Our leadership Learning Series is a collection of workshops designed to make leaders more effective in their roles. The workshops are designed to be a series that can be taken in sequence. Clients can build a custom series by selecting the topics (below) that would have the most impact on the leaders in their organizations.
FOUNDATIONAL OFFERINGS
ROLE OF THE LEADER
To effectively manage people, leaders need to understand what their role is and what it is not. Too many leaders get caught in the trap of doing their subordinates’ work and neglecting their own management responsibilities.
In this workshop, participants will learn to:
• Explore what is expected of them in their roles as leaders within the organization,
• Discuss the differences between leading and managing (and why both are necessary), and
• Learn about their role in developing their subordinates.
COMMUNICATION & LISTENING SKILLS
Communication is the foundation of all leadership competencies. Without the ability to clearly communicate expectations, feedback, goals, etc., managers and the organization are severely handicapped.
In this workshop, leaders will learn to:
• Diagnose problems caused by poor communication,
• Evaluate the effectiveness of various forms of communication, and
• Improve communication through higher quality listening.
MOTIVATING YOUR TEAM
One of the core roles of a manager is harnessing the energies and talents of his or her team and focusing them on their work. However, motivating performance is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Different team members may be motivated by very different things. This workshop will explore the roles influence and motivation play in managing people.
In this workshop, participants will learn to:
• Learn a variety of strategies to motivate people,
• Understand sources of their own personal power and influence, and
• Be able to match their influence strategy to the situation.
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP® II
The Situational Leadership® II training is built on Ken Blanchard’s work on leadership styles. It helps managers recognize the diverse needs that are brought by their subordinates and flex their style to the needs of the subordinate.
Situational Leadership® II (SLII®) has been the world’s most taught leadership model for more than 30 years. Its foundation lies in teaching leaders to diagnose the needs of an individual or a team and then use the appropriate leadership style to respond to the needs of the person and the situation. Designed for individuals, teams, and whole organizations, the Situational suite of programs equips people at all levels of your organization to lead at a higher level.
SLII® boosts the effectiveness, impact, and dedication of your leaders, and teaches leaders to behave in alignment with their good intentions, and in alignment with what their people need.
INTERMEDIATE OFFERINGS
GOAL SETTING
If you don’t care where you are headed, any road will take you there. If you are being held accountable for results, then you better have a clear idea of where you are going. Leaders need to be able to align the actions of their teams with the overall direction of the organization.
In this workshop, leaders will learn to:
• Identify the most important outcomes for their teams,
• Clearly communicate their expectations to their subordinates and
• Connect those expectations to the overall goals of the organization.
FEEDBACK & COACHING FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE
One skill that differentiates great managers from all others is their ability to effectively coach employees. Different from directing behavior, coaching is geared at developing the employees’ ability to solve problems and make decisions on their own.
In this workshop, participants will learn to:
• Learn the key role coaching plays in the manager’s toolkit,
• Gain an understanding of the coaching process and when to employ it, and
• Practice their coaching skills in a setting where they can receive feedback.
BUILDING EFFECTIVE TEAMS
As work gets more complex, the need to work cooperatively on teams becomes more important. From task forces that are formed to address specific problems to partnering with other groups, the ability to be an effective team member and provide leadership in team settings is crucial. This session will introduce you to the concepts of team development and review strategies for improving team functioning.
In this workshop, participants will learn to:
• Identify team problems,
• Processes for creating shared norms and understanding,
• Set team vision, and
• Align for maximum productivity.
SELECTING THE RIGHT TALENT
Poor hiring decisions are costly. Sorting through applicants to find the one who is the best fit for your organization is challenging. This session will entail a “hands-on” approach to the issues and tools inherent in the employee selection process. Participants will learn how to use the selection process to interview, select, and retain the best talent for their organizations.
In this workshop, participants will learn to:
• The role of the manager in employee selection,
• Steps in the selection process,
• Constructing a selection strategy,
• Conducting behavior-based interviews, and
• Making selection decisions.
ADVANCED OFFERINGS
MANAGING CONFLICT
Conflict is an inevitable part of any work situation. Unfortunately, it is usually viewed as a negative part of working with people. In this workshop, participants learn how to make conflict constructive and an asset to productivity.
In this workshop, participants will learn to:
• Learn their preferred conflict style,
• Understand how to adjust their style based on different conflict situations, and
• Use conflict in a constructive way, instead of treating it as a stressful event.
LEADING CHANGE
As organizations constantly change and adapt to remain competitive, they need better strategies for managing change. This workshop will cover the concepts of managing planned change, the main “derailers” of change efforts, and how to make change more successful in organizations.
In this workshop, participants will learn:
• The keys to effectively manage change, including analyzing and involving key stakeholders,
• Steps to plan communication to support changes,
• How to gauge the impact of changes on the organization, and
• To design processes to sustain the change.
STRATEGIC THINKING
The ability to effectively lead functions, divisions, or entire organizations depends upon the leader’s ability to think strategically. Too many organizations get bogged down in the day-to-day operations of the company and fail to make decisions that take into account the bigger picture and longer term implications.
In this workshop, participants will learn:
• Evaluate and analyze environmental forces that impact organizational operations,
• Think across layers of goal abstraction,
• Apply organizational priorities into operational decisions, and
• Communicate operational goals within the context of the organization’s environment.