**TOOL BOX**
 Have
a recruitment, inspiration, training, or retention idea or question? Ask by
clicking the question mark, and we’ll post your idea or question (and the
answer) in Answers & Ideas
on Recruiting, Inspiring, Training, & Retaining Great Employees at
http://www.trainingsys.com. |
Flying to Your Vacation Destination? The Flight Attendants Make It Fun
on This Airline
Wouldn't you love to have this attendant on your next flight? Thanks to a
retired Delta Captain for sending this "paraphrase" of a memorable safety PA
from Alaska Air Flight Attendants.
In his own words.... "I was flying to San Francisco from Seattle this
weekend, and the flight attendant reading the flight safety information had
the whole plane looking at each other like "what the heck?" (Getting Seattle
people to look at each other is an accomplishment in itself.) So once we got
airborne, I took out my laptop and typed up what she said, so I wouldn't
forget. I've left out a few parts, I'm sure, but this is most of it."
Before takeoff...
Hello, and welcome to Alaska Flight 438 to San Francisco. If you're going to
San Francisco, you're in the right place. If you're not going to San
Francisco, you're about to have a really long evening. We'd like to tell you
now about some important safety features of this aircraft.
The most important safety feature we have aboard this plane is.....The
Flight Attendants. Please look at one now.
There are 5 exits aboard this plane: 2 at the front, 2 over the wings, and
one out the plane's rear end. If you're seated in one of the exit rows,
please do not store your bags by your feet. That would be a really bad idea.
Please take a moment and look around and find the nearest exit. Count the
rows of seats between you and the exit. In the event that the need arises to
find one, trust me, you'll be glad you did. We have pretty blinking lights
on the floor that will blink in the direction of the exits. White ones along
the normal rows, and pretty red ones at the exit rows.
In the event of a loss of cabin pressure these baggy things will drop down
over your head. You stick it over your nose and mouth like the flight
attendant is doing now. The bag won't inflate, but there's oxygen there, I
promise. If you are sitting next to a small child, or someone who is acting
like a small child, please do us all a favor and put on your mask first. If
you are traveling with two or more children, please take a moment now to
decide which one is your favorite. Help your favorite first, and then work
your way down.
In the seat pocket in front of you is a pamphlet about the safety features
of this plane. I usually use it as a fan when I'm having my own personal
summer. It makes a very good fan. It also has pretty pictures. Please take
it out and play with it now.
Please take a moment now to make sure your seat belts are fastened low and
tight about your waist. To fasten the belt, insert the metal tab into the
buckle. To release, it's a pulley thing — not a pushy thing like your car
because you're in an airplane. HELLO!!
There is no smoking in the cabin on this flight. There is also no smoking in
the lavatory. If we see smoke coming from the lavatories, we will assume you
are on fire and put you out. This is a free service we provide.
There are two smoking sections on this flight, one outside each wing exit.
We do have a movie in the smoking sections tonight... hold on, let me check
what it is... Oh, here it is; the movie tonight is "Gone with the Wind."
In a moment we will be turning off the cabin lights, and it's going to get
really dark, really fast. If you're afraid of the dark, now would be a good
time to reach up and press the yellow button. The yellow button turns on
your reading light. Please don't press the orange button unless you
absolutely have to. The orange button is your seat ejection button.
We're glad to have you with us on board this flight. Thank you for choosing
Alaska Air, and giving us your business and your money. If there's anything
we can do to make you more comfortable, please don't hesitate to ask.
If you all weren't strapped down, you would have given me a standing
ovation, wouldn't you?
After landing...
Welcome to the San Francisco International Airport. Sorry about the bumpy
landing. It's not the captain's fault. It's not the co-pilot's fault. It's
the Asphalt.
Please remain seated until the plane is parked at the gate. At no time in
history has a passenger beaten a plane to the gate. So please don't even
try.
Please be careful opening the overhead bins because..."shift happens".
**TOOL
BOX**
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PowerPoint screen show that features
40 humorous posters that are pre-set to work on “auto-pilot”.
Makes a great “WELCOME” message or enhancement to your session
break. Runs about 5 minutes, and is set to automatically
recycle. You can add in your own slides. (a great place to slip
in your objectives!)
Get your PowerPoint screen show here! |
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Love those COLORFUL QUOTE POSTERS you
see in
TRAINING SYSTEMS'
group training and conference bookstores?
Email or call 800-469-3560 to find out how to get packs of
the topics you need. |
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Give Your Staff Guidance So Their Vacation Is Inspiring
Feel like staff vacations are their own business? Left to their own devices most
will:
● call in at least 1x during the week
● call back people who left voice mail messages
● check their email at least 1x/day!
