PMC Workshops

With PMC’s Women’s Transformation Leadership Certificate Program, you will be able to gain a unique perspective on leadership and personal challenges while identifying opportunities and tapping into the power of positivity. By building community and elevating our work, we become more impactful and confident in our ability to make a difference. Recognizing we have lots in common regardless of our varied backgrounds is a good way to learn how to bring our team together. Unlike other leadership programs, this program addition to learning leadership skills will also focus on the 9 types of leadership using the enneagram, one of the best tools available to understand our unique makeup is the Enneagram of Personality. Enneagram, derived from the Greek word ennéa or nine, predicates that human personalities can fall into one of nine separate personality types. Discovering your Enneagram type is a great way to recognize your personality tendencies and how they affect interaction with others. Delivered by a multi-certified Enneagram instructor, this course will bring alive the importance of understanding the 9 types of leadership styles and how to communicate with each style. Join a cohort of diverse women seeking to add value to their organization. To ensure a safe learning environment, groups are kept small.

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.

Being a Manager/Leader is a challenging, complex, risky yet a rewarding endeavor.   Staying grounded through the daily storms of uncertain, ambiguous and emotionally draining situations can be stressful.   Being calm and collected through a typical volatile day requires a person to manage self and emotions by gaining space to put things in perspective – to keep a focus on the rational and logical – to get things done.  That is where the time-tested practice of mindfulness is important.  Centering attention in the present moment with a focus on the breath has been around for thousands of years – now being validated through neuroscience for its effectiveness on clarity of the mind, for health and well-being.  This will help manage stress levels for leaders think, feel, act, relate, perform, lead and collaborate by evolving safe and inclusive spaces for people to perform.   Many organizations are investing in mindfulness training programs for their managers and leaders to mitigate stress, gain mental clarity, and improve their decision-making and performance. This interactive workshop, facilitated by a long-term mindfulness and martial arts practitioner, will include breath-centered practice sessions that are put into context through the five virtues of great leaders.  You will learn how to practically apply mindfulness tools to have an impactful leadership style to create psychological safety within the organization for diverse people to perform as a team, make difficult decisions and inspire people to action.   The program is designed to provide the foundation for creating lasting personal change towards being a self-aware, courageous and authentic leader.

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.

This three-day workshop is a tool for your leadership development. It is designed to help you create and accomplish your personal best, and to help you lead others to get extraordinary things done. At its core, leadership means setting goals, lighting a path, and persuading others to follow. But the responsibility entails much more. Leaders must get their message out in a way that inspires, make the most of their limited time, and build roads to precious resources. They must negotiate alliances, improve their colleagues, and align the ambitions of the many with the needs of the organization. What makes for a great leader? Is it something to do with inward characteristics, such as confidence and focus? Is it more about outward presence, including charm and compassion? Or is it about the ability to create a vision and get others to commit to it? The answer is all of the above. By accepting the challenge to lead, you come to realize that the only limits are those you place on yourself.  

Effective leaders understand how powerful an opportunity can be when they can tap into the intelligence, wisdom, and innovation present in their workforce. Conversational leadership provides the space and infrastructure for knowledge sharing to take place; for employees, stakeholders, and the community to be involved in discussing big, important questions; and to generate solutions that people within the organization can take action on.

Courage is like a muscle; the more you use it the stronger it grows. Although some may have an aptitude for it, anyone can learn to be courageous. Being courageous can take various forms, including: not shying away from uncomfortable situations, encouraging rather than stifling creativity among those around you, and a willingness to take calculated risks and decisions and stand by them. Demonstrating courage can fast track your career. It’s not always easy to be a courageous leader, but usually a leader like this will be remembered with admiration and respect. At this workshop, you’ll gain an understanding the qualities of courageous leadership, and learn how to apply and implement them – regardless of your position or role.

In the current work environment, most employees are dealing with a lot of uncertainty and change, with a subsequent negative impact on productivity and job satisfaction.  This two-day course will help you to recognize the importance of being a more positive model as a leader in order to have more engaged employees.

