Creativity leads to success in the pool
When the LZR Racer swimsuit was banned after the Beijing Olympics, Speedo needed to create a replacement for swimmers to wear in competition and at the London Summer Games. To spark their creativity, the team employed a technique…
Getting Started with PowerPoint 365
PowerPoint 365 is the cloud-based version of Microsoft’s powerful word processing program. Using PowerPoint 365, you can create professional presentations of nearly any type. You can also add videos, pictures, and much more. Best of all, PowerPoint 365’s…
Looking back on the eve of 40 years as an adult educator
Looking back at my nearly four decades of educational experiences, I realize that we can learn much about others' stories, cultures, struggles, and hopes. But, we cannot take their stories and try to live them. We can only…
What is Creativity?
Two Myths of Creativity What is creativity? When we think of creativity what often comes to mind are inventors such as Leonardo Di Vinci or Steve Jobs, or people who have created masterpieces such as Picasso or Bach.…
Communication is key to a healthy workplace
In the past, workplace health has been discussed in very limited terms, and rarely in connection with quality initiatives. But recently, and rightly so, workplace health is taking a more holistic approach. Occupational health and safety, employee assistance…
The Use of Humor in the Classroom
Before I begin to talk about the use of humor in the classroom, I’d like to start with a couple quotes from two of my favorite philosophers. The first is from Plato: “Do not train a child to…
Investment in Health
Whether you’re an employer of one or an employer of a 1,000, investing in your employees’ health is not just a nice thing to do. It’s a sound business decision. You know all too well that healthy employees…
National Superhero Day at Velsoft
April 28 is National Superhero Day! I asked myself the question "If Marvel was casting their movies using the staff at Velsoft's headquarters, who would get what part? After an exhausting and very scientific assessment, here are the…
Story Marketing Quick Reference Guide
Story marketing is the process of attracting and engaging customers through story – their story, rather than yours. Instead of the ‘buy our product’ messages of typical marketing campaigns, story marketing tells the customer story and motivates them…
Microsoft Office 365: 2018 New Features
This course is intended to help users of Office 365 understand updates made in 2018. It focuses on six Office 365 offerings — Word (word processing), Excel (spreadsheets), PowerPoint (presentations), Outlook (email and calendars), Access (database management), and…
Do these 3 things to reduce stress
Studies show that severe stress is associated with heart disease, depression, and suppression of the immune system, which can lead to other health problems. So it makes sense to try to eliminate stress as much as possible. It's…
Moment of Laughter Day
April 14 is International Moment of Laughter Day. I thought it would be great to collect jokes from Velsoftians so that we could all have a few moments of laughter. The response was overwhelming. Here are some of…
Story Marketing Toolkit
Which Came First: The Chicken or The Egg? This simple question from American folklore has sparked generations of debates, jokes and mental quests for the answer – or at least the winning argument. Did the first chicken simply…
The future of Learning
With the advent of hand-held computers in the form of tablets and phones, and the subsequent invasion of social media channels, the future of learning is evolving quickly. The rows of desks in a classroom with a teacher…
Walk to Work: A long trek
We all know that walking is good for us. It helps us maintain a healthy weight by reducing excess body fat, strengthens bones and muscles, prevents or helps manage conditions such as heart disease and high blood pressure,…
Why our new computer course is different from all the rest
As part of our computer course offerings, Velsoft Training Materials has released Microsoft courseware beginning with versions for Microsoft Office 2002 and 2003, and then every three to four years after that with each new software revision by…
An intro to Story Marketing
What would make you more likely to purchase something from a company? This approach? Here at ABC Company our product is the best… we’re so great… buy from us. Or this approach? You have a problem. ABC Company…
Becoming a Better Learner Quick Reference Guide
There was a time when what you learned in school before entering the workforce would be all you needed to know for the rest of your career. That is no longer the case, as today skills can become…
Getting to Know Velsoft Better
Companies with a highly engaged workforce are more productive, experience less absenteeism, have higher rates of customer satisfaction, and commit fewer errors, according to Sterling, which provides background and identity services around the world. In a blog entitled…
Improve Your Marketability Through Training
Marketability is not something just to think about when you’re looking for a job. Yes, it’s important to undertake training when you’re in job search mode, but it shouldn’t be overlooked when you’re employed. Sitting back and relaxing…
Goof Off Day
Today is Goof Off Day, and since we were busy goofing off, we didn’t write a blog for today. Instead, please enjoy this blog written by freelance writer Vivian Wagner of New Concord, Ohio. 3 Reasons Why Goofing…
The Outlook Online Workspaces
Outlook Online allows you to manage several different kinds of information, including your email, calendar, tasks, and contacts. Each of these item types has their own workspace and commands related to managing those objects. The Mail Workspace When…
The Cost of Inadequate Training
When I was younger, much younger, I worked for a summer clearing land for an airport expansion project. It would be a major understatement to say I was inexperienced and untrained in the proper use of power saws.…
Favorite St. Patrick’s Day Festivities of Velsoftians
Last year in honor of St. Patrick's Day, Velsoftians shared their favorite green things. This year I thought it would be interesting to take a look at all of the exciting St. Patrick's Day celebrations that team members…
Learning: Adopting the Right Mindset
Adopting the Right Mindset Adopting the right mindset for learning can take time because we have to train our brains and focus on having a growth mindset. This means controlling the ability to learn, which can be honed…
Working Hard versus Working Smart
One of my favorite entrepreneurs, Gary Vaynerchuk, often tells an anecdote about hard work versus smart work. The exact wording changes when he repeats the story but it goes something like this. Someone says ‘Hey Gary, I don’t…
International Women’s Day: Billie Jean and balance
I haven’t watched Battle of the Sexes, the 2017 movie about the tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, but in honor of International Women’s Day, I think I will. The movie features Emma Stone as…
Outlook Online: Three favorite features
On a daily basis I receive dozens of email messages from retail stores, online vendors or companies that I’ve purchased from or communicated with in the past — clothing stores, shoe stores, and printing companies —along with recipe…
How becoming a better learner can be your secret weapon
When I started my career in journalism about 25 years ago (yikes!), the newspaper business was a lot different than it is today. While basic reporting skills such as conducting interviews and story writing haven’t changed very much,…
Celebrate Dr. Seuss Day
Tomorrow -- March 2 -- is the birthday of Theodore Geisel, better known by his pen name, Dr. Seuss (rhymes with ‘Joyce’ not ‘Zeus’). Since his death, every March 2 we celebrate Dr. Seuss Day. It's a day for reading…