After all, you can’t just forever sit at your desk waiting for the phone to ring. You have to fish for clients and haul them into your territory. A constant and fresh client base supplies you with a steady and profitable sales prospects.

Let’s face it; real estate business inevitably operates in peaks-and-valleys mode. Not every day is a feast; there are lean, no-sale days that could last for months, making you wish you held a more regular and stable office job instead. It seems that’s what real estate is all about: a gamble. But not necessarily so.

Fish for Real Estate Clients then!

As already said, don’t rely on people coming to you. Go out there and meet everyone. Your neighbourhood baker, the guy at the shoe store, the lady across you at the cafe, parents of your kid’s schoolmates, your gardener, your friend’s cousin’s friend’s father’s friend’s uncle. You get the picture. Make everyone count because in the real estate world, everyone out there is a potential client.

Business Cards Still and Do Work.

Yes, people do read business cards that gets thrown their way, and they sometimes even pick those just lying on the ground. Invest on a set of nicely printed business cards and hand them out or leave them where people can take them. Parties, restaurants, supermarket check-out counter, gas stations, public restrooms, the list could go on forever.

Wear a Name Tag.

That states your name and that you are a real estate agent. People will no doubt notice you. And even if selling their home is the farthest thing on their mind, just a pleasant chat with them can lead you to unexpected prospective clients they might refer you to.

Blog!

If you still haven’t caught up on the blogging bug, then now is the perfect time. Don’t worry, you don’t have to get stuck writing online real estate blog entries exclusively. Post anything you want, but with professionalism. You’ll be amazed that at the same time you’re writing journal entries as self-expression, you’ll also be getting readers who could be good friends and potential clients too.

Free T-shirts.

Have T-shirts printed with your company’s logo and contact details, and give them out to friends and family members who are willing to parade in them in public. Make sure your real estate shirts are cool to wear, otherwise your free advertising defeats its purpose.

Be an Online Real Estate Agent.

Aside from your blog, hundreds of free online classifieds are out there. You simply must list your stock of real estate properties there if you want faster and more accessible advertising for you. The more you join, the more visibility you get. Nowadays, almost everything is done online. Real estate is no exception.

Solution: Your credit score may be low but you can still apply for the refinance. However, under Texas A6 law, you can take out a refinance loan for up to 80% loan to value ratio.
Considering that you have a low FICO score, you can go for a Texas Mortgage conforming loan (that which stays within the limit stated by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac). Such loans are not score driven and as such you may get the same interest rate at an 800 score as in a 600 score.

Besides checking your score, lenders also consider the down payment, cash reserves, and the housing and debt-to-income ratios. It is true that they require you to have a minimum credit score but when it comes to conforming loans, lenders do not disapprove loans just because your score is low. However, bank statements are not enough to help you qualify for conforming loans. You will need to submit the pay stub for the past 1 month, W-2 forms for the past 2 years and other documents as required by the lender.

Generally, most people have the idea that a low score would require them to pay a higher interest rate and therefore they stay away from applying for a mortgage. But lenders providing conforming loans do not decide upon the interest rate based upon your credit score only. Instead, they may require you to pay a certain amount of charge known as Risk Based Pricing depending upon your entire credit profile and not merely your score. However, you may try out various other options such as FHA insured loans, programs offered by the ACORN and the NACA.

Nokia N95 has dual slider mechanism. On one side it reveals alphanumeric keypads, and the other it reveals media player controls. The keys have a good tactile feedback and it is very user-friendly. On the front fascia, a high resolution screen dominates. The screen is gorgeous and one can also change the theme of the home screen, backlight time, and size of the font in the display. The contours of the handset is comfortable and so is the colour scheme.

Being a 3G smartphone, the Nokia N95 effectively accommodates all the personal and professional requirements. It has USB, Bluetooth, Infrared, Wi-Fi, UPnP, GSM, WCDMA, HSDPA , WLAN and many other useful features. One of the most appreciated feature in Nokia N95 is the GPS. This feature is highly effective for the professionals who are always roaming in different parts of the world. In this GPS feature, the users get the benefit of turn by turn voice instructions to find the correct route and location.

In terms of entertainment, the Nokia N95 is enabled with many contemporary features. It has 5 MP of camera, with Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens. The camera clicks good photo and has seven shooting modes and five quality setting. Further, there are options for adjusting the brightness, contrast, white balance, color tone, ISO light sensitivity etc of the image. These feature surely make the Nokia N95 versatile and also more impressive.

