The Importance of Influencing Change in Supply Chain Management.

We spend a tremendous amount of our time trying to influence the behavior of others – whether it’s up the organization with leadership, down the organization with our direct reports, across the organization with peers or internal stakeholders or outside the organization with customers or suppliers, or in the community, with friends and family.  When you think about it, leadership is really intentional influence.

The problem is we – individuals and organizations – are not very good at it.  An Arthur D. Little study reports that 8 percent of organization change efforts fail to meet quality, cost or timing goals.  Deloitte’s Global CPO Survey for 2014 found that “Some 68 percent of respondents still describe their internal influence as ‘mixed’” meaning that there are significant missed opportunities.  The Conference Executive Board reports that being an Influencer is one of only six behavioral competencies that set strategic procurement staff apart.  Similarly, University of Tennessee’s 2012 white paper titled “Skills and Competencies That Supply Chain Professionals Will Need” reports that “Inspiring and Influential Leadership” is one of five critical skills.  We must get good at influence!

Traditional change management has failed to deliver the degree, speed or sustainability of desired changes.  Why is that?  There are several reasons.  Traditional change management is very project management oriented focusing on only the tip of the iceberg – things like strategy, systems, process and structure.  While all of these considerations are important, they are insufficient to drive the desired change.  They fail to focus on what’s below the waterline which includes culture, norms and status quo behaviors – all of that organization resistance that undermines and impedes our change effort.  Organization change is really just the sum of behavior changes in individuals, and that is the neglected area of opportunity.

For most failed change efforts, there is a conspiracy of causes and few of us have a systematic way of even thinking about this fundamental challenge.  We identify one or two causes of resistance and look for a “silver bullet” to tackle them.  Change agents have their favorite strategies to combat resistance such as more communication or training.   The reality is that we typically underwhelm and overwhelm challenge.

For any change to take place, individuals ask themselves two questions:

1. Is it worth it (motivation)?
2. Can I do it (ability)?

Influencing Change training, based on the New York Times bestseller, Influencer, focuses on changing individuals’ behavior utilizing a systematic framework for first diagnosing causes of resistance, and then strategizing how to both motivate and enable change.  It also equips the learner with skills and strategies to be successful.  For example, we tend to rely heavily on verbal persuasion to spur personal motivation.  Unfortunately, this is notoriously ineffective.  When we encounter resistance, we often share more information, putting people into a PowerPoint coma where all they hear is “wha, wha, wha, wha, wha.”  It is the equivalent of talking louder when a person who speaks a different language doesn’t understand.  Instead, we should be seeking Direct or Vicarious Experiences which help people to connect to values they already hold to make change more appealing and sustainable.

Influencing Change employs all Six Sources of Influence™, which address motivation and ability as affected by personal, social and structural forces.  Research proves that by employing four or more sources of influence against the desired vital behavior you increase your success tenfold.

How’s your change management working for you?  If it leaves you wanting and you want to increase your success tenfold, consider Influencing Change. Bama At Work is proud to offer the Influencing Change for Supply Chain course as part of our portfolio. Visit our website to learn more about how this course can help you improve the supply chain processes in your organization. Our next class will take place on June 16 – 17, 2015 and our early bird special ends May 1st.

Article by Barbara Ardell, Vice President and Influencing Change Practice Leader at Paladin Associates. Barbara is the speaker at the Influencing Change in Supply Chain course for Bama At Work.

 

Happy Easter 2015!

Boil the eggs. Prepare the dye. Dip the eggs and let them dry. Spring is full of opportunities for new projects at home and at work. The project of decorating Easter eggs has been around for centuries, but did you know that the modern practice of using artificial dyes is more than a century old, too? One of the first people to sell artificial dyes just for Easter eggs was William M. Townley. He was a businessman who owned a drug store in Newark, New Jersey. He saw the opportunity to streamline a traditional project by packaging modern dyes in single-use paper packets. The venture was a huge success and led to the formation of the Paas Dye Company in 1881. Although there are still many methods of decorating eggs, his concept is by far the most popular method in households around the world.

Townley was an entrepreneur that saw an opportunity and his business skills helped him develop a business and a tradition. If you want to acquire some skills, become an entrepreneur, enhance your professional profile and maybe one day encounter the same success as Townley, check out our website and see what is the training that is meant for you.

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Can You Train Millennials?

