Administrative Support Training - Office Professional Certification Program (OPCP)

Office Professional Certification Program Brochure

Module 1 - Ultimate Brand Professionalism

This module, as part of the Office Professionals Certificate Program, takes an in-depth look at creating a professional and personal brand. Assessing the image one currently projects and recognizing the ideal is the beginning. Participants hone skills in projecting confidence, winning respect, demonstrating proper business etiquette, and learning how to manage themselves and adapt to every situation with grace and self-assurance. Through various activities and group discussions, they will visit workplace scenarios that can be uncomfortable, but call for professional behaviors and responses. They will learn techniques for balancing the demands of work and home and giving 100% to their employers. They will prepare themselves for new responsibilities.

See the outline here.

Module 2 - Working with Others

This module, as part of the Office Professionals Certificate Program, contains opportunities for participants to look at how their attitudes, beliefs, and personalities may be affecting their ability to successfully work with others. Exercises help them become more proactive and interactive and better manage time and priorities. They will practice influencing, rather than telling, working toward win-win negotiations, and managing emotions under pressure. They will see how learning to take an interest, rather than a position decreases conflict. They will explore techniques for building bridges, not walls. In small groups, they will simulate in-house and virtual teams to learn better collaboration skills. Internal and external customer service techniques which add value will be included. They will complete a Personal Action Plan to transfer skills they learned to their particular job situations and improve their ability to work with others.

See the outline here.

Module 3 - Management Skills OP

This module, as part of the Office Professionals Certificate Program, provides the skills needed to work successfully with team members. It includes thinking strategically, critically analyzing problems, and applying techniques for making the best decisions. Participants learn how to prioritize tasks and manage assigned projects, delegating when it’s required, and providing constructive feedback for continuous improvement. Through experiential  activities and exercises, participants practice the skills and learn how their behaviors affect the success of the team. They see that it is necessary to put self-interests aside and manage emotions under pressure. As roles and functions frequently overlap in the workplace, having strong management skills is essential.

Module 4 - Interpersonal Skills: Making the Connections OP

This module, as part of the Office Professionals Certificate Program, is designed to improve communication skills across generations, with multi-cultural, and diverse groups. Techniques for effective listening, questioning, delegating, and collaborating are stressed. Individuals will assess their own communication styles, discuss the styles of others, and how to adapt for better interpersonal relations, inside and outside the workplace. Skilled communicators are the bedrock of strong and successful teams. In today’s business world, the companies that stand out from the rest are those that value diversity in every form—all ages, cultures different than our own, people of all races, religions, and ethnicity, speaking various languages—that’s our future.

Module 5 - Leadership in the New Workplace

Successful leaders are recognized through their behavior and people management skills. Leadership not only exists at the top, it exists at all levels, including the beginning level. This is especially true today and for future work environments. It is expected that all staff have a leader mindset to tackle a variety of responsibilities and tasks. Therefore, it is important to know what leadership is and is not.

This session serves as a means for understanding and demonstrating the fundamentals and strategies of effective leadership. You will gain insight into yourself, as well as your teammates.

Realize that it is a journey, so allow the insight gained from this experience to serve as a guide to identify skills you must learn and master, to demonstrate effective leadership.

Module 6 - Effective Writing Skills

This module, part of the SyN Office Professionals Certificate Program, is designed to increase one’s proficiency in business writing. All professionals should be skilled in sending messages to recipients so that they are understood and achieve the desired outcome. The intent is to deliver a succinct, clear, and precise error-free document. Whether the format is a letter, e-mail, report, or other type of writing, the basics remain the same. These basics include usage, punctuation, spelling, and subject-verb agreement. In fact, writers gain credibility when the essential grammar skills are prevalent. This lively session will provide solid examples with opportunities to practice. Your teams will value this day for the opportunity to acquire a set of writing tools that will enhance their professional careers for life. Success is a journey and not a destination—this module will contribute to immeasurable success!

Module 7 - Communication Skills Relationship Building

This module, as part of the Office Professionals Certificate Program, will teach effective communication, using hands-on experiential learning. Participants will apply active listening to accurately interpret messages. They will gain skills in people reading by relating to the emotions and feelings of others. This builds and maintains trusting relationships—the basis of all exceptional work teams. Because they interact with many people inside and outside the organization, they will gain confidence and skill communicating at all levels and during difficult situations. The art of small talk to gain access to any group and expand networks will be a focus. They will examine how social media can impact both a personal and professional image. And they will accomplish more by working with and through others.

Module 8 - Value Added Professionalism

This module, as part of the Office Professionals Certificate Program, is designed to assist individuals in developing a personal professional career plan, to enhance their contributions in their current roles and add to their skill base for the future. They will examine career options and their readiness to expand responsibilities. Participants will actively create a plan for themselves that includes continuing education, building relationships, mastering technology, perfecting interviewing skills, and using performance reviews as growth opportunities. They will match the skills to the organization’s changing needs and goals. They will be introduced to many unique resources that will help them increase their productivity and become a vital, value-added office professional.

AA Certificate Program

Communication

Assertiveness Skills for Office Professionals

Assertiveness is only difficult because it’s misunderstood. Understanding what assertiveness really is gives us the comfort level to incorporate it into all our communication. Assertiveness becomes the one great option for effective communication. We’ll build the comfort necessary to embrace the tools of assertiveness and improve communication with everyone!

See the outline here.

Becoming a Value-Added Office Professional

This highly interactive session is designed to assist individuals in developing a Personal Professional Career Plan. It will enhance their contributions in their current roles and add to their skill base for the future. Participants will examine career options, the skills needed for advancement, and their current readiness to expand their responsibilities. Participants will actively create a plan for themselves that includes continuing education, building relationships, mastering technology, perfecting interviewing skills for internal movement, and using performance reviews as growth opportunities. They will match their skills to the organization’s strategic goals.

