Apr 23, 2014 | News
If a manager or supervisor is told that one employee is bullying another, they must address the issue. But before company leaders can confront the person responsible, they need to identify that bullying has indeed taken place and confirm the facts. The following is a basic three-step plan of action:
Step 1: Identify what is considered bullying in the workplace. Workplace bullying can be described as repetitive, deliberate verbal, non-verbal and even physical actions directed against a co-worker or subordinate for the sole purpose of dominating and controlling. Such behaviour is damaging and can result in severe psychological or physical harm to the victim.
Step 2: Confirm the facts and develop a plan to confront the bully. Once bullying has been identified, it is the supervisor/manager’s responsibility to confirm the facts, prepare documentation, and develop a plan to confront the bully. Confirming facts will help you understand the extent of damage that may have been done to the victim. If there are enough facts to confront the bully, prepare a plan.
Consult any appropriate partners such as human resources personnel and determine what consequences – anything from written discipline to termination – may be considered. The plan must be sensitive to the needs of the victim, who may need support through an employee assistance program.
Step 3: Schedule a meeting to confront the bully. Determine the time and location of the meeting, as well as who will be involved, and prepare a script. In a private space, facilitate the following conversation:
- Explain the purpose of the meeting. In a clear and assertive tone, explain that the employee has been linked to bullying and that this conversation is to address that. For example: “John, I have asked to meet with you to discuss the following facts … and our position on this matter. Do you understand why you’re here?”
- Verify with the employee why they are there. This gives the individual time to understand the seriousness of the conversation and allows the leader to evaluate how the employee is going to manage their emotions. If the employee or leader becomes overly emotional, stop the conversation and start again only when everyone is calm.
- Present the facts and concerns, and outline the consequences. This is to ensure that the employee understands that this is not a negotiation; it’s a reporting of the facts. The ultimate goal is for the employee to accept responsibility for his or her actions. Facts: “John, you were observed … ” (Share the facts, history, evidence and the organization’s position.) Concerns: “John, bullying behaviour is not acceptable in this organization and it will not be tolerated. Do you understand the concern and expectation to stop any behaviours that could be perceived as bullying?” Employee’s response: Give the employee a chance to admit responsibility, ask questions about what they need to do, show remorse, apologize and commit to changing their behaviour. Consequences: Inform the employee how the matter will be dealt with. A union representative may need to be involved.
- Frame an action plan. Outline the steps the employee must comply with to continue their employment. “John, the first step is to stop bullying X immediately. You will be expected to …” Leave nothing to assumption. Get the employee to agree to those expectations.
- Review the plan. Review the expected behaviour, how the plan will be monitored, any disciplinary action, the impact on the employee’s record, future consequences if there is a relapse, and the frequency of follow-up. A written plan may help the employee follow the guidelines.
Effective leaders must embrace the challenge of making sure their workplace is free of bullying. ILScorp offers additional resources to help both employers and employees prevent and manage bullying in the workplace, and ensure compliance with workplace legislation.
Ontario, Manitoba, Québec and Saskatchewan have already introduced legislation against bullying and B.C. recently enacted Bill 14 [Workers Compensation Amendment Act] to address the effects of bullying at work. Become compliant with existing laws. Complete ILScorp’s “Understanding Workplace Bullying & Tools for Safeguarding an Organization from Bullying Behaviour” courses.
This course is included free of charge as part of ILScorp your group subscription. This course is General and Adjuster CE accredited, however ILScorp recommends that all employees receive this training for law compliance.
Excerpted from the Globe and Mail, written by Bill Howatt, the president of Howatt HR Consulting and founder of TalOp, in Kentville, N.S.
Mar 28, 2014 | News
Continuing Education deadlines are fast approaching for insurance agents in BC and Manitoba (May 31 is just over 2 months away!), and Alberta’s requirements must be met by June 30 this year. Now is the time to get working on your mandatory CE hours and avoid the last minute rush.
ILScorp is ready to help, with continuing education catalogues feature hundreds of hours of accredited courses that you can complete anywhere you have an internet connection.
The ILScorp general insurance catalogue offers more than 300 hours (160 courses) of accredited Continuing Education training, so you’ll find courses that are of interest and relevance to you and your business. More than 50 courses have recently been updated and re-accredited. Six-month subscriptions, which provide access to the entire general insurance catalogue are only $185. Discounts for groups of five or more are available.
