Investigate and recognise the role of project sponsor and the importance of the relationship between sponsor and project manager and how this can be improved. Course overview Duration: 1 day (6.5 hours) This workshop is designed to investigate, understand and develop the role of the project sponsor. By taking elements of effective governance from the guidance published by the APM (Association for Project Management) and Axelos Managing Successful Programmes, an improved project sponsor capability can be developed. The workshop will also explore the importance of the relationship between sponsor and project manager and how this can be improved. Whilst predominately designed for the project sponsor role, there is provision for a discussion with project manager representatives to agree an action plan to improve the delivery of projects within an organisation. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Describe and commit to the role of the Project Sponsor Identify the key principles of governance that can contribute to success Describe the environment in which the projects are delivered Explain the financial and resource constraints within the project environment Define the criteria used for project selection Identify the expectations of key stakeholders and develop a clear communication plan to engage with them Identify and resolve areas of conflict Describe the relationship with the Project Manager Create an effective environment and relationship for project success Content Introduction The Project Environment The Principles of Governance The background to the training Roles The Project Sponsor The Project Manager The Project Board Sponsor responsibilities Defining Project Selection Criteria and Prioritisation Business Case and Justification Finance and Funding Resourcing the projects Stakeholder Engagement Project Governance Resolving conflict between stakeholders Benefits Realisation Capitalising the lessons learned during project reviews Delivering success The relationship with the Project Manager and team Action Plan for the future The workshop will use case studies drawn from previous client projects, both successful and less successful.
Understand what Emotional Intelligence is and how it impacts you and others around you. Course overview Duration: 1 day (6.5 hours) Emotional intelligence (EI) is increasingly being regarded as a major key to personal success. IQ measures our ability to problem solve and is pretty difficult if not impossible to change. Our emotional intelligence is our ability to problem solve about emotions and like any other skill can be developed and honed. Some of the most successful people in life today are those who are regarded as having a high level of emotional intelligence whatever their level of IQ. Being able to manage themselves and others successfully is often a crucial factor in their success. With a growing emphasis on ‘soft skills’, leaders and managers need to be able to sensitively handle other people, both within and outside the organisation. Emotions are important in work life. They drive motivation and commitment; they are an inherent part of what we do whatever our job role. Effective individuals are proficient at recognising, using, understanding, and managing emotions in themselves and others. This one day course will help participants improve their understanding and skill in these areas. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Identify the aspects of your role where emotions are important Recognise the four key elements of Emotional Intelligence Use a range of skills to build and maintain key relationships Develop an emotionally intelligent ‘culture’ in your part of the organisation Create a personal action plan to continue to enhance and monitor your Emotional Intelligence Content Emotional Intelligence (EI) What is Emotional Intelligence? Where does it sit in the “whole person model” IQ, Personality Traits, Skills and Knowledge and EI Dispelling the myths and legends about EI The RUUM Model of EI Recognising emotions in self and others Using emotions Understanding emotions Managing emotions Developing Skills in each of the 4 areas of EI Short and long-term strategies to develop EI Developing compensating strategies where needed Practical application of EI Leveraging EI strengths Practice using RUUM Model Case studies and scenarios Video analysis Examples in the public eye we can all relate to Incorporating EI into your day to day role Practical steps Peer coaching Action planning Optional Follow-up After completing this course, you have an opportunity to complete a psychometric to understand more about emotional motional drivers and derailers. If you would like to do this, you will be invited to complete a psychometric questionnaire called Lumina Emotion.It can be done online and takes between 30-60 minutes. The results are compiled into a report which one of our trained and accredited coaches will go through with the participant individually to work up an action plan to leverage their EI strengths and develop strength where needed.This can be very powerful in building EI into your people and your organisation.
