When FREE Really Isn’t FREE: How Free Training Can Fail Employees Looking for Information

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When FREE Really Isn’t Free

How Free Training Can Fail Employees Looking for Information

By: Frank Russell

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With the millions of videos on YouTube, why not just use it as a source for free training? Here’s how I recently got an expensive education using FREE videos.

A few months ago I came home to find suds all over my kitchen floor from a dishwasher that I’d loaded when I left for work that morning. I just had a plumber come out the week before to replace my old garbage disposal, and I was shocked at the cost. So I thought, hmmm… why not try to fix it myself?

I decided to go to the handy free online training resource, YouTube. I used the appliance model number and then did a search. Viola… up popped a number of repair videos. I chose the most popular and highest-rated video, and then watched as the “home technician” walked me through a step-by-step problem analysis. First, after draining the washer with a cup, I eliminated a clogged filter screen as the potential cause. Next, “my new virtual instructor” told me, if that wasn’t the problem, the culprit could be a burnt out pump motor. I was then directed to watch his next video on how to replace the pump.

At this point, my confidence was waning a bit. For a novice, working with electricity and water didn’t seem like the safest bet. But again, following the step-by- by instructions, I turned off the appropriate circuit breaker to minimize the possibility of electrocution. Finally, I previewed the procedures for unhooking the mechanical and electrical connections to remove the pump.

With parts and water all over the floor, I suddenly had an epiphany! Maybe I should go online to find out how much a new pump would cost. Using another FREE training tool, Google, I was eventually able to find the correct part, but here’s the rub. The price for the pump unit turned out to be almost as expensive as a new dishwasher. Not only that, but after a call to the part provider, I discovered it was only warranted for 90 days, and would not include any labor to replace the part if it became defective! My dishwasher was over 10 years old.

Carefully considering the age of the appliance, the restrictions of the warranty and the substantial time I had already spent on this project, I reluctantly decided to purchase a new unit and have it installed by an expert. While the cost of the new appliance, with delivery, installation and disposal of the old machine was almost $1,000, I was happy to be done with my DIY adventure. So after the installers left, I loaded up the brand new machine with dirty dishes and left for work.

Imagine my surprise when I came home that night to find suds all over my kitchen floor again! After a heated call to my appliance vendor, the installers returned. With a quick analysis, the experts determined that the “real” cause of the problem was NOT the pump after all, but a small plastic plug in the new garbage disposal that the original plumber forgot to remove after its installation the week before. It turns out there is a hose that connects the dishwasher to the sink drain and it runs through the garbage disposal. If the little plastic plug is not removed, it causes the dishwasher to backup when it tries to drain, thus causing suds all over the kitchen floor… a possibility not mentioned in my YouTube tutorial. So it turned out that the old dishwasher was perfectly fine. My hope is that it is sitting in a recycling center somewhere getting ready to become part of a Prius.

I calculate that my FREE training actually cost me $1,000, plus my time, (which was probably worth more than the grand) and a great big slice of humble pie.

Here’s my thought. What if we encourage or allow our employees to go out and find FREE content online that my not have been vetted by a professional subject matter expert, legal counsel, or HRD professional? What if we link them to FREE content sites and then an employee does what the video or course recommends, and it turns out to be wrong or even harmful? Who’s to blame or assume the liability? What is the real cost of time spent searching, evaluating, and attempting unproven techniques, suggestions or information that could be unclear, misleading or even incorrect? Finally, just because content is popular or entertaining does that mean it’s comprehensive, appropriate, or even correct for our employees, organization, or culture?

Yes, I learned a valuable lesson, and I’m sure I won’t make that same mistake again, but it may be another 10 years before I need a new dishwasher. So, for now, the next time I go out to learn a new skill on a FREE site, I’ll make sure it’s a little less expensive or potentially harmful, like bongo lessons!