What if you could just say the word and it was done? What if you could command with authority? What if you knew exactly how to keep the clients, the stakeholders and the team members happy? What if people looked at you expecting to be led, because you were so trustworthy and wise? Anyone will aspire to become a great leader whose vision is taken seriously and is capable of delivering results. Results are indeed the only thing that matter most for a leader and how to gain results is exactly what you will learn in this course using efficient practical exercises. “People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don’t realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.” -Calvin, from Calvin and Hobbes Are you managing but not leading? Do you know how to have an impact as a leader? Do you know how to get your team to trust you and see you as a credible leader? Do you know the subtle differences between strategical and tactical team leading? This course is for people who want to become an effective leader. Leadership is different from managing. You lead people, but you manage things. Leadership is about inspiration, motivation and vision. Managing is about optimization of resources, scheduling, project management and so on. You may lead and manage at the same time, however, this course focuses on your leadership role. As a leader in the 21st century, you need to be prepared for dynamic, complex and competitive environments with a flexible approach. With a mission and a strategy you can look forward with confidence and certainty that will be picked up by your team. This two-day course will show you how to lead and inspire your team, how to assess the needs of your stakeholders, how to spot the trends, how to influence key people, how to get the most from your team by increasing their creativity and how to manage risks and exploit opportunities.

Managing the succession of talent in your workplace is a vital strategic process that minimizes gaps in leadership, ensures the continuity of corporate knowledge, and enables your people to develop the skills necessary for possible future roles. This interactive workshop will show you how to design and implement an effective and flexible succession plan that will help your organization continue to grow and achieve its business goals.

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.

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 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.

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 facilitation 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.

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.

The Canadian workplace is becoming increasingly more diverse, and this brings new challenges to which all must respond. Employees have the challenge of working in new ways with other employees, of being part of an effective team where the members are unlike each other in race, culture, language, or customs. Managers need to create an inclusive environment in which all employees understand, value, and respect each others’ differences.

While many companies promise to deliver an incredible customer experience, some are better at delivering than others. This two-day course is designed around six critical elements of customer service that, when the company lives them, bring customers back to experience service that outdoes the competition.

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.

This one-day course will help prepare you to develop a message and remain on topic when presenting that message to the media or public, without straying from the point, or points, you want to make. The final session will give you the opportunity to craft and hone a message of your own.

This one-day course is designed for anyone wanting to improve their oral communication skills in a non-threatening environment. Participants will work in plenary session, in small groups, and individually using hands-on techniques and material geared specifically to their work environment. You’ll briefly review the theory behind effective communication strategies and quickly move into applying this knowledge in a practical way. You will also learn the most effective ways of using PowerPoint and other visual aids as an outline tool.

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”.

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”.

The ability to succinctly brief others in plain language is a highly valued competency in today’s fast-paced workplace. This expertise requires the writer and speaker to clearly understand the issue, structure their message in a way that is easy to comprehend, and deliver it effectively. Participants will learn how people read and listen today, how to plan and fine-tune effective briefings, and how to deliver them clearly and succinctly. They will also know how to put together and use effective decks that accompany these briefings. Participants will leave this interactive workshop with techniques, strategies, and tips for framing issues, focusing on what recipients remember, and presenting information in a clear, concise manner. Each participant will receive a detailed workbook that is theirs to keep.

Your organization’s success depends on the professionalism of its customer service people. Do you know how to deal effectively with difficult or angry customers? Can you confidently turn a negative situation into a positive one? Do you always create a good first impression? Do you build rapport effortlessly with your customers? This workshop will help you become a model of professional behaviour and skill. You’ll develop a system for staying calm, motivated and enthusiastic regardless of pressures and problems. Learn techniques for dealing effectively with angry or difficult customers, and for being creative in dealing with challenges and the unexpected.

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.

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.

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.

This practical and interactive half-day workshop is designed to raise awareness about what factors go into professional emails.  Through theory and practical exercises, you will learn the importance of taking the time to write a quality email and how to do so. You will also discover how bad emails can affect your credibility, professional relationships, and productivity.

This two-day course is designed for business owners and entrepreneurs who are ready to create a business plan. All the essential steps are covered, including drafting the original document; identifying the audience; gathering information; researching; describing product plans; and marketing, sales, and accounting terms. Students will come away from the course energized and prepared to write their business plan.

The Internet is a fascinating place to find information, visit your favorite companies and stores, read the news, stay connected and much more. However, people do not read information on the web in the same way that they read a printed newspaper, magazine, or a book. As writers, we have to be aware of how people approach a web page or mobile device so that we can create interesting and engaging content. In this interactive one-day workshop, participants will learn and practise new ways of structuring their writing for the web and mobile devices for maximum impact.

“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 through interactive exercises and group discussions. Walk away with new tools and inspiration for tackling everyday challenges in a safe ,fun and engaging 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!

