Every individual in a leadership capacity needs to understand the bottom line of their business. Without a clear knowledge of what the businesses financial report is says there is no way effective decisions can be made. This one-day training program is designed principally for managers and supervisors who do not work in accounting, but who need to know how it works as well as the 'language of accounting'. Participants will gain valuable insight into how to make better informed decisions, identify possible errors and potential problems, understand the 'bottom line', and how to evaluate the financial results of various aspects of the business. Additional topics to be covered include:

• Accounting terms and concepts
• Accounting processes and what they mean: cash accounting, accruals, allocations, pre-paids, receivables, depreciation, amortization, goodwill, inventory, deferrals, reserves
• How transactions are entered into financial records
• Financial reports: including balance sheet, income statement and changes in equity
• Month-end closings: what to expect

When you think of workplace attitudes you must ask yourself the simple question: would you want an employee who is extremely good at his or her job but has a bad attitude or an average employee who has a positive attitude? I believe the overwhelming response would be for the later because we all have learned the hard way that bad attitudes can reduce the effectiveness of ones organization. The fact is that skills can be taught but an attitude is often difficult to change. The question often asked is what is an attitude? To some it's a mindset, a way of thinking but that's only partly right. The bigger picture is that an attitude is a habit of thought. It defines how one looks at their world and workplace. What employers want are people with attitudes that think "I can," not "I can't." This one day seminar is devoted to the building blocks that lead to positive attitudes. Our trainer will show participants how to find, keep and maintain an approach that leads to a positive outlook. This highly interactive course includes interactive session as well as self evaluations to help individuals create an open mind and heart to developing a more productive, meaningful work life. This session will look at:

• How does one understand the importance of having a positive attitude
• How to develop and maintain positive feelings and thoughts in the workplace
• How a positive attitude leads to more productivity and a commitment to doing things right
• How attitudes impact and influence those around us
• The relationship between positive attitudes and internal and external customer satisfaction
• Identifying personality and attitudes - our true "colors"
• Creating personality matrix-the value of it
• Emotions and attitudes
• Anger-when, why, how, who
• Attitude "revamp", a process and project

This seminar is designed to provide participants with an understanding of the dynamics of workplace conflicts, how to better manage those conflicts, and improve work relationships. Participants will gain insight into why conflicts can last so long and what can be done to resolve them before they escalate. The seminar will focus how to deal with employees that have 'negative' attitude and solutions on how they can effectively be managed. The session will provide participants with a range of alternatives, techniques, and action plans for effectively dealing with workplace conflicts, handling difficult employees, and managing problem situations. Topics covered in this session include:

• The five elements of the retaliation cycle and how to handle them
• How to stay engaged on a productive solution focused conversation in spite of distractions
• How to utilize an effective six-step road map to help create the appropriate environment for resolving disputes
• Using verbal skills to handling difficult situations

Maintaining a competent, productive, and efficient workforce and retaining valuable staff is critical to all company's effectiveness, customer service, and success. Participants in this seminar will learn that money is not the sole motivating factor to solving the riddle of keeping quality staff. Instead, developing and maintaining a friendly and profession work environment serves as a clear incentive to building employee loyalty. This one-day class is centered around the simple premise that you must create a "positive internal" environment if you wish to build your business, offer quality customer service, and retain competent employees. The course will offer insights into how you can evaluate your current methods of dealing with employees, 'tips' for improving employee management, and helpful methods for making your workplace the 'best' it can be. Some of the items
this course will deal with are:

• How to maintain positive employee relations
• How managers and supervisors influence their employee's attitudes, work, and productivity.
• Conducting new employee orientation
• Useful tips for helping your employees succeed
• Developing a professional workplace
• Motivating employees to grow with your company
• How to help employees be successful
• Communicating why your company is unique

This two-day seminar is designed to build essential communications skills for leaders who communicate in a variety of ways with their subordinates, co-workers and managers on a daily basis. Commonly used tools - both
verbal and written - will be covered. In just two days, the attendees will:

• Learn to speak like a leader by becoming an overall better communicator
• Build better work relationships while communicating for needed results
• Develop more effective presentation skills for use in training and general speaking situations
• Develop better skills in writing with emphasis on accurate, brief and clear communication in fast-paced situations
• Learn to communicate with diplomacy, discretion and influence

Day One:

• What Communication Involves and Its Importance to a Leader
• Speaking like a Leader - The Basics Behind Becoming a Better Communicator
• Building Better Work Relationships while Communicating for Results
• Communicating in Difficult Situations - Giving and Receiving Feedback
• Communicating with Diplomacy, Discretion and Influence

Day Two:

• Writing Skills in Fast-Paced Situations: Memos, Notes and E-mails
• Developing Effective Presentation Skills
• How-to's of Crystal Clear Communication
• Hands-on Communication Exercises

As primary influencers of the workplace, managers and supervisors must be effective communicators. This program is designed to address communication styles and techniques that create an environment of trust, confidence, and mutual respect. Class exercises and discussion combine to create a meaningful learning experience for any manager or supervisor. Other topics to be covered include:

• How to increase levels of collaboration and mutual support among team members
• How to express your ideas in ways that gain the attention, support and respect of others
• How to quickly "fit in" with any group of people
• How to make an unforgettable, positive first impression on anyone
• How to minimize conflict and reduce friction on the job and in your

Few would ague that life and work are hard enough without the complications surrounding self-defeating emotions, behaviors, and habits. The multiple forces that bear down on us every day can eventually take their toll. No wonder people often feel anxious, resentful, taken advantage of and even trapped. This one-day seminar is intended to help participants understand how to stay focused on their goals, whether work or personal, while ups and downs occur around them. Participants will gain insight into developing ‘personal' flexibility to deal with uncertainty and to find meaning in what they are doing. This seminar will focus on the important personal skill of emotional self-control. Participants will learn about what role emotions play in their life, the ways they are expressed, how to manage emotional ups and downs, to deal with stress and how to handle crisis situations. Over the course of the day, the class will learn how to make ‘better' choices at work and elsewhere, how to practice self-discipline, and control emotionally difficult situations. In addition, others issues to be covered include:

• Build confidence by learning to respond correctly to difficult situations and people
• Explore ones attitudes and how to use anger constructively
• Control how one reacts to emotional situations presented by other people
• Embrace how to ‘let go' of the old and accept change
• Learn to eliminate habits that tend to pull you down and work against you.

This one day training session is designed to assist managers and supervisors in understanding the principles of delegation, and the value associated with using delegation effectively. Participants will learn about the process for delegating tasks and how the importance of effective communication skills and techniques.

This program is designed to assist managers and supervisors in better understanding the impact of change and its effect on employees and the workplace. The training session will cover the underlying principles and guidelines concerning the change process and how they can be effectively utilized. Participants will gain an understanding of how to effectively interact with other employees regarding their role and responsibilities within the change process. Topics covered include:

• Recognizing and overcoming resistance
• Minimizing productivity losses
• Reducing unnecessary employee stress
• Increasing employee buy-in and support for change
• Effectively planning, launching and managing change in your organization

An empowered workforce increases the probability of an organization's success. Leadership sets the objective and paints the vision. This course is designed to assist you in acquiring tools, strategies that will strengthen your leadership skills. Participants in this one-day course will gain insight into how to:

• What does empowering employees mean?
• Why would an employee want to be empowered?
• When is authoritative leadership required?
• Learn to inspire, guide, and help others grow in the organization
• Learn to set and share common objectives
• Assess the influence your personality has on others.
• Learn to lead through "empowerment," not power.
• Learn how to gain respect and appreciation from those with whom you interact

This training session is designed for upper management to executive level management. Participants will learn practical theory, review and discuss "real world" case studies, and engage in group exercises intended to reinforce key principles of leadership. The program provides an overview of executive expectations such as establishing a vision and setting performance goals and standards. Also covered in the seminar will be an introduction to basic theories of situational leadership combined with a dynamic model for effective interpersonal communications. Additional topics to be covered include:

• A survey of various behavioral patterns and theory
• An understanding of motivation, workplace dynamics, and interpersonal transactions in the workplace

The first half of this seminar focuses on the issue of workplace harassment. The session is intended to provide participants with a general knowledge of the importance of understanding and eliminating harassment by learning what it is, how it can occur, and how an organization must train its employees to avoid potential problems. Participants will gain insight into the many types of harassment that are present: age, race, sex, ethnicity and gender.

The second half of the class will engage the issue of how valuing diversity can improve an organization's internal and external performance. Participants will gain insight into the importance of understanding, accepting, and capitalizing on differences between employees. The class will seek to provide participants with the skills to recognize and respect issues of diversity, the differences in people, and the need to have respectful attitudes toward others. This is an important training session for any organization wishing to develop and maintain a workplace free of prejudice and harassment.

This one-day seminar is designed to provide an understanding of workplace conflicts and how to manage those conflicts with effective strategies. Participants will gain insight into why conflicts arise, why they can extend so long, and what can be done to resolve them. The seminar will focus on the five elements of the retaliation cycle, how to handle them, how to stay engaged in a productive solution focused conversation, and how to resolve disputes. Additional topics to be covered include:

• How to others resolve their conflicts
• How to prevent and avoid conflicts from occurring
• How to create win/win resolution
• Understanding of how to deal with difficult workplace situations.