More on Talent: Solve 80% of the People Problems Your Managers Face at Work >>

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OutplacementPro Debuts Booth at SHRM 2016 Annual Conference & Exposition

DES MOINES, IOWA (PRWEB) JUNE 16, 2016

OutplacementPro will be attending the SHRM 2016 Annual Conference & Exposition June 19-21 in Washington, D.C. and will feature tailored Outplacement packages and Dual Career Assistance Programs (DCAP). Attendees who visit OutplacementPro at Booth #3107 will have the opportunity to meet the transition experts and pick up an outplacement guide that helps organizations prepare for any career transition event.

“This is a big year for OutplacementPro,” said Jill Dillenburg, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Prositions, Inc. “As a new division of Prositions created after experiencing growth and expansion in this line of business, we are excited to finally give it the spotlight at SHRM to highlight the very best in outplacement services and technology.”

OutplacementPro recently released an updated version of its leading edge software, ProCareerMentor, which included a number of enhancements and new features. Their software is woven into every outplacement package as a critical resource for candidates, but the real differentiator for them is their focus on providing exceptional service and individualized attention to the organization carrying out the transition process and the affected candidates.

“Whether it’s one person or one thousand, our technology and personalized approach sets the new standard for outplacement,” declares Robin Salsberry, President at Prositions, Inc.

If you are attending the SHRM Conference, visit OutplacementPro (a division of Prositions) at Booth #3107 for a copy of their outplacement guide and details on their transition services. For more information on the show, or to register to attend, visit http://annual.shrm.org/.

About Prositions, Inc.
Prositions, Inc. is the world’s leading mentoring consulting firm and the only company to offer a complete range of consulting, software, content, and service solutions. By combining the power of technology with an international network of mentoring experts, Prositions is revolutionizing the way organizations grow and develop talent. MentorString, their award-winning, cloud-based software application enables organizations to leverage virtual mentoring, engage in secure collaboration, and access high-quality individual development plans with content from industry leading authors and producers. For more information about Prositions, visit http://prositions.com

About SHRM 2016
The SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition is the largest and best HR event in the world, providing your organization with the tools and resources you need to create and implement the successful HR practices that will ensure that your company will thrive. Your company will get the targeted strategies and practical takeaways that you need to achieve your goals – from talent management to federal compliance to cutting-edge business strategies. For more information on the conference visit http://annual.shrm.org/

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Mentoring Technology, Consulting Services, and Training Content Featured at the Prositions Exhibitor Booth during the SHRM 2016 Annual Conference & Exposition

DES MOINES, IOWA (PRWEB) JUNE 15, 2016

Prositions will be featuring mentoring, training content, and development software at the SHRM 2016 Annual Conference & Exposition June 19 – June 22 in Washington, D.C. Conference attendees who visit Prositions at Booth #3206 will have the opportunity to see demos of their mentoring software, MentorString, and receive a free course like the award-winning, 16-module video series, Make Mentoring Count which is based on the works of subject matter expert Dr. Lois J. Zachary.

“Our booth definitely needs to be on your list of exhibitors to visit if you’re attending the SHRM Conference and Exhibition this year,” said Ellen Linkenhoker, Director of Marketing at Prositions, Inc. “A lot of thought has gone into our tradeshow presence to determine how we can provide the most value to our visitors. I encourage everyone to stop by and spin our prize wheel, everyone will be a winner!”

The excitement circulating around Prositions’ presence at the SHRM 2016 Conference stems from the organization’s unique mix of services, software, and content. Prositions is making its mark as one of the few providers of mentoring/development technology which can seamlessly integrate with training content. Together, Prositions is able to provide a unique portfolio of end-to-end mentoring and development solutions.

“We constantly hear from clients that they know mentoring is important, but they confess that there isn’t enough time for them to facilitate their mentoring program and match qualified mentors with mentees,” responded Jill Dillenburg, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Prositions, Inc. “MentorString makes it easy to facilitate, track, and automate the mentoring process. The software has a smart matching algorithm that pairs mentors and mentees automatically to streamline the administrative process. And with the use of our integrated mentor training and professional consulting services we offer a comprehensive mentoring solution for all types of organizations.”