Nokia N95 measures 99 x 53 x 21 mm and weighs 120 g only.

mobile phones pay as you go mobile phones Nokia N95

How much homeowners insurance do I need?

You need enough homeowners insurance to cover the cost of rebuilding your home if it’s destroyed. You can determine this cost by calling a builder or a real estate agent to get the local building cost per square foot. Multiply this figure by your home’s square footage to get the amount of structural coverage you need.

In addition to structural coverage you need insurance to replace your personal possessions if they’re damaged or stolen. Most homeowners policies give you coverage for your personal possessions equal to 50% to 70% of the amount of your structural coverage. If your possessions are worth more than that you can ask your insurance agent to add more coverage.

You also need enough insurance to pay for a bodily injury or a property damage lawsuit when you’re found to be at fault. Most homeowners insurance policies provide a minimum of $100,000 worth of liability insurance. But due to the rise in personal injury lawsuits, purchasing at least $300,000 to $500,000 gives you better protection.

Lastly, you need insurance to pay for your living expenses if your home becomes uninhabitable due to a fire, storm, or other disasters. Most policies cover you for an amount equal to 20% of your structural coverage.

Where can I get the best rate with a reliable company?

Because homeowners insurance can vary by $1,000 or more from one company to the next, the first thing you need to do is to comparison shop.

There are insurance comparison websites that give you homeowners insurance quotes from a number of A-rated companies. Get at least three quotes then compare them to get the best one.

Some of these sites even offer a free online chat service and a toll-free telephone service so you can get answers to any insurance questions you may have. (See link below.)

To reduce the cost of your homeowners insurance you can raise your deductible. This is the amount you have to pay before your insurance company will pay a claim. The higher your deductible, the lower your insurance premiums.

Also, ask you agent for every discount you’re entitled to. Most companies give discounts for having both your car and your homeowners insurance with them, for having safety and security features installed in your home, and for a number of other reasons.

Visit http://www.LowerRateQuotes.com/homeowners-insurance.html or click on the following link to get low cost homeowners insurance quotes from top-rated insurance companies and see how much you can save. You can get more insurance tips in their Articles section.

The author, Brian Stevens, is a former insurance agent and financial consultant who has written a number of articles on low cost homeowners insurance.

The Neanderthals disappeared completely from this world some 30,000 – 40,000 years ago. The Cro-Magnon probably came in contact with the Neanderthals, and is often credited to have caused or finalized the latter’s extinction. To what extent Cro-Magnons interbred with Neanderthals – if at all – is still a matter of debate and we came out with some controversial argument.

The Cro-Magnons could be descended from any number of subspecies of Homo sapiens that emerged from Africa approximately 100,000 years ago. The Cro-Magnons were the earliest modern humans to enter into Europe perhaps around 50,000 years ago, during a long interglacial period of particularly mild climate, when Europe was relatively warm, and food was plentiful.

Some of the oldest works of art in the world, such as the cave paintings at Lascaux in southern France came into our discussion which were as old as shortly after the Cro-Magnons’ migration. These early humans used manganese and iron oxides to paint pictures and even they were believed to have created the first calendar around 34,000 years ago. The Cro-Magnons even knew how to make woven clothing and constructed huts out of rocks, clay, bones, branches and animal fur. The last ice age plunged Europe into a much colder and harsher environment, and covered much of the north of it with inhospitable glaciers. As the glaciers began to retreat, about 20,000 years ago, humans migrated northward again. It was this Mesolithic population, the descendants of Cro-Magnons who were dwelling in Europe around 7000 BC when the Neolithic people first began to enter there from the Asiatic portion of today’s Turkey.

If the Neolithic immigrants to Europe were indeed Indo-European, then populations speaking non-Indo-European languages in today’s Europe the Basques of the Pyrenees are the descendants of Mesolithic people since their language is related to none other in the world and also the Basque population has a unique genetic profile. The Uralic speaking peoples, the Finns and others represent this Mesolithic generation.

The other current non-Indo-European languages of Europe – Turkish, Maltese, and Magyar – were introduced in pre-historical times.

Our discussion went back into the Neolithic European lifestyle in between the Mesolithic and Bronze Age periods in Europe, roughly from 7000 BC to 1700 BC. The Neolithic Europeans were living in small-scale, family-based communities, subsisting on domestic plants and animals supplemented with the collection of wild plant foods and with hunting, and producing hand-made pottery, that is, made without the potter’s wheel.