This course is designed to provide participants with the tools needed to
make the most informed and effective decisions possible. Participants will gain insight into how to arrive at effective solutions to problems and the best course of action regarding an opportunity that arises through use of proper decision making and problem solving. Topics covered in the course include:

• The 5-Step decision making/problem solving process
• The Group Dynamics Cycle and how it may influence decision-making
• Creative thinking techniques and how to use them
• Four specific decision making and problem solving tools and how to appropriately use each.

The art of being a teacher, coach, and mentor to employees for which you have supervisory responsibility is essential for effective leader. This seminar is designed to assist managers and supervisors to understand the principles of job skills knowledge and development. Participant will learn about the four adult learning styles and how to effectively use each to accelerate the skills performance process of their employees. Through role-modeling and practice sessions each participant will develop and improve on essential communication skills and techniques. Topics to be covered include:

• Pike's Laws of Adult Learning
• Appraise team members individual skills levels (Howell's Levels of Competence)
• Help others improve productivity in work assignments using the PM Cycle
• Reinforce the five item individual goals-setting process
• Contribute to team success through improved individual performance

The responsibility of any 'leader' is to help develop and foster an environment where employees know they are expected to do the "right thing" and that they know what the "right thing" is. While this is not always easy, it is important for a leader and the organization's success. This one-day course is devoted to instilling in participants the skills of values-based behaviors. The class will deal with such topics as:

• The importance of having core values to guide your leadership behavior
• Learn about enabling values
• How your values exhibit themselves when dealing with others
• Which values are your strengths
• The values that guide your workplace
• Learning to appreciate individual dignity and worth
• Potential areas of conflict
• How to implement a plan of action for values-based leadership

Truly effective leadership begins with a person's ability to inspire or influence others to listen to what is being said. The purpose of this one-day training seminar is to make participants aware of the simple fact that to lead well one must first communicate well. This interactive seminar will provide valuable insight into the skills of effective communications as well as strengthen existing communication skills. Participants will learn such important techniques as how to shape an effective leadership message and the art of 'building' ones own conversational style that achieves results. Additional topics to be covered include:

• How to become a more effective communicator
• Learn to build greater buy-in, trust and loyalty
• Overcoming tension and resistance to change
• How to motivate others
• Dealing with: Passive-Aggressive personalities, managing conflict, and mediating hostile disputes

Leadership is often described as the ability to foster commitment, creativity and productive attitudes in others; in short, leadership is the ability to bring out the best in people. This one-day program explores leadership with the intent of participants developing a personal leadership path that will improve their work with others and communications skills. Participants in the course will learn to:

• Examine their own attributes in light of the characteristics of a good leader
• Gather and use feedback to gain insight on how you are perceived by others
• Fine-tune their communication style for achieving best results
• Influence a work environment that promotes enthusiasm and productivity
• Create a personal development plan to build your own leadership

Are you often asked to make a presentation, guide a process, or lead a retreat? If you would like to understand how to encourage full participation and promote understanding while remaining impartial, then this one-day program is designed to increase your facilitation skills. Topics to be covered will include:

• How to use the group decision-making model
• Recognize the importance of balancing task and people issues
• Understanding the importance of diverse ideas
• Identifying effective meeting management tools

The impact of cost controls, business process dynamics, and higher expectations by customers challenge organizations to perform at higher levels of productivity. This half-day training session is designed to introduce participants to the ideas and importance associated with internal customer service. Participants will gain an understanding of who their internal customers are, why working together is crucial to the organization, the effect good internal customer service has on external customers, and how to go about improving an organizations internal customer service. Emphasis is placed on effective communication techniques in personal interactions among coworkers and team members. Class discussion along with small group exercises provides participants with the basic tools needed to meet and exceed customer expectations. Topics to be covered include:

• Who are your internal customers and why are they important to the organization?
• The importance of trust, confidence, and understanding in serving internal customers.
• Understanding the Communication Cycle - How it works, why it breaks down.
• How to handle those occasional communication breakdowns and unmet internal customer expectations.

This course is designed to provide participants with the tools needed to make the most informed and effective decisions possible. Whether its a solution to a problem or the best course of action regarding an opportunity, participants will be equipped with the needed skills to best address those challenges. Topics covered in this course include:

• The 5-Step decision making/problem solving process
• Understanding group dynamic
• and how they influence decision-making, creative thinking as a key ingredient, tools and techniques.

