In this issue:

1. Workplace Ethics - A Crisis of Leadership
2. Lending Library Online Ordering Benefit Available Soon
3. Webinar: Blending E-Learning Into Your Existing Training Programs
4. Staff Recommendation: Kristie's Review of Six Steps to Greatness
5. Welcome Aboard



1. Workplace Ethics - A Crisis of Leadership
By Robert Rosell

There has been a confluence of widely publicized painful situations, all caused by people at work making terrible ethical decisions. The results have been devastating.

On the business side, some of the largest corporations in the United States have fallen victim to the belief that the ethical choices we make will somehow remain invisible. At Worldcom, senior executives were convicted of fraud, conspiracy, and lying to regulators. Tyco's CEO was listed by Business Week as one of America's top 25 managers before he was charged with looting his own company of $600 million. Adelphia, AOL Times Warner, Arthur Andersen, and many more of the most powerful corporations in America found themselves on the front pages of newspapers around the world, accused of a wide range of offenses. And the name Enron - once considered one of the most innovative and successful energy companies in the world - has become synonymous with fraud, greed, and ethical misconduct at the highest levels.

Corporations haven't been the only institutions impacted by ethical scandals. The majority leader in the US House of Representatives was censured by his own Ethics Committee three times in one year. Sports organizations have found themselves making headlines because of drug abuse and financial misconduct. Even charitable and civic organizations have been rocked by a wide range of scandals.

In response laws have been passed, committees formed, and individuals prosecuted. People shake their heads and lament the lack of values in our most valued institutions. Employees look to the leadership in their organizations to provide clear guidance on how to improve the situation.

Part of the problem has been that as we enact more laws to define appropriate or "legal" behavior, we distance people from the decision-making process about what constitutes "right" conduct. As a result, we have begun to confuse "compliance" with "ethics" - we see compliance with the law as the goal, rather than the starting point of ethical decision-making.

Human resource and training departments have a long history of playing a critical role in tackling difficult social issues at work. As harassment became a major concern, organizations mobilized their resources to provide guidance to employees at all levels on their rights and responsibilities. Policies were crafted and enforced, and conditions in most companies and agencies improved. The same has been true of discrimination and other diversity issues. These battles are not won, but there has been significant progress.

The same energy must now be applied to improving the ethical climate in our organizations. We can and must arm employees and managers with the tools they need to help them make better ethical judgments. The goal is not just to avoid embarrassment or penalties; it's to make our organizations stronger and more effective.

To support this effort, QMR, along with a number of our other producers, have created new ethics titles. Program One, 3 Steps to Ethical Decisions, presents a clear process employees can apply to help them work through difficult ethical decisions. In Program Two, Ethical Situations to Consider, we present 8 dramatizations of common workplace ethical challenges that employees can use to practice and test the 3 Steps process.

We don't pretend that a video is a silver bullet. A training resource won't turn around the condition of ethical decision making in any given workplace. It will take a sustained effort that includes clarifying organizational values and policies, clear and unequivocal enforcement of the highest ethical standards, and most importantly - leadership. We have seen the cost of inaction as retirement savings have been wiped out, careers ruined, and important institutions in our society weakened. It is too high a price to pay.

Your decision to introduce or expand ethics training in your organization is an important signal that you take this issue seriously. If we are going to have organizations that we can be proud of, we need employees and managers who are aware of the values that underpin our decisions, a process to help them deal with difficult ethical choices, and most of all we need leaders who are willing to step forward and show us the way.

Check out these titles today to start your journey:

• Compliance is Just the Beginning: 3 Steps to Ethical Decisions - Coming Soon
• Compliance is Just the Beginning: Ethical Situations to Consider - Coming Soon
• Character in Action: The U.S. Coast Guard on Leadership - Coming Soon
• Ethics for a Modern Workforce: Foundations for an Ethical Workplace - New Title
• Ethics for a Modern Workforce: Workplace Ethics Fundamentals - New Title
• Ethics for a Modern Workforce: Ethics Practices for Business Leaders - New Title
• A.C.T. with Integrity: Real Situations for Discussion
• The Six Pillars of Character
• Ethical Leadership for the 21st Century
• Robert Rosell is the President of Quality Media Resources.

Did You Know?
Employees of the companies rated as the "Top 100" by Training Magazine each spend an average of 53.5 hours in training each year (Training Magazine March 2005).



2. Lending Library Online Ordering Benefit Available Soon

As announced in our February e-newsletter, we are enhancing our service to provide Lending Library members with the added benefit of online ordering and training resource management. It is a pleasure to announce that we remain on-target for a second quarter 2005 kick-off! Once the new system is activated, Lending Library members will have a convenient way to identify, manage and order training resources online, 24/7.

Each member will receive a unique company user name and password to log in and "shop" for Lending Library training resources. Similar to other online shopping venues, members will be able to fill a cart, modify the cart (we all change our minds from time to time) and, when ready, complete their order. Once the order is submitted, our Library Coordinator will process and ship the day's requests. Members will continue to receive a UPS Tracking Number email the same day we ship the order.

