The corporate scandals in recent years have highlighted the need for the development of corporate and legal standards for ethical conduct in business. The perceived lack of integrity in the business world, and the lack of concern for the consumer at that time, heightened demands for businesses to develop a stronger focus on ethics in business. This course considers the concept of ethics and its role in today's corporate culture. It looks at the impact of business ethics on both the individual and the organization and covers how the use of an ethical framework can promote ethically driven behavior. The course also focuses on how the learner can use an ethical filter to help negotiate ethical dilemmas. This course was developed with subject matter support provided by the Employment Law Group of the law firm of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC. Please note, however, that the course materials and content are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Nothing herein, or in the course materials, shall be construed as professional advice as to any particular situation or constitute a legal opinion with respect to compliance with any federal, state, or local laws. Transmission of the information is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. The information contained herein is provided only as general information that may or may not reflect the most current legal developments. This information is not provided in the course of an attorney-client relationship and is not intended to constitute legal advice or to substitute for obtaining legal advice from an attorney licensed in your state.

1

The use of the Internet as a means of doing business has changed the way in which business transactions can take place forever. Business can be conducted across vast geographical distances with a much greater degree of ease than was possible even twenty years ago. However, while advancements in technology have enabled the development of new business models, the impact of these changes on issues related to the protection of personal and business information has been immense. Protecting personal information regarding customers, while still ensuring that detailed customer records are kept, is a difficulty faced by almost all companies that engage in Internet-based commercial activity. Regulation of the digital marketplace is very difficult to achieve and currently, in the United States, much legislation on this area is pending but not yet enacted. The main areas requiring regulation are issues related to Internet advertising, the protection of intellectual property rights, and protection of individuals' private information. In this course, you will learn about how the digital economy operates. You will explore the functionality of emerging Internet business models, the importance of Internet security and trust issues, and the legal issues surrounding doing business over the Internet. This SkillSoft course has been developed and maintained with subject matter support provided by the Labor, Employment, and Employee Benefits Law Group of the law firm of Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green PA.

1.5

Why put time and effort into preparing, writing, and presenting a business case for new projects? Why not just talk to the manager and get his approval for the project? The answers to these questions lie in the fact that organizational budgets for new projects are typically very tight and, as such, your project will be competing against other projects for funding. Without a written business case, your chances of persuading decision makers within your organization to implement your new project idea, instead of a competing project, stand little chance. This course prepares learners interested in the development of effective business cases. You will learn what a business case is and when one is used, what research you need to do before you start to write a business case, and what information should be included in your business case. Finally, you will learn how to plan and position your business case to maximize its effectiveness.

3.5

Have you ever attended a presentation that failed because the presenter was ill prepared or ineffective in his approach? A successful presenter must possess the proper skills to plan and deliver an effective business case presentation and employ strategies to establish and maintain the audience's attention. This course examines the careful planning and delivery of a business case presentation. It focuses on the use of visual aids and handouts in a presentation, the structure and development of a presentation in light of audience needs, and the elements involved in successfully delivering the presentation to that audience.

2.5

Sexual harassment can have a very negative impact on an organization's work environment. Managers and supervisors have a responsibility to both their employees and their company to know their role in preventing and responding to sexual harassment. This includes knowing the laws, guidelines, policies, and resources for correcting, preventing, and investigating sexual harassment complaints. This two-hour course can help your company demonstrate its commitment to a fair and responsible organizational environment which is free from sexual harassment. This course is designed specifically to address sexual harassment training requirements under California, Connecticut, and Maine law, but is applicable for supervisor and manager training in all states. Additional customization is recommended in order to fully address the state requirements. This course was developed with subject matter support provided by the Employment Law Group of the law firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Please note, however, that the course materials and content are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Nothing herein, or in the course materials, shall be construed as professional advice as to any particular situation or constitute a legal opinion with respect to compliance with any federal, state, or local laws. Transmission of the information is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. The information contained herein is provided only as general information that may or may not reflect the most current legal developments. This information is not provided in the course of an attorney-client relationship and is not intended to constitute legal advice or to substitute for obtaining legal advice from an attorney licensed in your state.

