Center for Business & Industry at John A. Logan College

The Center for Business and Industry can customize a variety of supervisory and management courses that can help you improve the skills of your employees. The following are examples of courses that have been provided. For more information contact Dennis White at the Center for Business and Industry.

The Center for Business and Industry can customize a variety of topics that can help improve the skills of your management personnel. These flexible programs can be held onsite or at our campus and will be offered at times that will fit your schedule. The following is a sample list of courses available:

Basic Management Principles
Description: The first half of this course is designed for the manager who has had no formal education in management training and for the manager who needs a quick review. The student will develop an awareness of the basic core principles of management which will enable managing for results through key management actions.

The second half of the course deals with affecting changes. You can’t stop change, but you can learn how to handle it. With the increasing number of changes being forced upon us by technology and the information age, the knowledge and skill of how to bring about change without a corresponding upheaval of the workforce is fast becoming the most valuable skills a manager/supervisor can have. This course is designed to provide you with the understanding of the change process and the necessary skills you will need to manage people and yourself while staying in control.

Supervisory Techniques Of Management
Description: Every day, someone is promoted to the level of supervisor and is expected to make a change in job duties with little help or guidance. The course is designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills required to become a successful supervisor. It specifically addresses the following areas: personal skills, interpersonal skills, technical skills, and administrative skills.

The second half of the course is designed for the person who doesn’t understand the importance of delegating or who doesn’t understand the proper methods of delegating. If you don’t have enough hours in the day, can’t say no, or believe that you have to do everything if it is to be done right, then this course is the course for you. You willlearn why and how to effectively delegate to lighten your workload. If your day is similar to “herding squirrels,” you might be in need of this course.

Motivation Techniques And Coping With Difficult People
Description: This course is for any person dealing with people in a supervisory role, which will include managers, supervisors, executives, and professionals who want to maximize their impact on others. The class will cover the difference between being motivated and “just doing the job.”

It is also designed to assist people who deal with difficult and upset customers and clients. Learn how to get them to remain calm, to determine the cause of the problem, to solve the problem, and to retain the customer for the company.

Effective Meeting Skills
Description: Some meetings are necessary. Some meetings are not necessary. However, the fact is that the number of meetings is increasing. This course is designed to help you decide if you really need a meeting and to improve the quality of your meetings. It will help you plan and conduct your meetings in an orderly fashion to achieve your objectives within a reasonable amount of time.

The Team Approach For Managers
Description: The course is designed to enable the manager to turn his/her work group into a truly functioning team. Team building helps a group function as a unit. It fosters morale, trust, cohesiveness, communication, and productivity.

Project Management
Description: This course is designed to give you the skills needed to design a project and carry it through all of the stages from inception to completion. You will learn the techniques of how to plan, schedule, budget, and stay in control of your project. Having an understanding of good project skills is important to your career, regardless of your position.

Organizational Goal Setting And Planning
Description: This is an introduction to several important ideas about organizational goal setting and planning. This course is designed to provide you with the knowledge and tools to help you become a better organizational planner. If you are considering an entrepreneurial adventure as a new business owner, then this course will help you develop your own business plan. You’ll be able to decide for yourself if the benefits of entrepreneurship are worth pursuing. With your new idea in mind, you’ll develop a business plan that takes into consideration the legal structure, financing, and basic tactics of your new company.

The second half of the course is designed for the person who is interested in becoming a better organizational planner within an existing operation. During this portion of the course, you will develop a mission statement that fits the needs of the organization. You’ll spell out to employees and potential clients the important characteristics of the company through the mission statement. After developing the mission statement, you will learn how to set goals and plan for their accomplishment.

Project Management
Description: Businesses face increasingly complex challenges. Project management techniques are one part of a solution to adapt and prosper. Project management is not only for scientists and engineers, but it is also a discipline for business. This course will introduce you to the proven techniques and advantages of project management. These techniques can be applied to make you more productive and successful in meeting your goals and objectives. This course will demystify the secrets behind successful project management and make the practical tools and techniques available to you. You’ll be taken step-by-step through the fundamentals of planning, scheduling, tracking, and controlling the costs and resources of any project.

Managing Diverse Employees
Description: This course introduces the topic of diversity, its causes, and consequences. Ways to deal with work force diversity are discussed, and organizational responses to diversity are explored. The negative consequences of ignoring diversity in today’s world are identified, and the benefits of successfully maintaining a diverse work force are discussed.

