368 Professional Development courses in Southampton

Overview Appreciative Inquiry is a form of action research that collects people’s stories of best practices. We can use these best practices as a way to initiate organisational change. This course will guide attendees through the process of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) and give them the techniques to succeed in using the AI system. This course will benefit anyone that leads change and wants to create positive dialogue that leads to improvements within their organisation. Description David Cooperrider, Suresh Srivastva, and their colleagues at Case Western Reserve University developed AI in the 1980s. According to them, the aim of Appreciative Inquiry is to help the organisation in: Envisioning a collectively desired future Realising that vision in ways that successfully translate intention into reality and beliefs into practices The AI approach can be applied in almost all groups of people and once the process starts, the change is put in motion. The appreciative approach works in individual conversations among colleagues, managers and employees. AI consultants around the world are increasingly using an appreciative approach to bring about collaborative and strengths-based change. This course will provide attendees with the means to effectively develop the skills of managers for the benefit of their organisation. They will be taken through the full process of appreciative inquiry; developing a wide understanding of the tools and techniques required to effectively improve communication and affect change. What can Appreciative Inquiry achieve? Well, just imagine you were better able to: Solve problems within an organisation in a positive and forward-thinking way. Be more curious and excited about the challenges faced within the business. Ask unconditional, positive questions to strengthen the organisations capacity to increase potential. Approach change in an affirmative mindset. Use questions to create movement and change within the company. Simply apply core communication skills, for overall organisational success Topics covered: What is Appreciative Inquiry? – A review of the subject with an activity that helps embed understanding and a case study that explains the process in action. Benefits of Appreciative Inquiry to the Organisation – Establishing how AI can aid and improve the way an organisation works and how people communicate within it. Exploring how specific organisational issues can be viewed positively. Appreciative Inquiry Questions – Understanding how questions can be used to identify positive organisational improvements and refocus our approach to business issues. Appreciative Inquiry Interviews – A set process for performing AI interviews and framing consultations to get the best out of those involved. A chance to practice the given approach and hone personal skills. The 4D Model – An overview of the AI 4D Model (Discovery, Dream, Design, Destiny) and how it is applied. The 4D Model: Topic – Demonstrating how selecting the topic is the beginning of the 4D model process. Choosing the participants own topic to work on throughout the training. The 4D Model: Discovery – Showing how positive discussions are kick-started at this stage and taking a chance to look at, ‘the best there is and what has been’. The 4D Model: Dream – ‘Thinking big and beyond what they have in the past’. Creating an amazing and positive vision for the future. The 4D Model: Design – Laying the foundation with a design of the vision, principles, and set of propositions that describe the ideal end state. Defining the desired state by creating a hierarchy and blueprint for success. The 4D Model: Destiny – Defining clear actions that will help the organisation and individuals achieve what they have set out to. The output is the self-reinforcing nature of using positive and affirmative inquiry to improve the business. The 4D Model: Summary Task – Review of learning and knowledge check. The Change Process – Exploring Dr. Kotter’s 8-step change process and how it can support the AI approach. Rooms of Change – Understanding feelings and attitudes to change, using this interesting and memorable model. Using an activity to help participants consider their own ‘change position’ and what this might mean for them. Strategies for Managing Change – A simple set of skills to help overcome the challenges faced by people trying to implement change. Applying these strategies to the 4D Model and Appreciative Inquiry. Recall Quiz – A chance to review learning in an engaging way. Summary – Developing actions and key points to take away. Who should attend Managers who want to learn about and practice the Appreciative Inquiry approach to drive positive changes. Requirements for Attendees None.

Overview This one day Accident Investigation course will give participants the necessary information and skills to enable them to carry out a thorough and effective accident investigation. Description This course will provide attendees with the necessary information and skills, to reach the right conclusions, make effective, practical recommendations and thereby make a significant contribution to improving workplace health and safety. Topics covered: Accidents & Accident Causation – If an organisation does not properly control risks, the outcome of an accident often depends on chance. Because the outcome of an accident cannot be accurately predicted, the only way to effectively reduce accidents is by controlling the underlying causes of all the different accident types. Accident Reporting Process – Reporting of Injuries, Diseases & Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) The Process – You have 2 top priorities when you are first notified of an accident. The first is to the injured person to ensure that appropriate medical attention is available. The second priority is then to ensure that the area is made safe to ensure no other persons are injured Accident Investigation – Every employer has a Moral, Legal & Economic obligation to protect the health and safety of employees while at work The Cause of Accidents – During an accident investigation you will be looking for the unsafe acts and the unsafe conditions which contributed to the accident. If you carry out the investigation effectively, then you will find the root cause or causes of the accident Facts to be Collated – When you conduct an accident investigation you should be seeking to obtain information on unsafe acts, unsafe conditions, immediate failures and latent failures. To find out these various elements of the accident you need to ask the questions who, where, when, and what, which will give you details of the event Reaching Conclusion – Identifying all the failure modes, satisfy all the answers to what, where, why, who etc., and thus identify all the causes of the accident Review of Session – Creating an action plan to embed learning. Who should attend Managers, leaders, trainers, health and safety officers and anyone involved in health and safety training and/or procedures. Requirements for Attendees None.