Millennial is becoming the main trendy word at the beginning of this year. This subject is getting more and more attention as the people included in this generation are becoming active members of society. The name Millennial describes members of the generation born between the early 1980s and the early 2000’s. This subject is getting a lot more traction in the media as the Millennials became the largest generation in the United States, representing roughly one-third of the total population. While some members of this generation are still continuing their education in either high school or college, many of them are now beginning their careers. According to research conducted by Psychology Today, “Seventy-five percent of the world’s employees today are young people (i.e., Millennials)” and this situation is raising new challenges in the corporate world.

Beyond the fact that this generation is now representing the majority of the workforce, the key factor to understand this new generation of workers is the way they got through school and the world in which they have grown up. This is the first generation to have access to the Internet during their formative years. They have seen the world change; they experienced the revolution of information technologies at the time that they were developing their skills and knowledge.  According to whitehouse.gov “Millennials are more connected to technology than previous generations and a quarter of Millennials believe that their relationship to technology is what makes their generation unique.” Many companies have recognized the need for technology and have begun turning to members of this generation to help stay current.

Even if this generation is facing some pull back from senior executives when it comes to new ideas, businesses understood really fast that hiring Millennials would be the only way for them to be able to market to this very generation. But this generation raises a new challenge to the academic world as a matter of professional development. The employees of this generation are bringing new knowledge and new skills to the table. But what is the kind of training that these millennials are looking for?   It will be capital for professional development providers to understand the new needs of Millennials as a matter of training. Cutting edge training such as digital advertising, social media marketing, search engine optimization, and app developer will be among the list of skills that this new generation of workers will be looking for. Another path to explore is entrepreneurship training, given the fact that more than 80% of the Millennials surveyed by Elance-oDesk declared that they were considering leaving their job. The way of providing training will also change. There is a great chance that this generation that grew up with the Internet, will be looking for online training.

While there are still many challenges to be met, no other generation has been better equipped or had more opportunities than the upcoming Millennials. They are skilled with technology, determined and more educated than any previous generation. While Millennials are still in the early stages of joining the workforce, they have the potential to make a lasting impact on the economy for years to come, with the right training. At Bama At Work, we are embracing this change and we keep on improving our classes every day in order to provide the most up-to-date training to every generation.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google + , LinkedIn or visit our website for more info and news about certificate programs,, professional development and how to improve your professional profile.

Article by Kevin Lake, Communications Specialist for The University of Alabama College of Continuing Studies. Kevin also  currently serves as the Vice President of Communications for the Public Relations Council of Alabama West Alabama division.

6 Ways to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions.

Well, it is the beginning of January and you are now staring at a list of your New Year’s Resolutions. Where do you go now? We all have good intentions when setting those new goals, and we want those intentions realized by actually accomplishing these goals during the New Year.  We know self-improvement is big in America, but according to a study from the University of Scranton only 8% of us actually achieve our resolutions. So as always, I wanted to find out why people have such a tough time keeping their resolutions.

1. NO bucket list! As the year comes to an end the idea of a new year and a new start creeps in and we start to make resolutions that are too big for us to achieve. The key to achieving any goal is to keep it simple. Make small attainable goals throughout the year.
2. Making vague resolutions. The goal of losing weight or saving money is very vague. Make the goals more tangible. For example: I will start drinking my coffee from home and put that extra money back in the bank, or I will commit to a Zumba class twice a week and drink more water. These are tangible goals that you can touch and feel.
3. Keeping it a secret! With the world of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and so many others, you need to announce it to the world or even just close friends if you are not on social media. This helps tremendously with personal accountability. Put it out there for people to see and let them know when you have accomplished them as well, you’ll be surprised at the support you get to keep going!
4. Beating yourself up. We are human and we will slip. So, don’t beat yourself up when you miss a work out, get that Starbucks, or even have more of that cake you wanted. Then when you are done, simply pick back up and move forward with your goals.
5. Saying I can’t. Your ability to accomplish your resolution is only as strong as YOUR belief that you CAN DO IT. When you say you can’t you are creating a self-fulfilling attitude that significantly weakens your ability to achieve your resolution.
6. Not celebrating the small wins. We are driven by rewards and when you have set an entire 12 months as a time line it may be difficult for you to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Have mile markers for yourself and celebrate that small win when you achieve it. This is not eating a box of cookies after you lose weight, but rather buying yourself a new outfit to celebrate your new waistline. Celebrating small wins reinforces your belief that you can do it.

