When it’s Time for a Change

With 2015 fast approaching most individuals naturally begin to reflect on what has come to pass and start thinking about changes they want to implement in their lives for the coming year.  Change is inevitable whether we want it or not.  The same is true in business.  Technology changes so quickly it is obsolete before it hits the store shelves.  Customers wants and needs change at the drop of a hat.  The economy booms and busts with fluctuating fanfare.

To challenge the status quo businesses need to know when it is time for a change and embrace it.  Why? To stay competitive, explore new opportunities for growth and to meet the needs of their customers and teams.  Whether you resist change or roll with it will determine how many bumps and bruises your company will endure.

According to an article in the Houston Chronicle, “Why is Change Important in an Organization?” organizations who ask “Why?” often discover the answer in new ideas and innovations that can in the long run impact the productivity of employees and the company’s bottom line.

So how do you know when it’s time for a change?

1. Your business has hit a plateau. Your team has given all they can and used every facet of their skillset.  Much like the New Year’s diet and exercise resolution, it hits us hard.  We are struggling against a current and find the shore no closer.  It’s time for a change.  Maybe you need to add to your team—some new blood to invigorate—or perhaps you need to develop the team you have with training.
2. Your competitors have shaken things up. Competition is never a bad thing, but it may be time for a change.  When the going gets tough the tough focus on what they do best and evaluate the situation.  What are your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats?  The SWOT analysis can lead to important changes that can keep you competitive.
3. Your financial projections are amiss. When your financial picture looks askew, it’s time for a change.  Ask yourself these questions: Are your original projections accurate? What forces, both external and internal, are affecting these projections? When you have the answers to these questions you can work to fix what is possible to fix and make plans to work around the unfixable.
4. Employee morale has plummeted.  It’s time for a change.  Have you ever conducted an exit interview?  Have you ever polled your staff for feedback?  These are good ways to test the waters and see where the spoke in the wheel has become unhitched.  Sometimes employees leave and never tell you the real reason why.  Don’t wait until the wheel is broken and the support is gone.
5. Loyal customers have jumped ship.  Now, consumers can be fickle and it may not be a thing but when your biggest fans walk away—it’s time for a change.  Number one, ask your customer for feedback.  Research reviews on your business.  Ask your sales team for their insights.  Re-examine your product(s).  We can’t all be WD-40, some of us will need to change.

The best way to embrace change is to educate—yourself and your team.  Knowledge is power.  Knowledgecity.com has some courses for you to consider in the New Year: Managing Change, Building a Successful Team, Marketing Principles, Strategic Brand Management, Managing Assets, Managerial Budgeting, HR Management, Consumer Behavior, and Operating a Business are just a few of the courses that can help your business manage change with ease.

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Multitasking: You’re not as Productive as You Think

Mobile technology enables us to be hyper-connected to the ever expanding network of social and business worldwide.  It enables us to multitask like never before.  According to a study on technology and human potential, the negative effects of this “always on” mentality is an increased loss of patience and the need for instant gratification.

As technology advances it creates avenues for getting things done.  Working on multiple projects, doing multiple tasks all at the same time—but what are the results?  In our new inpatient world, we may be watching television, while checking emails; and at the same time: surfing the net, texting with friends, scheduling appointments, and even throwing in a game of Candy Crush—after all there may be a few seconds of lag time between texts, commercials, and webpage loading.  

The question is: How much attention are we giving to each of the projects or tasks we are doing? Are we really being that productive?

“When we talk about multitasking, we are really talking about attention.” --Christine Rosen, The Myth of Multitasking

One study estimates that multitasking costs global businesses 450 Billion each year.  The research shows that people who engage in multitasking actually end up wasting 40 percent of their productive time switching between tasks.  They also have a higher susceptibility to distractions.  Why is this? 

According to a study on distracted drivers, multitasking is a myth.  In this study it was revealed that the brain does not perform two or more tasks at once—what we like to believe it can do when we multitask.  Instead the brain actually performs these multiple tasks very quickly in a sequential order.  This “attention switching” gives us the false feeling of doing more in less time.  