Learn the skills of being more confident and assertive in the workplace plus be able to influence people to do the things you would like them to do. Course overview Duration: 1 day (6.5 hours) This ‘Assertiveness and Influencing Techniques’ workshop is interactive and practical and facilitated by a subject matter expert via a virtual platform. Exercises and breakout rooms will be used during this training. Delegates are encouraged to login from a location where they feel safe to turn on their camera, use their microphones and engage in conversations as required. Objectives The aim of this course is to introduce delegates to a variety of influencing skills and techniques to deal with aggression and challenging situations. These skills and techniques will improve confidence and personal effectiveness when working in groups / meetings. By the end of the course delegates will be able to recognise and define what assertive behaviour is and its benefits, the impact of non-verbal communication and how to use it to enhance influencing behaviours. Content What is influencing and assertiveness? Sources of power Influencing skills and choosing the right approach When to be assertive and alternative behaviours Assertive behaviour Behavioural styles and their impact on working relationships Identifying different behaviour types; assertive, aggressive, passive Building confidence and negotiating a win/win result Developing Skills Communication skills – the language of influence and communication dynamics Different influencing techniques and when to use them The art of saying ‘No’ - having the confidence to challenge Receiving criticism assertively and assertiveness behaviour analysis The language of assertion Meeting skills Giving and receiving feedback Dealing with confrontation, aggression and challenges in a confident manner Practical Exercises and Action Planning Practical exercises will be used throughout the training and the training will culminate with the creation of a personal action plan
Elevate your skills in designing, delivering and evaluating engaging and interactive training that will leave a lasting impact on your team or organisation Course overview Duration: 2 days (13 hours) This Train the Trainer workshop will enable you to gain valuable insights and practice helping you to feel more comfortable and confident delivering training sessions. We will look at some training best practice tools and techniques to ensure you can deliver the learning outcomes required. The workshop covers the training cycle but focuses heavily on interactive and practical training techniques to bring learning to life for participants. There will be opportunities to practice delivery of real work-based training and receive feedback on delivery style. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Explain Kolb’s model of how adults learn Describe the 4 key learning styles and how to engage people with different learning styles Apply the training cycle to plan, design, deliver and evaluate your training Write SMART training objectives Use and select a variety of methods to make your training interactive, engaging and effective Describe ways to deal with difficult participants or situations that may arise Apply your training skills to deliver structured training sessions with more competence and confidence Content The Training Cycle Assessing needs Planning and preparing Implementing training Reviewing Assessing Assessing Needs Understanding the task Assessing the learner’s current ability Identifying the gap Planning and Preparing Having clear outcomes in mind What people learn: o Knowledge o Skill o Understanding How people learn: preferences and learning styles and methods suitable for each Planning a programme Planning a session – a systematic approach Assessing risk Writing and using SOPs in training Key Skills for Effective Training Explanation and Demonstration Questioning and Listening Observation and Feedback Facilitation and Debriefing skills Coaching Using questioning, listening and feedback to help learners solve problems and develop confidence Evaluation and Assessment How to measure reactions and participant satisfaction Use of tests and assessments to measure learning Organisational measures of learning transfer Leverage You will have the opportunity to deliver two training sessions on this programme and gain valuable feedback to support you in your ongoing training delivery. Participants are required to prepare a 15 minute training session. This can be something you have delivered before or something you’ve created for the course. Please prepare and include any visual aids you would usually use when speaking and bring them with you, f possible, please also bring your smart phone (with camera, and memory capacity for a short video clip to be added), and headphones.
