Recent Projects

“Quenching Opportunity”

In the August issue of Fast Company magazine it states in 1976 on average, American’s drank 1.6 gallons of it…last year we drank 28.3 gallons of the same product. What is it? Pure and simple it remains the fastest growing segment in the beverage industry, give up. It is even healthy, it is stylish, and it sends a message of image to all who are watching…the answer is bottled water.

Bottled water marketers cater to different specific markets; some like DaSani and Aquafina target the single serve customers through Coke and Pepsi’s distribution centers. Others focus there strategies on delivery service of 5 gallon units to homes and businesses. I came to learn that to grow in the bottled water business one path to reach your destiny is by filling the products under your own roof.

I began working with a client who had an established bottled water business that had leveled off and they were considering acquiring bottling equipment on the following objectives eliminating the transportation expenses, increase flexibility to meet market demand, and expand into other markets. They had begun the process of assembling information to write a business plan to procure monies to purchase the equipment and had invited me to execute the process.

Upon studying the operations, researching the local market and writing a working document for the client to use over the next five years. They were able to obtain $50,000 in grant funding for this project. The success from the business plan and grant award broke the dam so to speak and in the months following, more funding sources were secured, plus economic agency matches brought the pool close to a half of million dollars.

The opportunity to quench the need of an organization that will bring growth to a community is a project I am professionally grateful to share in its fruition. The bottling process of a healthy, pure, and refreshing product is slated to come into production early 2008.

Title: Spark up Safety

Our Safety Leadership Team is responsible for conducting monthly safety presentations to all the employees in the plant. Our objective is to instill a commitment plant wide to be safety conscious and reduce lost-time accidents. How can we accelerate towards this goal?

I listen to open and honest questions pertaining to performance improvements with clients concerned about safety, production, and management skills often. A small investment in training “Internal Trainers” can pay huge dividends, and provide tentative individuals with the skills to become progressive pioneers for change.

In the recent project, “Spark up Safety” 19 individuals participated in a Trainer-the-Trainer program focused on developing their presentation skills to lead the monthly safety discussions.

The group was dividend into two teams consisting of members from different shifts, departments and levels of responsibility within the organization. During the first session each individual discovered their own learning style, defined characteristics of a trainer, and using a visual brainstorming technique identified the elements of a successful safety program. In the following session, using that same information gathering technique would help develop the content for their demonstration speeches. We then learned and practiced how to write performance based objectives for our lesson plans that were visual, and therefore measurable, out on the plant floor.

Creating internal trainers committed to being the catalyst to spark this change, is priceless. “What I liked best about the training is it gave me new ideas for better preparation of my presentations,” remarked a safety team member. “We are asking employees to change behaviors, eliminate unsafe acts and identifying unsafe conditions in the workplace, that’s where a successful safety program begins.”

Each person participated in a live demonstration speech to practice their new skills, and fellow team members evaluated their performance, providing feedback to help them engage the audience, transfer knowledge, and spark change on the plant floor. Understanding the learning process of adults, how to gather and organize information, and practicing techniques that engage the learner are critical steps to becoming an effective presenter. Just Go Ask a Trainer!

Our Clients Voice

“Certainly did enjoy your presentations - you have a great personality along with your teaching skills!”
—Dick McCormick, SBC Director, Halifax Community College, Weldon, NC

“I enjoyed meeting you and participating in your sessions.”
—Dr. Johnica Ellis-Kiser MBA HTM Instructor, Tarboro, NC