Today organizations recognize that everyone is not the same and that the differences people bring to the workplace are valuable. Rather than expecting all employees to adopt similar attitudes and values, companies are learning that these differences enable them to compete globally and to acquire rich sources of new talent.

Office Management
Description: This course is about management principles applied effectively to office situations. Topics include how to plan, organize, and establish controls for better results. In addition, an update on office automation, ergonomics, staffing, budgeting, and records retention will be provided. This session is for every office professional responsible for the overall office administration.

EEO Compliance, ADA, And Family Leave Act
Description: Equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws require your supervisors to make employment decisions without discriminating on the basis of race, sex, national origin, religion, or disability. Their compliance with these laws helps keep your company out of court. It also strengthens your organization and creates in your workplace an atmosphere free of the damaging effects of discrimination. When your supervisors respect and appreciate the differences among people and capitalize on the diversity in your work force, everyone is a winner. Complying with EEO laws make good business sense and is the right thing to do.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has given people with disabilities new legal rights. This law is changing the way we must view people who have disabilities. The ADA prohibits all forms of employment discrimination based on disability. It also requires us to make every reasonable effort to accommodate people’s disabilities.

This course explains the major federal laws and then shows a simplified plan of action for helping to ensure compliance with the laws that may govern your business.

Sexual Harassment In The Workplace
Description: This course is designed to educate supervisors and managers about a serious and common problem in the workplace, sexual harassment. It is designed to help supervisors, managers and other employees increase their awareness of sexual harassment and its illegality.

Hiring Procedures
Description: Interviewing and hiring people is one of the most critical tasks performed by managers and supervisors. The more people you hire who perform their jobs effectively, the more efficient and competitive your organization will be. Hiring the wrong person for the job can be a costly mistake.

Job interviews also involve other pitfalls that supervisors and managers should be aware of. Asking the wrong questions or saying the wrong thing could land your organization in legal trouble. Asking certain questions during an interview could provide an unsuccessful applicant grounds for a discrimination lawsuit. Making promises to a new hire during the interviewing and hiring process can subsequently lead to a wrongful discharge or breach of contract lawsuit if your organization is unable to keep such promises. This course is designed to help managers and supervisors develop a greater awareness of the business and legal risks inherent in the interviewing and hiring process.

Conducting Interviews
Description: With all the technological changes constantly occurring in the work force today, hiring the proper employee is more important than ever. Resumes, recommendations, and applications are important; however, the interview is the most critical element in the employment process. This course will help you through the selection process and teach you to conduct interviews that will lead to sound decisions based on your predetermined specifications. Good interviews will greatly improve the quality of your work force.

Performance Appraisals
Description: This course is designed to help you through the appraisal process. Most supervisors find it difficult to honestly and fairly evaluate employees. In addition to properly evaluating the employee, the course will take you through the appraisal review interview with the employee. With the proper attitude and proper planning, the appraisal process can become a valuable experience for both the evaluator and the employee.

Problem Solving And Critical Thinking
Description: In today’s business and industrial work force, it is imperative that those in leadership positions have a working knowledge of problem-solving techniques and the ability to instill critical thinking in their employees. This course is designed to assist supervisors with decision making and problem solving.

Understanding Financial Statements
Description: You will learn the language of accounting, how to read and analyze financial statements, and discover how a budget works. The course is designed to help you understand more of what you see in financial statements, and help you feel more confident and make better business decisions. It is especially helpful to the new manager/supervisor who is unfamiliar with financial statements.

Management And Leadership Skills For Women
Description: This course is designed to help give you a working knowledge of the basic core principles of management which will enable you to manage for results through key management actions. In addition, it covers the problems many women face as they move up the career ladder: leadership stereotypes, managing men, and handling peers who are jealous of your success. Traits that will make you successful are also dealt with.

Human Resource Management
Description: This class is primarily for HR practitioners, educators/researchers, consultants, and students/recent graduates who are preparing for certification as a HR professional from the Human Resource Certification Institute. The course is based on the Society for Human Resource Management’s Learning System© material and covers the seven functional areas of HR management. The body of knowledge covered includes strategic management; workforce planning and development; human resource development; compensation and benefits; employee and labor relations; health, safety, and security.

Preparing For The Workforce Of The Future
Within the next few years, the available workforce will look very different than it does today. As the baby boomers reach retirement age, many will be looking for options that are different than those of previous retirees. The available workforce will no longer be composed of a majority of white males. People of all types will also want a different work environment with more life options. Organizations need to be preparing to be competitive as we move to accommodate the workforce of the future. This course focuses on identification and planning for the future workforce.

