because of loss of productivity, reduced safety compliance and legal liability caused by poorly trained staff, according to Governing Magazine and the B&G Report.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure this one out. People’s performance is based largely on personal habit, beliefs and values. When those habits, beliefs and values don’t result in top performance and acceptable results the only way to change those results is information. Because people’s habits and bias are deeply etched in the psyche they quickly return to poor habits and unacceptable behavior when performance is not directed through solid and applicable information. Not to mention to that people can be downright forgetful.

“Now why was it that we needed to use those safety pins? Oh well, it won’t matter this time.” This is the popular self dialogue that leads the well intentioned employee down the path of non compliance.

Consistent training serves to reinforce what we know to be best practices, correct poor performance standards and empowers consistency and congruency in the working environment to ensure the safest and most productive outcome.

I was conducting a communication training for a client with whom I had done the same training before. A gentleman who had already attended the seminar twice was obviously impressed with a solution offered and expressed an interest in sharing. He commented that he would like to have heard that in he last two presentations. I didn’t have the heart to inform him that I had in fact covered this point in the past two classes. Before I could move on, the department supervisor, with some disgust, replied that the same approach was shared in the past and that she had sent a copy of the audio to all staff to reinforce the ideas on two different occasions.

Instead of cutting training, cut training cost. Here are four things you can do that will drastically reduce the cost of your training.

1. Hire trainers who can deliver training via webinar and multimedia. You can save bi because you aren’t paying for travel and accommodations. You can deliver highly targeted training in smaller segments that have been proven to increase the benefiting results of training. Media rich training if more favorably completed and is proven to produce higher results.

2. Avoid over priced brokers who subcontract with experts to deliver training. Any of the trainers they may provide for you can be found EASILY online in minutes. These broker slash training companies can charge upwards of 3 to 5 thousand dollars for a training day and subcontract the training to a trainer they might pay $300. There is no chance you’re getting the best possible training for the dollar with that arrangement.

To find a trainer fast use Google. In example, if you need project management training you might search for, “hire a project management speaker.” Check the web sites of a few results that are not paid advertisers. Here is what you should look for on the site:

• Sample video and Audio – If it isn’t there move on fast
• Testimonies and references
• Samples of writing and other qualifications

3. Train trainers within. I have had several clients hire me to develop training and then train a few of the staff to deliver the training on an ongoing basis.

4. Supplement your training with resources. Books, ebooks, audio and video can be used to reinforce and refresh. I had one client who suggests never hiring a trainer that does not offer such supplemental resources.

Keep your team as sharp as possible. Failing to do so will cost you. You can learn more about effective and budget friendly training at www.charlesspeaks.com and my blog www.charlesspeaks.com/billthebuilder
To book training call 937-935-6789

The better I understand myself the better I can work with others. Understanding is the first step to working efficiently with others. From workplace employee management to personal relationships we can only strengthen our ability to communicate, work and live with others by trying to understand them. Author Stephen Covey makes this observation in his book “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People®.” The fifth habit states that you should first attempt to understand before demanding that you be understood. The problem with understanding is that all too often personal perception and opinion get in the way. Consider the age-old battle of the sexes. After years of deliberation, research and compromise do we really understand our differences any better? Some would debate the answer to this question and rightly so. It would seem that to understand our fellows is made improbable by our many differences. This is especially true when we spend our time focusing on the differences. So here we are going to focus on the things we hold in common.

There are five basic laws of human behavior that impact all of our working and personal relationships. None of us are exempt from these five basic laws. They are at the center of our reasoning, behavior and self image. They become foundational building blocks of all of our relationships.

 All People Are Basically Self Preserving™

This is a powerful law of human behavior. It is best illustrated by the cute little puppy that couldn’t hurt a flea, yet when frightened and backed into a corner with no option for flight becomes a growling, snarling display of intimidating teeth, claws and furry. Have you ever seen a person respond in this way? You may have been surprised by such behavior if it was observed coming from an otherwise passive person. Even kind, caring, friendly people can respond with hostility or aggression when they are pushed, especially if they feel that their welfare is being threatened.

