Training Topics

Self-confident and assertiveness are two skills that are crucial for success in life. If you don’t feel worthy, and/or you don’t know how to express your self-worth when communicating with others, life can be very painful. These skills will provide opportunities and benefits to your participants in their professional and personal lives. The Assertiveness And Self-Confidence workshop will give participants an understanding of what assertiveness and self-confidence each mean (in general and to them personally) and how to develop those feelings in their day-to-day lives. These skills will encompass many aspects of your participant’s lives and have a positive effect on all of them.

Course Objectives:

• Define assertiveness and self-confidence, and list the four styles of communication
• Describe the types of negative thinking, and how one can overcome negative thoughts
• Explain the difference between listening and hearing.
• Define the importance of goal setting, and practice setting SMART goals for assertive behavior
• Utilize methodologies for understanding your worth — and the use of positive self-talk
• List reasons why a pleasing appearance and body language are critical for creating a strong first impression
• Practice sending positive communications phrased as “I-Messages”
• Practice strategies for gaining positive outcomes in difficult interpersonal situations.

Change is a constant in many of our lives. All around us, technologies, processes, people, ideas, and methods often change, affecting the way we perform daily tasks and live our lives. Having a smooth transition when change occurs is important in any situation and your participants will gain some valuable skills through this workshop. The Change Management workshop will give any leader tools to implement changes more smoothly and to have those changes better accepted. This workshop will also give all participants an understanding of how change is implemented and some tools for managing their reactions to change.

Course Objectives:

• List the steps necessary for preparing a change strategy and building support for the change
• Describe the WIFM (what’s in it for me) – the individual motivators for change
• Use needed components to develop a change management and communications plans, and to list implementation strategies
• Employ strategies for gathering data, addressing concerns and issues, evaluating options and adapting a change direction
• Utilize methods for leading change project status meetings, celebrating a successful change implementation, and sharing the results and benefits
• Describe the four states of Appreciative Inquiry, its purposes, and sample uses in case studies
• Use strategies for aligning people with a change, appealing to emotions and facts
• Describe the importance of resiliency and flexibility in the context of change.

You are in your office looking over your performance report and it happened again. Your low performing employee failed to meet quota this month even after you spoke with them about the importance of meeting goals. This employee has a great attitude and you know they can do better. You just do not know how to motivate them to reach the goal. Money used to work, but that has worn off. You are baffled and you know being frustrated makes matters worse. What do you do? The Coaching And Mentoring focuses on how to better coach your employees to higher performance. Coaching is a process of relationship building and setting goals. How well you coach is related directly to how well you are able to foster a great working relationship with your employees through understanding them and strategic goal setting.

Course Objectives:

• Define coaching, mentoring and the GROW model.
• Identify and set appropriate goals using the SMART technique of goal setting.
• Identify the steps necessary in defining the current state or reality of your employee’s situation.
• Identify the steps in developing a finalized plan or wrapping it up and getting your employee motivated to accomplish those plans.
• Identify the benefits of building and fostering trust with your employee.
• Identify the steps in giving effective feedback while maintaining trust.
• Identify and overcoming common obstacles.
• Identify when the coaching is at an end and transitioning your employee to other growth opportunities.
• Identify the difference between mentoring and coaching.

For the better part of every day, we are communicating to and with others. Whether it’s the speech you deliver in the boardroom, the level of attention you give your spouse when they are talking to you, or the look you give the cat, it all means something. The Communication Strategies workshop will help participants understand the different methods of communication and how to make the most of each of them. These strategies will provide a great benefit for any organization and its employees. They will trickle down throughout the organization and positively impact everyone involved.

Course Objectives:

• Understand what communication is
• Identify ways that communication can happen
• Identify barriers to communication and how to overcome them
• Develop their non-verbal and paraverbal communication skills
• Use the STAR method to speak on the spot
• Listen actively and effectively
• Ask good questions
• Use appreciative inquiry as a communication tool
• Adeptly converse and network with others
• Identify and mitigate precipitating factors
• Establish common ground with others
• Use “I” messages

In the past few decades, psychologists and business people alike have discovered that successful problem solvers tend to use the same type of process to identify and implement the solutions to their problems. This process works for any kind of problem, large or small. The Creative Problem Solving workshop will give participants an overview of the entire creative problem solving process, as well as key problem solving tools that they can use every day. Skills such as brainstorming, information gathering, analyzing data, and identifying resources will be covered throughout the workshop.

