Open training

Effective business writing helps you get your job done by showing you how to communicate effectively and appropriately. You will learn how to organize your thoughts, use appropriate wording, target your communication, and write clearly. Good business writing brings results, so it’s worth learning how to do it well. This advanced business writing course will help you become a better communicator. That means you will be able to work more effectively and make life easier for your associates. Everyone will appreciate the effort you put into writing appropriately. This workshop will include lecture, practice exercises, and discussion. Those taking this course will be provided with a workbook of notes, exercises and references.

Minutes should serve as more than a record of who said what at a meeting. They should help organizations advance their goals and objectives and provide accountabilities. Building on PMC’s course Minute Taking for Better Meetings this day-long seminar provides participants with opportunities to craft minutes that focus on clear, concise writing designed to reach its intended audience — colleagues, board members, decision makers. Workshop participants will take notes in several mock meetings and write minutes in a variety of styles suitable for the audience. Active learning takes place in a relaxed and fun environment. Course participants will be encouraged to summarize their key learning points and prepare a short action plan to implement on their return to work.

Do you struggle to write correctly and professionally? Have you struggled with whether or not to use a comma or with how to punctuate bulleted lists? Have embarrassing errors undermined your writing? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then this workshop is for you. In a lively, hands-on session, you will learn to appreciate and apply grammar rules for clear communication. You will also learn to avoid common pitfalls and edit your work for clarity and correctness. Participants will have plenty of opportunity to practice their new skills on common business documents, and are encouraged to bring examples they are working on.

Would you like to write more effectively? Have you forgotten what you learned in school? Would you like to have a greater impact and influence on your readers? Today’s business environment relies heavily on the written word. Whether you’re answering email, writing a detailed report, or responding to a customer query, your effectiveness will be judged by your ability to write in a clear and concise manner. Each participant receives a workbook and bibliography of helpful references. Seminar participants are encouraged to participate in writing exercises throughout the day and there is an opportunity for one-on-one consulting to answer specific questions and evaluate personal writing styles.

Equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) are often promoted as essential concepts in Canadian society. However, we are rarely given the instruction needed to incorporate EDIA practices into our daily work. This course will discuss the importance of and methods for applying EDIA to our writing and document formatting. This will give participants concrete applicable instruction for incorporating inclusive language and accessible formatting techniques into anything they set out to write.

Meetings are an important part of the group decision-making process. With today’s flatter, less hierarchical organizations, one week you could be asked to chair a meeting and the next week to record the minutes. Minutes are a record of the group’s decisions and action items and it is vital that they are clear, concise and accurate. This seminar helps participants to understand the full range of their role and responsibilities as Minute Takers, to work effectively with the Chair and to produce agendas and minutes in a variety of styles – formal, informal and action. Workshop participants will take part in a mock meeting to gain a practical understanding of the roles of Chair and Minute Taker, to practice taking accurate notes and producing correct minutes. Active learning takes place in a relaxed and fun environment. Course participants will be encouraged to summarize their key learning points and prepare a short action plan to implement on their return to work.

This workshop is designed for those whose job requires them to proofread and edit their own or others’ written work. Those new to the skills will gain a working ability to proofread, including knowledge of the marks and techniques. Experienced proofreaders will benefit from this course as a refresher and also from the practice and group commentaries. You’ll learn the principles of plain language editing, practice in an enjoyable group environment, and receive immediate feedback on your progress. Through group corrections, individual practice and discussion, you’ll come away with the confidence to proof and edit even the most important documents.

Do your business proposals succeed? Do your reports influence decision-making? Do you need help organizing and clarifying your thinking? Would you like to produce clear, persuasive business proposals and reports that get results – in half the time? This one-day workshop will help you produce powerful reports and winning proposals in significantly less time. Obtain planning techniques, guidelines for writing clearly, grammatically and concisely, and tips for increasing impact and persuasiveness. The course is “hands-on” and fun, with numerous opportunities to practice and improve your business writing. You may bring samples of your work for review by the instructor.