2.5

Sexual harassment can have a very negative impact on an organization's work environment. Managers and supervisors have a responsibility to both their employees and their company to know their role in preventing and responding to sexual harassment. This includes knowing the laws, guidelines, policies, and resources for correcting, preventing, and investigating sexual harassment complaints. This two-hour course can help your company demonstrate its commitment to a fair and responsible organizational environment which is free from sexual harassment. This course is designed specifically to address sexual harassment training requirements under California, Connecticut, and Maine law, but is applicable for supervisor and manager training in all states. Additional customization is recommended in order to fully address the state requirements. This course was developed with subject matter support provided by the Employment Law Group of the law firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Please note, however, that the course materials and content are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Nothing herein, or in the course materials, shall be construed as professional advice as to any particular situation or constitute a legal opinion with respect to compliance with any federal, state, or local laws. Transmission of the information is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. The information contained herein is provided only as general information that may or may not reflect the most current legal developments. This information is not provided in the course of an attorney-client relationship and is not intended to constitute legal advice or to substitute for obtaining legal advice from an attorney licensed in your state.

2.5

Which would you rather do: prepare a business case for your latest project or go to the dentist? Given the choice, many of us would tend to choose the latter. Whether you want to invest in product development or reinvent your business processes with new marketing channels, it is now more important than ever to have a business case that is carefully planned, written, and presented, especially when you consider that corporate investments are being subjected to increased scrutiny. Writing a good business case will help you justify resource allocation to key decision makers and secure funding for your project. Otherwise, you may be eaten alive by the competition! In this course, you will learn how to plan, write, and present a business case to persuade key decision makers in your organization that your proposal is a winning initiative. This course will show you the principles for preparing an effective business case, and it will guide you through the writing process, from defining your business need and gathering relevant information, right through to assessing the financial impact of your solution. The course will conclude with practical advice on how to concisely present your business case to connect with your audience and key decision makers.

2.5

This course explains how to identify, win, and manage contracts with the largest consumer of goods and services in the world--the U.S. government. Each year the federal government awards contracts worth over $200 billion to businesses of all sizes and diversity. Of the 20 percent of contracts designated for small businesses, one quarter are aimed at women-owned businesses and another quarter for small disadvantaged businesses or SDBs. This course outlines how businesses of all types and sizes can identify contract opportunities within the government, market goods and services to the awarding government agency, and effectively manage the delivery phase of an awarded contract. This SkillSoft course has been developed and maintained with subject matter support provided by the Labor, Employment, and Employee Benefits Law Group of the law firm of Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green PA.

1.5

Does your company have a formal policy for how to retain and dispose of its records? Do you know what records you need to retain, how long you should retain them for, and which disposal techniques you should use? Following the Arthur Andersen case, many companies are reexamining what documents they keep and how long they must keep them. Having a carefully planned and documented record retention policy supports your company's internal documentation and accounting systems and addresses the compliance requirements of state and federal law. While disposing of too many records can increase a company's legal exposure, disposing of too few records increases the costs of storing the records. In this one-hour course, you'll learn how to identify which records must be retained and for how long, the different formats in which records may be stored, techniques for record disposal, and how to make sure your record retention policy complies with the law. SkillSoft's Legal Compliance courses are developed and maintained with subject matter support provided by the Labor, Employment, and Employee Benefits Law Group of the law firm of Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green PA.

