St. Louis Business Achieves Highest Sales Honor

Local business Wings of Success LLC has been honored as an Inscape Publishing Diamond Award Winner, Inscape’s highest award level. In 2011, less than 1% of Inscape Distributors earned the honor of Diamond Award.

Wings of Success LLC brings insight and practical tools to help individuals be more effective in the workplace. To be successful in workplace relationships, people need to have a memorable framework to understand themselves and others,” says Jeffrey Sugerman president and CEO of Inscape Publishing.

Founded in 2002, Wings of Success LLC has become known as Your PEOPLE Development Partner!  The company provides assessment-based learning resources that develop Personal Excellence, Organizational Performance, and Leadership Effectiveness.  The company has steadily grown under the leadership of Sharon Wingron, CPLP.  Wingron is known for her DiSC behavioral styles expertise and is an internationally recognized leader in the learning and performance profession.

Wings of Success LLC’s work is helping people learn to be better leaders, managers, and individual contributors,” Sugerman says. “Organizations are becoming stronger and more efficient as a result. We are proud to have Wings of Success LLC as a partner.”

About Inscape Publishing

Inscape Publishing, Inc. is a leading developer of DiSC^®-based corporate training and assessment solutions. Inscape recently launched Everything DiSC^®, its third-generation applications that combine online assessment, classroom facilitation, and post-training follow-up reports to create powerful, personalized workplace development experiences. With a global network of nearly 1800 independent distributors, Inscape’s solution-focused products are used in thousands of organizations, including major government agencies and Fortune 500 companies. Every year, more than a million people worldwide participate in programs that use an Inscape assessment. Inscape products have been translated into 30 different languages and are used in 70 countries.

For more information about Inscape Publishing and Everything DiSC products, visit www.everythingdisc.com

She's really good and other TSA sales

As many learning professionals do, I travel frequently around the U.S. and sometimes to other countries.  It has been interesting to watch the “security” procedures evolve since 911 and to observe the consistency, or lack thereof, across the U.S. airports.  How many times has something that didn’t raise an alert in my outbound airport suddenly cause concern in the return airport?  Or it was fine one week and the next week concern are raised?  I love to travel, and it is essential for my professional success, yet I have found packing and navigating through security to be more and more of a hassle over time. 

And as a learning professional, I wonder how well trained these agents are and how TSA ensures learning transfer and quality of work.

Yesterday I flew from St. Louis (STL) to Denver (DEN) to begin a 12-day business trip which will include a business mastermind retreat with some valued colleagues, facilitating a 3-day ASTD Training Certificate pre-conference workshop, and attending and presenting at the 4 day ASTD International Conference & Exposition.  No easy way to pack light for this trip due to the variety of activities and outfits required!  One of my check-in bags (weighing in at 40.5#) exclusively held materials for the pre-conference workshop!  (I often say, “If you are going to do training right, you don’t travel light”).  As I constantly do, I thought carefully about how to pack to minimize hassle and maximize productivity.

Two checked bags later, I was in the security line with one rolling check-in bag (containing my casual clothes for the retreat as well as some business materials) and my over-sized purse/duffel (containing my computer, reading material, purse, etc.).  It was 6:00 a.m. – earlier than I typically want to even talk to people let alone be lectured to.  One of the two TSA agents that check boarding passes and IDs was continually admonishing the passengers to

“Remove all of your liquids from your bags.  This is why the line is so long and moving so slow.  How hard is it people?” (she actually said that a couple times!) “Anything liquid needs to be seen to verify it is safe.  Remove it before you get to the scanners.  You need to make these lines go faster.”

REALLY? I get that TSA’s job is to keep us safe, but is belittling us helpful to that end?  On the TSA website, they state “we are people of integrity who respect and care for others …”  That didn’t sound or feel like respect and caring to me.

Finally, my bags went through the scanner as I did.  On the other side, one of the agents asked if the green rolling bag was mine and explained there was an item that looked like a small knife in there, so they needed to search the bag.  No problem, I’m happy to cooperate.  She asked to see my jewelry bag and I also pointed her toward a small office supplies bag as I assumed what she was looking for was in one there.  Sure enough, a small pocket knife, blade about 1.5″ long (that once was my father’s and I’d been carrying around with me for about 8 years), that I use to open boxes and training materials, was the culprit.  (Note: TSA prohibited items list states no knives are allowed in carry-on but you can bring metal, pointed tip scissors with a blade up to 4″ long. Hm.)

