Soft Skills

Course Overview

Having effective administrative skills are essential in today’s work environment. Being organized, punctual and effective in your communication skills, both written and verbal are crucial if you want to achieve your goals in any endeavor you pursue. Think of it. The current business environment is filled with many sources of information, and you have to take that information and analyze it, prioritize it, and process it to the extent where value is achieve for the organization. Good administrative skills reduce the risk of “things falling through the cracks.” Great administrative skills create exponential results that spot potential problems, overcome obstacles and leverage resources effectively.

In this course, you will learn the core skills that will help you use your resources efficiently, manage your time wisely, communicate effectively and collaborate with others skillfully. The practices presented in this module will take time to root into your daily work routine. However, making the commitment to consistently apply the concepts everyday is the key to changing and adopting new behaviors in a short amount of time.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Getting Organized; Manage their time more effectively; Prioritize their time so they can get it all done; Complete Special Tasks; Verbal Communication Skills; Non-Verbal Communication Skills; Empowering Yourself; Deal better with their managers; Taking Care of Yourself is a priority.

This workshop will help teach participants how to identify their anger triggers and what to do when they are angry.

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to :

Understand anger; Three: Do’s and Don’ts; Gaining Control; Separate the People from the Problem; Working on the Problem; Solving the Problem; A Personal Plan; The Triple A Approach; Dealing with Angry People; Pulling It All Together; Wrapping Up. Each topic is dealt with at length.

Identify financial terminology; Understand financial statements; Identify how to analyze financial statements; Understand budgets; How to make budgeting easy; Understand advanced forecasting techniques; Understand how to manage the budget; Identify How to make smart purchasing decisions;

Identify the legal aspects of finances.

Success in any industry relies on relationships, whether with co-workers, clients, suppliers or investors. When you’re well-mannered and considerate in dealing with others, you create engaging, productive and long term business relationships. Therefore, it is important to learn, not just the technical side of a business, but how to conduct one’s self in the company of others. This is where business etiquette comes in. This workshop will introduce participants to business etiquette, as well as provide guidelines for the practice of business etiquette across different situations.

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

Understand Etiquette; Network for Success; The Meet and Greet; The Dining in Style; Eating Out; Business Email Etiquette; Telephone Etiquette; The Written Letter; Dressing for Success; International Etiquette; and Wrapping Up.

Writing is a key method of communication for most people, and it’s one that many people struggle with. This workshop will give participants a refresher on basic writing concepts (such as spelling, grammar, and punctuation), and an overview of the most common business documents (such as proposal, reports and agendas), giving you that extra edge in the workplace.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Gain better awareness of common spelling and grammar issues in business writing; Review basic concepts in sentence and paragraph construction; Know the basic structure of agendas, email messages, business letters, business proposals, and business reports; Know tips and techniques to use when deciding the most appropriate format to use for agendas, email messages, business letters, business proposals, and business reports; Know tips and techniques in writing agendas, email messages, business letters, business proposals, and business reports; Gain an overview of Request for Proposals, Projections, Executive Summaries, and Business Cases; Define proofreading and understand techniques in improving proofreading skills; Define peer review and list ways peer review can help improve business writing skills; List guidelines in printing and publishing business writing.

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. This 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.

By the end of this workshop, you should be able to:

List the steps necessary for preparing a change strategy and building support for the change; Describe the WIFM – the individual motivators for change; Relate the five dimensions of the ADKAR model for understanding change on an individual level; 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 in the context of change, and employ strategies the change leader and individual change participant can use to foster resiliency; Explain the importance of flexibility in the context of change, and demonstrate methods the change leader and individual change participant can use to promote flexibility.

This workshop 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 relates directly to how well you are able to foster a great working relationship with your employees through understanding them and strategic goal setting.

An easy-to-understand coaching model taught in this workshop will guide you through the coaching process. Prepare yourself to change a few things about yourself in order to coach your employees to better performance.

Here are our learning objectives for today:

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 needed in defining options for your employee and turn them into a preliminary plan; 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 to the growth and development of your employee; Identify when the coaching is at an end and transitioning your employee to other growth opportunities; Identify the difference between mentoring and coaching, using both to enable long-term development through a positive relationship with your employees.

