Online Professional Effectiveness eLearning Training

Professional Assertiveness Do you feel that co-workers see you as too passive or aggressive in your professional career? Do you wonder if there is a more appropriate professional style? Do you want to know how to develop your professional style? Do you feel you could develop your assertive communication techniques? Do you feel that you may not listen to your co-workers? Or do you feel that you need to develop your  more...

Framing the Problem When you frame a picture, you intend for the viewer to examine everything within that border. Problem framing is similar in that you must not only consider what objectively makes up the problem itself but also what subjective tendencies influence your view of the situation. This course is designed to help you effectively frame problems so that you're sure your line of sight is aimed straight  more...

The Art of Global Communication Considering that communication is something you do every day, how many people actually stop to consider what is happening before they speak? Can you just talk without thinking too much about the target audience, the message to be communicated, and a host of other information? Communication is too important to be left to chance. The subtleties of language, expressions, and gestures all enrich the  more...

Working with Difficult People Respond to Challenges Working with Difficult People: Respond to Challenges, is the thirteenth of fourteen courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to demonstrate several techniques to effectively handle minor and periodic personality differences. The Stress Management curriculum presents easily adopted techniques for today's busy professionals to increase productivity by  more...

Working with Difficult People Cope With Continued Conflict Working with Difficult People: Cope with Continued Conflict, is the last of fourteen courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to sequence the steps of a conflict resolution effort, select the most appropriate action to handle a difficult situation, based on the specific circumstances and identify options available to you if you are unable to resolve an  more...

Solving Problems Logically Solve Problems Together This course helps learners to recognize and identify the groups and individual roles in the problem solving process. Professionals who want to resolve workplace challenges more effectively.  more...

Solving Problems Logically The Problem Solving Process This course outlines the fundamental steps for effective problem solving and identifies attitudinal characteristics that facilitate success. Professionals who want to resolve workplace challenges more effectively.  more...

Defining the Issue Determine the Real Problem This course describes how to create a focused problem statement using the Occam s Razor method. Professionals who want to resolve workplace challenges more effectively.  more...

Investigating the Problem Use Investigative Tools This course introduces process-oriented methods that assist in the analysis of various elements associated with a stated problem. Professionals who want to resolve workplace challenges more effectively.  more...

Investigating the Problem Gather Evidence This course describes several data gathering techniques that can be used to improve problem analysis procedures and the resulting decisions. Professionals who want to resolve workplace challenges more effectively.  more...

Investigating the Problem Interpret Data This course explains how to use visual tools to interpret data. Professionals who want to resolve workplace challenges more effectively.  more...

Selecting the Solution Solve Problems Methodically This course introduces Force Field Analysis and Solutions Fishbone Diagram problem solving techniques. Professionals who want to resolve workplace challenges more effectively.  more...

Selecting the Solution Group-Based Solutions This course introduces Modified-Delphi, swapping, and visualization problem solving techniques. Professionals who want to resolve workplace challenges more effectively.  more...

Selecting the Solution Cost-Benefit Solutions This course helps learners to recognize and apply cost-benefit analysis procedures. Professionals who want to resolve workplace challenges more effectively.  more...

Accepting the Decision Sell Your Solution This course provides a series of helpful tips to persuade decision-makers to approve the proposed solution. Professionals who want to resolve workplace challenges more effectively.  more...

Accepting the Decision Implement Decisions This course helps learners to identify progress points and areas for future improvement at the conclusion of the problem resolution process. Professionals who want to resolve workplace challenges more effectively.  more...

Making Group Decisions Working Together This course introduces several strategies to recognize and overcome challenges that can hamper a general group consensus. Professionals who want to resolve workplace challenges more effectively.  more...

Making Group Decisions The Nature of Groups This course provides insightful perspectives into the unpredictability of group dynamics. Tips to recognize challenging behaviors and suggestions for successfully managing group responses are presented. Professionals who want to resolve workplace challenges more effectively.  more...

Making Group Decisions Ensure Group Success This course describes four methods to generate successful problem solving decisions. Professionals who want to resolve workplace challenges more effectively.  more...