Learn how to use Microsoft Project to create and resource robust project plans and how to maintain and track throughout the project lifecycle. Course overview Duration: 1 day (6.5 hours) Our Project Planning and Control course gives you the essential skills to use Microsoft Project to build, resource and monitor project schedules. It looks at initial setup, building plans, using a work breakdown structure and managing resources through to baselining and progressing your schedule. This course is designed for new or existing users of Microsoft Project, and no previous experience of Project is required. Knowledge of planning techniques would be an advantage. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Create project schedules Build a Work Breakdown Structure Create relationships Set baselines Manage resources Set deadlines and task properties Print and report on your project Update and track project schedules Content Creating a new project Project defaults Project start date Setting default hours per day/week Setting daily working times Project timeline Building a project Creating a work breakdown structure Adding tasks and durations Estimated durations Setting milestones Recurring tasks Linking, Baselining and Resourcing Setting start dates and dependencies Task Inspector Resourcing Assigning resources Filtering available resources Baseline Setting a baseline Removing a baseline Managing resources Resource properties Dealing with over allocations Tasking information Constraint dates Setting deadline Assigning task specific calendars Task types Updating your project Completing work Completing work per resource Updating tasks Updating the project Rescheduling work Change highlighting Printing and reporting Setup and Printing Visual reports Using the Timeline Creating Dashboard reports
Encourage people to think about how they can improve their performance through asking questions and coaching effectively. Course overview Duration: 1 day (6.5 hours) This workshop is suitable for anyone who is in a first line manager position looking to develop their coaching skills. The focus of the workshop is on understanding how coaching supports other management techniques, how it develops people and their performance, and how best to use coaching with your team. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Define what coaching is and how it differs from and complements other management techniques State the benefits that coaching has for team members, managers and the business Use the key skills of coaching Implement strategies to deal with resistance to coaching Give feedback effectively while coaching Practice your coaching skills with real-life situations ContentWhat is Coaching How does coaching differ from mentoring, training, counselling? Giving advice vs coaching – The Power of 3 How does coaching support performance? Coaching as a leadership style Benefits of Coaching What are the benefits of taking a coaching approach for Team membersManagersThe wider organisation Key Skills How to build rapport for a positive coaching relationship Effective listening – understanding and practising the different levels involved in active listening Smart questioning The power of observation – reflecting back what isn’t being said Practical application throughout The GROW model for Coaching Understanding how to use the GROW model Types of questions to use at each stage Demonstration and practice Resistance for Coaching and Strategies Why might people be resistant to coaching? The role of “experts”, self-talk and self-concept in our thinking Expanding comfort zones Contracting and ethics Feedback/Directive Coaching Directive vs Non-Directive Coaching How and when to give feedback when coaching A feedback model Practice Action Planning
Expand your Power BI knowledge and take your reports to the next level. Course overview Duration: 1 day (6.5 hours) This course is aimed at existing users who want to expand their skills to use advanced reporting techniques and use DAX to create calculated columns and measures. Participants should have either attended our Power BI – Introduction course or have equivalent knowledge. You should be able to import and transform data and create simple reports. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Import and connect data tables Create and use date calendars Create calculated columns Create and use measures Use drill down and drill through Create Tooltip pages Add and customise slicers Add action buttons Streamline your report for use in the Power BI Service Content Review of importing and loading data Importing data Transforming data Adding custom columns Creating data models Building visuals Creating date calendars Building date tables Creating Financial Year information Including Month and Day information Creating calculated columns Power Query custom columns vs DAX columns Creating DAX calculated columns Creating measures Implicit vs Explicit Measures Building measures Using DAX Common DAX functions Drill Down vs Drill Through Review of drill down Creating drill through pages Using drill through Creating ToolTips Pages Adding pages to use for Tooltips Linking ToolTip pages to visuals Using action buttons Adding images Adding buttons Setting actions Working with slicers Adding slicers Changing slicer settings Syncing slicers between pages Showing what has been sliced Setting slicer interactions Techniques in the Power BI Service Hiding the navigation bar Stopping users manually filtering
Why cultural differences exist, what you can do to understand and respect these differences and then implement strategies to build effective intercultural relationships.Learn the skills, knowledge and have the confidence to tackle difficult conversations in a productive way. Course overview Duration: 1 day (6.5 hours) This workshop is designed for those who deal on a regular basis with fellow employees, suppliers or customers from different cultural backgrounds. The workshop will focus on understanding why cultural differences exist, what you can do to understand and respect these differences and then implement strategies to build effective intercultural relationships. The one day session will use professional actors in the afternoon so that you can practice real-life situations involving intercultural challenges. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Understand what makes us different from people from other cultures Appreciate why we form impressions of other cultures Use strategies to communicate effectively with those from different cultural backgrounds Build trust with those we work with from a different cultural background Content Intercultural Challenges What challenges do you face with dealing with people from different cultures? Why do these challenges exist? Understanding Culture What is culture? Trompenaars’ Model of Culture – what determines our understanding of different cultures Cultural theories Hall and Hall:Three Systems of TimeThe Importance of Context – Data vs Dialogue Hofstede – 6 Cultural Dimensions Trompenaars – 7 Cultural Dimensions Chart your intercultural business relationships against these dimensions Strategies and Intercultural Management Trompenaar’s 3 step approach – Recognise, Respect, Reconcile How to foster and maintain trust Effective intercultural communication strategies Practical Activities Professional actors will work with you in small groups in the afternoon to practice real-life challenging conversations.
