Tag Archives: programs

Success Stories/Case Studies

The documents found below are just a few of the practicums that have been submitted by individuals who have undergone our 4-day Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator Training (AIFT) program. We celebrate in their achievements and enjoy learning how Appreciative Inquiry has influenced their lives – personally and professionally. We are so appreciative of the clients we serve and the joy they bring to our work. New stories are posted frequently, so check back often to see what new stories have been posted. Enjoy!

Bermuda College - Strategic Planning Using AI

Bermuda College – Strategic Planning Using AI

Quinn Practicum Cover

Kirtland Community College – Strategic Planning Using AI

 COE Anniversary EditionCompany of Experts Anniversary Collection

inspiring-parents

Inspiring Parents and Teachers to Collaborate in Developing Dynamic, Strengths-Based Relationships

Delta College Ai Success Story

Delta College – Appreciative Inquiry (Ai) in the Classroom

Excelptional Classroom Learning Experiences: Breaking Down Language Barriers

Exceptional Classroom Learning Experiences: Breaking Down Language Barriers

Taking a Stand Against Corruption in the Red Zone with Appreciative Inquiry

Taking a Stand Against Corruption in the Red Zone with Appreciative Inquiry

tricountry-techinical-college

Developing the Meaning and Value of Institutional Research

using-ai-to-reimagine-college-strategy_nscc

Using Appreciative Inquiry to Re-Imagine our College Strategy

networking-for-misson-special-gather-of-notre-dame-educators

Networking for a Mission: A Special Gathering of Notre Dame Educators

atwood_wesp_practicum-snapshot

Building Capacity for Quality Improvement at Southeast Inc.

tso_practicum-snapshot

Coming Together: Envisioning the Future of Communication at the Univ. of MD

ai-at-truman-medical-center

Creating Patient Centered Care through Inquiry

 cna-qatarAppreciative Inquiry at College of the North Atlantic – Qatar
 luke-youngeAppreciative Inquiry at UNIMA South Africa

kyle-hannah_ai-practicumMotivating Teachers to Create Positive Change within Learning Environments

ai-in-the-salamanca-city-central-school-districtAppreciative Inquiry in the Salamanca City Central School District

 southeast-inc-appreciative inquiry practicum_Company of ExpertsProviding comprehensive behavioral healthcare at Southeast, Inc.
creating-revolutionary-change-through-the-process-of-appreciative-inquiry_4wordCreating Revolutionary Change through the process of Appreciative Inquiry
 Becoming the Most Frequented Restaurant through Extraordinary Hospitality & Culinary Excellence

Creating a Vibrant Learning Group Conducive to Transformation and Growth
Creating a Compelling Image of the Future Being Our Best Together Discovering You at Your Best Using Appreciative Inquiry
Exploring a Relationships using Appreciative Inquiry Empowering Off-Campus Students by Providing Opportunities that Enhance their College Experience Appreciative Inquiry into Math Success Factors
Incorporating Interprofessional Education (IPE) into the Health Sciences Programs Building Organizational Capacity: Moving Adjunct Experience from “Good” to “Great”

Internships

Internships are available each semester (fall, winter break, spring, and summer). Internships include paid and unpaid. This is a busy and fun corporate environment. The Company of Experts develops and delivers corporate training programs. The Company shares office space and provides staffing support to a software development company. If you are interested in gaining valuable experience in a busy and growing company, please send a resume and cover letter telling us which of the 6 positions you are applying for to Kathy at Kathy@CompanyofExperts.net

Internship Requirements:

* Must be a current full-time or part-time college student in Clark County

* Minimum GPA Requirement is a 3.0

Internship Job Description:

The work is varied with new learning experiences every day. The duties may include any and all of the duties list below. Working with two small start-up companies with a vision for making a difference, you will have the opportunity to learn new skills and be part of a dynamic and growing team.

Internship Positions Available:

General Office

The general administration office has two openings each semester for an organized, self-motivated individuals to assist with the general administration functions for each company. Duties include: assisting with internship paperwork, applications, and orientation; helping coordinate workshops and training programs as well as technical software development meetings; daily accounting activities and client support via telephone and the internet; and working to complete various administrative and organizational tasks.

