MS Project Fundamentals

Time Management Working Sm@rt + Outlook Take control of your workload and competing priorities. Receive practical hands-on skills instruction to hel p you a bsorb proven techniques for a total time-m anagement solution. Integrate communications, tasks, activities, planning and apply the WorkingSm@rt® method using Microsoft Outlook. Explore> Working Sm@rt in the 21st Century Take control of your workload and competing priorities Learn to make effective choices when faced with increasing demands and responsibilities. Select the right tasks, at the right time, every time. Identify and focus on the goals and objectives that make the difference and learn to manage your activities for maximum results, acquiring the tools you need to make things happen Explore> Working Sm@rt + OneNote Make collaborating with your team as easy as 1-2-3 The key to success lies in the ability for teams to work together without the constraint of being together. Whether the challenge is virtual, where geography is the issue or the reality of team schedules not lining up. Now it is possible to collaborate in a way that maximizes flexibility and minimizes the places you need to look to find key information or data. Explore> Working Sm@rt Enhanced A program to optimize your workload management effectiveness. The Working Smart – ENHANCED program is a stage 2 workload management process developed for those who have already adopted the foundation time management processes and have enjoyed significant success in utilizing organizational tools to drive effective performance behaviors. This program is intended to take participants to another level of performance, building off of their current effectiveness platform. Explore> WorkingSm@rt as a Remote Leader Remote leadership essentials: keeping them engaged collaborative & productive Steps to contain the current world events may require many employees who normally work from an office to now work from home. This presents challenges to stay connected, engaged and productive. These challenges are magnified for people leading remote teams since they can no longer rely on many of their proven face-to-face leadership techniques. Explore> WorkingSm@rt in a Hybrid World Build the skills and mindsets to excel in a Hybrid World Organizations and workers were thrust into a transformational change that left both work and home environments in a state of chaos. The need to understand the impact of the shift from the traditional workplace to a hybrid world provides you with the opportunity to realign and navigate how we work. Traditional work/life balance strategies will need to shift to a more integrated lifestyle to support the hybrid working model. Explore>

Adaptive Leadership: Navigating Uncertainty in Modern Business Adaptive Leadership: Navigating Uncertainty in Modern Business Date Published: October, 2023 In today's fast-paced and ever-changing business landscape, the role of leadership has evolved into a complex and dynamic endeavour. Gone are the days when leadership was solely about setting a course and sticking to it. In the 21st century, adaptive leadership has emerged as a critical skill for navigating uncertainty and driving success. In this article, we'll explore the art of adaptive leadership and how it can transform your business. The Changing Face of Leadership Traditionally, leadership was often associated with hierarchy, authority, and a rigid top-down approach. However, the modern business world is marked by volatility, ambiguity, and complexity. In this environment, leaders must be agile, flexible, and open to change. Adaptive leadership acknowledges that the answers to today's challenges are not always found in a playbook but rather through continuous learning and adaptation. Key Principles of Adaptive Leadership Embrace Uncertainty: In a world where change is the only constant, adaptive leaders thrive by acknowledging that they don't have all the answers. They embrace uncertainty and see it as an opportunity for growth and innovation. Learn Continuously: Adaptive leaders are lifelong learners. They actively seek new knowledge, perspectives, and feedback. They are open to self-improvement and encourage their teams to do the same. Empower Teams: Instead of micromanaging, adaptive leaders empower their teams to make decisions and take ownership of their work. This fosters creativity and a sense of ownership, leading to better outcomes. Build Resilience: Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks. Adaptive leaders build resilience in themselves and their teams, helping them weather the storms of change and adversity. Communicate Effectively: Adaptive leaders excel in communication. They keep their teams informed, listen actively, and foster an environment where ideas can flow freely. Clear and transparent communication is essential during times of uncertainty. Adaptation in Action Let's take a look at how adaptive leadership can manifest in real-world scenarios: Scenario 1: Pivoting During a Crisis Imagine a small restaurant facing financial difficulties due to a sudden drop in customers during a crisis. An adaptive leader might quickly assess the situation, consult with the team, and pivot the business model. They could implement takeout and delivery options, reconfigure the menu to suit changing consumer preferences, and find innovative ways to connect with the community, all while maintaining a positive and motivated team. Scenario 2: Navigating Market Disruption In a rapidly changing industry, an adaptive leader doesn't stick to the same old strategies. Instead, they continuously monitor market trends, seek feedback from customers and employees, and adjust their business approach accordingly. They might invest in new technologies, explore new markets, or adapt their product offerings to stay competitive. The Benefits of Adaptive Leadership Adaptive leadership offers numerous benefits to businesses in today's dynamic world: Enhanced Agility: Adaptive leaders can respond quickly to market shifts, making their organizations more agile and competitive. Improved Innovation: By encouraging a culture of learning and experimentation, adaptive leaders drive innovation and creativity within their teams. Increased Resilience: Businesses led by adaptive leaders are better equipped to withstand crises and recover swiftly. Talent Attraction and Retention: Talented individuals are drawn to organizations with adaptive leadership, as they see opportunities for growth and development. Cultivating Adaptive Leadership Adaptive leadership is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It requires a combination of self-awareness, empathy, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Here are some steps you can take to cultivate adaptive leadership within your organization: Invest in Leadership Development: Offer training and development programs that focus on adaptive leadership skills for both current and emerging leaders. Promote a Learning Culture: Encourage a culture of continuous learning, where employees are empowered to seek knowledge and embrace change. Lead by Example: Leaders should embody the principles of adaptive leadership, serving as role models for their teams. Foster Collaboration: Create opportunities for cross-functional collaboration, which can lead to new perspectives and innovative solutions. Celebrate Adaptation: Recognize and celebrate instances where adaptation and learning have led to positive outcomes. In conclusion, adaptive leadership is not just a buzzword; it's a fundamental approach to thriving in today's unpredictable business environment. By embracing uncertainty, fostering continuous learning , and empowering your teams, you can steer your organization toward success in an ever-changing world. In the art of adaptive leadership, you'll discover the power of resilience, innovation, and growth, propelling your business toward a brighter future. Priority Management is a worldwide training company with 55 offices in 15 countries. We have successfully trained more than two million graduates in Priority workshops. Our programs help companies and people be more effective and manage their workflow in and out of the office by providing tools, processes and discipline. Simply put - A Better Way To Work! Clients range from Fortune 500 companies, small-to-medium businesses and gov ernment/military employees. Call Orlyn at (403)304-7122 to learn more about how we can help you and your team Work sm@rt, develop essential management skills and the competencies to....make life and work better and happier! Priority Management International / Performance Strategies Inc - info@performancestrategies.ca - (403)346-1919