Practical Applications

While this is a powerful law of human behavior most people live out this law with reserve and balance. Unfortunately you will probably cross paths with someone that is in some way emotionally unable to live in balance with this law. The following symptoms may indicate that a person is suffering some emotional handicap in this regard.

• Negativity
• Cynical
• Translate compliments into insults
• Frequent outburst of hostility
• Inability to trust

 If you are observing the above symptoms, my advice is walk softly, consider your words carefully, and in the workplace document, document, document!

Be aware that when people are pushed to the edge of feeling threatened they experience a rush of adrenaline that can throw them from rational reasonable thinking into primitive survival thinking. In this primal state of mind a person may say the unexpected and respond in less than professional ways. You should make yourself familiar with the behavioral indicators that a person is in this state of mind or getting there:

• Irritability
• Raised voice / talking rapidly
• Interrupting you as you talk (if this is unusual to the person)
• Silent starring
• Fidgeting / pacing / trembling
• Defensive communication
• Blaming or negativity (if this is unusual to the person)

The best advice is to avoid the self preservation zone. Follow these suggestions to spend less time in the zone:

• Keep a positive attitude
• Praise and affirm people often
• Use diplomacy
• Ask more than you tell
• Keep people informed
• Be fair, honest and supportive At All Times
• Reward performance
• Keep communication open

If you find that you are in the zone with a person, hope is not lost. With some honest effort, diplomacy and patience you can move back into the safe zone.

 If the person is heated or borderline hostile, back up, recognize any mistakes, make apologies if needed and try to defuse the situation. It may sound something like this, “Pamela, I feel like I am making you feel frustrated, I am not communicating clearly and I apologize, let me explain how this performance improvement plan can help you with your long-term career goals here.”

  If you can not identify any mistakes you have made and you are certain no apologies are in order, consider that there may be an external source of irritation. Recognize that you are aware that you don’t have the person’s full attention and give them space, aware that they will be easier to manage when they are less distracted. You may sound something like this, “Paul you seem to be a bit irritated and distracted, if I can help you with something that is bothering you, it would be my pleasure, and we could review these reports at another time. Would that be better for you?”

 All People Have a Strong Need for Community and To Feel They Are a Valued Part™

While the law of self preservation is powerful it seems to come second to this law of community. Consider the soldier that has made it safe into the trenches only to look back and find that a comrade is down, with a rush he charges from the safety of the trenches risking his own life to save the life of another. This type of reaction is a response to the law of community.

While the law of community seems to be greater and more powerful than the law of self preservation, in reality it is born out of our need for self preservation. This leads us to understand why individuals can become aggressive or even hostile when their sense of self-worth or community reputation is put at risk or not taken seriously. Research clearly indicates that there seems to be a strong connection between community isolation or rejection and outbursts of violence. Basically people need to feel that they fit in and belong and that they are recognized and appreciated.

 Practical Applications

 In a workplace environment where communication is limited to reprimands, formal performance evaluations and requests there is an obvious increase of conflict and hostility. Performance usually suffers as well. When people are not informed, recognized and confirmed they become uncertain. They begin questioning their own sense of worth and belonging as well as their job security. When there is uncertainty employees tend to stand around and do nothing, or they start trying to fix themselves, often fixing the wrong things. To eliminate and avoid uncertainty make consistent feedback a habit. Employees need to hear and or know the following:

• That their performance meets your expectations
• That their unique strengths are recognize
• That their attempts to grow and improve are recognized
• That you’re concerned about them
• That you support them
• That they are informed about important issues

Make feedback a work habit. Try scheduling a time every day to get out of your office and walk among your employees. Spend this time trying to catch them doing well. Give achievers and those making marked improvement the proverbial pat on the back. This is not to say that negative feedback should be avoided. Quiet the contrary. You will find that when you do have bad news people will respond more positively if you have been consistently positive. You are not seen as a tyrant. Try the following suggestions to make your feed back more effective.

 When Praising…

•  Be prompt.
• Be specific. (Avoid generalizations like, “You did a great job.”)
• Be honest.
• Be sincere. (Stand still and take at least one minute to share the praise. Make eye contact.)
• Avoid flattery.
• Give special effort to identify strengths unique to the individual.

