Training Programs
Problem Solving and Decision Making
Problem Solving & Decision Making (PSDM) is an interactive, outcome-focused two-day workshop that blends team development with rational and creative critical thinking processes to create a comprehensive approach to problem-solving, decision making, and planning. Over fifty percent of this program involves participants in learner-driven activities and on-the-job application. The course offers a dynamic blend of instructor presentation, on-the-job application, and skill practice in each of the PSDM processes using work-related concerns brought by participants. Principles of teamwork and effective meeting management are practiced by participants throughout the workshop.
After completing this workshop, participants will have the skills and knowledge to:
- Identify the need for and successfully execute Cause Analysis (three types), Creative Problem Solving, Decision Making, and the Anticipating Problems and Planning processes.
- Demonstrate critically important Group Effectiveness and Teamwork skills.
- Increase creativity in problem-solving by pushing through mental roadblocks and broadening existing thinking to create innovative ideas and solutions.
- Separate complex problems into prioritized, manageable concerns using the Situation Analysis process questions.
- Resolve fully, or partially one or more work-related concerns.
THINK Now!
THINK Now! ™ is a four-hour introductory workshop to critical thinking that uses interactive exercises and real-world examples to illustrate how a simple, yet a practical model of critical thinking can improve daily decisions and problem-solving. Each participant completes the My Thinking Styles™ assessment prior to the course. Through a combination of participant self-assessment, lecture, and small group activities, participants will learn the underlying principles of critical thinking and how they can use different thinking styles to achieve better outcomes within their organization. This session is the starting point for bringing critical thinking to an organization.
Through participation in this program, participants will:
- Discover what their Most Preferred Thinking Styles are, and what is their Least Preferred Thinking Style.
- Learn valuable skills that will help them be more effective in their daily work and in their lives.
- Feel more confident and more in control of their work – when making decisions, solving problems, evaluating opportunities.
- Avoid common mind traps that can derail projects and initiatives.
Powerful Presentation Skills
Every professional’s message is not judged by just what they say, but how they say it. Whether presenting a report at a staff meeting, offering a proposal to management, or making a sales proposal to a prospective client – the ability to communicate effectively is crucial.
Powerful Presentations is a two-day comprehensive, behavioral-driven professional presentation skills workshop. People learn best by actually doing, rather than reading or listening to a lecture. During the workshop, each participant gives three presentations. All presentations are recorded for visual feedback, and participants are also given immediate written and verbal feedback from an experienced coach.
Participants experience observable, dramatic improvement in their ability to deliver a presentation, whatever the situation. Each participant “owns” his or her new presentation skills and techniques and begins using them immediately. Presentations will become concise, interesting and professional. Participants will become more persuasive, polished and self-confident.
Generational Differences
All companies want to develop, motivate and retain the best talent from all generations in order to be successful. This workshop explores the negative stereotypes and offers insight into the perspectives, motivations, and expectations of each generation your company employs.
For the first time in American history, four generations are represented in large numbers in the workforce at the same time. They must collaborate in both traditional and non-traditional business structures. Generational differences can lead to communication issues, collaboration hurdles, misunderstandings, unproductive activities, and unnecessary stress. Managers and business owners find they require a change in thinking and a disruption of expected business “norms” to create business environments where all four generations – Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, and Digital Natives (Gen Zs) – can effectively collaborate in order to grow the business and be successful.
This workshop is highly informative and eye-opening by providing distinctions – and commonalities – about why and how individuals from different generations approach their work. Provide your employees a foundation of knowledge to help bridge the gaps and develop effective strategies for managing, motivating and retaining all of your multi-generational talents.
Critical Thinking for Business Growth
This one-day program is designed for managers who want to quickly and accurately assess and prioritize business needs, make critical decisions, and prevent new problems from developing during organizational change and solution implementations.
The Critical Thinking for Business Growth (CTBG) workshop provides relevant and practical tools for individuals that want to increase their ability to:
- Separate and evaluate competing for market/business dynamics and determine a course of action with limited time and information.
- Identify critical priority actions.
- Make timely, criteria-based decisions that balance desired outcomes with current realities, organizational limits, and client expectations.
- Identify and eliminate potential hindrances to implementing solutions.
Fostering Innovation and Encouraging Creativity
Most people view innovation and creativity as interchangeable words, but they are not. Innovation is the process of looking through traditional business models and SOPs to identify “unmet needs” or by asking the question; “Is there a better way to do it?” Creativity is a step in that process that generates ideas and creates solutions to seize upon those identified opportunities. Critical thinking is the final step in the process which is used to select the best ideas, create a plan, implement the idea, and monitor progress to determine progress and success.
This program is designed for individuals in your organization who have the authority to influence change. It can be delivered as a full-day program or a half-day program.
Program Highlights:
- Explore the habits and cultures of today’s “innovative” industry leaders
- Identify current innovative processes and obstacles
- Create strategies to drive innovation across the organization and maintain it as a strategic priority
- Identify practices that help promote creative thinking
- Explore brainstorming techniques that truly cultivate creative thinking and generate ideas, solutions, and strategies
- Use models for evaluating and selecting new ideas