Confidence is not just an asset that’s nice to have. It is a fundamental basis for success and satisfaction in your professional and personal life. Whether you are selling your ideas, taking calculated risks, responding to criticism, working as part of a team, interacting with co-workers or clients, applying for a promotion, or a myriad of other everyday activities, you will achieve more faster if you have self-confidence. This workshop explores the positive impact of self-confidence in your career and personal life. Through exercise, you will discover the sources of low self-confidence and develop new skills to increase your self confidence in order to increase your effectiveness and comfort in various areas of your life.

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.

Almost everyone encounters overwork and the pressure of time constraints — even the most organized person can sometimes feel overwhelmed and frustrated. This workshop will introduce you to practical ‘how-to’ techniques to help you achieve better results, both at work and in your personal life. You will learn how to organize your time effectively and utilize self-management habits that lead to increased productivity both on and off the job. You’ll complete a 21 point self-assessment that will help you understand your personal style of time management, learn how to make that style work for you rather than against you, and work more productively with people who manage their time differently.

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.

This two-day workshop provides an overview of how to develop and manage your career progression. You will learn and apply skills to support your career planning. You will also learn how to organize key information in a way that will support your career objectives. You will receive practical tips to apply at any stage of your career and work search journey.

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.

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.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” – Albert Einstein Feeling connected to the people you work with matters. Disconnection costs in productivity, lost staff, and stress. Whether your team is coming together for the first time, or you have been together for years, experiential learning opportunities that are work related can help develop a better understanding among team members that encourages creative ideas to solve problems. “You can learn more about a person in an hour of play than you can from a lifetime of conversation.” – Plato  PLAYDOH Power Solutions Corporate training is a collaborative, experiential process that enhances thinking, innovation, productivity and team performance.  Your team will be 100% engaged in the process as it unfolds. Learn about each other and tackle your organizations’ toughest challenges all while having fun. If you are looking for a unique experience that has your team thinking, creating and doing through play, this workshop is for you. We’ll have you thinking differently, guaranteed!

Change offers huge opportunities for personal and professional growth. This workshop is designed to help you understand the new world of constant change. This one-day workshop explores the human response to change and will provide you with practical strategies to identify and exploit opportunities for increased job satisfaction, performance and personal success.

The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, “The only thing that is consistent is change.” We are in an unprecedented time in history when everything is changing. How we perceive the experience will impact if we react, or how we can choose to respond. Many of us are not used to talking about our feelings, which can be especially difficult when we are asked to organize our lives a different way, without knowing what the future might hold. This interactive workshop provides an opportunity to reflect on change, how we feel about the change, and how we can understand our stress responses while using them to propel us forward. We will do this in a straight forward manner that is appreciated by even the most skeptical virtual meeting participants.  Resilience is often considered the “ability to bounce back” from life’s challenges. With challenges facing us from all directions, participants will appreciate the opportunity to reflect on their own past experiences that could help them face current challenges. Participants will also learn about easily accessible tools that they can use to address stress, understand and decrease fear of the unknown, and identify new opportunities for living a more satisfying life.

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.

It is said that organizations can only develop to the extent that their people develop. This is critically true for those with management responsibilities. This program is designed to stimulate understanding, skill and insight for those who have already mastered the basics of supervision. It integrates the complexity of the human dimension with the challenges of task and operational delivery, and does so in a strategic context. This interactive workshop combines theory with group, individual and team activities while allowing time for discussion and debate.

This two-day workshop will provide you with an overview of how to understand financial information, without requiring an in-depth knowledge of math or bookkeeping. In addition to providing a Plain Language version of the basics of financial statements, you will also learn how to organize key information in a way that will support your financial management objectives. You will receive practical tips on how to analyze reports to identify the key elements requiring your attention, and you will gain insight into the strengths and weaknesses of standard accounting systems, so you are better able to evaluate the quality of the information you are receiving from your financial data.

Almost 50% of employees are disengaged in many of today’s businesses. That increases the risk of productivity losses, safety issues, quality slippage and especially job satisfaction. These risks result in real costs for business leaders. Studies indicate that the most important influence on daily engagement is that of a front line supervisor. This session will help you to recognize the importance of being a more positive model as a supervisor or leader in order to have more engaged and productive team members.

More and more organizations are faced with the challenge of maximizing the time they spend attracting, inspiring and retaining top performers. That’s why the interview itself is such a critical step in the employee selection process. Quoting Dr. Paul Green, a pioneer in developing behavioural interviewing processes: “past actions predict future performance.”  Behavioural interviewing focuses on the applicant’s past actions and behaviors, and not subjective impressions that can sometimes be misleading. This type of interviewing improves your organization’s overall hiring ROI (cost of hire or re‐hire, training and productivity costs, impact on morale, etc.) and competitive edge in today’s market. It also reduces risk in potential bias and is more legally defensible than any other type of interview. This one-day workshop provides a comprehensive guide to understanding and incorporating behavioural interviewing techniques to identify, hire and retain quality talent every time.

