Break Away QuickStarts™

Often a manager needs to quickly address an issue and doesn't have the time to search, sign-up for and attend a training session two months down the road. Our Break Away QuickStarts™ are targeted exercises that help managers quickly and effectively address specific issues ranging from giving a presentation to handling a difficult employee.

Managers also don't have time to wade through a thick "how-to manual." All QuickStarts are two to four pages. This helps the manager quickly put to work the tools and concepts each QuickStart™ teaches.

Our Break Away QuickStarts™ are delivered electronically in PDF format. Once a manager identifies a need, you can provide them with a working solution in a matter of minutes.

To order a Break Away QuickStart™ send an e-mail to QuickStarts.

Available QuickStarts™

Planning & Goal Setting

Setting Standards and Expectations with Employees (#QSPG001)

Employees can't perform their job effectively unless they know what is expected of them and how their performance will be measured. Defining Key Responsibility Areas (KRAs) provides direction and establishes expectations. This QuickStart gives managers a practical model to follow in creating KRAs and communicating them clearly to their employees.

Create an Enabling Plan for Performance Improvement (#QSPG002)

When an employee falls short of expected performance, you may need to develop an Enabling Plan to help the person improve their performance. This QuickStart gives managers 5 simple steps to create an effective enabling plan.

 

Daily Coaching

Five-Minute Productivity Meetings (#QSC001)

Meetings are often the bane of business. The typical meeting is too long and does not focus on the issues most important to your business. The result is that team meetings often are skipped, thus losing a powerful tool from a manager's arsenal. This QuickStart teaches managers the steps to conducting a highly effective, Five-Minute Productivity Meeting™ that gets their employees motivated and focused on the key objectives for the day.

Two-Minute Coaching (#QSC002)

It's busy and you observe a performance issue. If you wait for a convenient time when you can "meet" with the employee, it's often too late because the incident you want to comment on happened too long ago. Two-Minute Coaching is a way for you to give immediate, effective, and constructive feedback to employees on the spot to help them improve quickly. The Two-Minute Coaching QuickStart teaches managers five steps to conducting a Two-Minute Coaching session.

Turning Bench-Warmers Into Utility Players (#QSC003)

Most organizations have Bench-Warmers, Utility Players, and Stars. This QuickStart tells you how to determine who is who, and how to help your Bench-Warmers become Utility Players. It also reveals the single most important principle of time management you can use as a manager.

Bypassing Excuses To Get Results (#QSC004)

Often employees have an excuse for their poor performance. Regardless of the quality of the excuse, performance criteria need to be met. However, managers often struggle with dealing with the excuse and getting the conversation focused back on performance improvement. This QuickStart teaches managers the two golden words for handling excuses and how best to apply them.

Coaching in Complex Situations (#QSC005)

Only certain types of performance issues can be handled in a Two-Minute Coaching session (see our Two-Minute Coaching QuickStart). Others may require more discussion, planning, time and effort on the manager's part. This QuickStart discusses more complex situations and the steps to take to handle them.

 

Stand and Deliver – Presentation Skills

Creating Effective Visual Aids (#QSP001)

Many presenters create stunning and information-packed visual aids as the means of delivering an effective message. Unfortunately, this often detracts from rather than enhancing the clarity of the message. The presenter should be the focus of attention, and visuals aids should be just that - aids. This QuickStart teaches presenters tips to create and use effective visual aids.

Presenting With Confidence and Credibility (#QSP002)

Research has shown that the number one fear that most people have is the fear of public speaking (it even ranks higher than the fear of flying and fear of death). Most people equate public speaking with feeling and looking nervous. However, nervousness is an energy you can channel and use to your advantage. This QuickStart teaches presenters how to use their "voice and volume" and "stance and gestures" to use their nervous energy to communicate confidence and credibility.

Handling Q&A Sessions (#QSP003)

Some presenters are not sure how to handle questions during their presentations. Often they simply do not allow for questions and thus limit the impact of their presentation. This QuickStart helps presenters master the Do's and Don'ts of handling questions.

 

Performance Appraisals

Preparing for Performance Appraisals (#QSPA001)

Performance Appraisals can be a very positive, productive meeting with your employees - regardless of their performance. The first step in accomplishing this is ensuring you are prepared for the meeting. This QuickStart teaches managers a 5-step approach to prepare for an effective appraisal meeting.

Conducting Performance Appraisal Meetings (#QSPA002)

When you conduct the appraisal meeting, you should do just that - conduct. This is not an informal chat about performance. Conduct implies that you are controlling the meeting, rather than allowing it to veer off course. This QuickStart teaches managers how to effectively conduct an appraisal meeting.

 

Behavior-based Interviewing

Preparing for Behavior-Based Interviews (#QSI001)

Hiring is one of the most important tasks of a manager, yet many managers do no more than review the resume before interviewing the candidate. If you can get the right person in the job, you save time, money, and stress for everyone. Moreover, hiring the right candidate will help the company achieve its strategic goals. This QuickStart teaches managers how to effectively prepare for the interview.

Conducting Behavior-Based Interviews (#QSI002)

The types of questions you ask and the way you ask them make all the difference in getting an accurate picture of the candidate. Protect yourself from candidates who interview well but perform poorly, and recognize the potential in those who interview poorly but perform well. There are ways of getting exactly the information you need to make the right hiring decision. This QuickStart teaches managers key principles for using behavior-based questions and includes plenty of practical examples.

 

Making it Happen– Project Management

How to Begin a Successful Project (#QSPM001)

Projects vary in scope and complexity. However, all successful projects begin the same way - with the end in mind. This QuickStart teaches project managers three key steps to starting a project towards a successful conclusion.

 

Time Power

Are You Accomplishing What You Should (#QST001)

Being a good time manager does not mean getting more done in the day. Many people get a lot done in the day but still feel stressed, out of balance, unhappy. A goal of time management is to ensure you are getting the right things done. This will result in achieving balance and ultimately happiness in your life. This QuickStart teaches a 5-step process to ensure they are accomplishing the important goals in their lives.

 

Business Writing

Shorten Everything (#QSBW001)

Much of today's business correspondence-email messages, letters, proposals, reports-are cluttered with excess words. This muddies the message and takes up the reader's time. This QuickStart gives you three concrete ways to simplify your writing. It will help you get to your point quickly, state it emphatically, and motivate the reader to action.