BUSINESS WRITING MADE EASY

Part I: Cleaning Up Grammar and Usage Using acronyms and abbreviations Being consistent with money terminology Doing the numbers Capitalizing correctly Cluing in on commas Coordinating and subordinating with conjunctions Distinguishing colons and semicolons Considering sentence structure: fragments and run-ons Agreement issues Verb tenses Spelling and usage issues Checking readability Using active verbs Polishing parallel structure

Part II: The Fine Points of Organizing and Formatting Ideas

Organizing thoughts and ideas Determining purpose Documenting customer needs Information giver/receiver shortcomings Handling complaints professionally Keeping writing clear Being specific and fractual Keeping information positive Dealing with wordiness Components of a good business letter Memo pointers E-mail considerations Using fax forms effectively Proofreading your writing

COACHING: BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN OTHERS

Effective coaching aims to maximize the performance of everyone associated with the organization. By applying coaching skil ls in the workplace, employees can motivate, guide, and support one another in working toward and achieving top performance. This unit helps participants recognize daily opportunit ies to coach people they work with and provides participants with the coaching skil ls they need to bring out the best in everyone. OBJECTIVES:

Describe the role of a coach.

Explain why everyone in the organization can be a coach.

Describe how coaching can benefit themselves, others, and the larger organization.

Identify behaviors that help foster a supportive coaching environment.

Demonstrate a variety of asking and l istening techniques to coach others formally and informally.

DELEGATING

While most leaders understand the need to delegate, they are often hesitant to invest the t ime and effort up front. In this course, participants learn to overcome their hesitation for delegation by learning skil ls for successfully matching people, responsibil i ty, and authority. OBJECTIVES:

Understand the role of delegation in t ime management, resource uti l ization, job satisfaction and overall team productivity.

Use a delegation process that ensures team member participation, involvement, and success so that what needs to be done gets done properly and on time.

Establish a team members responsibil i ty and authority for a delegated task creating a framework for accountabil ity and personal growth.

Participants will learn SKILL POINTS:

Explain need for delegation. Use delegation of task to motivate. Explain task and ask team members view. Specify responsibil i ty and authority. Confirm team members understanding and set up time for review.

Essential Skills of Communicating

The largest part of any team leaders communication is with team members. Mostly, this communication is face-to-face, and often one-on-one. Group meetings, written messages, and telephone conversations also come into play. This workshop focuses on the common oral communication interactions between a team leader and team member(s). OBJECTIVES: See that communication is a two-way process. Construct clear, concise messages in the interest of the listener. Manage nonverbal behaviors to reinforce the intent of messages. Listen actively to improve communication. Create a climate of open communication, which increases team members motivation and commitment. SKILL POINTS:

Create a Climate of Open Communication. Design Clear, Concise Messages. Manage Nonverbal Behaviors Effectively. Listen to Communicate.

GRANTWRITING FOR THE TOTALLY CLUELESS This is class is for beginners and those already engaged in a non-profit. Participants are invited to bring proposals currently being developed for discussion. Current trends in funding as well projected trends will be presented. Learning Objectives:

Objective assessment of feasibility and fundability of the project Time effective research methods to locate grants Step by step discussion of the components of a successful grant proposal Developing realistic outcomes and goals Writing a solid budget The 5 most common mistakes in writing a grant - and the 5 things the pro's do Other resources for continued help

HANDLING EMOTIONS UNDER PRESSURE HANDLING EMOTIONS UNDER PRESSURE COURSE OVERVIEW In todays high-pressure work environment, emotions are bound to erupt. The challenges are to prevent them from building to the point where they inhibit rational and productive interactions, and to transform them from negative outbursts into positive opportunities for solving problems. An emotional outbreak is often a cue that a problem is affecting an employees ability to work effectively. When others are able to deal with the emotion and move the discussion forward, a solution is more likely to occur. This unit gives participants a process for handling the emotions in daily work situations. They learn to remain calm and objective, to recover quickly and to help others do the same, and to take charge in difficult circumstances to keep the discussion moving forward. LEARNING OBJECTIVES _ Explain why emotions are normal, and can even be helpful, in work situations. _ Identify situations in which emotional behavior is inhibiting productive discussion. _ Explain why the ability to maintain composure at work, or to regain it quickly, is an important skill. _ Identify ways to manage their own reactions to the emotional behavior of others. _ Use appropriate techniques to diffuse emotional behavior when it hinders KEY ACTIONS _ Acknowledge the persons emotion and describe its impact. _ Invite the other person to share thoughts and feelings. _ Determine whether continuing the discussion is appropriate. _ Listen to understand. _ Probe to uncover underlying issues. _ Communicate your understanding. _ Help the person move on.