I comment to the agent that it is frustrating that I’ve been through so many airports, including STL with this little knife many times and no one has ever questioned it.  She says “Yes, it can be easy to miss things.  This inspector is really good though; she and I have both been here since 911.”  Being polite, albeit frustrated, I sacrifice my knife, thank her for helping keep us safe and go on my way.

About 4 hours later I am at the Valdoro Mountain Lodge in Breckenridge, CO (beautiful place) unpacking and can’t find my toiletries bag.  I was sure I put it in the big checked bag that had my conference clothes and, other than the toiletries bag, was intended to stay in my car while in Breckenridge.  I’m digging in it (in the hotel parking garage) and finally decide I need to bring the bag up to my room to properly unpack it and find my toiletries.  Upstairs we go.  No luck.  Toiletries bag MIA.  About to call my husband to ask him to overnight it because I clearly must have left it at home, I decide I might as well unpack my carry-on bag first.

Much to my surprise, there was my toiletries bag!  While I thought I had packed so carefully, I had accidentally put my toiletries in my carry-on bag!  In the green rolling bag.  With the 3-1-1 clear plastic liquid bag inside it.  Filled with multiple bottles and tubes of liquids.  Not far from the office supplies bag (less one small pocket knife) and the jewelry bag.

“She’s really good; we’ve both been here since 911″ echoed through my head.  One of TSA’s expert, high-performing screening agents completely missed my large toiletries bag with the 3-1-1 liquids bag filled with liquids.  REALLY?

As a traveler, I was #thankful that my toiletries bag wasn’t discovered.  It would have really bummed me out if fueled the fire of the rude Security Checkpoint agent by being one of the admonished travelers who “didn’t take out their liquids” and “slowed the line down.”  I was also a bit shocked that something that obvious was missed and a bit concerned for the true safety of our air travel.

As a learning professional, I was flooded with questions.  If she was one of the “high performers,” what were the lower performers missing?  What happens to the security agents scanning ability when they have locked in to one concern?  Is it normal brain functioning to completely miss other potential concerns at that point?  Does TSA use recent brain research to design their processes and training?  How does TSA train their agents?  What type of refreshers do they give long-term agents to keep them fresh?  What are their quality metrics?  How do they track quality lapses such as this?  Do they have a feedback loop to incorporate learning from lapses such as this and improve their processes?  Not to mention, do they provide Customer Service and Interpersonal Skills training so that their agents reduce the stress of travel and tension of being in security lines instead of adding to it by insulting and belittling the travelers?

We take our shoes off because one person put explosives in his shoes.  We have severe liquid limitations because a few people smuggled on explosive liquids.  Both of these measures were after-the-fact, reactionary measures.  How can TSA get ahead of potential threats, modify their rules and train Security personnel ahead of the fact to keep us safe?  And then, of course, how can they ensure consistent quality inspection and smooth processes so that the minority of “bad guys” don’t get through but the majority of “good guys” aren’t punished in the process?

What about your organization?  How often do your “high performers” slip?  How do you keep all of your employees skills sharp, especially in critical operations?  How do you learn from quality misses and improve your processes?

These are just a few of the questions learning professionals need to be thinking about to help our organizations succeed.

For More information, Please visit this link: http://www.developpeople.com

What would you tell your boss?

About a month ago, in the daily snapshot survey, USA.

TODAY asked the question:

“What would you say to your boss if there were no consequences?”

31% answered, “I appreciate the direction you’re giving.”

15% answered, “I need a chance to express my ideas.”

12% answered, ”You don’t provide any value to my role.”

9% answered, “Stop pretending you’re perfect.”

8% answered, “Don’t tell me how to do my job.”

What would you like to tell your boss if there were no consequences?

If you want to know more details, Please visit this link: http://www.developpeople.com/blog/

Employee Disengagement due to massive changes

I heard an interview on the radio this weekend discussing how employee engagement is at an all time low due to the massive amount of change and uncertainty in the economy. The interviewee (missed his name, sorry) commented that research showed many people would be looking for a new job if the economy wasn’t so slow still.

