Leaders Blitz Survival Kit To Remote Work

Leaders Blitz Survival Kit To Remote Work
March 30, 2020 6:00pm – 7:00 pm ET

Registration Link: https://sagewisdom.levellingup.ca/leaders-blitz-survival-kit-to-remote-work-5-days-5-lessons/

Grow your career in a digital community with Jean Parker, Leadership Coach, CFO, Educator, BBA, BEd, ACC. Join this live interactive, convenient, and affordable alternative to traditional professional development specifically to support your business during this time of self isolation

The new normal of business has just changed. Have you pivoted? How you lead, communicate work, create solutions, make money, meet and take care of your people has changed. Jean is a seasoned CFO/Facilitator/Coach experienced in creating changed in organizations in challenging industries and would like to support you to quickly pivot your mindset.

Starts March 30th Register NOW!

$8.60/hr, 5 daily, one hour sessions – Max 8 people per group. BUY NOW

LevellingUp will help you bridge the gap between knowing HOW TO do something and MASTERING it. Grow your skills fast alongside an expert and with the support of a trusted small group.

The experts you want. The skills you need. Nothing standing in your way.

www.LevellingUp.ca
#LevellingUp #PeopleHelpingPeople #LevelUp #Leadership #Goals

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Free Webinar – Managing a Team Who is Now Working From Home

Are you managing a team who is now working from home?

Due to the overwhelming response to our April 2nd webinar, we are adding two more opportunities to join these webinars.

Friday April 3rd, at 12:00 noon and again at 2:00 p.m. EST

First off, thank you for taking the need to flatten the curve seriously. Now let us provide you with some helpful tools (policies, procedures) and tips to maintaining an effective remote team!

Erica Thomas, MBA and I are excited to partner our two companies, The Ontario Municipal Leadership Institute and Transitional Solutions Inc. to provide two more FREE one-hour webinars on Friday April 3rd at 12pm and 2:00 p.m. EST

Click the following link to register: https://attendee.gototraining.com/rt/4416534105522755585

Angela Gravelle
Executive Director, Ontario Municipal Leadership Institute (OMLI)

#coronavirus #worklife #workingathome #municipality #municipal #cao #councils #localgov #localgovernment #onpoli #leadership #technology #leansixsigma #leanmanagement #omlilean #government #ontario #publicpolicy #policies #civilsociety #worklifebalance #newnormal #munigov

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Three steps from Surviving to Thriving!

Three steps from surviving to thriving!

Do you enjoy change? Does the unknown of tomorrow thrill you with anticipation and excitement for the surprises that await you? Are you eager and prepared for whatever the day throws at you?

I’m not.  There, I’ve said it.  Sometimes I’d rather just close my eyes and wake up in the morning and take whatever life tosses my way, one thing at a time.

As an entrepreneur, I don’t have that luxury.  Just as I’m sure you have days where you’d just rather…not. But you have to, because of responsibilities.

We do the best we can, we try to plan ahead, accounting for every eventuality and contingency, and hope that things go according to plan.  But they don’t always, do they? When things go awry as they have with the Coronavirus outbreak, we all are facing changes unlike any we’ve experienced before, and we have decisions to make.

For some people though, change is particularly hard. Making a decision with so little clear direction or reliable information can be daunting, even if you’re pretty comfortable with change. For others, it’s almost impossible to make a decision. Fear can lock them into a cycle of analysis-paralysis which is great for procrastinating, but unhelpful for decision making.

This simple 3-step process can be applied to almost any situation where change is evident or required. It can be applied organizationally, individually, whether you’re a leader or a follower. This universal approach is the first step in improving your ability to deal with change: Identify, Pivot, Adapt.

Identify

The first step is to identify the problem, and the source of the problem as best we can. In my business, classroom-based training and consulting services, the problem is obvious. Nobody wants to sit in a classroom (neither do I), and employers are actively laying off consultants first.

Identifying the source of the problem is also important because that’s how you can determine what your level of influence is. What part of the issue are you able to control? I know for example that the outbreak is like to come in waves over the next 1-2 years until a vaccine becomes available to the public at large. I know that it’s got a widespread infection rate which has resulted in businesses shutting down, mass layoffs, and an upsurge in people working remotely and self-distancing. I don’t need to know every detail, but this information alone helped me pivot.

Pivot

Pivoting is an intermediary action. When a basketball player is blocked, they pivot on one foot to shift their body in a different direction. We have 360 degrees of pivoting available to us, so choosing the direction you want to aim for really depends on the information you have available.