See the outline here.

Collaboration and Communication Toolkit for Managers and Supervisors

This interactive program involves participants in the collaboration/communication process from beginning to end with a simulation of the collaborative process. Clients may provide an organization-specific situation for the simulation to replace the more general standard simulation.

Participants will build a shared understanding of what collaboration is and what it can do for them and their organization. They will learn the necessary steps and practical strategies needed to achieve the best results. Communications techniques are embedded at each stage of the collaborative process to help participants use more effective communications to achieve better outcomes.

This program can be adapted for teams/departments or for front-line employees.

See the outline here.

Communicating Effectively

Having the skills and abilities to communicate and collaborate are critical today in any organization! It takes developing trust, respect, and commitment, too. They’ll learn the secrets to communicating collaboratively and creating win-win situations.

This seminar provides strategies, techniques and tools to empower participants to handle any situation by learning the secrets to communicating collaboratively and creating win-win situations.

Communicating Professionally with Tact and Diplomacy

You cannot NOT communicate! Use the power of communication to build better relationships, improve interactions, enhance teamwork, and increase productivity. As a side effect, you’ll reduce stress and conflicts, improve your work environment, enhance creativity, and build self-esteem. And if words are golden, why not start mining!

Communication is the key to superior relationships and success with everyone we encounter, especially customers. Yet despite our good intentions, communication can flounder, especially when emotions run strong. Learn why communication problems arise and how to prevent them. In this valuable program, you’ll learn more than just how to talk and listen. You’ll learn priceless tools and techniques to enhance relationships, increase influence, and prevent and respond to challenging conversations. You’ll solidify relationships and your reputation as an agency.

Present your ideas in a way that causes others to hear them with an open mind. Communicate with people of different personality types, ages, and tendencies. Learn how listening can give you stronger control over a conversation and increase understanding, plus prevent conflicts. Be able to take responsibility and raise issues with co-workers, customers, and others even when the conversation becomes difficult. Develop the courage and tools to communicate directly to people to increase team work, enhance service effectiveness and improve all relationships. And stay cool, calm, and professional no matter what the situation.

See the outline here.

Communicating with Confidence in a Group Setting

– Deliver your message with confidence and poise.

-Organize your thoughts to be persuasive or informative.

-Conduct meetings with greater ease.

-Remain calm, cool and collected. Increase your credibility; staying “cool” under pressure.

-Field questions or challenges without a hitch. You’ll learn solid approaches to help you stay composed when someone challenges your thoughts … or asks a question you know you can’t answer.

-Keep your foot out of your mouth. You’ll learn techniques that will help you

prevent embarrassing verbal slip-ups before they happen.

-Avoid “mindlock” or jumbled words that could make you lose your train of thought

and your concentration.

-Get your point across clearly. Craft a message that achieves your ultimate goals.

-Recognize how to defuse critics before they start to talk.

-Use persuasion to add strength to your facts.

Some call it “building rapport” . . . others call it “persuasion” . . . still others call it “image building” Whatever it’s called, we are more effective and successful when we use it.

We’ll assess personal strengths and challenges in “selling” yourself and your ideas. You’ll have opportunities to develop a strategy which will work for YOU. Use real-life situations to apply subtle and not-so- subtle persuasion techniques. You will be able to practice your communication skills in a safe and fun learning environment.

Communication Skills: Effective Communication Skills

We are always communicating. Whether we’re speaking, listening, or even sitting still, something is always being communicated. However, no one is born a great communicator; we generally pick up skills (and bad habits!) along the way. This workshop will provide insights into the key components of effective communication while engaging the participants through hands-on experiential group activities.

Communicate with Tact and Professionalism: Build Bridges instead of Walls

Professional communications involve two or more people, either in person or electronically. Rude, abrupt or graceless messages rarely build relationships and good will or persuade others to collaborate or cooperate, regardless of the method of delivery. Tact and diplomacy are not always natural skills, nor is the thinking which leads to the appropriate behaviors.

Participants in this highly interactive program develop the thought process and the language, as well as the behaviors of tactful, professional communications. Case studies role plays, and scripting reinforce the course content.

Dealing with Difficult People

When we see them approaching, do we slide into the nearest vacant office? Does their voice on the telephone or name on the “sender” line cause prickles of unease? Exploders – Bullies – Know-It-Alls – Whiners – Snipers – Sneaks – Backstabbers: these are just a few of the well-known, but not-beloved characters who rob us of energy, reduce teamwork, and challenge our patience. This program helps participants identify their reactions to difficult people and learn new ways to flex their behavior and communications for better results. Participants will learn to think and act confidently when interacting with them.

See the outline here.

How to Communicate with Impact and Influence: Building Strong Relationships beyond Words

You cannot NOT communicate! Use the power of communication to build better relationships, improve customer interactions, enhance teamwork, and increase productivity. As a side effect, you’ll reduce stress and conflicts, improve your work environment, enhance creativity, and build self-esteem. And if words are golden, why not start mining!

Communication is the key to superior relationships and success with everyone we encounter. Yet despite our good intentions, communication can flounder. Learn why communication problems arise and how to prevent them. In this valuable program, you’ll learn more than just how to talk and listen. You’ll learn priceless tools and techniques to enhance relationships and increase influence.

Present your ideas in a way that causes others to hear them with an open mind. Communicate with people of different personality types, ages, and tendencies. Learn how listening can give you stronger control over a conversation and increase understanding. Be able to take responsibility and raise issues with co-workers, clients, and others even when the conversation becomes difficult. Develop the courage and tools to communicate directly to people to increase team work, effectiveness and improve all relationships.

See the outline here.