I find that interesting. Certainly the economy is still slow and certainly employee engagement is low. What I find interesting is that so many employees think the best solution is to find a new job as opposed to trying to influence their current situation to improve it. Additionally, I find it interesting that so many employers are perpetuated a culture that breeds dissatisfaction in this economy as opposed to taking swift steps to engage their employees and come out on top when the economy re-bounds.

Our Integro Leadership Institute offerings for building cultures based on trust and accountability, as well as our Accountability in Action Personal Excellence series are just what these employers and employees need to get jump-started, get out of the doldrums, get re-engaged and energized to increase productivity and exceed customer expectations. That will get our economy moving!!

For more info about online disc profile services and product visit at our online shop -

http://store.developpeople.com/

Multi-Taxi

I just spent the last two and a half days in a Hilton Grand Vacations Club (HGVC) timeshare unit right on Ocean Blvd in Miami Beach.  My goal was to pull myself away from the distractions of life and focus on writing some articles and working on “bigger picture” projects.  Why Miami Beach?  I had timeshare points to use and thought it would be a good place to balance “sequestering” myself with easy-access amenities.

It was a great place to achieve my goal.  The beach was right across the street for when I wanted to get some fresh air, stretch my legs and re-connect to nature.  There were tons of restaurants and convenience stores around to meet my every culinary need.  I could even order room service, allowing food to come to me so I could stay focused on my work.  The timeshare unit was fabulous – spacious enough to allow thinking without feeling cramped, nice kitchenette with full refrigerator/freezer, microwave and blender.

The building had a roof-top terrace with a Jacuzzi, so again I could escape and “change my scenery” quite easily to refresh.

So, did I achieve my goals?  Not a chance.  I am my worst enemy.  I was thrilled to have high-speed internet access; then, I spent ridiculous amounts of time responding to emails, checking Facebook, and looking things up online.  While I did accomplish some important work, my productivity was quite low due to my multi-tasking.

This morning I was contemplating this challenge and my need for more self-discipline while I was riding to the airport in a taxi.  I couldn’t help but notice the epidemic (multi-tasking) is everywhere.  In the short 20-minute ride to the airport, my drive was constantly either talking on his cell phone or on the cab’s radio system.  For the brief moments he wasn’t talking, he was searching for phone numbers (or who knows what) on his cell phone.  I couldn’t see the details, but I could see the scrolling. 

Then, of course, there were the times that he was taking notes in a small notebook – propped on the steering wheel, while he was talking on either the phone or the radio.  All while driving up to about 65 mph or so.

I didn’t feel safe in the back seat, but I didn’t know what to do.  I couldn’t help but think how pervasive and second nature multi-tasking and electronic obsession has become in today’s society.  Brain research and short, practical exercises prove that multi-tasking, while possibly improving “efficiency,” seriously decreases accuracy and effectiveness.  Our brains are not wired to multi-task.

If we are doing simple tasks, we can manage it.  It cripples us when doing more complex tasks however.  Hm.  Driving a taxi and writing leadership and workplace learning and performance articles?  I’m thinking those are complex tasks.

How do you keep from giving in to the obsession of multi-tasking?  What tricks can you share?  I’m looking forward to us all increasing our Personal Excellence and Organizational Performance by managing our digital world instead of it managing us!

For more info about online disc profile services and product visit at our online shop -   http://store.developpeople.com/

What word are you?

Recently we attended my daughter’s high school band’s annual banquet. It is a time for celebrating the accomplishments of the year and honoring the band students. The band instructor has created a tradition of assigning “adjectives” to each child as they come up to receive their pin, letter, or whatever other award they have earned that year. This is a sweet gesture to demonstrate the impressions the kids have made on her.

The challenge is, of course, that some of the adjectives she chooses aren’t always met with warm reception by the teenagers (or their parents).  For example, one child was deemed extraordinary.  He felt pretty good about that one, albeit perhaps a bit embarassed.  His parents were beaming.