Overview Account Management is an important role within any organisation. Account Managers are responsible for nurturing customer relationships and increasing sales with their organisation’s key customers. The Account Manager will usually act as a first point of contact for clients; responding to complaints, purchases, project requests and any general queries. Their approach should help maintain client relationships in order to ensure that they continue to use the company for business. This one day course can help them learn the key skills they need. Description Build a strong account management team that are able to effectively manage customer relationships and drive sales The role of account manager is both important and demanding. The account manager acts as the ‘face’ of the business and should professionally represent the business by creating a strategy for success and delivering a high level of customer service. Account managers need to be effective communicators, needing to both engage with the client and also develop internal relationships to ensure promises are delivered upon. Another key responsibility of the account manager is to identify business opportunities and help drive business results for their company. Account Management can be a very challenging role depending on the number of clients, the range of industries the clients represent, and the nature and attitude of the client. The main focus of the role is to provide continual client service to clients, this may include quarterly or annual business reviews, additions to the account in terms of extra services supplied plus face-to-face and online meetings, on a regular basis. The Account Manager will also be responsible for delivering high levels of client service to ensure that clients do not leave and will need to create a strategy around this. This strategy will depend on the type of client in terms of size of the business commitment, Key Performance Indicators plus contractual agreements which may dictate the framework for the relationship. Building a personal relationship as well as a business one is key to becoming an effective Account Manager. After all, “It is easier to fire a business associate or employee than it is to fire a friend”. Why should people attend this training course? Well, just imagine if your employees were better able to: Build effective business relationships with clients and help drive sales performance. Add value to clients and help ensure their requirements are met or exceeded. Measure the performance of their key accounts and adapt their approach accordingly. Understand the key attributes required for success and work on developing them. Set a strategy for sales success and create action plans for pre-defined goals. Monitor and measure their own performance and set their own targets. Ultimately, this training course will help employees to focus on what is required to succeed in the role of account manager, building a strategy with clear actions and helping the organisation to business success. Who is this course for? This Account Management training course is for anyone that works in an account management role or relevant sales function and will assist the participants in improving their working practices, developing customer relationships and in turn increasing business performance and sales success. Requirements for Attendance Prior sales experience is recommended, but an awareness of the sales process as a minimum will suffice.

Overview This one day course is designed for anyone that deals with telephone sales in either an inbound or outbound call environment. Description The telephone has become a critical tool in obtaining sales in today’s competitive market, and yet it is often an area we pay little attention to, and consequently it becomes a negative aspect of our business rather than the highly positive one it can be. This course sets out to enable the attendees to sell effectively over the phone. The tools that are covered will help generate sales and whether they take inbound or receive outbound calls they will find that if they apply the techniques in this session, their success rate will increase immensely. Topics covered: Advantages and Disadvantages – A look at how the phone can work for and against us in a sales environment. An Introduction to Selling on the Telephone – Understanding the key points that encourage a customer to purchase from us. Structuring and the Sales Process – Defining a set process for structuring a sales call with a chance to demonstrate understanding. Why People Buy – A look at the reasoning behind people’s purchasing decisions. How People Buy – An insight into the emotional factors behind how people arrive at purchasing decisions. Turning Inbound Calls into Sales – Gauging the level of interest of a caller in order to establish the likelihood of a sale. Making Effective Outbound Calls – A set process of ensuring you gain the best advantage with this type of call. Getting Past the Gatekeeper – Understanding the role of the gatekeeper and developing methods of dealing with them in order to speak to the decision maker. Using scripts and techniques that are proven and effective. Sounds Interesting? – Studying three key communication factors when projecting the voice over the phone. Including a chance to review how the participant’s voice comes across over the phone. Methods of Improving the Way You Sound – 10 key tips on vocal improvement. Telephone Questioning Techniques – Giving the delegates the chance to fully understand the different questioning techniques that can be used during a sales call. Features and Benefits – How to practically apply them in a sales scenario. Logical and Emotional Purchasing – A further look at the reasons we buy. Overcoming Objections – Practical use of a set process and ways to apply it in the workplace. Closing the Sale – Clear methodology with a chance to practice the skills in a fun way. Post-course Assignment – A method of carrying the learning into the workplace and ensure continual review. Who should attend the course? Anyone who handles inbound or outbound sales calls over the telephone. Requirements for Attendance No prerequisites required.