Marketing

This fast-moving, dynamic work environment is best suited for students with an interest in the following career fields: Public Relations, Marketing, copywriting, promotion or Advertising Sales.

Projects may include assisting in research analysis such as surveys and other research used to gain clients for both companies. Knowledge of MS Excel and MS Word is a must. Other basic computer knowledge in Office programs is helpful. One to two interns will are necessary.

Sales Development

Two to three interns are needed to assist the advertising sales representatives who handle in-house mail order and classified sales. The interns will aid in sales efforts, maintain lists of clients and update the online registration system. They will also help plan and organize training programs and services. Duties include: typing, filing and phone prospecting, as well as special projects throughout the semester.

Content Development

Content Development needs three students to assist the department in developing and producing a variety of training programs and workshops including online and webinars. Interns in typically assist with the following activities: fact checking, proofreading, photo research, new business research, brainstorming sessions and advertising projects

New Media/Social Networking

One bright, enthusiastic, motivated student to assist with various projects that may include proofreading, research, blogging, online editing, writing and managing content. Ideal candidate works well with others as well as independently. Multimedia experience preferred. Interns should have an excellent eye for detail, possess superior language skills and be interested in web publishing/design.

Technology

One intern is needed in the Technology department for 10 hours per week. Intern will perform minor troubleshooting for windows-based systems and windows software, including active directory audits. Intern will assist in updating existing databases maintained for software, hardware and wiring and maintaining supply inventories. Intern will be involved with updating workstations with recent patches to Windows XP. Other duties include administrative and organizational tasks. Experience with Outlook, Word and Excel are necessary. Ability to be detailed-oriented and keep accurate records a must.

AIFT – Baltimore, MD

Baltimore SkylineTitle: Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator Training©

Location: Baltimore, MD

Link out: Click here

Download Brochure: AIFT Baltimore 2010

Description: Registration is now open for this powerful four day training. At the end of AIFT© intensive four day training, participants will have the skills and foundation to facilitate Appreciative Inquiry sessions. Learn to guide organizations, groups and communities consciously and deliberately shift their collective ways of being and seeing to an appreciative approach, that will help them focus on what’s right in their organization, group or community, rather than on what’s wrong, so that they can deeply inquire into what’s right and why, and then find ways of intentionally creating more of what’s right in their organization, group or community.

This program has been developed and is presented by the Center for Appreciative Inquiry to provide a cost effective way for communities, people and organizations to dialogue and action for creating positive change.

If you would like more information about this workshop or would like to register, click here.

Start Date: 2010-04-12
End Date: 2010-04-15

DCI – Las Vegas

Las Vegas StripTitle: Department Chair Institute (DCI)

Location: Las Vegas

Website: Click here

Description: Get the skills and insider information today’s Department Chairs need to better manage the services they provide and are accountable for. You’ll quickly see the benefits offered by a positive and supportive learning environment that affords you the opportunity to network with experts and peers.

The three-day Department Chair Institute® (DCI) includes a morning and afternoon session each day; a morning and afternoon break; and one hour for lunch. Workshop format includes case studies, opportunities for practice (real and role plays) mini-lectures, assessment instruments, individual reflection and individual action planning. You also will have Post-Institute access by email, for continued dialogue with other first-line academic leaders.

If you would like more information about this workshop or would like to register, click here.

Start Date: 2010-01-11
End Date: 2010-01-13

Employee Training Leads to Competitive Advantage

stats-from-coe-presentation1The quality of employees and their skills acquired through education and training are key components in determining the long-term profitability of organizations. Wise organizations invest in the development and skills of their employees – both new and current – by delivering high-quality training programs that will increase the overall efficiency and productivity of the company. Organizations are turning to online training to maintain their competitive edge in today’s market. At the end of 2008, the American Society of Trainers and Developers (ASTD) reported on this current trend – see how your company compares in the blue chart in this article.

Online learning is becoming increasingly popular in recent years. There are several advantages to employee development and training online. One advantage to online training is the cost savings. Organizations that utilize online learning as a method for training can greatly reduce their overhead costs by cutting the delivery costs, time, and expenses incurred in travel and training. Organizations that invest in training their employees can accrue additional cost savings through a reduction in employee turnover, employee downtime, the need for supervision, increased staff productivity, reduced customer support calls, etc.

