Working in the construction industry and keen to improve your leadership skills?

You may have recently been promoted to a supervisory role or given more responsibility on the job. Or maybe you’re interested in developing your skill set, with the aim of moving into a construction management position?

No matter what industry you’re working in, being a good manager is something that can be continually developed and improved upon. These days, there are plenty of professional development and training resources to help you develop your management and leadership skills.

Stepping into a leadership position means you need to be ready to take responsibility for your team. You’ll want to help your team grow – individually and as a unit – through strong collaboration and positive working relationships. And you’ll need to make sure you’re creating a safe, compliant work environment for all employees.

Let’s take a closer look at the leadership skills required in construction management, and how you can start building them into your skill set.

What leadership skills do construction managers need?

Both management skills and leadership skills are critical to the construction industry.

If you’re in a management position, you have a responsibility to provide professional development opportunities to your employees, to get the best out of each individual staff member in your team and help each one to succeed in their career.

You’ll also be responsible for fostering a safe work environment for all staff. A good manager will want to make sure everyone in their team is treated fairly and given the same tools and opportunities. And it’s very important to make sure the employees in your team are working in a positive environment, free from bullying, harassment or discrimination.

Being a good leader also requires high-level soft skills – these skills are different from technical skills, that are easier to measure and define. Soft skills are more about an employee’s character traits and qualities, for example, attitude, work ethic, problem solving abilities, empathy, communication and collaboration.

It’s these abstract skills that can really help a leader to succeed. In the construction industry, high-level soft skills will help you:

Encourage the team to work toward shared goals

Foresee (and resolve) problems and issues within the team

Establish a profitable strategic direction.

If you’re keen to move up within your construction company or get noticed by management, improving your soft skills is one of the best ways you can set yourself apart from the competition.

Using online training courses to improve leadership skills

So how can you get started on building and developing the skills you need to be a great leader?

These days, online training is one of the best ways to take charge of your professional development and set a pathway for your career. You will find many management and leadership courses available online – and unlike traditional face-to-face training, online courses allow you to simply log in and go through the training materials at your own pace.

Online learning is also a great way for employers to make sure their construction employees are getting the training, development, and onboarding they need for a safe and efficient work environment. And it can help you onboard new employees, quickly and effectively.

When bringing new hires into the construction workplace, there are many important areas and topics to cover. Before stepping onto the job site, construction workers must understand proper operating and safety procedures, not only for their own safety but also for the safety of others. Workers also need to understand how to complete projects in a timely manner and with the highest quality.

Go1 – for professional development in the construction industry

At Go1, we offer you access to lots of resources that can help you meet your professional development training needs.

Take a look through our online courses, workshops, and eLearning training modules for the construction industry, or for leadership skills in general. All our materials are up-to-date and compliant with industry requirements.

If you’re ready to get serious about your career, start working on building your leadership skills. When the opportunity for promotion comes up, your online training will already put you one step ahead of the competition, while also showing your commitment to self-development and the industry.

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How to develop your leadership skills in the construction industry

Although communication is critical for all industries, it is particularly vital for the construction industry. Whether you’re working on a small remodeling job or building a skyscraper, people who work in construction must have a clear line of communication with everyone they deal with inside and outside of the company.

When you think about construction, a lack of or poor communication could have a negative impact in multiple ways. For instance, this could take a project completely out of budget, it could result in a finished project that does not meet the client’s specifications, or worse, it could create a dangerous if not life-threatening situation. Of course, these are just three of many examples.

Budget – Before even starting a construction project, a variety of internal and external professionals come together to determine the final cost. Once the client secures the required financing, the project begins. If different groups within a construction company fail to communicate or miscommunicate, they could easily blow the budget.

Scope – Within the construction industry, builders must obtain various permits to work on a specific project. To get the documentation required, they must lay out their plans. If there is an issue with communication where the scope of the project changes from what the permit allows, city or county officials could stop or seriously delay the process.

Risk – As for risk, one small miscommunication could prove disastrous. For instance, say a construction company built a bridge, but during the process, workers miscommunicated the size of rivets and bolts, choosing something significantly smaller than mandated. Inadvertently, that company just put anyone driving over the bridge at risk.

For the construction industry, there is zero tolerance for bad communication. If you have this type of business, online education is essential. With this, you can start new hires off on the right foot while helping your current workers develop better skills.

What it comes down to is that better communication leads to better construction management. For your company to complete any construction project successfully, regardless of size or type, you need a team that communicates well. In response to that, they will better collaborate on every aspect of the project.

