You 5-Point Computer Training Plan – when you need training for your team.

By: Corporate Training Options, Australia

A Computer Training Plan is important for all of us.   Especially if you have recently installed new software, or upgraded to a new version of your software.

If you’re in charge of organising workplace training sessions for your team, then this 5-Point Computer Training Plan will help you prepare for it.

Successful Training is planned in advance

Training your staff effectively is critical to your teams’ ongoing education, their job satisfaction, and their ability to achieve in their role. It’s also a strategic investment in the long-term success of your organisation.

The most effective training sessions are well-planned and prepared in advanced.  Once you have booked you computer training course with CTO, you can then work with your trainer to plan your course to suit your requirements.

The points covered in this training preparation plan will help you arrange an effective computer training session. It will also ensure your training runs smoothly, to deliver the best return on your investment.

1. Advise us of your specific needs

The benefit of booking in-house computer training with CTO, is that the training can be customised to suit the specific needs of your organisation. It therefore will be beneficial if you can fully brief CTO on your requirements, prior to your training session.

Produce a list of key topics that need to be covered.  You can create this list by discussing the matter with the trainees attending the course, their manager, or someone in your organisation who already has the skills the attendees are looking to acquire.

Send examples of your work to CTO before the training.  This will give your trainer a good idea of the kind of documents your staff will need to create or edit. We can then incorporate your documents into practical exercises for your course.

For example, if your staff are learning how to create corporate brochures, the trainer could assist them to create pages from some of your typical brochures during the training.  This will allow your trainer to check that your trainees are mastering the relevant techniques.

2. Plan your training area

Set up a suitable area where you can conduct your computer training session.   This needs to be an environment where the trainees can concentrate on learning without interruption or distraction.

If your organisation does not have a training room, then a meeting room can be adapted for the purpose. Delegates should be able to comfortably see the trainer from their seats.

Each trainee should have the use of their own workstation or laptop for the duration of the course and enough space to use it.

A computer connected to a data projector for the trainer is extremely useful. A group of 1-3 trainees can easily gather around a shared computer screen.  However, groups of 4 or more will find a data projector necessary.  A whiteboard and pens are also helpful.

3. Your Training Software

The correct version of the software should be loaded on each person’s computer and, ideally, everyone should be using the same version of the software. For example, running a course on Microsoft Excel where some delegates have Excel 2013 and others Excel 2016 could be challenging, since there are differences between the two versions.

However, rest assured that if you do have different versions of the software in your business, your CTO Trainer does know both versions, and will be able to manage the training for your team, pointing out the version differences during the course.

4. Brief your training delegates

For your computer training to be effective, delegates must be available for the duration of the course.  They should ideally be off-limits to other members of staff. One way to achieve this is that they should be treated as absent from the office, until their course ends.

Equally, they should be motivated to do the training and agree that it will benefit them.  They need to believe that acquiring the new skills provided by the training will help them to work more effectively.

It’s not a good idea to add a few extra bodies to a training session just to make up the numbers. It is far better to include just those delegates for whom the training will be relevant and useful.  More focussed, smaller groups also allows your trainees to receive more personal attention from the trainer.

5. Timing

Finally, to be effective, in-house computer training should be timely. Computer users should attend a course at a time when they are about to start using the software or using it in some new or more advanced manner. Immediately following their training, they should also have the opportunity to implement what they have learned.

They should have the software available on their own computers and there should be a requirement for them to use it as part of their daily routine.

If they don’t actually use the software for weeks or months after attending a course, the benefits of the training can be almost entirely lost.  This may lead to them needing to repeat the training session.

You can improve your computer skills with CTO’s extensive range of computer training courses, covering software that is used in business organisations around the world.

For more information on the Computer Training Courses available, please visit the CTO website – cto.com.au

With just a little advance planning, you can achieve a great return on your investment in training for your team.

About Corporate Training Options

Corporate Training Options (CTO) is an Australian Professional Development and IT Training Company, which provides customised, workplace training courses Australia-wide.