When scheduling face to face trainings, scheduling a time and place for all employees to attend is virtually impossible, especially when factoring in time zones. Conducting training online provides the flexibility and convenience needed in today’s fast-paced workforce.  Employees participating in online training do not have to be taken out of the field or office for training, allowing organizations to maintain their level of productivity. Employees can take their training programs during down time at work or at home – allowing employees to focus on their duties while still participating in exceptional training.

Utilizing the Internet to attend trainings, not only provides learners with the flexibility to participate in training at a time that’s convenient for them, but also allows them to proceed at a pace that matches their individual learning style. Because training materials, resources, comments, and discussions are accessible 24 hours a day 7 days a week, learners are able to read and re-read material at a pace that’s comfortable for them. Having time to fully comprehend the material allows learners to think about what they want to say in their comments; this generates great dialogue and increases the level of learning amongst the participants.

There are no geographical barriers to online learning. Learning becomes an exploration as learners use the Internet to retrieve an assortment of articles, books, blogs, etc. that contain information not available to them where they live of work. This expands the learner’s knowledge base and offers them hands-on experience in 21st century tools. Increasing the knowledge, skills, and quality of your employees are key factors in determining your organization’s long-term profitability and sustainability. Investing in your employees, new and current, through training/development will cultivate a greater sense of dignity and self-worth which can transcend into improved work ethics. It also offers employees a sense of satisfaction through the achievement of personal, career, and company goals.

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Resources

Coleman, Stephanie. “Why Do Students Like Online Learning.” World Wide Learn. Web. 10 Aug. 2009. <http://www.worldwidelearn.com/education-articles/benefits-of-online-learning.htm>.

“Employee Training and Development.” BizMove.com. Web. 10 Aug. 2009. <http://www.bizmove.com/personnel/m4d.htm>.

Gormandy White, Mary. “Advantages of Online Learning for Corporate Training.” Associatedcontent.com. Web. 10 Aug. 2009. <http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/304058/advantages_of_online_learning_for_corporate.html?cat=55>.

Quinn, Paul. “Online Training Needs Analysis.” TrainingNeedsAnalysis.com.au. 2006. Web. 10 Aug. 2009. <http://www.trainingneedsanalysis.com.au/Online-Training-Needs-Analysis.htm>.

Christopher Szecsey

Christopher Szecsey

Christopher Szecsey (pronounced “say-chay”) has over 38 years of worldwide experience across more than 48 countries in capacity-building of individuals, teams, community groups, organizations, & projects. For the past 15 years, he has worked as consultant, trainer, & facilitator with international nonprofits & local nonprofits (NGOs) as well as with government & multilateral agencies in the USA & around the world.

His international clients include: the Center for Disease Control in Ethiopia, Carter Center, World Wildlife Fund, American Red Cross, Save the Children, CARE, PACT, PATH, Family Health International, Pathfinder, Counterpart International, The Asia Foundation, FAO/UN, UNDP, & UNICEF as well as international consulting firms, foundations, & government agencies. Prior to consulting, he served nine years as a Country Representative/Field Office Director for Save the Children/US on three international assignments in Asia & the Pacific Islands; two years as a Project Director for UNDP in Nepal; & three years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador.

His USA clients, mostly in the Northern California, include: the Volunteer Center & its Nonprofit Resource Center, Community Action Partnerships, West County Community Services, Santa Rosa Symphony, Habitat for Humanity, RECOURSE, Restorative Resources, Sonoma County Repertory Theater, Next Generation, Lifeschool, Osmosis, Southwest Community Health Center, La Luz, foundations such as Levi Strauss & West County Healthcare, school districts, & local city & county government agencies.

Key areas of Christopher’s consulting experience include building the capacity of the nonprofit sector around the world including in the USA; providing technical assistance, training & facilitation in collaboration/partnerships; organizational assessment & development, leadership & team strengthening;  program assessment, design, planning, & management; & board & staff development as well as work with local government agencies.

Christopher has significant experience & skills in training & facilitation with boards, senior staff, & diverse stakeholder groups, using learner center participatory, interactive, & collaborative learning processes to ensure client & stakeholder involvement, engagement & ownership for positive change efforts.