LEADING SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS

Meetings are a great tool for getting business results. Many times there is no substitute for combining peoples knowledge and creativity in the same place at the same time. But meeting time is costly, so you want to be sure a meeting helps people to be more productive than if it hadnt been held. Session is divided into three units in which participants wil l learn to: 1) Prepare for meetings; 2) Conduct meetings; and 3) Handle challenging meeting situations. OBJECTIVES:

Set clear meeting goals that support business needs.

Help meeting participants prepare and contribute effectively.

Save time by leading fewer, shorter, and more eff icient meetings.

Save money and resources by making sure meetings get the right results.

Keep meetings on track, and get them back on track if problems occur.

Ensure that people understand and support meeting results.

MOTIVATING OTHERS __________ ____ COURSE OVERVIEW Motivation Defined: Learners share a time when they were highly motivated at workwhy they were motivated and actions they took that reflected their motivation. Learners discuss how to distinguish motivation issues from performance and training problems. The definition of motivating others is presented and shows the three factors that lead to sustained energyfocused work, interpersonal support, and individual value. Learners identify a real motivation challenge they will examine near the end of the course. Diagnosing and Sparking Individual Motivators: The facilitator introduces the challenges of addressing motivation factors with respect to individuals, including preferences and perceptions. Learners watch a video of challenging situations focused on individuals. Working in groups, they use best practices to determine specific actions to boost the persons motivation. Next Steps: Referring to their own motivation challenges identified earlier, learners analyze the causes of the motivation problems. Working with a partner, they choose best practices and note specific actions for addressing the challenges. Key learning points are summarized.

PROACTIVE LISTENING OVERVI EW In todays business environment, intense competition and rapid change have

dramatically expanded the need for information. In the past, people had to know how to do their jobs, but now people need a picture of the business as a whole. That means having information about external influences and about the work of other functions. Proactive listening helps meet this need. It is also a powerful tool for building and maintaining strong relationships required to reach personal and organizational goals.

In this unit, participants learn verbal and nonverbal techniques for moving from a

reactive to a proactive approach to listening. LEA RNIN G OBJ E CTIVES Identify situations in which good listening can make the difference between success

and failure.

List typical barriers to effective listening. List specific techniques to deal with communication styles they find challenging. Use the Key Actions to listen proactively. Identify steps they can take to reinforce proactive listening.

KEY ACTIONS Show interest in what the person has to say. Ask questions to clarify, gather information, and focus the conversation. Let the person know what you understand.

PROVIDING PERFORMANCE FEEDBACK OVERVIEW Providing Performance Feedback helps managers learn a systematic, fact-based approach to performance improvement through quality feedback. Throughout the workshop, they will review video presentations and case studies, participate in group discussions, practice new skills, and receive immediate feedback. Managers leave with implementations tools, troubleshooting guides and additional resources to help them apply the skills they have learned on the job.

OBJECTIVES: Base assessments on facts and behavior. Assess performance Use positive performance feedback to encourage self-motivation of team members Gain team member participation in assessment. Gain team member agreement with the assessment. Gain team member commitment to the change needed to improve performance. SKILL POINTS:

Ask for team members evaluation and give your evaluation of performance. Identify what would help maintain or improve performance. Ask team member to identify how improvement can be achieved. Agree on a plan. Get commitment and set up review.