Briefing notes are an essential means for staff to inform, advise, and influence the decision-making process in public and private sector organizations. This workshop uses practical exercises to develop skills in writing effective briefing notes. You will learn techniques for planning, drafting, summarizing complex information, improving your writing skills, and editing. The workshop is highly interactive with frequent opportunities to receive feedback. Participants are also invited to bring samples of their work for review by the instructor.

Plain language techniques make your written communications clear — and they help the audience easily understand your intended message. The Government of Canada’s communications policy states, “An institution’s duty to inform the public includes the obligation to communicate effectively….To ensure clarity and consistency of information, plain language and proper grammar must be used in all communication with the public.” This workshop will provide you with skills needed to communicate clearly, concisely, coherently, and correctly. You will learn how to gear each piece of communication to its intended audience, always keeping the needs of the audience in mind.

If you are looking for a presentation skills course that will challenge you and build upon your existing strengths, this course is for you. Delivered in a 1-day workshop format, this course is aimed at experienced speakers who wish to leverage their influencing skills and hone their authentic speaker style. Learn the various intangible elements that will enhance your desired outcome. Become more aware of yourself and your audience and how to connect with them so they want to listen to you. Participants will practice their skills in the presence of other advanced students and will gain valuable insight into their strengths and areas for development. Class size is small to ensure individual attention.

Conflict is a part of life. But well-managed conflict can produce benefits and positive changes, both in productivity and relationships. Communication skills, specifically the ability to communicate assertively, are among the best skills to acquire for dealing effectively with the demands of people in conflict with us, whether they are employees, colleagues, our managers or our clients. In the workplace, whether we are in a position of authority or not, we need to manage our interactions with people. We need to know what power is and how to use it: to negotiate, to express our ideas clearly so people will listen to us, even if they don’t agree with us; to stand up for our convictions, even when they are unpopular; and to deal with the emotions created by situations of conflict. At this workshop you will practice what you learn to enable you to apply the skills more readily when you return to your workplace. You are encouraged to bring examples of situations you would like to resolve.

The ability to communicate effectively at work and in life is perhaps the most critical skill for anyone. Those who have demonstrated an ability to effectively communicate are more likely to receive promotions and job offers. Effective communication allows you to use all the other skills you have to the fullest. Your success in motivating, delegating, organizing, solving problems and obtaining information depends heavily on your ability to communicate with others. At this workshop you’ll learn how to influence and inform through the use of real life examples, group discussions, role plays and interactive hands-on exercises.

Whether you’re delivering bad news, giving a negative performance evaluation, challenging a colleague or client, objecting to additional workload, presenting options in the midst of a crisis, or simply letting people know that the direction on a certain project is changing — communicating difficult subject matter can be an emotionally charged event. Understandably, many people would do anything to avoid that situation. Yet avoiding critical and difficult conversations or mishandling them can result in many negative consequences. Learn how being assertive, open, honest and fair in your critical conversations, and fostering others to do the same, can develop alignment and agreement within your organization. Encouraging open and honest dialogues around important, emotional, or risky topics – at any level – can significantly reduce and resolve conflict, nurture relationships and boost productivity and efficiency. This workshop is designed to help individuals, teams and organizations improve the way they approach their critical conversations, with confidence, and manage the conversation skillfully so that feelings are spared and the organization’s best interests are kept front and center.

Almost every organization has people whose personality, behaviour, attitude, work habits or other characteristics present an occasional or frequent challenge for those around them. this workshop will provide you with practical tools and skills to handle difficult people whether or not you have sufficient positional authority. In this course, you’ll learn to distinguish between various types of difficult behaviour, and chose responses that have a high probability of succeeding rather than escalating a difficult situation. Develop analytical skills, specialized communication, confronting skills, interpersonal negotiating, coaching, plus stress and conflict management strategies.

The ability to succinctly brief others is a highly valued competency in today’s fast-paced workplace. This expertise requires the speaker to clearly understand the issue, structure the briefing in a way that is easy to transmit and deliver the message effectively. Participants will leave this experiential workshop with techniques, strategies, and tips for delivering a structured and influential oral briefing to senior management.