Expanding Time Develop SMART Goals Expanding Time: Develop SMART Goals, is the fifth of fourteen courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to pinpoint the benefits of time management and identify the guidelines for defining goals. The Stress Management curriculum presents easily adopted techniques for today's busy professionals to increase productivity by eliminating common barriers to  more...

Expanding Time Remove Your Barriers Expanding Time: Break Time Barriers, is the sixth of fourteen courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to identify the steps you should take to avoid procrastination, identify how to minimize interruptions from people at work and identify how to avoid perfectionist tendencies in your work. The Stress Management curriculum presents easily adopted techniques  more...

Expanding Time Focus on What is Important Expanding Time: Focus on What is Important, is the seventh of fourteen courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to list the steps that convert goals into prioritized tasks, list guidelines for effective scheduling and list guidelines for successfully implementing a prioritized and scheduled task list. The Stress Management curriculum presents easily adopted  more...

Working Collaboratively Assert Your Influence Working Collaboratively: Assert Your Influence, is the eighth of fourteen courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to list the benefits of influencing and contrast the skill of influencing with controlling and advising. The Stress Management curriculum presents easily adopted techniques for today's busy professionals to increase productivity by eliminating  more...

Working Collaboratively Build Rapport Gain Trust Working Collaboratively: Build Rapport, Gain Trust, is the ninth of fourteen courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to identify principles for creating and maintaining rapport, list the steps in listening authentically and identify three distinct question types. The Stress Management curriculum presents easily adopted techniques for today's busy  more...

Working Collaboratively Extend Your Influence Working Collaboratively: Extend Your Influence, is the eleventh of fourteen courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to classify influencing styles, identify guidelines for broadening your range of influence through networking and identify guidelines for resolving an impasse. The Stress Management curriculum presents easily adopted techniques for today's  more...

Working with Difficult People Recognize Work Styles Working with Difficult People: Recognise Work Styles, is the twelfth of fourteen courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to identify reasons why a person may be problematic to work with and select the most appropriate response to individuals who exhibit specific patterns of behavior. The Stress Management curriculum presents easily adopted techniques for  more...

Balancing Stress Devise a Stress Control Plan Balancing Stress: Devise a Stress Control Plan, is the fourth of fourteen courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to implement guidelines for assertiveness in life, classify behavior types in terms of a widely used and accepted model, identify strategies to modify behavior types and develop an action plan for tackling stress. The Stress Management  more...

Business Travel Safety Domestic Travel In ''Business Travel Safety: Domestic Travel,'' you will learn how to make travel preparations, including researching your destination and then making appropriate travel arrangements. You will also learn how to increase your safety during air and ground transportation and at destinations, such as hotels, restaurants, and business events. The target audience for this program is  more...

Business Travel Safety International Travel In ''Business Travel Safety: International Travel,'' you will learn how to make travel preparations and international travel arrangements. You will also learn how to increase your safety during air and ground transportation and at destinations, such as hotels, restaurants, and business events. Finally, you will learn how to avoid and handle physical and nonphysical crimes in  more...

Business Travel Safety Forming a Corporate Travel Safety Program In "Business Travel Safety: Forming a Corporate Travel Safety Program," you will learn how to facilitate safe and efficient travel for employees. You will learn best practices for developing a corporate travel safety program, how to choose the best travel agency for your organization, and why it is important to prepare for emergencies before traveling. The target audience for this program is  more...

Business Travel Safety Safety Measures for Travelers In "Business Travel Safety: Safety Measures for Travelers," you will learn why business travelers are often at a higher risk for being involved in a crime than local citizens. Additionally, you will understand what precautions a woman traveler should take and what safety guidelines should be followed. You will also learn why it is important for disabled persons to consider their safety when  more...

The Foundations of Creativity and Innovation What is creativity, and how does it affect the brain? Why is it that people often have many of their best ideas once they leave work, when performing the most mundane tasks? Is this a coincidence, or is there a particular reason for it? As more and more organizations encourage employees to propose creative and innovative ideas in the workplace, it's imperative that you understand the foundations  more...