1

One of the most difficult things you will do as a manager is to terminate an employee. The employee who is being terminated – regardless of the reason for the termination – may feel angry, frustrated, or betrayed. He or she may be looking for someone or something else to blame, and if the termination is not handled properly, your company could find itself defending against allegations of wrongful termination. Further, even if the termination is handled properly, the employee may file a claim anyway, and your company must be prepared to successfully defend the termination through appropriate decision making and documentation. An employer must be able to manage its workforce to accommodate the demands of its business. If employees are not performing as expected – or if the company experiences a change in the business and fewer people are needed to perform the work – some hard decisions must be made. Employers can minimize the risk of being involved in wrongful termination claims or lawsuits, or being held liable in the event that they are defending wrongful termination lawsuits, by following some basic guidelines during the hiring process and managing employees' performance during their tenure. Although most employees are employed at will (meaning that an employer can terminate them at any time, for any reason or no reason, as long as it is not an illegal reason), in reality, a termination for no reason is likely to result in a wrongful termination claim. It is much more practical, as well as legally defensible, if there is a legitimate, well documented reason for the termination, and if the termination is handled in an ethical and fair manner. This course is designed to give you an overview of how to rightfully terminate an employee because of a layoff (reduction in force), performance problems, or misconduct while avoiding or being able to successfully defend wrongful termination claims. This course was developed with subject matter support provided by the Employment Law Group of the law firm of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC. Please note, however, that the course materials and content are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Nothing herein, or in the course materials, shall be construed as professional advice as to any particular situation or constitute a legal opinion with respect to compliance with any federal, state, or local laws. Transmission of the information is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. The information contained herein is provided only as general information that may or may not reflect the most current legal developments. This information is not provided in the course of an attorney-client relationship and is not intended to constitute legal advice or to substitute for obtaining legal advice from an attorney licensed in your state.

1.5

A trade secret is information that is of proven economic value to its owner, is actively protected, and is not generally known to competitors. Trade secrets are important because they provide a competitive advantage to their owners and may be the only viable form of legal protection available. They are protected under the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA), in those states that have adopted it, and by common law principles in others. Owners may take legal action if their trade secrets are violated. The single most effective step owners can take to protect trade secrets is to get employees, contractors, and other relevant individuals to sign properly drafted, binding nondisclosure agreements (NDAs). These agreements provide strong protection in most, though not all, circumstances. This two-hour course enables participants to understand the nature of trade secrets, and the legal implications of their use and misuse. SkillSoft's Legal Compliance courses are developed and maintained with subject matter support provided by the Labor, Employment, and Employee Benefits Law Group of the law firm of Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green PA.

2

This course on workplace violence seeks to help employees understand the motivations that trigger violence in the workplace and to prevent workplace violence from occurring. Violence can happen in any type of workplace. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the US, 10% of the 5,071 work-related deaths in 2008 were attributable to homicide, and 6% to other types of assault and violent acts (US Department of Labor, 2009). While this is certainly troubling, the incidence of workplace deaths attributable to violence is just a small percentage of the violence that occurs in US workplaces. The majority of violent incidents that managers and employees deal with on a daily basis consist of assault, domestic violence, stalking, bullying, robbery, and harassment of all types, including sexual harassment. This course will enable all employees to recognize the early warning signs of impending workplace violence, and the actions they can take to prevent and reduce workplace violence. This SkillSoft product has been reviewed by the Employment Practice Group of Burr & Forman LLP. Please note, however, that the course materials and content are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Nothing herein, or in the course materials, shall be construed as professional advice as to any particular situation or constitute a legal opinion with respect to compliance with any federal, state, or local laws. Transmission of the information is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. The information contained herein is provided only as general information that may or may not reflect the most current legal developments. This information is not intended to substitute for obtaining legal advice from an attorney licensed in your state.

1.5

Highly successful teams have members who exhibit certain key characteristics, including an honest and fair approach, personal integrity, and a positive attitude. But two personal qualities are particularly crucial for a member of a high-performance team: a healthy level of trust in others and a sense of commitment to the team. In the early stages of team development, leaders must set up structures and processes that support the development of these team characteristics. This course offers strategies used to build trust based on encouraging honest, accountable, fair, and positive behavior. The course also provides leaders with strategies that help increase team member commitment, such as being supportive, making members feel secure, providing interesting work, and acknowledging contributions and achievements. By using these strategies, team leaders can develop a cohesive team that works together to reach its goals. Materials designed to support blended learning activities aligned with this course are available from the Resources Page.