Learn how to inspire, influence and motivate people to accomplish important goals – when you have no formal direct reporting authority over them. Managing people when they don’t report to you can be tough. How do you deliver feedback? How do you hold people accountable? How do you keep them on track? How do you arrive at consensus? How do you mediate conflict? In this highly interactive and practical workshop, you’ll get the skills and knowledge you need to help work colleagues perform at their best.

Working with other alumni of the Managing Skills for Non Managers Level 1 program, you will identify and resolve your leadership, influencing, cooperation and accountability challenges. You’ll dive more deeply into the tools you acquired during your MSNM Level 1 program and apply them to resolving your challenges. Your workshop is rounded out with new tools to help you create better relationships and productive results.

We use negotiating techniques in our everyday lives, sometimes without realizing it. In our professional lives, however, negotiating is a necessary and versatile skill. The ability to negotiate appropriately can be your edge in achieving success. Whether you’re dealing with colleagues, employees, senior management, prospects, clients or suppliers, you will achieve your goals more often by using powerful, appropriate and effective negotiating strategies and techniques. You will learn how to improve your negotiating skills with a clearer understanding of highly effective communication techniques. You will better understand the ins and outs of negotiation, and develop effective strategies, tactics and counter-measures for manipulative opponents. The workshop uses experiential methods allowing you apply what you have learned and practice your new skills in a variety of methodologies. These include role plays, case studies, personal skill analysis questionnaires, games and trainer-led discussions.

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.

Designed for small groups, the workshop is led by an experienced public speaker who will entertain, inform and inspire you to deliver effective virtual and in-person presentations. Does speaking in front of a room of people make your heart beat faster, your hands sweat and your knees go weak? Would you like to master the art of public speaking? Do you want to have a greater impact on your audience? The impact we have is largely based on how well we communicate our ideas. Whether we are providing information to an internal audience or making an impassioned plea externally, we need to be confident in our ability to express ourselves. This two-day workshop is specifically designed to reduce the anxiety of public speaking and help you gain competence and confidence. Gain practical tips that you can apply immediately. You will participate in a number of different exercises and also have a chance to do a mini presentation and gain immediate feedback and coaching.

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.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping how teams work, communicate, and build trust. As new tools emerge faster than policies, people leaders need the confidence and clarity to help their teams adapt. This workshop is designed for those who lead people—not systems—and want to build a culture of curiosity, clarity, and safe experimentation.  You’ll explore how AI is influencing roles, workflows, and expectations, and learn how to lead change in a way that feels supportive, not disruptive.

Of all the key competencies for supervisors and managers, two of the most important are learning to manage individual performance on a daily basis and learning to delegate. Both represent difficult learning curves. Without mastering delegation, it is impossible to expand your range of responsibility, to empower others or to grow into your role and responsibilities. For many, it is a difficult transition from being paid for doing it yourself to getting the work done through others. Delegation is a critical skill to assist time-starved supervisors and managers in becoming more effective for themselves, their teams and their organizations. This course offers a mix of self-awareness, guidance, skills, ideas, tools and methods to master this critical competence.

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.

It is seldom easy to assume a position of authority over those who have previously been your colleagues and peers. This workshop will help you address the challenges and difficulties of making the transition from co-worker to boss. You’ll learn tools and techniques to achieve a balance between your existing relationships with co-workers and the requirements of the new management role. The workshop is interactive and fun, making use of case studies and role play.

This course introduces new managers and supervisors to the skills needed to lead their teams effectively and in addition to meet the expectations of senior management. Many new supervisors and managers achieve their success on the basis of their technical or operational merit but then need to achieve superior results through others. This training is designed to help you to make this important transition. The course is interactive and participative. The practical exercises are designed to help you to transfer the learning you gain during the course, back to the workplace.

This program builds on the core management knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired in Part One. It delivers the additional tools you need to thrive in the hectic, demanding and change-centric environment currently dominating public, private and nonprofit organizations worldwide. Your workshop draws on cutting edge research and real-world experiences to deliver practical solutions to complex challenges and opportunities facing leaders at all levels today. The engaging learning environment relies on an interactive dialogue and activities-based approach. It will have you contribute your insights, gathering tactics from a diverse range of colleagues and picking up transformative concepts from the material and facilitator.