Course Objectives:

• Understand problems and the creative problem solving process
• Identify types of information to gather and key questions to ask in problem solving
• Identify the importance of defining a problem correctly
• Identify and use four different problem definition tools
• Write concrete problem statements
• Use basic brainstorming tools to generate ideas for solutions
• Evaluate potential solutions against criteria, including cost/benefit analysis and group voting
• Perform a final analysis to select a solution
• Understand the roles that fact and intuition play in selecting a solution
• Understand the need to refine the shortlist and redefine it
• Understand how to identify the tasks and resources necessary to implement solutions
• Evaluate and adapt solutions to reality

Each and every one of us serves customers, whether we realize it or not. Maybe you’re on the front lines of a company, serving the people who buy your products. Perhaps you’re an accountant, serving the employees by producing their pay checks and keeping the company running. Or maybe you’re a company owner, serving your staff and your customers. The Customer Service workshop will look at all types of customers and how we can serve them better and improve ourselves in the process. Your participants will be provided a strong skillset including in-person and over the phone techniques, dealing with difficult customers, and generating return business.

Course Objectives:

• State what customer service means in relation to all your customers, both internal and external
• Recognize how your attitude affects customer service
• Identify your customers’ needs
• Use outstanding customer service to generate return business
• Build good will through in-person customer service
• Provide outstanding customer service over the phone
• Connect with customers through online tools
• Deal with difficult customers

Emotional intelligence describes the ability to understand one’s own feelings, and that of groups, and how these emotions can influence motivation and behavior. The concepts of Emotional Intelligence have been around since at least the 1900’s, but the term was first introduced by Wayne Payne in 1985. As a result of the growing acknowledgement by professionals of the importance and relevance of emotions to work outcomes, the research on the topic continued to gain momentum, but it wasn’t until the publication of Daniel Goleman’s best seller Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ that the term became widely accepted by mainstream media.

Course Objectives:

• Define and practice self-management, self-awareness, self-regulation, self-motivation, and empathy.
• Understand, use and manage your emotions.
• Verbally communicate with others.
• Successfully communicate with others in a non-verbal manner.
• Identify the benefits of emotional intelligence.
• Relate emotional intelligence to the workplace.
• Balance optimism and pessimism.
• Effectively impact others.

When you think of staff motivation, many things may come to mind: more money, a bigger office, a promotion, or a better quality of life. The truth is, no matter what we offer people, true motivation must come from within. Regardless of how it is characterized, it is important to get the right balance in order to ensure that you have a motivated workforce. The Employee Motivation workshop will give participants several types of tools to become a great motivator, including goal setting and influencing skills. Participants will also learn about five of the most popular motivational models, and how to bring them together to create a custom program.

Course Objectives:

• Defining motivation, an employer’s role in it and how the employee can play a part
• Identifying the importance of Employee Motivation
• Identifying methods of Employee Motivation
• Describing the theories which pertain to Employee Motivation – with particular reference to psychology
• Identifying personality types and how they fit into a plan for Employee Motivation.
• Setting clear and defined goals.
• Identifying specific issues in the field, and addressing these issues and how to maintain this going forward.

While having various cultures in one workplace can present communication problems and conflicts, the benefits of such a variety in the workplace outweigh it. The workplace can present challenges to management in terms of handling the different generations present. As older workers delay retiring and younger workers are entering the workforce, the work environment has become a patchwork of varying perspectives and experiences, all valuable to say the least. The Generation Gaps workshop will help participants understand the various generations present at work, and understand what motivates them and dealing with them on a daily basis. Both the young and older worker will have many ideas to offer, which will help the organization thrive in the marketplace. Learning how to deal with the Generation Gaps at work will help you become a better manager or co-worker.

Course Objectives:

• History behind generation gaps
• What are traditionalists
• What are baby boomers
• What are Generation Xers
• What are Generation Yers
• Differences between each type of generation
• Finding common ground among the generations
• Conflict management
• Leveraging the benefits of generation gaps at work

Everyone has dreams and goals. Achieving personal and professional goals, however, requires planning and action. Learning how to manage time and set realistic goals will increase your chance of success in every area of your life. Following the advice in this course will help increase your productivity and help you achieve your dreams.

Course Objectives:

Research has consistently demonstrated that when clear goals are associated with learning, it occurs more easily and rapidly. With that in mind, let’s review our goals for today. At the end of this workshop, participants should be able to:

• Overcome procrastination
• Manage time effectively
• Accomplish important tasks
• Self-motivate
• Create SMART goals

Customer service is a necessary position in the job world today. It helps companies give customers what they want and what they need. Although many customers can be difficult, with the right training, skills, and knowledge, any difficult customer can be handled properly and effectively. With a positive attitude, your employee can effectively deal with the most difficult customers and both parties can end the conversation satisfied. With The Handing A Challenging Customer workshop, your participants will learn how engaging customers properly can benefit both the employee and customer. Effective customer service can change a company’s reputation for the better. Through this workshop, your participants will gain a new perspective on how to react to negative customers and leave the customer satisfied and as a returning customer.

