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Users Roundtable -
June 17-18, 2010
Our Users Roundtable will be held
in Las Vegas. More details to follow.
Connections Online 4.0 New Features Webinar
Wednesday, March 10th at 1:30 EST
This 30-minute training webinar highlights advanced functionality of Connections Online 4.0 and Q&A.
Click here to register
or go to this link for a recording of the most recent New Features Webinar:
http://www.connectionsonline.net/docs/2-10-10-COL-New-Featur es-Webinar.wmv
Connections Online 4.0 Application Training Webinar
Wednesday, February 24th at 1:30 EST
or Wednesday, March 24th at 1:30 EST
This 60-minute training webinar dives deeper into an overall “how to use” Connections Online 4.0.
Click here to register for February
Click here to register for March
Jim Cardwell’s Educational Webinar
Thursday, February 25th at 1:30 EST
Discussion on the importance of Individual Dialogs
Click here to register.
Past Educational Webinar Recordings - Go to http://www.connectionsonline.net/news Then click on the Events tab for a listing of our past Educational webinars.
Training Library
Click here to link to our Training Library
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Jim Cardwell’s Educational Webinar –
“Individual Dialogs”
Thursday, February 25th at 1:30 EST
In many organizations, monthly communications between bosses and their direct reports involve occasional conversations in the hall, intrusions during a crisis and monthly one-on-ones where the boss drives the agenda and probes with questions. The intent is to gain a better understanding of current performance problems and outcomes. The boss runs the session. The subordinates position and control information. Bad news flows up slowly. It is no wonder that communication, coordination and productivity are sub-optimized.
There is a more effective way to achieve these objectives. Clarifying and aligning the Basic Role (and the corresponding Key Result Areas) creates a shared expectation. When this happens leaders no longer need to plan-organize-and-control each direct report. The leader can give them back their jobs. This allows an important paradigm shift. The relationships move from parent-child to adult-adult. Each of the elements of their basic roles form the backbone of their individual dialog agendas. Consistent with the adult-adult approach, the players schedule the dialogs, which take place in their offices. These are their meetings with their coach. The player does 90% of the preparation and about 70% of the talking. Players like the respect. Coaches like the consolidation of meaningful, well-balanced information.
The purpose of this month’s Connect with Leaders session is to reinforce the importance of Individual Dialogs for current users, and to provide a quick tutorial for those new to your organization or the Connections process.
I hope you will join us. Click here to register for this webinar.
Jim Cardwell’s January Educational Webinar – “How to Build a Connected Project Management Culture” with guest speaker, Ken Senus, SVP of IT at Navigant CU.
Over the last several months, some interesting innovations have evolved at the $1.2 billion Navigant Credit Union. Ken Senus, the SVP of IT, shared some of Navigant’s innovations as a result of its growth issues – and how they have worked to resolve them.
According to Senus, while using Cardwell’s Connections Online strategy execution tool, the Rhode Island-based credit union solved many of its issues by creating a “connected” project management culture to keep appropriate staff in the loop and projects on track. Growing significantly in the last 15 years from having one branch to nine while blossoming to more than 46,000 members, Navigant’s staff needed to be “connected” to continue growing smart – ensuring projects were completed, and members were served.
Senus explained that the credit union used Connections Online to connect its project management culture by implementing these items:
1. Intranet Resource
2. Dialog Calendar
3. Time Tracking Database
4. Internal Project Management Training
5. Core Value Submissions
6. Budget Process
7. Other Uses for Connections Online
Leveraging its Intranet resource, staff could see and track projects via a project management overview with pertinent links and a risk management reminder. Senus added that after reviewing “hit” statistics for its Intranet as of last week, the credit union had over 100 hits to the project management page in January 2010.
Its dialog calendar has allowed staff to set and review prescheduled organizational and project dialogs.
The time-tracking database, which employs Microsoft’s Access link, is used to track projects. Staff can use a calendar on the credit union’s Intranet to better organize their dialogs for remaining on schedule.
“We had a lot of discussion whether it would be tough for someone who is on a few projects to potentially have multiple dialogs in the same day,” Senus said. “It was decided that this actually works better versus having dialogs throughout the week. This way the teams know when they need to focus on project management and plan accordingly.”
Internal project management training provides tips for a new project manager on how to facilitate interactive and effective dialogs. This item shows managers what they need to do to operate effectively as a project manager, such as being aware of a project’s scope, time, money, and resources. A project dialog can check in on each of these to maintain its integrity.
Core value submissions provide a way for the entire organization to submit stories of encouragement within the credit union. For example, Senus explained that if an employee notices another employee exhibiting the credit union’s set core values, this encouraging story can be discussed at the next dialog meeting to reward positive actions.
The budget process allocates a pool of funds for business line projects forcing project management methodology.
Other uses for Connections Online includes new product implementation – a vehicle to communicate if a new product is applicable or not. And why? This process feeds and prioritizes the task list to sign off on projects.
“We are just approaching our one year anniversary with the Connections Online process,” Senus said. “While it’s hard to quantify the overall benefit and cost savings, I can say we took a more focused approach to the projects we entered in 2009. As a result, we haven’t invested in applications and processes that have not been in-line with our overall strategic objectives – thus concentrating on member-facing initiatives. By completing the business cases and fully ‘specking out’ the projects before moving forward, we have been more disciplined.” To hear a recording of the presentation Click here.
4.0 Tips of the Month
New Reports Update
Go to this link for an overview of the update to new reports: http://www.connectionsonline.net/docs/Update_to_COL_2-8-10.d oc
Using a Project as a Template
Some customers are placing “template projects” under the status of Completed. Create a status called “templates” on the site page at the bottom of the status list. When Users want to create templates, they can set the status as Template for the specific “template project.” Only when chosen for a project will that project be listed on the org or dept page in a category called “templates” (otherwise the status templates won’t show on the page) – then the project template won’t be confused with a project that is completed.
Report a Bug Feature
When on your Connections Online site, at the bottom of the page, click on "Report a Bug". If you are already logged into 16bugs.com, it will take you right to the report a bug site to submit a bug. If not, there is a login box. It is a separate login from your Connections Online account. You are currently required to create an account on the bug site to submit a bug. This allows us to automatically send you e-mail responses whenever your bug is updated, and it allows you to return to the bug site to add comments and edit the bug if needed.
If you do not log in to the bug site, it does appear to just show the same page whenever you attempt to submit a bug, but it will not actually be submitted. You have to create an account and log in to submit a bug.
Completed Tasks on Dialogs Reminder
Completed tasks on dialogs roll forward as completed for one additional dialog meeting (so it can be printed on the dialog to show they are completed) and then they come off for the second up-coming dialog meeting. They can still be seen by opening past dialogs.
Informational Webinar
If you know someone outside of your company who may be interested in learning more about Connections Online, we have an informational webinar scheduled on Tuesday, February 23rd at 1:30 PM EST - Please pass this link on to them to register: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/449033027
Client Care Notes
To view previous Connections Online Newsletters, go to http://www.connectionsonline.net/news and then click on the Newsletters tab for a listing of our past newsletters.
Connections Online Migration
If you have not already done so, and are ready to migrate to 4.0, please contact Karla Norwood at 800.395.1410.
Monthly Calendar of Webinar Events Link:
Go to this link and click on the Events Tab - then choose Calendar of Web Events from the list:
http://www.connectionsonline.net/ShowNews.aspx?id=245
Connections Online
24481 Detroit Road, Suite 300
Cleveland, OH 44145
(440) 892-1410 or (800) 395-1410
www.connectionsonline.net
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