job". They may not, and that technology investment is wasted in an associate base that works around the technology instead of enhancing their ability to perform with that technology!

4. Investing in your associates makes their job outlook more stable in an environment in which they may have a great deal of stress in their personal lives impacting their job performance. If you invest in training them, they will feel valued and contribute at a higher level. If you train them on how to improve their organizational skills, interpersonal skills, communication skills and even conflict management, these will be skills that will help them across the board when they have to juggle stress in both their professional and personal lives. As an employer you have the ability to inspire your associates through training and development in ways that will carry over into all aspects of their lives.

Training often only takes a few minutes of each day. Every minutes is precious, and as managers and owners you juggle huge responsibilities and demands on your time. However, investing those few minutes, even a few hours a week will pay off immensely as you are able to maximize sales and profits with a team that is knowledgeable, engaged and productive.

How to Create an Actionable and Successful New Years Resolution

This is an article that I wrote which was recently published! Feel free to visit the article here as well: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Create-an-Actionable-and-Successful-New-Years-Resolution&id=1791609

It is again that time to evaluate the year that is coming to a close and to dream of what could be in the New Year that is upon us. Some of us will develop New Year's Resolutions and dream big. Some of us will look with a cynical eye at that process and let another year go by without fulfilling a dream. Unfortunately, the latter approach stems from how so many of us have created those New Years resolutions only to find that we are not successful within months, if not weeks into the New Year.

Here are some basic tips and examples of how to create a New Year's Resolution that you can truly incorporate into your every day life. Go ahead and dream big, you can be successful with a New Year's Resolution! Make 2009 your year to accomplish greatness and use these tips to help loved ones accomplish their desires along with you!

The first step is to decide what is a realistic desire or dream is and to write it down at the top of a piece of paper. You have to define what your goal is. Furthermore it has to be something that you can realistically accomplish. "World Peace" is amazing, and I admire that sentiment. But that is bigger than me, and I need something that I can work on every day that I own and can directly impact.

Then, on this same piece of paper draw a line down the middle of that paper and one half of the page should be titled Qualitative and the other have should be titled Quantitative. The Qualitative side describes the qualities of your dream or desire. How will it feel, how will it change your life, how will it impact those that you know and love? The Quantitative side is how it will be documented, weighed, supported and measured. Once you have brainstormed this on our own, I strongly suggest sharing these ideas with a loved one. You can get their input and ideas, and even more importantly, their "buy-in" to help support your goals! Putting all of this together on your sheet of paper is the foundation to creating an actionable game plan to accomplish this resolution.

Here are three of examples to assist you in understanding how easy this process is, what it could look like and provide some ideas for your New Year's Resolution!

Example 1:
I want to create a budget to save money.

Qualitative factors:
I will have to prepare myself to go without something that may be special to me.
I will sacrifice to save that money.
I will feel better if I have some extra money in the bank, for an emergency or for something fun.
I love my daily mocha at work, but that would be something that I could sacrifice that would save me a lot of money.

Quantitative factors:
That beloved mocha costs $3.95 each day that I work.
I work roughly 260 days of the year.
If I do not buy that mocha each day, I will save $1027.00 with this resolution.
To ensure that I save that money, I am going to set up a bank account into which I will transfer $3.95 for each day that I go without my mocha.
By the end of the year I should have $1027.00 in that account (without any adjustments for interest, of course!).

Example 2:
I want to lose weight this year.

Qualitative factors:
I know that I will feel better.
I will be able to fit back into my skinny jeans.
I will extend my life expectancy and enjoy my family longer!

Quantitative factors:
It is realistic to lose on the average 1 pound per week, so my first goal is to lose 20 pounds this year. I will strive for that first 20, and continue forward once I have hit that goal.
To lose approximately 1 pound per week, I need to cut about 300-500 calories per day.
A daily mocha is about 330-400 calories, depending upon the milk I ask for (nonfat slightly less than whole milk, of course)
If I no longer drink a daily mocha, I will save at least 330 calories per day.
I will track my daily caloric intake in a weight loss journal and add up the calories each day. I will not add anything to my diet that would take the place of those 330 calories!
I will weigh in every Monday and ensure that I am losing my 1 pound each week.
I will enter that weight each week into my weight loss journal and ensure that I am on track to lose my one pound per week.
I will also increase my exercise by using that time that I typically got the mocha and sat to drink it to walk instead; walking each day, 5 days a week for approximately 30 minutes.
I will note that walking each day in my weight loss journal to stay on track with my overall weight loss goal.

Example 3:
I want to focus on family this year.

Qualitative factors:
I know that it will bring my family closer together.
I know that we will have fun together and create family memories to last a lifetime.
I may save even more money by not going out.

