General Training Categories
The effort being made by many professional organizations to provide training
that strengthens employee performance is very exciting. It is particularly
gratifying to work with organizations that give attention to learning
how to communicate effectively. We believe that authentic communication
is a new frontier in the development of human potential and see ourselves
as part of that frontier, bringing new concepts and practical skills for
consistently genuine communication.
We have found that all thirteen General Training Categories listed here
are essential to an organization's capacity to function at full power.
Most organizations excel in some areas and need to strengthen others.
We can collaborate with you to help you determine what kind of training
is most urgently needed, tailor programs designed and delivered with respect
for your organization's values, and offer recommendations for further
training and/or support at the conclusion of our consultation.
We can also present more comprehensive programs, including some that
provide training in all thirteen categories. Our goal is to help integrate
Powerful Non-Defensive Communication into any organization's culture,
and thereby provide a foundation for greater mutual respect, creativity,
and performance.
The General Training Categories are:
Management
Traditionally, most managers have been promoted because of "technical"
job skills rather than "people" skills. At a time when managers
simply told employees what to do and expected it to be done, poor communication
skills were tolerated. In fact, communication was thought of as "soft"
a skill and not particularly valued.
Now, with the movement from vertically to horizontally operating organizations,
traditional methods of using authority don't work well. In addition, with
many organizations now having local, national, and international offices,
management issues are increasingly complex. In the face of dramatic changes
in organizational structure, many managers are either still too authoritarian
or simply do not provide adequate supervision, both of which require a
change in communication patterns.
As organizations move to a more collaborative management style, communicating
effectively is no longer a soft skill. It is one of any managers' most
important tools. We can provide managers with the non-defensive skill
sets they need to use authority wisely. They can then become extremely
proficient in all aspects of individual and team supervision, including
how they gather accurate information, give and receive feedback, set effective
limits when necessary, and maintain high performance expectations.
For example, we can show them how to respond to and defuse defensive
maneuvers that employees and managers frequently use so each person can
become more open to feedback and work better with others. These skills
can turn managers into respected leaders.
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Teamwork
While the shift from the traditional hierarchical structure to a team
based structure has proven advantages in most organizations, the adjustment
period is often difficult for employees. This change, essentially from
a more authoritarian structure to a more democratic one, can create some
chaos, because many people lack the skills to take initiative and make
joint decisions.
In addition, within any team, the power dynamics among the manager(s),
team "lead(s)" and team members can be complicated and confusing.
Moreover, various teams may be in conflict with each other. Decision-making
can bog down. Some people may fail to do their part and not be held accountable,
causing others to resent them.
The team building modules we offer can give your staff essential skills
for understanding others that go beyond active listening techniques and
maximize their ability to interact with genuine curiosity. Participants
can learn how to speak with sincerity and honesty, even in intense situations.
They can learn how to make efficient decisions, clearly define roles and
responsibilities, set boundaries, hold each other more accountable for
keeping commitments, and engage in creative problem-solving.
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Diversity
As people work increasingly in multicultural and international environments,
many professional organizations have made commitments to diversity training.
However, people often still see it as something to do "once,"
or as being forced to be "politically correct."
Without diversity awareness, any professional environment can be a breeding
ground for individuals to consciously or unconsciously stereotype and
mistreat people who belong to certain groupings such as of age, gender,
sexual orientation, job classification, physical ability, race, and religion.
The magnitude of the problem can be invisible to many, but the cost is
immense, in terms of human dignity, productivity, and dollars.
We believe diversity training is as essential as ongoing management training
or team building. It is an immune builder for the health of the whole
organization. We take people below the surface of the behavioral mandates
to real conversations about difficult subjects regarding many levels of
diversity.
We can provide the tools for people to examine non-defensively their
own attitudes, find common bonds, become comfortable, and develop respect
and caring for others who are different from them.
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Conflict Resolution
The person who says "pick your fights" is advising people to
avoid talking about any disagreement that isn't important enough to get
into an argument over, because dealing with any conflict can take a lot
of energy, even make things worse. People are often afraid to talk about
problems because, in most cultures, we have learned to communicate in
ways that actually intensify conflicts rather resolve them.
Feeling that they only have the no-win choice of stuffing their feelings
or getting into an argument, staff members may withdraw and become less
communicative about important work issues, pass insults back and forth,
have disagreements that spill over onto co-workers, or hold back until
they explode. People's inability to deal with conflict constructively
in professional relationships is pervasive.
We can demonstrate specifically for any staff how traditional ways of
communicating pull them into power struggles and block their efforts to
resolve conflict even when they are doing their best. They can learn non-defensive
communication methods that are far more efficient and powerful.