He has served on the board of three nonprofits as well as the chair of one, and as a nonprofit executive director. He graduated from the University of the Pacific/Callison College, and successfully completed the Executive Certificate Program in Global Change & Social Innovation/Appreciative Inquiry, Global Excellence in Management (GEM) Initiative, Case Western Reserve University. His three languages are: English, Spanish, and Indonesian.

Hire This Expert >

Specialties:

  • Appreciative Inquiry
  • Board Training & Development
  • Community Development/ Mobilization & Community Partnerships
  • Consulting
  • Facilitating
  • Facilitator Training
  • High-Impact Strategic Planning
  • Leadership Training & Development
  • Management Training & Development
  • Organizational Assessment
  • Organizational Development
  • Participatory Learning
  • Participatory Management
  • Partnership Building & Strengthening
  • Program/Project Development & Management
  • Staff Training & Development
  • Team Building
  • Visioning & Futuring

Be Irreplaceable at Work

One can debate whether or not we are moving out of a recession; however, one thing that is certain – our current economy is centered on cutting costs. 85 to 90 percent of a business’ operating costs are comprised of labor expenses. As a result, companies minimize these costs by laying off employees.

For the workers that remain, job security is of great concern to them. Learn how to become indispensible at work. Below are some tips to build your personal strategic plan and maximize your value on the job:

Brand Yourself

Team BuildingOne of the best preventive ways to ensure you survive company downsizing is to create and market “your brand.”  Branding yourself is crucial when developing your personal strategic plan. The first step in creating your brand is reflection. Take time to define who you are and who you aren’t. Ask yourself questions like, “What sets me apart from my coworkers?” “Am I reliable?”  “Do people see me as trustworthy?” “Am I known for being responsible or a multi-tasker?” Write these attributes down.

Now that you have taken time to define yourself, use the adjectives or phrases that identify you and begin to live them. We live in a culture that is flooded with distractions; we are texting our friends, tweeting what we had for lunch, juggling emails, and updating our Facebook page. Amidst the onslaught of media and barrage of white noise, individuals that brand themselves and attract attention for their admirable characteristics (i.e. great listener, dependability) will have a decided advantage.

Be Excellent

Do you know what the biggest difference is between replaceable and irreplaceable employees? The answer is the employee’s willingness to go “above and beyond”. The work you produce should be excellent, not subpar. Never assume that someone else will pick up the slack. In times of downsizing, individuals will be proactive and will be looking out for their best interest. To be truly irreplaceable, you want to be the first person your boss turns to when he or she wants something done right the first time.

Take the Lead

Volunteer to take on new assignments and responsibilities that you are interested in or see being neglected. Taking the initiative increases your workplace participation and will put you far ahead of the competition and may earn you a job promotion or increase in pay. When taking on additional assignments and responsibilities, make sure they align with the company’s business strategy and whose outcomes will make a genuine difference within the company.

Honor Your Commitments

Prove that you are reliable. If you say that you are going to do something, you want your supervisors and your coworkers to know that they have nothing to worry about. It’s important to always inform others of what you are thinking, what you are doing, and what you have done. If you are unable to deliver what you promised, for whatever reason, it’s important that you communicate that to the stakeholders involved as soon as possible. Take ownership of all of your responsibilities. Luke Kreinberg, a career coach with San Francisco’s Work In Progress said, “You might disappoint, but if you take ownership for things that go wrong as well as things that go right, you will only strengthen the sense that people can trust in you.”

Be Positive

Attitude is everything.  If you constantly berate yourself with negative thoughts or fear of failure, your actions will begin to reflect what you think or feel. Project confidence, enthusiasm, and optimism in the work or projects you work on. You will notice that people interact and respond well to individuals who display positive and enthusiastic attitudes and will become contagious. If you ever feel overwhelmed or stressed, just take a deep breath and think of all the things you have to be grateful for. Positive outlooks correlate with increases productivity and efficiency within the workplace.