Most people hate performance appraisals. They think they are a waste of time and just try to get them over with. At their worst they can demoralize staff and damage relationships. It doesn’t have to be that way. When done right, PA’s are an enabling tool that operates at the center of your management practices. They help to recognize and reward staff. They set operational and competency development directions for the coming year. They serve as the framework for coaching, mentoring and feedback throughout the year. When done right, they save time, add value and create accountability in all the right places. 

Viable organizations need to be ready for emergencies because they are a fact of doing business. The worst plan is not to have any kind of plan at all, and the best plans are tested and adjusted so that they work over time. Fortunately, you do not need separate plans for fire, weather disasters, and all the different kinds of crises that can occur. One solid plan will help you to prevent, respond, and recover from all crises. This two-day course will help you ensure your organization is ready to manage any kind of crisis.

As human beings, we often hunger for feedback. However, many people will tell you that when they do get feedback, it’s often because of something they have done wrong. This one day course is designed to help workplace leaders learn how to provide feedback any time that the message is due. Whether feedback is formal or informal, and whether it is provided to employees, peers, or someone else, there are ways that it can be structured to be effective and lasting. This course will help participants learn why the way we deliver is feedback is important, how to deliver a message so that people accept it and make changes that may be needed, and how to accept feedback that we are offered.

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.

How do you manage a poor performer? What do you do if your feedback is ignored? How do you manage an individual who seems to lack a work ethic? How do you define the shortfall in an individual’s performance? How do you ensure that any positive change in work performance is permanent and lasting? This workshop gives you practical help and guides through a collaborative process that will produce many lasting benefits. Interactive and fun, you’ll learn a motivational style that you can practice in a risk-free setting.

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.

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.

Encouraging individuals to achieve their highest potential can be a challenging endeavor. Effectively managing for peak performance involves mastering the art of creating an environment where motivation thrives and individuals exceed their own expectations. This comprehensive one-day workshop is designed to equip you with essential skills and strategies to achieve just that.

This workshop is for people who are new supervisors or who are interested in a supervisory position, as well as those who are team leads or part-time supervisors without a great deal of authority. This two-day course is designed to help participants overcome many of the supervisory problems that they will encounter as a workplace leader. Dealing with the problems that a new supervisor encounters isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to lead to discouragement.

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.

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.

The practice of mindfulness – centering your attention in the present by focusing on the breath – has been around for thousands of years. A growing body of scientific research demonstrates that a regular mindfulness practice can have a powerful impact on your well-being and wellness through how you think, feel, act, relate, perform and collaborate at work – reducing the daily stress of life in a VUCA world – volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.  On an individual level, mindfulness practice helps you to control your emotions and stress – anger, frustration, fear – so you can be inquiring, thoughtful, logical, rational and strategic, and focus on the work that needs done, rather than on the situations that may distract you from your priorities. In effect, being mindful and aware allows you to be compassionate, acknowledge emotion and move towards logic and reason in any situation. This results in a better state of mind, health and wellness for mental clarity and endurance through the daily challenges of life.  This one-day interactive workshop, facilitated by a long-term workplace mindfulness practitioner, will show you how to integrate mindfulness with emotional intelligence and organizational behaviour theories and tools, so you can immediately begin to enhance your own well-being and improve your relationships and effectiveness at work.

How are you feeling while working these days? Do you feel like you have influence or agency over those emotions? Or are you feeling like circumstances dictate your mood? This program gives you the science behind and the practices in support of diagnosing and creating your emotional experiences at work. The result is more satisfaction, joy, and peace in times that frequently trigger less positive emotions.

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.

The challenges of the modern work environment – changing priorities, heavy workloads, working with difficult people and situations – frequently result in stress, anxiety and loss of productivity. At this workshop you’ll discover time-tested techniques to develop integrated mind/body awareness to reduce your stress and increase energy, resilience and the confidence to deal with difficult situations. The course is practical, interactive and fun.

Whether you are creating a workplace wellness program from scratch, or enhancing what you already have, you’re already on the right track! With increasing costs of health care, a shrinking workforce, and aging workers, a savvy workplace understands the value in supporting workers to improve their conditioning and to live a fitter lifestyle. This two-day course includes all aspects of designing or upgrading a program, from concept through implementation, to review.

