Project Leadership Skills (Virtual) To be effective within an organization, project managers need to have a wide variety of skills and abilities. Included among these are: creating and executing on a vision; motivating others; influencing without authority; networking; communicating up, down and laterally; negotiating; managing stakeholders; and managing conflict. This highly interactive workshop focuses on building the soft skills that are critical to leading a team and creating sustainable business change. Participants will gain insight into the social science as well as the brain science behind motivating and empowering others. They will learn and experiment with a variety of influencing strategies and tactics. Working in pairs as well as small groups, they will collaborate with others to brainstorm, share experiences, and apply concepts to everyday challenges. Participants will also discover their personal communication preferences, strengths, and blind spots and will gain insight into how best to communicate with others they find 'difficult.' They will gain insight into managing the people side of change, learning strategies for dealing with each step in the process. Hands-on negotiation and conflict management activities enhance the theoretical learning, grounding it in real life and making it actionable. Interweaving role play with experiential learning and group activities, this course will help participants refine a skill set that is invaluable to their organization, and one that transfers easily across their professional and personal lives. What you will Learn At the end of this course, you will be able to: Explain the importance of vision in driving motivation and engagement Apply science-based research to better motivate those around you Strategically leverage both personal and positional power to achieve positive project results Determine influencing and networking strategies needed for personal growth Identify ways to problem solve communication challenges when others have different personality styles Connect stakeholder expectations to project success criteria Assess key stakeholders across various dimensions of complexity Apply the four rules of principled negotiation to a real-life conflict situation Recognize key aspects of a physiological response to conflict Utilize selected tools and techniques to 'defuse' an emotional situation Leverage various strategies and tactics to successfully deal with ambiguity at work Getting Started / Foundation Concepts Introductions Course structure, goals, and objectives Beginning a personal action plan Managing Vision and Purpose / Motivating Others Communicating and aligning around vision Tying the present to the future The importance of purpose The art and science of motivation Networking and Influencing Positive politics and project success Types of power within organizations Power and influence Networking best practices Communication The medium and the message Personality and communication styles Communication challenges Stakeholder Management and Negotiation Identifying stakeholders Analyzing stakeholders Negotiation basics Principled negotiation Conflict Management Dynamics of conflict The anatomy of conflict Conflict management approaches and tools Dealing with ambiguity
The ‘Mastering Management Fundamentals Open Programme’ is a 5 module online course that is designed to improve your management success and performance. It will give you the practical tools and insight to be able to make changes and directly improve your management skills over a 5-6 month period.
Effective Presentation Skills (Virtual) In today's results-oriented, global working environment, the ability to create and deliver presentations effectively is a necessary skill set for people at all levels of an organization. Regardless of your role, it's important to know how to synthesize your ideas into a coherent and focused narrative, add visuals that support and reinforce your message, and deliver it in a way that resonates with your audience. In this highly interactive course, we will unpack and practice some of the tools and techniques used by top speakers and influencers all over the world. In this engaging two-day course, you will plan, write, refine, practice, and deliver a presentation to the class. Your presentation will be filmed on both days, and you will leave the course with a flash-drive copy of your videos; participants of the virtual classroom workshop should be prepared to present via webcam. In addition to discovering and enhancing your own personal delivery style, you will learn how to create an overarching goal for your presentation and then organize and structure it for maximum impact. You'll gain insight into how to anticipate your audience's needs and tailor the content and delivery in a way that connects with them and sustains their attention and engagement. You will also learn skills that will help you control nervous energy, remain focused on and attuned to your audience, improvise under pressure, deal effectively with questions, and build a compelling call to action. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Construct an effective presentation goal statement, opening, body, and closing that connect with an audience Analyze an audience's needs and style preferences, including relevant DiSC®-related elements Deliver a complete criteria-based presentation that will persuade others Align usage of visuals as well as verbal and non-verbal techniques to maximize the impact of your presentation Getting Started Introductions and social agreements Course structure Course goals and objectives Opening activities Planning and Organizing Video: 'The Art of Misdirection' Setting your presentation goal Writing a goal statement Analyzing your audience Applying the 'reality' test Creating and strengthening supports Structuring your presentation 5 components of an effective opening Presentation body Presentation closing Write your presentation opening Audience Analysis Video: 'How to Tie Your Shoes' Everything DiSC® introduction Audience DiSC® Styles Analyzing your audience Further audience analysis Effective Delivery Delivery challenges and in-person Keeping your audience engaged Your body as your instrument Verbal / paraverbal elements Body stance and nonverbal communication What are your 'tells?' Controlling nervousness Staying attuned to your audience Responding to questions Review and edit your opening Deliver your opening Visuals and Enriching Elements Using images in your presentation Guidelines for visual composition Using questions to engage your audience The power of the pause Practicing and Applying What You've Learned Preparation Delivery Feedback Opportunity to put into practice the program content and receive a video copy Summary and Next Steps What did we learn and how can we implement this in our work environment? Your personal action plan