There were some Neolithic Europeans in southeastern Europe living in heavily fortified settlements of 3,000-4,000 people in Greece whereas in England there were 50-100 people together as highly mobile cattle-herders.

The Neolithic European peoples were warlike, and they imposed themselves as an elite on the Mesolithic populations, who adopted their language.

The Neolithic Proto-Indo-Europeans were a patrilineal society. They had domesticated the horse and the cow which played a central role, in religion and mythology as well as in daily life. A man’s wealth would have been measured by the number of his animals.

They practised a polytheistic religion centered on sacrificial rites, probably administered by a priestly caste. Important leaders would have been buried with their belongings, and possibly also with members of their household or wives under the human sacrifice called Suttee.

Origin: Who you are

A map has a starting point. Your origin is who you are right now. Most people when asked to introduce themselves would say, “Hi, I’m Jean and I am a 17-year old, senior highschool student.” It does not tell you about who Jean is; it only tells you her present preoccupation. To gain insights about yourself, you need to look closely at your beliefs, values, and principles aside from your economic, professional, cultural, and civil status. Moreover, you can also reflect on your experiences to give you insights on your good and not-so-good traits, skills, knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses. Upon introspection, Jean realized that she was highly motivated, generous, service-oriented, but impatient. Her inclination was in the biological-medical field. Furthermore, she believed that life must serve a purpose, and that wars were destructive to human dignity.

Destination: A vision of who you want to be

“Who do want to be?” this is your vision this also your dream. Now it is important that you know yourself so that you would have a clearer idea of who you want to be; and the things you want to change whether they are attitudes, habits, or points of view. If you hardly know yourself, then your vision and targets for the future would also be unclear. Your destination should cover all the aspects of your being: the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Continuing Jean’s story, after she defined her beliefs, values, and principles in life, she decided that she wanted to have a life dedicated in serving her fellowmen.

Vehicle: Your Mission

A vehicle is the means by which you can reach your destination. It can be analogized to your mission or vocation in life. To a great extent, your mission would depend on what you know about yourself. Bases on Jean’s self-assessment, she decided that she was suited to become a doctor, and that she wanted to become one. Her chosen vocation was a medical doctor. Describing her vision-mission fully: it was to live a life dedicated to serving her fellowmen as a doctor in conflict-areas.

Travel Bag: Your knowledge, skills, and attitude (What you bring to the table)

Food, drinks, medicines, and other travelling necessities are contained in a bag. Applying this concept to your life map, you also bring with you certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These determine your competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there is a need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you have at present and what you need to gain along the way. This two-fold assessment will give you insights on your landmarks or measures of success. Jean realized that she needed to gain professional knowledge and skills on medicine so that she could become a doctor. She knew that she was a bit impatient with people so she realized that this was something she wanted to change.

Landmarks and Route: S.M.A.R.T. objectives

Landmarks confirm if you are on the right track while the route determines the travel time. Thus, in planning out your life, you also need to have landmarks and a route. These landmarks are your measures of success. These measures must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. Thus you cannot set two major landmarks such as earning a master’s degree and a doctorate degree within a period of three years, since the minimum number of years to complete a master’s degree is two years. Going back to Jean as an example, she identified the following landmarks in her life map: completing a bachelor’s degree in biology by the age of 21; completing medicine by the age of 27; earning her specialization in infectious diseases by the age of 30; getting deployed in local public hospitals of their town by the age of 32; and serving as doctor in war-torn areas by the age of 35.

Anticipate Turns, Detours, and Potholes

The purpose of your life map is to minimize hasty and spur-of-the-moment decisions that can make you lose your way. But oftentimes our plans are modified along the way due to some inconveniences, delays, and other situations beyond our control. Like in any path, there are turns, detours, and potholes thus; we must anticipate them and adjust accordingly.

Until next time, keep reaching for your fullest potential!

The medal was presented by the Federal Government to mark the Centenary of Federation for people who had made a signifi cant contribution to the community and their field of endeavour.

Brian received his award, the Centenary of Federation medal for his services to electrical contracting and to the community. Brian grew up in Fairfi eld and has been a prominent business identity for more than three decades. “I have employed many local tradesmen and professional staff, and we have been pleased to train numerous apprentices and support a number of engineering undergraduates through university,” says Brian. He has also been involved in various community organisations including the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary. In 2000, local MP, Janice Crosio, appointed Brian as the chairman of the Prospect Electorate Federation Committee.