When things are extremely busy at work and you have your hands full with many tasks and dealing with difficult people, having skills you can draw on are essential for peace of mind and growth. This one-day course will help participants understand the causes and costs of workplace pressure, the benefits of creating balance, and how to identify pressure points. They will also learn how to apply emotional intelligence, increase optimism and resilience, and develop strategies for getting ahead.

Many organizations host or participate in a variety of meetings and events, large and small, throughout the year. When properly executed, these meetings and events can deliver a tremendous return on investment in terms of exposure, education, marketing, sales or other objectives. Conversely, the impact of a poorly executed meeting or event can be substantial. All too often the very critical role of organizing meetings and events falls to someone who has had no formal training in this field. Facilitated by a Certified Meeting Planner, this two day workshop will provide you with a sound foundation for successfully planning and executing a wide variety of meetings and events.

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.

Have you ever had an issue arise on a project or at work and wished you’d caught it before it happened? Or yet, if it was inevitable, that you would have been prepared to reduce its impact? Every project comes with risks. By applying the recommended Risk Management methodology, you can successfully manage risks and often eliminate them – before they become issues and potentially take your whole project off track!  In this workshop, you will learn to identify and assess risks, to prepare risks response strategy and plan, to implement and monitor the plan, and to control and communicate all aspects related to the risks identified. You will also learn to use tools to evaluate and track risks throughout the project lifecycle. Many people do not feel comfortable talking about risk – but it’s a must and, good news, it gets easier. This workshop is designed to help individuals, teams, and organizations improve their familiarity with a risk management framework tailored to project management, and develop an ease with identifying, managing, and communicating about risks so that projects can be executed as smoothly as possible. 

This course explores the more complicated aspects of event planning and goes beyond the basics to help you plan, budget for, and execute flawless events in your organization. Participants should have some experience planning events or have previously taken the Introduction to Successful Event Planning workshop.

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.

It’s no surprise that organizations spend an increasing amount of time in meetings and presentations – whether they are introducing new concepts, brainstorming ideas or sharing information.  With poor planning and unclear agendas, meetings and presentations end up losing focus and devouring time, energy, resources and money. This one-day workshop will help participants build speaker confidence while employing techniques for polishing and mastering both presentation delivery and effective meeting participation that will motivate teams and improve results. *There is an opportunity for participants to share an example of their presentation slides at the end of the workshop as part of a group critique segment (approximately 5-10 minutes per participant). Participants can select key slides from a previous workplace presentation that they are comfortable sharing with the group (they would need to remove any confidential or sensitive material beforehand).

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.

At the core of every project are its people: the people who want the project, those paying for it, and those you will depend on to do the work. The best-planned project can still fail if you ignore its important interpersonal dimensions. This workshop is about creating success through people. It goes behind the science of PERT, MS Project, and GANT charts to look at the art of working and communicating with people connected to the project. Within a five-step process for project planning and management, we will study the human side, addressing issues such as qualifying the need for the product, scoping the project, team work, communications, and risk management. This workshop is complementary to our sister workshop, Project Management 101. The 101 workshop explores the steps and general practices of project management in greater detail over two days. This one-day workshop, while providing an overview of the steps, emphasizes the human dimension of successful projects. We will rely on a variety of training situations including discussions, cases studies and group work.

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.

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.

This two-day workshop will provide you with an overview of the structures, processes and players of the Government of Canada – the machinery of government. It presents the current context, government plans, priorities and the relationship between government and the Public Service. You’ll also learn about the history, traditions and values that have shaped the Canadian parliamentary system.

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.

A policy is created; a program designed and then launched. What comes next? First comes short term performance measurement which seeks to answer questions around efficiency: “How are we doing?” and “What needs improvement?” Then, after a longer period, normally five years, it is time for an evaluation to assess effectiveness, which seeks to answer “How did we do? and “Were we successful?” Over time, various levels of governments have parceled off performance measurement and evaluation to the back corner of a department, often separating it from the specific program under review. This workshop seeks to provide policy analysts and program and community managers with a set of integral tools to assess their own programs and make adjustments as the need arises. The goal is increased efficiency, effectiveness, and economy.

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. 

Public servants, whether they are policy or program analysts or managers, work in a complex evolving policy environment, consisting of multiple stakeholders with different mandates, agenda, plans and priorities. The issues they have to tackle are multidisciplinary and cut across jurisdictions. Policy development work requires a sound understanding of all these factors and their relationships. This two-day workshop provides a framework for effective public policy development, which includes: the dynamic nature of the public policy arena, the factors that influence decision makers, as well as an understanding that public policy in Canada involves a number of players who contribute to it. This workshop is different from our sister workshops, Policy Analysis ToolBox Parts I and II. Those workshops are concerned with the analysis that you would personally undertake to create a policy or program, whereas the workshop described here explains at a higher level how policies are developed.