Especially now that construction is booming, there is no time for workers to leave a job to attend school. Even night courses are not a viable solution considering that workers in this industry spend long, hard days on the job. Physically and mentally exhausted, the last thing they want to do is go home, clean up, and head to class.

Thanks to a reputable online source, you can still provide your construction team with incredible educational opportunities. Using an online forum, they can finish courses as needed on their day off or while in a relaxing home environment. Either way, they will retain the information without any problem, which they can then apply to current projects as well as project planning.

Since construction is complex and involves multiple players, excellent communication is crucial. Because there are so many factors and people involved, one slip-up could prove costly. Between manufacturers, inspectors, masons, electricians, drywallers, plumbers, architects, construction foreman, and everyone else involved in the construction process, you need to feel confident that your team can communicate with precision.

With the right online development videos, courses, and information, not only will your workers improve their oral and written communication skills but also their listening abilities. After all, each of these plays a vital role in construction. Even if have some workers who excel in one area or the other, you should require everyone to complete the same online education.

As an example, you could have all your managers or workers dealing with hazardous materials complete the same course on reducing risk by using protective gear. That ensures that all applicable parties have the same information and can communicate on the same level. As expected, that will dramatically reduce risk.

In addition to your full- and part-time employees, you should have any hired contractors also take courses online to improve their communication with your team. Fortunately, there are many excellent options available. For risk management, you could select a course that both the contractor and overseeing manager take specific to on-the-job contractor safety.

By using a trusted online source, there are endless possibilities. No matter what area you need to improve on, whether it’s safety, finance, motivation, planning, or even communication itself, this is the best way to keep your projects within budget, on scope, and void of risk.

Even your top management team can take advantage of online education, learning how to better communicate and oversee small to large teams. With the best online development courses, they will gain insight into innovative processes and strategies that realign their focus and communication. Through continued learning, you will have a highly efficient management team.

No matter what area within your construction company you need help with as far as communication, you have a viable source. Easy to access and affordable to take, online education will significantly decrease misunderstandings and improve on the quality of projects.

Because excellent communication skills are so critical for the construction industry, you cannot take a chance by assuming that everyone on your team is listening and talking in an effective manner. Online education will help you avoid confusing and costly scenarios.

Since this is such a fast-paced field, there is no time to repeat instructions and information constantly. By having your crew go through online development courses, they can relay or receive messages correctly the first time. As the owner of a construction company, the last thing you want is for poor communication to undo all your hard work. Online education helps protect your business and clients.

Why communication in construction is critical

If you sat down with some of the most successful people on the planet, you would learn that they experienced a lot of failures along their journey. Through challenges and disappointments, they gained tremendous insight and knowledge. Instead of giving up, they turned their failures into incredible success stories. You can do the same thing. One of the best options is to take advantage of online education and training.

With easy access to a computer and the internet, combined with the dedication of time and focus, you will be on your way to turning failures into successes. No matter what field you currently work in or want to enter, there are thousands of online videos, courses, and articles to help you with your journey.

To learn from past mistakes and failures, start by adopting the right mindset. Instead of seeing unfortunate situations as a reason for giving up, use them to push you forward. Take all the negativity to challenge yourself. Having a positive mindset will allow you to prove to the world that you will not give up. Instead, you will use your hardships to make you and your career better.

Now that you have newfound determination, you need to set things in motion. Regardless of the work you currently do or want to do, online education and training is an excellent way to succeed. What makes that so exciting is that you can work on courses while on your lunch break or in the comfort and safety of your home. With this flexibility, you work toward your goal at a pace that works best for you and your lifestyle.

Persistence – When it comes to turning failures into successes, persistence is among the most critical aspects. Not only will it help you reach your goal of learning, it will also teach you how to push through challenges along the way, the very things that caused you to fail in the first place.

Time Management – Although you can work at a comfortable pace while learning online, you still need good time management skills. You cannot procrastinate nor try to learn without focusing. For you to fully use online training videos and courses, it is essential to set up a schedule so that you can dedicate your time to working toward success

Communication Skills – While you might not think that you need good communication skills when using online resources, you do. There will be times throughout the process that you come upon something you need help with, which means you need to reach out to the right person. Perhaps not communicating well was one of your failures. Make it a point to have mentors or trusted individuals you can turn to when you feel stuck or even unmotivated.

Motivation – If you want to succeed rather than keep failing, you need to stay motivated. Conduct online research or read biographies of other people just like you, those who had to work through issues to get where they are today. Along with feeling motivated, you will more than likely pick up some important pointers.