The Committee which assessed various community applications for Federal Government funds.

For many “rehabbers”, punch number one was the misfortune of following the trends for one month too many. The result was basically paying too much for their rehab property without realizing it at the time.

The second punch, for many the knockout, came when they could not refinance their property with the same lenders they had been using for years.

Of course this involves complex issues. One of the issues was with the professional property appraisal.

Typical rehab real estate financing works like this. The buyer/investor researches properties that will provide a satisfactory profit after buying and fixing up the property at a cost no greater than 70% of the After Repaired Value, (ARV).

The ARV is determined by an appraisal that is done before any funds are dispersed by the lender. This process confirms several important things. Which repairs are to be done to maximize the value appreciation of the property? What is the total cost for the projected repairs? What will the value of the property be after the repairs are completed? Finally, what loan to value, L-T-V, ratio will the lender authorize for the investment?

Processes closely resembling that system have been used successfully for years, that is until 2006. Beginning in 2006, many lenders typically involved in rehab refinance made a critical change in the system.

The appraisal used to determine the value of the completed rehab property was frequently ignored or disallowed. This change in procedure was implemented without warning to the investor or their rehab lender. The results of this unilateral change in procedure is an unfortunate series of “falling dominoes” throughout the real estate financing marketplace.

For example, investors that could not get their properties refinanced were frequently forced into foreclosure. Too many investors also made the mistake of filing for bankruptcy in an attempt to delay the foreclosures. That created a “double whammy” they really did not need.

What happened to the private and hard money lenders that funded the investor’s rehab deals? It depends on the situation. In some cases the properties were completed as planned and the typical options were pursued. There was foreclosure, property sale at auction; Real Estate Owned, (REO) and re-sale, or some other acceptable alternative for the conversion of the property into a performing asset. Everything worked out OK.

There were also some cases when the work was not completed as planned. Instead of a nicely completed rehab, there were many instances where the work was poorly done, or not done at all. In cases like that someone often got creative with the rehab funds and made some really bad decisions. These were the kinds of decisions that resulted in significant value reductions to the property.

It should also be obvious that some of the really bad results were caused by selfish and greedy hucksters, liars, cheaters and serious fraud artists.

The responses to these conditions led to circumstances where the lenders were sometimes only willing to refinance properties for about the amount the investor had invested! They got no credit for the rehab at all.

That left the investor with principal and interest payments due to their lender that were greater than the amount he or she could get in refinance funding. Even with the required second appraisal that estimated the property values after the repairs, in many cases the appraisal was completely ignored.

I maintain that behavior like this is an affront to the profession of property appraisers, and to private and hard money lenders. While it is true that property values can be influenced by many factors, appraisers provide a necessary and valuable service to the real estate industry.

There is a very special relationship between the first and the second appraisal.

The first appraisal provides a conditional value, based on specified improvements being made. Repairs and other considerations are spelled out as conditions to be met for the estimated value recorded as the ARV.

The second appraisal confirms whether the conditions described in the first appraisal have been satisfied. They are supposed to work hand in hand. When their relationship is affected the way it has been for the past year, it creates problems that should never exist, and makes real estate financing difficult if not impossible through traditional channels.

At last count more than sixty of the so-called sub-prime lenders that were directly involved in the kinds of transactions described here are out of business or have suspended their sub-prime lending operations.

The point of this article is to make you aware that alternatives do exist for real estate financing that are “outside the box” of prime and sub-prime lenders. You can actually take control of the funding for your property sale. You can structure the financing so there is only one appraisal required. It is essential for our purposes.

You can fund your buyer and get your cash at closing in many cases. The solution to the problems described above is the new application of a very old and dear friend. Say hello to the new and improved seller financing, where no banks are needed when you sell or buy.

Copyright 2007 TDO Properties, LLC All Rights Reserved

This article may be distributed and used for web site content as long as the text and links remain in tact.

For one thing, it isn’t easy to change behavior patterns, because they’ve been ingrained over time. To correct performance issues, new behaviors have to be introduced and consistently reinforced over the long term. This means following up programs with enough continued learning, feedback, coaching and accountability to stimulate the growth of new neuronal connections that eventually take the place of old ones.

Unaware of this reality, organizations have wasted billions of dollars annually investing in learning programs that fail to change behavior.

