Bullying, harassment, abuse, and discrimination can hurt a business. These behaviors can result in low employee morale, decreased quality of work, reduced productivity, a hostile work environment, absenteeism and higher usage of sick leave, increased workers’ compensation claims,…

There’s a meme that says: “I hire professional staff, then micromanage them until they walk out the door.” This illustrates the negative impact that micromanaging can have on a business. And it’s only one of the many damaging…

Every business owner wants their company to be the best it can be. And one way to ensure a business is indeed the best it can be, is to properly manage the vendors. Vendors are the individuals and…

Building Your Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence is the latest update of Velsoft’s courseware offerings. Originally called Building Your Self-Esteem and Assertiveness Skills, the name of the softskills course was changed for two main reasons: Only one session deals with…

By now, most of us in the business world are familiar with Zoom or other video conferencing platforms. If video conferencing wasn’t something we used before March 2020 when much of the world was locked down due to…

The COVID-19 pandemic brought remote working into the spotlight as many of us – forced to isolate to keep the spread of the coronavirus to a minimum – began doing our paid work from home instead of at…

In J.K. Rowlings’ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor often tells students to practice “constant vigilance.” Always being on guard or on high alert is also a good mantra for…

If you’re like me, since the response to the COVID-19 pandemic forced many of us to begin working at home, you’ve been wearing yoga pants or sweats with a t-shirt and hoodie (maybe even pajamas!) to work. A friend…

Chat-based communication and collaboration platforms such as Microsoft 365 Teams have seen an increase in use since many people were required to work from home due to restrictions intended to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Microsoft…

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization classified COVID-19 as a pandemic, and our world changed. While different jurisdictions have reacted in a variety of ways, the WHO advised that among other measures to protect against contracting…

As countries around the world are issuing stay-at-home orders to help slow the spread of COVID-19, many of us are now working from home. I wrote this piece to pass along to my co-workers – the real ones…

Leaving the house with my daughter typically goes like this: “I can’t find my jacket. Mom, have you seen my jacket?” “Oh, I found it. Where are my keys? Has anyone seen my keys?” “They’re on the kitchen…

Whether or not employees give presentations on a regular basis, it’s a good idea for all staff members to know how to make a powerful and meaningful presentation. Why? Because having this skill can give employees confidence, it…

How edibles affect the body differently than inhaling Cannabis edibles became legal in Canada back in October, but they weren't available to buy until recently. For those who plan to enjoy these baked goods or beverages, it’s crucial…

Disney Parks are known around the globe for providing outstanding customer service. From replacing a dropped ice cream free of charge to searching for a purple balloon for a boy with special needs after they were sold out,…

Like a wildlife biologist observing a pride of lions in the grasslands of the savanna to learn about their behavior, the designers at UberEats also watch their products “in the wild.” In an article for medium.com, (now former)…

Statistics Canada carries out a National Cannabis Survey and releases results four times each year. The findings issued in May noted that of those people who use cannabis daily or almost daily, 27 per cent consumed the drug…

A year ago, Canada legalized the recreational use of cannabis, and now the country is set to make the sale of new cannabis products legal as well. These include edibles, beverages, topicals, and extracts. Legalizing cannabis edibles and…

I am a short person, just a little over five feet tall. When I began working at Velsoft, the chair I was provided was too big for me, and my back got sore every day. The company accommodated…

TOPIC A: What is New? This course is designed to help in getting started with the Microsoft Windows 10: May 2019 Update. Microsoft Windows 10 is a powerful and easy-to-use operating system. Nearly everyone who works with computers…

Is it necessary to install updates to Windows 10 on your computer? Yes and no. In most cases, Windows will still function without the update, but it is crucial in preventing hackers and other unwanted users from accessing…

I’ve used Microsoft Word for years. I’ve worked with it for so long that I can’t even remember when I began using it. I never had formal training – I just learned how to use the various features…

As trainers, how do we ensure that we are assessing for higher levels of learning in the e-Learning environment? Formative assessments are tests or evaluations that take place throughout a course and provide feedback to the student in…

Identify the Components of the Word Interface Microsoft Word is a powerful, easy-to-use word processor. It can be used to create reports, letters, memos, and all sorts of different documents. If you have used earlier versions of Microsoft…

Key performance indicators (KPI) are the measurable parts of each step along a sales representative’s activity funnel. Each KPI naturally aligns with the activity a sales representative does every day. For example, “leads” are the direct result of…

Do you cause congestion in the workplace? Are you a bottleneck? Does not having control over every little thing that your staff works on make your skin crawl? Is the only way for things to get done correctly…

Now we will look at Assessment Nuts and Bolts. This is the final blog in a series that started with Assessment -- Some Initial Thoughts, and Some Assessment Vocabulary. Individual Assessment Instructors should work with students to develop criteria for…

I’ve seen it happen many times. Both of my daughters played hockey growing up, and I’ve seen their teams lose important games because the teams stopped acting like teams. It usually goes like this: the team is behind…

In April, I wrote a blog looking at the future of learning as I see it. At the end I said the Learning Management System of the future was going to be a Knowledge Platform. Today I’d like…

You’ve finalized all the eLearning details for your organization, except one: How to get employee buy-in. I’ve worked in offices where training was mandatory and accepted grudgingly and with plenty of grumbling in the classroom. You may be…