No Distractions – As a parent, choose a time of the day when your partner, grandparent, friend, or neighbor can take care of your kids, or wait to study while they sleep. Also, make sure you have a quiet environment, void of music, television, and so on. The more you focus on the course, the easier you will learn.

A great example is a website called The Point that launched in 2016. This site served as a “meeting space” where people could come together to solve a variety of problems. Although the concept was excellent and the endeavor had incredible support, it lost nearly $1 million within the first year.

Most people would see that as a failure, but not Andrew Mason, the person who created the site. Instead of giving up, he switched gears by providing people committed to buying with discounts and deals. The result is the now-successful website called Groupon.

While turning failures into successes, it is also crucial that you work on building your confidence. After all, failures can do a lot to a person’s mind and will. You need to accept that failures are part of life. How they affect you and your career is up to the decisions you make. Like Mason, you must accept what happened, learn from it, and then move on to bigger and better things.

Thanks to online education and training, you can spin a positive outcome regardless of the earlier failure. In addition to bettering yourself and your career, you can take your newfound knowledge and pass it on to others. The bottom line is that failure puts you one step closer to success if you let it.

When you consider that the latest studies show that approximately 5 percent of interviewers reach a decision within the first minute about whether to hire a candidate or not and close to 30 percent decide in just five minutes, it is essential that you come up with ways to stand out from the crowd.

All companies, big and small, want to hire the best talent available. “Talent” does not automatically mean experience, although that is important. The one thing that most companies look for on a resume is the type and quality of training an individual has completed. Why? In addition to a candidate having in-depth knowledge and understanding of a specific type of job, training shows drive and initiative.

When someone walks into an interview with a resume that showcases the completion of various online training courses, it means that individual invested personal time, effort, and money to better him or herself and become more efficient. If you plan to seek employment soon, either complete several training courses before going through interviews or create of list of courses you have signed up to take. Then, list them on your resume.

Respect – Even to the front desk receptionist who greets you, always show respect. Remember, it is common for interviewers to ask other people who came into contact with a candidate about their impression.

Business Attire – Wear the appropriate business attire. Regardless of whether you plan to interview for a janitorial or a director position, men should wear a suit and tie and women a suit jacket and skirt or slacks. The goal is to look professional regardless of the job.

Arrival Time – Make sure you arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled interview. Not only will that give you a few minutes to pull yourself together, but it will also show the potential employer that you respect the company and the interviewer’s time.

Advanced Research – Before going on any job interview, take time to learn as much as you can about the company, what products or services it offers, its philosophy, leadership team, and so on. That way, you walk in educated, making it easier to connect with the interviewer.

The Importance of Online Training on Your Resume

Better Interview – Potential employers will gauge your value by your accomplishments and drive. Adding superior quality education to your resume will help you stand out and open the door to in-depth conversations with the interviewer. That gives you the chance to share what you learned, what you want to learn, your interests, goals, and more. Overall, you end up with a much better interview.

Relevant Skillset – Another benefit of having completed online training courses on your resume is that you get to showcase a relevant set of skills. As mentioned, if you decide to complete courses before interviewing, choose those that align with a specific company, industry, or position. To the interviewer, you will have a unique skill set compared to other candidates.

Integrity and Character – When it comes to personality traits, employers look for two characteristics: integrity and character. They want to hire people who demonstrate drive, maturity, discipline, willingness, and even curiosity. Showcasing your training lets interviewers see that you possess those two critical traits.

How to stand out from the crowd in an interview

For your company to run like a well-oiled machine, all managers, even those not linked to the finance department, need to understand financial basics along with the core business goal. Only then will you have teams working together to generate a profit. Fortunately, you can get your management staff up to speed quickly and affordably by taking advantage of quality online courses combined with in-person training.

It is a known fact that unless you have managers who collectively understand both the strategies and processes required to manage finances, you will have a difficult time achieving the level of business success you want. That does not mean that your non-finance managers need to know how to calculate challenging contracts or negotiate deals, but there are specific key factors that training should cover.

For instance, all your managers should have a good understanding of how your specific business generates profit. In other words, they need to know what drives the revenue your company makes. They should also know the way your business invests capital. Through in-person education, you can explain to your non-finance managers the different ways that your business increases the generation of cash flow.