Organizational Communication Communicating in the Workplace Organizational Communication: Communicating in the Workplace is designed to help students understand how communication flows within an organization, how networks develop, and what roles individuals fulfill in an organization. The program also gives students guidelines for applying technology to organizational communication. By applying the guidelines, students will be able to communicate  more...

Telephone Skills for Business Professionals Simulation You're the special events coordinator at Eagle Hotel & Resort. Your job involves booking and coordinating events at the hotel such as weddings, banquets, family reunions, product launches, awards ceremonies, and business conferences. In order to do your job well, communicating effectively with customers over the telephone is a must. Naturally, you must use professional telephone manners at all  more...

Organizational Communication Managing Communication Organizational Communication: Managing Communication is designed to help students understand innovation and change, how environmental context affects communication, and how power and politics affect an organization. The program gives students guidelines for managing change, stress, conflict, and for empowering individuals. By applying the guidelines, students will be able to communicate  more...

Making Telephone Calls Count Whether you handle one call a day, or dozens, you have the power to make every call count. Is the service you deliver to your customers over the telephone merely satisfactory, or is it superior? When challenges present themselves, how well do you handle yourself? What do your actions say about your company? You may think telephone interactions are all simple and straightforward. The customer  more...

Communicating Clearly Write to be Understood Communicating Clearly: Write to be Understood, is the first of four courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to recognize when writing is appropriate, list the questions in determining a key message, recognize communications that are clear and error free and identify techniques for developing common types of business document. The PrimeCommunication  more...

Communicating Clearly Speak to be Heard Communicating Clearly: Speak to be Heard, is the second of four courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to define the steps in the communication process, match the situation and recipient to the most appropriate delivery method and environment, and identify ways of delivering a message so that the meaning is understood. The PrimeCommunication curriculum  more...

Presenting Your Ideas Plan for High Impact Presenting Your Ideas: Plan for High Impact, is the third of four courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to list the qualities of a successful presentation, identify the elements of presentation planning, identify strategies for organizing a powerful presentation and distinguish well-designed visual aids from poorly-designed ones. The PrimeCommunication  more...

Presenting Your Ideas Captivate Your Audience Presenting Your Ideas: Captivate Your Audience, is the fourth of four courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to recognize the components of effective delivery strategies, list ways to use visual aids in a manner that supports your script, identify the steps for responding effectively to audience questions and identify the five categories for assessing  more...

Balancing Stress Measuring Stress Balancing Stress: Measuring Stress, is the first of fourteen courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to describe the social and personal costs of stress and assess your stress levels. The Stress Management curriculum presents easily adopted techniques for today's busy professionals to increase productivity by eliminating common barriers to success. All  more...

Balancing Stress Simple Solutions for Stress Balancing Stress: Simple Solutions for Stress, is the second of fourteen courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to list healthy dietary, exercise and relaxation principles and identify natural ways to combat stress. The Stress Management curriculum presents easily adopted techniques for today's busy professionals to increase productivity by eliminating  more...

Decimals and Percents A basic understanding of decimals and percentages is key to any businessperson, whether tallying costs for warehouse supplies or estimating resource allocation. This course instructs the learner in the following: how to use decimals, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; how to solve problems involving percentages to determine portions, a rate, a whole unit, and increases  more...

Balancing Stress Stress Relieving Habits Balancing Stress: Stress Relieving Habits, is the third of fourteen courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to recognize how to overcome stress inducers using mental strategies, implement guidelines for managing your daily work and identify planning principles to help you realize your goals in life. The Stress Management curriculum presents easily adopted  more...

Moving Past Conflict Handle Conflict Rationally Moving Past Conflict: Handle Conflict Rationally, is the first of eleven courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to recognize the importance of conflict and of aiming for a win-win deal, recognize barriers to rational win-win negotiations, classify reactions to conflict and assess techniques for overcoming roadblocks to rational negotiation. The Negotiation  more...

