7. Use mutually familiar frames of reference.

8. Make training meaningful by systematically organizing it.

9. Provide relevant and timely supporting materials in adequate quantities.

10. Watch for and avoid trainee boredom by using variety in your activities, materials, and speaking manner.

11. Provide trainees with feedback and reinforcement about their participation.

12. Provide ample time for repetition and practice.

13. Give trainees opportunity to adapt training to new and different situations.

14. Reassure trainee and use his experiences.

15. Make training practical by developing an agenda that's practical.

Follow these premises and you'll find that your activities will become increasingly successful.

Remember: When you maximize your potential, everyone wins. When you don't, we all lose.

© Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW

Showing most improvement quarter over quarter.

Achieving balanced performance - your team is listed in Top 3 ranking in every key category.

Reaching net income annual goal, or gaining market share over a key competitor!

2. Leaders must communicate their vision in a way that inspires others to "believe". Communicating change can be difficult.

Communicating a clear action plan that everyone can understand lessens anxiety. Change always creates opportunity. Turning anxiety of change into excitement for opportunity should be goal of leader when communicating new vision. Here are some examples:

Breakdown vision into individual goals so team members understand their roles and responsibilities.

Hold all team kick-off meeting to unveil overall vision and action plan. Add fun and excitement. Anticipate questions and be prepared to overcome any perceived barriers.

Implement tracking and regular progress reporting to keep team focused on achieving each step leading up to ultimate goal.

3. Leaders must support, promote, inspire and motivate team members to realize vision. Motivate team members by giving everyone an opportunity for personal gain, above and beyond their regular pay. For example:

Introduce a special incentive program. (This doesn't have to cost a lot of money.) Base awards on a percentage of "net" gain to organization - not just one persons ability to achieve an individual goal.

Offer "interim" awards to key contributors once team achieves mid-level goals.

Make a point of "celebrating" small wins, which will ultimately lead to BIG WIN! Use gift certificates, lottery tickets, recognition awards, etc - praise and recognize individual and team accomplishments along way.

4. A team is only as strong as its weakest link. Leaders must hold team members accountable for their duties and responsibilities. This is only fair to those employees doing a great job. Hold accountable any team member who is not doing his/her fair share. In order to achieve great things, you must expect great things from your people. Consider these examples:

BE CONSISTENT in your counsel. Hold yourself accountable! Did you TEACH? Did you COACH? Only then can you EXPECT!

BE CONSISTENT in your counsel. 1st offense = verbal warning (ensure clarity of roles and responsibilities)

2nd offense = written warning (get signature for documentation)

3rd offense = final notice (employee must understand that you will support their choice to either improve immediately or to move on to a more rewarding opportunity.)

4th offense = termination

And finally, BE CONSISTENT in your counsel.

In wrapping up this conversation may we reiterate one last time - when you have succeeded in creating a team that is connected, you can count on each of them having a higher degree of personal engagement toward meeting goals before them.

Still wondering if this connection thing is really that powerful of a concept? Real quick, think about following examples of leaders who have connected with people on a broad scale, and kinds of results that came from achieving such a powerful connection:

1. President Reagan - connected so effectively with people of a foreign nation and around world by effectively communicating words "Tear down this wall!"

2. Boris Yeltsin - won support from people all across globe as he stood on a tank and quite literally stared down face of communism.

The final point here is that you do NOT need to be a world leader in order to be a great leader. Through power of connection you can inspire a higher degree of employee engagement which will enable you and your team to achieve new levels of efficiency and production.

Enjoy journey!