Another child, however, was deemed shy.  The year before she had been given naive.  She wasn’t too tickled with those descriptors.  That girl wasn’t at the banquet, so the moment my daughter heard the word she bust out laughing and texted the new adjective to her friend.  I can imagine the rolling of eyes when the girl read it. When her mother received her pin on the girl’s behalf, she clearly stated, “my daughter said she is not shy!”   Another parent commented privately how “at least this year’s word for my son was better than last year’s.”

The teacher meant no harm.  Her intentions were pure.  She sincerely enjoys these kids and wants to build a strong community in the band and with the associated families.  I think perhaps she just doesn’t realize that sometimes her adjectives are interpreted differently by other people.  The words.  The darned words.  People get caught up in the words used to describe them.  The words may be well-intentioned, well-researched, well-spoken, but they sometimes cause angst, confusion, or downright anger or insult.

In my work as a leadership consultant and people development professional, I frequently use the DiSC, MBTI, Birkman Method or other personality profiles.  These personality assessments help clients understand themselves better, including how others perceive them.  All of these start with an assessment where respondents are instructed to choose which adjectives (words) describe them best.

The tools then result in reports that describe the person’s personality, behavioral style, strengths, opportunities for improvement, potential motivators, stressors, etc.  The Everything DiSC reports that I am certified in also go so far as to suggest how others may interpret you based on your style.  More words.

In my experience, by far the majority of people LOVE these assessments and are amazed at how accurate the results are.  I’ll often hear the comment “it’s like you’ve been following me around with a clipboard observing my behavior.”  There are times, however, where people take exception to the front-end assessment or the resulting report.  The words.  They’ll argue that they aren’t really that way.  They’ll be dismayed that they had to choose from words which they felt none described them well.  Or, conversely, they don’t like choosing words when they all describe them well.  Sometimes they are offended that a report might suggest someone might perceive them as “bossy,” “demanding,” “overly analytical,” “overly talkative” …

The main line of reports I distribute and work with are from Inscape Publishing.  I know the team at Inscape, they are competent, smart and compassionate people.  They go to great pains to thoroughly research, analyze and choose the right words for the assessments and the resulting reports.  Collectively, we go to great strides to emphasize that these are strengths-based assessments and that the reports suggest “possible” behavior, “potential” perceptions.  And sometimes the words still sting.

So, what word(s) best describe you?  None of us can be summed up in a single word.  Our behavior is not singular.  It is flexible, adaptable, ranging, and variable moment by moment, situation by situation.  Can sets of words describe you?  Well, yes, typically we all have a pattern of behavior that will evoke a certain set of descriptors, used by ourselves and hopefully, if we are self-aware and manage ourselves well, used by others as well.  There will be positive words, and yes, Virginia, there will be some words with a bit of sting probably too as we all have a opportunities for growth.

The key is not to be offended by the words.  Don’t reject them.  Don’t wholesale “buy” them either.  Think about your words.  Think about what that word means to you.  Consider why someone else may apply that adjective to you.  Then consider, as Dr. Phil says, how’s that working for you?  If you don’t like the word.

Don’t be offended.  Do something to change it.  If you do like the word.  Excellent!  Celebrate that and do more of it!  We can all be whichever words we want.

Maybe the question isn’t “what word are you?”  Maybe, instead it is “what word do you want or need to be, today, tomorrow, in the meeting, with your family, at any given moment.”  My word for right now is “finished.”

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Least Stressful Jobs

In preparation for my Organizational Behavior class I’m teaching at Washington University in St. Louis tonight, I’m doing some research on organizational change and job stress.  Our Robbins Organizational Behavior text pointed me to an article about low stress jobs.  Imagine my surprise when it listed Education/Training Consultant as the number one least stressful jobs!

Some days I believe that is true – I love what I do, I love the flexibility I have, I love helping people learn and grow … Other days, though, I have to be honest.  I’m pretty darn stressed out!  Deadlines to meet, clients to satisfy, preparation, preparation, preparation … making sure I know my stuff, have the timing nailed, look the part, etc.

So what do you think?  Workplace learning and performance professionals – do we have some of the least stressful jobs out there?  Please share your thoughts!  Also, please share your best techniques for managing your stress and taking advantage of the flexibility we have and the wonderful opportunities to make people’s lives better.  Thanks!

For more info about online disc profile services and product visit at our online shop -   http://store.developpeople.com/