The greater challenge of the quest for this “Holy Grail” is that the solution doesn’t involve fixing just one thing. A myriad of variables within an organization influence whether learning is reinforced until new behavior patterns are established. A process I call Train-to-Ingrain was designed to achieve permanent, measurable improvements in performance by optimizing aspects of training and development that impact on learning transfer:

- COMMITMENT – Support follow-up reinforcement

- COACHING – Prepare direct managers for their development role

- FOLLOW-UP – Integrate reinforcement programs with assessment and training programs

- ACCOUNTABILITY – Measure performance improvement and calculate ROI

- TRAINING FOR TRANSFER – Incorporate learning strategies that promote application and reinforcement of skills

- LEARNING NETWORKS – Coordinate support for reinforcement

- FOCUS – Identify training needs that will have a positive impact on business results

- CULTURE – Align the organization’s policies and practices to support performance improvement

However, even decision-makers who’ve been burned repeatedly by failed programs may find this systems-wide strategy daunting. A predictable reaction: “This is too much.”

The good news is that it’s neither necessary nor desirable to try to improve all areas at once. The best approach is to get positive results quickly by doing three things, which can be accomplished in a very short period of time:

1. Acquire integrated assessment and training technologies that support ongoing skill reinforcement.

2. Involve direct managers in the learning process. Define their staff development responsibilities and hold them accountable.

3. Measure performance improvement. Assess skill areas before and after instruction to establish developmental goals and accountability.

These actions will produce immediate successes, and your organization can then build on this foundation with a gradual, tailored strategy to optimize the key areas that influence learning transfer. The purpose of this article is to explain how to carry out these three “quick start” initiatives effectively.

QUICK START INITIATIVE #1: Acquire Integrated Assessment and Training Technologies that Support Ongoing Skill Reinforcement

The immediate goal is to dramatically improve–in the near term–the ability of your developmental programs to create lasting improvements in workplace performance. As a minimum, your organization will need to put into place assessment and training programs that:

- Focus on the behaviors needed in the workplace

- Are compatible and integrated with each other

- Support ongoing feedback, continued learning, coaching and accountability during reinforcement

Laying the foundation for this technology infrastructure is relatively simple:

FIRST – Acquire a versatile, economical multi-source feedback system.

A robust performance feedback assessment system is absolutely essential, in which learners get feedback from the people who work with them. For assessing leadership, sales, service, team and other interpersonal skill areas, 20/20 Insight GOLD is an ideal choice for Train-to-Ingrain because it provides quantitative assessment of areas of performance that are otherwise hard to measure. The system is completely customizable and can support any type of feedback survey, so it can be integrated with practically any training program. It’s economical enough to be used as often as needed for reinforcement, because you can purchase relatively inexpensive permanent individual licenses, permitting frequent feedback and repeat measurements at no extra cost.

NEXT – Acquire a training program with resources that support an extended period of reinforcement.

Ideally, the training program will have built-in reinforcement resources. Other desirable tools are online video behavior modeling, post-course exercises and a troubleshooting guide to ensure successful application on the job.

THEN – Integrate the assessment with the training program.

Integration means that the performance feedback survey exactly describes the behavioral outcomes of the training. Both the assessment system and the courses should be behavior-based, fully support the requirements of an ongoing process of reinforcement, and be fully integrated with each other. A versatile feedback survey platform such as 20/20 Insight GOLD is the key to quick customization.

QUICK START INITIATIVE #2: Involve Direct Managers in the Learning Process

At least four major factors affect individual performance:

- Self-awareness – Competence – Motivation – Support

Managers are empowered to influence all these factors, and they lead people by doing so. When focused on developing competence, managers set an example, communicate expectations, demonstrate desired performance, give feedback, and coach performance. Most organizations expect their managers to fulfill these traditional staff development responsibilities. However, some managers still have the perception that performance improvement should be the exclusive responsibility of the training department. This is an erroneous mindset.

Trainers work hard to present the best possible learning programs. But they have the attention of learners for only a few days, while managers interact with their team members for years and can influence career advancement and other personnel decisions. This is why WHAT DIRECT MANAGERS DO IN THE WORKPLACE INFLUENCES INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE FAR MORE than what trainers do in the classroom. The role of trainers is to introduce skills and behavior models. The reality is that trainers have practically no control over what happens back in the workplace, where new skills must be diligently applied in order to be ingrained.