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 that you give to the cat, it all means something. This workshop will help participants understand the different methods of communication and how to make the most of each of them.

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

Understand what communication is; Identify ways that communication can happen; Identify barriers to communication and how to overcome them; Develop their non-verbal and verbal 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.

Wherever two or more people come together, there is bound to be conflict. This course will give participants a six-step process that they can use and modify to resolve conflicts of any size. Participants will also learn crucial conflict resolution skills, including dealing with anger and using the Agreement Frame.

Understand what conflict and conflict resolution mean; Understand all six phases of the conflict resolution process; Understand the five main styles of conflict resolution; Be able to adapt the process for all types of conflicts; Be able to break out parts of the process and use those tools to prevent conflict; Be able to use basic communication tools, such as the agreement frame and open questions; Be able to use basic anger and stress management techniques.

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. This 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.

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

Understand problems and the creative problem solving process; Indentify 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; Use idea generating tools, such as affinity diagrams, word chaining, the box method, the six thinking hats, and the blink method; 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; Follow up with solution implementation to celebrate successes and identify improvements.

Each and every one of us serves customers, whether we realize it or not. Maybe you’re on the frontlines 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. This workshop will look at all types of customers and how we can serve them better and improve ourselves in the process.

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

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 is defined as a set of competencies demonstrating the ability one has to recognize his or her behaviors, moods, and impulses, and to manage them best according to the situation. This course will give you the tools you need to be emotionally intelligent in your workplace. An employee with high emotional intelligence can manage his or her own impulses, communicate with others effectively, manage change well, solve problems, and use humor to build rapport in tense situations. These employees also have empathy, remain optimistic even in the face of adversity, and are gifted at educating and persuading in a sales situation and resolving customer complaints in a customer service role.

Whatever the mind can conceive and

This workshop is designed to help you in the following ways:

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.

Facilitation is often referred to as the new cornerstone of management philosophy. With its focus on fairness and creating an easy decision making, facilitation can make any organization make better decisions. This workshop will give participants an understanding of what facilitation is all about, as well as some tools that they can use to facilitate small meetings.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Define facilitation and identify its purpose and benefits; Clarify the role and focus of a facilitator; Differentiate between process and content in the context of a group discussion; Provide tips in choosing and preparing for facilitation; Identify a facilitator’s role when managing groups in each of Tuckman and Jensen’s stages of group development: forming, storming, norming and performing; Identify ways a facilitator can help a group reach a consensus: from encouraging participation to choosing a solution; Provide guidelines in dealing with disruptions, dysfunctions and difficult people in groups; Define what interventions are, when they are appropriate and how to implement them.

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. While having various cultures in one workplace can present communication problems and conflicts, the benefits of such a variety in the workplace outweigh it. Both the young and older worker have many ideas to offer, which can help the organization thrive in the marketplace. Learning how to deal with the generation gap at work will help you become a better manager or co-worker. This workshop will help you understand the various generations present at work and understand what motivates each of together.

The Generation Gaps at Work workshop will teach the following:

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.

Although we all know that training can have many amazing benefits, sometimes it can be hard to prove those benefits and attach a dollar value to training. Some topics, like sales training or time management, might have direct, tangible benefits. Other topics, like communication or leadership, might have benefits that you can’t put a dollar value on. In this course, we will learn about the different ways to evaluate training progress, and how to use those results to demonstrate the results that training brings.

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

Understand Kolb’s learning styles and learning cycle; Understand Kirkpatrick’s levels of evaluation; Be familiar with many types of evaluation tools, including goal setting, tests, reactionary sheets, interviews, observations, hip-pocket assessments, skill assessments, and learning journals; Understand when to use each type of evaluation tool; Be able to perform a needs assessment; Know how to write learning objectives and link them to evaluation; Be able to write an evaluation plan to evaluate learning at each stage of the training and far beyond; Know how to identify the costs, benefits, and return on investment of training; Be familiar with the parts of a business case.

As companies modify priorities and operations, human resources functions can move from a dedicated HR role, to that of the manager. Whether the majority of those important functions stays within HR at your organization, or is your responsibility as a manager, it is important that managers understand how much of their role is really about their people, as well as aspects of legislation, policy, and procedures that involve human resourcing issues.