How can you ensure top performance from people you see infrequently? How do you communicate effectively with different locations that are some distance apart? The need to accommodate customer convenience requires a new set of skills for managers and supervisors whose span of control includes district offices or remote locations. By learning tips and techniques used successfully by other distance managers and supervisors, participants can develop the skills and ability to effectively manage multiple remote business centers. In this course, participants will gain insight into the solutions to challenges posed by leading from a distance. Topics covered include basic principles of distance management, the key competencies involving distance management, employee expectations, and effective distance communication. Participants in this one day course will learn:

• 7 competencies of effective distance managers
• 5 obstacles to effective distance leadership
• What employees at multiple locations need (and expect) from their bosses
• Leading people who don't report directly to you
• Use of appropriate technologies for effective communication

How can you ensure top performance from people you see infrequently? How do you communicate effectively with different locations that are some distance apart? The need to accommodate customer convenience requires a new set of skills for managers and supervisors whose span of control includes district offices or remote locations. By learning tips and techniques used successfully by other distance managers and supervisors, participants can develop the skills and ability to effectively manage multiple remote business centers. In this course, participants will gain insight into the solutions to challenges posed by leading from a distance. Topics covered include basic principles of distance management, the key competencies involving distance management, employee expectations, and effective distance communication. Participants in this one-day course will learn:

• 7 competencies of effective distance managers
• 5 obstacles to effective distance leadership
• What employees at multiple locations need (and expect) from their bosses
• Leading people who don't report directly to you
• Use of appropriate technologies for effective communication

How is your organization positioned in the eyes of its customers? This one-day seminar provides insight into the function of public communication and relations. The training session provides valuable insight into techniques for influencing the content and tone of information presented to the public through various media sources. Participants will engage in interactive exercises, learn how to prepare effective press releases, and how to respond appropriately to questions from the media.

The purpose for this seminar is to provide an understanding of the importance of employee evaluations. Participants will gain a clear understanding of the process to be followed in preparing for annual review session and how these sessions should be conducted. The session will focus on the following key strategies:

• how to prepare for a performance appraisal
• the things to do and not do in conducting the actual interview
• what to say and not say in a performance review
• how to better manage discussion difficulties that arise during evaluations
• how to keep the evaluation focused and on track
• the importance of establishing performance goals for employees
• setting and conducting follow up discussions
• proper record keeping.

The ‘brain drain' loss facing today's organizations is unprecedented in our history. While the loss of key talent and irreplaceable company knowledge due to attrition through retirement or resignation has always been a challenge it has never before reached this level. With the rapid increase of retiring "Baby Boomers" and the migration of younger workers from one job to another at intervals unheard of in the past, leaders must employ every method available to ensure continuity, to reduce the "brain drain," and keep service to customers at the expected high level. While there is no way to be totally prepared for this eventuality, there are concrete actions that leaders can take. These issues and the strategies to deal with them will be covered in this in-depth session. Some of the key topics to be covered include:

• Identifying strengths/limitations that exist in their organization's method of training, retention and team building.
• How to relate better to employees of all ages and levels of experience.
• The use best practices to motivate near-retirement employees to share knowledge and expertise while continuing to work to their full potential.
• The use best practices to motivate younger or newer employees to continue their employment with the organization for longer periods of time.
• Focusing on several key actions that will provide continuity and retain important knowledge, processes, procedures and expertise.

The ‘brain drain' loss facing today's organizations is unprecedented in our history. While the loss of key talent and irreplaceable company knowledge due to attrition through retirement or resignation has always been a challenge it has never before reached this level. With the rapid increase of retiring "Baby Boomers" and the migration of younger workers from one job to another at intervals unheard of in the past, leaders must employ every method available to ensure continuity, to reduce the "brain drain," and keep service to customers at the expected high level. While there is no way to be totally prepared for this eventuality, there are concrete actions that leaders can take. These issues and the strategies to deal with them will be covered in this in-depth session. Some of the key topics to be covered include:

• Identifying strengths/limitations that exist in their organization's method of training, retention and team building.
• How to relate better to employees of all ages and levels of experience.
• The use best practices to motivate near-retirement employees to share knowledge and expertise while continuing to work to their full potential.
• The use best practices to motivate younger or newer employees to continue their employment with the organization for longer periods of time.
• Focusing on several key actions that will provide continuity and retain important knowledge, processes, procedures and expertise.