This two-day workshop will provide you with an overview of how to understand financial information without requiring an in-depth knowledge of math, bookkeeping, or accounting practices. In addition to providing the basics of financial statements, you will also learn how financial information can support financial management objectives and decision-making. You will receive practical tips on how to analyze reports and data to identify key elements to provide a clearer picture of your business to highlight your financial position and identify financial areas requiring your attention. You will gain insight to better evaluate the information you are receiving from your financial data.

This workshop is for professionals ready to move beyond curiosity and start using artificial intelligence (AI) more confidently in everyday work. You’ll learn how to write better prompts, avoid common pitfalls like bias and hallucination, and apply AI to tasks like writing, summarizing, and problem-solving. Through real-life scenarios and collaborative practice, you’ll build the skills to integrate AI effectively and ethically. Whether you’re aiming to work more efficiently or support your team more strategically, this session will help you turn AI from an occasional tool into a trusted assistant.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere and understanding the basics is the first step to using it confidently. This interactive workshop is designed for professionals who are new to AI and want to build a solid foundation without technical jargon. Through real-world examples, group discussion, and guided exploration, you’ll learn what AI is (and isn’t), how it’s shaping work, and where it’s already showing up in everyday tools. Whether you’re curious or cautious, you’ll leave with a clearer view of what AI can do and how to keep learning safely and effectively.

Microsoft Excel is the preferred spreadsheet software for many individuals and businesses to manage their data and reporting. Yet most are only using 20% of the features of this powerful productivity tool. In this one-day workshop, you will learn the basics of creating, modifying, formatting and printing worksheets. You will learn to use basic formulas and functions and manage large workbooks to analyze and understand data.

During this intermediate one-day Excel program you will learn and practice higher level Excel functionality to further made sense of spreadsheets and larger data sets. By using hands-on practical techniques you will be able to analyze complex data sets, organize and visualize data in simple meaningful terms, faster data list management and querying and working with corporate and professional templates.

This advanced level, one-day course is intended to help everyday users of Excel present their data in more effective ways using PivotTables and PivotCharts. Users will also learn advanced analysis tools like the Scenario Manager, Goal Seek, Data Tables, and advanced functions. Basic macros will also be covered in this course.

“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.

Mastering critical thinking and problem-solving skills can help you make better decisions or recommendations- an essential competency in today’s knowledge workplaces. Critical thinking helps you to examine and improve thought processes, ask the right questions, challenge assumptions and consider varying viewpoints. Effective problem-solving helps you to properly identify and systematically work through a problem in a comprehensive manner, ensuring clarity when it comes time to make decisions or recommendations. This course will demonstrate how critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making work optimally together, and will provide hands-on practice with tools that you can apply to your everyday workday tasks, big or small.

Living in a world of constant change and uncertainty demands the ability to improvise, accept the unknown, and move through challenges with agility, flexibility, and presence. Embracing virtual interactions and deepening your understanding of personal dynamics are key to fostering innovation and a thriving working environment. Learning improv principles and adapting an ensemble mindset are crucial to a productive team dynamic. Through interactive exercises that emphasize active listening, making your partner look good, and building off each other’s ideas, you will enhance your problem-solving skills and deepen your relationships. Join our transformative and interactive session to learn improvisation principles and conflict resolution strategies, build active listening skills, and develop emotional intelligence—all while strengthening teamwork and collaboration. Through engaging exercises and group discussions, you’ll gain practical tools and fresh inspiration for tackling everyday challenges in a safe, fun, and supportive environment.

A recent study suggested that the average office worker receives 190 pieces of information a day and wastes as much as 150 hours a year looking for “stuff”. Another study suggests that at least 10% of all documents are lost or misfiled. With information overload growing and budgets tight, you can’t afford the wasted time and lost productivity that comes from a cluttered desk, messy files, or no system of personal organization. At this workshop, you’ll develop organizational skills: learn to how to streamline daily tasks, organize personal space, effectively use calendars, communicate using the appropriate means, and more.

