Working Effectively with Others

“There is no such thing as creative and non-creative people, only people who use creativity and people who don’t” – Brene Brown. Creativity is innate in all of us; but too many people and organizations unknowingly hinder it from flourishing. Without creativity, it is impossible to develop an innovative organization that can deliver improved services and products and maintain sustainable competitive advantage. And the stakes have never been higher. The world is in the early stages of a new era of disruptive innovation that promises to transform every workplace and sector of society. Adaption is the new normal, and creativity is the new literacy. Explore how using creativity strategically can help you provide powerful solutions to problems and increase motivation, job satisfaction and engagement. Learn how creativity can be harnessed at an organizational level, and, with the right process in place, serve as an engine of innovation.

Understanding how Ottawa really works is essential for anyone new to the federal public service or looking to better navigate Canada’s decision-making system. This workshop demystifies the roles of Cabinet, central agencies, and Parliament, while clarifying how policy and legislation are developed and influenced. Participants will leave with a clear, approachable map of government processes so they can engage with confidence and see how their work connects to the bigger picture.

In matrix and cross-functional environments, results often depend on people, priorities, decisions, and handoffs that sit outside one person’s direct control. When ownership is unclear, decisions stall, or commitments become vague, shared work can slip even when everyone is trying to help. This course helps participants strengthen accountability around the work itself. They learn how to clarify decision paths, define stronger commitments, keep progress visible, and reset the path when priorities, capacity, or support change. The focus is practical: fewer surprises, less chasing, cleaner handoffs, and better follow-through across teams, projects, partners, and stakeholders.

Management is frequently described as the art of getting work done through others. This requires a set of skills and talents that Administrative Professionals can develop to extend their influence, meet their manager’s expectations, create a professional image, take initiative, solve problems, resolve conflict, plan current and future activities, and have a springboard for career development. If you are in the role of executive secretary or administrative assistant you’ll find this workshop to be essential to your present job and critical to your future. This workshop is not a lecture. It is a “hands on” opportunity to identify your existing management skills, develop new skills and bring increased opportunity to your organization and to you personally. The list of practical exercises includes confidence & conflict resolution role-plays as well as a ‘guess my personality type’ exercise based on the True Colors personality indicator. For prioritization, students will learn how to create a Daily Map in order to prioritize tasks.

Influence without authority is a daily reality for individual contributors who need to move work forward through people they do not formally manage. A request may depend on a peer’s input, a stakeholder’s decision, a partner’s handoff, or a colleague’s follow-through, and even when people intend to help, work can stall through vague asks, soft yeses, competing priorities, delayed replies, or unclear ownership. This course helps participants make clearer asks, test whether agreement is reliable, keep progress visible, and choose the right next move when work starts to slip. Participants leave with practical tools to get work done through others with more confidence, while organizations benefit from fewer delays, clearer handoffs, stronger follow-through, and less unnecessary escalation.

Emotions are a key component of what makes us human. While emotions have often been seen as less important than intellectual reasoning, emotions motivate us to act, inspire us to create and connect our relationships. Our experiences shape how we understand, process and manage our emotions. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to identify, assess and positively engage with one’s own emotions and the emotions of others. Many people have not developed the foundational building blocks to be emotionally intelligent, resulting in emotions getting in the way of our judgement, relationships, or careers. This workshop provides opportunities for participants to build emotional intelligence by focusing on developing understanding and skills in: self-awareness, emotional management, physiological and behavioural reactions, understanding the connection to values and motivations, overcoming barriers to communication, building trust, and exercising empathy. Participants can apply their new skills in EQ to their personal and professional lives.

This course follows Personal Effectiveness Through Emotional Intelligence – EQ1. It builds on the theory and tools presented in the initial program and dives deeper into developing the practical skills and behaviours that increase one’s own emotional intelligence both at work and in personal life. This course provides the opportunity to gain greater knowledge and skills to understand, express and regulate one’s emotions. In addition, participants will develop strategies to manage emotional interactions with others. Participants engage in a variety of self-reflective exercises, group activities, and discussion to explore and develop higher levels of emotional intelligence in a supportive environment.

If you’ve ever had occasion to facilitate or lead a meeting, you probably understand how challenging it can be. Not only do you need to stick to the agenda, you need to manage group dynamics, and often, get everyone to agree on a decision. That is no easy task, especially when opinions and personalities conflict. Facilitation is part art and part science, and luckily, it is a skill that can be learned. Leading a group through the facilitation process- rather than controlling the meeting- will result in participants fully supporting and taking ownership of the outcomes. Ensuring that all have been heard and have an opportunity to voice their opinions reduces negative feedback and backlash afterwards. After all, most people will accept not getting their way, but will resent not having their say. Facilitation skills is one of the most important competencies professionals can develop for their career today. Meetings are unavoidable, and if you can manage them effectively and efficiently, you’ll be an asset to any organization. In this dynamic and practical facilitation course, participants will learn how to gather information from a group, clarify and present ideas, remain neutral when appropriate, and gain consensus. They will learn strategies to manage group dynamics, how to deal with a group that is “stuck”, and techniques to keep energy high. Participants will practice their new skills in a safe and supportive environment.

Project management doesn’t have to feel complicated. At its core, it is about understanding what needs to be done, who needs to be involved, what could get in the way, and how to keep the work moving. This course helps participants build a solid foundation in project management. Through a realistic project scenario, they work through the key steps of managing a project, including how to clarify the work, plan ahead, communicate with stakeholders, manage risks and changes, and make better use of time, budget, and resources. It is designed for professionals who manage, coordinate, support, or participate in projects and want a clearer way to keep work organized and on track. Facilitated by a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

In today’s workplace, the administrative support position is the nerve centre of business, industry and government at all levels. Called upon to increase the effectiveness of the office environment, the administrative assistant needs to manage strategies, public relations, resources, time, stress, difficult people conflict and crisis situations calmly, effectively and professionally. This workshop provides management skills vital to today’s support position. This energetic, fun and fast-paced course will show you how to achieve respect as an indispensable member of your office team. In a comfortable and controlled learning environment, you will explore and expand upon techniques and methods, and learn the critical skills required to get the work done on time, keep the office running at peak efficiency, and balance work and personal life.

Leaders come from diverse backgrounds. Sometimes you report to them, sometimes they lead your project, and sometimes they are in charge of your kids’ sports team or the place where you volunteer. Some leaders naturally align with your preferred style of following, while others do not. Adapting to different leadership styles is key to maintaining your motivation, performance, resilience, and peace of mind. The instructor for this course trains, coaches and supports 2,000 plus leaders from every sector each year. He designed this program to help followers create a successful collaboration with the wide variety of leaders he works with.

As workplaces become busier, and organizational change becomes the norm, the art of effective listening becomes all the more valuable. Good listeners find themselves involved in interesting work, healthy working relationships and long term career success. This is no coincidence. Effective listening skills are a large part of personal success in the workplace. The difference between hearing someone and listening to someone is enormous. Making colleagues feel that you are truly understanding not only their words but their personal point of view and how they feel can change office dynamics in a profound way. Active listening has a way of making those you are communicating with feel valued and understood. In this highly interactive workshop participants can expect to not only learn the theory behind active listening but also to engage in participatory exercises and activities to practice the learned skill of active listening.

It’s easy to forget the “manager” part of your “project manager” title among the other range of activities you are responsible for. However, your management skills are an important part of your success as a project manager, so it is crucial that you grow both of those skill sets. There are also some advanced project management techniques that you can master to help bring your projects to successful completion. This workshop presumes that participants have a thorough understanding of project management, including topics such as preparing a statement of work, setting project goals, scheduling, budgeting, managing project risks, and executing a project.

Organizations perform at their peak when the Vision, Values and individual Needs (for autonomy, respect, appreciation and contribution) of their people are agreed upon and met. This enables individuals to flourish within the organization to come together as a team united in a shared group identity. It can be achieved with an agreed purpose and direction based on a set of common values and behaviors. Individuals are inspired then to take personal responsibility to unleash their creative talent in harmony to meet the objectives and goals of the organization.

Change is a time-consuming distraction. It takes us away from our regular work, it slows productivity and it often creates conflict. You may even notice an increase in absenteeism during periods of change. The reality is that you may never be happy with the change you are experiencing, and that’s okay. At some point, though, you will have to learn to live with your new reality. The more quickly you can do that, the sooner you can get back to being productive and feeling like yourself again. The Change Cycle™ is a change management model that helps individuals and teams deal with change pragmatically, resourcefully and effectively. Change is the result of change, choice, progress, or crisis, and is often unpredictable. People react, respond, and adjust to change in a sequence of six predictable stages which identify thoughts, feelings, and behaviors associated with each stage of change. There is no better map to assist individuals in navigating through the changes in their work and life.

Canada is becoming increasingly more diverse, and this brings new opportunities and challenges to respond to. Employers and employees have the challenge of working in new ways with other team-members, of being part of an effective team where the members are unlike each other in race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, culture, language, generations or customs. Managers need to create an inclusive environment in which all employees understand, value, and respect each others’ differences. These opportunities and challenges remain the same with other stakeholders such as clients, customers and the community. This program is designed to address all these in an interactive session.

Is your organization going through a shuffle or “reorg”? Is your team feeling disoriented and without focus?  Or is it struggling to hone a meaningful identity and purpose for itself in an environment where the culture is changing? Culture change is always going to happen. What’s important to recognize is that everyone reacts differently to it and will apply their particular coping mechanisms to deal with it. As a result, a team can lose its motivation, become fragmented and at worst, dysfunctional. What you need is a team that is cohesive, confident and impactful! Using the DISC personality assessment tool, you and your team will understand the drivers behind your behaviour and coping mechanisms, and how you can best leverage your strengths in order to rebound and build a team that is cohesive and resilient to change. In addition, you will develop a robust team strategy to help you embody and communicate your value proposition so that you can position yourselves as experts in an organization that needs you.

In this one-day training workshop, you will learn accountability strategies that will help you, and your team, stay on track to achieve results. Participants will have an opportunity to explore the impact that accountability has on employee engagement.  This hands on workshop will discuss the value of ownership, and will discuss methods on how to self-realize your full potential.  Attendees will have a chance to discuss successful methods to motivate, recognize, and collaborate as a team to achieve responsibility and accountability in the workplace.

Now more than ever employees are practicing flexible work options and many of us have arrangements to work from home. Overcoming work-from-home challenges are crucial in order to improve our workplace performance, and engagement. This session will help participants stay engaged in the work from home process. Learners will be given tools and techniques that can be easily applied to their WFH with clear methods on how to increase their productivity and results by applying a WFH framework with proven success. Participants will gain an understanding of the challenges faced when working from home and learn techniques to overcome these challenges as they enhance their WFH routine and overall performance strategies.

Managers’ report they would rather lead an all-remote team or an all in-person team. Organization, alignment, team building, decision making, information sharing, collaboration and more are just more difficult in a hybrid world. But it doesn’t have to be that way! This course will give you the tools you need to successfully lead in a hybrid world.

Stakeholders are parties that will be affected by a project’s execution or results. Stakeholders can have their own expectations and objectives and have the potential to strongly influence a project’s outcome in positive or negative directions. Whether obvious or covert these stakeholders’ expectations must be articulated and understood before they can be managed. This workshop focuses on tools and techniques to discover the project’s stakeholders, identify and clarify their expectations, and develop a plan to manage these expectations. Attention is paid to stakeholders’ spheres of influence, including their influences on each other. Political, legal, and community influences will be examined along with strategies to mitigate or enhance such influences. Political and legal influences can include existing legislation as well as future trends and directions. Community influences could originate in the geographical, business and social community where the project is occurring, the professional/technical community that is involved in implementing the project and using its results, as well as other interested communities of people. Case studies are used as learning vehicles to develop an awareness of stakeholder expectations and expectation management plans, and to tie stakeholder requirements to the project’s scope management, procurement management, risk management, and resource management plans.

Learn how to successfully lead and manage individuals and teams who work in different locations. Acquire the tools, skills and methodologies that will help you to overcome the significant obstacles that are created by working in this way. The result is high performing teams that are highly aligned around shared purpose, processes and culture.

In today’s fast-paced business world, effective collaboration is key to success. Our Mastering Microsoft Teams workshop is designed to equip your team with the essential skills and advanced features of Microsoft Teams, transforming the way you communicate, manage projects, and collaborate. This one-day workshop covers everything you need to streamline operations, enhance productivity, and foster seamless teamwork. If you’re looking to improve group coordination and integrate powerful tools like Planner, OneNote, and Forms, this training will elevate your team’s capabilities and keep you ahead in the digital workspace.

In today’s digital workplace, efficient file management and secure collaboration are crucial for business success. This workshop provides hands-on training to harness the full potential of Microsoft OneDrive for Business, enabling seamless integration with Microsoft 365. Participants will explore practical strategies to organize, share, and manage files effortlessly, ensuring productivity and security are always prioritized.

This advanced one-day course is designed to help power users leverage Microsoft Word in order to change document structure using sections, collaborate on documents and secure information.  This course also covers techniques for creating complex documents, such as documents that track changes, reference pages, outlines, master and sub-documents.