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

Describe the implications of different aspects of Human Resource Management on your daily responsibilities; Define human resources terms and subject matter; Recruit, interview, and retain employees more effectively; Follow up with new employees in a structured manner; Be an advocate for your employees’ health and safety; Provide accurate, actionable feedback to employees; Act appropriately in situations requiring discipline and termination; Evaluate some of the strengths and opportunities for Human Resources in your own workplace; Identify three areas for further development within the Human Resources field as part of a personal action plan.

We’ve all met that dynamic, charismatic person that just has a way with others, and has a way of being remembered. This workshop will help participants work towards being that unforgettable person by providing communication skills, negotiation techniques, tips on making an impact, and advice on networking and starting conversations.

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

Understand the difference between hearing and listening; Know some ways to improve the verbal skills of asking questions and communicating with power; Understand what is ‘non-verbal communication’ and how it can enhance interpersonal relationships; Identify the skills needed in starting a conversation, moving a conversation along, and progressing to higher levels of conversation; Identify ways of creating a powerful introduction, remembering names and managing situations when you’ve forgotten someone’s name; Understand how seeing the other side, building bridges and giving in without giving up can improve skills in influencing other people; Understand how the use of facts and emotions can help bring people to your side; Identify ways of sharing one’s opinions constructively; Learn tips in preparing for a negotiation, opening a negotiation, bargaining, and closing a negotiation; Learn tips in making an impact through powerful first impressions, situation assessment, and being zealous without being offensive.

Searching for a job can be intimidating. How do you know what job you’re best suited for? How do you build a winning résumé and cover letter? Where can you find job leads? How do you network without feeling nervous? What happens when you land an interview? And most importantly, where do you find help when you need it? This course will give you the answers to all these questions, plus a plan to get you to a new job within a short space of time. After completing this program, you’ll be more than ready to start your search for your perfect job.

This workshop is designed to help you in the following ways:

Define your objectives and purpose in your search for employment; Help you establish SMART goals in the job-hunting process; Assist you in developing a first month plan of action for your job search; Craft an effective resume; Form an attractive cover letter; Develop and present a portfolio of your prior work; Learn networking skills in finding leads for jobs; Efficiently get interviews and thrive in the interview process.

Welcome to the Knowledge Management workshop. Today’s culture thrives on knowledge. It is evident in the items we buy or activities we invest time managing. Possessing knowledge gives advantages in making the right decision or strategy to implement. The Internet distributes knowledge at split-second rates. Laptops and cell phones bring knowledge to our fingertips. As the old adage says, “knowledge is power.” Organizations have a wealth of knowledge accessible through the people they touch internally, like employees, and externally, like customers. Organizations that allow knowledge to go unmanaged may be giving their competitors the upper hand in the market. The organization that is able to capture, store, and retrieve knowledge effectively is then capable of learning as an organization. A learning organization is one where employees are empowered to change and develop new methods, thoughts, and strategies that will advance the mission of their organization. Knowledge Management is the establishment of a system that captures knowledge purposefully for incorporating into business strategies, policies, and practices at all levels of the company. This course will teach the learner how to initiate a knowledge management program at work. When it comes to knowledge management, any organization is able to implement a strategy. Wherever there are humans working together for one goal, there is knowledge to be harvested, stored, and dispensed as needed.

At the end of this class you, as participants will achieve the following objectives:

Understand the basic concept of knowledge management (KM); Identify the do’s and don’ts of KM; Identify the KM live cycle; Identify the new KM paradigm; Identify the KM models; Understand how to build a KM rational for your company; Understand how to customize KM definitions; Identify the steps to implementing KM in your organization; Identify tips for success; Understand the advance topics in KM.

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. There are countless war stories of simple GI’s and sailors who rose to a challenge on their own in the heat of battle.

Clearly, leadership potential exists within each of us. That potential can be triggered by outside events, or it can be learned by exploring ourselves from within. This training takes the latter approach. Once you learn the techniques of true leadership, 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.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

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 Coaching; Explain leading by Participating; Explain leading by Delegating; Kouzes and Posner; Conduct a personal inventory; Create an action plan; Establish personal goals.