Employees and managers can practice how to ask questions that can be
so disarming that others instantly stop being defensive. They can find
out how to state their own position with great clarity and confidence
without being judgmental or alienating the others. And they can develop
skill in setting limits which prevent future problems. With these skills,
staff can approach conflict openly and achieve genuine resolution.
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Mediation
The intense anger that we have come to know as "road rage"
is not an isolated phenomenon-newspaper articles refer to "desk rage,"
where some of the people in workplaces who used to "stuff their feelings,"
now feel freer to "blow up" at their co-workers. When staff
can not resolve conflicts on their own, mediation by a third party can
be valuable. In many professional environments, there are few people with
good mediation skills.
When managers, for example, intervene in a conflict between co-workers,
they often erroneously blame the problem equally on both parties, or ask
"What do you want from me?" or say, "You two need to work
this out." Conflicts which are not resolved at an early stage can
cost time, energy, and money.
We can help people in most organizations to strengthen their mediation
skills. We offer basic workshops in mediation and also comprehensive in-house
training and mentoring programs for HR personnel, managers and other key
people with care taken to collaborate with legal council. Participants
will gain insight in how to avoid being "caught in the middle"
or unknowingly reinforce conflict when mediating. They will learn how
to identify core issues hidden behind the presenting problem. Mediators
with this kind of ability can have a high rate of success in helping participants
find solutions and even healing.
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Preventing Harassment
Although sexual harassment gets the most news coverage, many kinds of
verbal harassment or other behaviors that cause anyone to have to work
in an "unfriendly" or threatening environment can also constitute
harassment. When one employee takes pleasure in telling jokes that offend
another employee, or constantly teases or does other things to make the
person's life "difficult," those who witness the situation often
hesitate to interfere or don't consider it serious enough to intervene.
When managers ignore complaints or give employees advise without following
legal mandates, the harm to the employee increases and so does the risk
of a lawsuit.
Many harassment issues could be prevented with early detection and firm
action. Yet people often fear that they will lose their ability to be
relaxed if they have to "watch every word." We recognize that
spontaneous fun is essential to morale and can help employees to make
clear distinctions between appropriate and inappropriate behavior.
We can show managers and employees how to identify unwanted behaviors
and use non-defensive methods to put a quick stop to them. With proper
training, employees can resolve some issues without outside intervention
and managers will have the ability to create an emotionally safe atmosphere
for all staff.
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Strategic planning
It is an understatement to say that effective strategic planning is extremely
complicated. Systemic analysis must take into account the organization's
mission and culture, its financial structure, and its current strengths
and weaknesses with regard to its various functions, from delivery of
services to marketing.
It requires gathering thorough information from people at all levels
of the organization. After that, designing a growth plan hinges on the
ability to accurately project the kind of results that can be obtained
from specific changes that are made. Ultimately it requires getting commitment
from the organization's managers and employees to support the development
plan. Then, its wise to throw in a little luck.
We can help an organization develop and implement a plan that is build
on a systemic analysis of the organization's functioning. We will work
with you to maintain the organization's stability, which gives employees
an essential sense of security, while enhancing growth. We also provide
strategic planning for organizations that collaborate with each other.
Our goal is to co-create a strategic plan that is energizing and empowering
for everyone in the organization.
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Change Management
Most people resist change. One person balking at a joint decision made
by their team can drag everyone down. A group of employees dragging their
feet about complying with changes in procedure or job requirements can
sabotage the organization's ability to meet time-lines and achieve goals.
It is often said that it is "normal" for people to resist change;
while some resistance to change is appropriate, many organizations have
an inordinate amount of it.
The resistance can be because people have not been properly prepared
for the change. Also, the way we have learned to communicate can cause
people to get defensive when asked to learn new things. They learn to
view change as threatening.
We can provide management and/or employees with an in-depth understanding
of the causes of "change-resistance." Then we can teach them
how to greet change with a different attitude and a new set of skills
to prepare for and implement it.
Change management is a crucial piece in achieving strategic planning
goals when major changes are being implemented. Since change is a constant,
it is also routinely important. Effective change management heightens
people's willingness to be proactive in "participating in change"
and enthusiastic about achieving the organization's goals.
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Stress Reduction
Increased levels of stress in the workplace are well documented. Along
with employee cut-backs and financial crunches, many employees are now
sitting in cubicles where they experience the "noise pollution"
of hearing many simultaneous conversations. Distractions on top of heavy
workloads produce frustration, and tempers can be on a short fuse.
In the past, stress reduction training might have been considered to
be an elective workshop in a progressive corporation. No longer. Stress
is wreaking havoc on creativity, productivity, and co-worker relationships.
Gossip during breaks to let off steam often just magnifies dissatisfaction.
