Tag Archives: professional development

How To Manage Your RFP Process

Join our panel discussion to learn about how to assess your situation and determine the best process to use to achieve your goals. We will explore different perspectives from practitioners, vendors, consultants and others.

Date and Time: May 17, 2022 | 4.30 pm to 6.00 pm EDT

Price: Members: $10 + HST | Non-members: $15 + HST

Panelists:

Victoria Mirlocca: CPPB, C.Mgr., C.I.M., NIGP-CPP, CMM II, Procurement Manager, Client Relations & Category Management
Lori Jackson, BSc., CPPO: Buyer, York Regional Police
Hugh Lawson: Director, Business Development, Canada
Chris McLeod: CEO, NVision Insight Group Inc.
Sandra Lisi, Director Purchasing, Client Services, City of Toronto
Greg Dadd, Principal, Procurement and Fairness Advisory Services, Industry & Public Sector Group

REGISTER HERE

If you are thinking of a corporate training session (for a team of 10 or more) with the above topic or any other topic that is relevant for your organization, please review this Supply Chain Canada Training Brochure – Public Sector.

Share

COVID and Communication Challenges

two girls talking - facial expressions

Watch what you don’t say.

 

I have heard people talk about ‘finding their voice.” But, what do you do if you can’t use words?

 

It was 2 a.m. and we had just arrived at the Bangkok, Thailand airport. We needed to find a cab to our hotel. We discovered how dependent we were on words to communicate. At the same time, we realized the power of gestures and facial expressions. While words are an important part of communication, there is great value in understanding how rich our communication systems are.

 

We generally think of communication in two categories -verbal and nonverbal. We are very aware of verbal communication, but did you know that there are at least nine distinct categories of nonverbal communication? We try to choose our words carefully, but might be unaware of our nonverbal signals, and yet, these speak loudly to our listeners.

 

Each one plays a major role in your presentations, speeches, and general communication. This is an important part of Emotional Wisdom and becomes a powerful part of communication.

 

In a series of upcoming posts, we will look at these categories in more detail. Here is the first

category and some comments on how this might help or hinder your communication:

 

Facial Expressions

This is probably the most easily recognized of the nonverbal communication categories. Within this category are over twenty distinct expressions. It is also helpful to know that many facial expressions are universal in nature. This makes it possible to understand across linguistic boundaries. Facial expressions are responsible for a large part of nonverbal communication. The look on a person’s face is often the first thing we see, even before we hear what they have to say.

 

The challenge with wearing masks is that we lose about 50% of what is being communicated through facial expressions. Due to the design of the human eye, we can easily identify precisely where people are looking.

 

Watch an audience as you are being introduced. The eyes of the audience will shift. They are watching you before you arrive at the podium. Your facial expressions, body language, and general posture are already communicating to the audience before you speak a word.

 

Watch what you don’t say.

 

By the way, we did arrive at our hotel…eventually.

 

If you are interested in finding out more about how to increase your effectiveness as a communicator,

presenter or public speaker let us know.  We are here to help you succeed.

 

Learn more about Enrich Services

Share

Be The Successful Entrepreneur

Be The Successful Entrepreneur

May 5, 2020 9:00pm – 10:00pm ET

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

Be The Successful Entrepreneur with Colin Christensen, Experienced Entrepreneur, Investor, and Mentor. Certified “Good Enough Parenting” facilitator.

Join this live, interactive, convenient, and affordable alternative to traditional professional development specifically to support your business during this time of 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. I will help you to have the confidence to not only build a business that can work but build any business to work. I can help you avoid the needless failures and be the successful entrepreneur you want to be.

Starts May 5th Register NOW!  $53.75/hr, 8 weekly, one hour sessions

Max 8 people. 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

Share

Ensuring Due Diligence and Cost-Effectiveness While Working on a Budget and Under the Public Microscope.

Staff Training – Bylaw Officer Training and Accreditation.

Ensuring due diligence and cost effectiveness while working on a budget and under the public microscope.

As a court recognized “Subject Matter Expert” (S.M.E.) in the training of Provincial Officers, Bylaw Officers and Police Officers, I am often called to testify as to what is or isn’t an acceptable level of training and give opinions on policy and procedural issues surrounding enforcement.

In a series of coming articles I will discuss a number of different issues surrounding the training and operational deployment of Bylaw Officers, particularly Parking Bylaw, Animal Control and General Duties Bylaw Officers/Inspectors within Municipalities. This will include comments on standards (best practices) and what constitutes proper due diligence.

