Each of the generational groups has a different value system and way of experiencing the world and the workplace. This course is tailored to fit your department's unique needs and provides each participant the information that helps create a deeper understanding of all the generational perspectives. It also provides the communication skills to bridge the "generation gap," so staff are able to focus on their work and not on generational workplace friction.

This two-day course focuses on workplace writing fundamentals: how to effectively draft, edit, and revise letters, memos, proposals, progress/status reports, and fact sheets. Formatting tools, templates, and  “tricks of the trade” create the context in which participants not only reflect on their own writing process but also learn step-by-step formulas to write these documents. Models are provided and participants examine and learn from solid writing samples.

This course teaches participants how to understand and cope with rapid change in both their own lives and in their professional environment. The focus is on the dynamics of change and the resistance to it. Participants learn ways to stay focused and productive and techniques to cope with the fear, loss, and stress that often accompany change. This course is easily customized to fit industry, regional, or department changes.

This course addresses unmanaged conflict. Participants discuss unresolved workplace conflicts that often have disastrous consequences: increased anxiety, anger, intimidation, blame, resentment, and loss of productivity. The instructor provides the tools to manage conflict in a positive way, turning a conflict that was once a liability into an asset. This course addresses a variety of situations, from the most mundane procedural conflict to high tension and potentially explosive confrontations. This class is for all staff, from those whose first instinct is to react with anger in a difficult situation to those who avoid conflict so much they are paralyzed.

In this advanced customer service skills course, participants are shown that all internal and external contacts are customers: “clients,” line staff, managers, and professional support staff. Emphasis is on communication. Participants focus on changing and monitoring their own behavior and communication patterns to create solution-based problem solving. Heavy emphasis is paid on telephone communication with both internal and external “customers.” In addition, face-to-face de-escalation techniques are taught and practiced. Participants learn how to handle a variety of problems, including angry “clients.” Emphasis is on productive, healthy communication strategies. This is a solutions-focused course.

In this leadership course, department personnel get the opportunity and guidelines to learn the processes needed to redefine and/or create new programs, policies, and procedures. Learners practice the communication skills necessary to move forward with new ideas and create a framework for implementing a cultural change in any organization. From problem to idea, this course helps the organization facilitate change. This is a highly customizable course.

Participants discover how to get in control of their workday by learning both to prioritize and organize. Staff increase their ability to be more productive by using effective “win-win” communication techniques and practicing stress-management techniques for better results at work. The participant Action Plan acts as “follow-through” takeaway resource as does the Getting Control of Your Workday workbook.

Writing skills can be a big workplace challenge for non-native English speakers. Improving Writing Skills for Non-Native Speakers reviews the smallest building blocks of written English with focused grammar review and sentence and paragraph construction. Conquer those tricky contractions and possessive nouns! Practice correct usage of prepositional phrases, as well writing concise, complete sentences with appropriate punctuation. Many resources are shared, so the participant leaves with a roadmap to enhancing their learning outside the classroom.

Leadership and creating a safe, productive and rewarding workplace is the responsibility of all employees; it is everyone’s job. Learning basic leadership skills allows each person to contribute. The Mission Statement of an organization drives programs and defines ways that staff interact with “clients” and coworkers. Creating this kind of workplace requires authentic teamwork. Participants learn the components of leadership, teamwork, and effective ways to complete projects and/or assignments.

A great deal of time is spent preparing for work, yet almost no time is spent learning how to conduct or attend the meetings that are part of the process of getting the work done. Budget and time constraints make it crucial to make every meeting productive. In this course, participants learn to plan, organize, and conduct productive meetings, both large and small. Staff practice exercises to define the steps for meeting preparation and agenda development as well as learn ways to get people involved in the meeting. Also, strategies for action follow-up, enabling participants to implement meeting decisions and provide accountability for assigned tasks are provided in this course.

In this course, participants identify their strongest skills and capabilities as well as define their stressors, problem areas, and personal pitfalls. The instructor facilitates participants to develop approaches that improve participant effectiveness at work, within their families, within important relationships, and in all the vital areas of their lives. The training focuses on individualized assessments and personal development content and reflection, ensuring participants know exactly how to capitalize on their current strengths and how to use their best skills to create even more rewarding work lives. This is an enlightening and uplifting course, an intangible skill builder, and a gentle and affirming morale booster.

This hands-on course exposes participants to the skills, information, and practice needed to get noticed on the job, be leaders, and do well in interviews. Participants are given the opportunity to evaluate and modify their professional image and determine what professional dress and image choices will most likely get them positive results. Activities are designed to show how professional success and personal happiness are directly linked to self-confidence. In addition, participants learn, review, and practice sound interview skills. They review potential interview questions and practice communicating effectively.

Today’s professionals may need to present in a variety of contexts. Doing this well enhances personal competency and adds value to their organization and project. Learning presentation skills is not informational, it is experiential. This two-day class gives the learner a solid foundation. Specific skills are discussed and learning to give and receive feedback without defensiveness is explained and practiced as a crucial step in confident presenting. The heart of the class is practice. The most effective way to become competent is to see yourself on video and receive instructor feedback as well as that of peers. Each participant takes away a completed workbook for future reference.

In today’s climate of rapid change, early retirement, and faster promotions, staff need additional methods to manage workloads. This course focuses on creating a personal system to know how time is currently spent and ways to pre-plan time use. Participants learn stress-reducing techniques enabling them to be more efficient and better at prioritizing. They learn the dynamics of procrastination and use this information to better handle the increasing demands on their time and energy. Time is a finite component of the workday; this class enables all learners to assess how their time is spent and what activities and behaviors are not productive.

This course is great for experienced managers as well as first-time supervisors. Managers feel overworked, not only because they have their own tasks to do, but also because they often take on tasks that should be delegated. Often managers have the “If I want it done right, I have to do it myself” attitude. Employees are qualified to handle tasks, if they receive the right direction. In this course, participants assess their current delegation practices, evaluate the effectiveness of those actions, and develop the steps to ensure effective delegation. Activities focus on defining expectations, examining the critical steps to a project, and communicating those expectations to employees.

In Workplace Ethics, participants learn ethics fundamentals and the ethical standards within their own organization. The importance of proper conduct and decision making is stressed, as is the importance of instilling a code of professionalism. The art and science of becoming an ethical role model is underscored, and real-world scenarios are used to make the course more relevant.