Workplace Essentials

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

• Know the meaning of appreciative inquiry
• Think in positive terms and avoid thinking negatively
• Encourage others to think positively
• Recognize positive attributes in people
• Create positive imagery
• Manage and guide employees in a positive environment

Many people believe you are born with business acumen, which is loosely defined as the ability to assess an external market and make effective decisions. Knowing what is necessary to navigate and create a successful business seems innate for certain people. For example, Steve Jobs showed great business acumen. Fortunately, it is possible for the rest of us to improve business acumen. The right training combined with experience will improve your business savvy.

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

• Know how to see the big picture
• Develop a risk management strategy
• Know how to practice financial literacy
• Develop critical thinking
• Practice management acumen
• Find key financial levers

A company’s ethics will determine its reputation. Good business ethics are essential for the long-term success of an organization. Implementing an ethical program will foster a successful company culture and increase profitability. Developing a business ethics program takes time and effort, but doing so will do more than improve business, it will change lives.

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

• Define and understand ethics.
• Understand the benefits of ethics.
• Create strategies to implement ethics at work.
• Recognize social and business responsibility.
• Identify ethical and unethical behavior.
• Learn how to make ethical decisions and lead with integrity.

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. As such, 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.

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

• Define etiquette and provide an example of how etiquette can be of value to a company or organization.
• Understand the guidelines on how to make effective introductions.
• Identify the 3 C’s of a good impression.
• Identify at least one way to minimize nervousness while in social situations.
• Understand how to use a business card effectively.
• Identify and practice at least one way to remember names.
• Identify the 3 steps in giving a handshake.
• Enumerate the four levels of conversation and provide an example for each.
• Understand place settings, napkin etiquette, and basic table manners.
• Understand the protocol in ordering in a restaurant, handling alcohol in a business meal, paying the bill, and tipping.
• Understand basic guidelines when it comes to the proper form of address, grammar standards, and use of acronyms in e-mails.
• Understand basic guidelines in the use of the telephone, voicemail, and cell phone.
• State the difference between a formal and an informal letter.
• Create an effective ‘Thank You’ note.
• Understand the meaning of colors in dressing for success.
• Differentiate among the dressy casual, semi-formal, formal and black tie dress code.
• Understand basic guidelines in international etiquette.

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.

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
• 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

To address the growing problem of incivility in the work setting, this workshop introduces the concept of civility, its importance to a company, as well as its typical causes and effects. Skills needed to effectively practice civil behaviour, as well as different ways organizations can systematize civility in the workplace will also be discussed.

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

• Define civility, understand its causes, and enumerate at least three of its behavioral indicators.
• Understand the costs of incivility, as well as the rewards of civility, within the workplace.
• Learn practical ways of practicing workplace etiquette, including the proper use of greetings, respect, involvement, and political correctness.
• Learn the basic styles of conflict resolution and identify the style most appropriate for managing particular conflicts in the workplace.
• Learn skills in diagnosing the causes of uncivil behavior.
• Understand the role of forgiveness and conflict resolution in the creation of a civil working environment.
• Understand the different elements of effective communication, particularly effective para-verbal and non-verbal communication.
• Learn facilitative communication skills such as listening and appreciative inquiry.
• Learn specific interventions that can be utilized when there’s conflict within the workplace.
• Learn a recommended procedure for systematizing civil behavior within the workplace.

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

At the end of this workshop, participants should:

• 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

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.

By the end of this workshop, you should 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

Constructive criticism can be a helpful tool when used with the intent of helping or improving a situation in the workplace. However, it can be one of the most challenging things not only to receive, but also to give. It can often involve various emotions and feelings, which can make matters delicate. But when management learns effective ways to handle and deliver constructive criticism, employees can not only learn from their mistakes, but even benefit from them.

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

• Understand when feedback should take place
• Learn how to prepare and plan to deliver constructive criticism
• Determine the appropriate atmosphere in which it should take place
• Identify the proper steps to be taken during the session
• Know how emotions and certain actions can negatively impact the effects of the session
• Recognize the importance of setting goals and the method used to set them
• Uncover the best techniques for following up with the employee after the session

Corporate behaviour is an important aspect of any business. The right behaviour can cause your company to sky rocket with effective productivity and reputation. Poor behaviour can cause a company’s productivity and reputation to plummet. There are many different ways to influence a corporate behaviour change, but the first step is to understand what behaviour is.

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

• Understand what behavior is
• Understand the benefits of corporate behavior
• Know what type of behaviors you want to implement in your company
• Know how to implement corporate behaviors
• Know how to maintain corporate behaviors

Risk assessment and management is essential for the success of any business. However, many companies do not always take the necessary precautions, which leads to disaster. Successfully managing risks will prevent mistakes, which leads to a safer work environment, happier employees, and increased productivity. Following a few basic steps will place your organization on the path to success.

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

• Identify hazards and risks
• Update control measures
• Grasp the fundamentals of accident reports
• Identify risk management techniques
• Outline a disaster recovery plan
• Communicate to the organization

Those who are in management are responsible for protecting the safety of their employees. Workplace safety, however, is the responsibility of everyone in an organization. Companies have legal obligations to meet certain safety requirements, but many go further than the minimum obligations. Safety standards and procedures must be put in place, and everyone needs to follow the standards in order for them to be effective.

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

• Define workplace safety.
• Understand legal responsibilities associated with a safe work environment.
• Create a safety plan and identify hazards.
• Recognize the role of management.
• Develop training procedures.
• Learn how to implement a safety plan.

Virtual teams are growing in popularity since many companies continue to grow and expand in different areas. But sometimes learning to manage a team that we can’t physically see every day can be difficult. When we learn how to manage our local teams, as well as our virtual teams, we can form a group that works together to increase productivity and provides a new perspective on any project.

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

• Know the keys to establishing a virtual team
• Learn how to hold effective meetings and group sessions
• Learn effective ways to communicate with team members
• Use tools to build trust and confidence among employees
• Know how to handle poor performing employees
• Know how to manage a virtual team during any project

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 participants 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