Some of the other specific topics to cover include the way your company measures and manages performance, how it uses KPIs as a driving factor, what products it considers critical for ensuring a positive financial outcome, and so on. All your managers, including those who work outside of finance, play a critical role in the daily operations of your company. For that reason, providing them with a basic understanding of the business financial landscape is essential.

You need to create an effective workplace training program to teach your employees these skills. Not only will that benefit current employees, new hires, and even contractors, but also the instructor. Together, this gives everyone the opportunity to develop strong work and communication skills.

Through first-hand training sessions, you can create an environment for non-finance managers to learn from the pros. As part of the program, you can simulate different scenarios that people in finance deal with, giving non-finance managers a much broader view of how the financial department and the company as a whole works. Through training, these managers will learn to understand and appreciate the various strategies used and decisions made when it comes to the company’s financial position.

As an example, you could offer your sales and marketing managers basic financial training. Based on the information provided, each of them can refine the way they approach both prospects and existing customers. Instead of assuming things that they may not be able to deliver, their new insight into finances will help them follow through on the promises they make.

Included in the training, non-finance managers can see how different processes work from beginning to end. That insight will go a long way in how they perform their duties. These skills are not just for sales and marketing professionals but for other managers as well. As an example, by taking your customer service managers through the same in-person training, they too can handle situations in a more productive and efficient manner.

Although every team in your organization plays a vital role in the success of your business, finance is the heart. For that reason, it is important to offer non-finance managers a peek into the daily activities of those responsible for keeping the company afloat and helping it grow. Overall, the employees who attend the training program gain tremendous knowledge that they can use to make better-informed decisions within their respective departments.

There is nothing worse than having a non-finance manager caught off guard by a prospect who asks a seemingly innocent question. Although this manager may not be able to go into details, with proper training, that individual could at least provide an accurate response or guide the potential customers to the appropriate party.

Just a small amount of information goes a long way in building the confidence of your entire management team, even with those outside of finance. The more confident they become, the better they interact with customers. In response, your potential and existing customers feel confident in your company’s ability to meet their demands. In other words, proper training goes full circle.

The other thing to consider is that with training, which again, builds confidence, you will find a lot of your non-finance managers interested in learning and achieving more. Whether within their current department or in a different capacity within the company, they begin to feel motivated to perform every job optimally. Increasing engagement through in-person training tends to stimulate a response in the way of accelerated performance.

Just as your non-finance managers learn how the company handles various financial aspects of the business, these people can provide input that might make the finance department stronger. With open communication and collaboration that comes from training, managers that typically have little interaction now have the opportunity to brainstorm and resolve issues.

As you can see, the in-person training of your non-finance managers is critical. However, online training courses are just as vital. With an abundance of topics, all affordably priced, you can select several different courses on finance for your non-finance managers. To further stimulate business engagement within your organization, you could have your finance managers complete courses that relate to what your other departments do.

Before long, every manager within your company has new knowledge, understanding, and insight that makes them more proficient in their roles but also better at interacting with each other. Instead of watching your business become stagnant, you should offer in-person and online training to kick things into high gear.

Do non-finance managers need finance training?

While many areas within the business world have experienced tremendous growth, experts predict a significant boost to the project manager (PM) field in both growth and salary. As competition becomes more intense, people interested in entering this field and those already involved need to do everything they can to gain more experience and knowledge. Thanks to online training, this is possible.

If you have a construction company and want to get your project management upskilled, start by introducing your PMs to online education and training. As the construction industry becomes busier than ever, you need qualified managers onboard. With upskilling, your PMs can develop new skills while honing existing ones, so they can use their abilities to the fullest.

With online training, you can select from hundreds upon hundreds of educational and training video courses. Not only can your PMs finish courses while at home, but they also can select specific topics based on the requirements of the job, interest, and skill level.

For instance, there are training courses specifically created for project managers just starting out. With this, they will learn the details about the role of a PM. When you add in specific requirements for your construction business, someone new to the field of project management will feel more confident on the job and therefore, be more productive. There are also online training courses for PMs with one to five years in the industry and even beyond.

As mentioned, you can choose specific topics as they relate to the construction industry and your company. Initially, a PM may want to complete training on stress and time management and then move on to more advanced courses like risk management, contractor safety management, and people skills.

From people just starting in the project management field to mid-project managers, a reputable online source has the right training and informational videos available. By upskilling your project management team, you will see a drastic difference in how your PMs perform. In response to that, you will notice fewer problems with your construction projects, meaning they fall within the scope, deadline, and budget.