How to Manage Conflict with Tact and Confidence

Conflict is normal. As long as we are all different, we will have conflict. It is how we manage the conflicts we experience that is the key to superior relationships and success with customers, clients and team members. Through this highly interactive program, you will learn how conflicts arise and how to prevent them. Recognize four distinct stages in conflicts and how to confidently respond to each to resolve the conflict from early stages filled with negative emotions and defensiveness, to verbal explosions and threats. Eliminate any need for scripts by knowing what to say when. And know how to re- establish solid relationships to prevent future conflicts.

Practice critical communication skills to both raise and respond to conflict at all levels. Be able to listen effectively, even if you initially disagree with the speaker. Learn de-escalation techniques when emotions run hot, and redirect people back to solutions.

Be able to take responsibility and raise issues with managers, co-workers, clients and others even when the conversation becomes difficult. Develop the courage and tools to tactfully address conflicts, increase team work, effectiveness and improve all relationships.

Improving Communication -- DiSCovering Communications Improvements

Everyone has developed behavioral patterns, or distinct ways of thinking, feeling and acting. Through an understanding of your behavioral style, you have an opportunity to increase your personal effectiveness in a range of inter-personal situations, including coaching others, working on teams, selling, resolving conflict, providing customer service and managing diversity.

This program will help you more accurately read other people and interact more effectively for more positive results. You’ll see the power of advanced behavioral science, translated into actionable information that helps you on-the- job. You’ll learn how to adapt your conversation and writing to create an environment where the people you work with are more cooperative and more open to your initiatives.

Positive Confrontation and Conflict Management

Conflict and confrontation are often viewed as negative or destructive. This seminar focuses on understanding conflict and engaging appropriate strategies to work towards win-win outcomes. A variety of techniques and strategies which fit different personalities and situations will be explored.

Managing conflict means sometimes reaching a satisfactory resolution – and sometime not. It could also mean coping with a situation in which the most positive outcome isn’t possible.

Power Communication for Women

Say what you need to say, when you need to say it.  Powerful women learn how to communicate assertively without being labeled aggressive.  Communication is an art, a dance that we do to gain rapport and credibility.  “Power Communication for Women” will help you master the art form of communicating with power and finesse.

Communicating effectively gives you a leg up in every interaction.  Though you may be amazing at what you do, if you can not communicate effectively you will never excel.  In today’s world, top-notch communication skills are an absolute must.

This, fast paced, hands-on workshop will help your team take their learning to a deeper level as they get involved in the development of the skills that will allow them to better communicate and excel.

See the outline here.

Powerful Communication Skills

Communication is the key to superior relationships and success both with customers, clients and team members. Yet despite our good intentions, communication can flounder.

Learn why communication problems arise and how to prevent them. Know how to communicate with people of different personality types and tendencies. Be able to listen effectively, even if you initially disagree with the speaker. Be able to take responsibility and raise issues with managers, employees, co-workers, clients and others even when the conversation becomes difficult. Develop the courage and tools to communicate directly to people to increase team work, effectiveness and improve all relationships.

See the outline here.

Skill Based Negotiation (Two Day Session)

One of the biggest fears of negotiation is that money will be left on the table. In the extreme, this fear prevents some people from entering into – or staying in – the negotiation process. For others, money actually is left on the table because they haven’t grasped all the nuances of the process.

And there is a process. It is made up of understanding five outcomes, two strategies and, of course, a myriad array of gambits which can be identified.

Build your confidence, sharpen your knowledge and hone your negotiating skill in this interactive workshop which makes negotiation an engagement to celebrate rather than a tough deal to get through.

Using accelerated learning principles for teaching and engaging adults, this workshop relies upon interactive exercises, relevant business examples and participant involvement to reinforce application.

What is outlined below is appropriate for an in-depth two day program. A one day version is more of a fast-paced survey of the objectives and topics described. The “SKILLS PRACTICE” is not included in the one day version.

See the outline here.

Customer Service

Customers for Life - Gaining Life-Long Customers

Utilize the secrets to gaining and retaining life-long customers.  Discover how, in the age of the quick-change customer, you can make and keep customers for life.  Learn how to earn the constant and well-deserved trust of customers and clients who will make you an important part of their support system.

Growth typically comes from two areas, current customers continuing to do business with you and the acquisition of new customers.  Loyal, happy customers will continue to spend their dollars with your organization and they are also more likely to refer your organization to others.  Trusted referrals can elevate your organization over the competition.

See the outline here.

Delivering Remarkable Customer Service

This customer service course is designed to meet the needs of both internal and external customer service representatives. No matter what job we are in we are dealing with customers. This course is designed to help each customer service representative focus their attention solely on a daily basis on what the customer needs.

See the outline here.

Exceptional Customer Service

The purpose of this course is to develop skills to provide exceptional customer service. The course will instruct the participant on how to quickly develop rapport with a customer over the phone or face to face. Learn skills that will enable you to take control of a  quickly determine personality type and use the information to better communicate. Find out how to defuse an irate caller and communicate with confidence. This workshop will include interactive participation and coursework. Participants will be able to easily apply the concepts to their day to day work requirements.

See the outline here.

Outwit, Outlast, OutServe: Ultimate SERVival

This session is designed to provide participants with the skills and confidence they need to deliver an exceptional customer experience. The following outline reflects content for a full day of training. Additional customer service training modules are available.

 

As a result of this training, participants will know the critical importance of the customer experience. They will be able to build better customer relationships, interact optimally, communicate more effectively with customers and be able to do an effective service recovery. In addition, participants will understand the significance of being an internal customer service team.

STARPOWER! Create Award-worthy Customer Experiences on the Phone

Customers today want much more than facts delivered quickly. They want a Customer Experience that makes them feel like #1! How they feel is as important as what they want.

