1 or 2 Day Course

OVERALL AIM:

To develop presenters in basic skills and ability to make a confident and persuasive presentation.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE:     

Anyone, especially leaders or business people, who have to present with impact to groups of people in both internal and external situations

COURSE CONTENT:

• Introduction/Objectives
• The power of a good presentation
• Successfully identify and meet the needs of the audience
• Structuring the presentation
• Create and prepare appropriate visual aids
• Presenting the visual experience
• Developing your notes
• Dealing with audience feedback and questions
• Learn to present confidently through practice

OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this session delegates will be able to:

• Meet the audience’s needs through prior research
• Know how to structure a presentation that carries impact
• Be able to generate and use appropriate visual aids that capture attention
• Know how to present effectively and convincingly
• Develop notes and handouts that suit the audience’s needs
• Recognise techniques in dealing with questions

Delegates will be given the opportunity to practise their skills in a risk free environment.

1 Day Course

OVERALL AIM:

To give participants an understanding of the principles of effective delegation and how delegation may be used to greatly enhance the team leader or manager’s performance and the performance of the team.  

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE:

This course is aimed at anyone in a leadership role who wishes to make more effective use of their time at work and significantly improve their own and their team’s performance.

COURSE CONTENT

• Introduction and Objectives
• Definitions: ‘Power’, ‘Authority’, ‘Responsibility’, ‘Empowerment’ and ‘Delegation’
• Benefits of Delegating
• Barriers to Delegating/Should these act as barriers?
• The Process of Delegating: How to delegate
• Support mechanisms
• What to/What not to Delegate
• Monitoring: How to monitor
• Feedback techniques: Handling poor performance issues

OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this session delegates will be able to:

• Have a greater understanding of delegation and its role in empowering people
• Identify the benefits of and barriers to delegating
• Know how to delegate
• Appreciate a range of support mechanisms for the individual
• Recognise what to and what not to delegate
• Appreciate a range of techniques in monitoring and will know how to monitor
• Be able to deal with poor performance issues

1 Day Course

OVERALL AIM:

To give delegates an understanding of the principles of good time management to enable them to make more effective use of their time at work. 

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE:

This course is aimed at anyone who wishes to make more effective use of their time at work especially managers and team leaders who could play havoc with others’ time if they themselves are not organised.

COURSE CONTENT

• Introduction/objectives
• Time logs
• Are you in control of your time?
• Time management method
  • Set objectives, prioritise (SMART objectives, Pareto)
  • Identify and eliminate abuses of time
  • Plan and schedule time as appropriate
  • Delegate effectively
• Energy cycle

OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this session delegates will be able to:

• Set ‘SMART’ objectives
• Prioritise our tasks/objectives by using Pareto
• Recognise urgent vs. important tasks
• Analyse the abuses of time in the workplace and rectify
• Recognise the importance of planning on at least a daily/weekly basis
• Delegate tasks as appropriate
• Plot our own personal energy cycle

PRE-WORK  Participants will be sent a time log to be completed prior to the programme.  This will record how people actually spend their time and will provide useful information to be utilised during the training workshop.

1 Day Course

OVERALL AIM:

To develop, hone and improve problem solving and decision making in the workplace.  This is an informal, practical and participative course with active discussion, exercises, exchange of ideas and syndicate work (with some fun thrown in!).

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE:

This course is aimed at anyone involved in dealing with problems and having to make decisions in the workplace.  The course is also useful for those wishing to update/refresh their skills.

COURSE CONTEN

• Introduction and Objectives
• Work based problems:
  • We identify typical problems encountered by the delegates in their job roles and use these as examples during the day
• The brain:
  • Brief anatomy lesson – right and left brain activity
• Ways of creative thinking:
  • Mindset/our attitude to problem solving and decision making
  • Importance of asking questions/open questions/5 ‘whys’
  • The dangers of assumptions/blinkered thinking
  • Brainstorming: Stages of/rules of/we brainstorm 1 of the problems identified earlier
• Systematic approach to problem solving: A 6-stage approach outlined by the tutor and then we use it to solve a problem and make a decision
• Team based approach to problem solving:  Outlined by the tutor and then we use it to solve a problem and make a decision
• Decision making techniques: We look at 3 models
• Consensus exercise: Fun exercise where delegates make decisions individually, then as a team and afterwards we compare the individuals’ scores to the team’s score

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this session delegates will be able to:

• Recognise and use ways to tap into the creativity around us
• Run a brainstorm session to identify root causes and possible solutions to problems
• Use a 6-step systematic approach in solving problems and making decisions
• Use a team based approach to solve problems, recognising and using the various techniques
• Make decisions using appropriate decision making models thereby ensuring a logical, as opposed to, an ad hoc approach
• Use discussion and consensus in achieving decisions.  Recognise and use the rules in achieving consensus.