The last couple of decades small, mid-sized and Fortune 500 companies have embraced Six Sigma to generate more profit and greater savings. So what is Six Sigma? Six Sigma is a data-driven approach for eliminating defects and waste in any business process. You can compare Six Sigma with turning your water faucet and experiencing the flow of clean, clear water. Reliable systems are in place to purify, treat and pressure the water through the faucet. That is what Six Sigma does to business: treats the processes in business so that they deliver their intended result. What is "Sigma"? The word is a statistical term that measures how far a given process deviates from perfection. Sigma is a way to measure quality and performance.

The central idea behind Six Sigma is that if you can measure how many "defects" you have in a process, you can systematically figure out how to eliminate them and get as close to "zero defects" as possible.’

The objectives of this Workshop are:

Develop a 360 degree view of Six Sigma and how it can be implemented in any organization; Identify the fundamentals of lean manufacturing, lean enterprise and lean principles; Describe the key dimensions of quality – product features and freedom from deficiencies; Develop attributes and value according to the Kano Model; Understand how products and services that have the right features and are free from deficiencies can promote customer satisfaction and attract and retain new customers; Describe what is required to regulate a process; Give examples of how poor quality affects operating expenses in the areas of appraisal/inspection costs, internal failure costs and external failure costs; Using basic techniques such as DMAIC and how to identify Six Sigma Projects; Use specific criteria to evaluate a project; Discover root causes of a problem; Design and install new controls to hold the gains and to prevent the problem from returning.

You are on your first project and you have to organize and manage the project kick-off meeting. What do you do first? Do you create the agenda or the invitation list? How do you run a meeting? What preparation do you need? All of these are valid and real questions you, as the meeting manager, must address. There is no doubt about it. Meetings require skill and technique in order for the meeting to achieve its purpose. Disorganized and poorly managed meetings waste time and hurt your credibility as a meeting manager. Consistently leaving a poor impression with the attendees will haunt you if left unchecked.

This training course is designed to give you the basic tools you need to initiate and manage your meetings. You will learn planning and leading techniques that will give you the confidence to run a meeting that will engage your attendees and leave a positive and lasting impression. This is a hands-on workshop and your participation will help make it a valuable experience. Use this time to begin the process of developing your skills along with other participants who share the same desire to improve their meeting management skills.

Here are our learning objectives for this course:

Planning and Preparing; Identifying the Participants; How to choose the time and place; How to create the agenda; How to set up the meeting space; How to incorporate your electronic options; Meeting Roles and Responsibilities; Use an agenda; Chairing a Meeting; How to deal with disruptions; How to professionally deal with personality conflicts; How to take minutes; How to make the most of your meeting using games, activities and prizes.

Employee Motivation is becoming ever more important in the workplace as time goes on, and everyone agrees that a motivated workforce is far more likely to be a successful workforce. The happier and more professional an employee is, the better the results they will deliver for you. Of course, every employer wants to make sure that they have a workforce who will do their best, but this does not simply mean making the job easy for their employees. In fact, part of the problem of motivation is that where the job is too easy, employees become complacent.

There is therefore a challenge for all employers and management in delivering the right balance between a confident, motivated workforce and a workforce which is driven to attain goals. It can be described as a mix between the pleasure of a comfortable working environment and the fear of failure, although in honesty it is more complicated than that equation suggests. Regardless of how it is characterized, it is important to get the right balance in order to ensure that you have a motivated workforce. This manual is designed to show participants the way to get the best out of a confident, motivated set of employees, and to show them how to motivate that group.

Here are our learning objectives for this course:

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.

Although people often think of boardrooms, suits, and million dollar deals when they hear the word “negotiation,” the truth is that we negotiate all the time. For example, have you ever…

Decided where to eat with a group of friends?

Decided on chore assignments with your family?

Asked your boss for a raise?

These are all situations that involve negotiating! This workshop will give participants an understanding of the phases of negotiation, tools to use during a negotiation, and ways to build win-win solutions for all those involved.

