Career Development Programmes

Advanced Writing Skills

Next month, because of electrical cutbacks, the Fish Shop Corporation will close plants in North Branch, where 500 people will be put out of work, and in South Branch, where 200 employees will be laid off and 200 will be reassigned. Sentences like these are often found throughout e-mail, business reports, and memos. Meaning is lost, and often the reader gets lost on the way, too. Many business writers have mastered the basics of writing (spelling, grammar, and sentence construction), but need help simplifying their writing, ordering paragraphs, and writing for specific purposes (such as a business case).

Building Your Self Esteem and Assertiveness Skills

We all have moments of self-doubt, where we feel like we can't do anything right and that the world would likely be a better place if we just disappeared. But for many people, doubting is constant. They worry about how they look to others, how their behaviour is interpreted, what will happen if they say no, and what people will think if they stand up for themselves. This constant, destructive cycle of worry and stress is debilitating and harmful. Building your self-esteem is essential for confidence and success, and it all begins with you. Of all the judgments you make it life, none is as important as the one you make about yourself. Without some measure of self-worth, life can be enormously painful. Take the time to invest in yourself and your self-worth, and the payoff will be immense.

Business Etiquette: Gaining That Extra Edge

If you have had some awkward moments where you aren't sure which fork to use or which side plate is yours, or if you've ever had to make small talk with some VIP and been lost for words, you know just how agonizing such moments can be. However, what can be even more damaging to your career are those things you aren't aware of, the social gaffes you aren't even aware of making. In today's world, business demands more than keeping your nose to the grindstone and your ear to the ground. You need business savvy and the ability to establish yourself in a credible manner. A faux pas at the wrong time can damage your career. If you are newly appointed to a management position, or if you interact with people you don't know on a regular basis, this workshop can help you succeed. If you want to enhance and polish your business image, or if you just want to avoid feeling uncomfortable in the corporate world, this workshop will allow you to take a quantum leap forward in skill, sophistication, and confidence.

Business Writing that Works

We all know what good writing is. It's the novel we cant put down, the poem we never forgot, and the speech that changes the way we look at the world. Good writing is the memo that gets action, the letter that says what a phone call can't. In business writing, the language is concrete, the point of view is clear, and the points are well expressed. For those who must write as part of their job, being able to write well is a real career boost. Good writing is hard work, and even the best writers get discouraged. However, with practice you can feel more confident about your own writing.

Communication Strategies

Have you ever wondered why it seems so difficult to talk with some people and so easy to talk with others? Can you recall an occasion where you met someone for the first time and immediately liked that person? Something about the individual made you feel comfortable. A major goal of this two-day workshop is to help you understand the impact your communication skills have on other people, and how improving these skills can make it easier for you to get along in the workplace.

Conflict Resolution: Dealing with Difficult People

The easiest way to deal with difficult people is to stay as far away from them as you can, suggests Robert Bramson Ph.D., organisational psychologist, management consultant with Bramson Gill Associates, and author of Coping with Difficult People. Great advice for those who work by themselves at home; it's a doable option. But the vast majority of people can't avoid interactions with a wide range of personality types, including some who are inconsiderate, stubborn, incorrigible, inappeasable, indecent, or downright sleazy. In fact, success sometimes depends on your ability to work well with all the above.

Customer Service Training - Critical Elements of Customer Service

This one day workshop is for any employee who deals with the public or who serves those who do deal with the public. Customer service skills can increase your value to your company and advance your career at the same time.

Public Speaking: Presentation Survival School

A great presenter has two unique qualities, appropriate skills and personal confidence. This confidence comes from knowing what you want to say, and being comfortable with your communication skills. In this two-day workshop, you will master the skills that will make you a better speaker and presenter.

Public Speaking: Speaking Under Pressure

This two-day workshop has been designed for those who are in positions where they must speak in front of audiences that are hostile or demanding. This material is also suitable for those who are relatively new speakers who want some encouragement to speak up in meetings or who want some training before they begin making presentations on behalf of the organization. This course is aimed at improving your skills and learning some new techniques which will give you the persuasive edge when you are making a presentation, fielding difficult questions, or presenting complex information. The course includes several exercises where the participant will have to prepare and present speeches of varying length and with varying notice.

Skills for the Administrative Assistant

Work is not the only thing that matters in life, but most of us want to take pride in what we do. While we don't have to like the people we work with, or report to, at the very least we should be able to interact positively with them. The biggest influence on job satisfaction is our relationship with others. This two-day workshop will help you maximize your potential as a support person.

Speak Easy: Conquering Your Fear of Speaking in Public

Do you get nervous when presenting at company meetings? Do you find it hard to make conversation at gatherings and social events? Do you lock up in awkward social situations? If so, this one-day workshop is just for you! It's aimed at anybody who wants to improve their speaking skills in informal situations. We'll give you the confidence and the skills to interact with others and to speak in informal situations and in front of small groups.

The Minute Taker's Workshop

No matter who you are or what you do, whether at work or in the community, you are involved in meetings. And meetings are costly, even if they are held in a company boardroom. To ensure meetings are productive and worth the expense involved, three ingredients are necessary: An assurance of closure, a strong chair or leader, and accurate minutes. It has been said that if the minutes of a meeting are not accurate, then the meeting may just as well not have taken place. If people can't remember or agree on what actually occurred at a meeting, how can the group effectively accomplish its objectives? This one-day workshop helps minute-takers understand their role and the best techniques for producing minutes that include all the essential information needed.

Time Management: Get Organized for Peak Performance

Time is money, the adage goes, and lots of it gets lost in disorganization and disruption. This one-day workshop helps you organize and prioritize for greater workplace efficiency. You'll learn to get a grip on your office space, organize your work flow, learn how use your planner effectively, say no without guilt, and delegate some of your work to other people. This workshop is full of ideas for organizing your work area and your paperwork and working on the right things.

Working Smart: Using Technology to Your Advantage

Technology is supposed to save us time and make our lives easier, but often it only complicates things. This two-day course is designed to teach you, the manager, how to use technology to your advantage so that you and your staff work smarter, not harder. We'll cover topics like using ergonomics to prevent Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI); creating policies and procedures to make sure company resources are used properly; the best ways to use time-saving software (including e-mail, instant messaging, contact management software, and scheduling applications); and how to implement and manage telecommuting. We'll also talk about what to do when employees get angry with computers and how to deal with common problems related to technology.

Writing Reports and Proposals

This two-day course is intended to help you do the writing your job demands. If you are a manager at any level in business, government, or industry, you must write reports. Whether you want to or not, you must write to explain things, to smooth relationships, and/or to convince others of the value of some course of action. Such writing must be clear, concise, complete, and correct. It must also convey your message in a courteous tone. The workshop will help you to identify the range of this kind of writing, the forms it takes, and the persuasive techniques it requires.