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Continual Individual Employee Development

Continual Individual Employee Development

One of the challenges we face as a society today, which is in my opinion the most daunting of all, is the ability that we have, as employers, to find, attract, hire and retain talented employees.

As an employee in this environment there are also serious challenges. The world is changing at a rate that is unprecedented. When I was in University, I took a class in number theory as part of my major in mathematics and physics. That was my first year. At the same time, in California, children in grade school were being taught the same theory. It was obvious then that I had a head start of roughly ten years.

In the STEM learning programs in the schools today changes are even more rapid. With Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Realties, 5G networks, data streaming and data analytics, autonomous transportation, and the like the younger generations today are confronted with the truth that their learning, their formal schooling, is not going to last through their lifetime like it has been so far.

The need for each individual to continue to learn, and grow, and read, is paramount. Further we will need to have a second cycle through “schools.” This is leading to more “internet based” learning programs. There will be many changes to deal with in business. This is the truth of this “New Reality.”

Each individual employee’s ability to adapt and overcome challenges will become more critical than at any time in history. Welcome to the new year, 2020, and even more importantly welcome to the new decade.

The Time is Now

 

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The CSA – Comprehensive Skills Assessment

The CSA – Comprehensive Skills Assessment

Our Comprehensive Skills Assessments (CSA) are job specific and specialized subject matter evaluations of the skills and knowledge of the individuals on the job today.

Comprehensive Skills Assessments (CSA) from Learning Without Scars offer a structured tool to evaluate the specific knowledge of each employee in the dealership. Following the introduction of our learning programs and the use of a class ending “Assessment” many dealerships have noticed the benefit to a clear understanding of the job-related skills and knowledge of each employee. As a result, dealers asked us to produce a product that will help them determine the specific training needs for each employee. The Comprehensive Skills Assessments (CSA) is that program.

The CSA can serve a variety of needs within a dealership.

  • These assessments can be used, in conjunction with background checks and interviews, to screen applicants before they are hired.
  • They can also be used in the annual performance review with each employee.
  • They can even be used as a foundation piece of information related to the wages and salaries paid to the employees.
  • Finally, and this is the genesis of the creation of the Comprehensive Skills Assessment, the assessment has been developed to be used to create a specific employee development program for each employee in the parts and service business teams.

These skills assessments are only available through our online learning platform. The following film will give you a deeper understanding of the many benefits of our CSA programs.

The Time is Now.

 

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Building Blocks – the LOD program

Building Blocks – the LOD program.

Last week we gave you an update on “Where Are We Now” with Learning Without Scars. This week we show you our Learning On Demand product – LOD. This is our learning structure which uses “building blocks.”

Learning On Demand is a subject specific class, there are currently 81 subject specific classes. This class requires the student to make an investment of about two hours, of their time, to continue their path of learning and getting better at what they do professionally.

The film you are about to see will give you an explanation of the LOD. Program. Enjoy.

The Time is Now.

 

 

 

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The Year in Review #MondayBlogs

2017 has been an eventful year for us.

We have been very busy.

The product offerings are filling out. We will have more individual subject specific classes (Learning On Demand – LOD) than anyone in our Industry. We introduced Job Function Specific Programs (Planned Specific Programs – PSP) this year and have ten available currently. We also have introduced the Virtual Classroom – VCR series which allows each employee within the Parts and Service groups to develop and obtain all the knowledge required to work effectively. Our foundation, management and supervisory training, we now call the Planned Learning Programs – PLPs. We are excited about all of these programs. We are well along the road to obtaining International Association for Continuous Education Training certification. We have created over five hundred minutes of film clips which we add to our learning programs to provide dynamism. We have opened a Vimeo Channel which contains some of our film clips as a “taste treat” for companies and individuals who are interested in seeing for themselves our style and content. And importantly, we introduced Socrates our mascot to the world.

Our goal is to provide you with the learning tools to allow your employees to become the best that they can be.

Let’s turn to your employees and their personal development. What is your goal for them?  What is their goal, personally?  What is their purpose in their job or their career? What is the purpose of your business? Surveys clearly indicate that people want to work for companies that have a clear purpose. Clarity of purpose is not that common in businesses today. In America surveys tell us that over 80% of business fails to achieve their strategy.  This failure in achievement is caused by lack of clarity. 95% of employees cannot state the strategy of the business.

There are a few truths to be exposed.

  • Know your goals and what can be achieved.
  • Have clear targets but recognize they are constantly moving.
  • Don’t let technology take over – business is very personal
  • Seek common ground with your market and customers
  • Constantly be doing research
  • Celebrate your successes don’t be afraid to be good.
  • Be extremely visible
  • Make it personal
  • Seek outside opinions
  • Keep it simple.

Skilled people are strong in building and maintaining relationships with your customers. They are your heroes. Let’s not forget to invest in their continuing education.

The time is now.

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A Good Start #MondayBlogs

What a great day it is today. Happy Monday to all of you.

There is a great new world out there. In the period following the economic disruptions of 2008, caused in part by government overreach and a lot of greed in the banking Industry, I followed behind the financial management company PIMCO with their “New Normal” program with our “New Reality.” This new reality was a rebirth of the operational aspects of the parts and service businesses within the Capital Goods Industries.

We have made some good progress on many fronts.

In the late 1990’s business guru Peter Drucker mused that adult education was going to become one of the larger needs for business. He further suggested that there would be extremely large growth in the education workforce. We see this with activities such as Khan Academy, with a stated objective of providing world class education to anyone anywhere, and all of their content is free. Then there are other efforts such as EdX, a free education site provided by MIT, and Harvard, Berkeley, and University of Texas, as well as others and CorpU, which aims to unlock the collective genius of an enterprise.

This is where we are making our modest entry with Learning Without Scars.

