Having a technical problem? Are your customers angry with you? Problems are common in every individual’s life. There are different ways of resolving any problem or issue. Given below are my five tools which spell success.

Understand the Problem Completely

• Understanding the problem at hand is the most important part of solving any issue.
• Have the ability to physically see the problem by setting up the same configuration.
• Ask questions to understand the problem better.
• Ask the concerned person to approve your efforts.
• The best way is to trace the activities one by one until you reach the problem.
• Do not start fixing the issue after understanding only a part of the problem. A complete understanding of the problem is critical to finding the precise solution.

A problem well-stated is a problem half-solved.

-John Dewey

Be confident and Motivate Yourself

• Be confident by telling yourself that “Nothing is Impossible.”
• If there is a problem, there must be a solution.

Every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution.

-Norman Vincent Peale

Find Options

• Before starting to implement the solution, find several options from previous experience.
• Search for similar kind of problems in online forums.

Execute Your Options

• Take a back-up of the original version of the problem and possible solution before trying out any option.
• Always make sure that it does not have any side-effect. Sometimes, it will solve the present problem but it may also give rise to other new problems.
• Do not spend much time on those options which are not feasible. Try the same option again from the start, using the original version.
• If you still do not find a solution, stop and try another option.

Testing

• Test out the problem thoroughly for side-effects.
• Test it in the same configuration of the problem.

I used these five simple steps to get a breakthrough while working with e-learning software – whether Flash or Authoring tools like Articulate, Lectora or Captivate or any LMS-related issues. I have been quite successful in getting breakthroughs in SCORM and launching courses in various LMS’ and also creating effective learning experiences using Flash.

Please feel free to add your valuable and practical suggestions to this list.

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What motivates employees? Most employers use the carrot and stick approach to motivate their employees. Career analyst Dan Pink examines the puzzle of motivation.

According to him:

• Extrinsic motivators do work only in a surprisingly narrow band of circumstances.
• Rewards often destroy creativity and employee performance.
• The secret to high performance isn’t reward and punishments but that unseen intrinsic drive – the drive to do things for their own sake – because they matter!

Some intrinsic motivators that really enhance human performance are:

• Autonomy: the urge to direct our own lives
• Mastery: the desire to get better and better at something that matters
• Purpose: the urge to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves.

If you have to lead a team of highly creative, conceptual and intelligent people, give them a clear result and all the freedom to achieve their goals. Also, link organizational goals to their individual purpose.

• Autonomy: This relates to their time, task, team and technique
• Mastery: The urge to excel and be master of their own domain
• Purpose: The clearer the result, the easier to achieve.

This will make a working environment healthier and help achieve higher performances.

If you’re a leader, try this out today and maybe we can change the world!

I would love to hear your experiences as a leader and how you use intrinsic motivators with your team.

Do share your thoughts on the same.

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The design challenge was that the learners were contractors with minimum knowledge of computers and had very little experience in e-learning. They were about 25-40 years of age.

The objective of this course was to train contractors to identify standard procedures for contracts, their responsibilities and safety rules and permits. The course duration was 30 minutes.

The instructional strategy was mostly using visual and auditory learning styles. I used simple real-time images along with voice-over, supported by text to help them understand concepts like instructions, responsibilities and safety rules and permits.

To engage the learner emotionally, I used scenario-based questions to check their understanding. The course also allowed the learners to download the checklist which was made available in the course in PDF format.

This was the first course I had designed, using Articulate. I would like to hear from you if you have a better strategy for training contractors on safety program given the constraints.

Do share your views and experiences.

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Follow up on a sales lead. Lack of follow-up on a sales lead equates to the loss of prospective and existing customers. Follow up with customers to know if the product they purchased is earning them satisfaction.