The courses provide a cost-effective way of ensuring you and your staff are making the most of your software applications.

CTO’s Computer Training courses are tailored to meet your requirements, and your training is provided on-site, on dates which suit you.

We look forward to working with you, to increase your productivity and  build your confidence in using your computer software.

For more information on the range of Computer Training Courses available, please visit the CTO website – cto.com.au

Rosy King

Corporate Training Options

Professional Training  –  Exceptional Results

E: training@cto.com.au
W: cto.com.au

The Power of Professionalism, Courtesy & Respect in Business

By: Corporate Training Options, Australia

Having strong skills in business etiquette and professionalism is extremely important.

In your business dealings and in your workplace, it’s critical you and your team display a professional attitude and demeanour, and respect towards others at all times. You will also need to know the correct business etiquette for interacting with staff and clients in a variety of situations.

Professional situations can at times be awkward, however, with an understanding of business etiquette, even awkward situations can be managed well. However, many forms of business training simply do not cover etiquette and professionalism.

Business Etiquette & Professionalism Training

CTO’s business etiquette and professionalism course will teach your staff to present themselves in a polished and professional manner. When you are adept at business etiquette, others that you deal with in the work environment will take you seriously. Business etiquette is, essentially, proper behaviour in a business environment.

Here are some business etiquette tips you can use every day.

• Tone of Voice

 Always use an even tone of voice. Never raise your voice to others around you and always use appropriate language. Speak to others in a respectful tone.

• Remember People’s Names

Make an effort to remember the names of those that you work with and deal with regularly in your position.

• Managers

Respect and courtesy should be shown to everyone at your workplace. Your managers in particular, should receive extra care in your communications with them. They should be made aware of your status on projects, and you should communicate to them any achievements or setbacks as soon as they occur.

• Promptness

Always arrive at work and meetings on time, and inform management and co-workers if you will be out of the office. Return phone calls and emails promptly. Minimise personal phone calls at work.

• Dress

Know the dress code for your organisation and ask for clarification on this if you are not sure. This goes for casual dress days too.

• Office Decorations

Consider who will see your office adornments and what they say about you. Are they distracting, or could they be considered derogatory in any way?  Or do you have a clean, tidy, well presented and professional work space?

Professionalism

Professionalism in the workplace, and the professional qualities that a person and business portray, imply quality of service and workmanship.

A professional attitude will lead to a reputation for excellence and will reflect on both the individual and the organisation.

Professionalism is needed when introducing yourself to those in the workplace, when speaking on the phone, and when dealing with peers and co-workers, suppliers and clients.

It can be difficult to know how to present yourself and your organisation professionally. Training in business etiquette will teach you how to do this easily and effectively, using real life examples and roleplays.

The Skills of a Professional

• Always aim for excellence in your work

Do your work to the best of your ability at all times.

• Conduct yourself with Integrity

Professionals have strong morals and principles. They are fair and trustworthy and portray these characteristics at their place of work.

• Be Reliable

Always do what you say you are going to do. Do not under deliver.

• Be Honest

When you are honest, people know that they can depend on you. They will feel that they can trust you, and your organisation.

• Be Polite and Respectful at All Times

Everyone that you deal with, including managers, subordinates and workmates, should be treated with courtesy and respect. Always be polite.

• Be Careful what you put in Writing

Much of our communication is now done by email and as such it needs to be scrutinised and checked before you hit the send button. Ensure that the tone, grammar and wording is appropriate.

• Don’t Complain

Negativity at work can spread like wildfire if you allow it to. Resist the temptation to complain and commiserate with co-workers. Instead of talking and complaining about work issues, act professionally and work towards solving the issues.

• Do not take Situations Personally

In the case of a difficult client, a misunderstanding with a co-worker or any other difficult situation, remain calm and try to separate the issue from the person. Remember that the situation is not a personal assault on you.