1

Successful teams are characterized by having a clear direction, trust among team members, effective communication, and the ability to quickly resolve conflict. In the early stages of team development, leaders must set up structures and processes that support the development of these team characteristics. Effective leadership is particularly required during the Storming stage of team development when conflict tends to be at its highest. The survival of the team depends on a team leader who can quickly recognize conflict, diagnose its cause, and use strategies to resolve the issue. In doing so, the leader restores trust and positive working relationships among team members. This course offers you an understanding about what causes conflicts on a team and the important role of healthy communication in handling conflicts. It presents many best practice approaches to resolving conflicts and illustrates the tenets of principled negotiation. By learning the principles and strategies presented in this course, you will have the skills to keep your high-performance teams away from destructive patterns of conflict and on track to achieving their goals. Materials designed to support blended learning activities aligned with this course are available from the Resources Page.

1

Henry Ford once said that coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. Mr. Ford knew the importance of teamwork. Ask anyone who has worked in a project or team environment, and he will tell you that team dynamics make a huge difference in terms of getting work done and in the whole working environment. A positive, constructive atmosphere can keep team members motivated and productive, while a negative atmosphere can have the opposite effect. Developing effective project teams is one of the primary responsibilities of a team leader. This course outlines the role of the team leader on a high-performance team and highlights the importance of taking steps to develop the team culture early on during team formation. It offers methods used to encourage team participation and provides some key strategies used to build a cohesive team culture by encouraging social interactions, establishing team member competencies, and promoting interdependence. Materials designed to support blended learning activities aligned with this course are available from the Resources Page.

1

The way in which a team is built is an important factor in determining team success. Leading a team quickly and smoothly into high performance mode requires the groundwork of setting team goals, identifying project tasks and assigning the right people to them, and defining the standards of team behavior to ensure team members work together so that team objectives are met. This course covers techniques for laying the foundation for a successful team. These techniques include setting team goals, assigning roles to individual team members, and defining specific guidelines that outline how team members should behave to minimize conflict and optimize team performance. Materials designed to support blended learning activities aligned with this course are available from the Resources Page.

1

You have a team established and everyone is committed to the team goals. However, a common focus is not always enough to help your team achieve success. You must ensure that team members can communicate with you and with one another, and that they will work as a team rather than as individuals. This course outlines the importance and benefits of promoting team communication and collaboration. It covers techniques for encouraging effective communication by employing a favorable communication style and ensuring the team profits from team meetings. The course also introduces strategies that team leaders should implement to encourage team collaboration, including fostering shared ownership and stressing the team orientation. Materials designed to support blended learning activities aligned with this course are available from the Resources Page.

1

Leading successful teams is an art, and team leaders can face many challenges when trying to optimize team performance. Whether you're a current team leader or simply someone who would like to develop the skills that would make you a strong candidate, you need to know certain things about how teams function and what it takes to develop a high-performance team. Among the most important things to know: good team development begins on day one. Forming an effective and cohesive team is fundamental to the success of the team later on, and pulling the right team together from the start has benefits far beyond just completing tasks on time. In this course, you'll learn techniques for setting up successful teams that can be applied to a variety of team environments. This course outlines the benefits of business teams and the importance of taking proactive measures to ensure a smooth transition during the initial phase of team formation. It reviews the five stages of team development and offers strategies for dealing with issues that may arise during the first stage, Forming. You'll learn strategies for selecting high-performing team members most suited for your project or team, as well as recommendations for performing proper introductions, clarifying team purpose and context, and making sure team members understand their responsibilities. Materials designed to support blended learning activities aligned with this course are available from the Resources Page.