Stay in touch with your customers. It is crucial to stay in touch with your customers besides the fact that they bring business. Many entrepreneurs or organizations venture into new businesses to increase their customer base and forget the existing ones. A call, card on occasions or festivities adds a personal touch. Alternatively, you can send updates on the existing or new products and services through newsletters or mail, asking if they are satisfied with the product. Connect at a personal level to service your customers.

Enter into a strategic alliance. If your organization and your client share a common customer base, consider entering into a strategic alliance or partnership with them. You can tap into their customer base and vice-versa.

Delegate, delegate, delegate. For new start-ups or small businesses, it is common for the owner to don many hats of administration, accounting, managerial functions, etc. As the business expands, the entrepreneur should focus on creating sales, while delegating tasks to other employees or by outsourcing it.

Employees are the face of any business. If you have an under-performing employee, or one who has a low morale or is rude and lazy, ask him to change as it shows up the company in a bad light. Train your employees to treat your clients with care and respect.

Sift your profitable clients from your non-profitable. Often, organizations devote time to those customers who dilly-dally during a sales process. An astute organization should be able to identifying time-consuming, non-profitable clients and eliminate them.

Hire a PR agency. If you need to advertise your organization and you are short of time, hire a PR person or firm to manage your advertising needs. PR is a powerful tool to increase your company’s sightings and earns you some valuable points. Design ads that speak to your target audience or allow social media networking sites to promote your organization.

Tell your customers about an upcoming promo. Keep your customers informed if you have any promotion or sale coming up. They will come back and bring along some of their acquaintances or friends.

Ask for referrals. The simplest way to increase sales is to keep your client informed of any new or different services or products, your company offers. Alternatively, ask for referrals.

Offer vouchers, coupons, etc to your customers. Airlines reward their customers with loyalty points or customer reward points, just as banks offer points on purchase through credit cards. A discount coupon on purchase, spa voucher, meal voucher, movie tickets, chocolate boxes, etc can easily be showered on the customers on various occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, festivals, etc.

Give free product samples to your customers. Distributing free sample of other products entice the customer to buy the new product. The customer will think of your company and spread the word about your products.

Finally, treat each customer with the same importance, respect and care as you treated your very first customer. Customers are more likely to stick to those organizations who offer them first class treatment. As the company grows, as an entrepreneur, you are bound to take up more responsibilities. Take some time off to keep in touch with your customers and sales operations. The payoff will be good.

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Here are some pointers to achieve this:

• Open all channels of communication between the staff and employer at all levels. Employees should be informed about new changes or initiatives, etc. This enables them to take better decisions when required.
• Identify and focus on common areas of interest among staff.
• Anticipate and resolve conflicts wherever possible.
• Encourage employees to talk about their concerns and conflicts.
• Provide channels for conflict resolution and increase mutual trust amongst staff and employers.
• Make employees feel wanted. Management should try to find out about employees’ hobbies, birthdays and other occasions that are important to the employees. Being cared for by the Company makes employees feel secure.
• Respect employees at all levels, whether the office boy or project manager. Just because they work for your company does not mean that you can order them around. Treat them on a par with others and respect them.
• Respect all differences of opinions. This will give you an insight into the thinking of your employees. Employee could agree or disagree with management’s viewpoints.

The management should be fair to each of its employees. Showing partiality or bias towards a few employees will create a rift or discomfort amongst others.

The job should keep employees challenged. If the staff gets bored with the same kind of work, the morale of the worker will reduce and he will ignore his work duties. To keep the job interesting, the employer can arrange for training sessions which will enhance employees’ skill sets and more.

Employees are the most important asset of any company. To make employees feel at home at their workplace, it is important that the employer and employee communicate effectively with each other, set rules that are flexible and fair, but enforce positive discipline. This attitude will lead to work being done efficiently and increase profits as the Company does well.

Do share your thoughts on the same.

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Offering plain, non-interactive online or face-to-face training sessions are not enough. Each methodology has its pros and cons with regards to costs, time, knowledge, etc. Blended learning is where a learning program has more than one mode of delivering instructions. An ideal blended learning program has web-based training with a moderate dose of human touch and media.