We have consultants who specialize in certain disciplines and techniques
for shifting mood, energy and focus which helps people develop stress-reduction
habits. Your employees can learn Chi Kung exercises, from a meditative
form of a Chinese martial art. They can do these exercises in a bathroom
stall, outside under a tree, or at their desk and use their "chi"
or energy to regain calm concentration. They can also learn how to use
things like music, meditation, and poetry as part of small rituals to
reignite creative energy, gain perspective, and ease transitions.
Taking a few minutes to de-stress can become a routine as refreshing
as a mini-vacation. Using these energy focusing tools can also be invaluable
before an important negotiation or meeting.
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Presentation and Negotiation Techniques
People often get defensive when their ideas are questioned, whether presenting
to co-workers or people from another organization. And others do challenge
presenters to see how well they can "defend" their ideas. While
the goal may be to find out if presenters can back up what they are saying,
it is an adversarial process which prevents people from listening well.
It results in attack and defense instead of a genuine examination of
the ideas. Countless presenters with valid ideas have been undermined.
Everyone is blocked from doing the creative brainstorming and problem-solving
that would profit them all. Similar issues exist in individual and group
negotiations, as well as one-to-one sales interactions.
We can coach individuals and groups on how to present or negotiate without
a hint of defensiveness. Even in a adversarial systems, such as the law,
people can enhance performance. They can learn to ask questions that draw
out hidden agendas and respond with great clarity. Sales people can get
better results by presenting information to potential customers without
resorting to techniques of persuasion.
People can negotiate without bluffing, coming to agreement more quickly,
with less effort and better results for everyone. Staff members can get
over-the-top, cutting-edge skills in presenting and negotiating with confidence,
integrity, and power.
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Customer/Client Relationships
A strong tradition in customer relations is based on the philosophy,
"The customer is always right." Clients can use this power to
manipulate and staff become the recipients of much blame and verbal abuse.
People fail to follow legal requirements for a housing permit and then
get angry at the official required to uphold the law. They berate hotel
clerks, hoping for an upgrade, or take back used clothing to the department
store, demanding their money back.
Clients ignore professional advise and then expect the company to absorb
costly changes when they don't like the results of their own decisions.
Yet when people are demanding, they seldom become truly satisfied, genuinely
appreciative customers. In addition, it creates a serious issue for staff
morale, not to mention lost revenues.
We can provide professionals in any field with the skills needed to create
excellent client relationships while protecting them from being treated
disrespectfully, as well as minimizing financial losses. Employees and
managers can learn how to establish relationships with clients/customers
where their advise becomes highly respected, the clients take responsibility
for their own part in the decision making, and they feel valued even if
they can't get exactly what they want.
We can work with staff members on how to create trust, even with strangers,
which we believe is the foundation for loyal relationships with any population
of clients.
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Community Building
At various times in its evolution, an organization can have a strong
sense of community where its employees or members have a common purpose
and are inspired to work together to achieve the organization's goals.
For example, a new start-up company, small non-profit or professional
association can have this kind of energy.
Unfortunately, the feeling of community within an organization often
gets lost when, for example, a company gets larger and its pioneer spirit
fades. Within long established organizations, such as educational institutions,
government bureaucracies, health care organizations, and large corporations,
individuals and departments may have entrenched competition for status
and/or financial resources. Individual units or teams may no longer feel
a primary bond to the whole organization.
Building community within an organization doesn't happen by accident.
Just as some parents know how to create a cohesive family, leaders and
managers in some organizations know how to build a inclusive sense of
community, others do not. While training in all the others areas strengthens
cohesiveness, we also teach specific methods for actively creating the
trust, openness, honesty, fun, and loyalty that are hallmarks of a healthy
community.
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Community Relations
The kind of public image an organization seeks to create is often seen
as a PR effort which has little relationship to its actual values, agendas
and impact on the wider community. Simultaneously, most organizations
suffer from being seen in the harsh light of certain self serving or otherwise
negative stereotypes about their particular profession. Once an organization
becomes stereotyped in a certain way, representatives of that organization
often are defensive and thus inadvertently reinforce the stereotype.
We believe that the first step in creating good public relations is to
do community building within the organization and then extend that effort
outward to the larger community. We can work with an organization to integrate
its values and goals realistically with its public image so people can
respect the organization as one that "walks its talk." We can
help those representing the organization to respond non-defensively to
criticism.
Our experience is that a non-defensive response to issues raised about
the organization's performance and impact increases the amount of respect
it will receive from the wider community. We can also work with any organization
regarding how to interact effectively with other groups in the community
when there is a conflict of interest. Ultimately, as an organization,
you can build a reputation that is based solidly in public trust.
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