Three-Day Workshops

 Building Coaching Skills

This three-day skill-building participant-centered workshop is designed to coach experienced and novice managers in developing and practicing practical coaching skills. They will learn how to use a five stage coaching model: (1) create a climate in which coaching can occur; (2) identify the need for coaching; (3) develop a coaching plan; (4) coach the employee: educate, develop, and/or problem solve; and (5) evaluate the coaching process. The workshop is most beneficial for managers who want immediate practical application of coaching techniques. Requirements: Between Days Two and Three: the participants need to develop a coaching plan. Post- course: the participants are expected to plan, conduct, and document two coaching processes with their employees, which they submit to their manager. Day One is devoted to setting the stage for coaching. Using interactive exercises, the participants: define coaching as a three part learning process: training, developing, and problem solving; and discuss a five stage coaching process. They then work with the first three stages: (1) create a climate in which coaching can occur; (2) identify the need for coaching; and (3) develop a coaching plan. They ultimately have practice creating a coaching plan, which requires them to reference the last two stages: (5) coach the employee; and (6) evaluate the coaching plan. Day Two focuses on developing coaching skills. Using interactive exercises, the participants: identify a coaching opportunity; develop a coaching plan; discuss coaching challenges and propose possible solutions; practice active listening and providing constructive feedback; review the fourth coaching stage, which outlines the C O A C H approach to providing constructive feedback to an employee during a coaching session; describe how to anticipate and handle employee defensive responses; and script a coaching session, using the C O A C H approach. Day Three is probably the most significant of all three days, because it gives the participants numerous coaching opportunities. The participants take turns as coach, employee, and observer as they practice coaching in quartets. While in their quartets, they will coach in their own coaching session simulation (twice) and as the observer giving coaching feedback to the other two participants when they practice their coaching simulations (four times). They will then be videotaped while they present their coaching session in front of half the workshop, after which they will receive coaching feedback from the observing participants. During the videotaping sessions, they will coach in their own simulation (once) and as the observer giving coaching feedback to all of the other participants (probably at least nine times).

Building a Positive Partnership

This three-day skill-building participant-centered workshop provides managers with practical hands-on experience in the five elements essential for productive team functioning: (1) positive interdependence, (2) individual accountability, (3) face-to-face interaction, (4) collaborative skills, and (5) group processing. It differs from other team building workshops on the basis of its emphasis on developing and using group problem solving and decision-making techniques. After Days One and Two, they are expected to use a Team Effectiveness Inventory with their employees to identify problem areas to be explored in Day Three. At that time, the participants will work together with employees to conduct problem analysis and planning. In preparation for Day Three, the managers will have to select two employees to accompany them and teach them the problem finding techniques they have learned. The course will be most beneficial for managers who want immediate practical application of group problem solving and decision making techniques. Requirements: Between Days Two and Three: the participants need to conduct a team assessment with their employees and select and train two employees prior to the second session. Post- course: the participants are expected to conduct and document two different team-building processes with their employees, which they discuss with their managers.

Business Counseling Fundamentals

This three-day skill-building business counseling workshop uses highly participatory learning activities, including: pre- and post-test, individual assessments, questionnaires, small and large group brainstorming and problem solving, case studies and simulations. This workshop incorporates by reference the specialized training that the counselor-trainees have previously received in marketing, finance, legal issues and business management. In Day One: The Basics of Business Counseling, the focus is on: (1) defining the difference between counseling, coaching, mentoring and consulting; (2) discussing the business counseling competencies; (3) outlining the business counseling process; and (4) assessing the participants' communication skills; (5) analyzing the communication, trust and learning needs of different personality types; (6) practicing questioning techniques; and (7) practicing active listening skills. In Day Two: Building Business Counseling Skills, the focus is on: (1) learning and using quality improvement problem finding techniques to get to the root of an issue; (2) debating the pros and cons of issue prioritization approaches; (3) analyzing different learning styles and what learning activities are most effective; (4) discussing the range of possible resources for business owners; (4) practicing dealing with difficult people and their objections; and (5) planning for Day Three. In Day Three: Providing Business Counseling, the focus is on: (1) recognizing and addressing counseling challenges; (2) practicing business counseling in simulated situations; (3) debriefing key learning) and (4) checking for comprehension of key learning. The counseling practice sessions are videotaped for the later review of the individual participants. Note: If there are more than 10 participants, the group can be split into two groups so that 10 can practice and be videotaped in one room and 10 can practice and be videotaped in another room. This will require a second facilitator and a second video camera and tripod.

Increasing Training Effectiveness

This three-day comprehensive train-the-trainer workshop is designed to help experienced and novice trainers create more effective program content, increase the probability that learning will occur through a variety of learning activities and audiovisual aids, and facilitate more effective presentations. It incorporates the UCLA Mastery Teaching Model and accelerated learning principles to provide practice with professional instructional decisions and techniques that research has demonstrated will accelerate and improve adult learning. New trainers learn how to develop a detailed participant-centered lesson plan, design participant exercises that meet the needs of diverse adult learners, and improve their platform and facilitation skills. Seasoned trainers also find the training beneficial because it updates them on training techniques, gives them other choices for learning activities to present material, and offers workable solutions to typical classroom challenges. On Day One, the participants work through three steps of a six-step process to create lesson plans for their own learning programs. On Day Two, the participants work through the last three steps of the six-step process to complete their lesson plans and then design learning activities and trainer instructions that they can use in their learning programs. On Day Three, the participants experiment with learning activities to increase learner interest and motivation in their learning programs. They also review stand up presentation skills and present a brief interactive original presentation.