Your memory helps you to shape your understanding of your present, and your application of your memories helps you to shape your future. How well your memory works has a direct impact on how much you get done in a day and the quality of your work. Your memory is a window into the health of your brain, how you care for it, and how you use it. It also helps to define who you are – for yourself and for those around you such as family members, friends, colleagues and others. This very engaging, interactive, and memorable workshop is about your memory – how it works, how you can better use your recall capacity, and much more. We guarantee you’ll remember it for years to come!

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.

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.

Tired of feeling overwhelmed, behind, or like your calendar is running you? This isn’t just another time management workshop—it’s a bold, practical reset. This energizing, hands-on workshop will show you how to take back control of your schedule—with a system that actually works for you.  You’ll learn simple, powerful strategies to plan smarter, protect your focus, and communicate your priorities with confidence. Whether you’re managing a team, a full inbox, or just too many tabs open in your brain, this course offers real-world tools you can start using immediately.  You’ll walk away with: A personalized time management system that fits your workflow A strategy to get your inbox down to zero by the end of each day Practical tools to reduce overwhelm and increase clarity A complete 21-point self-assessment to help you understand your personal style of time management and how to make that style work for you and in working with others

Thinking strategically can be described as the way people in an organization think about, view, assess and create the future for themselves, their team, and the organization. More than simply reacting to day-to-day or long-term problems and opportunities, it is concerned with creating opportunities and choosing options in order to be able to realize the best possible future. It is an ongoing process that becomes part of the organizational culture and part of the local vocabulary; it also ensures that strategic planning activity is more meaningful. Strategic thinking is a foundational skill and the same principles can be equally applied to people’s personal lives and their work responsibilities. The same thinking approach is relevant to all levels of responsibility throughout the organization. However, thinking strategically is only half of the workplace challenge; the ideal outcome for any organization is for its people to be able to both think strategically while acting tactically. Striking the proper balance is critical to the smooth operation of the organization and the full involvement of all its people. Achieving the balance helps team members collaborate and better align their day-to-day activities with the higher goals and vision of the project, department, or organization as a whole. This workshop will explore both what it means to think strategically, and how day-to-day operational action can be aligned to the grander strategy at both the individual and team level.

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.

The pace of work has never been faster. The amount of change is unprecedented. The standards of performance are rising. The tools that help us burn out are abundant. Our challenges just keep ramping up. The stakes seem so high. For better or worse, this pace of change is here to stay. As a top performer, if you can’t change the circumstances around you, change the circumstances within you. This program will give top performers what they need to stay strong and get stuff done – for the long haul.

More and more people are encountering stress, overwork, and the pressure of time constraints in their lives. Some stress is actually good for you because it inspires you to meet life’s challenges. Too much ongoing stress causes an almost continuous activation of your body’s stress-response system. The overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones can increase your risk of obesity, insomnia, digestive problems, heart disease, depression, memory impairment, and physical illness. It is important to recognize when we are in DISTRESS. This workshop will provide practical tips and techniques to help you achieve better results and health through the effective management of distress.

Are you a member of the Public Service who will be reaching retirement age over the next five to ten years? This comprehensive course features an expert in pension and financial issues who will provide you with the necessary knowledge and tools to help you develop an individual retirement plan to meet your goals. 

Are you excited about your retirement but worried about getting bored and not having enough to do? Has your work consumed you over the past 30 – 35 years and you are no longer sure what interests you have outside of work? Are you concerned about a lack of a predictable structure, a different or limited social network or the demands that may be placed on you by your parents or children? Do you have a pretty good idea of your basic plan but want to make sure all core components are in place? Are you considering a new career in retirement and want an opportunity to network and share ideas? Are you starting out in your career and want to ensure that your career and life plan are in balance with each other? While being financially prepared for retirement is important, addressing the emotional, physical and psychological realities before retiring, and integrating them into a balanced plan is ultimately the key to a successful and meaningful retirement. This one-day workshop prepares you for a successful transition into retirement by addressing key areas of concern with realistic strategies.