The most important thing is to stick to it and never give up! If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to find a new career, go back to school or get that promotion, then we can help. Bama At Work, The University of Alabama partners with World Education to offer students 100% online career training programs. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google + , LinkedIn or visit our website for more info and news about Professional Development, Online Training and how to improve your professional profile.

Article by Kelly Fuhlman, Director of Social Media  for World Education , and is personally involved in helping others make a better life for themselves through education. World Education is one of the main partner of the University of Alabama for Online Certificate Programs.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

The holidays are a time to celebrate family, reflect on the year’s accomplishments and count our blessings. As we look toward 2015, the Bama At Work team is eager to help you accomplish your professional goals. Whether you’re looking for the right training, the perfect conference, or a brand new career, we are dedicated to providing you with the resources you need to succeed.

From our family to yours, we wish you a very happy holiday season, and look forward to serving you in the coming year.

5 ways to Stay Focused on Studies During the Holidays.

Believe it or not many people don’t get out of school during the holiday break! Most college students take their finals this week and then are done until the middle of January. Some will decide to take mini-sessions or even online courses over holiday breaks to increase their knowledge or really reach that goal for 2015 to finish school and find a new career. Whatever your reason for going to school over the holidays, this busy season provides many distractions from your studies.  To help you stay focused on your goals, here are some tips to help you stay on target while not missing out on the fun too!

1. Stay on a schedule: You have a schedule already, but make sure to modify it around holiday events and family visits. Make sure you carve out time every day to do your work or study some. This way you will not feel so far behind when January rolls around I find it best to get up early in the morning to get things done and out of the way; but, if you are more of a night person, take time then to do some homework after everyone is asleep.
2. Take Breaks: Whatever holiday you are celebrating make sure and take those big days off. Spend that day with your family and keep the computer and books closed! Go and celebrate the New Year with friends and family without having to think about math problems or an essay. Again, if you are doing something every day leading up to these big days it will not hold you back if you take the entire day off.
3. Clear your mind: Those invitations are piling up, your family is asking you what you will bring, and you also find yourself surfing through Amazon for gifts. Phew!  The best thing to do is write down what you want to think about later after you are done with your studies. Put all of your ideas, thoughts and concerns on a paper; fold it up and put it in a drawer to look at later.
4. Reward yourself: This is so important once you hit a milestone you have set. Reward yourself with a night at the movies, dinner with friends, time with family or even a nap! Make sure your rewards are not counterproductive to your goals but will help you push through until the end.
5. Stay healthy: It can be very tempting to indulge in a ton of holiday treats! Eating sugary and fatty foods can drag your metabolism down and kill your energy levels. Sometimes taking a 30 minute walk or run can help clear your head and get you focused. Also, make sure you are getting enough rest as well. All-nighters do not help before exams or getting a big project done. It leaves you exhausted the next day and will keep you from pushing forward.

Staying focused during the holidays is difficult, but with a clear commitment to your goals the work you do now will pay off in the end when you find that dream career!  Bama At Work wishes you Happy Holidays.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google + , LinkedIn or visit our website for more info and news about Professional Development, Online Training and how to improve your professional profile.

Article by Kelly Fuhlman, Director of Social Media  for World Education , and is personally involved in helping others make a better life for themselves through education. World Education is one of the main partner of the University of Alabama for Online Certificate Programs.

The Advantages of Blended Learning for Six Sigma Courses.

Blended Learning is defined as a Lean Six Sigma training model that integrates multiple delivery modes and learning activities.  Generally, it consists of a mix of e-learning, classroom exercises, coaching and job application.  It is designed to reach a globally and educationally diverse audience in any industry.  It is designed to be highly interactive and flexible with “High Touch” access to mentors who will aid in the application to real business problems.

There are two levels of Lean Six Sigma offered through this program:  Green Belt and Black Belt.  The duration for the Green Belt is approximately 4-6 months.  The duration for the Black Belt would be approximately 6-8 months.  During the journey, an individual will work online to review the course material, work individual exercises that are geared toward working on a process improvement project tied to the business, and complete short quizzes at the end of each lesson.  A mentor/coach oversees the work and provides individual and group workshops, study halls and in-class simulations that reinforce the learnings.