About this Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT)  This 4 half-day Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) course will address a variety of contract and loan structuring issues associated with geothermal energy projects as well as comparison with solar, wind and battery storage. The course is designed to investigate how various project finance techniques and contract structures can be used to achieve a competitive power prices while maintaining a satisfactory equity return. Distinctive project finance features of power facilities that depend on geothermal, wind, hydro or solar resources will be evaluated with financial models. The course will cover economic analysis of exploration and development of geothermal facilities and how to incorporate probability of failure and success into an IRR framework. Subsequent sessions will address the theory underlying liquidated damages for delay, and performance as well as design of other incentives that is inherent in different contract structures. Nuanced project finance issues associated with structuring debt for renewable projects will be discussed including under what conditions the DSCR drives debt capacity and when the debt to capital ratio is instrumental. The course will be taught with a combination of theoretical discussions, term sheet review and focused financial models. Training Objectives Evaluation of the economic risks that arise from uncertainty associated with drilling exploration wells and development wells for geothermal projects. Analyse the theoretical issues with computing LCOE for geothermal projects compared to other renewable and non-renewable resources and the importance of cost of capital for renewable projects; Understand differences in contract structures for renewable projects and dispatchable projects and how a single price structure can distort incentives for efficient construction and operation; Understand components of financing that influence the bid price required to meet a required rate of return on equity and can result in relatively low prices with reasonable returns. Understand the importance of debt sizing constraints and what strategies are relevant when the debt to capital constraint applies relative to when the debt service coverage ratio drives the debt size; Understand how to compute P50, P90 and P99 for different projects driven by resource risk; Understand the difference between mean reverting resource variation and estimation mistakes that do not correct as the basis for 1-year P90 and 10-year P90. Understand under what conditions debt sculpting can affect returns and how synthetic sculpting can be used to increase returns when the DSCR constraint applies. Understand the theory of credit spreads, variable rate debt and interest rates in different currencies and compute the implied probability of default that in inherent in credit spreads. Understand how to evaluate the costs to equity investors and the benefits to lenders for various credit enhancements including DSRA accounts, cash flow sweeps and covenants. Course Level Basic or Foundation Training Methods The VILT will be delivered online in 4 sessions comprising 4 hours per day, with 2 breaks of 10 minutes per day, including time for lectures, discussion, quizzes and short classroom exercises. Trainer Your expert course leader provides financial and economic consulting services to a variety of clients, he teaches professional development courses in an assortment of modelling topics (project finance, M&A, and energy). He is passionate about teaching in Africa, South America, Asia and Europe. Many of the unique analytical concepts and modelling techniques he has developed have arisen from discussion with participants in his courses. He has taught customized courses for MIT's Sloan Business School, Bank Paribas, Shell Oil, Society General, General Electric, HSBC, GDF Suez, Citibank, CIMB, Lind Lakers, Saudi Aramco and many other energy and industrial clients. His consulting activities include developing complex project finance, corporate and simulation models, providing expert testimony on financial and economic issues before energy regulatory agencies, and advisory services to support merger and acquisition projects. Our key course expert has written a textbook titled Corporate and Project Finance Modelling, Theory and Practice published by Wiley Finance. The book introduces unique modelling techniques that address many complex issues that are not typically used by even the most experienced financial analysts. For example, it describes how to build user-defined functions to solve circular logic without cumbersome copy and paste macros; how to write function that derives the ratio of EV/EBITDA accounting for asset life, historical growth, taxes, return on investment, and cost of capital; and how to efficiently solve many project finance issues related to debt structuring. He is in the process of writing a second book that describes a series of valuation and analytical mistakes made in finance. This book uses many case studies from Harvard Business School that were thought to represent effective business strategies and later turned into valuation nightmares. Over the course of his career our key course expert has been involved in formulating significant government policy related to electricity deregulation; he has prepared models and analyses for many clients around the world; he has evaluated energy purchasing decisions for many corporations; and, he has provided advice on corporate strategy. His projects include development of a biomass plant, analysis and advisory work for purchase of electricity generation, distribution and transmission assets by the City of Chicago, formulation of rate policy for major metro systems and street lighting networks, advocacy testimony on behalf of low income consumers, risk analysis for toll roads, and evaluation of solar and wind projects. He has constructed many advisory analyses for project finance and merger and acquisition transactions. Lastly, our key course expert was formerly Vice President at the First National Bank of Chicago where he directed analysis of energy loans and also created financial modelling techniques used in advisory projects. He received an MBA specializing in econometrics (with honours) from the University of Chicago and a BSc in Finance from the University of Illinois (with highest university honours). POST TRAINING COACHING SUPPORT (OPTIONAL) To further optimise your learning experience from our courses, we also offer individualized 'One to One' coaching support for 2 hours post training. We can help improve your competence in your chosen area of interest, based on your learning needs and available hours. This is a great opportunity to improve your capability and confidence in a particular area of expertise. It will be delivered over a secure video conference call by one of our senior trainers. They will work with you to create a tailor-made coaching program that will help you achieve your goals faster. Request for further information about post training coaching support and fees applicable for this. Accreditions And Affliations

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