There is a huge opportunity.

Today, the jobs report gave further evidence of the effects of the recent government regulatory efforts to reduce the burden that has been eating away at businesses everywhere.

Unemployment in the US is 4.4%, which on the face is a good number. But the participation rate, the percentage of the working age population that is in fact working, sits at 62.8%. Stated another way means that 37.1% of the working age population is NOT working. (Note: the participation rate in 2007 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics was 66.4%) The REAL problem here is that there are currently in excess of 6,000,000 jobs that are open in America that have not been filled. According to a recent CNBC survey 46% of Company Presidents and CFO’s believe that “the workforce is not receiving the proper skills training businesses require.” Further, 63% reported having had difficulty in filling skilled positions in the past 12 months.

That is the backdrop against we have created Learning Without Scars, and our new training.  We’ve all experienced great disruption to our “normal,” and in this New Reality we have our greatest opportunity: to learn and provide opportunities for learning to our employees.  You’ve heard me say it time and again – your employees are your “heroes.”  They’ve invested themselves into your business, and they deserve to have your business invest in their knowledge and expertise.

We can create a healthier economic and professional reality together.  It all begins with education.

The time is now.

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Membership

American Express coined the phrase “Membership has its privileges.”  This is entirely true.  Most of us have professional memberships to various organizations: the Associated Equipment Distributors, the National Trailer Distributor’s Association, the National Groundwater Association, the National Trailer Equipment Association, just to name a few.

We are inviting you to become members of our own group, Learning Without Scars, because we want to recognize individuals and businesses that want to participate in their personal and professional growth.  We discussed doing this by means of special promotions and loyalty programs, amongst many difference alternatives.

 

We settled on the membership approach.

By joining Learning Without Scars at the nominal cost of $35,00 per year, we have found that we can offer more to you for less.

All members receive a price reduction of 30% on all LWS learning products.  That means that all webinars, self study programs, and classroom programs will be offered at a 30% price reduction to our members.  For those of you who know me, please note that this is NOT a discount!  I still hate discounts.

So, what are you waiting for?  Spend $35.00 and start saving.

The time is now…

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A thank you for the AED

Today I had the opportunity to read December’s issue of CED magazine.  This is the last month I will be a contributing writer to the magazine, and I am touched and thankful for the tribute the Associated Equipment Distributors wrote in their magazine.  We have had a wonderful professional relationship over these many years, and I wish you the best in your new endeavors.

 

December 2014_AED Article

 

The time is now…

 

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Learning Without Scars Membership Offer

Special Offer

To welcome you to our new learning business we are offering an introductory special membership.

The normal membership is $35.00 for a calendar twelve month membership. For the remainder of 2014 we will extend the period of your membership up to a maximum of fifteen months until December 31, 2015.

With your membership, you will receive a 30% pricing reduction on all learning Without Scars products.

Don’t miss out.

The next webinars are in October – we will be offering eight parts and eight service webinars yet in 2014. The next classes are in Chicago in November and for previous attendees of the first two of the three level management class series also in Palm Springs.

Go to www.learningwithoutscars.org to purchase your membership.

Take advantage of this special offer kicking off our first year.

The time is now…

Insight has an Exciting Future

We are resurrecting the Insight brand with a new mission. Previously we provided “Twenty Group” services to small groups of dealers, twelve in our case, who had an interest in best practice approaches for their business. We operated many groups for over a decade and appreciated the opportunity to assist in their profitable development. Each group improved their Company net income a minimum of three percentage points and in some cases improved their net income performance by as much as ten points. It is a credit to their leadership that this happened.

We are now in the process of creating an evaluation tool for dealers in a new alliance with Foresight Intelligence, to build on our experiences within the “Twenty Group” framework and our Consulting practice over the past thirty five years.

Foresight Intelligence is our choice as a business partner in this venture.  They are experts in turning data into actionable information, which serves both as guideposts and drivers for effective change.  Foresight Intelligence have worked with many dealers and enabled them to view all their metrics in a single place, in visually appealing charts that are easy to understand and act upon.  Your metrics are easily benchmarked against the best and your improvements are continuously in front of you.   This panoramic and in depth visibility is critical in executing our proven strategies to increase performance and profitability.

Together we are building a business model which everyone can have access to and use either via R.J. Slee & Associates or Foresight Intelligence.

We will provide an input template for a participating Company to use, this will be for the dealer to submit their information, either openly or confidentially. That basic data entry will be processed through our “Financial Fitness Models” and the results will be presented to the dealer on line. The key will be a graphic presentation of the dealer position relative to key metrics by department, which we use in our business at R.J. Slee & Associates. This will be the foundation for the “Financial Fitness Model.” This will allow the dealer to evaluate their individual performance against minimum acceptable performance criteria developed through our work with over one thousand dealers worldwide.

The dealer then is welcome to proceed and determine how to improve their operations as they see fit or they can use the services we will provide to assist in those efforts. We are developing a menu of options for the dealer to select from should they desire out assistance. This will range from “Typical Improvement Options (TIPS)” through to comprehensive consulting engagements with “Associated Content Experts (ACE’s).” We are currently building a network of Industry Experts who have retired and wish to be able to share their expertise with dealers.

We are extremely excited about this venture and our relationship with Foresight Intelligence. We will be making more comprehensive announcements as our products are finalized and ready for dealers everywhere to utilize.

The time is now.

Forecasting in this “wierd” world

For a number of decades econometric forecasting has been conducted by a couple of men named Fanter. First there was Dick and then along came Andy. Cyclcast and Intercast are the two groups that conduct the economic analysis. Never a precise science and one that is constantly being second guessed Andy faces the winds of the markets with a calm model which can help dealers think about their circumstances more clearly. Never radical or flamboyant this Kansan provides good solid advice. The time is now.