Course Objectives:

• Cultivate a positive attitude
• Manage internal and external stress
• Develop abilities to listen actively and empathize
• Build a rapport with customers in person and over the phone
• Understand the diverse challenges posed by customers
• Develop strategies to adapt to challenging circumstances

High Performance Teams are organizations, teams or groups working inside an office environment that are focused on achieving the same goals. With our High Performance Teams workshop, your participants will begin to see how important it is to develop a core set of high performance skills while working in an office locale. By knowing and managing the way people interact in an office setting, you will be positioning your high performance teams for great success!

Course Objectives:

• Understand the benefits of high performance teams
• Address challenges
• Conduct effective meetings
• Be able to see the big picture
• Work collaboratively
• Adequately praise team members

They say that leaders are born, not made. While it is true that some people are born leaders, some leaders are born in the midst of adversity. Often, simple people who have never had a leadership role will stand up and take the lead when a situation they care about requires it. A simple example is parenting. When a child arrives, many parents discover leadership abilities they never knew existed in order to guide and protect their offspring. Once you learn the techniques of true Leadership And Influence, you will be able to build the confidence it takes to take the lead. The more experience you have acting as a genuine leader, the easier it will be for you. It is never easy to take the lead, as you will need to make decisions and face challenges, but it can become natural and rewarding.

Course Objectives:

• Define “leadership”
• Explain the Great Man Theory
• Explain the Trait Theory
• Understand Transformational Leadership
• Understand the people you lead and how to adapt your leadership styles
• Explain leading by Directing
• Explain leading by Participating
• Explain leading by Delegating
• Kouzes and Posner
• Conduct a personal inventory
• Create an action plan
• Establish personal goals

With this course you will be able to provide the skills, guidance, and empowerment to your team of managers. They will then be better suited in leading and motivating their team and thus produce fantastic results. To be a successful manager means having a wide range of skills. Through this workshop you will be able to disperse your knowledge and experience throughout your leadership team. Manager Management takes a special type of leader. This workshop will expand your participant’s knowledge and provide a way for them to teach and lead new and experienced managers. As every manager knows that learning never stops, this workshop will have something for everyone.

Course Objectives:

• Welcome and orientate new managers
• Learn ways to successfully coach and mentor
• Learn ways to measure and evaluate performance
• How to handle complications
• Communicate between employees and their managers

Performance Management is making sure the employee and the organization are focused on the same priorities. It touches on the organization itself by improving production and reducing waste. It helps the employee or individual set and meet their goals and improves the employee manager relationship. The key in keeping an organization and employee aligned, which improves performance and productivity, is Performance Management. When changes occur Performance Management helps the transition to be smoother and less hectic. It helps the organization and employee have a stream-lined relationship which improves communication and interactions between the two groups. It will help close any gaps that exist in an employee’s skill-set and make them a more valuable employee through feedback and coaching.

Course Objectives:

• Define performance management.
• Understand how performance management works and the tools to make it work.
• Learn the three phases of project management and how to assess it.
• Discuss effective goal-setting.
• Learn how to give feedback on performance management.
• Identify Kolb’s Learning Cycle.
• Recognize the importance of motivation.
• Develop a performance journal and performance plan.

Most people find that they wish they had more time in a day. This workshop will show participants how to organize their lives and find those hidden moments. Participants will learn how to establish routines, set goals, create an efficient environment, and use time-honored planning and organizational tools to maximize their personal productivity. Personal Productivity is a goal most of us have. Through this workshop your participants will be on the right track in achieving that goal. Some people blame everything that goes wrong in their life on something or someone else, but through this workshop your participants will take ownership and begin to lead a more productive life.

Course Objectives:

• Set and evaluate SMART goals
• Use routines to maximize their productivity
• Use scheduling tools to make the most of their time
• Stay on top of their to-do list
• Start new tasks and projects on the right foot
• Use basic project management techniques
• Organize their physical and virtual workspaces for maximum efficiency
• Take back time from e-mail and handheld devices
• Beat procrastination

As we grow, we learn to become leaders. Being a leader is natural for some, and learned for others. No matter how we have become a leader, it is important to remember we must lead ourselves before we lead others. Take the time to motivate yourself and realize that you can do it. With our “Self-Leadership” workshop, your participants will discover the specifics of how to be a better leader for themselves and for others. Your participants will be able to guide themselves in positives ways, which equals success!

