Consulting Trends Newsletters by Envisia Tools

Consulting Trends, Volume 7, Winter 2006
Can coaching really make training programs more successful? Is there supporting literature on the impact of coaching effectiveness? In "Coaching and Training: The New Blended Learning" we look at the growing popularity of coaching and its potential effect on the training industry. Also, in an article contributed by marketing expert, Susan Tatum, we look at ways to use coaching to your competitive advantage - both to develop stronger relationships with your existing clients and to win new business.

Consulting Trends, Volume 6, Summer 2006
We know that 40% to 50% of all executives and employees rate their jobs as being very or extremely stressful. Why do some individuals remain physically and psychologically healthy while others experience job burnout, depression and illness? In this issue we discuss the coping patterns of executives and the implications for overall well-being. We also interview Alaina Love, Principal of HRx Renaissance Consortium, Inc., an international business strategy, leadership and organizational development firm, and discover how HRx Rennaissance Consortium uses StressScan™ from Envisia Learning to help its clients achieve a greater understanding of the impact the roles they play have on their personal level of stress.

Consulting Trends, Volume 5, Spring 2006
How do you get employees to transfer awareness into lasting behavior change? In this issue, we introduce a tool called Talent Accelerator, which optimizes learning and behavior transfer linked to all of Envisia Tools' assessment tools. Talent Accelerator is a web-based system that provides a competency based resource library (developmental suggestions, web sites, resources, readings), online development planner, reminder emails, and a "wizard" to help identify strengths and development areas using any or our tools. Also in this issue, is an interview with one of the premier designers and deliverers of public workshops by a company called Management Concepts who discuss how they have integrated many of our 360 assessments into their client interventions using best practices. We also introduce our new name, Envisia Learning, formally Consulting Tools—the same trusted assessement and consulting company providing quality tools for coaches, consultants and human resource practioners to help improve individual, team and organizational effectiveness.

Consulting Trends, Volume 4, Fall 2005
How do leaders affect individual engagement and team performance? This feature article reviews a recent study by Envisia Tools about how leaders can create a psychologically healthy climate. A second newsletter article described our emotional intelligence self-assessment instrument, PeopleIndex, based on Daniel Goleman's EI model. This validated EI tool measures 17 emotional intelligence competencies and is linked to a new web-based learning system called Talent Accelerator (provides an online development planning system, EI competency resource library, and coaching tool site). A third article provided new 360 feedback report options from our Envisia Tools scoring bureau service such as bar or line graphs with normative (t-score and z-score) or average scores and other options for the coach or consultant using our full range of validated off-the-shelf, multi-rater feedback tools or customized 360 services.

Consulting Trends, Volume 3, Summer 2005
Job burnout and family balance—all part of stressful times. The feature article described how to build employee resilence and utilize our personal stress and health assessment, StressScan, to foster worksite wellness, health promotion and well-being. Another service highlighed was our online survey capabilities including survey design, hosting, statistical analyses and reporting. A third aricle illustrated how one of our non-management 360 tools, Performance View 360 is being successfully used in a large non-profit leadership company. This issue also summarized new emotional intelligence products from Envisia Tools and shared that our Emotional Intelligence View 360 is a product mentioned at Daniel Goleman's Consortium for Research in Emotional Intelligence in Organization's web site (our Chief Research Officer, Kenneth Nowack, Ph.D. is a member of the Goleman EI consortium).

Consulting Trends, Volume 2, Spring 2005
Emotional Intelligence—Fad or Substance? This feature article explored the current issues and trends of emotional intelligence (EI) for leadership and talent development. A second article described the use of Manager View 360 (our comprehensive 360 for supervisors and managers measuring 20 key competencies derived from job analysis) by a senior consultant and the outcomes in a large scale management development corporate intervention. This issue also had a main story on our newer generation five-factor personality inventory (FFM) called Facet5 and its applications for personnel selection, coaching, team building and talent development.

Consulting Trends, Volume 1, Winter 2005
This issue focused on evaluation and how to use the "Post-Then" technique to show evidence of coaching effectiveness. This evaluation technique is useful for "level 3" training and development evaluation as it improves upon traditional approaches to measure how people change. A second article described how Custom View 360 (our customized 360 feedback tool) was successfully used by one company. Finally an interview with Decision Dymanics CEO and author Ken Brousseau, Ph.D. about his Team View 360 instrument and how it can be used to build high performing teams.