To help me make a direction-based decision, I use the hand method. I lay my hand flat on a surface and spread my fingers. My middle finger is the undesired direction I’m currently heading in, and that I know needs to change.  Each of the other four fingers represent four different options for changing direction.

I don’t worry that I don’t have all the information to make an informed decision…pivoting is about making a quick decision to evade trouble by retargeting myself to aim for a different outcome. Keep it high-level, broad strokes. The details come later. Can you think of four ways you can respond to the problem you’re facing?

Will one of those four “finger options” represent a higher chance of success for a better outcome? If none of the options is particularly better, then choose one randomly and prepare to pivot again. This may go on until more informed decisions can be made, or one direction becomes clearer than the others.

Adapt

Once you set a direction, make a list of all the things you need to adjust to make that direction work. 

Maybe you’re suddenly working from home 100% of the time. If you have a spouse, can you work together in the same house? What about the same room? Are you competing for resources? Do you have a quiet area for phone calls? How will you adapt your schedule? Do you have a support system in place?

For Get Up and Learn, I’ve adapted by delivering training virtually instead of in classrooms. Also, because it’s online, I’m delivering all training in 1-hour segments, which can be linked together to fill a morning or a day, delivered as lunch & learn virtual group sessions, or provided on a pre-scheduled basis for example.

Three steps from Surviving to Thriving

By following the Identify, Pivot, Adapt approach, I was able to determine the problem I was facing including a general idea of the scope, duration, and probable impact.

By pivoting I was rapidly able to determine the most at-risk direction (which was to stay the course and do nothing) as well as four other reasonable options. The best of those was to move everything online and virtual.

A lot of work went into adapting and will continue over time. The training material & resources, delivery methods, website content – all of it needed adapting as a result of the Coronavirus.

The best part is my business is well-positioned for the future and I can see many opportunities to grow that weren’t available to me under the old model. Following this three-step process not only helped me navigate the emerging crisis, but it also strengthened the business potential for the future.

Identify, Pivot, Adapt helped me determine what was right for my business, and it can help you make choices too!

Necessary Sales Pitch Section

Jim Longman, through Get Up and Learn provides consulting, contract, and training services for employers in all industries. Our soft skills training helps people develop new thinking and skills when it comes to handling change, making better decisions, and much more. For more information, click here.

 

 

 

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Building Confidence in Times of Uncertainty

Building Confidence in Times of Uncertainty

When:  April 9, 2020 12:00pm – 1:00pm ET

Registration Link: https://sagewisdom.levellingup.ca/building-confidence-in-times-ofuncertainty/

Grow your career in a digital community with Kimberly Hill, Entrepreneur, CEO of the Self-Confidence Project, Speaker, Confidence Coach, Writer, BBA, Reiki Healer.

Join this live interactive, convenient, and affordable alternative to traditional professional development. Find
community and development even amidst your self-isolation!

85% of individuals suffer from low-self esteem, and this harms our relationship with self, friends, family and co-workers. If you’re someone who feels unsure of yourself or is merely curious about how to increase your confidence, this group is for you. The truth is, you’re not alone, and confidence is a skill we can develop. Confidence matters in life just as much as
competence. Individuals who may not necessarily be the brightest in the room, but the most confident tend to be more admired and listened to than others.

Starts April 9th Register NOW!

$16.13/hr, 8 weekly, one hour sessions. Max 8 people per group.

BUY NOW
LevellingUp will help you bridge the gap between knowing HOW TO do something and
MASTERING it. Grow your skills fast alongside an expert and with the support of a trusted
small group.

The experts you want. The skills you need. Nothing standing in your way.
www.LevellingUp.ca

#LevellingUp #PeopleHelpingPeople #LevelUp #Leadership #Goals

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Think Like a CFO

Think Like a CFO

When: April 8, 2020 2:30pm – 3:30pm ET

Registration Link: https://sagewisdom.levellingup.ca/think-like-a-cfo/

Grow your career in a digital community with Jean Parker, Leadership Coach, CFO, Educator, BBA, BEd, ACC.

Join this live interactive, convenient, and affordable alternative to traditional professional development. Find community and development even amidst your self-isolation!

A CFO wears many hats but they all boil down to one role – helping the organization find and implement the strongest, most realistic opportunities it needs to give the best return to its’ shareholders. Opportunities come from change, constant communication, analysis, observation, structures, and processes.