This highly interactive program helps employees “produce, direct, and star” in Winning Customer Experiences. Participants expand their thinking to include both external and internal customers. Delivering STARPOWER customer service on the phone has unique challenges because there is no face-to-face interaction. This program focuses on use of voice, tone, pace, inflection and other elements to create a positive mental video for the caller.

STARPOWER also includes powerful skills for thinking, planning, and acting the role of STAR Customer Experience Provider. Also included are strategies for handling challenging situations or people, and positive conflict resolution. Special BONUS section includes tips for managing stress in a fast-paced, demanding environment – like a call center or high volume activity.

Who are YOUR CUSTOMERS?: It Takes 4 To Tango

In It Takes 4 To Tango, the facilitator will take you through a brilliant exploration of behavioral styles that will make you think, laugh, even dance…and recognize your true self and your customers. You’ll also learn to overcome personality differences that lead to problems like communication breakdown, negotiation letdown, and delegation fall-down by learning the secrets to connecting and partnering with other personality styles.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Better Communication for a Diverse Workforce

Unconscious Bias in Diverse Workplaces

See the outline here.

Building Positive, Diverse, and Inclusive Teams

Executive

Executive Core Competencies

This interactive and content rich program prepares leaders and future leaders to thrive at a top-tier level. With an emphasis on the “must have” skill sets to lead others and achieve results, this program stimulates “big picture” thinking and enhances a leader’s impact.

Course Objective:

  • Self-Leadership: How to Establish and Maintain and
  • Executive Presence.
  • Lead Others: How to Get the Most Out of People.
  • Execute and Drive Result: How to Achieve Success at
  • Every Level.

Finance

Budgeting

A major element of financial data activity rests in budgeting. Budgeting is the process of allocating finite resources to the prioritized needs of an organization. In most cases, for a governmental entity, the budget represents the legal authority to spend money. Adoption of a budget in the public sector implies that a set of decisions has been made by the governing board and administrators that matches a government’s resources with the entity’s needs.

Budgeting, Forecasting, Strategic Plans Series

This Budgeting series is geared toward non-accountant personnel with the purpose of creating an understanding of the basics of Budgeting and how budgets relate to the use of Forecasting and Strategic Planning. It is useful at all levels and for those wanting to increase or refresh their budgeting knowledge.

HealthCare

HealthCareAct Made Easy 1.0

This program includes topics such as the multiyear timetable, individual mandates, health insurance exchanges, The Affordable Care Act (ACA), etc.

See the outline here.

Human Resources

FMLA -- What Managers and Supervisors Need To Know

All too often managers and supervisors erroneously believe that the administration of all employee benefit and leave programs, including the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), is the sole responsibility of the HR Department (HR). They also falsely believe that they are immune from personal liability if they deny an employee rights the worker might have under the FMLA.

Managers and supervisors must know and understand that it is the responsibility of an organization, through its managerial personnel, to ensure that the company properly identifies any and all situations that may indicate a need to advise an employee about FMLA.

An employee does not have to specifically request FMLA, but it is the responsibility of managers and supervisors to be sensitive to identifying situations that may warrant this type of leave.  Failure to do so places the organization in a non-compliance situation with a federal law and regulations and liable to any and all disciplinary actions deemed necessary by the Department of Labor. It may also result in direct, personal liability to a manager or supervisor that denies an employee his or her rights under the FMLA.

See the outline here.

Front Desk Safety

As a dedicated front desk professional, you juggle many tough responsibilities. One of the most important is serving as “lookout” for anything that might threaten the safety and security of employees and guests. And, in this day and age, there’s really no telling how serious a security threat you may find yourself coming up against. Should the worst-case scenario actually occur, and workplace violence threatens, you’ll know exactly what to do – without putting yourself at greater risk.

Your organization counts on you to handle any and all situations that come in the front door. Don’t run the risk of being unprepared or unsure of how to respond in an emergency situation. The safety and security of your co-workers and visitors –not to mention yourself is far too important to be left to chance.

You’ll master dozens of proven methods for spotting and effectively handling suspicious behavior . . . you’ll discover the safest ways to accept deliveries . . .learn which policies and procedures may be putting employees at risk . . . and find out how other companies have beefed up security without looking like Fort Knox.

See the outline here.

Preventing Injury and Illness in the Hospitality Industry

Working in the hospitality industry is dangerous.

Common hazards hospitality employees may encounter include: bloodborne pathogens associated with handling and laundering bed linens soiled with human bodily fluids; ergonomic issues related to lifting and twisting while engaging in housekeeping maintenance and repair activities; exposure to hazardous chemicals; slips-trips- and-falls in all areas of the facility; unexpected start-up or sudden release of stored energy by equipment and machinery being serviced and maintained; fire and other high heat hazards in foodservice areas; exposure to high heat while working out-of- doors during grounds keeping; and more…

This fast paced, how-to session provides specific guidance on what dangers hospitality employees face and, more importantly, how to prevent, avoid and mitigate those hazards.

Sexual Harassment and the Law

With numerous court decisions and rapidly changing employment laws giving employees new protection in the workplace, it’s far too easy for employees to sue their employers. It doesn’t matter if it is a misguided manager or a disgruntled employee, the grievance can cause extraordinary disruptions to a company, a career or an employee and cost big bucks in liability to everyone involved before it’s all over.

– What It Is and Isn’t –Sexual Harassment and the Law

– Do you think “that” crossed the line?

– The 2 types of Sexual Harassment

– When Does An Employer Become Liable?

– When horseplay crosses the line

– How your response can make an employee sue

– Conducting a Through and Legal Investigation

– Know your rights under the law

– Why you can’t afford to brush off any complaint

– A Complaint Against Management Is A Whole New Ball Game

– Can the employee sue you and the company too?