Moving Past Conflict Negotiate for Resolution Moving Past Conflict: Negotiate for Resolution, is the second of eleven courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to recognize the importance and nature of negotiation, sequence the stages in the negotiation game and identify the rules for negotiating with a variety of players. The Negotiation Strategies curriculum helps today's busy professional identify and  more...

Preparing to Negotiate Know Your Game Position Preparing to Negotiate: Know Your Game Position, is the third of eleven courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to identify the stages in clarifying goals, identify the importance of flexibility and underlying interests, assess your position by posing questions and perform a step-by-step analysis of your position. The Negotiation Strategies curriculum helps  more...

Preparing to Negotiate Know the Opposing Position Preparing to Negotiate: Know the Opposing Position, is the fourth of eleven courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to assess your opponents before a negotiation and identify what to research to achieve a desired outcome from a negotiation. The Negotiation Strategies curriculum helps today's busy professional identify and implement proven methods for moving  more...

Preparing to Negotiate Size Up the Playing Field Preparing to Negotiate: Size Up the Playing Field, is the fifth of eleven courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to list situational power factors that can be used to influence a negotiation, identify tactics to control situational power factors, recognize that location and agenda are strong situational power factors and identify relationship factors that  more...

Selecting Your Strategy Choose Your Game Plan Selecting Your Strategy: Choose Your Game Plan, is the sixth of eleven courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to determine if you are ready to choose a negotiation game, choose a game by comparing the importance of the desired outcome with the importance of the relationship and assess advanced selection criteria to select a negotiation game. The  more...

Selecting Your Strategy Compete to Win Selecting Your Strategy: Compete to Win, is the seventh of eleven courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the competitive game, identify your preparatory steps for a competitive negotiation, identify the guidelines for controlling concessions and commitments and select competitive tactics to improve the  more...

Selecting Your Strategy Collaborate for Solutions Selecting Your Strategy: Collaborate for Solutions, is the eighth of eleven courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to identify the advantages of the collaborative game, identify the keys and obstacles to a good collaborative negotiation, identify the four major steps in carrying out a collaborative negotiation and identify tactics to help a collaborative  more...

Selecting Your Strategy Compromise to Move Forward Selecting Your Strategy: Compromise to Move Forward, is the ninth of eleven courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the compromise game, identify compromise tactics to achieve a satisfactory outcome, avoid compromise traps and pitfalls that can lead to an unsatisfactory outcome and recognize how to  more...

Selecting Your Strategy Choosing Not to Negotiate Selecting Your Strategy: Choosing Not to Negotiate, is the tenth of eleven courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the accommodating game, identify the advantages and disadvantages of the avoiding game and identify avoiding game tactics. The Negotiation Strategies curriculum helps today's busy professional  more...

Selecting Your Strategy Legal and Ethical Concerns Selecting Your Strategy: Legal and Ethical Concerns, is the last of eleven courses in this curriculum. After the completion of this course you will be able to identify legal constraints to consider while negotiating, recognize how ethical standards vary between individuals and analyze unethical tactics to defuse improper behavior. The Negotiation Strategies curriculum helps today's busy  more...

A Process for Business Writing The POWER Writing Process This course contextualizes all that follows. It outlines the typical concerns of business document readers and introduces the five stage process for creating reader-based documents. Professionals who want to enhance their written business communications by effectively addressing audience needs.  more...

Plan and Organize Your Documents Plan Before Writing This course shows how to plan a document by defining the purpose and target audience. Professionals who want to enhance their written business communications by effectively addressing audience needs  more...

Plan and Organize Your Documents Brainstorm Before Writing This course teaches the four principles of brainstorming and demonstrates five useful brainstorming techniques. Professionals who want to enhance their written business communications by effectively addressing audience needs  more...

Write for Business Success Break Writing Barriers Make a positive start to writing business documents. Professionals who want to enhance their written business communications by effectively addressing audience needs  more...

Plan and Organize Your Documents Structure Texts for Clarity Organize your business documents for maximum impact. Professionals who want to enhance their written business communications by effectively addressing audience needs  more...