Committees are an important procedural tool of Parliament at both the Senate and the House of Commons.  A committee is a working group that is established to review bills and existing legislation, and to study and evaluate government programs and policies.  As part of these studies individuals may be invited or they can request to appear before them, or present a written brief.  This workshop will provide you with the tools to effectively present at a parliamentary committee.

De nombreux ministères soumettent leurs employés à un test d’écriture avant même d’envisager leur candidature pour une promotion. Êtes-vous de ceux et celles qui devront subir ce test d’écriture en français, mais qui éprouvent de la difficulté avec la ponctuation, l’orthographe, l’emploi des majuscules et la structure logique des phrases? Aimeriez-vous trouver des réponses et des solutions à des questions de grammaire difficiles afin de vous sentir prêt lorsque vous vous présenterez au test? Dans cet atelier, l’animatrice passera en revue des notions de base de grammaire française et de vocabulaire. Grâce un enseignement dynamique, un manuel riche et détaillé et des questions types pertinentes, vous posséderez, à la fin de ce cours, les outils nécessaires à la réussite du test d’écriture, et au succès de votre carrière. Ce cours pratique et vivant vous donnera de nombreuses occasions de mettre vos connaissances en pratique afin d’améliorer vos compétences en écriture et de vous préparer au test. L’animatrice se fera un plaisir de regarder avec vous des exemples de vos productions écrites.

Many government departments require their staff to have writing skills competency before being considered for promotion and advancement. Are you going to take the government Writing Skills Test (Level 3) in English, but struggle with punctuation, spelling, capitalization, sentence sequencing, and vocabulary? Do you want to understand difficult grammatical problems so you can approach the test with confidence? This workshop will introduce you to English grammar and vocabulary and prepare you for success not only on the test but also in your future career. This is a hands-on and lively course that includes many opportunities to practice and improve your writing skills. You will receive a manual designed specifically for Canadian English and leave with a practice exam that you can take and correct on your own time later.

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.

Microsoft OneNote is a note-taking program for free-form information gathering and multi-user collaboration. It gathers users’ notes, drawings, screen clippings, and audio commentaries. Notes can be shared with other OneNote users over the Internet or a network. This workshop is intended for new users of OneNote and will help you get started with this powerful program.

This workshop will show you how to set up a system in MS Outlook that will allow you to focus on your overall vision, your roles, your goals and your priorities. This will ensure that your activities are linked and properly prioritized to help you meet those goals and objectives.

Although the practice of “telecommuting” or “telework” has been around for decades, most of us are not used to working remotely five days a week. Working remotely has challenges as well as benefits. Microsoft Outlook has many built-in tools that are underused but can help supercharge your productivity.  In this 3-hour course you’ll learn some practical tips and strategies to save time and accomplish your priorities as an administrative professional using Outlook and working remotely.

In this one-day workshop class participants will examine, discuss and practice the skills necessary to organize and deliver persuasive and influential presentations. The course teaches three areas of presentation skills: the components of organizing a presentation the interpersonal components of delivering a presentation the technical components of several visual media You will learn practical skills that will have an immediate impact on your organization. You can expect a relaxed and non-threatening learning environment, with fun activities to reinforce learning. And we limit class size to encourage maximum participation and feedback.

This two-day course will help you understand how to identify and work with database components; open tables to locate, edit and enter data; create and customize tables; use input masks and data validation techniques; create table relationships ensuring data integrity; create and customize table forms; work with queries to extract, edit and perform calculations with table data; create and customize reports; import and export data into tables and preview and print data objects.

Microsoft Project is one of the most popular scheduling and project management programs on the market. This course covers the basics of using MS Project and how to set up a simple project, including how to configure the project calendar, tasks, resources, and more. This workshop will help you understand the basic functions of Microsoft Project and how to utilize the software to its full potential.

This one-day course will introduce you to some of the most important features of Microsoft Word. You will gain knowledge in increasing efficiency using the application and create professional looking documents. Customizing the application will also assist in setting up the application to your preferences.

This one-day course will help you understand how to create and modify tables in order to organize and enhance data; use the Mail Merge feature with different data sources and main documents to create form letters, envelopes and mailing labels; use styles to create consistently formatted documents and to facilitate changing paragraph and character formatting; create and insert Quick Parts to reuse data and content and create documents with consistent standards; and create and use templates to provide consistent document editing and formatting.

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.