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

Understand the basic types of negotiations, the phases of negotiations, and the skills needed for successful negotiating; Understand and apply basic negotiating concepts: WATNA, BATNA, WAP, and ZOPA; Lay the groundwork for negotiation; Identify what information to share and what to keep to yourself; Understand basic bargaining techniques; Apply strategies for identifying mutual gain; Understand how to reach consensus and set the terms of agreement; Deal with personal attacks and other difficult issues; Use the negotiating process to solve everyday problems; Negotiate on behalf of someone else.

Most people wish they had more time in a day. This workshop will:

  • Show you how to organize your life for more productive living
  • Find hidden moments in relishing down time to better rebalance energy levels
  • Learn how to set goals and establish routines, to create efficient environments
  • Adapt and use time-honored plus new planning and organizational tools to maximize personal productivity.

When deadlines and stress-related activities force people to rush helter-skelter into producing outcomes that are irrelevant and impractical, it’s time to take a breather. It’s time to exhale stale, old ideas. And, inhale new inspiration for joyful living that produces quality outcomes. We’ll examine, discuss and role play innovative ways to enhance personal productivity during this workshop.

At the end of this workshop, you should be able to:

Take time out to decompress and refocus for more productive project outcomes; Make the effort to express good will, respect and empathy for others; Adapt to unexpected requests of individuals and teams by going with the flow; Keep up with information dynamics; attend to needs promptly and efficiently; Show more respect and compassion to others to enhance productivity; Mutual sharing and accepting different interests, information and ideas; Remember to smile warmly to show appreciation and gratitude.

This program can benefit anyone who presents; a trainer, a meeting facilitator, speaker, or seminar discussion leader. No matter which role you are assuming, this workshop will help you become more efficient and proficient with the skills of providing information to others.

By the end of this workshop, you should be able to:

Perform a needs analysis and prepare an outline; Select presentation delivery methods; Practice verbal and non-verbal communication skills; Knock down nervousness; Develop and use flip charts with color; Create targeted PowerPoint presentations; Utilize white boarding for reinforcement; Describe how video and audio enhance a presentation and list criteria for determining what types to use; Enrich the learning experience with humor, questions, and discussion.

In the past few decades, organizations have discovered something incredible: the principles that have been used to create enormous successes in large projects can be applied to projects of any size to create amazing success. As a result, many employees are expected to understand project management techniques and how to apply them to projects of any size.

This workshop will give participants an overview of the entire project management process, as well as key project management tools that they can use every day.

By the end of this workshop, you should be able to:

Define projects, project management, and project managers; Identify the importance of the PMBOK and PMI; Identify the five process groups and nine knowledge areas as defined by the PMI; Describe the triple constraint; Perform a project needs assessment and write goals, requirements, and deliverables; Create key project documents, including the statement of work, project planning worksheet, and project charter; Build a project schedule by estimating time, costs, and resources; Understand and use the work breakdown structure; Create project planning documents, such as a schedule, risk management plan, and communication plan; Use planning tools, including the Gantt chart, network diagram, and RACI chart; Establish and use baselines; Monitor and maintain the project; Perform basic management tasks, including leading status meetings and ensuring all documents are complete at the end of the project.

A good proposal doesn’t just outline what product or service you would like to create or deliver. It does so in such a way that the reader feels it is the only logical choice. This course will take participants through each step of the proposal writing process, from understanding why they are writing a proposal; to gathering information; to writing and proofreading; to creating the final, professional product.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Identify the purpose of a proposal; Identify different types of proposals; Identify and perform the steps in the proposal writing process; Perform a needs analysis and write a goal statement; Prepare a proposal outline; Improve their writing skills with a variety of techniques; Use appropriate resources and ghosting to build a strong case; Add illustrations to their proposal; Proofread and edit their proposal; Add the finishing touches to create a professional-looking final product.

According to a 1973 survey by the Sunday Times of London, 41% of people list public speaking as their biggest fear. Forget small spaces, darkness, and spiders – standing up in front of a crowd and talking is far more terrifying for most people.

However, mastering this fear and getting comfortable speaking in public can be a great ego booster, not to mention a huge benefit to your career. This workshop will give you some valuable public speaking skills, including in-depth information on developing an engaging program and delivering your presentation with power.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Identify their audience; Create a basic outline; Organize their ideas; Flesh out their presentation; Find the right words; Prepare all the details; Overcome nervousness; Deliver a polished, professional speech; Handle questions and comments effectively.