Evaluate and Revise for Impact Check Your Writing Style Reduce errors in your writing style. Professionals who want to enhance their written business communications by effectively addressing audience needs  more...

Evaluate and Revise for Impact Review Texts Systematically This course provides several strategies to systematically revise your documents. Professionals who want to enhance their written business communications by effectively addressing audience needs  more...

Effective Telephone Techniques This course provides the learner with critical information about making a good impression when communicating over the telephone. It emphasizes the importance of good telephone etiquette, offers tips for building trust over the telephone, and discusses important non-verbal actions that are present in most telephone interactions. Additionally, it helps the learner make the most out of technology  more...

Whole Numbers Fractions and Equations What are whole numbers and how are they estimated? How are fractions used in mathematical operations? How do you find the unknown variable to solve an equation? The answers to questions like these are covered in this course on the building blocks of business math. Learners will review crucial terms, basic mathematical concepts, and how to apply concepts to the business environment. Anyone who  more...

Ratios Averages and Graphs Whether tracking profitability or portraying the rate of inventory consumption, knowledge of ratios and averages is indispensable in the business world. Using real-world scenarios, this course explains the concepts of ratio, proportion, and how to compare different kinds of numbers; and discusses simple, weighted, and moving averages. Anyone who needs to apply basic math skills to business  more...

The Role of Critical Thinking in Organizations In the organizational arena, applied critical thinking skills provide an essential foundation for all effective planning, problem-solving, and decision-making activities. Employees who can analyze and reason consistently and proficiently furnish a cost-efficient resource that results in a distinctive competitive advantage. Workers who are skeptical of quick fixes and operational dogma pay  more...

Developing Fundamental Critical Thinking Skills You may not need an MBA to succeed in the corporate arena, but regardless of position or industry, you do need to be able to analyze, reason, and communicate effectively. These and other critical thinking skills are increasingly consequential as organizational planning and decision making become more distributed and reliant on written and verbal communication factors. Developing Fundamental  more...

Strategies for Facilitating Critical Thinking Workplaces are not typically associated with reflection or critical self-reflection, ideas that are often considered 'soft' to the bottom-line, results-oriented world of business.... Yet, paradoxically, reflection is becoming more part of the lifeblood of organizations in today's economic environment. Victoria Marsick's words illustrate why businesses can no longer thrive on the unexamined  more...

Critical Thinking Skills for Managing Rational decision making is linear and is what you do when you put your facts in order. Intuition is looking at those facts and trying to see a pattern-and the patterns aren't always evident because the patterns aren't always linear. The two together are an extremely powerful combination. Joel Kurtzman, President, Kurtzman Associates and former editor, Harvard Business Review. The Critical  more...

Organizational Scope of Critical Thinking In any complex environment systems are necessary, but they must serve an organization rather than become its masters. This is how Ralph S. Larsen, chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson & Johnson, describes both the need for systems and their inherent risk. Organizational systems, with complex and intricately interrelated components, demand the application of critical thinking to avoid  more...

Critical Thinking Strategies Simulation You have recently been hired as the general manager at Retail Management Software (RMS). The company began as a small start-up company five years ago, developing software that helps retailers create, manage, and fulfill consumer demand. The founders and owners, Fred Chambers and Larry Busby, and their small team worked hard and developed great products. Recently, RMS' business has increased a  more...

Personal Accountability Working for Your Inner Boss Most employees in business organizations must answer to someone else. From the top of the organization chart to the bottom, nearly every manager and employee must look to a supervisor, a director, or even a customer to establish priorities, assign tasks, set deadlines, and evaluate results. Whoever gives this direction is called the boss. On one level, the boss decides how employees will perform  more...

Self-empowerment Managing from Within Have you ever thought that you could be the best boss you've ever had? By developing attitudes and skills that empower you, you can manage from within and become your own best boss. Self-empowerment is the process of taking responsibility for your attitudes, behaviors, and actions at work to maximize your effectiveness. As an empowered employee, you will be driven by ownership, initiative, and  more...

