Friday, February 25, 2011

Six Sigma Bowling! Huh?

Have you heard about Six Sigma process improvement being applied to professional Tennis? This is not exactly news, ever since Six Sigma Champion and Stanford University Tennis USPTA Coach, Steven Falk decided to apply his Six Sigma training to train his tennis players. By applying what he knows about Six Sigma processes, Falk has produced a program that is being used by tennis coaches and athletes all over the world.

Now Falk is bringing the same process improvement to the sport of bowling. After successes working with large corporations like Lockheed Martin, General Electric and Siemens, Falk began applying the same ISO and Zero Defects strategies to his tennis coaching. Now, he promises to apply the same processes to bowling, with the goal of producing 99.9% success rates.

Kaplan Continuing Education provides certificate programs in Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. Not only will they help you in your professional career, but maybe you can figure out a way to apply them to your sports or hobbies, too.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Consumer Reports Comments on Financial Planning Industry Studies

As most financial advisers know, two recent reports comment on the state of the industry related to consumer awareness of safeguards and standards. The Securities and Exchange Commission study recommends that it be a requirement for anyone offering financial advice to be held to the same fiduciary standard that financial planners and advisers are held to. This would include broker-dealers, as has not been the case in the past.

The reason for this is that both this study and a report by the Government Accountability office show that most consumers have no idea about the different standards and regulations that people dispensing financial advice must adhere to.

FINRA, the financial industry’s self regulating organization, issued a statement noting that “investors deserve the same level of protection regardless of whether they are dealing with a broker or investment advisor”.

For a full article regarding these two reports, you can visit the Consumer Reports website.

How Important is Social Media To Project Managers?

When most people think of social media, they think of Facebook and maybe Twitter. But social media is any web based platform that creates the possibility of two way interaction. It’s also about more than just having fun – it’s about forming and nurturing relationships – even for business.

So it’s no surprise that Kevin Eyres, managing director for LinkedIn Europe, has been announced as the keynote speaker for this year’s PMI Global Conference 2011 which will take place in Dublin, Ireland at the Convention Centre Dublin, May 9-12. According to the announcement, “Eyres will draw from his experience with one of the world’s largest professionally focused social networks to address how the use of social media can enhance the value project managers bring to their organisations.”

The PMI Global Congress 2011 will take place in Dublin, Ireland at the Convention Centre Dublin, May 9-12.

The #1 Mistake PMs Make in A Phone Interview…

Can you guess what the #1 mistake Project Managers make in a phone interview? According to a recent article at the PMI website, it’s “being too vague, generic and abstract in their answers”, notes Lucy Cherkasets Montin, director of training services at Clarity Media Group.

She suggests that you should have some anecdotes prepared that illustrate your value. Armed with three specific situations in your current or previous job that show how you effectively solved a problem or attained company goals can really help you get noticed.

Some other ways to be prepared for a phone interview include remembering to take it seriously – in other words – just because it’s over the phone, don’t take it lightly. Be prepared, schedule an appointment time and treat it as if it were a face to face. The article even suggests dressing for the call, because although no one can see you – YOU will feel more professional and it will come through in your presence.


And remember, when you’re looking for a job, employers consider credentials and your professional education. Visit the Kaplan Continuing Education website to learn more about how we can help support your professional career.

The 2011 NAPGCM 27th Annual Conference – Early Bird Registration Now Open

Registration for the annual conference is now open. This year’s conference will be held in New Orleans at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel. This hotel is located on the historic Canal Street streetcar line and is just steps from the French Quarter.


This year’s conference will feature presentations, workshops and of course, opportunities to network with your peers. While you gain essential knowledge to help keep you up to date, you can also build invaluable relationships.

Sessions and workshops include:

Spousal Caregiving and Passages in Care Giving – Turning Chaos into Confidence

Adding Value to Your GCM Practice with Home Health Care Specialists

Healthcare Reform and Care Management: How to Capitalize on Government Incentives for Coordinated Care

How Health Professionals Can Help Prevent Elder Financial Exploitation: A Workshop for GCMs

Elder Mediation: Role and Opportunities for Care Manager

If you’re interested in registering for the event, you can visit the NAPGCM website for more information.

Friday, February 18, 2011

PMI Project of the Year Award – Deadline March 1, 2011



As a Project Management professional, you already know about the Project Management Institute. But, did you know that you can submit a project to win the PMI Project of the Year Award?

This award is given based on a completed project which exhibits exemplary execution of project management. The project, project manager and entire team are recognized for their contribution.

You can view this PDF to see the official guidelines, entire contest details, including entry criteria, judging criteria and more.

Good luck to all the entries!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

AHIMA Coding Resources & Links

For all the Medical Coding professionals out there, we wanted to provide a link to a great resource available from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

Check out the Coding Resources and Links page at the AHIMA website. This page has a wealth of information to support your professional growth and keep you aware of changes.

You don’t notice it at first, but you need to click on the “tabs” that appear on the page to reveal the information. Once you do, you’ll see best practices, publications, external source material and FAQs - all compiled into a single web page for your future reference. Definitely “bookmark” worthy!

We hope you find this link helpful – and share it with your Coding colleagues.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Check Out Our Latest Program - Web Design and Development Certificate

Internet technology is rapidly changing – and is having a large impact on shaping the world today. Students and professionals need to be well-versed and prepared for the technological changes they will face not only today, but also in the future.

Kaplan Continuing Education (KCE) announces the new Web Design and Development Certificate program that helps individuals prepare for career opportunities including user interface design, building websites, creating web applications, eCommerce, internet marketing, and more.

The Web Design and Development Certificate with Kaplan Continuing Education (KCE)
offers three online tracks:

  • Web Development Foundations Track
  • Website Developer Track
  • Web Application Developer Track

Visit KCE’s Web Design and Development Certificate webpage for more information or call us at 866.542.4042.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Dental Office Management Certificate




According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Dental Office Managers and other occupations in the dental field are some of the fastest growing careers with long-term national employment projected to increase through 2018.

In as little as 6 months, you can complete Kaplan Continuing Education’s (KCE) Dental Office Management Certificate, and be on your way to a career in the dental field.

KCE’s Dental Office Management Certificate will prepare you to manage dental and medical records, create cost-effective practices, master dental terminology, provide services an efficient office, and examine billing and coding practices.

For more information about KCE’s Dental Office Management Certificate or other Continuing Education Certificates, visit kaplancontinuingeducation.com or call us at 866.542.4042.