For your construction business to succeed, you need skilled and dedicated project managers. Especially for those committed to your company, as well as their role, when you offer them further education and training, they become even more dedicated to your business success. With the required skills, they perform optimally in every aspect of the job.

Without skilled project managers, there is a good chance that your construction business will falter. Remember, just as demand for qualified PMs is on the rise, so is demand for quality construction companies. For your business to remain relevant and competitive, having an incredible project management team gives you a definite advantage.

As your PMs become more educated and knowledgeable about their role, they can better orchestrate various tasks for specific construction projects. With newly developed skills, they can manage different clients and projects simultaneously without missing a beat. Having projects in trusted hands, you can focus on other more pressing matters of the business.

With the right online video educational and training courses, your PMs learn how to deal with even the most difficult client, where to turn to for resources, the right way to communicate between different individuals and departments within your construction company, and quickly identify and resolve any issues before they have a negative impact on the project.

From the beginning of a construction project to the end, you need to trust your PMs. With ongoing training, you can. Because they have an intense and fast-paced job, it is essential that you give them what they need to succeed. Ongoing training will not only get them up to speed on new processes but allow them to handle current methods seamlessly.

If you stop to think about all the responsibilities of a project manager, you realize you could not live without one. Especially in the construction industry, which is also intense and fast-paced, you need someone with excellent listening, organization, and liaison skills. All that and more is possible by going through online training.

As you know, it is common for construction jobs to change several times based on the customer’s demands. Trying to keep up with all that yourself would be an impossible task. Although you want to hire the best talent possible, even someone new to the field of project management can succeed thanks to ongoing education and training.

Managing resources is perhaps one of the most important parts of any project manager position. As an example, for each of your construction projects, your PM must know the number and type of workers needed, if they need to obtain permits, whether they need to order and arrange delivery of supplies and equipment, and the list goes on.

PMs also oversee the financial aspect of construction projects. Using state-of-the-art software, combined with education and consistent training, they can track every penny for each project managed. As part of that, they know how to negotiate prices on all kinds of things, including equipment rental.

Thanks to superior online training, your project managers can reduce the cost of construction projects while juggling the management of labor and resources. The more education, training, and experience your PMs have, the more you can use them to beat out the competition.

Get your construction project management upskilled

Want to give your employees the staff training they need, but worried you don’t have the funds?

Many companies, particularly small business, find traditional training programs too costly for their budget. Booking reputable trainers and speakers, hiring conference rooms or venues, and catering for travel and meals can certainly be expensive.

But rather than neglect your staff’s professional development, it’s important to look for other ways to provide training for your employees. These days, we’re seeing training managers adopting more diverse and creative methods to deliver their learning and development programs. One of the most popular (and cost-effective!) ways to do this is through online learning.

Here, we look at how eLearning can help you provide effective and engaging staff training for your team – on a budget.

It’s easy to see why more organisations, from SMBs to large multinationals, are making the switch to eLearning for staff training needs.

With online learning, you’ll find you can give employees the flexibility, autonomy, customisation and engagement they want and need – at a fraction of the cost of traditional training.

This growing learning trend has seen a huge influx in the training options available online, with a vast selection of online courses, MOOCs, podcasts and webinars developed by experts in different fields.

eLearning – a Cost-Effective Training Solution

So what makes online learning such a cost-effective training solution?

eLearning tools such as online courses and live webinars are incredibly useful and practical, as they recreate the interactive element of traditional classroom learning, without the costs. Team members (even remote workers) can interact and network with each other just as well as in the ‘real world’ – without the need for expensive travel or overheads. What’s more, you can find many online courses being offered completely free!

eLearning goes much further than professional development. You can also create your own online courses for employee onboarding and compliance testing, quickly and easily putting together the exact courses you need for your staff, with fully customised content. Team members can access these eLearning materials as many times as they need, helping to improve the learning experience.

The Many Benefits of eLearning for Staff Training

As well as being cost-effective, eLearning tools and online courses bring a number of additional benefits to your business, including flexibility, consistency, customization and improved knowledge retention. 

The flexibility of online training appeals to many employees, as it allows individuals to work at their own pace and from the comfort of their desired location. It’s an effective training solution for all generations, as eLearning courses can be designed to perfectly fit your target audience, allowing you to tailor online courses specifically to your business and workforce.

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All of us have to-do lists that we work through each day for personal reasons or work. The tasks on the list can range from the more benign house chores or preparing slides for meetings to potentially trickier ones such as planning for holidays or fulfilling your professional development requirements. We often enlist specialised products or services to help us complete the tasks. They can be either physical or digital, e.g., the Dyson hand-held for cleaning, HelloFresh for meal sourcing and preparation, the productivity applications of Office365, TripAdvisor and Airbnb for reviews and accommodations, Go1 for your professional and compliance training needs.