1 or 2 Day Course

OVERALL AIM:

To gain an understanding of the essentials of communication skills in the workplace, so vital for the efficient functioning of any organisation.  This is an informal, practical, and participative course with active discussion, exercises, exchange of ideas and syndicate work (with some fun thrown in!).

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE:

This course is aimed at all staff in the workplace whose role is to communicate effectively with others.  It is particularly useful for those who communicate regularly with customers and for those in a leadership role.

COURSE CONTENT

• Introduction and Objectives
• Definitions of Communication
• Effects of poor communication in the workplace
• Chinese Whispers Exercise
  • Fun exercise but makes some important points
• Barriers to Effective Communication
  • Barriers we encounter in the above exercise and in the workplace
  • Overcoming barriers
• The Cycle of Communication
  • Sender, encoding, transmission, decoding, receiver and feedback
• The importance of and how to gain feedback
• Handling customer complaints
• ‘Capture’ personal organisation systems to ensure we follow through on commitments
• Methods of Communication
  • Verbal, written and the advantages and disadvantages of each
  • Email etiquette
• Communication Exercise
  • Exercise requiring 2 groups to work together to complete an exercise – communication is key for successful completion
• External Behaviour
  • Body language, tone and words (Mehrabian %)
  • Exercise in body language: aggressive, passive and assertive behaviour
• The 3 Skills of Effective Communicators
• Listening Skills
  • What is ‘active listening’?
  • Fun listening skills tests
• Review

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this session delegates will be able to:

• Define ‘communication’ and recognise its importance in the workplace
• Identify the barriers to effective communication and devise strategies to remove and/or overcome them
• State the main elements of the communication cycle and the importance of feedback in this process
• Recognise good technique in handling complaining/hostile customers
• Organise ourselves to maintain efficiency in communicating with others
• State the advantages and disadvantages of a variety of methods of communication; recognise professional email etiquette
• Appreciate the importance of body language in our communications with others and be able to identify aggressive/assertive/passive states
• State the 3 skills of effective communicators
• State the requirements of active listening and identify ways to improve our listening skills

1-Day Course (May be 1 or 2 days if delivered in-house) 

OVERALL AIM:

The overall aim is to enable participants to become familiar with the financial processes within a business.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE:

Anyone, especially directors, managers and others who need to add financial awareness to their own skill base and be able to interpret financial information.

CONTENT:

• Interpreting accounts, profit and loss statements and balance sheets
• Using financial ratios
• Understanding accounts, accounting standards and rules
• Management accounting
• Controlling working capital, stock, creditors, debtors and cash
• Budget forecasting and control
• Cost accounting and control
• The need to financially appraise capital expenditure projects
• Company taxation and strategies
• The economy, the City and financial control

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Appreciate the importance of finance and of controlling costs
• Recognise how budgets are constructed and utilised
• Interpret financial jargon related to published business accounts and management accounting reports
• Demonstrate their understanding of cost management, the budgeting process and the need for effective budgetary forecasts and control
• Demonstrate their understanding of financial techniques associated with capital expenditure and the concept of risk management

1 or 2 Day Course
For Team Leaders, Supervisors, Managers

Purpose and Objectives of the Workshop

The workshop is designed to enable delegates to make full and effective use of the appraisal process and documentation by: -

• Identifying the benefits of performance appraisal for the business, appraisee and appraiser
• Exploring the potential barriers and how to overcome them in order for the process to be effectively used
• Agreeing the supervisor's role and responsibilities for the successful use of the appraisal process
• Identifying the behaviours that are needed to enable a constructive review of an individual’s performance and to plan for future performance, training and development together with them
• Planning to implement their learning in the workplace

The behavioural element of the workshop will be designed to help delegates recognise how to have quality conversations that are motivational, help raise the appraisee’s self awareness and enable each appraisee to take responsibility for his/her own performance.

Style of the Workshop

Delegates will be encouraged to participate fully in the day, which will be designed to be interactive and stimulating.  The activities will concentrate on how to make appraisal a valued part of the management process and will seek to address the real issues and concerns identified by the delegates. 

Delegates will be encouraged to practise the behaviours that are essential for good quality performance discussions.  However, this will be done in a way that enables the delegates to concentrate on learning without worrying about the stresses of role-play or being videoed.

PROGRAMME

Welcome and Introductions.

Delegates' expectations hopes and fears for the workshop.
Agreement of the objectives and the style of the workshop.

Placing Appraisal In Context - Discussion Activity

If your Company were your business – what would you want this appraisal process to achieve for the participants and the business?  What would you want your Supervisors to do to make the process successful?