This accelerator group will create a supported space to connect with your peers and to learn key strategies to expand your CFO thinking. You will create weekly action plans to support the strengthening of the financial health of your business.

Starts April 8th Register NOW!
$30.13/hr, 8 weekly, one hour sessions. Max 8 people per group.

BUY NOW

LevellingUp will help you bridge the gap between knowing HOW TO do something and
MASTERING it. Grow your skills fast alongside an expert and with the support of a trusted
small group.

The experts you want. The skills you need. Nothing standing in your way.
www.LevellingUp.ca

#LevellingUp #PeopleHelpingPeople #LevelUp #Leadership #Goals

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Be The Successful Entrepreneur

Be The Successful Entrepreneur

When:  April 7, 2020 9:00pm – 10:00pm ET

Registration Link: https://sagewisdom.levellingup.ca/be-the-successful-entrepreneur/

Grow your career in a digital community with Colin Christensen, Experienced Entrepreneur, Investor, and Mentor.

Join this live interactive, convenient, and affordable alternative to traditional professional development. Find community and development even amidst your self-isolation!

Entrepreneurship seems like it should be easy: “build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door”. This has not been true – if not ever – not for a long time. The noise of the market and levels of failure among entrepreneurs is intimidating.

We will help you to have the confidence to not only build a business that can work but build any business to work. We can help you avoid the needless failures and be the successful entrepreneur you want to be.

Starts April 7th Register NOW!

$53.75/hr, 8 weekly, one hour sessions.Max 8 people per group.

BUY NOW

LevellingUp will help you bridge the gap between knowing HOW TO do something and MASTERING it. Grow your skills fast alongside an expert and with the support of a trusted small group.

The experts you want. The skills you need. Nothing standing in your way.
www.LevellingUp.ca

#LevellingUp #PeopleHelpingPeople #LevelUp #Leadership #Goals

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Customer & Employee Experience – 23rd Annual Conference

The Inside-Out Future Talent to Deliver the Right Customer Experience

Our 23rd Annual CSPN Customer & Employee Experience Conference will be held from May 13th – 14th, 2020 at the fabulous BMO Institute for Learning in the GTA. This exclusive conference will bring together hundreds of senior industry professionals across all industries and verticals to talk all things CX, EX, Customer Service, Digital Trends and much more. Our 23rd Annual Conference will offer outstanding networking opportunities with decision-makers from across Canada and the U.S.

The theme for the conference is “The Inside-Out Future – Talent to Deliver the Right Customer Experience”. We have an amazing line up of high-quality speakers who will share their insights and draw directly from their personal challenges and learnings. Over the course of the 3 days, attendees will be immersed in engaging presentations, workshops and networking events, all of which will help to build the future customer and employee experiences. Together we will explore emerging CX strategies, the latest technologies – Digital, Automation and best practices that will keep your organization at the forefront of CX and EX excellence.

Join us on May 15, 2020 for an engaging, hands-on workshop, which followed by a tour of the GTA’s contact centre. We applied the skills learned during the conference, and learned new tools and techniques to engage, service and deliver memorable customer experiences.

We can’t wait to have you join us in 2020, and experience this amazing conference. See you soon at one of Toronto’s top venues!

images of speakers at CSPN conference

We are excited to announce our 2 keynote speakers for the conference.  Meet Charles Brown, President & CEO at Lifelabs & Gillian Mandich, PHD, Happiness Researcher, Keynote Speaker and Media Personality. Join us as they speak about “The Power of Trust”: LifeLabs Journey to transform the Patience Experience” and “Happiness at Work”. 

Images of Key Note speakers

For more information, please click here

To Register, please click here

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The Extraordinary Leader Workshop

In today’s rapidly changing, highly competitive environment, the organizations that excel in their respective markets will be those whose people are most competent, passionate, and focused on delivering results.

This workshop is a one-day interactive, skills-building experience, led by Jim Clemmer. It utilizes behavior modeling with interactive videos and real-time demonstrations.

Toronto, ON – March 2, 2020

OR Take both the Extraordinary Leader and the Extraordinary Coach Workshops – March 2nd and 3rd.

Learn More & Register

*SPECIAL DISCOUNT for muniSERV Members – SAVE: $150 (1 DAY) OR $250 (2 DAY)

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Free Webinar – 90 Days to Exponential Business Growth

Are you looking for ideas to grow your business? TMG (Tyrone Matheson Group) has a free webinar to help you.
Here’s what you can expect:

1. Why 1+1 should = 5 in your business.

2. How to use our 3 Step non-linear, non-conventional system to grow exponentially in a short period of time.

3. Top 3 strategies that you can use TODAY to get exactly what you want (i.e. funding, more growth, more market share, etc.)