Experience the power of Prositions’ product suite for yourself by taking home a free gift or the grand prize worth over $500.

About Prositions, Inc.

Prositions, Inc. is the world’s leading mentoring consulting firm and the only company to offer a complete range of consulting, software, content, and service solutions. By combining the power of technology with an international network of mentoring experts, Prositions is revolutionizing the way organizations grow and develop talent. MentorString, their award-winning, cloud-based software application enables organizations to leverage virtual mentoring, engage in secure collaboration, and access high-quality individual development plans with content from industry leading authors and producers. For more information about Prositions, visit http://prositions.com

About SHRM

The SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition is the largest and best HR event in the world, providing your organization with the tools and resources you need to create and implement the successful HR practices that will ensure that your company will thrive. Your company will get the targeted strategies and practical takeaways that you need to achieve your goals – from talent management to federal compliance to cutting-edge business strategies. For more information on the conference visit http://annual.shrm.org/

Gumby, Iron Man, and the Importance of Adaptive Leadership

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Gumby, Iron Man, and the Importance of Adaptive Leadership

By: Craig Robbins

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Imagine Gumby and Iron Man as leaders in your organization. We all know what your teams would do to Gumby as their boss. They’d pull, twist, and bend him in every way possible. Gumby would ask the team to do something and they’d literally tie his hands behind his back and stick a foot in his yapper. Poor Gumby can’t lead. Why? Because he’s simply too flexible.

Now imagine Iron Man bursting through the door (or window) for his first day on the job. Iron Man was hired to take charge and lead those teams through anything that life throws their way. We can probably guess how this scenario would play out. Iron Man would walk in and find his teams huddled closely together in the janitor’s closet. Iron Man can’t lead either. Why? Because he’s simply too rigid.

I’ve worked with hundreds of leaders throughout the world and most of them fall at a fixed point somewhere on this continuum between overly flexible and overly rigid. The very best leaders I’ve worked with have mastered a very important skill; they’ve developed the ability to lead from different points along the continuum depending on the needs of their current situation. I call this Adaptive Leadership; in my opinion, using an adaptive leadership style is the most effective way to lead in the world today.

Why Adaptive Leadership Works

Our world is more interconnected today than it has ever been, and situations change with the blink of an eye. It’s not uncommon to be in a casual morning meeting with your peers and later find yourself at a formal dinner with people from a very different culture than your own. Within your own office, you likely experience uniquely different personalities because, in today’s workforce, our employees typically come from a wide range of backgrounds and life experiences. As a manager, you will sometimes need to be more like Gumby and at other times more like Iron Man.

The Continuum Exercise

Imagine a scale from one to ten, with one being extremely rigid and ten being extremely flexible. Think about where you fall on this scale as a leader. Now think of three different scenarios that could occur in one day, each requiring you to fall at a different point on the scale. For example, you might have to deal with an employee who violated a sexual harassment prevention policy that calls for an immediate and rigid response. Later in the day, you might find yourself in a typical meeting. You remain flexible enough to encourage collaboration and let the team steer the conversation toward a positive outcome, yet rigid enough to keep the team on point and on time. Later that evening, you’re invited to attend a casual dinner with foreign business partners. You’re not well versed in their cultural practices so you take a watch-and-learn approach, remaining flexible enough to adapt to their behaviors. These examples should help you think of different scenarios in your own workplace that require adaptation.

Three Key Adaptations

There are many ways for you as a leader to adapt to a given situation, but I find three areas to be most important. At a minimum, you should be able to adapt mentally, physically, and communicatively.

Adapting mentally requires you to change your mindset to based on your perspectives, emotions, biases, and more. This is not easy to do, but actively thinking about the way you think and feel is the best place to start. You might be engaged in one activity that requires a direct communication style and later engaged in an activity that requires you to simply listen and understand. You must find ways to manage your mindset, or switch modes. Also, be sure to consider your cultural biases and perspectives and manage them as you work with people that are different from you.