Quantitative factors:
As we are a busy family, we will post a family calendar.
We will set each Friday night aside as a family night and put that on the calendar.
Everyone can plan their week around that evening.
We will create a rotation of who gets to select what we do that evening to keep that evening interesting, fun and spontaneous.
That rotation will be noted on the calendar by calling each Friday night by the family member's name and chosen activity, like Kelly's Cooking Night in which we all cook a meal together.
We will also document each evening by taking pictures or video and create a yearlong digital diary of our evenings together.

As you can see, New Year's Resolutions can be fun and can help you create true change in your life. By discovering both the Qualitative or subjective and emotional roots in your resolution AND the Quantitative or objective and measurable aspects in your resolution, you will be far more successful in accomplishing your resolution all year long. You can dream big and still be successful! With just these few statements on either side of my Resolution page, I can craft a game plan that will work, that is actionable, that is measurable and that will help me save money, lose weight and/or improve my family life.

From here, I suggest typing up your New Year's Resolution and laminating a couple of copies. One posted by your mirror so you are reminded of it every morning is a great way to start your day in the right direction. Put one copy by something that is a constant reminder of your Resolution. For example, if you are trying to lose weight, post it on your pantry door. That way you can think about your Resolution before opening that door for a snack! Of course, you will also need to prepare and have your tools handy and in a place that you touch every day. For example, for weight loss, you may need to get a pedometer and a journal in which you can track your calories, weigh-ins and your exercise routine. Keep that on your desk if you check email each day, or in your purse or briefcase so you can track your progress throughout the day.

Finally, don't forget to celebrate the wins. If you lose your first 20 pounds, treat yourself to something special. Maybe a new pair of jeans you have had your eyes on, or a makeup makeover! If you save your budgeted savings, pay off some debt and celebrate your steps toward financial freedom or retirement! If you find that you enjoy those amazing family nights together, create a digital scrapbook as a gift to your loved ones next Holiday season. Make a calendar that spotlights 12 of your favorite pictures together, or create a journal of your favorite pictures for your kids.

Shopping Tips for the 25 Days of Christmas: Tip #25

This is going to be my favorite tip of all. I have offered a wide range of holiday shopping tips, 24 so far, that stem mostly from my retail management experience. Some from my own experience as a consumer. All of them, however, lead to this very last tip.

HOLIDAY SHOPPING TIP #25:

Enjoy spending time with family and loved one this holiday season. Your presence is the very best present you can give to someone you love!

I hope that you have a wonderful and restful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!

Shopping Tips for the 25 Days of Christmas: Tip #24

When it comes to giving for friends and family, it becomes very complicated when you are on a budget and yet still want to give presents or tips this holiday season. Many of us are also dealing with gifting for teachers, for co-workers, giving tips to service providers. It becomes overwhelming and incredibly expensive to try to accomodate everyone!

However, it does pay to have open, honest conversations with friends and family. While it may feel very uncomfortable to start that conversation, you will most likely find a very open and relieved recipient to that dialogue!

HOLIDAY SHOPPING TIP #24:

Set realistic expectation for gift-giving with friends and family members!

There are countless other options to spending money on gift after gift after gift. Discuss expectations with friends and family, and while setting gift-giving rules may seem to take away from the holiday spirit, it will certainly help everyone with their holiday budgets...which in the long term makes the holidays much less stressful for everyone!

* Set a budget for kids gifts. Really, kids receive so many presents, they will still love and appreciate smaller gifts as well!

* Make handmade presents and "swap" talents. I can knit, you make soap. I will gladly create a scarf for you, if you are willing to create some luscious soaps for me! I know of many handmade "trading" circles, suggest one for your circle of friends. Most everyone has a unique craft talent!

* Draw names for adult gifts in a family. Instead of large families buying gifts for everyone, it is fun to draw names and get one special gift for that recipient.

* Create fun coupons in which you will offer your unique and special services. A friend of mine has a sister who is a masseuse, and she gives coupons for a free massage. Sounds wonderful to me! She really does not have to spend a lot of money on those gifts, and she gives her friends and family a wonderful gift...her time and talent!

* Get together and simply plan a nice holiday event in which you savor each other's company. Instead of everyone spending so much on gifts, each person could create a special holiday food dish that represents their holiday tradition or heritage and simply enjoy everyone's company. A fun potluck-type get-together creates many more lasting memories!

The reality is that many of us do not have the holiday budget that we have had in the past. It is not realistic to run up debt or overspend to try to please everyone we know and love. Many of them, too, are trying to cut back. It makes much more sense to strive to enjoy handmade gifts, share out talents, and ultimately share our time and love together this holiday season.