Our Life / A&S course catalogue includes more than 75 CE courses (185 hours). A new online Professional Liability course: Introduction to Errors and Omissions Exposures Insurance for Life / A&S Agents, which is also included in the subscription option. Individual Courses start at $85. Six month subscriptions to the entire Life/A&S CE course catalogue are $260.
Advantages of all of the ILS continuing education course subscriptions:
- Once you purchase your subscription, you can begin taking your courses immediately! If you are a new subscriber, you will receive an automated username and password by email.
- Access more than 180 accredited general insurance training courses in both text and streaming video formats, including personal lines, commercial lines, auto, farm, professional management and personal skills courses.
- Have a digital record of your completed course work, which we keep on file for up to seven years.
- Save time by completing your general insurance continuing education requirements entirely online, no paperwork or commute.
- Courses can be accessed any time and you can log in and log out as many times as you wish during the course period.
- Quizzes and Final exams are offered in most of our courses to help you retain the information.
- Should you require any assistance at any time during your course work, we are here to support you 5 days a week, 0800 – 1700 PST.
Join the more than 22,000 Canadian insurance professionals who develop their skills with ILScorp each year! Visit ILScorp.com today to get started, or call 1-800-404-2211.
CE Credits with ILS – Fast, Easy, Done!
Feb 21, 2014 | News
How far could you go in your professional life if you were a more confident speaker? A more articulate communicator? Are you missing out on advancement opportunities because of poor presentations? To succeed in business today, industry leaders say employees need to develop better communications skills, to better articulate their message to customers, co-workers and employers.
ILScorp has launched a new online course: “Secrets for Exceptional Speaking” to meet this growing need among professionals in all industries. This online video course teaches an innovative approach to public speaking, presentations, and communication skills, using the trade-marked Hendrie Method.
“I find that Stephanie Hendrie has made another brilliant discovery incorporated in the ‘Secrets for Exceptional Speaking’ by identifying the Three Key Elements,” says Paul Baker, Drama Department Chairman, Baylor University; and Founding and Managing Director, Dallas Theater Center. “Stephanie has also developed vivid and fantastic exercises to help each student in developing each of the Key Elements. I believe Stephanie has been able to fathom the most important ‘Secrets for Exceptional Speaking’ and has found dazzling ways to explain the process,”
With this online course, exclusive to ILScorp subscribers, students will:
- discover techniques to apply to different communication and interpersonal situations
- know how to bring your words to life with appropriate emotion
- sound conversational and connected in several different styles
- be able to communicate any information and connect with any listener
- enhance your reputation, improve your self-confidence and advance your career!
After completing the Secrets of Exceptional Speaking course, which includes practice exercises and worksheets, students will be confident speaking to large and small audiences on a variety of topics.
Whether it’s speaking at your brother’s wedding, presenting to the board of directors, addressing a lecture hall, or your coworkers at a weekly meeting, the Secrets course will help you share information confidently and communicate effectively.
This course will give you techniques that you can apply to different communication and interpersonal situations. By the end of the course, you will be able to communicate any information, know how to bring your words to life with appropriate emotion, and sound conversational and connected in several different styles.
“My performance as a speaker greatly improved. I felt I could be me, at last, and know that my talks will be effective, that my audience will be attentive and retain the key message. I have referred this course to many of my colleagues and they too have experienced extraordinary results. The Hendrie Method has my highest recommendation. Its simplicity and profound impact are astounding,” says John Westman, Former President, Bank One, Arizona & CFO, Bank One Corp.
This course is used by executives from Fortune 500 companies to train themselves and their employees, and is now available to you, online, to work through at your convenience.
Purchase the Secrets of Exceptional Speaking course from ILScorp today for only $309. This includes unlimited access for three months! Purchase online or call us at 1-800-404-2211 for more information.
Jan 2, 2014 | News
Entrepreneur magazine suggests these top 10 New Year’s resolutions, great for any small business owner or business person. How many can you enact in your professional life this coming year?
- I will work smarter. Can you identify three things you can do to be more efficient and effective in your current job? Are you or your staff spending too much time on e-mail, for example? Too much time returning phone calls? Does it interrupt workflow too frequently? Sometimes, those job inefficiencies are not very obvious. However, if you can all specifically identify them, then those inefficiencies can be eliminated and you can become more productive. This can increase work satisfaction as well.