1

Virtual teams are emerging as the basic unit for conducting business of all types. Studies show that over 80% of workers today are involved in some way with team members who are not physically located in the same office. Virtual communication networks have made virtual teams possible, while globalization has made them a necessity. Leading virtual teams presents new challenges to leaders and managers. Virtual team leaders must find ways to successfully manage people who are separated by distance, time zones, and cultural differences. This course offers leaders a framework for successfully leading virtual teams. It outlines the key competencies that members of virtual teams should possess and offers guidelines for specific virtual team activities, such as teleconferencing and decision making. It also highlights a variety of tools and technologies that are commonly used for collaboration on virtual teams and presents guidelines for knowing how to choose the right technologies for specific situations. Materials designed to support blended learning activities aligned with this course are available from the Resources Page.

1

As teams mature, they're able to perform more independently. Accordingly, team leaders must shift their role to one of maintaining motivation and optimizing team member performance. This ensures that their teams continue to perform at peak levels. The early stages of team development are about establishing the purpose of the team and its key goals, but once the team is up and running, the leader has a prominent role to play in guiding the team to success. This course describes ways to optimize team performance and effectiveness through assessments and feedback. It outlines strategies for sustaining high performance, including using coaching to improve team performance and motivating through shared leadership. Materials designed to support blended learning activities aligned with this course are available from the Resources Page.

1

Championship teams win titles because they are comprised of members who are talented athletes possessing the right combination of skills, attitude, and enthusiasm to go out and win. The members of a winning sales team must also have the right skills, attitude, and enthusiasm to be successful. As a sales manager, how do you build an effective sales team? This course delivers answers by presenting information and tools that you can use to define your sales team and identify stages of sales team development. You'll discover where to look for qualified sales team candidates and what to look for in submitted resumes. Then you'll explore methods for conducting interviews and using a sales skills assessment tool to help you choose the best people for your sales team.

3.5

You might have heard the saying, it ain't over 'til it's over. This is especially true with inside sales calls. To be a successful inside sales consultant, you need to know how to keep your customer's attention all the way through the close of the sale. In this course, you will learn strategies for contacting the decision maker and for dealing with gatekeepers. You will learn the steps involved in a sales presentation, how to determine the most effective sales strategy for your sales call, and how to determine the customer's valuation of your product or service. In this course, you will learn the seven characteristics of effective sales presentations, the steps for effectively conducting a sales presentation, and strategies for presenting to different buying roles. This course also addresses strategies for successfully facilitating the close of the outbound sales call, including strategies for handling customers' objections.

4

Researching your target accounts is important for understanding your customer's business. But only by conducting research meetings will you learn the inside information you need to truly understand the business fit between your company and your customer. In this course, you'll learn about bringing your research and communication skills together in strategic account sales (SAS) research meetings. You'll start by learning how to prepare for an effective research meeting. Next, you'll explore how to conduct research meetings to gather desired information. And finally, you'll learn how to close and follow up on your research meetings.

2.5

The most important meeting you'll have with your client is when you show the decision makers that you have the right business fit for their needs. You've done a lot of hard work, so when the curtain goes up on your sales presentation, you want an award-winning performance. In this course, you'll learn about the third major component of the strategic account sales (SAS) approach--presentation. First, you'll learn how to plan and develop a high-impact presentation. You'll then explore ways to successfully deliver the presentation to your client audience. And finally, you'll learn how to follow up your presentation and maintain your sales momentum.

3.5

A successful sales track record doesn't come from a hit-or-miss approach. It comes from the implementation of step-by-step processes that help ensure predictable, repeatable, and measurable results. In this course, you'll learn about the strategic account sales (SAS) approach for successful sales. You'll start by gaining an understanding of the premises and strategy behind the approach. Then you'll learn how to select target accounts based on specific selection criteria and start the process of account planning.