Today's organizations, more than ever, are focused on ways to achieve greater performance, reduce safety risks, find better ways of promoting change, and seek avenues to increase income. In order to achieve these goals, individuals must employ effective decision-making and task planning skills. The use of Operational Risk Management (ORM) serves as a means of enhancing the decision making process. It is a systematic approach to optimizing risks using the four key principles that govern all actions associated with risk management. ORM is a continuous process for the detection, assessment, and ultimate sustained control of risk while enhancing performance and maximizing organizational capabilities. This one-day session will introduce participants to the principles of ORM, a six step process of application, and each steps key attributes. Participants will utilize the skills learned by applying the information to applicable project scenarios. The session is highly application based and participant interactive. Topics to be covered include:

• The ORM Six-Step Process
• Application of a Risk Management Worksheet
• Use of additional tools for assessing risk in the work place at all levels
• Learn to minimize unnecessary risks by maximizing the decision making process

The purpose of this seminar is to provide a methodical, yet practical "bottom-up" approach to strategic planning. This new approach integrates several new and innovative steps to the traditional strategic planning process: (1) obtaining input from all employees of the organization through the use of focus groups, surveys and individual interviews, (2) developing a comprehensive action plan based on the organization's strategic goals, (3) developing a "balanced scorecard", and (4) providing a method to link performance to compensation.

Too often, strategic business plans are simply written documents that fit nicely into a PowerPoint slide; yet, they do not translate into the actual operations of the business. This one-day seminar is designed to provide participants with an understanding of the key disciplines required to implement a strategic plan throughout all levels of the organization. The seminar will focus on the key elements of a strategic business plan, identify key indicators for success and the essential steps required to translate the written document into a useful business strategy. The planning and execution process will be explored from various perspectives of the business including the role of senior leaders, operational leaders, the employee base and customers. Participants will discover how each are essential to a plan's full implementation. Key points to be addressed include:

• How do I identify the key points of the plan
• What are the indicators that drive my plan
• How do I get the organization to utilize the plan to its fullest
• How do I periodically assess the plan's status

This program is intended for individuals in middle management. Participants will learn practical theory, engage in case studies, group discussion, and hypothetical situations involving supervisory leadership skills. Each participant will complete a leadership style questionnaire to determine innate strengths as well as to uncover opportunities for improvement. Participants in this training will gain an insight into basic theories of situational leadership. Additional topics to be covered include:

• theories of motivation
• a model for effective interpersonal communications
• what motivates or demotivates employees

This seminar is designed to help managers and supervisors develop their skills in making business presentations or speaking in a public forum. Each participant will discover various tips and techniques to reduce fear, develop and organize a presentation, and establish confidence in presentation abilities. Practice sessions will be conducted and critiqued.

This seminar is designed to assist managers and supervisors in understanding the principles of effective employee counseling. Participants will gain insight into when it is appropriate to offer counseling and the basic skills for conducting productive counseling sessions. Participants will also learn about: the skills needed for setting the proper tone for situations involving disciplinary discussions and how to establish and maintain control of the disciplinary session. Through role-modeling and practice exercises, participants will develop appropriate communication skills and techniques useful in counseling and disciplinary environments. Some of the topic areas to be covered in the session include:

• Counseling vs. Discipline: which is appropriate?
• Identifying the five-step process for counseling an employee
• Using a counseling interview for win-win outcomes
• How to end a counseling/discipline interview on a positive theme
• Understanding the "annoying" employee vs. the performance problem employee
• Identifying when to use corrective or preventive discipline
• Documentation - what and how much
• Dealing with a major offense.

The one-day seminar is designed to assist individuals in identifying and improving on their current listening style(s). Participants will learn about the different styles that exist and the strengths and weaknesses of each. The course will assist participants in exploring various listening styles, which will lead to improved overall listening skills. The class will cover:

• The differences between selective attention, selective interpretation, and selective retention
• The five listening approaches
• The purpose of listening in order to understand communication
• How one can 'move' between listening styles
• Keys to enhancing listening and retention
• How to make others 'listen' to you

Today's workforce is comprised of employees separated by four and even five distinct generational perspectives. Within the next ten years, internal and external forces will impact the workforce in ways never before seen that will require companies to adjust or face the consequences. Participants in this one-day session will gain insight into the complexities of the workforce, learn about the multi-generation workforce, and what makes the workplace 'tick'. This one day program is designed to assist leaders in better understanding generational issues and in formulating strategies to maintain, improve, and ensure their workplace operations. Some of the topics to be covered include:

• Who make up the workplace?
• Generation wants, needs, and expectations
• Strategies for developing a strong workforce
• Understanding the importance of workforce planning
• Working together for the benefit for the organization

This course is designed to help business leaders better understand their individual leadership styles and how to adapt to different situations. Participants will learn methods to identify employee's intrinsic talents and assess their development levels. Video-recorded practice sessions using work-related scenarios will be conducted in order to maximize and reinforce critical communication skills.