In today’s busy world it is a constant challenge to keep up with your goals and commitments. Many people often feel as though they cannot find enough time to get everything done. Although we can’t give you more hours in the day, we can help you decide what to do and when to do it.

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 assist you 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.

Training is an essential element of development in any organization. Being knowledgeable and continuing to learn throughout your career can make you a very valuable asset. We also know that training and orientation (or ‘onboarding’) for newly hired employees is a key factor in retention.

We have all participated in training courses or workshops. Some of these have been helpful and useful in our everyday lives and others have seemed redundant and a waste of time. How often have we cheered or grumbled at being asked to participate in a training day. The good news is that all training can be useful and applicable if the trainer keeps some simple tips in mind when developing and applying training. We all learn differently, but there are some truths about learning that can be applicable to most groups and can be tweaked to fit any training session.

Few people choose training and development while they are still in school, and yet there are talented and knowledgeable trainers working in every industry. Some individuals become trainers because they are passionate about sharing their knowledge and about helping people. Others become trainers because their employer asks them to get involved in mentoring, training, or coaching new or existing employees. Trainers also get started when they want to make some changes to their daily activities, but wish to continue contributing to a particular organization or industry. If you are thinking about becoming a trainer, or have started doing some training already and want to know more about what will help you to become an excellent trainer, this workshop will help. This one-day workshop is designed as an exploration of the essential skills that trainers need to develop, and to get you started in the learning process in an interactive and fun environment.

Most people who call themselves trainers today probably didn’t start out to be trainers. They often work in a field where they develop extensive knowledge and then are asked to share what they know. Many trainers have some experience with teaching, writing, or leadership, although they come from nearly every field. As such, people who work as trainers are often put into difficult situations without much understanding of what training is or how to do it well. We know that being a good trainer is the result of developing skills to bring information to an audience. This information will then engage, empower, and encourage continued learning and development. This three-day course will give you the skills that you need so that your students not only learn, but also enjoy the process, retain information shared, and use their new skills back in the workplace. Participants will also have the opportunity to conduct a short group training session that incorporates these training concepts.

Do you love those moments of exception, when everything seems to have come together and things are working beautifully? Would you like to create an environment where those rare extraordinary moments become the norm? Then you may just be ready to learn the value of Appreciative Inquiry, also known as AI. AI is a method for implementing change that is rooted in being positive, sharing stories of things that work well, and leveraging people’s strengths and the power of co-creation to initiate lasting, powerful changes that can make an organization the best it has ever been, because of people who care and are committed.

Over the past several decades, organizations have come to realize that success cannot only be measured in dollars and cents. Intangible assets (like a company’s reputation, the knowledge base created by their employees, and training initiatives) can make up a huge portion of a company’s wealth. It only makes sense, then, that we need a new tool to help us measure this expanded definition of success. Enter the balanced scorecard! This tool and its related components will help your organization identify, document, plan, and execute a balanced strategic mission. It will also help your organization evaluate and revise its strategic execution. This one-day workshop will introduce participants to the basics of the balanced scorecard and help them determine if this powerful tool is a good fit for their organization.

What exactly makes a decision ethical? The problem with ethics is that what may seem morally right (or ethical) to one person may seem appalling to another. This workshop will not provide you with an easy way to solve every ethical decision you will ever have to make. It will, however, help you define your ethical framework to make solving those ethical dilemmas easier. We’ll also look at some tools that you can use when you’re faced with an ethical decision. And, we’ll look at some techniques you can use so you don’t get stuck in an ethical quandary. Best of all, we’ll look at a lot of case studies so that you can practice making decisions in a safe environment.

This two-day course will provide you with a practical experience of the Business Planning process from a Design Thinking perspective, to reflect current business changes and resource constraints. Business Planning is a way to “design” and manage work within changing constraints. This interactive workshop will develop your knowledge, confidence and practical skills to plan your work activities as a “design thinker” in times of change.

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.

The right training at the right time can make a huge difference in the productivity and profitability of your organization. Whether you are scanning your workplace for opportunities to make things better and training is the answer, or a client asks you to come into their organization and do an assessment, your answer is best framed in the form of a training needs analysis. Your ability to create an analysis that is comprehensive yet simply prepared is critical for it to be understood and acted upon. This one-day workshop will help you to gather the information, assess the data, and present your suggestions for training or non-training solutions.

This two-day workshop is designed to provide you with tools, templates and a lexicon for developing and implementing a performance measurement framework that is used to support planning, priority setting and investment decisions. Through robust and useful results framework and performance information profiles, you’ll learn techniques for supporting the Government’s Results and Delivery Agenda.

