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In this issue:

1. Harnessing the Potential of the Multigenerational Workforce
2. Small & Mid-Sized Manufacturing Report: Not All Gloom and Doom
3. Business Training Library Named SkillSoft Partner of the Year
4. Course Review: Difficult People



1. Harnessing the Potential of the Multigenerational Workforce

Brought to you in partnership with VisionPoint, one of our Lending Library Producer Partners

Imagine an employee who brings enthusiasm and energy, shares fresh ideas and new approaches, displays wisdom that typically comes with years of experience, demonstrates unflagging loyalty to the organization and refuses to take "no" for an answer when pitching a breakthrough idea. Realistically, the chance of finding all these characteristics in a single employee is practically zero; however, these same desirable characteristics, and many more, can be found in today's multigenerational workforce.

For the first time in recent history, there are four generations of employees represented in the U.S. workforce. It is the largest demographic shift since women and members of minority groups began entering the workforce in significant numbers several decades ago. Not surprisingly, the implications are as profound now as they were then. Against the backdrop of gender, race and ethnicity, generational differences bring a new level of complexity - and new opportunity - to the notion of what it is to manage a diverse workforce.

Access the 10-page perspective from VisionPoint "Generations: Harnessing the Potential of the Multigenerational Workforce."

2. Small & Mid-Sized Manufacturing Report: Not All Gloom and Doom

RSM McGladrey, Inc. recently surveyed more than 1,000 CEOs, CFOs and other senior executives in the small and mid-sized sector of the North American manufacturing industry to evaluate the state of the industry and offer best practices for future successes. Speaking at a Valley Industrial Association luncheon, Thomas Murphy, Executive VP of Manufacturing and Wholesale Distribution at RSM McGladrey shared some of their findings. He reported that their findings were consistent with the recent report, The Future Success of Small and Medium Manufacturers: Challenges and Policy Issues, a publication of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the Manufacturing Institute.

Murphy’s presentation discussed that while what we typically hear about small and mid-sized manufacturers is all doom and gloom, the reality is that there is a lot of growth and opportunity in this sector. Their report affirms that small and mid-sized manufacturers are a key driver in the manufacturing sector and are of vital importance in the US economy. Murphy also addressed the challenges that today’s small and mid-sized manufacturers face, and 15 best practices – one of the most critical being employee training.

Small and mid-sized manufacturers today are producing twice as much as they were 50 years ago, with half the workforce. US manufacturing is the 8th largest manufacturing sector in the world, with small manufacturers employing 500 or fewer workers, and mid-sized manufactures employing 500-2500 workers. The small and mid-sized manufacturing sector makes up 96% of all US manufacturers, with 296,000 small and mid-sized manufacturing organizations. One of the small and mid-sized manufacturer’s greatest strengths is its ability to innovate at twice the rate of larger manufacturers. Smaller manufacturers remain close to their customers, and are more flexible and innovative in meeting their customer’s needs.

While much of their findings were positive, they of course uncovered several challenges faced by small and mid-sized manufacturers. Among them are: competing in a global marketplace, skill shortages and educational deficiencies, employee benefits, energy costs, tort system, taxes, and regulations. Murphy noted that many small and mid-sized manufacturing organizations are faced with an aging workforce, and workforce recruitment is not focused on technical schools. Educational deficiencies mean training and re-training is more important than ever, and with half the workforce, many are not setting aside the time to invest in their existing staff. Murphy went on to discuss 15 best practices as a blueprint for the future success of the small and mid-sized manufacturing industry.

Click here to view the entire report, key findings and 15 best practices made available by The Manufacturing Institute, the National Association of Manufacturers and RSM McGladrey, Inc.




3. Business Training Library Named SkillSoft Reseller of the Year

We are proud to announce that Business Training Library has been named North American Partner of the Year by SkillSoft PLC (Nasdaq: SKIL). The award was presented to Business Training Library at SkillSoft’s February 13th Global Sales Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

Business Training Library partnered with New Hampshire based SkillSoft in 2000, to provide small and mid-sized organizations with affordable access to online training courses for business and professional skills training. “Our partnership with SkillSoft has been a key part of our success story over the past 6 years,” according to Dean Pichee, President and Founder of Business Training Library. “The combination of their award-winning courses and our platform and service have allowed us to consistently exceed our clients’ expectations, delivering a world-class e-learning solution on a cost-effective basis.”

Check out our extensive selection of SkillSoft's business and professional skills web-based training courses, or contact one of our e-learning training consultants today, at 888.432.3077, ext. 234.




4. Course Review: Difficult People

Course Code
004279 DVD
004294 Video

Media
Video or DVD

Course Overview
Are you plagued by hostile customers and coworkers, indecisive, vacillating bosses and over-agreeable (but do-nothing) subordinates? Now you can learn techniques to identify, understand and cope with the difficult people who come into your life. Most of us are forced to deal with difficult people on some level everyday. Whether at the office or at home, difficult people add to the stress that we work to eliminate. This video, based on the best-selling book Coping with Difficult People by Dr. Robert M. Bramson, show the skills necessary for dealing effectively with hard-to-handle people.

Target Audience
All Employees

Expected Duration
37 Minutes

Andy's Rating

4 Stars (Out of 5)

Andy's Review
Difficult People is a highly entertaining and thorough introduction to the subject of dealing with difficult people. The video was developed from Dr. Robert M Bramson’s research for his book Coping with Difficult People and uses 10 scenarios to show the audience how to communicate and cope with difficult people. Each scenario is broken down into “difficult” personality types and uses a narrator to give the audience the appropriate and inappropriate responses for each situation. The personality types the video discusses are the hostile aggressive, the complainer, the clam, the super agreeable, the negativist, the “expert” know it all and the indecisive. This video really is one that can benefit an entire organization because we have all dealt with difficult people.

Andy Shadburne is a Training Consultant for the Lending Library at Business Training Library.

Interested in previewing Difficult People? Start a free demo of this human resources training course today!

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