Managing Change
The only thing constant is change. Most organizations today are experiencing change at an ever increasing level. Managing change (as opposed to letting change manage you), is essential if productivity and efficiency are to be maintained within the organization. This course will focus on a change management process and provide information on how you can initiate or handle changes that your organization faces.

Hiring Preparation And Behaviorally Based Interviewing
Ask most people what the biggest mistake they have made in their career is, and they’ll tell you about a “bad hire”. Hiring the wrong person for the job creates problems for the
individual, the organization, and costs money. This course presents information on preparing to hire, including conducting a job analysis and attribute assessment. It also provides information on a set of tools that can be used for this purpose.

Job Interviews should account for about 1/3 of the hiring decision, but, in reality, they are often the deciding factor. Behaviorally Based Interviewing directly links questions regarding the applicants experience to key job functions. This type of interview provides a way for all applicants to answer the same questions and a rating scale for comparison. This course will provide information on the what, where, when and how of Behaviorally Based Interviewing.

Adult Learning And Training Effectiveness
When a problem occurs within an organization, one of the key findings is that the people weren’t properly trained. When a supervisor is having problems working effectively, generally it is because he/she is not properly trained. Training is a vital part of preparing and maintaining any workforce, but it is often done in a less than effective manner. This course will focus on development and analysis of effective training. Information will also be presented on adult learning styles and how this is important to development of successful training. Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the way that they learn.

Note: For those organizations that are ISO 9001/2000 certified, proof of training effectiveness is now a requirement of the standard. The course will provide information for ensuring that your training system meets or exceeds requirements.

Statistical Process Control (Int.)
Description: This course is designed for students that need skills in statistical process control. This course covers quality concepts, basic SPC terminology, frequency diagrams, histograms, X & R charts, and normal distribution. Students will also gain insights into P charts, N charts, NP charts, I charts, capability studies, and short run SPC. Students will be encouraged to solve mathematical problems and construct various types of charts.

ISO 9000 Training
Description: This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the ISO 9000 standard and audit techniques. To enhance the audit skill level, actual audits utilizing simulated procedures will be conducted. The participants will have the opportunity to practice their auditing skills by following all the phases of an audit program.

8D Root Cause Analysis
Description: This course is designed to provide an introduction to Problem Solving Techniques using Problem Resolution and Process Improvement methods. Students will learn how to identify and rectify a problem, investigate an incident, address customer complaints, identify and implement improvements proactively, and improve the efficiency and/or effectiveness of the process and people.

Setting Direction
This session focuses the senior leaders of the organization on charting the future direction of the organization. Leaders are provided with instruction on how to assess the current state of their organization, how to determine future direction, how to communicate the chosen direction to their workforce, and how to make it happen. Hands-on implementation is a part of the course, so leadership teams will leave the course with a tangible product that can serve as a basic roadmap to their future.

Getting The Right Employees Through Targeted Selection
In today’s market, getting the right employees with skills matched to the jobs can be a challenge. Using traditional hiring practices, people often hire based on their own reaction to the individual and may not truly explore either key attributes of the job or the person who will be most successful in that job. This course teaches a Targeted Selection process. Participants learn how to analyze the job prior to starting the hiring process. Behaviorally based interview questions and target answers are developed. Attributes of those most successful at the job are explored and understood. Participants are provided information on the importance of diversity within an organization and how diversity in selection strengthens the organization. Participants are provided with the opportunity to practice developing the skills presented.

Motivating Staff By Building Positive Staff Relationships
Participants will learn the importance of building trust as the basis for work relationships. Motivation of employees is presented and participants are provided with the opportunity to practice motivational techniques in simulations. Coaching and counseling skills are explained. Opportunities for positive applications of coaching and counseling skills are presented. The need for and role of the disciplinary process and methods for dealing with disciplinary problems are presented. Participants are given the opportunity to practice disciplinary interactions. The final section of the class focuses on the importance of motivating yourself and the role this plays in successfully motivating others.

Working Effectively With Teams (Teambuilding)
This course focuses on teams in the work setting. Different types of teams are explored. Participants learn what teams need to be successful and the stages of team development. Special focus is placed on the role of the leader in team function. Team meetings, discussions, decision making and planning are presented. Participants work in teams through a variety of exercises to enhance learning.