As diversity increases in the workplace, people from different backgrounds and orientations will integrate with the workplace culture and perform when they feel welcomed, safe and included to become a part of the organizational culture. The program is designed to create an interactive conversation to help understand what equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) means and how people from different backgrounds and cultures may experience it in their daily lives. It is acknowledged that there is no one perfect or certain approach to dealing with EDI. It is very much related to the existing leadership and organizational culture and what the organization aspires to be in meeting its goals. The program will be facilitated through a mindfulness lens with a focus on unconscious biases and possible systemic barriers to inclusion and equity.  The facilitator will encourage self-reflection and a compassionate inquiry into how to effect change, and overcome biases and barriers, so every member of the team is valued as a part of an inclusive culture. The program will be facilitated in an interactive co-inquiring manner encouraging participants to actively contribute to the learning process.

Understanding how to manage the knowledge within your organization is the key to business success. Mismanagement of organizational knowledge comes with a price: frustrated employees, angry customers, and decreased productivity. All of these things can affect a business’ bottom line. The purpose behind knowledge management is to help us bridge organizational gaps and to use our greatest asset (our knowledge) to take our business performance to the next level. The theory of knowledge management has emerged to help us harness and enhance both the individual and collective brain power of our businesses. This workshop will introduce participants to knowledge management tips, techniques, and proven processes.

Lean principles have come a long way over the past 300 years. From Benjamin Franklin’s early ideas, to Henry Ford’s work in the 1920’s and the Toyoda precepts in the 1930’s, to Jeffery Liker’s publication of The Toyota Way in 2004, Lean processes have evolved from a simple concept to a set of widely used best practices. This two-day course will give participants the foundation to begin implementing Lean process improvement tools in their workplace. The first day will explore the foundations of Lean through the Toyota precepts and the five critical improvement concepts (value, waste, variation, complexity, and continuous improvement). The second day will give participants tools to perform continuous improvement in their organization, including 5S, 5W-2H, PDSA, DMAIC, Kaizen, Genchi Genbutsu, and various Lean data mapping methods.

Organizations in the public sector, non profit, or private sector are continually facing the challenge of saving money and providing improved service to customers with existing resources. In today’s economic climate this takes on even greater importance. All too often there is a lack of understanding about what activities really add value for clients. In addition, existing processes have bottlenecks, delays, re-work steps or built-in waste. “Lean thinking” is a simple yet powerful approach to looking at the way you do things in order to make significant improvements. It can be applied to improve the productivity, quality and efficiency of any activity, program, product or service. Going lean is also a great way to become more green. This workshop will provide you with the understanding you need to start seeing your workplace, project or program in a different way. You will harness the power of lean through a highly interactive and fun game that runs throughout the day. It will inspire you to find your own better way of doing things and equip you with basic knowledge to implement a simple lean initiative.

Charles Kettering, an inventor for General Motors, once said, “A problem well-stated is half-solved.” The gap analysis tool can help you define problems and identify areas for process improvement in clear, specific, achievable terms. It can also help you define where you want to go and how you are going to get there. This one-day course will give you the skills that you need to perform an effective gap analysis that will solve problems, improve processes, and take your project, department, or organization to the next level.

If you and the people who work with you don’t understand where the company is going, they may all develop their own priorities and actually prevent you from getting where you need to be. Part of getting everyone on board is creating a strategic plan complete with the organization’s values, vision, and mission. Then, there’s the challenge of bringing these principles to life in a meaningful way that people can relate to. This two-day course will help you describe what you want to do and get people where you want to go.

Our lives are becoming ever more complex. We seem to have more to do and never enough time to do it all. We have practically unlimited real time connectivity, and an expectation that we are contactable 24/7. Much of what is put in place to make our work environment better actually has the opposite effect and adds even more complexity to our workday: Endless initiatives to help us do more with less IT systems that we need to spend time learning how to use, before they will help us Policies, procedures, regulations and legislation to keep us safe, secure and consistent We find ourselves making more decisions, about more things, with not a lack of information, but with too much information. Emails, news feeds, updates, phone calls, interruptions, the need to search for files, facts and information, and meetings, all contribute to the complexity of our work life. With all of this, how much of our day is truly productive? What can we do? The answer, while it may seem counter-intuitive, is simplification. Do less to achieve more, slow down to go faster. This workshop will be highly practical. It will involve drawing on experiences, issues and positive examples from your place of work. You will build your own personal 8-point action plan that you take away and start to work with immediately. The techniques we will cover in this workshop are equally applicable in your home and work environments.