Connecting with Business to Successfully Grow Your Communities

1. Connecting with Business to Successfully Grow Your Communities Presented by: Richalene (Ricki) M. Kozumplik, Owner Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting 134 West Third Street Peru, IN 46970 Phone: 765-472-1495 Fax: 765-472-1457 Email: kozumplik@iquest.net

2. “Change is inevitable, but progress is truly optional” ~Don Allen Holbrook Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting

3. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting What We Will Cover • Reasons to engage employers • Activities that engage employers • Strategic • Tactical • Tips for successful engagement • Strategic • Tactical • Your next steps • Review/celebrate

4. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Reasons to Engage Employers Introductory Activity WIOA Purpose Create a Regional Talent Pipeline

5. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Introductory Activity • Get in groups of 4-6 people • On the form, list as many reasons as you can why business engagement is important in growing a community • When time is called, count the number of answers • The group with the most answers wins a prize!

6. "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." - Helen Keller Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting

7. Ultimately to enhance the country’s productivity and competitiveness through: Meeting employer skill requirements Improving the quality of the workforce Reducing welfare dependency Increasing economic self-sufficiency This is done by creating a Talent Pipeline Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting WIOA Purpose

8. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Steps to Create a Regional Talent Pipeline Plan “How” “What”

9. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Activities that Engage Businesses/Employers Current Two Types of Engagement Activities Samples

10. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Current Business Engagement Activities • With a partner, on the form, list all of the activities for which you currently engage businesses/employers • Report out

11. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Types of Business Engagement Strategic Tactical • Asks “why” and “what” • Guiding/leading • Planning/Visioning • Big picture/macro • Looks broad • Asks “how” • Managing • Operations • Focused/micro • Looks deep

12. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Strategic Business Engagement Examples • Serve as a member of • Sector partnership • WDB • WDB Committee(s) • Career Pathways Team • Help determine/vet • Key industry sectors • Demand Occupations • Skills requirements • Key workforce issues • Help create • Solutions to WF issues • Local/regional plan • Sector strategies • Competency Models • Career pathways • Ladders • Lattices

13. Targets one or more critical industries • Understands the relationship between • business competitiveness • workforce needs of the targeted industry • Is led by a set of key strategic partners that • coordinate collaborative planning and action • craft customized workforce solutions tailored to the industry and region • Supports workers to improve their range of employment related skills so they can compete for higher quality jobs • Meets the needs of employers so they become more competitive and • Creates lasting change in the labor market system to the benefit of both workers and employers Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting What Are Sector Strategies?

14. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Sector Strategies Differences Sector Strategies Traditional Services • Problem-oriented • Address needs interdependently • Work with industries collectively • Program oriented • Address needs interdependently • Work with individual firms

15. Focused, active partnerships among businesses in a target industry sector • Key sector employers drive the initiative • Critical partners • workforce development organizations • educators • training providers, • labor unions, • human service partners/community organizations • other key stakeholders Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Sector Partnerships

16. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Competency/Models Competency Competency Model • A competency is the capability to apply or use a set of related knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform "critical work functions" or tasks in a defined work setting. • A competency model is a collection of competencies that together define successful performance in a job/job family

17. A career pathway is a series of structured and connected education programs and support services that enable students, often while they are working, to advance over time to better jobs and higher levels of education and training. Career Pathways is a workforce development strategy used in the United States to support workers' transitions from education into and through the workforce. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Career Pathways

18. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Career ladders and lattices consist of a group of related jobs that may comprise a career. They often include a pictorial representation of job progression in a career as well as detailed descriptions of the jobs and the education and experiences that facilitate movement between jobs Career Ladders/Lattices- Definitions Career Ladder Career Lattices Display only “vertical” movement between jobs Show both vertical and lateral movement between jobs and more adequately reflect complex career paths

19. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Tactical Business Engagement Examples • With a group of 4 – 6, list on the form the products and services the system can provide employers • Report out • Those with the most examples will win a prize!

20. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Tips for Successful Strategic Engagement Sector Strategies Career Pathways

21. Use data to determine key sectors Start with their issue(s) Find a champion Show benefits Make meetings easy to attend Give them something meaningful to do Provide support to their leadership http://www.sectorstrategies.org/toolkit/introduction Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Sector Strategies Engagement Tips

22. Start with their issues • Do your homework/Come prepared • Competency models • Career pathways models • http://www.careeronestop.org/competencymodel/careerpathway/cpwoverview.aspx • Vet the skills • Create local models • Use models to create curricula and credential assessments Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Career Pathways Engagement Tips

23. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Tips for Successful Tactical Business Engagement Understand Their Expectations Change our Approach

24. Educate • Are knowledgeable about • Products/services • Business needs • Understand job requirements • Get to know the company • Have tested and know applicant’s abilities • Show up quickly when needed • Make frequent contact/follow-up Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Employers Say They Want Relationships With those Who:

25. Business Customers Expect… Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting • Speed • Efficiency • Acceptable costs • Convenience • Choice • Quick problem solving • Flexibility

26. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Change Our Approach Social Worker Solutions Manager Sales Representative (Sell “Warm And Fuzzies”) (Sell Programs/ Services/Funding Sources) (Solve Problems)

27. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Solutions Management Approach to Tactical Business Engagements Definition 4 Steps Establish Rapport Identify Issues Identify Solutions Sell Benefits of Solutions

28. “Understanding how to solve a business’s problems” Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting What is the Solutions Management Approach?

29. Steps to Become a Solutions Manager – 4 Steps Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting • Establish relationship with business • Help them identify problems they face • ID solutions we offer to each problem • Sell benefits to the solutions

30. You don't close a sale; you open a relationship if you want to build a long-term, successful enterprise. – Patricia Fripp Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting

31. Step 1. Establish Relationship With Business Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting • Develop Rapport • Learn Company Culture • Establish Trust • Maintain Trust

32. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Establish Relationships – Develop Rapport How They Develop What They Do • Relationships occur • over time • due to perceived competence • due to presence • Require and foster shared interests • Gradually eliminate labels • Overcome anxiety • Promote shared secrets or inside information • Provide self esteem • Overcome negative aspects • Overcome services • Serve mutual needs

33. Establish Relationship – Learn Company Culture Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting • Spend time there • Learn hierarchy • Read literature

34. Under promise and over deliver • Make self available • Not, “What can you do for me?” But, “What can I do for you?” • Talk up previous successes • Be organized • Socialize • LISTEN Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Establish Relationship - Establish Trust

35. Make self available • Be there: Follow up • Offer alternatives • Do joint problem solving • Mutual commitment AVOID: “We’ll do anything to make this work” Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Establish Relationship – Maintain Trust

36. The questions you ask are more important than the things you could ever say. – Tom  Freese Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting

37. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Step 2. Help Them Identify Problems/Issues/Needs They Face • Ask open-ended questions • Initial • Follow-up/ probing • Listen • Sort/Categorize • Summarize/ rephrase

38. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting 5 Key “Open Probe” Questions to Identify Business Needs What issues do you face in • Recruiting? • Interviewing? • Hiring? • Retention? • Promotions? ?

39. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Identifying Potential Business Need(s) • With members of your group, identify the issues/problems issues/problems businesses face for your assigned topic • Report out

40. If you are not taking care of your customer, your competitor will. – Bob Hooey Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting

41. Which of these issues/ problems can the One Stop solve? • Which One Stop SYSTEM services and products will solve each issue? • How can I promote these solutions to the employer? Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Step 3. ID Solutions We Offer

42. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Products/Services that Potentially Meet Business Need(s) • With members of your group, identify the services that can address business needs for your assigned topic • Report out

43. Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Step 4. Sell the Benefits—Not the Solutions Solution Benefit • The product or service they will receive and its • Requirements/standard • Features • Funding source • How receiving the product or service will help them • The outcome(s) of receiving the product or service

44. Accelerating Higher Achievements Consulting You may be on the right track, but you will get run over if you just stand there.- Will Rogers

45. Review the slides Determine one thing you will do differently to engage your business partners Tell another person Report out Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting Your Next Steps

46. Questions? Accelerating Higher Achievements (AHA) Consulting What I Wanted to Learn….

47. Accelerating Higher Achievements Consulting “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead