Purpose: The Seven Most Common Mistakes Leaders Make conveys to leaders that their role in leading people is critical to success both in terms of employee engagement and business results.

We define leadership as engaging other people to deliver desired results, and this workshop provides a forum to help leaders learn more about how to do that.

Through the introduction of three foundational models, we challenge leaders to step back and think about not only the kind of leader they want to be but also the kind of person they want to be. With this foundation set, this session explores the reasons for and consequences of the seven most common mistakes leaders make and how to overcome them.

Process: This workshop is interactive and uses a variety of discussion methods and group activities to maximize participant involvement and engagement. Throughout the workshop, leaders will assess the degree to which each mistake is present (or not) in their day-to-day leadership of people.

Payoff: Upon completion of this workshop, participants will:

• Understand why effective leadership is important.
• Learn key models, skills and tendencies related to interacting with and leading employees.
• Have new insights about the leadership mistakes they’re making.
• Have a collection of strategies to overcome the seven most common mistakes leaders make.

Purpose: Be a Great Coach enhances a leader’s understanding of what coaching is and helps leaders overcome common misconceptions and limitations about their role as a coach.

This workshop introduces a six-step process that serves as a framework for coaching. A key area of focus in this workshop is how to Coach for Growth.

Two key messages in the workshop are:

1. Coaching is a style of communication
2. Coaching starts with questions

Process: This workshop combines individual reflection, application and small group practice to maximize the practice opportunities and skill development of leaders as coaches.

Payoff: Upon completion of this workshop, participants will:

• Explore coaching as a highly effective style of communication.
• Understand how and why coaching works.
• Examine two different types of coaching.
• Practice a six-step process and key skills to coach others effectively.

Purpose: Communicate By Design teaches leaders how to coach others who are falling short of expectations in terms of behavior or performance. We call this Coaching for Improvement.

Leaders will gain the competence and confidence to conduct difficult conversations about unmet expectations with calmness and respect.

Effectively delivering these coaching conversations is important because they help others achieve higher levels of performance and success on the job.

Process: Participants practice our six-step coaching process with specific emphasis on how to apply it when Coaching for Improvement.

Payoff: Upon completion of this workshop, participants will:

• Learn how to confidently and competently Coach for Improvement.
• Explore two key factors that make Coaching for Improvement difficult.
• Overcome common pitfalls when you Coach for Improvement.
• Practice and apply the six-step coaching process to Coach for Improvement.

Purpose: Understand Your Leadership Style helps participants see the impact behavioral style has on the ability to communicate effectively with others.

Style awareness helps leaders understand that they have a responsibility to become versatile in how they interact with the world around them, particularly with their own employees.

Process: This workshop incorporates the use of the DISC Interpersonal Style Report, analysis of the report and application to workplace situations involving individuals with different styles.

Payoff: Upon completion of this workshop, participants will:

• Understand the impact of different behavioral styles.
• Have an awareness of their natural style tendencies.
• Know how to identify the styles of others accurately.
• Increase awareness and tolerance of different behavioral styles.
• Apply specific strategies to work more productively with others.

Purpose: In 2017, it was reported that disengaged employees cost organizations $450 - $550 billion annually (officevibe.com).

Create a Culture of Employee Engagement helps leaders understand the impact they have on employee engagement and introduces them to six strategies for creating a culture of engagement.

Process: Participants will measure their own engagement at work, as well as the engagement level of their team.

Through an introduction to a list of six strategies to create a culture of engagement, participants will have an opportunity to share knowledge and best practices.

Payoff: Upon completion of this workshop, participants will:

• Recognize the compelling link between employee engagement and business results.
• Have a clear definition of what employee engagement is and why it is important.
• Understand one’s own individual level of engagement and the engagement level of their team.
• Be equipped to implement six strategies to create a culture of engagement.
• Have tips and strategies to use immediately as an individual leader to increase employee engagement and overall results.

Purpose: Maximize Performance 365 Days a Year builds participants’ skills in order to maximize employee performance, day in and day out, all year long.

Participants explore the three key components of the Performance Management Cycle:

1. Setting expectations and goals
2. Monitoring efforts and results
3. Coaching and reviewing performance

Process: Through a combination of individual and group activities, participants explore each component of the Performance Management Cycle and develop an action plan to increase team clarity, motivation and effectiveness.

Payoff: Upon completion of this workshop, participants will:

• Know the ongoing, interdependent activities needed to maximize employee performance 365 days a year.
• Develop a plan to communicate broad expectations to all employees.
• Understand the key types of goals that need to be established for employees and how these goals relate to expectations.
• Recognize the importance of using consistent monitoring and communication strategies every day to ensure their employees achieve expectations and goals.

• Examine strategies for coaching and reviewing performance.

Purpose: Support Yourself and Others Through Change explores the dynamics of change, resistance to change and how leaders can better help themselves and others navigate through change as effectively and efficiently as possible.

A key focus of this workshop is teaching participants how to coach others who are struggling with change situations in the workplace. Participants are introduced to the rational and emotional aspects of change and why change is necessary for a business to thrive.

This workshop covers the predictable reactions of employees who may be struggling to move forward and how leaders can provide support and advance acceptance.

Process: Participants apply two change models to a unique change-related challenge within their organizations. They will explore barriers that prevent acceptance to those changes and create and discuss potential solutions with the other participants.

Payoff: Upon completion of this workshop, participants will:

• Understand the need for continuous change, along with the predictable dynamics of change.
• Be familiar with typical reactions to change, especially of employees who are struggling. 
• Identify current change-related challenges in the workplace.
• Have an action plan to address a current change issue within their organization.
• Learn how to coach others through change.

Purpose: Resolve Conflict equips leaders with an understanding of conflict so they are more comfortable managing it proactively and productively.

This workshop teaches conflict types, behaviors and reasons and the five methods of dealing with conflict. A key outcome of the workshop is the development of conflict resolution strategies for current workplace challenges. 

Process: Participants will complete the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument as part of this workshop. This workshop also includes a variety of interactive discussions and small group activities.

Payoff: Upon completion of this workshop, participants will:

• Understand conflict and why it occurs in organizations.
• Compare and contrast the five modes of conflict.
• Develop strategies and an action plan to overcome an existing conflict

Purpose: Create Productive Meetings helps leaders become more intentional about how they create, manage and influence the effectiveness of meetings they facilitate and attend. Special emphasis is placed on leaders as change-agents who can positively improve the overall meeting culture within their organizations.

Process: Participants explore and examine a variety of simple, proven elements for structuring effective meetings, and they practice applying those elements to meetings they encounter in the workplace. Participants also work on strategies to enhance meeting participation, interaction and communication so that meetings become more engaging and impactful. 

Payoff: Upon completion of this workshop, participants will:

• Understand key elements of a productive meeting.
• Know how to structure meetings in ways that heighten meeting effectiveness.
• Be prepared to employ meeting processes for better participation and communication.
• Make meetings they facilitate and attend highly productive and action-focused.

Purpose: As a leader in an organization, solving problems and making decisions are two critical skills for success. Yet, the way we approach the process of problem-solving and decision-making can make or break our business, our teams, even our careers.

Solve Problems, Make Sound Decisions explores proven and effective tools for solving business problems and making sound decisions.

Process: Participants identify a real-time business problem as their personal case study for the workshop and practice various tools and methods for solving the problem. Participants come away with a repeatable four-phase process that involves clarifying the problem, generating ideas, deciding on a course of action and testing the decision.

Payoff: Upon completion of this workshop, participants will:

• Be able to explain the relationship between problem-solving and decision-making.
• Know how to clarify business problems more accurately.
• Overcome their assumptions and other traps that get in the way of effective problem-solving and decision-making.
• Be equipped with new tools to generate alternative solutions to problems, evaluate those solutions and create a problem-solving action plan.

Purpose: The day-to-day whirlwind of activity in organizations makes it very difficult for leaders to ensure that their teams are working on what’s most important.

Focus Your Team teaches leaders how to heighten productivity by focusing on what matters most to drive the team and business forward.

Process: Through a combination of group and individual exercises, participants explore methods and strategies for enhancing team effectiveness and productivity.

Payoff: Upon completion of this workshop, participants will:

• Understand the importance of “focus” for maximizing team productivity.
• Know who their customers are and understand how that knowledge defines the team’s “mission of service.”
• Be armed with strategies for helping team members think differently about how and where they apply their efforts to priorities and projects.
• Have an action plan and tools to use with team members for focus and productivity

Purpose: Lead By Design allows participants to synthesize their leadership development experiences over the past year and measure their growth as a leader. 

Process: Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their participation in the Leadership Development Series. The session is highly interactive, with a variety of activities designed to maximize review of content, reinforcement of skills and application of material to real-life challenges.

Payoff: Upon completion of this workshop, participants will:

• Have a summary of the key content from the leadership development workshops they have attended.
• Have a comprehensive plan for addressing a complex, current leadership challenge through the application of key knowledge and skills gained from the prior workshops.
• Understand their current strengths and opportunities for continuous improvement as a leader.
• Use their 360-degree feedback to complete a leadership development plan.