Employee engagement is not a new concept. Lessons from psychology and the sociology of organizations have been with us for decades. What is new is the realization that various issues of policy, program, culture, leadership and several other factors form a strategic whole which can either maximize the full potential of “employee engagement” or detract from the psychological contract that drives performance. Surveys in Canada suggest that only two or three employees out of 10 are fully engaged in their work, yet 90% welcome challenges that allow them to grow. This stunning contradiction gets to the heart of the importance of employee engagement. This workshop deals with the broader issues of employee engagement but focuses specifically on equipping Managers and Supervisors with the understanding, tools and behaviours to maximize engagement within their area of responsibility. Tapping into discretionary effort is a critical management skill in our competitive world. This workshop will equip you to significantly enhance your ability to leverage actions and behaviours into high levels of commitment and engagement.

This highly interactive workshop focuses on building stronger teams by appreciating the unique strengths each personality brings. Participants will gain a deep understanding of the DISC model, explore individual styles, and develop the skills to read and adapt to different personality types. Throughout the workshop, participants will reflect on their detailed personality reports, examining their strengths, areas for development, and preferences in various work situations. They will also consider how their personality style typically interacts with others. The workshop includes team-building activities and discussions, allowing participants to experience their personalities “in action.” These exercises foster stronger team connections and enhance awareness of individual communication and problem-solving styles. Origins of DISC Both DISC Personality Profiles and Myers Briggs (MBTI) are based on the work of Carl Jung, the psychiatrist known for founding analytical psychology and for developing key personality concepts such as introversion and extroversion. DISC and Myers Briggs (MBTI) both measure our “hard wired” behavioural styles – as in, how we behave naturally in our “comfort zone”.

During our career, we are all required to work with others to reach a desired goal, and while being a part of a team can be rewarding, it can also offer challenges.  Research shows that building a more positive team in the workplace makes a significant difference in both an employee’s success and well-being. This can have a significant impact on the success of your team, and organization. This one-day workshop discusses the skills and behaviors that are necessary to develop a cohesive team that can work together to build success. This program explores what is currently working on your team, identifies team challenges, and will provide you with an opportunity to better understand yourself and your team. Discussions will focus on how creating an effective and results-focused team begins with improving communication.

Many people understandably dislike the concept of office politics since it brings to mind manipulation, questionable tactics and closed doors. Yet politics need not be dirty. In fact, an understanding of office politics is a critical element in gaining resources and information to do your job. To be effective in any organization, political skill is needed. Through facilitated discussion, group and paired exercises and brainstorming, this workshop will show you how to reframe the concept of office politics into a positive force. You’ll discover how to use different types of power; work effectively with others; build influence; understand the political give-and-take of any organization; and maintain high integrity.

Values and ethics are part of our daily decisions and choices at work.  Yet, how often do we take the time to consider these in a meaningful way?  Studies show that a strong ethical workplace culture creates a high performing organization, where employees are motivated and engaged, and where leadership is clear and aligned.  With 67% of working Canadians not fully engaged in their work, this course aims to explore the connection between individual and organizational values, and employee engagement levels within the workplace. This 2-day course begins with a self-assessment into existing values, and how these might be demonstrated within the workplace.  Values will also be considered in the context of the organization as a whole, and how personal and organizational values can be aligned.  Real-life ethical dilemmas and solutions will be explored, key research results will be discussed, and tools and practical information will be provided as participants identify their own ethical boundaries, and practice how to navigate these in situations where there may be a conflict.

Strong employee onboarding and orientation practices have become an expectation of new hires and the message is clear: first impressions matter. The purpose of this program is to get comfortable with effective onboarding practices. Recognizing that many teams now work remotely, this program explores both in-person and virtual onboarding and orientation solutions.  Participants of this workshop will be well equipped to “wow” new hires, helping them achieve immediate results. By reviewing an onboarding basics model, learners will recognize the necessary steps required before a new team member’s first day.

Being able to get along with co-workers and cooperate effectively towards the achievement of common goals is a highly valued key competency that can open the doors to increased responsibility and opportunities in your career. This workshop will give you the insight you need to better contribute to your team’s success. Using an 18 point personal assessment tool you’ll gain a better understanding of your individual team style and learn how to identify team strengths and trouble spots. You’ll learn valuable skills to transfer knowledge and information to other team members in an effective way to maximize productivity. You’ll also learn how to improve communication and build rapid rapport using the True Colors model. Personalized Team Insights Report After the course completion, a concise synthesis of key challenges, solutions, and top-voted priorities generated during the World Café exercise, along with facilitator observations that highlight emerging patterns and potential areas for focus will be provided. It will be delivered as a clear, structured summary leaders can use to guide next steps.