You’re thrilled to read that they have such loyalty to the organization
until...you read the study that found that those who try to juggle email and all
the rest of their work experience an IQ drop more than 2x that of marijuana
smokers. Dr. Glenn Wilson, regarding that study, said, “This is a very real and
widespread phenomenon. We have found that this obsession with looking at
messages, if unchecked, will damage a worker’s performance by reducing their
mental sharpness.” Our guess is that it’s an even bigger drop on vacation!
Some tips to give to your staff before their vacations:
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CHOOSE A STRESS RELIEVING VACATION |
How about a week with the Benedictine Sisters of
Perpetual Adoration — Monasteries have welcomed
travelers for centuries, but now vacationers seeking
peace are showing up.
Some go seeking a quiet breather from deadlines and
responsibilities, while others go in search of spiritual
rejuvenation. Sister Colleen Maura McGrane, whose Clyde
monastery welcomes 3,000 guests of all ages a year,
says, “There is a real hunger for people to find ways to
live their spiritual life in the midst of the secular
world.” Clyde’s guests attend prayer services 4xs a day,
assist nuns by making rosaries and baking communion
breads, and explore the monastery grounds.
For an inexpensive vacation — a 4-night stay, including
3 meals a day, costs only $25. Amen to that. |
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EMAIL, VOICE MAIL |
• Help staff learn how to set their email auto
responder to tell people when they’ll be back
• Same w/voice mail
• Tell them if they check, their IQ will drop (see above
study)! |
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USE TIME AWAY FROM WORK TO REFOCUS THOUGHTS |
To change your life, you must get rid of old thoughts and be
able to accept some new ones. One of the greatest truths is that
you create your life with your thoughts. Your thoughts are what
make things happen. Thoughts and words have power.
Each thought in your mind is the seed for everything you do,
feel, or say. Thoughts are what create our feelings. If you want
to feel happy you need to change your thoughts. If you are
feeling depressed, angry jealous or sad you are the one that is
causing you to feel that way with your negative thoughts.
You have more control over your thoughts than over anything else
in your life. When you are able to control your thoughts you
will be able to control your world.
Thoughts create everything that happens to you. Thoughts are
what produce results in your life. You will get more of whatever
you focus your thoughts on. Whatever you think about frequently
will happen in your life.
If you focus your thoughts on too much work to do when you get
back from vacation, worrying about a certain event, or about
becoming sick, that is exactly what is going to happen. You have
a great power that needs to be used in the right way. Drop your
negative thoughts today like a hot potato! |
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By Barb Garza, President of Pinnacle Enterprises.
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Summer Is Your Busy Time
OK, so staff doesn’t take their vacation in the summer because it’s your
busy time. But the rest of their family and friends may be, so give them a
vacation where they “sit”:
Every day your staff work and sit at a desk surrounded by 4 gray walls and stare
at a computer monitor for 8 long hours with a ˝ hour unpaid lunch break. Have
some fun with “The Cubes”, new inaction heroes by Accountrements. The fun comes
in building and decorating your hero’s work area (it’s a little like Legos),
and determining whether your employee is a corporate asset or liability.
Your hero can be hard at work on a spreadsheet—or a game of solitaire. The
Cubes’ cubes come with cheesy motivational posters, lame signs, and stickers
that form wonderfully generic job titles like Deputy Purchasing Coordinator or
Level B Marketing Analyst. It’s something to play with in between filing those
reports. (More info @ www.cubefigures.com/home.html)
**TOOL BOX**
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Doing
Good for Goodness Sake: Heartwarming Stories &
Inspiring Ideas to Help You Help Others, by
Steve Zikman |
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Volunteer Vacations: Short Term Adventures That Will
Benefit You & Others, by Bill McMillon |
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Training This Summer? Make It FUN!
“...most of us have long since discovered that the joy of acquiring new
skills and knowledge is the closest thing to fun adults are allowed to
have.”
Wine-tasting, kitchen craft, weekend rocking and baseball bliss. What’s
it all got to do with work? Remember those dismal days when your parents
forced you to take piano lessons — the endless arpeggios and scales and the
monotonous tick of the metronome? How about those dance classes where little
ladies and gentlemen stumbled through waltzes and foxtrots with palms
sweating and stepped-on toes throbbing? Ever wonder how you endured the
interminable hours when the adults made you sit up straight, pay attention
and improve yourself by learning something educational, edifying...and
excruciating?