When News is Bad…

•  Make sure the information is relevant to the individual
• Chose an appropriate setting.
• Be solution oriented.
• Take time to listen.
• Avoid the lecture.
• Be honest and thorough.

 One sided communication does not contribute to a sense of community or personal self worth. It is so important that in all of your efforts to communicate you do not frustrate the others involved by monopolizing the conversations. Be a listener. One of the top three complaints in the workplace is, “nobody listens.” When people feel they are not heard they feel they are not valued. This leads to uncertainty, unhealthy assumptions and often negativity.

 If you do not already have an open door policy, establish open door hours. I think that an open all hours, open door policy is best, but it isn’t always practical. The important point is to make yourself available and approachable. Keep in mind also that you may have an open door policy but a closed mind. If employees get the idea that you don’t really listen or take them seriously they will stop communicating and the sense of community will erode leading to negativity, lack of commitment and lower performance.

Finally, it is critical that everyone in your work environment share your vision for a strong sense of community.  Talk about the value of this principal and the power of this law of human behavior. Talk, encourage and exemplify peer support. Encourage open communication. Provide diversity training. Use team terms like, us, we, our and all. Do team building exercises and brainstorm and plan as a team. The more involvement you facilitate the stronger your team will become. This leads us to identify our third law of human behavior.

All People Commit More Readily to Their Own Ideas™

 It is empowering to recognize peoples need for recognition. It is when I begin recognizing people that I can clearly identify their strengths and their weaknesses. As I recognize an individuals strength I can begin delegating and managing with greater insight and human value that cultivates trust. As the individual learns to trust me I can coach, counsel and mentor them to strengthen areas of weakness. This kind of recognition and passionate leadership creates a dynamic environment where creativity becomes our competitive edge in the market place.

 When people feel that their ideas are not heard or implemented then they assume that they are note recognized, cared for or important leading to a strong sense of isolation. This isolation nearly always translates into negativity, lowered morale and high employee turnover which means lost profits.

Practical Applications

 While we can not always turn to the employee to solve problems or plan future growth and performance we can do more to involve them any time it is possible. People don’t expect to be heard all of the time but they must feel that they are heard.

Communicate openly and ask lots of questions of your people any time there are major changes, especially if the changes affect them directly. When you have a problem to solve take it to the team any time policies, time and ethics will allow it. No one knows like those who do the work how performance can be improved, so when it is time to raise the bar ask for employee input. Ask employees for input when redefining mission and goal statements. Failure to encourage input is the number one reason why employees don’t commit to mission and goal statements making them fruitless.

 To create an environment where people openly share ideas you must follow a few leadership rules. The first, being the rule of impartiality. Don’t play favorites and if anyone is to be heard, make everyone heard as much as possible. The second rule is simply good work ethics, give credit where it is due. There is nothing more devastating to creativity than for leadership to unduly take credit for great ideas. Last but not least, implement ideas promptly and when you can’t, offer an explanation.

 Get in the habit of asking questions. Asking a question effectively is a learned skill and the more you practice the better you will become. If you aren’t asking, you probably won’t get much information. Try scripting. There are three easy steps to scripting:

 1.      Put a question in writing.

2.      Think about how the other party will answer.

3.      Rewrite the question in a way that may get a different response.

You should be using some of the following questions often:

• How do you feel about…?
• How would you suggest…?
• Which approach would you choose?
• Could I do this differently?
• Do you know of an easier way?

When People Make Massive Change in a Short Amount of Time They Tend to Revert Back to Old Habits Quickly™

You have likely heard it said that, “people don’t like change.” This is in part very true, but what people like less than change is uncertainty. In fact, studies show that people actually favor change when they are well informed, they have time to adjust and they have some control or a part in the planning process.

 Change is an inevitable part of our world. Nothing stays the same for long. To resist change is career suicide. To carelessly embrace every new idea is personal sabotage. There must be some happy medium. I have found that for myself and countless others I have coached and counseled through change that it is the small changes we embrace consistently that seem to make the greatest impact. Small changes made over time will make a huge difference.  I have made my greatest achievements by implementing this small change concept.