– What does your Sexual Harassment policy say?

This legal survival guide is important training no organization should be without. Managers and employees who thoroughly understand the consequences of their personal decisions and actions are less likely to end up in court.

See the outline here.

Workplace Diversity in the 21st Century

This program is designed to include all types of diversity including gender differences, age, technology, physical disabilities, culture, and religion. It includes self-assessments and exercises that may surprise both long- term employees as well as those that are new to the workplace. Participants will discover ways that we put people into categories almost immediately upon meeting them. Those categories include but are not limited to: Appreciation, Acceptance, and Tolerance. This session is designed to provide participants the opportunity to recognize their differences while understanding that I am not different from you, but I am different like you.

Interpersonal

Balancing Work and Life…in a Crazy, Connected World!

In this crazy, connected world, you have instant access to everything/everybody via electronic devices. But those entryways to your attention cause a myriad of distractions that leave you unfocused, stressed…and out-of- balance! This session will get you back in the swing of balance with an energetic power-charge! You will learn how to apply attention and mindfulness to your own work/life experiences. And you will learn common-sense strategies to cope with commotion, keep your cool, and claim your life balance.

See the outline here.

Become a Peak Performer

Peak Performance Today

-Achieving Peak Performance

-How to Increase Your Energy

-Developing the Habit of Now

Do Less and Achieve More: Priorities and Goals

-Grey Areas: When Is It Really a Priority

-Pareto Principle Applied

-Goal Setting for Greater Success

-The Importance of Planning

Getting More Done by Working with Others

-Getting Others to Cooperate

-Managing Interruptions

-Coordinating Demands and Schedules

-Communicating and Negotiating Effective Deadlines

Creating a Productive Work Environment

-Design Ergonomic Workplaces for Peak Performance

-Personal Designs for Efficiency

Time Management: Mastering the Minute

-Twenty Biggest Time Wasters

-Building Awareness with Time Logs and Peak Time

-Fourteen Ways to Push Off Procrastination

-Managing Interruptions

-Nineteen Golden Tips for Peak Productivity

Getting Organized with Paper, Clutter, E-mails and More

-Creating a Flow to Get on the Go

-Manage E-mail Effectively

-Handling Permanent Files

See the outline here.

Business Professionalism

A professional is someone who has great skill and/or experience in a particular field or activity. It is someone who demonstrates the methods, standards and characteristics that are communicated through their competence in fulfilling the responsibilities of a particular field or occupation.

This session is designed to provide participants with skills for fulfilling their existing roles. It also instills a sense of protocol and attitude that will enhance their standing and opportunities to excel in building a satisfying career.

See the outline here.

Becoming a Value-Added Office Professional

This highly interactive session is designed to assist individuals in developing a Personal Professional Career Plan. It will enhance their contributions in their current roles and add to their skill base for the future. Participants will examine career options, the skills needed for advancement, and their current readiness to expand their responsibilities. Participants will actively create a plan for themselves that includes continuing education, building relationships, mastering technology, perfecting interviewing skills for internal movement, and using performance reviews as growth opportunities. They will match their skills to the organization’s strategic goals.

See the outline here.

Collaborating with Colleagues

Effective collaboration requires different approaches to different situations and individuals. During this breakout session you will learn powerful collaboration concepts and strategies that will take you from average to remarkable!

We deliver a common sense approach with strategies and techniques you can apply immediately. This course is for anyone who career requires them to work collaboratively with co-workers as well as other departments within the organization.

Dealing with Difficult People

When we see them approaching, do we slide into the nearest vacant office? Does their voice on the telephone or name on the “sender” line cause prickles of unease? Exploders – Bullies – Know-It-Alls – Whiners – Snipers – Sneaks – Backstabbers: these are just a few of the well-known, but not-beloved characters who rob us of energy, reduce teamwork, and challenge our patience. This program helps participants identify their reactions to difficult people and learn new ways to flex their behavior and communications for better results. Participants will learn to think and act confidently when interacting with them.

People Manager Transition Skills

Transitioning to people manager or supervisor requires a new mindset in addition to new skills. This highly interactive program offers the opportunity to clarify the new role of supervisor as well as provide opportunities for new supervisors to brainstorm, plan, prevent, and strategize how to deal with common issues that arise for new supervisors.

In addition to addressing the role change, participants discover how to maneuver their middle role and communicate both up and down the organization. They learn to address concerns with upper management as well as motivate and instruct front line employees. From clarifying expectations, facilitating meetings, dealing with employees’ conflicts, and challenges, participants explore and acquire critical tools that lead to success.

Performance Management: Coaching, Mentoring and Counseling Employees

Being a leader today means more than just being a boss. It means being a motivator and coach! Gain the critical skills it takes and achieve more than ever before!

Times have changed, and so has your role as a leader. Being a leader means more than just telling people what to do, then disciplining them when they don’t do it. In today’s world, it means creating an environment where people do without being asked. It means coaching people to become all they can be, and even more.

To make that happen, it takes a confident coach. Learn how to create a climate for effective employee coaching, learning, and mentoring. Gain an arsenal of tools and techniques to motivate peak performers, encourage promising employees, deal with poor performance, give feedback, and more. You’ll gain important insights into what it takes to create an effective coaching environment, even if you’ve never done it before.

Through surveys and discussions, learn to leverage your personal style with the styles and diversity of your employees’ communication and learning styles. Brainstorm solutions to commons challenges faced in your special work environment and organizational culture. Develop coaching plans for employees and practice approaches with other participants. Leave this intensive 6-12 hour program ready to turn your employees into self-motivated, peak performers!

The Problem Solving and Decision-Making Workshop

Problems, problems, problems…life is full of them and the decisions you have to make to solve them. Your professional and personal success depends upon your ability to solve problems and make good decisions….fast! Bad decisions or delayed decisions cost your company and team time and money. Learn what it takes when you need to know what to do and following a mere hunch won’t work.