- I will increase my working network in and out of my immediate area and inside and outside my company. Can you you get to know more people? Can you meet more people not just to say hello, but to find out what they do, how they do it and what skills they use to be productive? Let them know about your traits, abilities and interests, too. Ask yourself if you can you interact with them to mutually benefit both your jobs. Can you include them in your circle of contacts so that you can call on them when you need a favor, a contact, or a reference? The reverse should be true as well.
- I will find three things that I can do to make myself irreplaceable. Why should the company continue to employ you? Why are you good at what you do? Does the company know this? What else should the company know about you? In times of layoffs or terminations, why should the company keep you while dismissing others? If you cannot answer these questions during economic hard times, in particular, your name could easily be included in any “termination group.”
- I will find ways to get along better with my boss and colleagues. Manage upward. If your boss is not managing you well enough or to your liking, then find positive, non-complaining ways to change this situation so that you are able to share your views with him or her. Do you need more (or less) direction, supervision, freedom, responsibility or authority? What can colleagues be doing more of, less of or doing differently to create a more positive working environment that meets organizational goals? Speak up and make sure your voice is heard.
- I will join at least one company-wide task force or committee. Do people outside of your immediate group, team or unit know your capabilities, interests and skills? Do you know what is happening in other sectors of our company? Do you know the challenges and opportunities faced by people elsewhere in our organization? By joining committees, you not only gain a broader view of the company’s goals and issues, you also challenge your own skills, abilities, and knowledge and increase your networking impact.
- I will join a professional organization in my area. Life and work are about growing and developing yourself. What have you done for yourself lately? Have you met like-minded colleagues who share some of your hopes, dreams, and goals? Do not miss this important opportunity to learn more about your profession while increasing the breadth and depth of your networking circle.
- I will take a job-related self-improvement course. Are there new techniques, tools and concepts that you need to know about to constantly make yourself into a more important and irreplaceable employee? When is the last time you stimulated your own thinking and gained new perspectives on your job and future? A seminar, conference or online training may very well be the stimulus you need to re-energize yourself and increase your job satisfaction.
- I will develop four goals to help me grow and develop as a more achievement-oriented employee. Stagnation is the kiss of death in today’s corporate economy, where layoffs and downsizing occur daily. So, think seriously about what you can do to be more achievement-oriented in addition to taking a seminar and joining a professional group. Do you want to assume more responsibility in your job? Form or chair a taskforce? Rethink and improve a product, policy, or procedure? Create monthly, open-door meetings with the boss. Be creative.
- I will evaluate my personal contribution to this organization. List three strengths and three limitations to your overall progress. Identify ways to improve on all six, including what you will need from your direct supervisor or other administrators to help move you along the roadway to success.
- I will try to improve my relationship with at least one person with whom I do not get along. Take the initiative; meet with him or her and discuss the issues, whether overt or subtle, that prevent you from having positive interactions. Remember that your goal as an employee is to make the best of your talents, create synergies with colleagues and increase the productivity and effectiveness of the company. A clear deterrent to those tasks are problematic people relations. How can you minimize that obstacle to success?
Take the initiative to improve your work life, develop your skills and enjoy a prosperous 2015. ILScorp is here to help with online continuing education courses for insurance agents, including time management and leadership courses.
Excerpted from Entrepreneur.com
Nov 20, 2013 | News
Not invited to the holiday parties? Passed over for promotions?
One of the biggest mistakes you can make in your career is not understanding that there are certain codes and rules to abide by in the workplace. If you’re not careful, you may even lose opportunities because others are put off by your lack of professionalism.
You may not know it, but your office behaviour could be affecting your co-workers perceptions of you. Are you acting in a professional manner in the work place? Not sure? Know someone in your office who could use a few pointers?
ILScorp’s Office Etiquette course will teach employees how to behave professionally in the office. Areas of focus include:
- Dressing for success
- Customer Service
- Teamwork
- Respect
- Company Property
- What not to do
This one-hour course features humorous segments which follow fictional staff members in an office setting. These clips add entertaining visuals to the important course content. Enjoy a video preview here.
The ILScorp Office Etiquette course will help viewers understand what is expected from them at work and how to display professional behaviour at all times. Enhance your reputation and advance your career, with the ILScorp Office Etiquette course today.
The ILScorp Office Etiquette is available for individual purchase for $29. Visit www.ILScorp.com or call 1-800-404-2211 today to get started.