Learn to Adapt

We mentioned earlier that employers are looking for employees that go above and beyond their job description. If someone asks you to do something that you don’t think is your responsibility, do it anyways. Never say “that’s not my job”. This will not resonate well with anyone and will prevent any chances for you to grow in the company. When asked to do something, perform the task with pride. Consider everything you do to be valuable to the company – regardless if the task is or isn’t part of your job description.

Understanding Company Politics

Being sucked into company politics can be like playing with fire; however, if done correctly can be a strategic career move. When you are at work, look around and observe the dynamics in your environment. Ask yourself, “Who’s respected?” “Who’s not taken seriously?” “Who’s connected?” Try to immerse yourself in the culture of the fast-trackers at work. Emulate their actions, such as: arriving to work early, asking questions, volunteering for projects, etc. A great way to grow and succeed in a company is to hook up with the winners who are climbing their way up the corporate ladder.

Know Your Market

Demonstrate interest in your work. Companies often seek input from their employees and may offer bonuses to individuals who submit great ideas. It’s important that you know your company’s competitive advantages in relation to its competitors and be aware of any upcoming trends in your company’s industry. Knowing this information will allow you to generate ideas that may make your company more efficient, profitable, and competitive. Reading newspapers, blogs, magazines, trade publications, etc. is a great way to learn of what’s going on in your company’s industry. We also suggest signing up for industry-specific websites; many of them email newsletters that contain articles that may be relevant to your job, your company, the industry, etc. Social networking sites also prove to be a useful tool in researching industry trends. Social networking sites, like LinkedIn, a professional networking site, is a great place for professionals in all industries to learn and network from one another.

Demonstrate Leadership

discussion-groupGreat leaders are irreplaceable, but what makes a great leader? Leadership is not a one-time decision, it’s an everyday discipline. Heard the saying, “practice what you preach”? As a leader, people will watch and evaluate how close your actions match your words. Leading by example will earn you the respect and loyalty of the people in your organization. A good leader also recognizes and gives praise to individuals whose performance aligns with that of your organization’s mission and values. Recognizing people’s accomplishments increases morale and sends a message to others about what you, your team, and your company deem important.

Demonstrate your leadership skills by volunteering to head projects – big or small. When you and your team are able to deliver exceptional results, it looks good to everyone that was involved in the project, especially the leader – you. When you are consistently successful at leading a team, you will have demonstrated to your boss that you have the charisma to foster individual growth and morale within your team.

Continue Learning

Invest in yourself and your career. In today’s rapidly changing environment, it’s important that you take the necessary steps to ensure that you will be irreplaceable in the future. As companies merge, management changes, everything is redefined – meaning you will have to quickly adapt, which may require skills that you don’t currently possess. Take time to identify key positions within your company – positions you feel would give you extra value in the company. Enroll in seminars, workshops, or trainings that will provide you new tools or skill sets. Increasing your portfolio of skills, as well as engaging in a broad-range of experiences, can be your strength and will increase your value within the company. As your skill sets grow, share what you have learned and become a viable contributor to your company.

Be an Effective Team Player

An effective team player encourages and motivates its team to success. Come to team meetings prepared with information, ideas, knowledge, and experience that will be beneficial to the team to get the project done. Being an active participant in team meetings will encourage others to contribute their own ideas and thoughts. During group discussion, it is important that you are able to receive criticism without becoming defensive. Practice active listening by acknowledging, comprehending, and considering thoughts and ideas of your team members without interrupting. To encourage good dialogue, a good rule of thumb is to listen first and speak second.

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Resources

All Business: A D&B Company. Black Enterprise, 1 Jan. 1993. Web. 21 July 2009. <http://www.allbusiness.com/specialty-businesses/minority-owned-businesses/349520-1.html>.

Lindstrom, Martin. “How to Be Indispensible at Work.” Parade 12 July 2009: 14-15. Print.

“Ten Qualities of an Effective Team Player.” Dummies.com. Wiley Publishing, 2009. Web. 6 Aug. 2009. <http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/ten-qualities-of-an-effective-team-player.html>.

Ten Tips: Becoming a Better Leader. MindEdge Learning, 20 July 2007. Web. 24 July 2009. <http://leadership.atwork-network.com/2007/07/20/ten-tips-becoming-a-better-leader/>.