December 2023 Learning Link 3 ways to better connect with your coworkers

Basic Benchmarking: Everything You Need to Know With the job market more employee-focused than ever, it's important to make sure every hire and position is filled with a quality candidate. What is Benchmarking? Benchmarking is the process of creating the profile of the ideal candidate for a position, and then measuring all candidates against that profile. It’s most commonly used in the interview process, but can also be used to measure an employee in their current role. How Do You Create and Use a Benchmark? The ideal candidate means a lot of different things to different people. This diversity of thought is a good thing, until it becomes a hindrance to the hiring process. Get the multiple perspectives you need while saving time by putting together a team of Subject Matter Experts, or SMEs. While a panel of SMEs is not necessary, it is a best practice. It can include employees who previously held the role, the candidate’s future direct report, and/or their future co-workers. “Working in a collaborative environment with multiple stakeholders gets you a variety of opinions and removes internal biases and personal agendas.” The SMEs each build out the results of an assessment as if they were their ideal candidate. Then, an average is found from each of those ‘ideal’ profiles. This average is your benchmark! After the benchmark is created, introduce it several steps into your interview process, after the initial rounds of reviews. Most organizations only use a benchmark with their top 3-5 candidates. This way, the normal screening process isn’t disrupted; it just gives deeper insight into each candidate, and a professional way to measure that insight at the end of the process. What Makes TTI SI Different? TTI SI has a patented Benchmarking Process that leverages data to make the best decisions about candidates. In addition, as an outcome of the process, roles have concisely defined responsibilities. Our benchmarking process defines the role instead of the individual. “The beautiful thing about benchmarking is that it’s not focusing ultimately on qualifying or disqualifying a candidate,” said Merkle. “It’s about discovering what the business needs. It removes bias and relies on logic.” Isn’t This a Biased Process? If you’re not familiar with the concept, it might sound like benchmarking is a way to discriminate in the hiring process. It’s actually the opposite; benchmarking a job minimizes bias and provi des a clear objective and collective voice to what behaviors, motivators and skills the job needs. “People have a tendency to like and relate to others similar to them,” explained Merkle, “But similarities might not be what the position needs. These benchmarks can be used for as much as 30% of the hiring decision, but the other 70% should be made based on resume, experience, skills, validation of those skills, and personal fit.” Clear up any uncertainty by building a scoring method into the interview process. It can look like the following: Resume: Determine the minimal qualifications for position Interview: Hold several rounds of interviews on the phone, and one or two in-person as your company sees fit Shared work: Analyze shared work from the candidates This can be samples of writing, completion of a project, etc) Benchmark: Measure top candidates against the benchmark and make a decision after final round of interviews “Benchmarking is a tool to hone in on top candidates, not a blanket dismissal of talent.” Something important to remember is that you don’t have to pick the ca ndidate with the closer score to the benchmark! By using the process, you get to make a conscious decision about the individual you are choosing to join your organization. “Organizations do not miss out on a good candidate because they don’t fit the benchmark,” Merkle said, “Even if you hire against the benchmark, you now have valuable insight into your hire about their behavior that you can use in their onboarding period and beyond. You know what they say; you can’t manage what you can’t measure.” By using this process, you get to make a conscious decision about the individual you’re choosing to join your organization. Why Should You Benc hmark? The benefits to benchmarking are clear! Here’s what happens when you find the right fit for a position, backed up by data. Enjoy Higher Employee Engagement If someone’s behavioral style, motivations, and skills are matched up to a position, they’ll have a higher level of engagement with their team. This engagement increases satisfaction, productivity , and profits. Customer retention rates are 18% higher when you have well-informed and highly engaged employees, according to Smarp . Avoid The Cost of a Bad Hire Just trying to ‘fill a seat’ in your organization is a huge mistake. 80% of turnover is due to bad hires, according to SHRM. Calculate the real cost of hiring the wrong person here, and see if you can afford it! Develop Your Talent Pipeline Benchmarking isn’t just for job candidates! If you’re not hiring soon, you can still use benchmarking to create development plans internally. Developing leaders within your organization will boost productivity and engagement while saving you money, time and resources. Some people want to use benchmarking as a justification for terminating a position. You’re better off using benchmarking as a way to get a snapshot on where to develop an employee. Remember, only 30% of your decisions can be determined by benchmarking. Don’t open yourself up to trouble. How Do I Get Started? If you want to start harnessing the power of benchmarking for your company, TTI SI is he re to help. Contact us here to learn more about how you can utilize this process. “We know leaders, especially during this time, have a challenging role,” said Merkle. “Benchmarking gives you a deeper level of insight before your candidate even walks through the door.” Ready to thrive? We wrote the guide on using assessments and development. Get your free copy here >