While learning and fun may exist on distant galaxies, far from each other in
the chaotic confines of a kid’s brain, most of us have long since discovered
that the joy of acquiring new skills and knowledge is the closest thing to
fun adults are allowed to have. As much as we’re touted on self-improvement,
sharpened job skills, and a framed degree on the office wall, a significant
number of us are flocking to learning environments of every description
simply because it’s fun to find out what we don’t know. And the other
employees in your organization are no different than you!
Learning, just
like fun, is where you find it and it’s highly likely that what your staff
find will be an opportunity to add some delightful new dimensions to their
job and lives if you think outside the box. Think beyond the traditional
classroom way of fun — toys, games, etc. Oh, please keep doing them when
appropriate for the learning objective and the learners, but we’re talking
broader here. Think..............................
Gary Thornburg, who once allowed a chance encounter to lead him to a
pleasurable and fulfilling new career. A successful businessman with the
requisite stress level and overbooked, Thornburg found himself in Napa
Valley on a weekend wine tasting getaway. It was there that he discovered a
hitherto untapped passion for the fruit of the vine, a highly specialized
pursuit about which he knew virtually nothing. A self-taught crash course in
white, red, blushes, and beyond ensued and when Thornburg’s fun quotient
reached new highs, he promptly sold his company and bought 5 acres of prime
vineyard. These days he and his wife own and operate a cozy wine tasting
establishment across from the historic Mission in San Juan Capistrano,
California, passing on his love for great vintages to his customers
through direct experience, his own preferred educational method.
Of course, not everyone seeking enhanced avenues of learning and enjoyment
is required to stake their future on simply having a good time. For Ann
Michaels, fun intersected directly with her desire to prepare healthy and
delicious food for her household. Raised in a well-to-do family where meals
were always prepared for them Ann was never expected to pitch in peeling
potatoes or shucking peas and, in fact, felt distinctly out of place in the
kitchen. It was only when here husband and kids turned up at the dinner
table with expectant expressions that she decided it was time to take the
culinary bull by the horns. While private lessons with a certified chef were
too pricey to justify, Ann set about gathering a group of 4 friends, all of
whom were interested in making meals memorable. Together they hired
an instructor, sharing the cost of weekly lessons, all of which, of course,
made the learning much more — there’s that word again — fun.
If you’ve ever yodeled your way through a golden oldie in the shower or
played spontaneous air guitar, then it’s quite like you’ll connect with the
musical mission of Roger McNamee, guitarist, songwriter and part time rock
star whose own personal learning curve arced into the fun zone with the
formation of his very own rock group. McNamee, a 40-something high tech
venture capitalist, joined forces some years ago with an odd assortment of
fellow funders and friendly computer geeks to make good on his dreams of a
Grateful Dead-style jam band. He dubbed the floating contingent of between 8
and 14 semi-permanent players The Flying Other Brothers, playing one-off
gigs at Silicon Valley conventions and even recording a couple of credible
CD’s. Dissatisfied with the band’s progress, however, McNamee hired some
ringers, including former Jefferson Airplane bassist Jack Casady and Rod
Stewart keyboardist Pete Sears, to coach them through a month-long
session of music camp, getting timely tips on everything from tuning up to
hair teasing. The result? Their camp counselors joined them on stage and in
the studio, adding a whole new level of realism to their rock ‘n’ roll
fantasy.
On the subject of fantasies, major-league sports probably provides
more fodder for daydreaming than anything short of a winning lottery ticket.
Small wonder that, back in 1980, former big leaguer Randy Hundley stumbled
on a way to bring the bat-swinging, base-rounding fantasies of boyhood back
to life with the inspired Fantasy Camp concept. It’s an idea that has grown
faster than a Yankee’s salary, offering the opportunity to rub elbows with
some of the game’s greats without regard to your athletic ability, or lack
thereof. Among the most popular is the World Series of Fantasy Baseball,
held twice a year at Vero Beach Florida’s Dodgertown, as well as a wide
variety of week long sessions run by various major league franchises. Among
the perks: your own uniform, professional coaches, locker room privileges,
and personalized trading cards.
Adapted from Half Time
Magazine, 1/03.
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MAKE YOUR
TRAINING FUN WITH MOVIES |
| Use videos/DVDs of movies of current culture as the
discussion starter for any topic. Sources include: |
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| Implications For Training? |
| “Outside the box” learning FUN comes from: |
- things relating to current culture
- through direct experience
- things done together
- using a coach
- things that fulfill fantasies
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Let
TRAINING SYSTEMS,
INC. brainstorm ideas with you. Call
800-469-3560!