Customer Service
Participants explore the concepts and realities of customer service in their work setting. Emphasis in the course is put on identification of all customers, understanding what customers want, and defining “good customer service”. Participants gain information about dealing with upset customers and how to defuse potentially negative situations. The leader’s role in improving customer service is emphasized. A variety of exercises allow participants to practice the skills that are being presented.

You As The Leader
Many supervisors and managers are thrust into a leadership role with little or no preparation for the task. Much of what happens and what is expected of them may come as a surprise; even the person who has been in a leadership role for years may not have actively sought to understand their role in the organization. This course allows the participants to begin to understand what type of leader they are. Their responsibility for their own development is presented and each participant begins work on their personal development plan.

Stress Management
Today’s world is full of stress. Leaders, as the “responsible” members of an organization are particularly at risk. This course focuses on understanding and managing stress in the workplace. Participants are provided with a variety of stress control measures. Time management (or lack thereof) is one of the greatest stressors in the work setting. A portion of this course focuses on easy techniques for time management including running effective meetings.

The Time Wizard
This course focuses on helping participants more effectively use their time through awareness and organization. Special emphasis is placed on recognizing what really needs to be done and when. Tools for holding effective and efficient meetings are presented.

Learning What Others Think – Surveys And Other Techniques
Organizations often want to gather data on how someone (employee, customer, community) views some part of their business. This course provides information on a variety of tools that may be used to gather this data. Special focus is placed on creating surveys and utilizing the appropriate techniques to make the survey a good measurement instrument. Participants are also provided with information on the importance of utilizing multiple data gathering techniques and what tools may be used.

Train The Trainer
People are often faced with the task of training others. This may be in a formal, classroom setting, or it may be “on-the-job”. To be successful in this role, it is important to understand how others learn and how you teach. This course focuses on learning styles in adults. Participants are provided with an opportunity to understand their own learning/teaching style and to see ways to adapt their style to be most successful as trainers. Information is also provided on use of media and teaching aids. Each participant will make a brief presentation to practice his or her training skills.

You Are The Supervisor (Stepping Up To Supervision)
The role of the first line supervisor is one of the most difficult roles within any organization. Individuals are often promoted into this role because they are “the best” person in a department. This may mean that someone who is the best nurse, welder, line worker, etc. is suddenly thrust into the role of supervisor with little or no training. This course is designed to provide the first line supervisor with an overview of the supervisor’s role. Transitioning roles are discussed. The class explores the many roles and responsibilities of the first line supervisor and provides opportunities for the participants to role play and practice in typical situations.

Value Stream Mapping
A value stream map is a tool that is utilized to identify current performance of a process or system and to plan improvements. A value stream map can be developed for any type or level of process or system. A group’s first use of this tool is usually at the plant level.

Participants in the VSM course will learn the techniques used to develop and analyze a VSM. They will be given basic information on Theory of Constraints and selected Lean manufacturing techniques to assist them in identifying where improvements to their processes should begin.

This class is conducted in a plant setting and is usually conducted with upper management staff. Participants will leave the class with a completed current state Value Stream Map and a Future State Map and implementation plan for process improvements.

Lean Workshops
Lean workshops are available highlighting a number of Lean manufacturing methodologies. The workshops are held in the manufacturing facility. During the initial day of the workshop, participants are provided with in-depth training on the Lean methodology(s) being emphasized. The participants then work with the instructor as coach to develop an improvement plan and immediately implement it to improve production and bottom line. Typically the workshop lasts for 5 days. Days may be continuous or split depending on the methodology being implemented.

ISO 9000:2000 Internal Auditor Training
(TS 16949 Available For Automotive Supplier)
This course provides training for internal auditors at organizations who are striving to be ISO 9000:2000 registered. The course can be tailored to focus only on the standards (for those already trained in auditing) or to provide training in both standards and auditing techniques. Information on Technical Standard 16949 can be incorporated for Automotive Suppliers if requested.

SIX SIGMA CHAMPIONS TRAINING
Senior leadership within the organization is key to the success of Six Sigma. This course will provide senior leadership with an understanding of the basics of Six Sigma and clear direction about their role as Champions. Course will also offer an opportunity to begin development of the Project Pipeline that serves as the source of Six Sigma projects. The course is experiential and will allow participants to practice skills being taught.

