High Yield Training Checklist
Before Training
What Are The Specific, Immediate & Important Competencies You Seek? (What Must You Know & Be Able To Do That Warrant The Training Investment?)
Is A Training Session The Best Way To Develop The Needed Competencies? (Consider A Book, Coaching, Mentoring, A Video On The Subject, etc.)
Does Your Boss Agree With The Need For The Targeted Competencies & Is She Willing To Help You Follow Thru? (Will She Prioritize & Hold You Accountable For Each New Competency?)
Can You Identify A Training Program With Training Objectives That Match Your Learning Objectives?
Will The Content And Activities Described In The Program Agenda Clearly & Convincingly Produce The Targeted Learning Objectives?
Is There Assigned Or Recommended Pre-Work To Improve Program Effectiveness Or Efficiency?
Have You Prepared Need-Specific Work Situations To Work On In Class?
During Training
Did You Arrive Early Enough To Meet The Instructor And Discuss Your Learning Expectations?
Did You Review The Program Book Before The Class Began To Identify Key Training Areas In Advance?
Did You Write Your Notes, Ideas And Comments In Your Program Book To Avoid Loss & Make Later Access Easy?
Did You Ask Questions Whenever Key Point Clarification Was Needed Or You Wanted To Know How A Particular Skill Could Be Applied To Your Situation?
Did You Stretch Out Of Your Comfort Zone When Practicing New Skills During Group Role Plays?
Did You Maximize Practice & Feedback By Volunteering For Whole Class Demonstrations?
Did You Enthusiastically Participate During Large & Small Group Activities?
Did You Provide Thoughtful Feedback To Other Small Group Participants?
Did You Develop A Realistic Follow Through Plan Before Leaving?
After Training
Did You Meet With Your Boss As Soon As Possible To Review The Program Experience & Follow Thru Plan?
Did You Solicit Coaching Help From A Boss Or Mentor To Help You Stay On Track With Your Follow Thru Plan?
Did You Schedule Competency-Building Activities Into Your Daily Planner?
Did You Offer To/Actually Lead A Brown Bag Overview Of The Training Program High Points For Co-Workers?
Did You Review Your Levels Of Competency-Specific Improvement At Two, Four And Six Months-After?
Did You Provide The Company, Your Supervisor And/Or The Trainer With A Review Of The Program's Productivity- Enhancing Impact?
Download a pdf version of the High Yield Training Checklist by clicking on any word in this sentence.
Team Excellence Checklist
Playbook For Coordination
What Is The Specific Outcome Or Activity That The Team Is Responsible For? (Are They Solving A Problem (Solution), Resolving An Issue (Agreement), Or Testing A New Method (Preferable?)
Who Is The Team Sponsor & What Are The Performance/Outcome Standards?
Does The Team Possess Or Have Access To Sufficient Resources? (What New Equipment, Capital, Support, Etc. Will Or Might Be Required?)
Is The Team Made Up Of The Right Players? (Are Team Mates Skillful, Knowledgeable And Innovative Enough To Produce The Desired Outcome?)
Do All Team Mates Have A Roster That Is Dedicated Solely To Names, Numbers & Addresses Of The Team?
Has A Plan Been Prepared That Clearly Communicates Expected Team Actions, Handoffs And Outcomes?
Does Everyone On The Team Use A Planner To Schedule & Follow Through On Team Actions?
Fundamentals For Execution
Have All Team Mates Made Overt Commitments To Do Their Individual Best & To Work For Team Excellence?
Do Bosses To Whom Team Mates Report Adjust Workloads & Priorities To Allow For Team Participation?
Do Team Mates Look For Improvement Opportunities & Bring Them To The Team For Consideration?
Do Team Meetings Include Only Those People Who Are Required In Order To Accomplish The Meeting Objective?
Does The Team Leader Prepare & Distribute Team Meeting Summaries To The Entire Team & Others Who Need To Know?
Does The Team Practice Consensus When Considering Issues, Opportunities Or Problems? (Everyone's Opinions & Options Are Voiced & The Best Team Action Is Synthesized By The Leader.)
Do Team Mates Take Note Of & Comment On The Unique Contributions Of Others?
Do Team Mates Ask For Help Only When It Is Absolutely Essential?
Leadership For Direction
Does The Leader Establish & Maintain A Strong Relationship With The Team Sponsor?
Does The Leader Schedule & Protect Enough Time To Do All Of The Necessary Activities?
Does The Leader Make Team Decisions When Necessary & Delegate Decisions When Appropriate?
Does The Leader Use Plans & Performance Information To Anticipate & Pre-empt Problems Or Shortfalls?
Does The Leader Support, Encourage & Have Fun With Team Mates?
Does The Leader Identify & Remedy Conflicts Between Team Mates, Team Mates & Their Bosses & Others Who Might Impact Team Success?
Download a pdf version of the Team Excellence Checklist by clicking on any word in this sentence.
Meeting Master Checklist
Before The Meeting
Is A Meeting The Best Way To Handle Your Communication Need? (Consider A Memo, Conference Call, E - mail, Video Conference, Presentation, etc.)
What Must You Leave The Meeting With (A Decision, Commitment, Ideas, Consensus, etc.) In Order For It To Be A Success? (After You Answer This, Revisit The Question Above)
What Is The Sequence Of Topics That Must Be Addressed In Order To Accomplish Your Meeting Objective?
In What Ways (Discussion, Brainstorming, Planning, etc.) Must You Address Each Topic And For How Long?
Who Must Be Present At Your Meeting For You To Accomplish Your Objective?
Where Should The Meeting Be Held In Order To Increase Comfort And Reduce Influence? (i.e.. You Influence More In Your Office)
When Should You Meet And For How Long?
Have You Prepared And Sent A Detailed Agenda To All Participants?
During The Meeting
Did You Arrive Early Enough To Prep The Meeting Room And Yourself?
Did You Start The Meeting On Time?
Did You Confirm That Everyone Received And Understood The Agenda And Is Prepared To Work?
Did You Introduce The First Agenda Topic And Indicate The Preferred Way Of Addressing It e.g. "Generating Ideas Is The Approach I'd Like To Suggest With Our First Item, Sales Initiatives.")
Did You Encourage The Less Talkative And Ride Herd On Monopolizers?
Did You Alert The Meeting Members When Agenda Items Were Within 2 to 5 Minutes Of Their Allotted Time? (e.g.. "We've Got Five Minutes Left With This Item, So . . .")
Did You Use A Concerns Flipchart To Capture Unfinished Business?
Did You Summarize & Confirm Conclusions And Commitments?
Did You Thank Participants?
Did You Take Notes?
After The Meeting
Did You Complete A Short, Clear Summary Of The Meeting, With Emphasis On Decisions And Commitments That Were Made?
Did You Distribute The Meeting Summary To Every Participant And Anyone Else With A Need To Know Within 36 Hours Of The Meeting?
Did You Begin And/Or Complete Any And All Of The Actions That You Committed To During The Meeting?
Did You Follow Up With any Meeting Participant Who Made A Commitment?
Did You Express Thanks To Any Participants Who Added Superior Levels Of Value To Your Meeting?
Did You Probe Any Participants Who Were Unusually Quiet Or Who Expressed Reservations With Topics Or Outcomes?