Adapting physically requires you to change your physical behavior. This includes nonverbal behavior, such as how much space you leave between yourself and those around you. Sometimes you’ll need to be more physically authoritative and other times you’ll need to be more relaxed and laid back. Physical fitness also plays a role here. It’s well researched that peak performance and physical conditioning go hand in hand. If you’re preparing for three long months of travel, you should exercise regularly before you travel; if you’re going on a business outing that requires you and your team to hike, climb, run, or play sports, you should prepare yourself to keep up with your team. There are many ways to physically adapt to your situation, but most of us don’t think about this often enough.

Communicative adaptation requires you to change the way you communicate and manage relationships. Different people on your team will respond better or worse to different communication styles. Observe your team and adapt your communication style when necessary. Some people don’t respond well to an overly rigid communication style, while others don’t respond to leaders who are too flexible. Iron Man should sometimes talk like Gumby, and Gumby like Iron Man.

Adapt and Thrive

Adaptive leadership can help you overcome a number of challenging situations and will certainly improve your ability to lead others. To be an exceptional leader, you must consciously manage the rigid-flexible continuum and learn how to walk the line. This will require a strong sense of self-awareness and the discipline to allow you to manage your mindset, physical presence, and communication style. Know that if you’re able to demonstrate Gumby-like flexibility and Iron Man-like rigidness in a controlled and purposeful manner, you will thrive as a leader.

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Prositions Obtains Master Distribution Rights of Diversity & Inclusion and Harassment Prevention Content Library

MYCA Learning DES MOINES, IOWA (PRWEB) November 20, 2015

Prositions, Inc., announced today it has signed a multi-year agreement for the worldwide distribution rights of MYCA Learning’s entire content library of off-the shelf eLearning courses. Featuring harassment prevention and diversity and inclusion training content, MYCA Learning is known for providing eLearning courses tailored to the end user’s specific industry and situation. Past clients have included corporate, government, non-profit, and education organizations throughout the United States.

“Prositions is now at the helm of the sales and distribution efforts for MYCA Learning’s products,” said Jill Dillenburg, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Prositions. “This agreement creates a very strong relationship between our two organizations. We will champion customer acquisition and service, while the experienced professionals at MYCA Learning can focus on their passion of creating and developing phenomenal eLearning courses.”

MYCA Learning’s flagship product, Harassment Education and Retaliation Overview (HERO), brings an entertaining mystery-style approach to the heavy topic of harassment training. Featuring four characters who get suspended, the viewer takes the role of the chief investigator, working to get to the bottom of what really happened. HERO invites participants to interact in a 3D virtual environment to challenge their understanding of their employer’s anti-harassment and retaliation policies. Preview it for yourself!

“Having worked at MYCA Learning for the last few years, I’ve seen the organization grow and evolve,” responded Dennis Barr, Senior Account Executive, and the newest member of the Prositions team. “I look forward to working at Prositions, and have no doubt that this agreement will position both MYCA Learning and Prositions to continue their positive impact on the industry.”

This is Prositions’ third master distribution agreement since August, and is further enforcing their place in the content and training market. The eLearning courses and video vignettes created by MYCA Learning, coupled with the existing libraries of assessment tools and training materials, have helped Prositions round out its suite of talent development, technology, and consulting solutions.

About Prositions

Prositions, Inc. is a rapidly growing talent transformation consulting firm that offers virtual mentoring software and services, career transition assistance, and development solutions using the True Development Model. By combining the power of technology with an international network of coaching experts, they are revolutionizing development programs. MentorString, their award-winning cloud-based software, enables organizations to leverage virtual mentoring, engage in secure collaboration, and access high-quality individual development plans with content from industry leading authors and producers. For more information about Prositions, visit http://prositions.com.

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