2

Strong customer relationships are essential for long-term sales success. In this course, you'll learn about the second major component of the Strategic Account Sales (SAS) approach--communication. You'll start by learning about developing coach relationships in your target account. A vital part of your sales effectiveness depends on finding contacts at target accounts that can become part of an internal network of coaches for the sales process. Then, you'll learn about gaining access to senior-level management and dealing with gatekeepers. By effectively communicating with the right people in your accounts, you'll help to ensure positive sales results

2.5

Tired of wasting time at meetings that take too long and get too little accomplished? Learn to facilitate meetings that are both productive and time efficient. In this course, you will explore the foundations of the art of group facilitation. You will define the role of a facilitator, so that you can easily differentiate between facilitated groups and democratic or autocratic groups. Identifying the skills, attitudes and emotions needed to facilitate groups will help prepare you for taking on the task of changing your work group structure. Understanding the responsibilities of the facilitator will help establish the boundaries of what you can and cannot control when working with groups. Finally, you will learn ways to measure your successes through self-assessment.

3

Every project is different. Some are small and straight forward. Others are large and complex. Most are somewhere in the middle. Even though every project is unique, they all have certain attributes in common. Every project has a similar life cycle, starting with an idea, progressing through development, and culminating in the delivery of a finished product or service. A product has a life cycle of its own which is tied into – yet distinct from – the life cycle of the project. All projects have similar overall phases, such as the start up phase, the planning and design phase, the production phase, and the closing phase. That is all straightforward, but how do a project's phases relate to the stages of its life cycle? Do the natural phases of a project affect the way it is managed? And what types of project management processes should be applied to the specific phases? These are all fundamental questions project managers ask. This course answers these questions and more. It is designed to give project managers and project team members a solid understanding about the nature of projects, how they are structured, and how the structures affect the way they are managed. Specifically, it introduces the concepts of project life cycle, product life cycle, project phases, and project management process groups. It provides an in depth look at how the project management phases interact with each other and with the elements of the project life cycle. The course illustrates these concepts through many examples of small and large projects. Learners will also be introduced to the fundamental source of information for project management professionals: the Project Management Institute (PMI®) and A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Fourth Edition published by PMI®. The course will identify key project management concepts and terms, explore the PMBOK® Guide, and the project management Knowledge Areas. This course provides a foundational knowledge base reflecting the most up-to-date project management information so learners can effectively put principles to work at their own organizations. This course will assist in preparing the learner for the PMBOK® certification exam. This course is aligned with the PMBOK® Guide - Fourth Edition, published by PMI®, Inc., 2008. Copyright and all rights reserved. Material from this publication has been reproduced with the permission of PMI®.

1.5

Initiating and Planning are crucial phases in developing and executing any successful project. Companies that are embarking on a new project initiative must assign people to gather facts and decide what exactly they want to produce and how they are going to produce it. This course examines which factors should weigh in during the project selection process and how to effectively plan a project from beginning to end.

2

The factors of a successful project almost always end up depending on how much money and time is needed to create a product worthy of the customer. This course will help you manage the constraints of time, money, and schedules, and how they relate to the overall quality of your project and product.

2.5

There has been an increased interest in Six Sigma in recent years. But what is Six Sigma? This course will introduce you to the foundational concepts of the Six Sigma philosophy and process. It will help you successfully participate in your organization's Six Sigma program. First, you will learn how poor quality harms your business. You will explore what Six Sigma means and the critical elements of the approach. You will gain an understanding of the new roles that some employees will fill. This course will introduce you to a straightforward framework for satisfying your customers, reducing waste, and increasing efficiency and quality in your organization. You will then examine how you can meet Six Sigma challenges and the skills you will need to grow in a Six Sigma organization. As a result of taking this course, you will have an internal understanding of Six Sigma. You will then be able to recognize processes that need improving. You will be able to meet the Six Sigma challenge and assist in building a Six Sigma culture.