Goals and Goal Setting Most achievements, great or small, begin with an important first step: setting a goal. A clearly defined, attainable goal embodies a vision of what is possible. It's a guide star for those who navigate a course through obstacles to a desired accomplishment. However, the process of setting appropriate goals is often oversimplified or overlooked entirely. A well-constructed goal is challenging, yet  more...

Developing a Positive Attitude Oftentimes your success or failure depends not only on the situation you are in, but how you react to that situation. Your reaction to the situations you encounter is significantly influenced by your attitude. Having a positive attitude involves looking for the best in a situation, being realistic about possibilities and consequences, and having the courage to believe that you can succeed. It  more...

Successful Lifelong Learning Today's successful individual understands that the business world is constantly changing the way people work and the way work is accomplished. How often have you heard these terms: lifelong learning, self-directed learning, continuous learning, and knowledge worker? If you wonder what these terms really mean, why they are important, and how you rate as a worker and learner for the 21st century,  more...

Business Professionalism Simulation Everyday business activities require a determined effort to fulfill. Schedules must be kept; deadlines must be met. To ensure productivity remains on target, business professionals must possess refined skills in setting priorities, managing daily tasks, and maintaining personal accountability. The Business Professionalism Simulation is designed to enable participants to develop the skills  more...

Organizational Communication The Fundamentals Organizational Communication: The Fundamentals gives the student a background in communication terms and organization basics. The program also gives the student guidelines for communicating effectively and motivating employees, as well as methods for overcoming barriers to organizational communication. By applying the provided guidelines, the student will be able to communicate effectively,  more...

Dealing with Conflict in the Workplace Simulation What are your thoughts on conflict in the workplace? Do you dread it? Quietly try to avoid it? Or do you rush headlong to meet it with enthusiasm, certain it will bring renewed vigor and badly-needed change to your organization? No matter your answer, the Dealing with Conflict in the Workplace Simulation will provide you with the opportunity to practice skills for coping with conflict and putting  more...

Managing Conflict in the Workplace Simulation Conflict is inevitable in the workplace. Everybody has their own ideas about how things should run. Eventually, these ideas will collide. When they do, you don't need to be unprepared to manage the fallout. Above and beyond all the skills you can possibly learn for managing conflict, effective communication skills will prove to be the most beneficial. Without open lines of honest communication in  more...

Presenting to Succeed There are a number of basic types of presentations, but all presentations have four things in common: a presenter, an audience, a venue, and a message. This course concentrates on showing how each of these vital elements has to be taken into account when preparing a presentation. Presenting is a skill that needs to be learned and practiced, starting with how you prepare, and you will be shown a  more...

Delivering Your Message So, the presentation is prepared and practiced. Great. But this means nothing to the audience. When you stand there in front of them, all that matters to them is what you look like and what you say. This course is about delivering your message, and the techniques you need to do this. First of all, you have to make a positive first impression on your audience members by how and where you stand, by  more...

Presentation Resources Available to You This course is about making effective use of resources that can take the pressure off you--visual aids, questions, and making a team presentation. Visual aids are overused, and presenters are overdependent on them. You need to know what visuals are available to you, and be able to determine which one suits a particular need. You need to know what makes a successful visual. Finally, you need to be  more...

Delivering Successful Presentations Simulation After years of research and development, the Top-Shelf Cola Company is finally ready to release its latest beverage, Passion, to consumers. Passion is a caffeine-free, all-natural soda that's made from real passion fruits. The company has spent ten million dollars to perfect the product's taste and to create a brand for the drink. You are a brand manager at Top-Shelf and responsible for the  more...

Planning Effective Business Meetings If you are in a business that has meetings, you know how much time is spent in them. A recent survey of 2000 business leaders indicated that managers spend over fifty percent of their time in meetings. That same study indicated that managers felt that about one third of those meetings were unproductive. This course will present you with information that will help you improve the quality of your  more...

Leading Effective Business Meetings Since there are more than 11 million meetings held every day in the United States, there is a good chance that your life is full of meetings. There is a general agreement among business professionals that most meetings are not well run. They often waste your time, drain your energy, seem to have no purpose, and bear few positive results. Are you tired of attending meetings like this? Are you tired  more...