Training your team in Business Etiquette and Professionalism will result in:

• increased morale in the office
• fewer customer complaints
• more confident team members
• a greater level of staff retention
• increased productivity
• an improved perception of you and your business

Business etiquette and professionalism training will teach you and your team members to represent themselves and your organisation effectively and proficiently. It is beneficial for staff at all levels.

Click here for bookings and more information today!

Over to you! What are your thoughts or experiences about Business Etiquette and Professionalism?

We’d love to hear them or answer any questions you have, so please contact the Corporate Training Options team today.

Business Etiquette and Professionalism training

The above techniques on Business Etiquette and Professionalism are covered in detail in the Corporate Training Options course, so please contact us today for more information.

To book a Business Etiquette and Professionalism course for your team, please visit our website here

About Corporate Training Options

Corporate Training Options is an Australian Professional Development Training Company, incorporated in 1992.

Our customised Professional Development courses are available Australia-wide, for both business executives and corporate teams, and provide a cost-effective way of ensuring you and your staff are presenting your best image to the world.

CTO Professional Development Training courses are customised to meet your requirements, and your training is provided on-site, on dates which suit you.

We have over 300 qualified instructors on call in:

• Sydney
• Melbourne
• Brisbane
• Gold Coast
• Canberra
• Adelaide
• Perth
• Darwin
• Hobart
• New Zealand
• United Kingdom
• Canada
• USA

Each CTO trainer has specific areas of expertise. This enables them to provide invaluable assistance to corporations like yours, seeking to maximise your investment in your teams.

We guarantee the highest possible standard of tuition, personalised to suit your exact requirements. By training onsite in your workplace, you are provided with a cost-effective way of ensuring you and your staff are able to improve your professional skills.

So if you’re ready to upgrade your skills, contact Corporate Training Options today for friendly, professional advice.

We’ll discuss your specific needs, and tailor a training course to suit your requirements.

For more information on the range of Corporate Training Courses available, please visit the CTO website here

Rosy King

Corporate Training Options

Professional Training  –  Exceptional Results

E: training@cto.com.au

W: cto.com.au

6 Tips for Effective Communication 

Brought to you by Rosy King @ Corporate Training Options

Effective Communication is a Vital Life Skill.

Effective communication skills are vital to creating positive relationships and to resolving conflicts in the workplace.  Excellent communication skills are also essential to achieving productive and meaningful interactions with your team.

However, effective communication is more than just transferring information from one person to another.  It’s about understanding the message behind what is being said.  In face-to-face communication, not only are words and tone important, but non-verbal clues can be key to getting the message across to your audience.  Good listening skills are also one of the most important factors in human interaction.

The Problem

It would seem to be relatively simple.  You have a message you need to convey.  You present the information, you are heard by your audience and you believe you are understood.  However, ….

Fast Fact:  46% of employees leave a meeting not knowing what they’re supposed to do next.

The Solution

You need to ensure your face-to-face communication is clear, concise and absolutely understood by those receiving your message.  So here are 6 tips you can use every day to ensure your face-to-face communication is effective.

1. Appreciate the advantages of face-to-face communication
2. Learn to understand non-verbal messages
3. Choose your words carefully
4. Use active listening
5. Introduce creativity in your communications
6. Adapt your face-to-face communication skills to other communication forms

7. The Importance of Face to Face Communication

Recognise the impact of face-to-face communication and appreciate the advantages over email, text or phone.  Direct communication allows you to not only convey or receive information via spoken words, but to factor in such things as individual behaviours, and personality preferences.  Being in the same room as your team, instead of at the other end of an email chain, promotes understanding, further discussion and problem resolution.

Fast Fact:  26% of employees think email is a major productivity problem

2. Learn to understand Non-verbal Messages

It’s important to understand the value of the unspoken communication in the room.  Be aware of your own body language when you are delivering a message.  Be aware of the body language of your audience when they are receiving it.

A person’s demeanour can greatly influence how the recipient interprets the message. When you speak in an even tone with direct eye contact, and a friendly facial expression, your message is likely to be received as positive or at least neutral. Body language that communicates negative feelings, such as crossed arms, lack of eye contact, clenched fists and a serious expression, is likely to be interpreted in that context.

