We are thrilled to announce that ReSource Pro’s Learning and Development department in Qingdao, China has recently been recognized for their Achieving Business Results Through ESL Learning program. The program has been selected to receive an American Society for Training and Development Excellence in Practice citation in the Organizational Learning and Development category for the 2012 award year.

There are many ESL programs in China but few corporate English programs are earning this kind of distinction. This program is one of many offered to the to our team members working in our Qingdao and Jinan offices in the Shandong province of China.

The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) is the world’s largest association dedicated to professional training and development. ASTD members are found in 100 countries (www.astd.org).

We are counting down the days to the  ReSource Pro Operations Boot Camp! The first of it’s kind, this boot camp aims to train and arm participants with the necessary tools to turn process into profit. The event has been sold out for weeks and as we approach the big day our excitement is only growing.

In advance of the event we encourage both participants and those not attending to learn more about some of the expert speakers we are welcoming at the Operations Boot Camp.

Dan Epstein, ReSource Pro CEO, will share with us exactly why process matters and how it can drive organic growth. Click here to read his article entitled “Profitability is an Inside Job.”

Jack Burke, founder of Sound Marketing, will asses individual organization operations maturity level through an interactive session. Jack is a marketing and communications specialist. Within the insurance industry he has spoken at numerous gatherings ranging from HGH TECC to Sales & Marketing Rubles for the National Alliance. Read some of his work here at the Sound Marketing website.

Dr. Keely Killpack, change management expert with PeopleFirm, will deliver tactical tips on how to effectively engage staff in embracing change and manage the ongoing process of acceptance of change. Keely has over 12 years of consulting experience helping companies change and positively influence employee behavior and performance. Follow Keely on Twitter, @DrKeelyK.

Follow us on twitter @ReSourcePro and #OpsBootCamp13 for real-time updates during the event. Check our blog for post boot camp meeting summaries!

During the recent IAC meeting in San Diego, HR specialist, author, speaker, and founder of HRthatWorks.com, Don Phin conducted a daylong workshop on “The Inspired Workforce”.

One of the segments that definitely got everyone’s attention was entitled “Victims, Villains & Heroes in the emotional drama of the workplace.” As Don explained,everyone from management to staff falls into various emotional traps that result in dysfunctional performance due to the role or roles they play.

The victim engages in destructive drama blaming others for their difficulties.  They feel that they have no voice, no control and are not understood, resulting in a feeling that the company lacks loyalty towards them.  The villain, on the other hand, appears to be uncaring and the emotions can be triggered when others fail to meet the villain’s expectations.  The hero is definitely caring, but falls into the trap of over-commitment and is viewed negatively by others when offering unsolicited advice.

Unfortunately, people don’t necessarily fall into a singular category, but can assume any of the three roles at various times according to circumstance.

During the workshop, Don explained the emotional energy related to each of the three categories and provided tools to help everyone better manage the energy.  To illustrate how to best manage communication between victims, villains, and heroes, Don put the group through a 40/40 exercise that showed the best way to engage in dialogue that would defuse the situation and enable everyone to move out of emotional paralysis into constructive performance.  A separate blog and video highlights the 40/40 exercise and explains how both parties can move into the hero role.

If you’re not sure if you have this drama going on in your workplace, just consider the following questions:

·     Do you agree the workplace is overrun with a victim mentality?

·     Do you sometimes find yourself feeling life at work “isn’t fair?”

·     Have you ever tried to help someone, but despite your efforts, that person never “gets it?”

·     Do you find yourself “owning” other people’s problems?

·     Do you get worn down from playing the hero role?

More information on this concept is available in Don’s book “Victims, Villains and Heroes”, which can be found at www.hrthatworks.com.

For those of you who attended ReSource Pro’s Innovation Advisory Council event last week, you’ve heard Don Phin saying that there is no substitute for  sound HR management practices. It makes no difference if you are a professional firm, retail outfit or contractor. It makes no difference if you have 5 employees or 50,000. It makes no difference if you have seasoned HR executives or not. Many companies fail to see the true cost of poor HR practices and don’t embrace the right ones until they get whacked in the head enough times that it begins to hurt!

Great companies don’t wait for the pain, they model best practices. This is not rocket science, it’s just plain common sense. By going through the HRthatworks.com calculator and using your own figures you will see the bottom line distinctions HR That Works can help to create at your company.