**TOOL BOX**
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Movies to Manage By, by J. Clemson & M. Wolff |
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“Training Goes to the Movies” article in Training & Development
Magazine, 53(7) |
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Give Employees the Flexible Choices They Need: Benefits
“For many employers, the business outlook is significantly brighter today
than 12 months ago. As companies once again compete to attract and retain
top talent, employee benefits programs — many of which were trimmed during
the past three years — are getting a long-needed makeover. The result is
likely to be a new generation of benefits plans that are more flexible,
convenient and customized than their one-size-fits-all predecessors.”,
says Craig Guiffre, Sr. VP, MetLife.
Employees as Life-Stage Consumers
Today’s employees are, first and foremost, savvy consumers — consumers
who demand options. In an age when employees can go out and “build” a
computer to match their personal specifications, they expect a range of
flexible benefits options to meet their specific life-stage needs.
That’s what makes benefits programs that target offerings to employees at
various life stages such a perfect fit for the 21st century employee, and a
great opportunity for employers to build workforce loyalty. At the
core of such programs is the belief that an employee’s financial and
protection needs change as he/she ages. Single employees, for example, may
favor disability income insurance and health savings accounts (HSA) over
dependent life insurance. Mid-lifers and pre-retirees, on the other hand,
may opt for retirement income products and long-term care (LTC) insurance
over 529 college savings plans. To increase employee satisfaction, employers
need to prioritize workers’ needs at each life stage and then tailor
benefits, communications, and employee educational materials to meet these
diverse needs.
Customized Communications
Think about today’s consumers again: Along with flexible, affordable
products, they want easy-to-understand information about optimal coverage
levels. To maximize benefits satisfaction, employers need to develop
customized communications materials, which include life-stage-specific
product recommendations and decision support tools.
To meet workers’ diverse needs and rebuild benefits satisfaction, employers
need to provide benefits options that are flexible and affordable. For most
employers, this means a creative combination of traditional, employer-paid
benefits, supplemented by a range of voluntary benefits for which employees
pay most or all of the cost. Such combination plans address employers’ need
to customize their companies’ benefits offerings without incurring
additional expenses.
Recent MetLife research shows that most employees are also eager to receive
customized benefits communications. This is good news for employers, many of
whom have seen benefits satisfaction levels and participation rates fall
over the past few years, due in large part to cost-shifting and rising
health-care premiums.
A New Era in Benefits
With employees funding an ever-increasing share of their benefits, they
expect more options and new ways to manage their choices. Fortunately,
benefits plans — made available to a company’s entire workforce and then
targeted to employees at various life stages — enable employers to help meet
their employees’ expectations. They give employees the flexible choices they
need and employers a cost-effective way to boost workplace satisfaction and
loyalty.
From Human Resource Executive, 11/04.
Buy
The Leadership
Genius of George W. Bush: 10 Common Sense Lessons from the
Commander-in-Chief
from our
online
TRAINING SYSTEMS,
INC. catalog
or by
E-mailing or calling 800-469-3560.
WWW.TRAININGSYS.COM
Get FREE access to great recruiting, inspiring, training & retaining tips,
ideas & resources where you can:
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Download articles for your newsletter!!!
-
Use free online assessments!
-
Purchase books, tapes & fun
incentives to help you & your employees be the best!
-
Get new tips each month on Recruiting, Inspiring, Training, & Retaining
great employees!
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Click on links to great managing and training websites!
-
Purchase our famous inspirational quote posters!
-
Get answers to your employee recruiting, inspiring, retaining, & training
questions from our experts!