Why blended learning? Blended learning benefits both the learner and the Company. If an organization is sceptical about moving its training needs to web-based e-learning modules, blended learning allows for this smooth transition. A step-by-step process, whereby the organization can move learners from classroom training to online learning is easier to adapt.

The definition of blended learning, according to the ASTD 2001 whitepaper, is: “Blended learning focuses on optimizing achievement of learning objectives by applying the “right” learning technologies to match the “right” personal learning style to transfer the “right” skills to the “right” person at the “right” time.”

These programs are dependent on various factors such content type, audience, learner’s needs, goals of the organization, etc. To create a blended learning approach, organizations should identify the content for online and in-person training and timings for virtual and in-person sessions.

It improves learning effectiveness. A blended strategy improves learning results by providing a better match between the learner and the learning program.

The blended approach extends the reach of the audience. A classroom limits the number of participants, while online training has its drawbacks in reaching out to an audience.

Blended learning is not only cost effective, but optimizes your resources and time.

A combination of various instructional tools, media and learning resources can create a bigger impact on learners than the traditional classrooms or plain web-based training.

This generates levels of high interest for the learner, increases accountability and assesses the results of the training program.

To make blended learning more powerful, organizations should select the correct mix or blend. While some forms of media like video, simulations, and webinars are more exciting, others like books, documents, conference calls, static slides can lessen the learner’s interest. A correct mix of instructional methodologies can create the desired impact.

With organizations becoming geographically diversified, training programs have to be more dynamic to provide a wholesome learning experience. A blended learning approach enables companies to offer interactive training programs. The obvious benefit of blended learning is its ability to maximize efficacy by matching the best medium to produce an optimal learning goal. Accounting for the advantages of blended training adds to the momentum of blended training.

Do share your thoughts on the same.

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Retention of a customer refers to various strategies that help a company keep its customer base. Retaining a customer for an entire lifetime is hard work. It is about exceeding and meeting the customer’s expectations and adding value to your brand to increase and sustain their loyalty. It is also delivery of a high standard of customer service rather than focusing on maximizing profits.

Coupling customer acquisition and retention with e-learning is advantageous. Let’s learn how:

• E-learning helps the company educate its prospective customers with its products and services. Acquiring a customer can take months or more as several people at various levels need to be educated and evaluate the products and services on offer, before taking a decision. To cut short the sales cycle, a web-based tutorial about the product or service offering helps.
• As mentioned earlier, more than one person is involved in the decision-making process when considering buying new products and services. E-learning enables customization for people involved at each level. For example, the e-learning sales pitch to a CFO (Chief Finance Officer) can address a different set of concerns when compared to another top level executive. An e-learning program can have several modules or data repositories designed to meet the needs and address the concerns of various stakeholders in the decision-making process.
• The people involved in the purchase are top-level super busy managers. Web-based information enables them access information on various products and services being offered at a time convenient to them.
• Information on a company’s products or services, if available online, is a great resource for salespeople, resellers, etc. This great backup helps various stakeholders access information as and when needed.
• Having information-based online training modules ramps up new hires or trainees knowledge, based on the products and services of the Company. The new hires or trainees can do a quick knowledge transfer and get started on the sales process.
• If the product or service has been updated with the latest features or functionalities, one has to just upload the same and each sales person, new hire or trainee immediately becomes aware of the change.
• E-learning makes it easy to track the progress of new and prospective clients. The Company can track its sales progress through the e-learning module, print reports, figures and more with just a few clicks.
• The online learning modules make it easy to collect data on its competitors, upload their sales activities and figures and much more. This data can be published to various prospects to show the difference between yours and your competitor’s offerings.

All in all, a web-based e-learning module is an efficient and cost-effective resource for customer acquisition and retention.

Do share your thoughts on the same.