To train or not to train; this is the question!

In the words of the ancient Huna tradition: “In all things you must pay attention, or you will pay later with pain.” Ouch.

My quote is this: “There is only one thing more painful that training someone and they leave; and that is that you don’t train them and they stay.” Free advice from a guy who in court a lot and seen the outcomes.

Here are a few facts before we start just for context:

1. There is NO mandatory training required by legislation in most Provinces or Territories in Canada
to become a general duties Bylaw or Municipal Bylaw Enforcement Officer appointed to enforce Parking,
Property Standards or Animal Control. (Building Inspectors and other specialty trades do have standards and
training.)

2. There is also NO government mandated course training standard for “certification,” or “accreditation” for
non-college delivered courses. Colleges must meet the requirements of their legislation in order to issue
“certificates of achievement” to graduates. There is no consistency within college programs and courses can
vary in length and cost. No two courses deliver the same identical content even if they carry the same
module/content names.

3. Bylaw Officer training courses are currently offered to the public via Colleges or by *private vendors in
addition to any job specific courses delivered in house by the employer. (* Provincial Associations training
programs are included as private vendors as they are not a sanctioned arm of the government nor usually
listed as private career colleges.)

4. ANY training is only as good as the credentials of the instructor who teaches it and the content they teach.
Beware of anyone who calls themselves an “expert.” Only the courts can designate someone as a Subject Matter
Expert. If credentials are questioned, they must be proven credible to be accepted.
Content that is not kept up to date by a qualified person can be both useless and get officers into legal
trouble. Content updates should take place annually.

5. Beware of labels and semantics. The term “Municipal Law Enforcement Officer” or M.L.E.O. is a term that is
sourced within the Ontario Police Services Act. It is used in Ontario only. Other Provinces use the term
“Bylaw Officer” or use other terms. Legal terms are found within each Province or Territories enabling
legislation. “Provincial Offenses Officer” (P.O.O.)is a term sourced in the Ontario Provincial Offenses Act.
Officers that we train for Provincial Ministries or other agencies who are not necessarily Municipal Bylaw
Officers, get their appointments from this Act.
Changing the name does not change the facts surrounding their duties. “Regulatory Compliance Officer,”
“Inspector,” or any other made up term to describe a Bylaw Officer or M.L.E.O. doesn’t change their
appointment status or their authorities to act within law.

6. All Police Officers are also appointed as P.O.O.’s and M.L.E.O.’s in Ontario. In some cases they are the
only source of Bylaw enforcement in smaller communities but in others this is left entirely to the local
Bylaw officers or even outsourced, contracted, security guards or private agencies. It is therefore common
sense that the same academic content taught to the police should be taught within a properly vetted course
to Bylaw Officers in context.

Regardless of which Province or Territory you live in, staff need a core level of academic knowledge and
skills competencies that a properly vetted course can provide. In many cases, but not all, Municipalities
offer further training or supply additional certification specific to appointments. Some only accept Law and
Security or Police Foundations college graduates then don’t give them any further training at all. I can’t
begin to tell you how dangerous a practice this is for many reasons.

For further details regarding accreditation within your area, please visit our website https://burgessandassoc.com/courses/municipal-provincial-officers/bylaw-officer-core-competency-training-course or https://burgessandassoc.com/courses/municipal-provincial-officers/parking-enforcement-officer-course

Share

Lead Others: Leadership Coaching

Lead Others: Leadership Coaching

When: April 14, 2020 1:00pm – 2:00pm ET

Registration Link: https://sagewisdom.levellingup.ca/lead-others-leadership-coaching/

Grow your career in a digital community with Ed Temple, Professional Certified Coach by IFC, Certified Executive Coach from Royal Roads University, MA, Total SDI Master Facilitator.

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

Relationships are key to business success and advancing your career or business ownership. Coaching is the most impactful way to increase your relational impact professionally. In this group you will learn an award winning and globally recognized coaching framework including principles, concepts, actions and behaviours associated with effective coaching in leadership.

You will also learn the neuroscience of coaching and why coaching is THE leadership tool of the future. You will be coached and coach in this course. You will use coaching skills and through the course be able to coach effectively in your professional life by the end. You will be given coaching questions to be able to utilize in many situations.

Starts April 14th Register NOW!

$38.70/hr, 9 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

Share

C12 Driver Training

Welcome to driver training for waste management systems, EPA Regulation 347 C-12 Driver Training Certification program.