Participating Effectively in Business Meetings A meeting is a gathering of people to present or exchange information, plan joint activities, make decisions, or carry out actions already agreed upon. Almost every group activity or project requires a meeting, or meetings, of some sort. Knowing how to hold efficient and effective meetings can help make projects successful. In a good meeting, participants' ideas are heard, decisions are made  more...

Effective Business Meetings Simulation As the lead project coordinator for Pantheon Electronics, a national reseller of home and office electronics, you will oversee the daily activities of a project management group. Functioning as both a meeting coordinator and a conference chair person, you will test your skills in a broad range of situations, running the gamut from materials procurement to conflict mediation. This simulation is  more...

The Basics of Listening Do you sometimes feel like you are not getting the whole message when someone talks to you? If you have problems receiving information that is verbally communicated, this is the course for you. This course will familiarize you with the communication and listening processes, and how listening functions within communication. You will discover the factors and variables that influence communication  more...

Listening for Comprehension Do you need to better understand the basic meaning of a conversation or presentation? If you need to be able to identify what is said to you in a more effective manner, then this course is for you. This course teaches you how to comprehend verbal and visual messages to maximize your understanding of others. Because this course teaches listening skills, certain sections of this course deviate from  more...

Listening for Higher Purposes Do you sometimes have difficulty using your listening skills to effectively evaluate arguments or appreciate complex ideas and emotions? This course teaches you how to listen more effectively for critical and empathic purposes to maximize your understanding. Persons at all levels of an organization. It is particularly useful to those who need strong listening skills, such as managers and team  more...

Enhancing Your Listening Skills Have you ever been taken by surprise by an unexpected deadline? Have you ever left a meeting unsure about what was decided? Have you ever asked a supervisor for advice, only to later forget what your supervisor told you? You can avoid problems like these by using effective listening skills. Effective listening helps you to know what's going on in your organization, get cooperation from your  more...

Effective Listening Skills Simulation Although relatively straightforward in theory, the process that transforms effective listening into successful communication requires great skill, awareness and practice. In the course of this simulation, you will attend a day-long seminar, studying the topic of Effective Listening Skills through various exercises, lectures, quizzes and small-group activities. The day's events will be guided by an  more...

An Essential Guide to Giving Feedback The performance of any business depends upon the performance of everyone within the organization. To ensure that all staff are meeting their potential it is essential that there is a culture which enables feedback to be given and received. This course enables you to become familiar with the key aspects of giving candid, constructive feedback about performance. The purpose of this course is to  more...

Coping with Criticism and Feedback We all need feedback so that we can learn and improve. What we often get is criticism, or feedback given to us in such a way that we feel defensive or angry. When your emotions get involved, it is difficult to be objective and to use the feedback effectively. This course links the concept of emotional intelligence, and EQ, to the practice of receiving feedback. By doing this, it provides you with  more...

Giving Feedback to Colleagues Everyone needs good quality feedback in order to improve performance at work. In this course, you will discover how to provide effective feedback to colleagues at the same level as yourself, and to those above you, in the hierarchy of the organization. You will also learn how to deal effectively with challenging situations. In addition to considering the effectiveness of feedback, you will learn a  more...

Team Feedback A guide Teamwork is playing an increasingly significant role in the majority of today's top companies. This is based on the assumption that working in teams leads to better business performance. In that case, you must ensure that team performance is managed effectively--feedback being of crucial importance. Feedback about how the team is performing, how individuals are contributing to the team's  more...

Giving Feedback A Manager s Guide The performance of your business depends upon the performance of every member of your staff. Thus a key skill for all who manage staff is the ability to provide candid, constructive feedback about performance. The purpose of this course is to enable you to enhance your skills in giving feedback. The course starts by exploring the nature of feedback, and it then develops a practical approach to the  more...

Effective Feedback for Employees and Colleagues Simulation Feedback is an essential element of successful businesses. Managers, employees, customers, and suppliers alike all benefit from the exchange of meaningful, germane feedback. But feedback is a double-edged sword. Given thoughtlessly, without proper preparation and consideration, it is likely to be ignored by the recipient or worse yet, give offense. On the other hand, when given properly, feedback  more...