Changing behavior patterns takes months, not days–even in ideal circumstances. Only the learner’s direct manager is in a position to give enough support, oversight, encouragement, feedback, coaching and reinforcement over the long term to change behavior. In most cases, how well the manager carries out this role will make or break the transfer of new knowledge into permanent improvements in workplace performance–no matter how much was invested in the learning programs.

Up front, you’ll need to do three things to draw direct managers into a “learning triangle” with their direct reports and trainers:

A. Clarify the direct managers’ developmental responsibilities.

The purpose of this step is to require direct managers to coach and develop direct reports–to make this a formal aspect of their responsibilities. Expectations such as the following should be communicated in writing by upper-level management:

- Communicate with trainers to be informed about and support assessment, learning and reinforcement programs

- Meet with direct reports before each assessment, training and reinforcement initiative to help them prepare to make the most of these learning opportunities

- Define expectations for direct reports and help them set learning goals

- Frequently observe the work of direct reports, paying special attention to aspects of performance that direct reports are trying to improve

Some organizations revise the job description; others issue a new set of “competency descriptions.” The goal is to overcome any uncertainty or reluctance direct managers may have.

B. Prepare direct managers to be more effective performance coaches.

Coaching subordinates to improve their skills and job performance is a traditional leadership role for managers. But many managers simply aren’t prepared to carry it out effectively. If your managers haven’t previously been expected to take responsibility for the day-to-day development of their direct reports, they may lack understanding, relevant skills and confidence.

The most effective immediate solution in this case is a program that explains what managers need to do and how to do it before, during and after training to reinforce the new skills of subordinates. Consistent efforts by the manager ensure that direct reports ultimately change behavior patterns and improve performance. An excellent resource is John Whitmore’s how-to book, COACHING FOR PERFORMANCE, 3rd Ed. (Nicholas Brealy, 2002).

C. Hold managers accountable for carrying out their role as performance coaches.

First, inform managers that they–and the learners themselves–will be held accountable for how much the direct reports have improved performance.

One effective way to establish accountability is to administer the brief 15-item performance feedback survey, “Developing and Coaching Others,” available in the 20/20 Insight Survey Library. The survey is an ideal precursor for a manager’s coaching course and can be administered using the 20/20 Insight software before training. Direct reports will provide respondent feedback, and the results will reveal areas of strength and needs for improvement of the direct manager. Let managers know that they’ll be given an identical follow-up assessment in six to twelve months to measure improvement.

QUICK START INITIATIVE #3: Measure Performance Improvement

When executives invest heavily in any product or service to improve a vital aspect of operations, productivity or profitability, you’d expect at some point to hear the question, “Has performance actually improved? Was it worth all that money?” And what they’re asking for is proof of results–not somebody’s opinion about the program.

When it comes to training, the traditional way of evaluating impact is Donald L. Kirkpatrick’s four-level model (Donald L. and James D. Kirkpatrick. TRANSFERRING LEARNING TO BEHAVIOR, Berrett-Koehler, 2005), which recommends measuring four types of outcomes.

Level 1 focuses on REACTION – participants’ satisfaction with the program. End-of-course evaluations serve this purpose. Level 2 focuses on KNOWLEDGE – what participants learned in the course. Trainers administer knowledge tests that focus on concepts and principles related to course content–very much like the exams used in high school and college. While these evaluations can help trainers improve their programs, they fall short of showing whether the training actually improved workplace performance.

By contrast, Level 3 evaluations focus on BEHAVIOR. They address the transfer of training–whether people are routinely performing in the workplace the skills they learned in the classroom. While this kind of evaluation can demonstrate whether a program has done its job, most organizations haven’t settled on an effective solution.

However, there is a simple, economical method for generating performance improvement data.

BEFORE TRAINING – Administer a pre-course assessment.

The feedback surveys used in a typical Train-to-Ingrain process are perhaps the most effective technique ever devised for measuring improvements in on-the-job performance. The procedure is simple. Set up a multi-source feedback survey consisting of questions that describe the behaviors taught in training. Administer the survey before training to gather feedback from participants’ boss, coworkers and others. Let participants know that the survey will be administered again several months after training. This pre-course diagnostic helps participants set quantified, behavior-based performance improvement goals, so their minds are more focused during learning activities. Knowing that follow-up measurements will be taken later increases their attention and motivation as they work with trainers–the ideal mindset for learning.

AFTER TRAINING – Administer a post-course assessment.