10 Ways to Become Indispensible at Work. Woman’s Day, 14 July 2008. Web. 21 July 2009. <http://www.womansday.com/layout/set/print/Content/Money/10-Ways-to-Become-Indispensable-at-Work>.

Free Online Workshops Winners

WebinarStaff development and training for organizations is at a new frontier. A well designed program, training, seminar or workshop will have defined intended learner outcomes, be interactive, engage the learner and include take-away and immediately usable skills. The Company of Experts offers customizable training solutions that are cost efficient.

Our professional development workshops online are facilitated, include office hours and outstanding curriculum…. Available for all organizations and individuals as well. Our great face to face training now available on-line.

Free Online Workshops Given To…

We had the opportunity to meet the following people at this year’s Innovations Conference in Reno, NV. These individuals attended one of Company of Experts sessions regarding online learning. We thank like to thank each of you for participating in discussions by presenting you with certificates to a free online workshop!

Ann Turoczy, Gary Hartley, Diane Nicolet, Jennifer Lange, Cynthia Ross, Las Positias and Cindy Adams

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For over 20 years, Company of Experts has watched individuals become inspired through creative change, innovation, and Appreciative Inquiry. To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we asked individuals who have become certified as a facilitator for Appreciative Inquiry to write a practicum that tells how they have incorporated AI into their personal or professional life. We took practicum submissions and created a 20th Anniversary Edition of Celebration for all to share. We randomly picked one submitter to be a winner for a free online workshop. The winning submitter is:

RJ Johnson

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Congratulations to all of our Winners!!!

Bullying in the Workplace

conflict-managementBullies aren’t just found on the playground. As a society, we would like to think that when bullies grow up they have learned right from wrong, changed their behavior, and treat others with dignity and respect. Many do; however, some bullies never revert from their mean, aggressive behavior. As our society evolves, with its reliance on technology, many bullies are finding different means and different environments to continue their tyrant-like behavior.

Company of Experts was recently the target of a bully. The Company had an agreement with an independent contractor whose job would require minimal supervision/input from a few individuals via a weekly teleconference. Over the course of time, numerous issues began to surface. First, work submitted by this contractor was not completed, and in some cases, was never attempted. The blame was pushed upon the individuals this person worked with for reasons such as: “it was too much work,” “it wasn’t worth my time,” “no one asked me my opinion,” etc. Needless to say, not a lot of work was accomplished by this contractor. Individuals within the Company picked up the slack and worked long hours in order to meet project deadlines.

Second, the cost to finish this contractor’s projects continually increased. Not only was the Company paying the contractor’s salary, they were also paying the salary of the individuals that were taking on the contractor’s responsibilities. The contractor was originally hired because this individual possessed technical skill sets needed for specific projects. However, because the contractor was not doing their job, the Company was compelled to hire additional staff, who also possessed these skill sets, to complete projects that were neglected by the contractor.

Third, employees who worked with this contractor, and met via weekly teleconferences, were suffering from anxiety attacks prior to each meeting. When questioned as to what provoked these attacks, many answered that after each meeting they were assigned an extensive list of items/jobs by the contractor to complete before their next weekly meeting. They added that their “to do list” consisted of tasks that were part of the contractor’s responsibility; however, if they did not take it upon themselves to pick up the slack, the jobs would never get done. In addition, employees noted that if items on their list were not completed by the following teleconference meeting, the contractor would complain that the employees were not doing their job. As a result the contractor would say something to the effect of, “Well I can’t do my job if you don’t do yours.” Many employees would ignore other items/projects they were working on in order to complete the tasks that the contractor wanted done. The tension in the office was thick with worry that they would not finish their “to do list”.

Company of Experts determined it was in the best interest of the Company and its employees if they released the contractor. During this transition, the contractor was harassing employees via phone and email, inquiring the reasons for the contract termination. The Company notified the contractor to not contact their employees in any way, email or phone. The contractor retaliated and continued to harass employees and threatened harm to the Company and to the employees personally. When the Company released the contractor from service, they changed the usernames and passwords to the Company’s websites, newsletters, etc in fear that the contractor may try to “destroy” materials. Unfortunately, the Company forgot to remove the contractor from having access to the Company’s corporate blog and calendar. As a result, the contractor changed the username and password to these items, which prohibited Company access to these items, inevitably rendering them useless.