|
 Have
a recruitment, inspiration, training, or retention idea or question? Ask by
clicking the question mark, and we’ll post your idea or question (and the
answer) in Answers & Ideas
on Recruiting, Inspiring, Training, & Retaining Great Employees at
http://www.trainingsys.com. |
JUNE HOLIDAYS
Candy Month
June 13-19
Email Week
June 8 – Best Friends Day & Ice Cream Day (take your best friend out for
a HUGE cone)
June 10 – Iced Tea Day
June 14 – Flag Day
June 15 – Smile Power Day & A Friend in Need Is A Friend Indeed Day
June 19 – Father’s Day
June 20 – Vanilla Milkshake Day
June 21 – Summer Solstice Day
June 22 – Chocolate Eclair Day
June 23 – Typewriter Day
June 24 – Flying Saucer Day
June 26 - Chocolate Pudding Day
June 29 - Remote Control Day
June 13-17, 2005
CCL: Leadership Development for Human Resource Professionals,
Colorado Springs, CO, http://www.ccl.org
June 19-22, 2005
SHRM Annual Conference & Expo, San Diego, CA,
http://www.shrm.org/conferences/annual
June 20-24, 2005
eLearning Instructional Design Conference, Boston, MA,
http://www.elearningguild.com
July 5-8, 2005
5th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies,
Koahsiung, Taiwan,
http://lttf.ieee.org/icalt2005/
July 17-20, 2005
ASAE 2005 Annual International Meeting, Tampa, Florida,
http://www.asae.org
July 22-23, 2005
THE PATH Training, La Jolla, CA,
http://www.lauribethjones.com
July 31-August 4,2005
SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques Conference, Los
Angeles, CA, http://www.siggraph.org
August 9-10, 2005
6th Annual Illinois Human Resources Conference & Expo, Holmes Student
Center, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL,
http://www.shrm.org/conferences
August 13-16, 2005
ASAE Annual Conference, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center,
Nashville, TN,
http://www.asaeannualmeeting.org/
August 15-17, 2005
HR Generalist Certificate Program, Seattle, WA,
http://www.shrm.org/conferences
August 15-18, 2005
CCL: Leadership Development for Human Resource Professionals,
Colorado Springs, CO,
http://www.shrm.org/conferences
September 23-25, 2005
National Christian Leadership Coaching Summit, Sheraton Capital Center,
Raleigh, NC,
http://www.valwoodcoaching.org
September 25-27, 2005
HR.com Employers of Excellence Conference 2005, Phoenix, AZ,
http://www.hr.com/events
October 19-21, 2005
8th Annual HR Executive’s Technology Conference & Expo, McCormick
Place, Chicago, IL,
http://www.hr.com/events
October 24-26, 2005
Workplace Diversity “New Challenges, New Opportunities” Conference,
Las Vegas NV, http://www.hr.com/events
VOLUNTEERING & GIVING
Be a Pen-Pal to a Soldier
Got to the Manhattanville web site, http://www.mville.edu, sign up to
correspond with a soldier, and receive a red wristband stamped with MY
SOLDIER (like the Lance Armstrong “LIVE STRONG” bands).
RECYCLING
Responsibly Dispose of Your Old Electronics
Donate PCs to National Cristina Foundation,
http://www.cristina.org
Recycle PCs and other computer products at Hewlett Packard and Dell. See
their websites for details.
Find local Electronics recyclers at
http://www.earth911.org and
http://www.ebay.com/rethink
WWW.TRAININGSYS.COM
Get FREE access to great recruiting, inspiring, training & retaining tips,
ideas & resources where you can:::
* Download articles for your newsletter!
* Use free online assessments!
* Purchase books, tapes & fun incentives to help you & your employees be the
best!
http://store.fastcommerce.com/trainingsys/
* Get new tips each month on Recruiting, Inspiring, Training, & Retaining
great employees!
*Have a recruitment, inspiration, training, or retention idea or question?
Send e-mail to TSI@trainingsys.com
and we’ll post your idea or question (and the answer) in Answers & Ideas on
Recruiting, Inspiring, Training, & Retaining Great Employees at
http://www.trainingsys.com
* Click on links to great managing and training websites!
* Purchase our famous inspirational quote posters!
* Get answers to your employee recruiting, inspiring, retaining, & training
questions from our experts!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Copyright 2005
TRAINING
SYSTEMS,
INC.
All rights reserved.
**FORWARD RECRUIT, INSPIRE & RETAIN TO OTHERS
Remember, you can get issues you missed at our Website
http://www.trainingsys.com/rir/index.htm. For older (pre-1997) issues,
call 800-469-3560 or send an e-mail to
rir@trainingsys.com.
**ARTICLE REPRINTS FOR RECRUIT, INSPIRE & RETAIN
An ideal way to introduce new ideas or stimulate learning with the employees
in your organization.
Article reprints can also serve as a powerful promotional or sales tool -
include them with your
brochures, newsletters & media kits. For complete information on article
reprints or copyright
permission, call 1-800-469-3560 or e-mail to
rir@trainingsys.com
**YOU HAVE UNIQUE, VALUABLE KNOWLEDGE FOR OTHERS
We’d love to print your articles on recruiting, inspiring, training and
retaining employees. E-mail
your article to mail to
rir@trainingsys.com.
**We’ll be back next month with more great tips, ideas, success stories, and
information to help you recruit, inspire, train, & retain great employees!
RECRUIT, INSPIRE & RETAIN contains links to websites operated by
organizations other than
TRAINING SYSTEMS, INC.
These links are for your convenience and we assume
no responsibility for the content or operations of those sites.
RECRUIT, INSPIRE & RETAIN is a free e-zine of
TRAINING SYSTEMS, INC.,
published 12 times/year. Editor: Carolyn B. Thompson, Data Entry:
Patti Lowczyk (Lowczyk Secretarial), HTML: Debbie Daw (www.HelpQuest.com). Visit
us at http://www.trainingsys.com
soon!
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