While the brain attempts to juggle the tasks it is given, it must also juggle the focus and attention to each task, this results in a reaction time or delay.  These delays may be a few tenths of a second or more.  That may not seem like a lot, but they do add up. 

When we multitask we are also prone to making mistakes, which then we need time to fix.  Multitasking ends up making us ineffectual.

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Freelancers: The New Face of the Workforce

According to Freelancing in America: A National Survey of the New Workforce, 40 percent of the workforce—21.1 million people—are independent contractors.  Another 5 percent—2.8 million people—are freelance business owners.

When faced with the prospect of underemployment or temporary employment many workers have decided to freelance and the number of freelancers is expected to grow to 65 to 70 million over the next decade.  This would mean that over half of the total workforce will be freelancers.

If you are a freelancer or considering making the switch here are the top ten skills that are in demand as reported in a surveys conducted by Freelancer.com and Elance.com:

1. IT & Programming
2. Design and Multimedia (These include: Illustration, Photoshop Design, Banner and Logo Design)
3. 3D Rendering, Modeling and Animation
4. Android and iOS Development
5. Social Media
6. Presentations (PowerPoint and Report writing)
7. Accounting
8. Writing and Translation
9. Marketing, Strategy and Public Relations
10. Business Management

Looking for freelance gigs? Here are some sites where you can find jobs just for your skill set:

https://www.freelancer.com

http://www.craigslist.org

https://www.odesk.com/

http://www.elance.com

http://www.peopleperhour.com/

Need to update or obtain new skills to launch your freelance career?  KnowledgeCity has courses in Business Management and Computer Software.  Try the first 3 lessons of any course for free!

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The Future of Training: Moving from Learner Centric to Business Centric Model

The future of Learning and Development is moving away from Learner Centric, or employee needs model, and moving more towards Business Centric, or business needs model.  The reason behind this trend is that the business needs of the company should be considered when developing a training program.  To have a measureable effect on productivity moving to a Business Centric model is a must.

According to David Grebow, in his article The Future of L&D: Business-Centric Learning, “Before the learners ever see the content, it needs to pass the test of alignment with the business needs.”  

As an example: If one of the goals of the business is to increase and measure customer service; in the Business Centric model, the Learning and Development team would design training to address this goal of the business.  Courses might include: Customer Service Essentials, Retaining Customers, Improving your Customer Service Skills.

In a recent article in Training Industry Magazine, Key Trends 2014; Shifting to Business Centric Learning, Doug Haward stated that the Learner Centric model “missed the mark on the most fundamental principle for success: ensuring that training is aligned to the needs of the business first.”

Learning and Development has been focusing on the skills gaps for some time now.  The trend is to continue to evaluate what your staff knows and what they need to know to align with the business needs of the company.  An important trend to this model is consistency. 

In a rapidly changing industry, training is in fast forward: mobile devices, video integration, digital content, open source and flipped classroom.  Sometimes it’s hard to decipher what content can be used or applied to a specific training program.

Many businesses seeking to maximize performance are using the Business Centric model with a virtual component.  Moving to E-Learning allows companies to create a training program that is across the board for all employees and yet can give that element of Learner Centric while still meeting the Business Centric model.

Training is made more efficient and effective by online education companies like KnowledgeCity.com, that can create custom training paths designed to choose courses for each employee’s skill level and job responsibilities—courses that are most relevant to the work they do or need to be able to do to reach the business goals set by the company.

KnowledgeCity uses a proprietary algorithm and training advisors to choose the best courses, and the employee’s own manager approves or modifies the user’s final course list. By enrolling in the KnowledgeCity Training Need Analysis program, a company ensures that their employees receive the best training for their position in line with the company goals.

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KnowledgeCity: A Training Solution

The way we do business changes rapidly.  With these ever changing needs, employee training is imperative.  KnowledgeCity has recognized the need for businesses to train their employees in a manner that does not interfere with, but rather enhances productivity.  We cannot train employees in the usual way.  According to a report by the Association for Talent Development, outside training cost U.S. businesses an estimated $46.9 billion in 2012.