The Fundamentals of Selling course is designed to equip sales professionals with the core skills necessary to excel in today’s competitive business environment. This three-day program provides a structured, consultative approach to selling, enabling participants to gather meaningful market intelligence, build strong client relationships, and propose tailored solutions that address customer challenges. Attendees will develop competencies in sales strategy, technology, prospecting tactics, consultative sales calls, negotiation, and self-management. 

These all rely on good data: policy analysis, programme design, risk assessment, and performance measurement. All these disciplines need to be sensitive to the nature of the people involved through the lens of Gender-Based Analysis-Plus (GBA Plus, formerly GBA+). Policies and programmes are often developed and evaluated without a full and wide appreciation of actual needs or impacts. An increasing schism between the political centre and the periphery points to the need for a heightened care in gathering and giving meaning to data. GBA Plus provides us with a framework within which we can undertake our inquires, research and analysis, using quantitative and especially qualitative techniques. We will start the workshop with a general framework for evidence-based decision-making and public involvement, then segue into ideas for improved critical thought. We will examine bias from various vantage points. After that, we will briefly address quantitative analysis before drilling into the core of the workshop which is qualitative research and analysis and the associated tools of interviews and surveys. When it comes to GBA Plus, we’ll look at gender, but also study the value of the + reached through intersectional or diversity analysis. In general, morning activities will be information-sharing through lecturettes and discussion; afternoon activities will feature group work related to research-, interview-, and survey-design and delivery.

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

Risk is something we face every day. We deal with most day-to-day risk at a subconscious level; however, many risks require a little more consideration. Some risk takes us well out of our comfort zone and so we avoid it – sometimes at all costs. But risk is something that can and should be embraced; risk management is actually a very useful toolset for thought in everyday decision making and often the risk of not doing something can be greater than the risk of doing something. IRM is a systematic and holistic approach to understand, communicate and manage risk across the organization allowing more timely, appropriate and effective responses. It is about the right people having the right information to guide strategic and tactical decisions that contribute to the achievement of an organization’s overall objectives. This course is intended to provide an initial overview of integrated risk management – sometimes known as ‘joined-up thinking’ about risk. The story builds by firstly developing an understanding of risk itself and our attitudes to it, next we look at how we bring risk under our control by means of risk management, and finally we look at how we can take a more strategic view of risk and develop a consistent pan-organizational approach. All the way through, we will build the concepts into practical examples so that attendees can take away real experience of having ‘managed’ risk. While not specifically a course on the Government of Canada’s Framework for the Management of Risk, this workshop will cover many of the same principles using the same terminology. And so, this course will be eminently suitable for anyone wishing to understand and apply the Framework.

Public programs and initiatives are under constant pressure to show clear evidence of results. This workshop equips participants with practical tools to connect objectives to measurable outcomes. Through hands-on exercises, you will learn how to design logic models, identify performance indicators, and build evaluation frameworks that withstand the scrutiny of decision-makers, funders, and oversight bodies. The focus is on applying proven methods in real-world contexts so you leave with skills you can immediately use in planning, reporting, and accountability.

This workshop will provide both policy analysts and subject-matter experts with some effective tools that will help them to formulate good public policy. Starting with perceptions of a problem, such as what might flow from a risk assessment, a minister’s office, or media reports, this workshop will help participants to apply an analytical framework and use tools with which they can formulate credible policy options. Part 1 deals with problem-solving and the first part of options-identification. Part 2 looks at assessment of options and making a recommendation. Designed and delivered by a consultant with more than 20 years of experience in policy analysis. This workshop will maximize the amount of hands-on learning through the use of case studies and group work.

This workshop follows Policy Analysis Toolbox Part 1 and will provide both policy analysts and subject-matter experts with several tools that will help them to make smart recommendations to management. Starting with a review of problem-identification techniques, this part looks at assessing and selling of options, program planning and contingencies, and performance measurement and evaluation. Designed and delivered by a consultant with more than 20 years of experience in policy analysis. This workshop will maximize the amount of hands-on learning through the use of case studies and group work. 