The best products or services are the ones that help us accomplish the tasks within certain constraints. These constraints can be about cost, effort, time, and so on. For instance, I need to renew my first aid qualification as cost-effectively as possible. I can enlist Google Web search to help with the task or I can hop onto Go1 for that. Both would likely yield the outcome I want but the best choice would depend on whatever constraints that accompany the task. If I want to be able to find cheap, quality providers and at the same time, not have to scour through dozens of websites, then the latter option would deliver much more efficiently.

Problems occur when undesirable situations arise during the use of the products or services which slow down or worse, prevent the completion of the tasks. Since the first things that the people encounter in an undesirable situation are the more tangible signs, we are often stuck with those and attempt to solve for them. These are just the symptoms and addressing them does not guarantee that the problems will not re-occur. The focus should always be on the things that actually led to the problems.

The root causes to many of the problems in our context of product and service usage can be traced back to three broad groups. The first one is the product or service enlisted is not being used for what it was designed for. It could be as simple as  a person filling a non-tempered glass (with clear instructions advising against it) with hot water and finding that it cracks. The problem now is the person is unable to drink (from it) because the glass is not usable anymore. If I try to solve for the symptom of the glass cracking, I would just replace the glass with another (potentially non-tempered) glass. The problem will re-occur unless I realise that the root cause is the misuse of the glass.

The second one is the product or service genuinely lacks the necessary features to effectively help with a task. Consider an e-commerce website that allows customers to search and buy kitchenware. If the search functionality does not offer the customers the ability to sort the results by price, then it becomes a problem for those who are more price-conscious. The third is the product or service does not operate the way it was intended to. An example would be a vacuum cleaner stopped working after the third use despite the unit being new and the battery being fully charged.

In the following sections, we will look a scenario and unpack two potentially intertwined but distinct topics: the right product for the task and problem solving associated with product usage. For the first one, we discuss the importance of selecting the right product for the task; the lack of which could potentially give rise to problems with the use of the product. This brings us to the second topic of separating the root causes from the symptoms in solving problems associated with the use of products. Together, the ability to build or recommend products that are best suited for the users and to identify root causes for problem solving along the way are the two most critical skills to have in areas such as customer service and product development.

It was a long weekend. Luke visited a hardware store with a broken drill bit on Saturday. As he walk through the entrance, he was greeted by a customer service person. He asked how he could help. He showed him the broken drill bit and was pointed to aisle 18 for replacement. Luke went to the aisle and walked away with a replacement, two of them in fact.

The next day, Luke went back to the same store with two broken drill bits. He went straight to aisle 18. He saw a staff member standing near the electric drill section. Luke showed her the broken drill bit and told her this is the third one in two days. She had a look and asked him what surface was he drilling on. He said concrete and she told Luke that he has been using the wrong drill bits. She pointed him to the right ones and he walked out this time feeling reassured.

The next day, Luke paid the store another visit. He bumped into the same person who introduced him to the masonry drill bit the day before. He told her that the drill bit did not break this time but he cannot seem to get a hole in the concrete wall. She asked him what kind of drill he was using. It was then that Luke found out his regular cordless drill was not fit for the task. He needed a hammer drill and he went to get one. He did not have to go back to the store after that.

It was Saturday the week after and Luke had some friends over for dinner. He showed them to his living area and the photo frames that he have put up recently. He told them about his bad experience with the drill. It was only then that Luke found out there is a new product by 3M that allows him to reliably hang pictures without nails.

Let us first unpack the scenario above from the perspective of tasks and products. As they say, there are many ways to skin a cat. It is important that we first understand the task and the constraints within which the customers want the task to be done before building or recommending products for them. The actual products or services should always come second. In our scenario, the customer was fixated on a particular product to accomplish the task of hanging pictures on the wall. During his repeated visits to the store, the staff members whom he interacted with just went with his choice without questioning what the product was being used for. If the constraint is about being hassle-free, most of us would agree that there are better ways to get the task done. Let us be clear that whilst the “hole in the wall with a drill” approach may not be ideal for that particular customer, it does not constitute a problem.