This online course includes references to the Land Disposal Restrictions, better known as the LDR

It also encompasses the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act or the TDGA

By the end of this course you will have a better understanding of Regulation 347 and how it applies to you, the operator  or driver of the vehicle, in relation to the waste you are hauling and the regulations surrounding those duties.

Click here for more information and course description.  Since it’s delivered digitally, it can be started at any time.  The date listed is simply the date of posting.

Register Here!

Presented by MySDS Inc.  

Contact: [email protected] | 1-855-282-4537 | 1-705-665-3719

 

 

Share

The Benefits of Digital Training

The manner in which technology has become a part of our daily lives has grown exponentially with each passing day. Working with, and taking advantage of technology has made us capable of reaching new heights of communication and has improved our ease of access to information. Finding new careers has never been easier, and neither has completing the training to go with them. When you’re able to offer online, digital training, the benefits are plentiful for not just the company, but the employees as well. Let’s take a look at some of the top benefits of offering digital training.

 

Flexibility

With the on-demand nature of digital training, employees are able to complete their courses on their own time. This can make everyone breathe a little easier. Employers can easily set out learning plans for employees and assign the course work with a deadline for completion, and staff are able to pick out the best time in their day to work on it. The whole training process can successfully accommodate everyone’s schedules, as the employer doesn’t have to dedicate extra resources to setting up a training day, hiring trainers and/or arranging to send employees to a training event on a specific day, and the employees can all work at their own pace.

Affordability

On-site training can be expensive. Having to pay the dedicated trainers to attend the workplace, to train the trainees can cause labour costs to soar quicker than you realize. Not to mention room rentals, catering costs for lunches and snacks, etc. These costs are even much greater if employees need to travel to off-site training courses.  It just makes sense not to disrupt the daily operational activities at work and instead assign the training to a laptop, computer or phone.

 

Versatility

Digital training can encapsulate a whole variety of methods to keep it interesting, engaging, and, most importantly, retentive. Using more than just pages upon pages of text is crucial. Switching things up with videos, graphics and quizzes and even incorporating gamification keeps the pace moving while shaking things up for the trainee so they don’t get bored.  It’s been proven that the more interactive digital training is, the more the learner will retain the information presented.

 

Accessibility 

 

With access to phones, laptops, computers and tablets, training can be done on nearly any type of current device. The streamlined, ease of access to online training ensures that everyone is capable of getting on board. Never requiring more than an internet connection and an internet browser like Edge, Firefox, Opera or Chrome, logging in to an online training profile to complete the training on any and all devices, has never been easier.

 

Keeping municipal operations running smoothly while educating your employees can be stressful. However, be sure you’re setting aside dedicated time for employees during the day to work on their digital courses because squeezing courses in between other daily activities are just too disruptive and employees will view it as another task that has been added to them. You want to be sure they’re given the time to enjoy the courses and receiving the soft skills training they need to be ready for the job at hand.  Taking the leap and investing in a digital training platform can ensure you are getting the best value for your training budget and that you have complete control over the learning and development plans for each individual in your organization. Consistency is key!

 

Course Quality Matters

 

Unfortunately, some digital courses can aptly be described as purely for entertainment value.  If you’re simply wanting to check off a box that says an employee received training to comply with organizational policy, then a 20-minute entertainment-style digital course might fit the bill for you. That doesn’t mean that all 20-minute courses don’t deliver value – just be careful that you are getting value. 

 

However, quality, certified digital courses will ensure your employees not only have taken the course but that they have comprehended and retained what they’ve learned because they will have been tested and graded. It seems to be a waste of time and money, and there’s no real value to the individual or the organization if they didn’t understand or retain important information that can help them to do their job better and better. 

muniSERV is a leader in quality, certified digital training and learning development solutions for municipalities.  Our new PERFORM® leadership soft skills training is used by governments, educational institutions, private enterprises and organizations worldwide to deliver tangible, real-life competency-based skills.  

 

Through the use of free learning assessments to get learners started, PERFORM® is able to identify soft skills gaps and recommend a training solution targeted to key leadership development areas for your team.  Ask us for the links to these free assessments.

Finding the right training organization to help you achieve your learning and development goals takes time. It’s more than just hiring someone who says they have the materials that meet your needs.  Do your homework and go with proven, reputable training organizations and you’ll experience all the benefits of digital learning!

Share