 |
WELCOME TO THE IPFW CORPORATE ADVANTAGE
Here we are in the middle of summer, asking the perennial question, "Where has time gone?" This is a good time to pause for a second from our busy schedules to reflect on what we have accomplished the first half of 2012 and what we hope to accomplish in the coming months.
Bob Gager's article "No Time Like the Present," included below, is worth reading while you're in this frame of mind. Gager takes a look at time management and some steps you can take to master it for both your professional and personal lives. Also included in this issue is an insightful article about "Why Customer Service is More than a Department" by James E. Swope, which evaluates why some businesses are so much better than others at customer service. Lastly, this month's Alumni Insights feature is an interview with Tom Harris whose career has evolved from personnel and human resources to founding his own company to help individuals and companies establish and achieve lifetime of organizational goals.
As always, we hope you find all the information included in this newsletter to be helpful as you explore new ways to use Corporate Training to your advantage. We welcome suggestions for future subject matter; please click here to submit them for consideration.
--Gary Schott, Director of Entrepreneurship & Corporate Training, IPFW Division of Continuing Studies - 260-399-1675 or schottg@ipfw.edu |
 No Time like the Present
By Bob Gager, Instructor-IPFW Leadership Development Series |
 Time management can be one of the most challenging topics for a leader, whether you are a front-line production manager, an executive leader of an organization, or a parent juggling the responsibilities of raising a family. Perceptions of time and life-balance to a great degree influence feelings of job satisfaction, have real impact on personal productivity, and reinforce future behavior of both leader and follower. By being present and connecting with others in a meaningful way, you create opportunities to build a high-performing team ready to support and execute your vision for the future.
In this insightful article, the author discusses the importance of setting priorities, delegating responsibilities and leading by guiding.
Read the entire article |
|
Why Customer Service is More than a Department
By James E. Swope, President, Build Grow Prosper, LLC | |
 As a consumer, wouldn't you love it if the managers of every business you visited considered themselves to be the Chief Customer Service Officer? Do you have more bad buying experiences than good buying experiences? In today's marketplace, quality and competitive pricing are usually assumed. An attitude of service is both unique and provides a competitive advantage.
This article addresses why some businesses are so much better than others at customer service, including recognition that the "customer" is often more than just one person within an organization and that "the best use of metrics relative to customer service is to make sure your metrics do not interfere with great customer service."
Read the entire article |
|
IPFW Alumni Insights
This series features alumni of Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) as they share their insight on a variety of topics related to business and organizational growth. We thank IPFW Alumni Relations for helping us identify community leaders for this column.
Interview with Tom Harris, Founder & President of Life Planners, Inc. and Member of the Allen County Council By Mary Popovich for Corporate Advantage
 IPFW alumnus Tom Harris has worked as a human resources professional for more than 24 years while achieving a variety of professional certifications in the HR field. He holds two degrees from IPFW:an Associate's Degree in Supervision, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Personnel. He also holds a Master of Science degree in psychology from the University of Saint Francis and is currently pursuing an MBA. Harris's most recent HR leadership positions were with Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., Aeroquip, Eaton, and Parker-Hannifin.
In 2002, he founded Life Planners, Inc. (LPI), a training and development company that helps individuals and companies establish and achieve lifetime of organizational goals. Along with starting and operating this business, he plans to continue his career in the field of human resources, providing HR consulting through Harris Human Resources Group, Inc., a new venture that he is pursuing. For the past 18 months, Harris has also served as a member of the Allen County Council after being elected in 2010 to represent residents of the county's Second District.
The council represents more than 300,000 county citizens by reviewing and approving an annual budget of approximately $90 million.
Read the Interview |
|
About IPFW Corporate Advantage
Providing Corporate Advantages Through Tailored Training | |
In need of training to elevate your company to the next level of excellence or teach your employees specific skills needed for future growth expectations? IPFW's Corporate Training specializes in providing your company with a competitive advantage through training specifically tailored to your needs. Unlike other "cookie-cutter" or "one-for-all" training programs that attempt to fit your needs into their existing courses, we conduct a thorough needs analysis and custom-design a program specifically for you. We provide training at your site or ours, carefully choose the right instructor from our vast network of community experts, and customize the training manual and hands-on instruction for your unique needs. What's more, we can schedule the training on your timeline, when it's least likely to impact operational and production goals.
Learn more about IPFW's Corporate Training and the many training opportunities, or contact Gary Schott at 260-399-1675 or via e-mail at schottg@ipfw.edu. |
|
|
|
|
| In This Issue | |
Why Customer Service is More than a Department
|
| | | |
IPFW would like to thank the following companies for choosing us as a corporate training partner since 2009.
Alconex
Allen County Public Library
Allen County Government
AutoForm Tool
Biomet
DRG
Fort Wayne Metals
Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority
Indiana Physical Therapy
ITT
Jostens
Kraft Foods
Kosciusko County Community Foundation
LD Commodities
Lincoln Financial Group
Maple Leaf Farms
Multimatic
NIDIA
Pretzels
Paragon Medical
POET
Raytheon
STI
Summit Brands
Superior Essex
Symmetry Medical
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions
USSI
TRIN
Wieland Designs
Zimmer
Look for features on our customers in future issues |
|
|