There is a saying in the innovation community that goes “People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill, they want a quarter-inch hole”. I would go further by saying most people do not want holes in their walls, they just want to hang stuff off them. The trick here is to recognise and cut through the intermediate outcomes that sometimes exist with these sorts of task. What would have been excellent customer service is the store assistants talking to Luke about what he was trying to do with having holes in the wall. That would have saved him the effort of running around and the cost associated with purchasing new drill products just to arrive at the same outcome that the use of 3M strips would have.

What causes the problems with the product?

The other important skill that we can unpick from the scenario is root causes versus symptoms for problem solving. The scenario above can be complicated as there are two layers of hiccups associated with completing the task of hanging the pictures. The first layer has been discussed above, which is the hassle from the use of a product when a better-suited alternative approach exists. This may be an inconvenience but it does not qualify to be a problem. The real problems exist in the second layer from the inappropriate use of the product.

Let us assume that Luke really needed the holes in his wall for some reasons. The inability to create those holes using the drill then becomes a problem. Isn’t the drill bit breaking causing the problem you may ask? In reality, the staff member was just helping Luke address the symptom when he points Luke to the aisle to get drill bit replacement. Did replacing the drill bits fixed the problem and helped Luke get the holes he wanted? No, that is not the root cause.

The next time when it was pointed out to Luke that he was using the wrong type of drill bit, the store assistant just drilled into, pun intended, one of the two root causes. In other words, the drill bit breaking was not the root cause, the use of the wrong type of drill bit is. It took Luke another trip to the store to find out the other root cause – he was using the wrong drill. All in all, the incorrect use of the product was the thing preventing Luke from creating the holes, hence the problem. This fits into the first group of root causes as mentioned initially in the article.

We discussed about the importance of helping customers find the most appropriate products or services for their tasks. The use of products that are less suited for the tasks can give rise to all sorts of problems. When problems do occur from the use of products or services to perform tasks, the ability to get to the root of a problem is critical. Addressing symptoms instead of tackling the real problem can be costly for a business. However, getting to the root of the problem can sometimes be challenging, especially if there are multiple causes or the tasks are complicated. Some of the techniques such as the jobs-to-be-done framework which have been discussed in another article can help us build or customise products to solve unmet needs, and the “5 whys” to help us get to the bottom of things. And if anyone ever needs training in these areas, we know that Go1 is the right tool for the job!

Employers looking for ways to increase employee productivity may find that encouraging employees to take creative breaks could be an effective solution. Studies have shown that scheduled breaks can have a significant improvement on the physical and mental health of employees.

Taking a break not only boosts physical health but can also improve emotional and mental health. As most of us are aware, job-related stress can take a heavy toll on productivity. Even just taking a five-minute break each hour can help employees return to work feeling more refreshed, relaxed, and rejuvenated.

Overworked employees are much more likely to become ill. Even missing one day of work can create serious delays, which is why it’s important to support a healthy workplace. Allowing and even encouraging employees to take breaks on a regular basis can create a more positive and relaxed work environment.

The long-term physical and mental health benefits in the workplace cannot be denied. While some employees will willingly take breaks, others will push themselves until they are exhausted. For this reason, employers might wish to consider instituting a policy of required scheduled breaks.

It’s entirely possible for employees to work too hard. This is particularly true for employees who can set their own schedule. The issue is that continual stimulation can have a negative effect on the brain.

Taking a break for even a few minutes can help employees feel more revitalized and come back to work with renewed sharpness and clarity. Physical movement can also help get oxygen and blood flowing to the brain, which allows employees to work to their full ability.

Regardless of the type of business you run, the work environment can affect the overall productivity of your company. Scheduling regular breaks shows employees that you appreciate them.

This type of policy will ensure employees know they a part of an organization that cares about them, their health, and their happiness. When employees are happy where they work, they naturally tend to be more productive.

Many employees are shy about asking for breaks even when they need them. As a result, they often work up to and past the point of exhaustion.

By scheduling regular breaks, employers can remove some of the burden on employees who might be nervous about speaking up when they need rest. When people feel more comfortable about communicating, the workplace will naturally function better.

How Often Should You Schedule Breaks for Employees?

According to experts, the longest employees should work before taking a break is 90 minutes. In an ideal situation, employees should work for one hour or less before taking a short break.

With that said, the way you choose to schedule breaks for employees may be determined by your workflow patterns and corporate culture. Below are a few popular ways to schedule breaks for your employees to help boost productivity.

Pomodoro Technique – Also known as the 25/5 split, this strategy allows employees to work 25 minutes at a time before taking a short 5-minute break. After four 25-minute work sessions, employees then take a longer 15-minute break. The goal of this strategy is to maximize an employee’s attention span.