During this fast-paced, practical two-day workshop, you’ll learn why many of us hold back from effectively solving problems and making decisions and how to develop the confidence it takes to make the leap. Discover your special problem management style and know when it is most effective and when to adapt your style to different problem-solving and decision challenges.

Implement step-by- step processes and models, so ultimately you can be confident you’ve discovered the best solution and made the right decision in any situation. And just as importantly, be able to communicate to get commitment and follow through.

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Leadership

Change Management

This interactive session is designed to provide participants with tools and resources for thriving during times of change. Change generally takes people by surprise. But it is their change reaction that causes the biggest problems. By better understanding change and the stages of reactions, individuals can maneuver and adapt faster. Participants will gain techniques for anticipating change and developing a proactive attitude toward it.

-Identify factors that cause a “change reaction”

-Discover the stages of change

– Identify ways of finding stability in an ever-changing world

– Gain a better understanding of yourself, your reactions, and your

motivations

– Learn ways of becoming proactive with change

See the outline here.

Accountability and High Performance: How Outstanding Government Employees Create Extraordinary Results

Peak performance, 100% accountability, and full engagement – The expectations for those who serve as government employees are high. This class delivers powerful, practical and proved strategies so you can bring your “A Game” to work each day. Using cutting edge research and field-tested solutions, you’ll discover how to consistently and with sustainable energy create reputation-defining results.

The format for this class is lively and interactive. We’ll have plenty of activities and discussions to keep these golden nuggets of knowledge fun and relevant for your professional and personal life.

Collaborative Leadership

This seminar focuses on how each employee is important to overall organization and team performance. In today's competitive work environment, effective teams make the difference between success and failure. Leaders need to understand the process of team development and how to maintain motivation to achieve organization goals.

This seminar provides strategies, techniques and tools to grow collaborative work groups and teams and meet challenges. We explore the methods to move from Forming to Performing as members learn to trust and respect one another.

– Develop collaborative teams that work together

– Get employees to value and respect one another

– Deal with problem team members

– Understand getting to consensus

– Gain group problem-solving methods

– Learn 10 steps to team development

Creative & Innovative Thinking – The Next New Skill

This facilitated learning experience cultivates the intellectual talent of all employees by tapping and nurturing their creative thinking while connecting it to problem solving, process improvement, and the overall ability to think.

– Cultivating competitive growth through tapping the creative potential of every employee

while nurturing a creative culture

– To conduct a workshop that nurtures and increases the functionality of the right brain

and the imagination (the source of ideation, innovation, process improvement and

problem solving

– To connect creative thinking to problem solving and more effective decision-making

– To provide practical, easy to use tools to generate and nurture ongoing creative thinking

– To learn how to think

Critical Thinking for the 21 st Century

This facilitated learning experience cultivates the intellectual talent of all employees by tapping and nurturing their creative thinking while connecting it to problem solving, process improvement, and the overall ability to think critically.

– Develop the skills to learn increase critical thinking abilities

– Discover the critical thinking potential on competitive growth cultural influence

– Identify ways to inspire innovation, process improvement and problem solving by

increasing right brain functionality

– Evaluate the level of impact critical thinking has on decision-making and

effective problem solving

– Gain practical, easy to use, tools to generate and nurture a critical thinking

culture

See the outline here.

Delegation Skills

This interactive session will provide managers with the tools necessary to delegate effectively. The program begins with how to set SMART goals then develop systems to assure that they are achieved. It will also provide the participants with the skills necessary to deliver both positive reinforcement and corrective feedback when needed. The program will be hands-on with role play and coaching provided by the instructor.

– Develop objective expectations for the workforce

– Write SMART goals to increase productivity

– Understand open and close-ended questions

– Give precise task instructions

– Deliver appropriate feedback based on performance

Developing your Emotional Intelligence

People with high emotional intelligence are consistently the top performers in their organizations. They demonstrate resilience and flexibility when things get tough, and are held in the highest regard by their bosses, peers, co-workers and others. The emotional intelligence skills you will learn, will help you gain the ability to more appropriately respond to the world around you and eliminate the stress and frustration that comes with working with others.

See the outline here.

Effective Leadership Skills

The old strategies of managing and supervising simply do not work for today’s workforce. The objective of this seminar is to develop and reinforce strong leadership skills to motivate by focusing on the coaching approach. Participants will learn how to determine and address the needs of the team members, build morale, and provide a motivating environment that will inspire and guide their staff to new levels of success. This workshop will be fast-paced and highly interactive, allowing participants to tap into the expertise of their peers and gain strategies and solutions that will translate into phenomenal leadership abilities.

– Identifying key leadership qualities

– Discovering essential coaching techniques

– Gaining tips for communicating effectively with direct reports

– Providing best practices for mentoring individuals

See the outline here.

Employee Engagement Strategies for Managers and Supervisors

– Define what Employee Engagement really is – and what it isn’t

– Assess the potential ROI for the organization, department, employees

– Understand Four Core Elements of an effective EE strategy

– Define employee roles and how each affects organizational performance

– Engage new employees immediately

– Re-engage disconnected or discouraged employees

– Identify behaviors and communications techniques which reinforce EE

 Practice and adapt techniques to fit workplace environment

 Develop a preliminary, customized EE Action Plan to implement immediately.

 Create a checklist of long-term action items

See the outline here.

Giving and Receiving Feedback: Best Practices for Increasing Employee Performance

This is highly interactive training session is designed to increase employee performance by giving and receiving feedback that clearly communicates recommended areas of improvement and performance expectations. Participants actively create goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.