Although the definition of a sale is simple enough, the process of turning someone into a buyer can be very complex. It requires you to convince someone with a potential interest that there is something for them in making this interest concrete – something that merits spending some of their hard-earned money. This workshop will give participants a basic sales process, plus some basic sales tools, that they can use to seal the deal, no matter what the size of the sale.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Understand the language of sales; Prepare for a sales opportunity; Begin the discussion on the right foot; Make an effective pitch; Handle objections; Seal the deal; Follow up on sales; Set sales goals; Manage sales data; Use a prospect board.

Positive and negative stress is a constant influence on all of our lives. The trick is to maximize the positive stress and to minimize the negative stress. This workshop will give participants a three-option method for addressing any stressful situation, as well as a toolbox of personal skills, including using routines, relaxation techniques, and a stress log system.

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

Identify the best approach to a stressful situation (Alter, Avoid, or Accept); Understand what lifestyle elements you can change to reduce stress; Use routines to reduce stress; Use environmental and physical relaxation techniques; Better cope with major events; Use a stress log to identify stressors and create a plan to reduce or eliminate them.

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. This 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.

By the end of this workshop, you should be able to:

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.

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. This workshop will encourage you to explore the different aspects of a team, as well as ways that they can become a top-notch team performer.

By the end of this workshop, you should be able to:

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.

Time management training most often begins with setting goals. These goals are recorded and may be broken down into a project, an action plan, or a simple task list. Activities are then rated based on urgency and importance, priorities assigned, and deadlines set. This process results in a plan with a task list or calendar of activities. Routine and recurring tasks are often given less focus to free time to work on tasks that contribute to important goals. This entire process is supported by a skill set that should include personal motivation, delegation skills, organization tools, and crisis management. We’ll cover all this and more during this workshop.

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

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.

Whether you are preparing to be a professional trainer, or you are someone who does a bit of training as a part of their job, you’ll want to be prepared for the training that you do. This workshop will give all types of trainers tools to help them create and deliver engaging, compelling workshops that will encourage trainees to come back for more.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Define training, facilitating, and presenting; Understand how to identify participants’ training needs; Create a lesson plan that incorporates the range of learning preferences; Create an active, engaging learning environment; Develop visual aids and supporting materials; Manage difficult participants and tough topics

With the world becoming more mobile and diverse, diversity has taken on a new importance in the workplace. This workshop will help participants understand what diversity is all about, and how they can help create a more diverse world at work and at home.

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

Explain the definition, terms and history of diversity; Describe the meaning of stereotypes and biases, how they develop, and the reasons for your own perspectives; List strategies for removing barriers to encouraging diversity for yourself, in the workplace, and in the social community; Use active listening skills to receive messages in a diverse population, employ effective questioning techniques, and communicate with strength; Understand the importance of body language, both your own, and that of others, and recognize its importance in interpersonal communications; Identify ways to encourage diversity in the workplace, and prevent and discourage discrimination; Understand and respond to personal complaints, and develop a support system to manage the resolution process; List the steps a manager should take to record a complaint, analyze the situation, and take appropriate resolution action; Identify the process an organization must follow to receive and respond to a complaint, and then creating mechanisms to prevent or reduce repeat situations.

Workplace Harassment can be based on a variety of factors that differ from the one doing the harassment, such as race, sex and disability. THREE MAIN ACTIONS THAT CONSTITUTE HARASSMENT:

  • When someone is doing something to you to make you uneasy
  • When someone is saying something to you to make you feel uneasy
  • When someone knowingly puts your life at risk in some way

This course will give you the tools necessary to recognize harassment in the workplace as well understand your rights and responsibilities under the law, with regard to safety in the workplace.

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

Identify the words and actions that constitute harassment; Understand what the law says about harassment; Implement anti-harassment policies; Educate employees and develop anti-harassment policies; Discuss employer and employee’s rights and responsibilities; Address accusations of harassment; Apply proper mediation procedures; Deal with the aftermath of harassment.