Effective Use of Feedback for Teams Simulation Effective feedback is an essential element of successful teamwork. Periodic reviews and discussions of how the team is performing, how individuals are contributing to the team's performance, and how the team is being managed, are all vital to ensuring that the team continues to perform at peak level. As a team leader, your ability to give and receive feedback will seriously impact the  more...

Essentials of Electronic Communication Everyone seems to be using e-mail lately--family members keeping in touch, university students submitting assignments, companies offering products for sale, and office workers carrying out their daily business tasks. Most e-mail users can improve their e-mail skills by learning more about the basic features and potentials of e-mail. Any business person will benefit from developing an understanding  more...

Optimizing Email at Work In today's business world, e-mail is used to do everything from processing orders to supplying information. Because of the limitations of telephone communication when people who are very busy or sometimes in different time zones work together, e-mail use is on the rise in U.S. E-mail offers a plenitude of new opportunities for business, but understanding how to properly use it is essential in  more...

E-mail and Organizational Communication E-mail is much more than sending information back and forth. This communication tool can change your entire organization. E-mail can affect how you communicate, where you work, what you do and even when you do it. This course will help you harness the power of e-mail and show you ways to optimize your e-mail use for maximum productivity and success. The target is individuals who use e-mail for  more...

E-mail as a Marketing Tool How can you find new customers? How can you build stronger relationships with new and existing customers? How can you boost sales of your company's products and services? This course will provide you with useful strategies to help you incorporate electronic mail into your marketing approach. Learn how to communicate effectively with your customers through e-mail. You and your company will benefit  more...

What Is Emotional Intelligence Does IQ determine your destiny? For years, that was an overriding belief. However, new behavioral research shows that IQ provides, at best, a narrow view of human intelligence. Factors such as self-awareness, impulse control, persistence, zeal, self-motivation, empathy, and social deftness contribute greatly to an individual's success. These qualities, termed "emotional intelligence," often  more...

Emotional Intelligence at Work What makes someone a top performer in the world of work? If you think high IQ, advanced degrees, analytical skills, and technical expertise are the answer, it's time to think again. Experts now agree that Emotional Intelligence often determines who will climb the corporate ladder and who will be passed over. Exciting new research shows that, unlike IQ, Emotional Intelligence can be developed and  more...

Teamwork and Emotional Intelligence Elizabeth and Cassandra started with the same company at the same time in similar positions. Both were bright women. Both were at the top of the class at prestigious universities. Both had exceptional technical skills. Yet, after six months in the organization, Elizabeth seemed to be making a bigger impact and enjoying more success. She was friendly with members of her own department and knew many  more...

Increasing Your Emotional Intelligence In today's workplace, you need to have both the intellectual skills to do the job and the emotional intelligence to interact effectively with co-workers. The successful leaders and managers around you outshine others because of their stellar people skills. Most people believe that emotions are automatic responses that they have no control over. Few realize that their emotions are determined by  more...

The Emotionally Intelligent Leader Putting emotional intelligence to work is an emerging trend in corporate leadership. Developing the best talents in executives, managers, and others throughout the organization has become vital to corporate success. As a leader, you cannot rely upon your intellectual knowledge. You must have the interpersonal competence that comes with emotional intelligence. This course will guide you in  more...

Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace Simulation Does intelligence alone determine success? Or do self-awareness, impulse control, persistence, zeal, self-motivation, empathy, and social deftness factor heavily into the equation? While not as readily quantified as IQ, these qualities, collectively termed "emotional intelligence," often determine whether or not people excel in life, relationships, and the workplace. In this simulation, you'll  more...

Building Relationships to Get Results You are not the boss. You've been called "peer," "esteemed colleague," "invaluable staff member," and "friend," but no one's even come close to calling you "boss." When you stop to think about it, you realize you have no real authority whatsoever. In fact, you have much more power than you think, even if you are on the bottom rung of the corporate ladder. As Jack London said, "Life is not always a  more...