Fall is my favoirte time of the year! The crisp air and beautiful colors are always invigorating. It's also a wonderful time to say thank you to all of you who have helped my business grow. It is such a joy to work with eager and engaged participants in my classes. I'm grateful for the many experiences I have had over these last 14 years of Progressions Inc. Enjoy the season!

NEW! High-impact web conferencing and e-Learning opportunities

It's dynamic and engaging, easy to use, and always available — and best of all, you don't have to travel any further than your desktop computer! Six self-directed modules for only $595! (unlimited use within any organization)

Watch for an announcement in the coming weeks once all 6 webinar topics are recorded and ready for release!

New conferences..coming in 2009

Plan ahead for Lynn's special one or two day workshops that are being offered for the first time in this intimate, elegant setting. Learn from others in a beautiful and dynamic hotel & day spa, The Chrysalis Inn, on Bellingham's waterfront.

conference calendar

April 16, 2009: Sales and Service Excellence
This is a full-day highly interactive program designed for all employees of your company.  It takes the participant through the sales process with a myriad of breakouts, role-plays and exercises.

April 17, 2009: Coaching and Leadership
This session provides both skill sets and understanding of the importance of setting clear expectations, one on one coaching, modeling the desired behaviors, caring enough to confront difficult situations, measurement and rewards with recognition. This full-day session is a must for any company embracing change.

September 10, 2009: Sales and Service Excellence
(repeat of April 16 class)

September 11, 2009: Presentation Skills
Hone your speaking skills and build your confidence in this fun-filled interactive class .

Price: only $295.00 each day which includes gourmet lunch at Fino's Fine Dining

Who should attend?

Sales and Service Excellence:

*Leaders wanting to develop their skills to teach and inspire their team
*Anyone with direct customer contact
*Progressions clients with new employees who have not yet taken this course
*Anyone wishing to increase their sales and build relationships

Coaching and Leadership Skills :

*New managers and supervisors
*Leaders wanting to improve their communication and coaching skills
*Leaders wanting to motivate their team
*Leaders wanting to instill accountabiltiy and increase productivity with their team
*Leaders wanting to learn from others and network with other industries
*Progressions clients with new leaders who have not yet taken this course

This Month's Featured Program:

Instilling Confidence in your Leadership Team!
- Knowing and accepting your leadership responsibility
-Leading change amongst your team
-Coaching for sales success
-Being a class act!

Lynn designs programs specific to her client’s needs. She has over 100 modules which can be combined or added to any program to create the ideal session for your company. 

Feature Article

Enhancing Your Employees Performance

Wouldn’t the world be a wonderful place if every employee came to work with the right attitude, followed the appropriate directions and took initiative to provide service excellence and performance efficiently? Seldom is this the case now days with our varying generations and the attitude that comes from them. Follow these seven ways to enhance performance and enjoy a more affective work environment.

1. Hire the right people! Look for people with talent, desire and ability to do the job well. Hire for attitude, train for skill. A more thorough and defined interviewing process can often alleviate hours of frustration, situations where customers receive less than stellar service and a myriad of interoffice challenges. Know what you are looking for in an employee. The best way to do this is to spend time in advance and write down exactly the attributes, talents and behavior you are looking for. Even though we want to “fill the spot” quickly it’s often to everyone’s advantage to wait just a little bit longer to find the right person. Many companies use a referral program where they reward internal employees for referring a solid candidate into the company. In my experience this has proved to be very advantageous. Depending on the level of the position attracted, referral fees range from $50.00 up to as much as $5,000.00. When you look at what a head hunter’s referral fee would be and the cost to the company of training and turn over, an upfront referral fee is often a wise investment.

2. Clearly communicate job responsibilities and performance expectations with all new employees and… your team existing as well. Confirm the understanding directly with them so that clarity of responsibility and expectation is firmly in place. I often hear “I just wish my boss would tell me what they want me to do!” This is a vivid indication that the employer’s expectations were never clearly spelled out for the employee. No one comes to work and wants to let their boss down. The better the description up front the better the result.

3. Make training and continual learning a top priority in your company. Training is rated as the second aspect for employee retention as they feel valued and see that as an investment in them. Establish a curriculum for training and publicize it to all employees. Take the extra time and visit individually at least two times a year with each employee to see what their career goals are and what you can do to help them succeed. There is no more precious commodity then a well trained and educated employee who wants to advance and help your company grow.

4. Regularly provide specific performance feedback. I recommend four times a year in a formal setting and at least twice a week in a more casual coaching environment. Make sure your employees know how they are doing in your eyes and compared to specific expectations. For quarterly sessions I recommend going outside of your business in a neutral setting where both parties can be candid and comfortable. Weekly coaching is essential. This is a two to ten minute exchange where you the leader ask open-ended questions, and encourage the contributions from your team members. Weekly coaching will create a culture where employees thrive and you see results.

5. Consistently recognize and reward positive performance. The number one principle in leadership is … you get what you reward! So if you are looking to encourage certain behaviors, attitudes and specific performance simply reward them. “The One Minute manager” approach is always the best and that is “catch them doing it right” and recognize them immediately. In so doing you reaffirm the very behavior you are looking for and start to groom and develop top notch performance.

6. Hold people accountable for negative behavior and performance. Care enough to confront! Without this essential step it is quite typical for common errors, negativity, and less than desirable activities to become the norm in your company. If not addressed employees think that these actions are acceptable and therefore continue them. By caring enough about the employee to confront them, you are investing in their future and yours.

7. Set the example. Be a positive role model for your team. If you are the leader all eyes are on you much more then you think. Your employees are watching everything from your dress, timeliness, actions and attitude. You as a leader set the tone. Whatever behavior you do, they will see as acceptable. You have the honor and opportunity to demonstrate what “good” looks like simply by being a positive role model for your team.

Here’s wishing you success and prosperity.

Lynn Giuliani

reminder:
Lynn is now booking for 2009

She has reserved time slots for previous clients but they are filling up fast. So if you'd like to schedule training with Lynn in 2009, please contact her at your earliest opportunity. View Lynn's Calendar Here»

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