About six months after training, administer the first follow-up feedback survey, using the same respondent group. Since post-course assessments are derived from the pre-course assessment, scores may be easily compared. Improved scores will confirm improved performance. The quantitative and qualitative data will reveal whether areas of performance have improved. Learners and direct managers will find out whether ongoing reinforcement has had the desired effect. For continued feedback and measures of performance improvement, repeat the assessment at the twelve-month and eighteen-month marks.

This simple, commonsense approach to measuring performance improvement requires a technology that can support it: a fully customizable multi-source feedback survey system. Assessment items need to be tailored to exactly mirror the desired behaviors taught in the training program. In other words, assessment and training need to be integrated. Also, the assessment system should have inexpensive unlimited assessment licenses for each participant, which makes it possible to give them all the feedback they’ll need after training without additional expense. The 20/20 Insight onsite feedback platform meets these requirements and is extremely easy to use.

FINALLY – Hold the key players accountable.

Measuring performance improvement provides hard evidence of whether programs are changing behavior, making it possible to hold the key players in the “learning triangle” accountable:

- The learner, who must make a determined effort to change behavior patterns during the lengthy and sometimes frustrating period of reinforcement

- The direct manager, who observes and coaches the subordinate while providing opportunities to apply skills in an encouraging environment

- Trainers, who present behavior-based training that is optimized for skill transfer and who coordinate follow-up programs

Implementing these three simple, straightforward initiatives will profoundly improve the effectiveness of your training and development programs. As you learn more about Train-to-Ingrain, you’ll appreciate that getting started quickly is only the beginning. To achieve maximum results, you’ll need to implement more changes. Going forward, you can build on the foundation of these early successes to optimize learning support in all areas.

Copyright © 2007, Performance Support Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

• Where do we start?
• How much time do we have?
• How much is it going to cost?
• Where will we go?
• How long should we go for?

If you are planning an extended trip in a caravan, you need to add to this list:

• What kind of van do we need?
• Is the car up to the job?
• Have we got the right towing equipment?
• What do we need to pack to be self-sufficient?
• How do we choose a caravan park that is right for us?
• What are the issues in terms of safe driving while towing?

There are too many questions to provide all the answers here. I will be adding over 20 more pages of articles on this site, so if you are interested in planning a caravan holiday, remember this site will have all the answers or visit our website (link below).

The pages I will have are:

• 1 Planning Your Caravan Holiday (where to start)
• 2 Choosing a Caravan (choosing the right unit, types of units)
• 3 Buying a Caravan, Campervan or Motorhome
• 4 Towing Vehicle (size and towing capacity, off-road vehicles, transmission, tools and spares, towing equipment and modifications, towing equipment, towing limits, weight distribution)
• 5 Towing Vehicle Modifications (brakes, cooking system, suspension, mirrors)
• 6 Caravan Layout and Fixtures (beds, showers, toilets)
• 7 Understanding your Caravan (servicing, power supply, refrigeration, gas supply, lifestyle extras, blocks and chocks)
• 8 Planning Your Trip (when to travel, weather, school and public holidays, local events, finding your way, GPS, maps and guides, visitor information centres, permits, Aboriginal land, National Parks, private land)
• 9 Insurance and Roadside Assistance (how much is peace of mind worth?)
• 10 Money Matters (budgets, banking and bills, credit and EFTPOS, cash)
• 11 Communications (e-mail, post, phones, CB radio)
• 12 What to Pack (food, cooking equipment, clothing)
• 13 Pack Useful Items (non-essential, but must have’s)
• 14 Caravan Health and Safety (first-aid kit)
• 15 Safe Towing (regulations, towing skills)
• 16 Travel Times and Fuel (how long do you want to drive in a day?)
• 17 Safe Driving and Road Rules (road rules, concentration, fatigue)
• 18 Daily Checks and Chores (checklist, tyre pressure)
• 19 Choosing a Caravan Park (choosing a caravan park, bush camping)
• 20 Arrive at Campsite (checklist)
• 21 Camping Etiquette (checklist, living closely with others)
• 22 Avoid Danger (personal safety, dangerous creatures)
• 23 Survival in the Bush (checklist, how to survive)

Check our website for the answers to all these questions – plus more www.crikey-adventure-tours.com/caravan-holiday.html to ensure that you have the best caravan holiday possible.

The information is relative to a caravan holiday in Australia; however, just about all of it is also world-wide applicable.