Course Objectives:

• Understand what self-leadership is
• Motivate yourself
• Set goals
• Reward yourself when positive things happen
• Think positively

Servant leadership can seem like a contradicting term, but it is becoming a very popular tool in many businesses. Servant leadership is a philosophy that involves focusing on others (i.e. your employees), and focus on their success, and in turn build better professional relationships that can benefit both manager and employee. Servant leadership shows that managers can be great leaders while boosting their employee’s confidence and further their success at the same time. With our “Servant Leadership” workshop, your participants will discover the specifics of how servant leadership works and how it can benefit both leaders and employees!

Course Objectives:

• Define servant leadership
• Know the characteristics of servant leadership
• Recognize the barriers of servant leadership
• Learn to be a mentor and a motivator
• Practice self-reflection

Supervising others can be a tough job. Between managing your own time and projects, helping your team members solve problems and complete tasks, and helping other supervisors, your day can fill up before you know it. The Supervising Others workshop will help supervisors become more efficient and proficient, with information on delegating, managing time, setting goals and expectations (for themselves and others), providing feedback, resolving conflict, and administering discipline.

Course Objectives:

• Define requirements for particular tasks
• Set expectations for your staff
• Set SMART goals for yourself
• Help your staff set SMART goals
• Assign work and delegate appropriately
• Provide effective, appropriate feedback to your staff
• Manage your time more efficiently
• Help your team resolve conflicts
• Understand how to manage effectively in particular situations
• Understand what a new supervisor needs to do to get started on the right path

Team building is an important part of the work experience. It is not only applicable to your work life, but also transfers over to your personal and social life. When working with a team, it is important to fully engage yourself. One should take the time and proper steps, to become the best team member they can be. With our Team Building For Managers workshop, your participants will learn how important team building is and how beneficial it can be. Through this workshop, your participants will gain a new perspective on teamwork, and become a valuable member to any team they are placed in. Follow the information in this workshop and create a positive atmosphere within your company with the use of teams.

Course Objectives:

• Discuss the benefits of team work
• Understand the importance of intentionally fostering teamwork
• Determine strategies your organization can take to build teams
• Understand the benefits of games and social activities in building a team
• Apply the principles of team building to your own organization

For most of us, teamwork is a part of everyday life. Whether it’s at home, in the community, or at work, we are often expected to be a functional part of a performing team. Having a strong team will benefit any organization and will lead to more successes than not. The Teamwork And Team Building workshop will encourage participants to explore the different aspects of a team, as well as ways that they can become a top-notch team performer. Your participants will be given the details and concepts of what makes up a team, and what factors into being a successful team and team member.

Course Objectives:

• Describe the concept of a team, and its factors for success
• Explain the four phases of the Tuckman team development model and define their characteristics
• List the three types of teams
• Describe actions to take as a leader – and as a follower for each of the four phases (Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing)
• Discuss the uses, benefits and disadvantages of various team-building activities
• Describe several team-building activities that you can use, and in what settings
• Follow strategies for setting and leading team meetings
• Detail problem-solving strategies using the Six Thinking Hats model — and one consensus-building approach to solving team problems
• List actions to do — and those to avoid — when encouraging teamwork

Personal time management skills are essential for professional success in any workplace. Those able to successfully implement time management strategies are able to control their workload rather than spend each day in a frenzy of activity reacting to crisis after crisis – stress declines and personal productivity soars! These highly effective individuals are able to focus on the tasks with the greatest impact to them and their organization. The Time Management workshop will cover strategies to help participants learn these crucial strategies. Your participants will be given a skill set that include personal motivation, delegation skills, organization tools, and crisis management. We’ll cover all this and more during this workshop.

Course Objectives:

• Plan and prioritize each day’s activities in a more efficient, productive manner
• Overcome procrastination quickly and easily
• Handle crises effectively and quickly
• Organize your workspace and workflow to make better use of time
• Delegate more efficiently
• Use rituals to make your life run smoother
• Plan meetings more appropriately and effectively

Having a balance between work and home life can be a challenge. With this challenge come great rewards when it is done successfully. By balancing a career with home life it will provide benefits in each environment. You will become healthier, mentally and physically, and you will be able to produce more career wise. With a Work-Life Balance you will be managing your time better. Better time management will benefit all aspects of life; you will be working less and producing more. This workshop will show how to focus on the important things, set accurate and achievable goals, and communicate better with your peers at work and your family at home.

Course Objectives:

• Explain the benefits of work life balance.
• Recognize the signs of an unbalanced life.
• Identify employer resources for a balanced lifestyle.
• Improve time management and goal setting.
• Use the most effective work methods for you.
• Create balance at work and at home.
• Manage stress.