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Common Myths
- I don't have the time
There is no time lost in our training because each participant is learning by doing. Seventy-five percent of the training is hands-on processing of your work, so with this improved way of processing e-mail, you can actually get more done during the training than you would otherwise on your own.
- We don't have a need in our company
Electricity
The Automobile
The personal computer
The mobile phone
All of the above innovations were a hard sell at first simply because no one fully understood what they were until they became generally known – that is, until they reached critical mass. Now imagine our lives without any one of them? It's easy to believe that the need for e-mail management is negligible if you haven't been on one of our courses simply because you can't know what you don't know. But there is a good reason why companies all over the globe are implementing AST: results. Click here to read what our clients have said. Nearly every innovation in history has met great resistance. In our own time the mobile phone was first seen as a ridiculous extravagance, and yet today most teenagers own one. So while you may think there is no need in your organization, it may be that you're happy with the horse because you haven't tried out a Ferrari.
- Everyone likes to manage their Outlook in their own way
One objection that we hear over and over from HR managers is: Most people feel that their practice of Outlook is personal and they don’t want to be cornered into any one method.
This exactly the opposite of our findings, but let’s use the following analogy: One carpenter uses a flat-head screwdriver, another a star-head screwdriver and a third is given a TPLW screwdriver. All three are given screws that can be screwed with either and all three feel that their screwdriver is the best. Which one will do the job better, faster and with the least amount of mistakes? The answer is: the one with the turbo-powered light-weight (TPLW ) screwdriver with adjustable speed and torque. It can use either the flat-head or the star – or any number of other inserts.
The message of this analogy is that unless you know what a TPLW screwdriver is, and you experience the benefits of using one, then you don’t see it as a choice. Even if the TPLW screwdriver’s features are explained, most people will take a skeptical attitude towards it until they EXPERIENCE it or critical mass has made it acceptable as a viable alternative. That is how it was for electricity, the automobile, the personal computer, the mobile phone and that is how it will be for AST. AST is that power screwdriver. Now the question for your organization is: do you want to keep working at half-speed simply because your employees haven’t been properly introduced to these techniques or do you want to at least double your effectiveness without losing any flexibility or “freedom”? Are you worried about it being complicated? Do you think a carpenter read a manual before trying his first electric screwdriver? AST doesn't need manual (although it is available) because it's so easy to learn. Initial interest is not important.
What is important is results. Atrendia doesn’t sell a product, we achieve results. And if you personally are already using AST, just imagine life without it. Can you imagine a carpenter who, after using the TPLW screwdriver, returns to his old flat-head? Is there a self-respecting carpenter today that doesn’t own a powered screwdriver?
- If I ask my colleagues about e-mail management they will know if they need help
Yes, but only if they have a very clear picture of what Atrendia offers. Unfortunately, many people will have the idea that we simply teach people how to be more effective with Outlook when the truth is that we teach people how to be effective, to be able to prioritize and focus using AST. Those familiar with AST (Atrendia Streaming Techniques) would not confuse it for Outlook training, but if you don't know what AST is, then the best way to find out if your colleagues need help is by asking them specific questions about their e-mail management. Atrendia provides two different diagnostic surveys, which give a clear picture of whether or not your colleagues need help. Click here to see the surveys.
- Only a few people in the company need help with e-mail management
It's easy to believe that only "power-e-mail" users need AST until you have witnessed, first hand, the transformation of your organization's e-mail culture once you involve everyone. Whether you offer AST in order to save time, money, resources, reduce stress, optimize sales, improve customer service or enhance internal communication, AST will be the corner stone in your new company e-mail culture.
- Our employees would not want to or could not change their e-mail behavior
We're often faced with the fact that we believe more in your employees ability to adopt our methods than you are. But that's because our main focus is helping people overcome their fears and frustrations that accompany change. AST is easy to understand and easy to use. Changing a habit, on the other hand, is difficult. Unlike many training companies who focus on teaching content, Atrendia focuses on helping your employees understand, adapt and adopt change. If you make it easy enough and give them a big reward early and regularly throughout the process, your employees will embrace change.
- Training in AST is expensive
AST, most probably, gives the highest return on investment of any course you offer your employees.
- Like many work-smarter programs, our employees will probably stop using it after a while
Each company that we train is monitored for one year. According to the results of our surveys, 75% of the participants continue to use AST after one year.
- This is just another Outlook course
One of the most important features of AST training is the fact that default settings Outlook must be reconfigured and modified in order for us to achieve the impressive results that we do. It is assumed that each participant has basic Outlook knowledge. If basic training is needed in Outlook 2003 or Outlook 2007 we are happy to provide training in those areas separately or we can customize the training to include Outlook training.
- We've had similar training
No you haven't. AST Lean E-mail Management is not about giving out tips and suggestions for a better way of working with e-mail, it is a unique method taught by qualified AST instructors. If you haven't had AST training, then you probably have a very different idea of what it is. Here is what our participants say...
- We should wait until our employees are familiar with Outlook 2007
It's simply a lot easier to learn something right the first time rather than un-learn and re-learn. Most employees who upgrade from 2003 to 2007 will want to adapt their old ways of working rather than seeing 2007 as a fresh start. By training immediately implementing AST in Outlook 2007, your employees will not distinguish Outlook 2007 with AST from Outlook 2007 without AST because AST is so seamlessly built in. Instead of yet another program to learn, they will accept AST as several new features of Outlook 2007. Taking this approach will save many hours of training time and frustration. It will also make the transition much easier for everyone.
- We use Outlook 2003 and will migrate to 2007 in about a year, so we should wait until then
If you are waiting until you migrate to 2007, don't! AST is a great tool to help your employees make the transition over to 2007. One of the most important features of AST Lean E-mail Management is the use of categories, which is a new feature in 2007. Your employees will be introduced to this way of working already with Outlook 2003 if they implement AST. This means one less threshold for them to adopt when they make the transition. Once you move from 2003 to 2007, you can continue to use all the AST tools, so nothing is lost in the transformation. All information is saved, their modus operandi is maintained, making the smoothest transition possible. Additional training after the migration is optional, not mandatory