more customised courses click here
customer care, presentation skills, diversity,
modern business writing, managing absenteeism, handling conflict, handling the media

Training the trainers
This is for any trainer who is still using overhead transparencies or ‘Powerpoint’ to help people learn! Overheads have their place of course but they are often ‘misused’, used as a safety crutch and can bore everyone to death! When we are delegates, we like to move, think, discuss and get ‘stuck in’. This session is about redesigning your sessions so that the ‘learning activities’ are fun and relevant!

A suggested outline

• What are our current training methods? Let's assess them!
• What is Experiential Learning?
• How can we make our activities more relevant and fun?
• What will people remember and why? A brief introduction to accelerated learning methods
• How do we learn and what are our different styles of learning
• Using colour, art, music, and ‘models’. Using drama and actors
• Techniques for handling ‘heavy’ or ‘boring’ topics
• Issuing course materials they will use and remember!
  Designing great ‘learning vehicles’
• Action planning to really attack your current training materials!
• Dozens of ice breakers and energisers
• Evaluating training and training needs analysis

Just a few of our clients in this subject
· Severn Trent
· Bristol City Council IT Trainers
· Karndean
· Sunfield School
· GLOSCAT

Team leader and management skills
Our approach is quite simple. We take the parts of the job delegates find difficult and then with our interactive drama we help them explore effective options for managing them. In addition to this we guide the delegates through a series of activities which give them ideas on how to motivate and coach their team and handle those awkward situations that no manager enjoys!
Our emphasis is upon the soft skills needed to lead and motivate the team and ultimately increase performance. We can focus upon any aspect you like though as a guideline we would normally cover the following topics:

• What makes a good team leader?
• Motivation ideas for ourselves and our team
• Delegation concerns
• Delegating effectively
• Holding a learning conversation
• Simple tried and tested coaching techniques and options
• Essential communication skills
• Giving feedback to the poor performer
• Making team meetings more effective and enjoyable

And as always this two day session is fast pacing and highly participative with lots of opportunity for hands on practice with our actors!

Just a few of our clients in this subject
· Malvern Hills District Council
· Warwickshire County Council
· Wiltshire Police
· Gloucester City Council
· Hightown Praetorian and Churches Housing Association

• What are our common problems? Why do our meetings sometimes fail to meet their objectives?
• Chairing meetings – those ‘core’ skills
• Dealing with ‘ramblers’ …who take over …and who go on..and on..and on..some ideas!
• Planning and Preparation – your check list
• Cutting down on time..keeping them focused and snappy!
• Involving EVERYONE …the quiet and shy
• Making it participative and enjoyable
• Dealing with negative and aggressive individuals
• Getting noticed when we’re not in the chair
• Taking Minutes – some hints and tips

Handling conflict with the public
This has been one the biggest growth areas in training in recent years which is a sad reflection upon the society in which we live as an ever demanding public lose their temper with service providers from all types of organisations from art galleries to Social Services!
Increasingly front line staff (face to face or telephone) have to face a complaining critical public whose expectations have soared in recent years. This session can help the staff see the situation from the customer’s view point, and give them the much needed disarming anger skills (and sense of humour) to `manage` these encounters professionally and reduce their stress levels!
As always, research can be carried out to tailor the whole session to match the type of conflict your staff face on a daily basis and we can discuss evaluation methods for you.

A suggested outline
At the end of the session the delegates will:

• Have explored the power and control they have over their own ‘core’ communication skills such as active listening, questioning, body language, and voice tone.
• Have explored who their customers are and identified their expectations
• Be able to identify the six stages of active listening and put these into practice.
• Handle complaints from others (internal and external) in a constructive, honest, and professional way
• Be able to recognise the importance of key interpersonal skills, ‘mind-set’ and behaviours in managing internal and external customer relationships.
• Be able to distinguish between passive, assertive and aggressive behaviour
• Resolve conflict and disarm anger professionally and effectively
• Be able to build up their own self esteem and confidence
• Be able to deliver bad news in a sympathetic and empathetic manner

Content

• Introductory activity/ energizer
• What do our customers expect? (How do we know)
• Core interpersonal skills
• Active listening (6 stages)
• Body language
• Voice tone
• Questioning
• When do our customers get angry?
• Disarming and understanding anger
• Handling complaints
  Which of these are inside our control?
• What are the key components of assertive behaviour?
• Delivering bad news professionally
• How can we build up our confidence and self-esteem? (Why bother?)
• Action planning and tasks for the follow-up day (for individuals and teams)
  

Just a few of our clients in this subject
· Gloucester City Council
· North Shropshire District Council
· Whitefriars Housing
· Wilshire Police
· Devon and Cornwall Police