2

The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough just to stare up the steps - we must step up the stairs. – Vance Havner, author. However, venturing into Six Sigma is not easy. Deploying Six Sigma is where the tire hits the road. It requires a lot of hard work and planning. As a Six Sigma Champion, you'll need to plan for and deal with critical Six Sigma deployment issues, develop business-aligned deployment strategies, ensure continued buy-in from top management, and integrate metrics for continuous feedback and review into your plan. This course addresses all of these challenges, as well as how to manage change during and after Six Sigma deployment. It focuses on a systemic, long-lasting deployment, and on delivering promised business results rather than obsessing over implementing projects. This course integrates essential Six Sigma concepts, tools, and methodologies enabling you to deliver excellent business results. A case-based approach is followed throughout to demonstrate how some incredible companies applied the concepts and tools to real-world Six Sigma situations and achieved huge Six Sigma breakthroughs. These breakthroughs include increased customer value and quality, significant reductions in costs, wastes and postproduction maintenance, intellectual capital development, remarkable growth in top line and bottom line, and major culture change.

2.5

In the world of business you cannot expect faulty processes to deliver outstanding organizational results. Six Sigma offers many ways to improve your organization's processes, based on your priorities and business requirements. Whenever you delve into process improvement, you have the option to create new processes altogether or replace old processes with new ones. Six Sigma Champions generally choose to improve upon existing processes. This course is designed to help Champions learn how to use Six Sigma's Define - Measure - Analyze - Improve - Control (DMAIC) methodology to upgrade current processes. It also explores using Six Sigma tools and methods to understand customer requirements, recognize the gaps between current deliverables and customer needs, analyze the root causes of process shortfalls, and finally use Six Sigma tools to improve inefficient processes. This course introduces you to Six Sigma tools and their application in Six Sigma methodology using a keep-it-simple-statistically approach ideal to a Champion's strategic role.

2.5

Managers are people who do things right, while leaders are people who do the right thing, says Warren Bennis, Ph.D. in his book On Becoming a Leader. Champions are leaders. Selecting the right Six Sigma projects and the right people, and leading them to achieve business goals, is vital to the leadership of Champions. This course deals with these important roles of Champions. It also provides Champions with a toolkit to measure and analyze a project thoroughly before it is selected for Six Sigma improvement. The roadmap for selecting Black Belts and other team members needed to build a winning project team is also explored. Champions will learn how to shape and align the dynamics of their sponsored team to the organization's business goals. Finally, the course demonstrates the all-important Champion role of acting as a conduit between project teams and top management.

2.5

Word 2007 provides many options for structuring and editing documents which are complemented by a variety of editing tools. There are also options for saving documents which can be customized to suit your word processing needs. This course explains the use of page and section breaks, spacing adjustment, and column insertion, and explores the basic editing tools packaged with Word 2007. A new feature of Word 2007 demonstrated in the course is the ability to save a document in PDF or XPS format, in addition to being able to save as a web page. The course also explains how to save documents so that they can be viewed in previous versions of Word.

2

Whether you like it or not, conflict is an inevitable part of life. So learning to deal with it effectively is a key skill. The more quickly and effectively you can resolve a conflict, the sooner you can get on with more productive activities in your day. Additionally, each successfully resolved conflict will lead to more confidence and knowledge about how to approach other conflicts you may face in the future. This course describes techniques you can use to deal effectively with a conflict situation. You'll learn that an important first step is to define the conflict by clarifying the issues surrounding it. You'll also find out about the importance of describing the conflict to the other party in a way that doesn't make them defensive. In addition, the course outlines collaboration skills that can help you deal with conflicts effectively, building trust and cooperation and preventing the escalation of conflict. Materials designed to support blended learning activities aligned with this course are available from the Resources Page.

1

Disciplinary action in the workplace is a delicate matter. A serious conflict between manager and worker can give rise to a lengthy grievance procedure, or, at worst, legal action. Detailed disciplinary documents are the best defense when a manager's actions are called into question. Without these documents there may be no record of a worker's repeated infractions or failure to satisfy job requirements. There may also be no evidence of a manager's attempt to deal with the worker in a fair and constructive manner. This course explains how documentation can make all the difference, and examines the potential fallout from failure to document. It also suggests steps for progressive documentation and explains what and how to document. This SkillSoft product has been reviewed by the Employment Practice Group of Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green. As of the date reviewed, the content of this course is in compliance with federal law and court decisions. Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

2.5