Other features of the new system include the ability to designate courses for future use in an area called "My Queue," manage courses by viewing titles that have been processed for ordering, have already been ordered, or to mark course titles as "Returned and In Transit." Additionally, members will be able to view reports that provide details on which courses are identified as 'Returned and In Transit' along with an option to display Transaction History.

We have also added a new communication to our process. As we receive resource returns in the new system, members will receive a confirmation email. This email will confirm which resources were returned and provide a link to our online course rating system. We certainly value your feedback and urge all members to rate our training resources, so that others may benefit from your training experience.

We will continue to keep members up-to-date on our progress. Very soon, we will present members with Webinar opportunities to learn more about the system and how it will improve your Library experience. Please contact your Account Manager or Training Consultant for additional details.



3. Webinar: Blending E-Learning Into Your Existing Training Programs!

Due to an overwhelming response to our recent webinar we are offering our Lending Library members a second chance to attend this informative webinar on April 20, 2005 from 1:00-2:00 pm CST. You'll learn how to blend world-class E-Learning with your current training programs without breaking your budget.

What You'll Learn:

• What is Blended Learning
• How Can E-Learning Fill Your Training Gaps
• Best Practices for Implementing an E-Learning Program
• A Demonstration of Our E-Learning System
• Case Studies from Smaller Companies that Have Successfully Produced a Positive ROI on Their E-Learning Investments

Date: April 20, 2005
Time: 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm CST

To register for this exciting opportunity, please call (888) 432-3077 ext. 151 or register on-line.

Did You Know?
Companies rated as the "Top 100" by Training Magazine have an average training budget of 3.7% of payroll each year (Training Magazine March 2005).



4. Staff Recommendation: Kristie's Review of Six Steps to Greatness

Course Title and Code
Six Steps to Greatness: Customer Service Agenda #006-106

Course Group
Business Skills Library

Course Overview
This program introduces six of the key steps used to achieve a customer service turnaround. The content is specifically aimed at leaders with responsibility for implementing customer service strategies and attaining service improvement goals. Specific steps in the Baptist Health Care turnaround are shown.

Key Learning Points

• Create standards: achieve buy-in
• Hire and train the standards
• Get it done with teams
• Recognize service heroes
• Accept only winning attitudes
• Measure, correct, and train incessantly

Target Audience
Everyone responsible for ensuring external and internal customers receive superior service, especially healthcare facilities!

Duration
15 minutes

Kristie's Rating


Kristie's Review
Attention healthcare organizations - this is the video you've been waiting for!

This video features an organization that knew it that could be better and took action. After they saw service scores drop to a 10% satisfaction rating, they started a Standards Committee and got to work.

This customer service video focuses on the concept that great service involves every person in the organization, from the maintenance staff to the cafeteria workers. It takes everyone working together to give the customer (Baptist doesn't call them patients) the best experience possible.

The video covers a wide range of best practices in a short period of time. Starting with how to hire the right person to recognizing employees for going the extra mile.

I gave this video a 5 star rating. My only complaint is that fifteen minutes just wasn't long enough!

This video is 1 of 2 in the series. The other video (006-107) is Service Heroes Customer Service Turnaround. Both training videos include a CD-Rom with supplemental materials.

For additional details regarding this course, please call (888) 432-3077. Prospective members can view select titles at no-charge by signing up for a free Trial Membership.

Kristie Jones, the Vice President of Sales, has been with Business Training Library since July 2000. She is responsible for managing the sales team, as well as ensuring all members of Business Training Library are getting value from their membership. She enjoys playing tennis, running, and cooking (she says she's the grill master of the family). If you have a suggestion or recipe for Kristie please contact her at kjones@bizlibrary.com.



5. Welcome Aboard

Business Training Library would like to welcome its newest Lending Library clients! Your BTL team stands ready to support you throughout this new endeavor.

• Arizona Central Credit Union, Phoenix, AZ
• BPO Elks of the USA, Chicago, IL
• Builder's Warehouse, Kearney, NE
• Cincinnati Janitorial Services, Cincinnati, OH
• City of Alachua, Alachua, FL
• GlobalScape Texas, LP, San Antonio, TX
• Greeley Medical Clinic, Greeley, CO
• Hamilton Sundstrand Federal Credit Union, Windsor Locks, CT
• Hill Country Bible Church, Austin, TX
• Mercedes Benz of San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
• On Top of the World Communities, Ocala, FL
• Panini North America, Dayton, OH
• PRIDESTAFF, Columbia, NC
• QDS/Henschen, Inc., Jackson Center, OH
• Southern Title, LLC, Daytona Beach, FL
• William A Berry & Son, Inc., Danvers, MA
• Workmen's Insurance Group, Los Angeles, CA
• Yancey's Food Service, Loveland, CO

Business Training Library
285 Chesterfield Business Pkwy
Chesterfield, MO 63005
(888) 432-3077
(636) 534-1001 (fax)
www.bizlibrary.com