Business Basics

There is no guaranteed way to avoid a layoff, but there is a lot you can do to make yourself more valuable to your team and company.

What this course covers:

• Why companies cut jobs and how layoffs happen
• Getting recognized for your contributions
• Staying flexible as priorities shift
• Bringing a positive attitude that sets you apart

Practical guidance for protecting your position at work.

Losing a coworker is tough, especially when you've bonded and become friends. When the decision to leave was not theirs, it makes it even more difficult. Maybe you're not sure where to put your loyalty. Maybe you're unsure of your own job security. Maybe you experience survivor's guilt if you avoided a layoff. There can be a lot of emotions involved, so let's talk about how to manage those feelings. In this course, we'll discuss the importance of acknowledging your feelings, getting back into a routine, and offering resources to your former coworker. We'll also go over gossip and how to avoid it, and what to do when someone new is hired.

Successfully attending a business event doesn't mean just showing up. The work starts before you walk in.

What this course covers:

• Knowing why you're there and what goal needs to be accomplished
• Preparing for corporate functions, networking events, seminars, and community gatherings
• Getting ready to make face time with potential clients
• Preparing to represent yourself and your organization well

Walk into your next event with a plan instead of hoping for the best.

You're at a business function. Did you know that there's a proper way to wear a name tag? Or that there is appropriate etiquette to shaking someone's hand? What's the best way to naturally join a group of people already having a conversation? The event is serving buffalo wings. Do you eat them? We'll answer these questions and many more as we go over what to do and what NOT to do when attending a networking or business event.

You've attended the event. You've mingled. You avoided the hot wings. You met Marty's close-talker wife who didn't avoid the hot wings. You're done, right? Not quite. After all of the preparation and thought you've put into attending this event, you need to close it out with some follow-up. In this last program, we'll talk about what you need to do to leave a lasting impression on the connections you've met and talked with, and how to best continue those relationships.

In our previous program, we talked about how we view and respond to what happens to us through our locus of control and how understanding that can help us shift our perspective. In this course, we'll dive into a more pragmatic way to look at how our lives are affected by outside events, and how we can affect those same events. Using circles of control, we can visualize our own impact on what's happening in our lives.

Humans have an instinctive need to be liked. We experience positive feelings of high self-esteem when we believe that others view us positively. Being liked gives us a sense of belonging, and it impacts our view of our self-worth. Likability doesn’t come just from natural traits. Likeability can be developed through learned behaviors, understanding emotional intelligence, and personal growth. In this course, you’ll explore some key behaviors and habits of well-liked people that you can emulate to make yourself well-liked. Learn about making connections, being positive, staying present, and more.

Being respected is when others hold feelings of admiration for you because of your worth, abilities, qualities, and achievements - when they hold you in high esteem. People have an inherent desire to be respected. It’s a fundamental aspect of human interaction because it contributes to your sense of dignity, self-worth, and value as an individual. In this course, we’ll explore several ways to earn respect. This includes showing empathy, maintaining accountability, and demonstrating confidence. We’ll also go over strategies for restoring respect if it’s been lost.

The reality is that we’re not going to like everyone we work with. And in turn, not everyone is going to like us. Sometimes we just don’t click. Thankfully, there are some tried and tested methods we can employ to successfully engage with someone that we’re not very fond of. In this program, we’ll cover these strategies, including keeping emotions in check, practicing basic civility, finding common ground, and providing honest, constructive feedback.

Donald Rumsfeld once said "There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. These are things we don't know we don't know." That's what this program is about, finding out what we don't know, so we can learn it, get up to speed, and do our jobs better.

An unknown unknown in business is typically referred to as a blind spot, and by definition you cannot address one you have not found. This program discusses how to uncover your blind spots in order to improve your personal business performance.

What this course covers:

• What an unknown unknown is and why it is called a blind spot
• Why blind spots hold back personal business performance
• Approaches for uncovering the blind spots you have
• Acting on what you find once a blind spot is visible

Part of the How to Know What You Don't Know series, for professionals interested in their own development. You will leave with a way of looking for the gaps you did not know were there.

Some situations call for you to be assertive. And some people are better at being assertive than others. Have you ever hesitated out of fear that your assertiveness will come across as aggression? In this program, we'll take a look at how you can be assertive without being perceived as aggressive.

Do you cave when someone asks you for something, giving in rather than working toward a compromise?

What this course covers:

• When it is wise to concede
• When to hold firm instead of caving
• How to reach a mutually beneficial compromise

Stand your ground while still finding common solutions.

This probably happens more in written word versus the spoken word, but it can happen in either instance. You receive a quick communication from your boss or coworker and think, "Wow, that was rude." Because we are forced to interpret the mood and meaning of the message without the aid of body language, tone of voice, or facial expression, things are often miscommunicated. So in this course, we teach on how to send messages that are short, yet still sweet.

There is a fine line between presenting yourself in a confident way and coming across as conceited. This program covers different ways to convey genuine confidence, along with the arrogant behaviors worth avoiding.

What this course covers:

• Where the line between confident and conceited actually falls
• Different ways to convey confidence in a professional setting
• Arrogant behaviors to avoid
• How the same intent can read as confidence or as conceit

Part of the This vs. That series, aimed at professionals who want to be taken seriously without putting people off. Short, comparative, and immediately applicable.

You have a deadline, but in order to meet it, you would have to skimp on quality. Do you do it to meet your deadline? Or would you miss your deadline and turn in a high-quality project? Time versus quality is something we have all struggled with, but there's no alliteration in that title, so let's talk about work that's flawless versus work that's finished.

You've likely been in a situation where you're waiting on something from someone else to complete your own task. You may casually check in for a status update. Meanwhile, your boss is asking you when it's going to be done, but you can't say because you don't know when the other person will get it to you, and you don't want to throw them under the bus. This course is all about what to do in this situation and finding the right balance between being persistent and being a downright pest.

Sometimes reserved people get a bad rap. Their lack of boisterousness gives them the reputation of being rude or snobby, when in fact, they're perfectly nice people who are often misread. Truly rude people do exist, and there is no room for rudeness in the workplace. Yes, it's not always sunshine and rainbows, and being cheerful isn't always possible, but employees should always be courteous and respectful. In this program, we'll discuss the difference between someone who is reserved and someone who is rude, and why rudeness at work is unacceptable.