Ideal for those already using Excel but who really want to get to grips with formulas and functions. Course overview Duration: 1 day (6.5 hours) Our Excel Mastering Formulas and Functions course looks at how to confidently use formulas and functions within Excel. It looks at how to correctly construct formulas and explains how to build common formulas such as working with percentages. It investigates a range of built in Excel functions and shows you how to use the formula auditing tools to help when things go wrong. This course is aimed at existing users of Excel who want to further their skills. Participants should be able to confidently create and amend worksheets. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Construct Formulas Use a range of common Functions Work with absolute and relative references in formulas Create percentage calculations Use named ranges in formulas Use the XLOOKUP command Create formulas with date and use date functions Use formulas in conditional formatting Use a range of Count functions Use the formula auditing tools Content Formulas vs Functions Constructing formulas Using functions Common Excel functions Using the function wizard vs the formula bar Formulas in tables Absolute vs relative references in formulas Using absolute references in formulas Using partial absolute referencing Range Naming Naming ranges Using range names in formulas Single and multi-cell ranges Working with percentages Creating formulas with percentages Percentage breakdowns Percentage increases Formatting as a percentage Using Lookups Using XLOOKUP to insert information from other spreadsheets Calculating with dates Calculating with dates Using date functions Using formulas in conditional formatting Using conditional formulas Using functions in conditional formatting Count functions COUNT COUNTA COUNTBLANK Formula auditing Using the auditing facility Tracing how formulas are made up Tracing precedents and dependants Evaluating formulas Error checking Showing formulas on a sheet
Unlock the Power of Teams: Elevate your leadership with our Building and Leading Effective Teams course. Learn the art of collaboration, communication, and synergy to create high-performing teams that drive success Course overview Duration: 1 day (6 hours) Everyone works in teams today in one way or another. Whatever we do in the workplace we need to interact with another person or a number of people at various times. It is important that we know how to communicate, how to listen, how to work together and how to overcome conflict when it arises in our workplace. Challenges are often created by a lack of trust, poor conflict handling skills, a lack of shared vision and confusion over roles and responsibilities. This course will help delegates understand how to encourage more productive team working in the workplace. By the end of the course delegates will be able to describe what makes a High Performing Team and realistically assess their current strengths and weaknesses. Delegates will also be able to identify and plan behavioural changes that will improve the team’s performance. The course is experiential based with lots of learning by doing activities, reflecting and discussion. This will allow team members to get to know/improve their knowledge of team colleagues and energise or re-energise teams. Objectives Know more about their colleagues Be able to describe what makes a high performing team Understand the importance of playing to different strengths and skills Recognise the need for clear and effective communication Content The Importance of Team Work The importance of teamwork The ‘third dimension’ – how working together has the potential to achieve more The dangers of an overly competitive workplace culture Psychological Safety Team Development Models Stages of Team Development Behaviours at each stage Dysfunctional Teams – what does good and bad look like Characteristics of high performing and elite teams Teaming and Leadership Skills Teaming competencies Active Listening Proactive Language Values and Beliefs Building Mental Fitness of Teams Becoming an inspirational leader Establishing a climate of psychological safety Team Challenges The importance of Accountability The Team Charter Smart Teams:Building TrustBuilding CollaborationOvercoming ConflictGaining CommitmentDeveloping Shared Goals The importance of shared goals Effective Team communication