– Discovering effective communication strategies for giving/receiving feedback

– Identifying best practices for providing positive feedback as well as instances where corrective actions are required

– Creating environment for gaining feedback

Leadership Skills for Non-Supervisors

Leadership skills for non-supervisors training course is designed to teach you how to lead from your role in the organization.  This course helps you improve the key skills you would need to gain the respect and support of others.

It is often thought that leadership belongs only to supervisors, managers, CEOs, and other top executives of an organization, while leadership is an essential skill which every individual at any level should learn and develop for the organization to grow and reaches its goals and objectives. The leadership skills for non-supervisors course helps you develop such skills. This training helps you step by step to become a leader.  The leadership skills for non-supervisors course teaches you how to communicate effectively, manage your time, prioritize your tasks, solve problems, make decisions, build strong relationships, and align your goals with your organization’s goals and mission.

Leading in Times of Change

Learn practical tools to define your role as leader during organizational and industry changes. Understand the dynamics of change and improve your efficiency and the productivity of your team. Establish a foundation of stability that allows you and your team to accept and succeed during change and turbulence. Be able to head off potential problems and orchestrate a team that not only survives, but thrives during times of uncertainty and drastic change.

 

-Discover success strategies for leading teams during times of change

-Identify ways to lead a productive team during periods of change

-Discover communication strategies that build trust and stability

Strategic Thinking and Leadership Productivity

Strategic leadership, like direct and organizational leadership, requires leaders to make decisions after processing often-incomplete data and assessing alternatives. This rigorous process is followed by the challenge to generate support through formal and informal communication channels. However, strategic leaders’ decisions affect more people, require more resources, and have wider-ranging consequences in both space and time than do decisions of organizational and direct leaders.

Taking the LEAD by Taking RISKS

Did you grow up hearing and believing: If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen? Don’t rock the boat? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it? Those risk-avoidance mindsets might influence the way you engage in leadership. Don’t gamble on your present or future results! In this session you will exercise your “risk-taking” muscles and learn practical strategies for purposeful risk-taking to develop the head, heart and guts of leadership. This experiential approach will help you flip those clichés, internalize connections to real-life situations, and make this session lively and fun! RISK IT!

– Discover your risk-taking versus risk-avoidance mindset as a leader.

– Identify practical strategies to take purposeful risks for enhanced leadership.

– Examine the correlation between you taking the right risks and the positive impact it will have on your leadership style, the accomplishment of your organization’s mission, and on the people you serve.

The Challenge of Leadership

This workshop provides a clear, practical look at the qualities and characteristicsof leaders and leadership situations and focuses on practical problems and situations of the work environment. The emphasis is on learning proven ways of thinking and acting in leadership situations. Baseline definitions of leadership will provide a starting point for the discussions of the workshop. The emphasis is on the primary skills needed for success – Communication, Time/Priority Management, Team Development, Motivation, and Performance Feedback. These skills are essential in effectively leading organizations and keeping the workforce engaged and focused.

Thriving in Times of Change

-Understanding and Coping with Change

-Managing Changing Priorities and Regaining Balance

-Gaining Cooperation and while Achieving Efficiency

-Taking Care of Yourself while Coping with Change

Understanding Personality Styles and Their Significant Impact

This course will teach participants to identify, acknowledge and work successfully with all personality types.

Leadership Certification Program

Module 1 - Resultant Skills Sets For Employees

-Better understand the impetus for organizational change by seeing the big picture and the effect global changes and technology are having on business.

-Relate to changes taking place within the organization by learning how power shifts are happening on a larger scale and affecting all businesses.

-Gain insight into the shift of the business focus to strategy, values, and relationships and how organizations must change to adapt to this new focus and why it is necessary to survive and thrive.

-See that the adjustments being asked of them are not personal, but related to a change in business strategy.

-Grasp the major changes taking place where people work, who these people are, how the work will be affected, and the new behaviors they must learn to create a successful outcome.

Module 2 - Developing Individuals For New Roles And Responsibilities

-Self-Assessments

-Identifying strengths and skill gaps

-Feedback

-360° assessments; projecting an image
Career Development – Training and succession planning
Coaching And Mentoring

Module 3 - Developing On-Site And Virtual Work Teams

-Teams Across Generations; Teams Across Cultures

-Matching Talent To Roles/Functions; Rotating Leaders

-Creating Cohesive Virtual Teams

-Team Meetings And Communication

Module 4 - Thinking Skills Required Of Today’s Leaders

-Dealing With Change, Ambiguity, And Complexity

-Strategic Thinking

-Innovation (Products, Processes, And Communication)

-Creative Problem Solving

-Decision Making And And Risk Taking

Module 5 - People Skills – Interpersonal Influence: The Game Changer

-Motivation And Engagement

-Delegation And Follow-Up

-Conflict Resolution And Negotiation

-Building Trust And Confidence

Module 6 - Communication Skills: Your Competitive Edge

-The Communication Process

-Listening And Interpreting Non-Verbal Behavior

-Responding; Giving And Receiving Feedback

-Presentation Skills

-Communicating Across Time And Space

Module 7 - Writing For Results: Hitting The Mark Every Time

-Understanding Your Purpose And Audience

-Clear, Concise Messages That Get Read And Get Results

-Grammar And Style

-Technical Writing

-Writing Letters, Memos, E-Mail, And More

-Proofreading For Error-Free Documents

-Basics Of Graphic Design To Enhance Readability

Module 8 - Managing Tasks And Processes For Optimal Outcomes: Building Business Acumen

-Using Data And Metrics (Track And Measure)

-Budgets And Finances

-Organization And Time Management

-Planning And Goal Setting

-Project Management

Module 9 - Technology: Extending Your Outreach

-Social Media – Internal And External Communication

-Collaborative Technologies

-Virtual Technologies

-Learning Technologies

Module 10 - Creating And Sustaining A High-Performance Organization

-Establishing A Continuous-Learning Environment

-Initiating A Culture Of Innovation

-Using Diversity As A Competitive Advantage

-Supporting A Team-Based And Collaborative Workplace

Organization and Time Management

Basics of Effective Project Management

This program addresses both technical skills and people skills of project management through three frames of reference: being on time, on target, and on budget. Whether project goals include planning a conference or planning a case management process, participants are constantly reminded of the necessity for making sure their projects hit the mark, and they are equipped with the practical skills to make sure they are successful. This seminar is divided into four segments:

– The Process of Project Management, its uniqueness as a team entity and the characteristics successful project “managers” possess.