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There are two ways in which you can believe in yourself:

• Underestimating yourself: In spite of your excellent abilities, you might fall short of exploiting your full potential if you underestimate your abilities or talents. This will make you lack confidence.
• Overestimating yourself: On the other hand, confidence not backed by real ability is just arrogance and can create resentment.

Self confidence can be achieved through balancing your beliefs or feelings according to your abilities or talents. Therefore, a realistic assessment of your abilities is the key to achieve self confidence.

Here are some tips that can improve your self–confidence:

• Get Prepared: Prepare yourself well in advance for future responsibilities. This could perhaps be the most powerful step you can take to gain self-confidence. This step can prevent you from being anxious and deal effectively with any inevitable surprises.
• Know your Desires and Goals: Analyze your goals by knowing where you are going and how you are going. The definition of success varies from individual to individual. So, by defining success, you can achieve just what you want. This will prevent you from being disappointed by comparing other people’s goals and brooding on those goals that you do not want to attain.
• Emphasize on your Body Posture: Never underestimate the power of body posture. Consciously or unconsciously, people read into other people’s nature just by absorbing the way they carry themselves. Good posture will not only make you feel better but can influence the way people treat you.
• Overcome your Fear: Fear of failure is the cause of a lack of confidence for many.
• Be Happy: Teach yourself to be happy. You can do this by listing your positive qualities and strengths. This will remind you of just how special and unique you are.
• Watch Out: Try to attend a seminar or listen to a public speaker to find out how he handles himself while addressing crowds. This will help you incorporate some essential tips while you address a gathering.
• Believe in your Abilities: If you want to do something important and new, believe in your abilities.
• Examine your Past Failures: Let bygones be bygones, because by brooding on past failures, your path ahead will be obstructed. So, look at the past to gain experience to overcome future problems.

In summary, improving one’s self-confidence levels seems to be hard to achieve, but in reality if you follow the above tips with some degree of determination, you can achieve it easily. The root cause of a lack of self-confidence is negative thinking which can be solved by changing the way one thinks. One should think positively so that he conquers his weakness and converts it to strength. Thus, by the power of his thoughts, one can improve his self-confidence.

Do share your thoughts on the same.

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We have seen the market slow down in the year 2000 dot com bubble and again in the economic recession of 2007. Is your organization ready for the next market cycle?

According to a survey conducted by AMA, a people-centric organization has very minute chances of being prey to such fluctuating market cycles. So, let’s examine the four steps of a People-centric management’s fun-filled environment and its impact on its staff in adversity.

1. Link Your Customer to Employee Satisfaction: In the present market, customer service issues cannot be taken for granted. But, since it is impossible to satisfy a customer by a freaked out employee, a successful organization should first satisfy its employees before aiming for customer satisfaction.

Example: Beryl Companies, an example of a people-centric organization, gave 70 percent of its workforce a salary hike during the economic crisis.

2. Initiate Employee Forums: Sometimes, it’s easier for employees to open a book rather than open out their hearts. But it’s only an organization which facilitates an open dialog that helps make its employees feel great, motivated and safe. In such an environment, should layoffs ever occur, your employees would feel that you tried your level best to retain them.

3. Communicate Company Goals to Your Employees: A people-centric organization lays the foundations of beating an economic downturn years before by entrusting the responsibility of the Company’ goals to its employees. By virtue of those employees who were entrusted with the responsibility of the Company’s finances, excessive expenditure is cut down long before any downturn occurs.

4. Invest in Employee Training: Employee training is very crucial in a people-centric business. Though it seems a costly investment, the profits are encouraging because an employee’s daily routine work is connected with organizational strategy and enhances employee performance and client retention. Thus, employee engagement and an improved work culture helps an organization withstand an economic downturn.

Lastly, don’t forget AMA’s advice: “Don’t let the market dictate your culture.”

Do share your thoughts on the same.

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