4. You’ll be invited to join our Pay as You Profit Virtual Private Client Group.

By submitting your information to the webinar organizer, you understand that they will use it to communicate with you regarding this event and their other services.

Nov 27, 2019 12:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register here

 

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Service Delivery Reviews 101

The Province of Ontario recently announced they will be partnering with municipalities without pursuing a top-down approach. (a.k.a. not proceeding with regional restructuring). 

Instead they will be providing municipalities with the resources to support local decision-making with additional funding of $125 million through 2022-2023. The funding will help municipalities conduct service delivery reviews, implement recommendations from previous reviews and undertake a range of projects such as IT solutions or process improvements.  The Municipal Modernization Program is application-based and all applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.  

Why?

Well, over time, as municipalities and the needs of their citizens change, some services that have historically been provided may no longer be needed, or perhaps there’s a better way to deliver them.  Often times a review of the service is necessary to address budgetary pressures or to improve efficiencies and practice fiscal restraint.

As a result of the recent funding announcement, over the next while many municipalities will be engaging outside professionals to work with them to conduct service delivery reviews. Due to the level of detail and analyses that takes place with these reviews, municipalities often engage a knowledgeable, experienced, objective third-party to guide them through the review and to remove any bias or perceived bias with the evaluation process. 

Even though there are many consultants who can provide quality expertise it’s important to have a basic understanding of what a service delivery review is, its purpose and the work and analyses it will encompass.  

What is a Service Delivery Review?

A service delivery review is a systematic review of municipal services and programs to determine the most appropriate way to deliver them. 

It focuses on setting priorities and where possible, finding new, more cost-effective ways to deliver the services the municipality has determined it wants or needs to continue providing.

A review of local services and programs can be undertaken to improve a current service, meet new service demands and/or maintain a current service by finding efficiencies to reduce the costs of delivering it, for example.

A service delivery review is a rigorous evaluation process that ask questions such as;[1]

  • Do we really need to continue to be in this business/service?
  • What do citizens expect of the service and what outcomes does council want for it?
  • How does current performance compare to expected performance?
  • How is demand for the service being managed?
  • What are the full costs and benefits of the service?
  • Are there alternative/better ways to deliver the service?

There is a role for staff, Council, citizens and other stakeholders during a service delivery review and each should be asked these questions.

Service delivery reviews are labour-intensive, so identifying up front the staff with the range of knowledge and experience and the resources necessary for the review, is extremely important to its success. Typically, this will be the staff who is familiar with the operations of the service or program being evaluated.

The review will look to see if there are internal improvements that can be made or if there’s a need to investigate other methods available to deliver the service/program.  For instance could the service be outsourced more cost-effectively than trying to deliver it in-house, could staff receive quality training digitally rather than travelling to classrooms, is there a different bill payment solution to use, etc.?

Council has a critical role in representing the public and consider the well-being of the taxpayers by determining which services the municipality provides, as well as providing direction on the  specific outcomes or deliverables they want the review team to achieve.

Summary:

This is a very brief, high-level look at service delivery reviews. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs has a great online resource, “Making Choices A Guide to Municipal Service Delivery Reviews for Municipal Councillors and Senior Staff”, that sets out a six-stage approach to service delivery reviews.

The full guide was invaluable to me as the first CAO of a newly restructured municipality who was tasked with the responsibility of reviewing the services and programs of each of the five former municipalities and assessing whether they were still relevant in the new municipality and/or if there were better more cost-effective ways to deliver them.

Yes as mentioned, service delivery reviews are labour-intensive, but they are also an extremely interesting challenge – and a process, I thoroughly enjoyed.  When you open up your mind to thinking outside the box and adopting new ways of doing things it will save the municipality time and your taxpayers money.  And that’s rewarding!

One Final Word

My article just wouldn’t be mine without including a small plug to remind municipalities that over this past year, we have added more professional members who offer a wide variety of amazing new and innovative products and services that can help you achieve those efficiencies directed by the Province.

Why not search muniSERV for the service you’re looking for?  You’ll be amazed at some of their offerings!

You may even find that consultant who can help you with your service delivery review! 

Susan Shannon is the Founder & Principal, muniSERV muniJOBS

Susan can be reached at [email protected]   855.477.5095

[1] A Guide to Service Delivery Review for Municipal Managers, Ministry of Municipal Affairs

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