Read the full report:  ASTD 2012 State of the Industry Report

If you are looking for the solution, you have come to the right place.  KnowledgeCity is a leader in online education with over 7000 tutorials in our video library.  Start training the smart way.

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Succeeding in the Business World

Have you ever considered starting your own business? Or thought about going back to school for your MBA? Or perhaps you are already employed, but want to better understand the principles that drive the economy and how to navigate changing market trends.

Regardless of your industry, job title or the state of the economy, there are certain principles that remain true for businesses of all kinds. KnowledgeCity’s Introduction to Business illustrates the fundamentals of any thriving business. This dynamic course gives you a comprehensive, behind-the-scenes look at the various types of businesses, what drives economies and global markets, how to analyze the competition, marketing strategies, business ethics, and more. Instructor Lisa Sharpiro explains key terms and concepts, teaching you essential strategies for avoiding common pitfalls.

For example, one of the tools covered in the course is something called a SWOT analysis.

A what?

A SWOT analysis is way to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats facing your business. Here is a small sampling of the types of questions that can help you reflect on how you can improve your business: 

• Strengths
• What does your business do well?
• What resources are available?
• Weaknesses
• What can you improve?
• What should you avoid?
• Strategize to overcome weaknesses
• Hire talent
• Get training
• Outsource
• Opportunities
• Be aware of:
• Positive trends
• Favorable technology
• Changes in regulations
• Threats
• What is the competition doing?
• Does the business have cash flow problems?
• Are regulations becoming stricter?
• What dangers can threaten the business?
• Environmental
• Social/Political
• Economic
• Consumer behavior

By better understanding these principles, you can enter the business world with more confidence and a firm foundation.  Check it out at KnowledgeCity.com.

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Feeling Burned Out? Revitalize Your Job!

Once you've been in the same job for a long time, you might start to feel a little bored or burned out. However, you probably don't just want to quit and look for a new job, especially in this current economy. So what can you do to stay motivated?

Try implementing one or all of these three techniques to regain your passion for your job.

Job Enlargement Restructure your job by restoring the wholeness of the job. This means that you take your job and fit it into the bigger picture of the organization.

Maybe you've been working on one particular part of a project. Ask to see the other sections of the project in order to see how everything, including your part, fits together. It's motivational when you can see the bigger picture, or the finished product, rather than just your individual part in it. Recognizing how your work fits into the whole will also help you to understand the value of your job, and recognize the areas where you can improve or expand on to better fit the organization.

Job Enrichment Increase your personal responsibility for your work. Increase your authority (the right to act, decide, and command) to make decisions about your job, and make sure to participate in the planning process. This can give your position more value, helping you to reinvest yourself in the work.

Job Rotation Learn the job of another employee. If you and another employee are both burning out, then switch jobs! This allows you to challenge yourself and stay interested by learning all about a new position. Plus, you increase your own versatility by increasing your knowledge of the organization. In familiarizing yourself with other jobs, you also learn how your work relates to other positions in the organization.

For more tips on how to stay motivated, check out our fun new course on the Art of Motivation, and be sure to take advantage of the first 3 FREE tutorials!

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The Uniqueness of KnowledgeCity’s Online Tutorial

There is something about KnowledgeCity that is unique compared to other online tutorial websites. While most online video tutorial websites are catered toward the business industry to help the working professionals with their career development, Knowledge City’s computer software courses provides both for the business and the academic world.

Computer software programs are constantly undated from the old versions in school, which could leave students’ bereft of the knowledge needed for the success of their assignments, projects, and presentation. Knowledge city offers both students and business workers with a user-friendly website that offers video tutorials on the latest computer software.

High school and college students can view the latest PowerPoint 2007, Adobe Photoshop CS4 video tutorial, while businessman and woman can take courses on business management, project management course that is broken down to its principle, concepts, and techniques.

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Tutorial of the Day - Stress Management

With the holidays coming soon, learn how to manage stress in this short clip from KnowledgeCity.com.

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