Influence is a key skill that is necessary for having impact on organizations and communities, especially when you do not have formal authority. Being a leader means sharing your ideas and taking action, regardless of your position or title. This session focuses on how participants can have a positive influence on their personal and professional communities without depending on authority or organizational hierarchy.  Instead of considering influence to be a process of “persuading others”, this session focuses on building 5 key leadership qualities that will positively impact those you work and socialize with. Participants will learn communication strategies to improve influence. This session also includes a social styles assessment to help participants learn how to leverage their strengths. Even when in a formal leadership role, influence can motivate, engage and empower others, rather than relying on giving orders or using formal ‘power’. Instead of presenting traditional approaches to influence such as ‘networking’ or ‘ being persuasive’, this session focuses on authentic leadership, building relationships,  effective communication, connecting ideas to organizational values, and being a leadership role model. Myths around influence as applying pressure, manipulation, or requiring a social media presence will be dispelled. Participants will have the opportunity to develop communication skills, craft a vision statement, and create an action plan for making an influence in their community.

Leadership and management are some of the most challenging roles in work and business. Leaders strive to achieve results while effectively leveraging the skills and talents of their teams. In today’s workplace it is critical to recognize that people bring both their minds and their emotions to work and the reality is that emotions drive performance. The research is clear—leaders who have higher levels of emotional intelligence create positive work environments, generate higher levels of employee engagement, deliver higher performance, manage change better and experience less work-based stress. This course considers the impact of emotional intelligence (EQ) on leadership and organizations. It presents research that supports the business case for EQ in the workplace. Participants will be introduced to key concepts of EQ and self-evaluate their current leadership style, identifying areas of strengths and opportunities for development. Participants will build knowledge and skills related to self-awareness and self-regulation and how to be emotionally intelligent leaders. The second half of the course will focus on how to use EQ to motivate teams and implement practical strategies for organizations.

This interactive workshop provides an opportunity to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of your team, and discover the key ingredients of a winning team. You’ll learn how to analyze key issues of performance and behaviour, and to coach team members using a disciplined approach that builds on shared understanding and agreement on objectives. You’ll come away with a personal action plan for making your own team stronger and more productive.

Organizations are constantly developing new products, programs, and services to better serve their clients. They may need to streamline business processes, increase quality and customer satisfaction, or deal with increased competition. Good project management is often the solution for successful completion of these business and organizational requirements. Many project management workshops are geared toward the relatively small number of people who want to become certified as a professional project manager. This workshop is designed for people who want to understand the value of project management and need to manage or participate in projects as part of their job. Designed and delivered by a certified project manager, this course provides hands-on experience on using best-practice tools and techniques to plan and manage a project successfully and to the client’s satisfaction.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are advancing faster than many organizations can govern them. Without clear frameworks, teams take risks, policies fall behind, and accountability becomes fragmented. This workshop is for those responsible for shaping how AI is used across departments, systems, or organizations—not just individual teams. You’ll explore key components of AI governance, assess organizational risks, and design a fit-for-purpose approach that balances compliance, ethics, and innovation. By the end of the session, you’ll be equipped to lead high-trust, high-integrity adoption of AI at scale.

In today’s workplace, training has taken on a broader role as more employees are now responsible for, or taking on the challenge of, training others within their department or organization. Recognizing that training and education is one of the key components to any organization’s success, whether you are providing new hire orientation, transferring knowledge or skills, or training a group of employees on a specific subject, some basic learning principles will apply. That’s where we come in. By guiding you through the ins and outs, the tips and tricks, and the do’s and don’ts of training others, we will help you to provide an effective and positive learning experience. This one-day course provides an essential tool-kit to help you acquire the underlying skills of an effective trainer. We will help you understand the learning and training fundamentals, and review the tools and techniques in designing and delivering training that will guarantee positive results from your audience. You will also learn how to evaluate your training effectiveness, while receiving practical feedback on how to improve and hone your training skills.