Our Clients Serving over 600 client organizations over 23 years, we have applied our skills to a broad range of industries, and all types of groups. Our satisfied clients include agriculture corporations and organizations, companies in the oil and gas sectors, petrochemical firms, wholesalers, retailers, financial institutions, government agencies, and professional services firms. AgResource Agri-Trend Andrukow Group Solutions Inc BP Canada BrettYoung Bayer Crop Science Canada Pacific Rail Canola Council Canterra Seeds Cargill Ltd. Co-operators Insurance Defence Construction Canada Doctors Eyecare Network Dow Agro Sciences DuPont Animal Health DynAgra Fas Gas Oil Ltd. Federated Co-operatives Ltd. General Mills Canada Corp Great West Life Habitat for Humanity Health Canada Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Kal Tire Library & Archives Canada Manitoba Hydro Merial Canada Meridian Industries Monsanto MTS Communications Parkland Industries Pfizer Animal Health Province of Manitoba Purolator RBC Dominion Securities Shell Canada Sioux Lookout First Nations TD Canada Trust Thompson Dorfman Sweatman, LLP Transport Canada Unisource Canada UFA Vale Inco Vetoquinol Viterra Workers Compensation Board Testimonials "Orlyn was very personal and kept my interest at all times. Thank you very much. The SB program has helped with my confidence, and enabled me to increase my sales significantly, as well as work through problems with more ease. Being able to read the customers for behaviors and tendencies has gone a long way to make me a more effective sales person. The knowledge of the buying/selling cycle has allowed me to be more assertive in day to day dealings with custom ers." - Federated Co-operatives participant "Orlyn is engaging, intere sting, funny and personable, always held our interest. He is a great guy, really knows his stuff! He did an excellent job of getting us engaged. Great job! He is one of the best facilitators I've had!" - Andrukow Group Solutions participant

Priority Influencing

Leadership Breakthroughs The Art of Leading Effective Teams As organizations grow, one of the biggest challenges is effective leadership. Often people are moved into leadership positions as a result of superior performance in a non-supervisory role or because they possess the competencies and attributes of a leader or because of their academic expertise and/or experience. Either way, in order to excel as a performance result-oriented leader, new skill sets must be developed. This customized program is designed to teach and support the development of the critical skill sets necessary to overall success of those we lead, the team and our organization. Phase I—Pre-Workshop Package A pre-workshop package is emailed out with a personal behavioral style self assessment and Leadership skills assessment to be completed online. The book “Zapp” is included for a quick read on leading people. Phase 2—Workshop This customized workshop introduces the foundation principles from which leadership concepts are built. Participants will combine the concepts with their own experience, role plays, and group interaction to learn from the following potential topics: Managing change Attitude is key The role of a supervisor Leadership style—DISC Appreciating and adapting to the differences in others Workload management— balancing urgency with importance Planning is the key Decision making Influencing others Questioning & listening techniques How to handle conflict and difficult employees Delegation to ensure results How to run productive meetings Positive reinforcement The process of learning Using Feedback to improve Phase 3— Virtual Team Series Monthly 1.5-hour virtual sessions c/w pre and post components will follow the workshop to reinforce the learning, build on the concepts and ensure participant implementation and behavioral change.

Negotiating Breakthroughs

Priority Coaching

Project Planning Breakthroughs