– The Project Team, assessing, organizing, motivating, and scheduling for maximum performance.

– The Project-Planning Process identifies the techniques and tactics for cost containment, effective decision-making, and project fulfillment.

– The Problems of Project Management identifies team stress and project pitfalls that cause delays. This segment also addresses the issues of interpersonal relationships on a project team.

Fundamentals of Successful Project Management

In this interactive program participants go from knowing nothing about project management to being able to apply key ideas and tools. Audiences love this program with its small groups and exercises.

Managing Multiple Deadlines, Priorities and Projects (1 Day Training Program)

Does this sound familiar? You have increasingly more projects to manage, tasks to complete and deadlines to meet. You could get it all done, if it weren’t for the constant interruptions of people, phone calls, e-mail and the emergencies of the day. Learn the shortcuts that super-achievers use.

See the outline here.

Maximum Retention Training

No doubt, turnover and poor employee engagement are extremely costly. Research reveals that employees don’t quit organizations, they quit the people. Additionally, the #1 driver of poor employee engagement is how an employee feels at work, Specifically, how their leader makes them feel.

In this fast-paced and interactive program, professionals will discover what they can do to maximize retention. With a focus on daily decisions and specific actions professionals can take, this program can reduce the high-cost of turnover, absenteeism, low morale and poor employee engagement.

Organizational Strategies that Get Results (1 Day)

Identify ways to effectively manage your time, space, & priorities to work smart, and get results. Increase awareness of our individual organizational behaviors and how that might help or hinder the results we’re trying to achieve.

Personal Accountability

This session is designed to identify ways to effectively manage your time, space, and priorities to increase your personal accountability to work smarter and achieve results. Increase awareness of our individual behaviors and how that might help or hinder the results we’re trying to achieve.

Essential Business Presentation Skills (Three Day Workshop)

1. Refine approaches for assessing and pinpointing audience needs, concerns and issues.

2. Engage effectively, relevantly and powerfully with audience members.

3. Strengthen confidence and polish presentation skills in three essential areas: platform presence, media management and audience interaction.

Time Management

This session is designed to identify ways to effectively manage your time, space, and priorities to increase your ability to work smarter and achieve results. Increase awareness of our individual organizational behaviors and how that might help or hinder the results we’re trying to achieve.

See the outline here.

Presentation Skills

How to Deliver Dynamic Presentations and Briefings

Participants learn critical skills to enhance their abilities to deliver briefings and presentations. Using new, engaging approaches, participants will also acquire the confidence to present ideas succinctly and clearly. Be able to develop visual aids, handouts, and incorporate engaging activities to capture audiences and enhance retention.

Participants will be able to demonstrate knowledge and credibility one-on-one, in meetings to peers or high-level officers. They will be able to win over difficult people with solid presentation and facilitation skills.

Making Effective Presentations

The most successful leaders, managers, sales executives, and trainers in every business and profession all share one key ability – excellent communication skills. They are clear, concise and persuasive.

Successful completion of this course will increase the participant’s ability to:

– Design and deliver informative presentations

– Improve overall speaking skills and stage presence

– Appear spontaneous in a well-researched and rehearsed program

– Deal with distractions and hecklers

– Speak to audiences of any size.

– Understand the importance of room set-up

The Eloquent Executive: How to Communicate with Tact and Skill for Leaders

-Communication: The Language of Leaders

-Knowing Your Audience

-Leader-Speak: How to Speak so People Will Listen

-Power through People: How to Build Instant Rapport

-Keys to Powerful Meetings and Presentations

-The Power of Listening

-Difficult Conversations: How to Influence Others

-Conflict: Real and Up-Front

-Special Conversations Requiring Skills of the Savvy

-Personal Action Plan

Technology

Be the Boss of Microsoft Word

  1. Working with Shapes/Pictures
  2. Working with Smart Art/Charts
  3. Tables
  4. Mail Merge
  5. Manipulating Data
  6. Other Excel Features

Maximizing Your Time Using Microsoft Outlook

  1. What’s New
  2. Composing and Sending Emails
  3. Organizing and Finding Information
  4. Using the Calendar
  5. Manipulating Data
  6. Other Excel Features

Microsoft Excel – Power Techniques

  1. Analysis Tools
  2. Advanced Formulas
  3. Excel and the Web
  4. Macros
  5. Manipulating Data
  6. Other Excel Features

Written Communication

Business Writing made Fun & Easy

This seminar offers participants an opportunity to write powerfully, clearly, and professionally. In addition, participants will be given a writing toolbox filled with the essential tools needed to complete every writing task.

– Business Writing Goals

– Action Plan

– Assessment

Editing and Proofreading for Today’s Workplace

– Produce clear and concise documents consistently

– Quickly assess how much time to spend on each process

– Manage the challenges of on-screen editing and proofreading

– Streamline sentences and paragraphs for greater impact

– Edit a document to align with its purpose and audience

– Determine when to edit or proofread from hard copy.

– Reduce time spent editing and proofreading while maintaining quality

– Minimize image-killing errors and omissions