• What presently happens in your working environment that might help/hinder the appraisal process?
• What things are within your area of influence?
• What might you need to do?
• Input on the most common causes of appraisal failure and how they are typically resolved.

Mapping the Appraisal Process

This activity will be revisited during the workshop so that delegates can update it as their learning progresses.  The map will identify what happens and when, from the launch and throughout the appraisal cycle, and clarify the appraiser’s responsibilities.

Supervisory Styles

This session will comprise input and discussion around the different approaches to conducting appraisals and identify the influencing style that has the most potential for success.

Listening and Questioning Skills

Exercises

• How well do you listen and question to understand?
• The dangers of assumptions
• When to state opinions and when to suspend them?

Giving and Receiving Feedback

Input/Exercises   

• The principles for handling feedback well
• How to make praise genuine and helpful
• Activity to explore the practical use of feedback skills
• Discussion to build confidence in the use of these skills

Challenging and Confronting Problems Constructively

Exercises

• What would you do?
• How would you do it?

Setting Performance and Development Targets

Exercise - Producing worked examples of good performance and development targets that are relevant to shop floor roles

Interviewing Exercise

Delegates are formed into pairs or teams of three to apply the skills and behaviours covered by the workshop to a real situation of their choosing

Action Planning

Delegates are helped to prepare a practical plan to apply their learning back at work.

1 or 2 Day Course

OVERALL AIM:

The workshop has been designed to enable managers responsible for change to develop and deploy strategies that will help employees understand, accept and work with the changes. The purpose of such strategies is to minimise disruption and help performance objectives to be achieved.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE:

Senior and middle managers responsible for planning and deploying change in organisations.

COURSE CONTENT

The workshop concentrates on winning the support of employees by:

• Exploring the impact of imposed change upon the workforce
• Identifying how to overcome barriers to change
• Developing techniques and approaches to support people through the change process
• Identifying communication strategies
• Dealing effectively with anger, frustration and resistance to change within the workforce
• Enabling better dialogue with employees
• Monitoring the progress of change against clear success criteria

COURSE OBJECTIVES

By the end of this course delegates will be able to:

• Explore some of the classic traps and methods of avoiding them
• Use the knowledge of managers and consultants who are experienced in the practice of deploying change initiatives in different types of organisation.

1 or 2 Day Course

OVERALL AIM:

To give Team Leaders/Managers the skills to create and develop a committed and cohesive Team and to be able to maintain and improve that Team’s effectiveness.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE:     

Team Leaders/Managers who are responsible for getting the best from their Teams

COURSE CONTENT:

• Introduction
• Objectives for the day
• What is a Team? Is yours a Team or a co-operative group?
• How a Team develops
• What kind of Team player am I?
• Individual strengths
• Team culture: The ‘right’ values
• Ingredients for an effective Team
• Valuing people

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Appreciate what makes an effective Team
• Recognise when teamwork is important and where an individual fits in the Team framework
• Appreciate the individual’s particular strengths as a part of a Team and how these can be developed further
• State and appreciate the benefits of teamwork to the individual and the organisation
• Develop a greater understanding of Team dynamics and the role of the leader in developing teamwork
• Recognise how to work together more effectively

2 Day Course

OVERALL AIM:

To identify and explore the use of business planning as part of an effective management process.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE:

Directors, senior managers and employees who are responsible for preparing or making a significant contribution to a business plan.

COURSE CONTENT:

The seminar will be tailored to meet the specific needs of the participants.  The following information will provide the framework:

• Vision and mission statements – why used and how to create them
• How market leaders keep their edge
• Why planning and performance management are fundamental business requirements
• Tried and tested principles for a working business plan (and why organisations unintentionally plan to fail)
• Testing a step by step business planning process
• Using a values based approach to strategic planning (the pro’s and con’s)
• Aligning commercial practices & leadership behaviour with proclaimed values
• Developing goals and strategies
• How to complete a detailed gap analysis
• How to ensure objective setting & action planning are thorough and effective
• Implementing a business plan and engaging the organisation’s people
• Monitoring performance, managing variances and providing support

COURSE OBJECTIVES

At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify the benefits of business planning and the common barriers that, if not addressed effectively, can cause the process to become superficial
• Identify how to combine ideas from sources such as business excellence models, Balanced Scorecard, and Investors in People, etc
• Recognise the importance of aligning business planning and management processes
• Identify how to use supporting tools and techniques
• Derive objectives from the overall strategy and ensure all people, initiatives and improvements are working towards the same goals
• Consider the management and leadership practices that are essential to deploying and delivering a business plan
• Make informed decisions about how to use business planning as a blueprint for translating goals into the objectives, initiatives and actions that will drive performance