At the end of the course, a completed improvement project is reviewed by the mentor/coach for completeness, content, and tool application.  Individuals will also be asked to take a final comprehensive exam.  A passing grade of 70% or better qualifies the individual for certification.  The University of Alabama will provide the certification credentials upon approval of the mentor/coach. With our new blended format, you get the best of combined learning environments to enable you to master the material with a minimum amount of travel and in-person class time, but with a high degree of personal interaction with our faculty and other students in your class!

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google + , LinkedIn or visit our website for more info and news about Six Sigma courses, professional development for the workplace and how to improve the efficiency of your organization.

Article by Dianna Rockett, MBA, SIX SIGMA MASTER BLACK BELT, and President and CEO of Donald E. Smith Associates, Inc . a business management consulting firm specializing in process improvement initiatives using Six Sigma Methodology. She is also a our instructor for the new blended Six Sigma program.

Training, the key to your organization’s success.

Organizations building excellence in the workplace succeed when they understand and address their key areas of concern. Here are some things we’ve learned from organizations. They see three broad areas as the linchpins to their success:

1.  Succession. An effective leadership pipeline to build a deep bench and mitigate the impact of losing the baby boomers.
2. Execution. Management systems (operations management, supply chain management, project management, risk management, etc.) so they can turn plans into action.
3. Culture. The values and practices that bring their brand to life.

Rather than treating learning as a silo, organizations have succeeded by developing an approach to integrate the learning function into operational and strategic planning. I hope you find this approach useful in your own workplace:

•  Determine where the organization wants to go and the team competencies needed to get there.
• Understand where the organization is today and the team competencies currently demonstrated.
• Define the difference between the current and desired states and recommend an approach to build the needed team competencies.
• Identify ways to measure progress.

The above approach sounds pretty generic, but the idea of team competencies is what repositions the learning function as a strategic approach. Competencies are demonstrable, so organizations can align those team competencies to business objectives and measure progress toward the objectives. We’re also finding that organizations like the idea of coaching as a way to institutionalize the new competencies. In addition to sending employees to a coaching academy, equipping employees to coach each other has been appealing to organizations. Coaching has been a way to help employees learn how to hold each other accountable.

Between team competencies and coaching, we’re seeing interest in ways to make employees more T-shaped, building deep skills to succeed in their jobs and also to thrive in their organizations.

Bama At Work brings the expertise of our University to your workplace and organization. More than a sample of courses dispensed in a classroom, the Corporate Training of Bama At Work is a training consultant working for you. Customize your training to bring the best skills and knowledge to your employees and colleagues. Because an educated workforce is a more efficient one, Bama At Work will help you and your organization achieve the capstone of Workplace Excellence.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google + , LinkedIn or visit our website for more info and news about custom training, professional development for the workplace and how to improve the efficiency of your organization.

Article by Leroy Hurt, Associate Dean, Professional Development and Community Engagement, The University of Alabama

Leroy Hurt, Associate Dean, Bama At Work

7 Questions to ask Your Career Coach in Online Training.

We often see the term “coach” and think about athletics or using a trainer at the gym to help us fit into our summer clothes.  Yet we rarely think about a career coach to help guide us through our pursuit of a better life at work. Let’s face it: as jobseekers, we only have so much knowledge of how to polish our resumes, put the perfect cover letter together to get the attention of a hiring manager, and find different ways to network. This is why having an experienced career coach who focuses on your success will help so much once you finish your education or certification program.

Many schools or universities offer “career coaching” as a part of their enrollment processes, but what is a career coach exactly, and what should you be looking for in a coach?  The bottom line is a career coach should help you assess your professional situation with a good amount of honesty, curiosity, empathy and compassion. With the normal amount of anxiety that comes with the job search, your career coach should help you feel comfortable and inspire you to keep going. The largest part of a career coach’s job is to bring you out of your shell and help you understand that just submitting your resume to online job search engines will not give you the kind of return you want. Career coaching is extremely personal so make sure you do your research before you commit.