For effective communication you need to be aware of your own body language.  You can also do simple things to make your team more receptive to your message.

• Check your physical appearance prior to your meeting
• Consider the spatial arrangements in the room to ensure everyone has enough personal space, but still fees involved
• Deliver your message in a timely manner
• Take advantage of your tone of voice, to deliver challenging messages in a constructive way
• Don’t use the incorrect tone, as this can stop your message from being understood. For instance, you wouldn’t use a cheerful tone when delivering a disciplinary message.

Fast Fact:  55% of communication is body language, 38% is the tone of voice, and 7% is the actual words spoken

3. Choose your Words Carefully

Realise that your words have an impact.  In order to create a positive impression, you need to deliver your message in a clear and concise manner and phrase your words in a business context.  Also, keep your language up to date, as popular words and phrases come and go on a regular basis.  If you have to deliver bad news, it is crucial that you do this without creating conflict or damaging trust in the workplace.

Also remember that last words linger – so don’t waste them.  The last words you say provide you with the opportunity to embed your message into the minds of your listeners.  Have a strong, relevant ending to your message, as this will boost your credibility, satisfy your audience and increase their trust in you. If you require action from your team, ask for it.  Deliver a call to action, or provide them with how-to steps.

Fast Fact:  Your last words crystallise your message and activate your audience.

4. Use Active Listening

Remember that effective communication is a two-way information sharing process.  When you send a message, it needs to be easily understood by the receiving party.  When they respond with comments and questions, active listening helps you process messages in a focused manner and respond in a way that encourages and furthers communication.  This method allows both you and the recipients of your message to remain engaged, indicate understanding and clarify any points without interjecting or arguing.

Active listening involves eye contact, open body language and often the reframing of the message to confirm understanding.  In order to actively listen you need to:

• Be present and attentive
• Give the speaker your full attention
• Mentally screen out distractions like background activity or noise
• Face the speaker and maintain eye contact
• Keep an open mind and listen without judging or jumping to conclusions
• Try to picture what the speaker is saying and feel what they are feeling
• Don’t interrupt and don’t impose your own solutions
• Wait for the speaker to pause to ask clarifying questions
• Provide feedback and rephrase what has been said to show you understand the message

Good leaders know how to ask the right questions and then listen with both their eyes and their ears.  You need to read between the lines and listen and hear what is coming back to you.  Look for the nonverbal clues, because often body language will tell you what you need to know

Fast Fact:  Most people usually only remember about 17 to 25% of the things they listen to.

5. Introduce Creativity in your Communications

It’s important to introduce creativity into your communications to keep your recipients engaged.  Try these ideas to mix it up a bit and feel more connected with your team.

• Go for a walking meeting, to increase energy and creativity
• Hold monthly team events which are fun and help build team relationships
• Hold friendly competitions in the workplace – they don’t have to be work related

Increasing creativity in communications can have a powerful effecting in creating a more collaborative and transparent atmosphere, making your employees feel more connected and engaged.

Fast Fact:  Productivity improves by 25% in organisations where employees feel connected

6. Adapt your face-to-face communication skills to other communication forms

Think about how much more you get out of face-to-face communication than communication that is just based on email or telephone calls.  There are so many visual cues in a face-to-face communication that it’s hard to deny its effectiveness.

How many times have you had miscommunication with someone via email or telephone that would not have occurred had you been speaking directly with one another?  When you are able to see the person to whom you are speaking, you receive visual cues on whether or not they understand what you are saying and you give them visual cues as well.

However, there are times when email or phone calls are your only option, so you need to manage these communications as well as you can.  Here are some tips for effective communication on the phone, or via email.

• Prepare for the call, or draft your email before sending
• Be clear about what you want to achieve – what is the purpose of the call or message
• Remember the other person has no non-verbal clues
• Speak or write clearly and succinctly and think about your tone of voice
• Ask for clarification if there is something you don’t understand
• Don’t be tempted to do other things at the same time – focus and be attentive
• Summarise the conversation so everyone knows what to do next
• If you have to leave a voicemail message, keep it short and be clear about the reason you are calling. Also let the other person know how they can best contact you.