REACHING FOR STELLAR CUSTOMER SERVICE

OVERVIEW: To provide the kind of exceptional service that creates real customer loyalty. Organizations need people who posses not only robust interpersonal skills, but a positive, can-do attitude, an understanding of the larger organizational context they work in, and a commitment to making excellence their everyday service standard. In this module, participants explore the challenges of delivering stellar service and the way it adds value to every type of customer interaction: one-time or long-term, routine or unique, face-to-face or on the telephone, business-to-business or business-to-consumer, and technical or non-technical. Participants plan how to meet the five criteria by which customers judge service: respect and caring, timeliness, reliability, accuracy, and flexibility. Participants plan what they can do to improve their performance in these areas. In so doing, they gain an appreciation of their own strategic importance and an understanding of where to focus their efforts to become more effective service providers. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Participants will be able to: _ Describe the challenges of delivering stellar service. _ Describe the importance of their role in building customer loyalty. _ List key moments of truth in customer interactions. _ Describe how customers define stellar service. _ Plan for their own success in delivering the five service qualities customers expect. _ List actions. KEY ACTIONS: Attention Speed Trustworthiness Accuracy Resourcefulness

RESOLVING ISSUES THAT IMPACT CUSTOMERS OVERVIEW: Disagreements among service providers can threaten the quality of the service customers receive. In todays flatter, more collaborative workplace, however, a supervisor may not always be available to step in and resolve matters. This module enables service providers to resolve such disagreements themselves so that future working relationships can be more pleasant and productive. Participants discuss the negative impact that disagreements among co-workers have on customer service. They identify the types of unresolved issues that can benefit from a constructive dialogue, and learn how to remove barriers to a smooth working relationship. They practice preparing for a meeting with a co-worker to resolve an issue, conducting a constructive dialogue, and developing a joint plan for working together smoothly in the future. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Participants will be able to: _ Describe how unresolved issue between coworkers can have a negative impact on customer loyalty. _ Identify unresolved job-related issues that call for productive dialogue with co-workers. _ Identify and remove barriers to addressing issues with their co-workers. _ Prepare for a discussion with a co-worker to resolve an issue that has a negative impact on customers. _ Set the tone for productive dialogue with the coworker involved. _ Facilitate discussion with the co-worker involved. _ Develop a shared plan to resolve the issue. _ Plan the application of a process for resolving issues that negatively impact their customers.

KEY ACTIONS:

1. Prepare to Succeed

2. Describe the Issue Fairly

3. Facilitate Discussion

4. Plan Together

TELEPHONE AND EMAIL ETIQUETTE This class is designed to help participants to communicate effectively through email and enhance telephone techniques in the workplace. Participants will be able to: Identify e-mail blunders that leave bad impressions Identify and select effective e-mail communication techniques List 8 steps to successful e-mail writing Choose an appropriate format for the message being sent Create effective e-mails Describe the negative impact when telephone etiquette protocols are not

followed

Answer the telephone, put someone on hold, transfer, and make commitments more effectively

Illustrate how to take a message that makes a difference Explain how to leave an effective and efficient message Recall the benefits for adhering to each of the telephone etiquette standards Build customer loyalty using effective telephone etiquette protocols Illustrate effective use of voice mail in business

VALUING DIFFERENCES Everyone looks at things in a unique way. Today, the companies with the greatest competitive advantage are those that can make the most of their peoples diverse abilities. This course gives people effective tools for appreciating others unique perspectives, understanding peoples inherent differences, and collaborating in a mutually beneficial way. COURSE OVERVIEW > Learn About Yourself: Learners complete a Styles, Abilities, and Motivations (SAMs) profile. A video parodies a team with SAMs and ideas that are all the same, and an activity contrasts how it feels to be valued or devalued. The facilitator introduces a Value of Differences model and LENS, a process for valuing differences. > Explore Differences: Learners begin a team-based activity to design a poster illustrating the value of differences, develop a SAM profile of team members, and prepare a presentation. They use the profile to decide which of four roles each should take on for the activityartist, writer, presenter, and coordinator/observer. > Nurture Differences: Video and workbook activities show how Key Principles help nurture and support differences. > Putting Differences to Work: As teams complete the poster activity, the coordinator/observer notes the use of Key Principles. The team receives feedback on how well they capitalized on each members talents and how well they used the Key Principles. > Stop, Start, Continue: A video illustrates the principles and skills learned and their positive impact on people and performance. Learners identify things theyll do to value differences on the job.

PROVIDING PERFORMANCE FEEDBACKOVERVIEWREACHING FOR STELLAR CUSTOMER SERVICERESOLVING ISSUES THAT IMPACT CUSTOMERSVALUING DIFFERENCES