Here are a few questions you should ask during your research:

1. Just like with a sports coach, you want to know a career coach’s win/loss record. If you are talking to a school or university, ask what their career services statistics are and get them to show you the following: their student graduation rate, success in passing certification exams, and their career statistics. If you want to learn more, look up Gainful Employment Regulations.
2. Find out their career path. You want to make sure that the person who is coaching you had both coaching experience and real world experience as well.
3. Geographic location is another option for you to consider. Technology like Skype gives you the opportunity to choose a coach from anywhere in the world. This is your own preference so make sure you are comfortable with your choice.
4. Interview your top two or three picks. Ask about the following: fees, rates (they may vary from $50 to $300 per hour), how often you will meet, and for how long. Most coach-client relationships last from six months to a year.
5. Whether it is a school or a career coach, you need to ask what is included in his or her “experience.” It should include some of the following: goal setting, time management, study skills, and your motivation to advance.
6. If you are working with your school or university, then there are also a few important questions you should ask and have answered. Will they help you build a solid resume? If there are certification requirements involved, ask them how they can help you. Are there hands-on job experience opportunities they can help you with such as externships or internships? Will they teach you how to market yourself and network? Also, find out if they will set up mock interview sessions with you to prepare you for that job interview.
7. More than anything chemistry and connection with your coach should be top on your list. You will have to be comfortable with sharing intimate details of your life with your coach, so it’s important that you like and see him or her as an equal.

Bama At Work and our partner World Education.net will assign our students a dedicated career coach from Day 1 who will assist them with a success plan from training to a fulfilling career. We offer our graduates career development assistance up to 1 year after course completion to make sure they are on track to find that dream job!

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google + , LinkedIn or visit our website for more info and news about Professional Development, Online Training and how to improve your professional profile.

Article by Kelly Fuhlman, Director of Social Media  for World Education , and is personally involved in helping others make a better life for themselves through education. World Education is one of the main partner of The University of Alabama for Online Certificate Programs.

 

Why Coaching is Important to the Business World.

 

Since the 90s coaching has been gaining in popularity. Originally, executives hired their own coach to become even more successful. However, in recent years, coaching has become more widely known in all levels of management. Coaches are hired to assist with training employees to become more effective leaders, enhance their management skills, communication skills, and to improve conflict resolution abilities.

The coaching relationship is a collaborative relationship based upon mutual trust and respect. It focuses on what clients want in their career future and it is a very results-oriented process. The client is seen as whole, competent, and resourceful, not someone who has to be fixed or healed. The purpose of coaching is to empower clients to find their own answers, to deepen their self-awareness and their learning. This is accomplished through the process of what is called appreciative inquiry, or the coach asking thoughtful, open-ended questions. Through the power of the coaching relationship, clients create a vision of what they want; they explore options or increase their possibilities to resolve a particular situation. They then implement a plan to achieve their goals. One of the best benefits of coaching is that it provides an accountability partner. The client is responsible for setting the agenda for the coaching sessions, doing the work and taking the actions necessary to achieve wanted goals.

During this whole process, the coach provides support for the client and “holds on to” the client’s agenda. In some instances, the coach believes in the clients more than the clients believe in themselves. Another great benefit of coaching is that the coach listens deeply to the client. In this way, the client is empowered by the coach to have more confidence, value themselves more, and gain a new perspective on a situation. What I tell my clients is the old adage, “Two heads are better than one.” The power of the collaborative relationship assists clients in reaching their ultimate future goals, one step at a time

The International Coach Federation (ICF) has provided some recent statistics on the benefits of coaching. The ICF found that coaching brings a number of benefits. “Professional coaching maximizes potential, and therefore unlocks latent sources of productivity.” Persons surveyed stated that 70% experienced improved work performance, 61% improved business management, 57% improved time management, and 51% improved team effectiveness.

Individuals using a coach enjoy an 80% improvement in self-confidence, 73% have improved relationships, 72% have improved communication skills, and 67% have improved life/work balance. According to the ICF, the vast majority of companies say they have at least made their investment back (86%). Furthermore, 99% of people surveyed who hired a coach are somewhat or very satisfied with their experience. A total of 96% of people would repeat the process.

Bama At Work is proud to offer the  Workplace Coaching Academy, a program designed to maximize the potential of leaders to deliver results in a constantly changing workplace. In this program participants will learn to influence at greater levels within their organization through the use of coaching. For more information about the Workplace Coaching Academy, professional development and career improvement please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google + , LinkedIn or visit our website .

Article by Linda Levin, Professional Certified  Coach and instructor for the Workplace Coaching Academy at The University of Alabama, Bama At Work.  Linda works with with leaders, partners and groups to accomplish their professional and personal goals. Her years of experience have taught her that the key to lasting and authentic change lies in the relationship between core personal values and inherent strengths .