50 On and 10 Off – With this strategy, employees work for 50 minutes and then take a 10-minute break. This strategy works well for employees who have longer attention spans.

Exercising at their desks, such as yoga or stretching

Courses to Facilitate Scheduling Breaks and Boosting Employee Productivity

Rethinking Motivation and Productivity in the Workplace

This course offers scientific research and an innovative model for increasing motivation levels in the workplace.

Reduce Your Stress and Anxiety: Practicing a Simple Meditation

This course can help employees to dramatically reduce their anxiety and stress levels. The lectures contained in this course shows employees an easy-to-learn way to practice effective, yet powerful meditation techniques that will provide physical and mental relief.

Although many people have a fairly good idea of what’s good for them and what’s not when it comes to eating, it can still be a struggle to eat healthy at work. Even so, learning how to maintain a healthy diet in the workplace, including snacking on breaks, can go a long way toward helping employees feel more productive.

This course shows employees how to stay healthy at work by making better food and beverage choices. Employees can eat smarter by choosing healthier places and times to eat.

Employers are not completely responsible for employee productivity, but making the effort to encourage employees to take regular breaks can help employees feel more comfortable about stepping away for a few minutes. That alone can aid in boosting employee morale and productivity.

How you can schedule breaks to increase employee productivity

When you’re looking for your next job, you always want to show yourself in a good light. Many people believe they’ve got the experience on their resume that will do all the talking for them.

At the other end of the spectrum, others write themselves off before they get to the interview stage and say that they aren’t employable because they don’t have a formal education or a long resume.

But it doesn’t really matter which one of these people you are - it’s important to know that you can change your employability for the better.

This is especially true when it comes to retail. In this sector, employers look for certain skillsets that will make you the perfect candidate for the job. Most of these will involve interacting with customers.

For example, retail often involves serving customers and meeting their needs and demands. This is the case no matter what the situation is. In other words, whether they are happy or disgruntled about something, it’s your job to deal with it properly.

Of course, the real question you’ll have is how you can build and improve on the customer service skills that you need for your next retail job.

One of the best ways to become more employable is to choose online e-learning courses. This is a fantastic and innovative way to learn new skills and train for your next job, no matter what role you’re thinking of applying to.

Training courses will increase your retail knowledge and give you something to add to your resume and talk about in your next interview. Choosing to enroll in online courses also shows initiative to your new employer, as well as the desire to learn yourself.

So let’s find out a bit more about online training and the benefits that it offers you.

Online learning is becoming the most popular way to complete training inside and outside of the office. For job seekers, it’s a way of gaining new skills that will allow you to remain competitive in the job market and land your dream job in retail.

Not only will new skills help you to get a job successfully, but it will also mean that you can perform better at your future job immediately.

The great thing is that there are hundreds of courses that you can choose from that will benefit you in retail. From learning about the best ways to deal with angry customers to improving your listening skills, there’s a course for everything.

But, one of the most important factors that can affect any training is motivation. Thankfully, online learning courses can be accessed anytime and from anywhere. This means that you can choose when you learn and at a time and place that is best for you and when you’re motivated to learn.

All you need is your own device and you can access lots of online courses. Whether you learn best relaxing on your couch in the evening or when you are heading somewhere on the bus, you can take your training anywhere with you to improve your chances of landing a retail job.

Everyone has a different learning style. So while some people assume you have to be tech savvy to enjoy online courses, this is definitely not the case. The truth is that anyone can use e-learning courses!

E-learning courses are designed to be easy. This means that it’s simple to work them and learn all of the information that you need to gain the skills you want.

Plus, online training takes many different shapes and forms. What we mean by this is that there’s a format that everyone loves to learn with. If you’re a visual learner, there are animated training videos that you can watch or if you are a gamer there are plenty of courses that use gaming to teach you. Doesn’t that sound great?

All of the e-learning courses are created by professionals and some are even accredited, which means that you can rely on this training for your retail job. You can gain certifications and really gain useful qualifications for your resume.

So, what are you waiting for? Online learning is the best way to make sure that you have the skills you need for your next job in retail. You can finally stand out from the crowd in a good way and become the perfect candidate for the job.

In fact, it’s never been easier to build your resume and become the best in retail. All you’ve got to do is choose the online courses that you want and get started right away. You’ll become employable for life with your new, useful skills.

When you train using online e-learning courses today, you gain your next retail job tomorrow.

Get the right training for your next job in retail

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