Fast Fact:  Millennials do not like talking on the phone, with only 20% of smart phone usage being for making actual phone calls.  However, email remains popular among millennials.

In Summary

Effective communication is a vital skill in the workplace.  It can be used to create positive relationships and resolve conflicts.  The process of communication becomes both more respectful and clearer when both parties focus on sending clear messages and using active listening skills.  Therefore, learning effective communication skills is vital to achieving productive and meaningful interactions every time, with individuals and with your team.

The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t being said.  The art of reading between the lines is a life long quest of the wise   –   Shannon L. Alder

The topics covered here are drawn from the CTO Training Course – Effective Communication

If you would like to undertake Effective Communication training, visit the CTO website to receive a quote or make a booking.  CTO training is provided in your workplace, and every course is customised to suit your business requirements.

About Corporate Training Options

Corporate Training Options is an Australian Professional Development Training Company, incorporated in 1992.

Our customised Professional Development courses are available Australia-wide, for business executives and corporate teams, and provide a cost-effective way of ensuring you and your staff are presenting your best image to the world.

CTO Professional Development Training courses are customised to meet your requirements, and your training is provided on-site, on dates which suit you.

For more information on the range of Corporate Training Courses available, please visit the CTO website here

Rosy King

Corporate Training Options

Professional Training  –  Exceptional Results

E: training@cto.com.au

W: cto.com.au

If you are tempted to Text and Drive, you know you are doing the wrong thing.

It can be extremely dangerous, and if you get caught, you will also take a hit financially.

Now you can reduce that temptation and drive more safely.  One of the features of iOS11 on your iPhone is called Do Not Disturb While Driving, and it can stop calls, notifications and texts from distracting you when you are driving.

Activate Do Not Disturb While Driving

Simply go to Settings on your iPhone and choose > Do Not Disturb.  Then scroll down to choose your setup.

Silence incoming Calls and Alerts

Once Do Not Disturb While Driving is enabled, as soon as your journey begins and your iPhone is locked, calls and alerts that arrive will be silenced.

Allow Calls from certain Contacts or Groups

You can choose to allow some phone calls through, from specific people or groups such as your favourites or your team at work.  Incoming calls can be allowed when your iPhone is connected to your car’s Bluetooth or a hands-free accessory.

Urgent Calls

In the case of urgent calls, when a contact has called you a second time within 3 minutes, you can choose that the call will not be silenced.

Auto-Reply to Text Messages

You can send an automatic customised reply to text messages, which states that you are currently driving with Do Not Disturb While Driving turned on, and that you will be in touch when you arrive at your destination.

Urgent Texts

If a contact needs to get in touch urgently, they can break through Do Not Disturb While Driving by sending “urgent” as an additional text message to you.

Automatic or Manual Activation

You can set up Do Not Disturb While Driving to automatically detect that you might be driving.  A Bluetooth connection to a car indicates that you are in a vehicle.  You can also activate the service manually from the iPhone Control Centre.

Keep your eyes on the road with help from Siri

If you activate Siri while using Do Not Disturb While Driving, Siri can provide you with information so you don’t need to look at your iPhone.  Siri will read out responses for you, and your iPhone will not display any text on it.  Just say “Hey Siri” to activate Siri.

About Corporate Training Options

Corporate Training Options is an Australian Professional Development Training Company, incorporated in 1992.

Our customised Professional Development courses are available Australia-wide, for business executives and corporate teams, and provide a cost-effective way of ensuring you and your staff are presenting your best image to the world.

CTO Professional Development Training courses are customised to meet your requirements, and your training is provided on-site, on dates which suit you.

For more information on the range of Corporate Training Courses available, please visit the CTO website here

Rosy King

Corporate Training Options

Professional Training  –  Exceptional Results

E: training@cto.com.au

W: cto.com.au