Practical Applications

 I have seen employees boost performance just after a sharp reprimand from their supervisor. These reprimands are often short, to the point, demanding and threatening. The reprimanded employee immediately starts making massive improvements that seem impressive for two, three or maybe even four weeks, and then with the grind of routine, stress and responsibility he or she will revert back to old work habits. Lasting change is best made in small steps.

 When you find it is necessary to reprimand an employee, try to identify the root of the poor performance or unacceptable behavior. Avoid generalities and always communicate positively with a solution mentality that challenges the poor performer to identify one small change that can be implemented immediately. Clearly identify a plan of action and remind the employee that you are there to support them as they make the change. Follow-up with the employee to reinforce improvements you have observed.

 “What small changes can you make to perform just a little bit better today than you did yesterday?” This question should be at the heart of performance improvement. It may sound like this: “Candice I wanted to comment that the changes you’ve made recently have really made a positive impact on your upcoming evaluation. With just a little more effort I think you can be one of our top performers. Can you think of any other time wasters that we can eliminate in your work habits?”

 Following are some small change tips that will help:

• Keep employees informed of changes and take small steps to prepare.
• If changes are not producing the results you want then take action promptly.
• If changes are producing the results you want then praise and affirm the employee.
• Make small change a way of life in your environment.
• Have brainstorming sessions to identify needed changes.
• Teach, mentor and communicate the importance of the “small change” concept.

Perception is Reality™

 It is a fact that what I believe to be a fact, is in fact a fact to me. When we underestimate the power of personal perception we are certain to experience communication and relational breakdown. My perceptions of you, my job, myself and my surroundings are built upon a foundation of personal experiences including pain and pleasure.

 What I have experienced in the past influences what I believe about what I experience today. We all see and perceive the world around us through personal information filters called paradigms and for many of us a paradigm shift is in order. This information filter can beautify the world around us or make it really ugly. A young man that had been sexually violated by a female when he was a boy found it impossible to trust the opposite sex, he felt that they were all out to control and manipulate him. Nothing could have been farther from reality but as a counselor I had to take his perceptions seriously and walk him through small changes to change his paradigms about women.

 Consider these paradigm concerns:

• About men
• Abut women
• About other races
• About authority figures
• About crowded places
• About change

Practical Applications

 When you overlook people’s personal perceptions they may feel that you don’t take them seriously or that you don’t listen. You are also at risk when you take what others say at face value without considering how their personal perceptions may have impacted what they are sharing with you.

A person’s daily communication will tell you a lot about their personal perceptions if you are listening. Here are a few cues to consider.

•  Negative statements about the opposite sex in general
• Negative statements about authority figures
• Humor at the expense of others
• Unusual behavior in certain circumstances
• Inability to reason or rationalize a situation

 Kevin has told you that Mike is being belligerent, self-centered, controlling and doesn’t listen to the ideas of others. You know that this is unlike Mike and that you are hearing just the opposite from others. You may respond like this: “Kevin I understand you are frustrated with Mike and I want to help you resolve this. Since this is the first time I’ve heard anything like this about Mike I would like for you to give me some more details and explain why you feel this way.” Following are a few suggestions for dealing with other’s perceptions.

•  Take the persons perceptions and feelings seriously.
• Repeat back to them what you think they have just told you.
• Avoid agreeing or sounding agreeable unless you do and should agree at this time.
• Give the person an opportunity to talk, don’t monopolize the conversation.
• Be honest but diplomatic.
• Don’t play therapist.
• Don’t pretend to have all the answers or feel pressured to answer immediately.

 I share the five laws in many of my leadership and communication seminars as well as diversity training. What many tell me is that simply becoming aware of these basic laws and considering the impact they have on relationships has been a great benefit to them. My challenge to you is that you attempt to apply these five laws to all of your relationship building skills.

  Charles Carpenter is a nationally recognized leadership expert. He received leadership and communication training from the prestigious Rockhurst University. In recent years he has trained and coached executives from numerous Fortune 500 companies and shared his leadership insight with thousands through public seminars, conferences and keynotes and is the president of Success Solutions Group. Charles may be reached at 1.937.935.6789