SIX SIGMA GREEN BELT TRAINING
Six Sigma is a management approach that utilizes a focused methodology, data and statistical analysis to help organizations increase their effectiveness and efficiency, improve customer service and add dollar to the bottom line. Green Belts are specially trained as project leaders. This course will present the DMAIC Six Sigma methodology. Participants will receive detailed instruction on how to implement each phase of the DMAIC model to successfully complete a Six Sigma projects. Basic information will also be provided on problem solving and Lean techniques that can be used as a part of Six Sigma projects. Special emphasis will be placed on the importance of teams to the success of Six Sigma projects, and participants will have opportunities to work in teams throughout the training. Special information about both operational and transactional projects will be presented. NOTE: Black Belt training is available on request with a minimum of 10 students.

Certified Quality Technician Series
This program is a series of 11 courses designed to promote the knowledge needed by those working in the Quality Technicians’ position. The body of knowledge presented reflects national standards as outlined by the American Society for Quality (ASQ). This course of study may be helpful in preparing people to take the ASQ Quality Technician Certification Exam.

Quality Concepts (6 hours)
This class focuses on the basic foundation of quality programs. It includes information on applicable principles and processes within the Quality field.

• Customers and Suppliers
• Quality Principles for products and processes
• Quality standards, requirements and specifications
• Cost of Quality
• Six Sigma
• Continuous Improvement Techniques

Technical Mathematics (8 hours)
This course provides a brief review of the different math elements commonly used within quality processes.

• Basic Shop Math
• Basic Algebra
• Basic Geometry
• Basic Trigonometry
• Measurement Systems (SI, English, Metric)
• Measurement Conversions

Quality Tools (8 hours)
This course outlines the use of various quality tools. Information is provided on what the tools are, how to construct them, how to read them and how to use the information obtained in identification of root causes and process improvements.

• Cause and effect diagrams
• Flow charts; process maps
• Check Sheets
• Pareto diagrams
• Scatter diagrams
• Control charts (covered extensively in separate class)
• Histograms

Team Function (4 hours)
Almost all quality work is performed in teams. This class focuses on the importance of teams, how to form teams and the stages of team development. Meeting management is also a key to team performance and a meeting management model is presented in the class.

Statistical Techniques (8 hours)
Based statistical techniques used in the field of quality are presented. Participants will learn the basic concepts behind each technique. Calculations will be presented for several of the most frequently used basic techniques.

• Terminology
• Frequency distributions
• Design of Experiments
• Reliability (MTTF, MTBF, NTBNA, failure models)
• Calculations (central tendency, measure of dispersion, statistical inference, confidence intervals, probability, t-test, ANOVA)

Control Charts (12 hours)
Control charts are the voice of the process. They can tell us when we have a problem and when our process is behaving within limits. This class focuses on the different kinds of control charts, how to use them, and what they tell us.

• Techniques and applications
• Control limits vs. spec limits
• Variable charts
• Attribute charts
• Rational subgroups
• Process capability measures
• Machine capability measures
• Pre-control charts
• Common and special cause variation
• Data plotting

Metrology And Calibration (12 hours)
Having measurement instruments that are appropriate to the task and are calibrated correctly is key to any good quality management system. This class focuses on how to identify the measurement system for a process, selection of test equipment and calibration methods and systems. Participants will learn how to conduct a Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility analysis.

• Common Gages and Measurement Instruments
• Special Gages and Applications
• Gage selection, handling and use
• Surface plate tools and techniques
• Specialized inspection equipment
• Calibration
• Measurement Systems Analysis, Gage R & R

Inspection And Test (8 hours)
Inspection is a key component of many quality management systems. Inspection may occur on the production line by the operator or in a separate inspection process. This class presents information about the different inspection concepts and how to apply them using appropriate sampling techniques.

• Blueprint Reading and Interpretation
• Inspection concepts
• Inspection Techniques and Processes
• Sampling

Quality Audits (2 days)
Audits are a vital part of most quality management systems. This course will focus on auditing using the ISO 9000:2000 standards as a model. (Note: Automotive Suppliers may choose to have TS 16949 as model.)

Preventive And Corrective Actions (4 hours)
Preventive and corrective actions are very important to ensuring that a quality system is functioning appropriately. This course will define preventive and corrective actions and will present information on how to manage each of these. Management of non-conforming materials will also be discussed.

Problem Solving/Root Cause Analysis (8 hours)
Problem Solving/Root Cause Analysis presents a structured model of problem solving. This model utilizes a team approach to problem solving and provides a structured step-by-step format that is easily implemented in any setting. A variety of problem solving tools are presented. Participants get experience using these tools by working on simulated problems. Participants are also asked to bring a real problem from their work setting; participant’s problems are discussed in class and worked through the initial steps of the model so that the participant leaves the class with a work in progress.