The cost in lost time due to stress, restoring damaged materials, documenting, researching our rights, defending the employees and the Company are great. Additional costs that can be incurred by companies that suffer at the hands of bullies are: increased cost of health insurance for employees, lost days at work, increased legal bills, talent turnover, etc. We think we are being polite by calling these individuals rude or difficult people, but these individuals are “Bullies”. Bullies (like the contractor in our story) create unhappy, unsafe, and unproductive work environments.

You may see several workshops titled “Dealing with Difficult People”. Company of Experts has refrained from developing any workshop with such a title. Is it rude, difficult, bullying, or harassing? Our online workshop “Managing Professional Relationships at Work” is a beginning to understand how others behave at work. The Company of Experts will address bullying at work in this workshop which is to begin in early September. Information regarding registration times, dates, curricula, etc. can be found by clicking here.

The Company wanted to become more aware of how to spot inappropriate, abusive behavior so as to protect itself and its employees. The Company began researching and uncovered several informative websites. One website, workplacebulling.org, had a startling statistic that read:

“A staggering 37% of the U.S. workforce is bullied at work (an estimated 54 million Americans).” This website lists the traits of individuals who are targeted by bullies:

  • Individuals targeted by bullies tend to be independent. The increased level of independence drives the bully’s need to control.
  • Individuals targeted have more social skills and are more likely to possess a high level of emotional intelligence (i.e. empathy – even for their bullies).
  • Targeted individuals also do not respond to aggression with aggression.

What Company of Expert has learned from this experience…

The conflict seems to be with the perception that people grow and develop as they age. We anticipate those who were Bullies in school will transition to adulthood recognizing that civility and courtesy are key factors to development and growth.  In reality, they may have actually become more of a Bully, therefore, becoming someone who stalks, harasses, and commit crimes that they can be punished for.  Still, other Bullies stay within the law. These type of bullies enjoy the attention they receive from their erratic actions.

The general response from legal consul is mediation. Unless, the person is violating the law, we look at both people as needing to be “fixed”.  This puts the Bully and the Target on an equal playing field, which sounds like a good way to handle this. In fact, most employers and employees are not trained to handle this complex issue. Our research has found that some websites and books recommend that you combat the Bullies on their level. Like you do for a wild animal, you get “bigger” than they are; which is an interesting concept. However, the problem with this approach is that this is not team-friendly.  Just because an employer removes a bully from the work environment does not mean that the bully won’t resurface in some way. As in our case, the bully retaliated and has continued to make efforts to harm and destroy the Company. Most HR departments and managers work to keep business flowing and maybe not be trained or have time to handle conflicts such as this. This leaves them feeling overworked and inefficient.

Resolving disagreements is difficult today for two reasons:

  1. We are emotionally stressed because of the weak economy, world ecology and the potential of terrorists’ threats.  This keeps people in reactive thinking which tends to close them off to creative resolution or to make them back away from engagement.
  2. We simply do not have the tools to civilly and cooperatively achieve sustainable resolutions to the problems which arise in organizations.

Will we ever change the inappropriate behavior of bullies?  Maybe not.  Bullies usually do not listen, are aggressive, and do not understand appropriate social behavior.  The decision is up to us.  We either accept a bully’s inappropriate behavior or become proactive in taking the necessary steps to discontinue a business relationship. Extreme cases may require having to refer the matter to legal counsel.

Working for a living is a basic for most of us. We can learn job skills and earn degrees to get the job that we want. Keeping that job and finding happiness there requires that we each have the interpersonal (or intra personal?) behaviors that are complimentary to how we want to be treated, to our team, and to the Company we work for. This fits into the lifelong learning category. We can do this learning in many ways such as reading, mentoring, coaching, modeling (how we teach others and how they teach us – our actions and interactions!) and workshops. Company of Experts has developed terrific programs that can help you develop your leadership style. In this new society, we each are leaders of our future – the path we choose is up to us. For workshops and programs that we offer – Leadership Development Institute (LDI) and the Center for Appreciative Inquiry. The Department Chair Institute is specifically tailored for our educational partners.