Business

Appraisal skills

The course is suitable for those who wish to be able to carry out effective appraisals and develop skills in performance management.

Aimed at all levels, particularly those in management roles

1 day course

Objectives

• Identify the elements involved in delivering effective appraisal, setting objectives and personal development planning
• Identify the relevant skills required for these processes
• Essentials of appraisal
• Objective setting
• Personal development planning

Content

• Setting the scene
• Defining the processes
• Identifying the benefits
• Essentials of appraisal
• Setting objectives
• Personal development planning
• Action planning

Leadership and Management Skills

To identify and consolidate the skills required for effective management practice. Aimed at team leaders, department heads and senior management.

1 Day Course

Objectives

• Describe the role of the manager / supervisor in performance management
• Identify own leadership style against a leadership & management model
• Discuss motivational theory and complete a practical exercise to assess a colleague's performance against motivation and task
• Identify the elements involved in effective performance management, preparation, objectives, measurement and evaluation and personal development planning
• Identify the relevant skills required for these processes and complete a self assessment
• Produce a template for effective objective setting
• Describe how to implement effective personal development planning

Content

• Role of the manager / supervisor
• Leadership styles
• Motivational theory
• Performance management process
• Objective setting
• Action planning

Stress Management

How to recognise and effectively deal with the effects of stress in a demanding environment. Aimed at all levels

1 Day Course

Objectives

• Describe what stress is
• Describe how to recognise stress
• Outline the causes of stress
• Produce a strategy for coping with stress
• Design a course of action for preventing stress
• Draw up an action plan for themselves and their area of work

Content

• What is stress?
• Symptoms of stress
• Causes of stress
• How to cope with stress
• Strategies for reducing stress
• Video
• Action Planning

Time Management

Aimed at all delegates wanting to manage their time more effectively. This course aims to improve productivity and organisation and help individuals feel more in control of their working life.

1 Day Course

Objectives

• Identify current time usage and abusage
• Develop a personal plan to maximise use of their time
• Find solutions to 'time waste' problems

Content

• Importance of managing time effectively
• Time management analysis
• Time wasters
• Prioritisation and delegation techniques
• Stress management

Presentation Skills

This course focuses on effective, dynamic delivery whilst recognising and appealing to the four learning styles. Aimed at all staff.

1 Day Course

Objectives

• Describe all areas in which you can improve your performance
• Identify your barriers to delivering effective presentations and develop strategies to overcome barriers
• Produce a session plan of a presentation with consideration to delivery methods, audience and objectives
• Demonstrate the use of at least two questioning techniques in a 10 minute presentation to your fellow delegates
• Redesign a presentation in line with subject, audience, resources and content.

Content

• Individual presentations
• Fear cycle
• Preparation
• Structure and session planning
• Objective setting
• Content development and resources
• Questioning skills
• Action planning

Assertiveness Training

Aimed at helping delegates to deal with difficult situations in a positive, assertive manner. This course builds confidence and gives an insight into behaviour types. Aimed at all levels

1 Day Course

Objectives

• Describe what assertiveness is
• Describe different assertiveness strategies and their uses
• Outline strategies for dealing with difficult situations and people within these processes
• Demonstrate effective questioning skills and assertive behaviours
• Draw up an action plan for themselves and their area of work

Content

• What is Assertiveness?
• Assertive behaviours
• Assertive Rights
• Self Assessment
• Role Play
• Assertiveness Strategies
• Body language, words and tone

The Four Generations

A thought provoking workshop that can impact on how you motivate staff. A highly participative and interesting workshop underpinned by innovative research on the Four Generations. Aimed at managerial staff

1 Day Course

Change Management

This programme motivates individuals, enables a positive attitude towards change and reviews the practice of the management of change. Take home the innovative "Who moved my cheese" text. Aimed at all staff.

1 Day Course

Objectives

• Identify typical reactions to people facing change
• Describe sources and drivers of change
• Implement effective strategies for carrying through change

Content

• Why change?
• Drivers of change
• Reactions to change
• Change strategies
• Handling difficult people in periods of change
• Role play

Effective Meetings

This course explores the components of effective meetings including preparation, chairing the meeting and providing a formal record. Aimed at all staff.

1 Day Course

Objectives

• Identify effective preparation processes to a meeting
• Effectively participate and chair at any level in formal and informal meetings and discussions
• Describe appropriate recording and action planning following a meeting

Content

• Purpose of meetings
• Structures of meetings
• Roles within meetings
• People aspects
• Procedural aspects
• Information cycle (gather, analyse, interpret, solve)
• Communication skills
• Action planning

Coaching and Mentoring

A participative course designed to build excellent communication skills for coaching and mentoring. Aimed at all staff who wish to develop their skills in coaching and mentoring.

1 Day Course

Objectives

• Identify appropriate behaviours to enable the coach to support and encourage an effective coaching relationship
• Describe the key characteristics and the purpose of effective communication
• Identify the barriers that constraint effective communication
• Interpret and use effective body language
• Identify and develop active listening skills
• List and provide examples of effective questioning skills
• Write at least one objective which contains the three essential parts of behaviour, standard and condition
• Produce an example of at least one type of learning activity that is appropriate to each of the four learning styles
• Develop an action plan to improve the effectiveness of your communication

Content

• Relationship building
• Communication
• Learning styles
• Objective setting
• Action planning

Negotiation Skills

This course will enable delegates to develop techniques in practical negotiation and influencing skills, increasing their ability to control and direct events towards a successful agreement. Aimed at all staff.

1 Day Course

Objectives

• Identify work situations where negotiation and influencing skills are required
• Plan and prepare a case for negotiation
• Consider behaviour concerns and conflict
• Review personal negotiating and influencing styles

Content

• Principles of negotiation
• Power and influence
• Preparation and planning
• Negotiation behaviour
• Action planning

Cold Calling

This course demonstrates the skills of cold calling. Aimed at all sales staff.

½ day course

Objectives

• Control calls and understand proactive canvassing
• Learn how to create rapid credibility and trust on the phone
• Avoid the most common mistakes when making cold calls
• Learn to close for meetings
• Enhance your opening statements to create maximum impact and professional positioning from every call
• Differentiate your calls and instantly grab the attention of your clients

Content

• Communication
• Positive attitude
• Action planning