Portfolio Management Skills: In-House Training The main purpose of this workshop is to equip and enable people in a portfolio management office and PMO to effectively and efficiently support the Executive Leadership and Operational Management to plan, implement, manage, and evolve portfolio management in their organization. There is a deliberate focus on preparing you to become a strong and effective change advocate for meaningful portfolio management that delivers objective measurements of benefit contribution towards the strategic objectives to lead, manage, and continuously improve portfolio management governance, processes, and frameworks with and through the direction of a portfolio practice, principles, and delivery boards. What you Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Articulate the benefits of portfolio management Link the initiatives in an organization with its strategic objectives Participate in the introduction of portfolio management in an organization Create or improve the portfolio governance structure Lead the inventory of ongoing and new initiatives Assist the executives in the prioritization of initiatives through the use of Multi-criteria Analysis and other selection tools Support the executives in balancing the portfolio based on the optimal use of resources and priorities Create a portfolio delivery plan Define thresholds and variance reporting criteria Assist the executives and the financial team in the definition of Stage Gate Funding Lead the Stage Gate reviews Analyze the benefits that are being realized by the initiatives Foundation Concepts Definitions Benefits of Portfolio Management Objectives of Portfolio Management Portfolio Life Cycles Governing the Portfolio Portfolio Governance structure Roles and responsibilities Initial activities when starting portfolio management Prioritizing Initiatives Prioritize purpose Multi-Criteria Analysis Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) Strategic alignment Balancing the Portfolio Allocating resources and budgets Communicating decisions of initiatives status Planning the Portfolio Planning review cycles Using Stage Gate Funding Setting thresholds and variance reporting Tool examples Managing the Portfolio Delivery Project and Program Life Cycles Stage Gate Reviews Loop back to Prioritize, Balance and Plan Interaction with the Portfolio Delivery Board Project, Program and Functional Managers' roles and responsibilities
This fashion design 2-DAY course for beginners and intermediates is a group class aimed to support aspiring designers or designers in need of guidance in the realisation of a viable and realistic collection of bags and/or accessories.This course enables you to understand essential skills required to become a fashion bag designer ans well as guiding you through the steps necessary for designing, developing, prototyping and manufacturing your collection. WHY THIS IS NOT THE USUAL ‘ACCESSORY DESIGN’ COURSEThis course is designed by a team of designers, prototype makers and handbag manufacturers.It is both a theoretical and practical course which will teach you what the industry requires from designers in order to be able to understand and correctly translate their ideas into finished products.This course is focused on giving you an overview on the complexity and extensiveness of the process that designing a collection of handbags requires.The course will assist you in understanding the prerequisites before and during the design of your styles. This knowledge will enable you to circumvent a lengthy, costly, and occasionally frustrating process when it comes time to prototype and manufacture your collection. WHY WE CREATED A FASHION DESIGN COURSEAfter years of experience in designing and developing collections for our customers, we realised that there was a substantial lack of clear information available about what designing a collection of handbags and fashion accessories truly requires and how it is achieved.We created this course with the aim of helping the new generation of designers, as well as designers which are still struggling, in developing their ideas and empower them to clearly and correctly communicate them to whoever is going to prototype their collection.We essentially have created this tuition based on the needs and problems of our customers, hoping to promote and facilitate creatives in the realisation of their projects. WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?This course is designed for aspiring designers and professionals seeking expert advice from the industry. It caters to those in need of guidance to optimise their design process or understand the nuances of working as a fashion accessory designer.No previous experience is required. WHAT WILL BE TAUGHT?The designing classes cover various topics, including: - Preliminary considerations before designingUnderstanding the concept and use of a moodboard - Overview of researching crucial aspects like target audience, market placement, pricing strategy, etc - Overview on leather and hardware and their impact on costImportance of construction and finishing optionsAnatomy of a handbag, including lining and reinforcements - Understanding how to structure a collection with a collection planPlanning a balanced collection of fashion accessories - Differences and purposes of illustrations vs technical drawingsSketching techniques, including drawing in perspective and technical drawings - Product development for a specific design - Understanding what technical information the prototype maker requires - Overview of the prototyping processOverview of manufacturing options and processes for your collection HOW WILL THE ABOVE BE TAUGHT:The class will take place in person at our London studio and the lesson will alternate between theoretical lessons and practical exercises. INCLUDED IN THE COURSE:You will also receive access to a collection of handouts providing relevant information, useful resources and support in continuing your designing process independently.The handouts will contain: – A glossary containing essential key words related to the topic of the lesson – An illustrated glossary containing information about type of bags and bags’ features – An illustrated guide on common hardware used in bags and accessories – Documents about leather types, finishings, tanning processes – Information about perspective and guides to be used as reference to develop your drawings – A list of recommended suppliers for both leather and fittings (physically in London and online) – A glossary containing information about leather types and characteristics WHAT ARE THE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS? You should be able to use measurements and understand verbal and written English instructions. ARE THERE ANY OTHER COSTS? IS THERE ANYTHING I NEED TO BRING?Materials to exercise with are included.Feel free to bring a notepad, if you would like to take some notes, we will provide the rest. HOW LONG IS THIS TUITION?:This tuition will require up to 14 hours to complete.We aim to provide customised and high-quality tuition services and by only allowing max 6 students at a time, we are able to focus on each person needs and interests. As every student has a different level of ability and previous experience, this course might lead some students to complete the core aspects of the lesson in a shorter time frame than others. Students who complete the course early will be welcome to stay and use the studio facilities to exercise on the topics of the lesson.
Effective Negotiation Skills for Business Success (In-Person) Become skillful at dealing with unworkable differences - situations where there appears to be no acceptable compromise or acceptable solution. This interactive workshop shows you how to work towards agreements where all parties are satisfied that they have reached a wise outcome efficiently, and where they can come back to the table in the future because the relationship is intact. You will have the opportunity to re-visit a difficult / challenging negotiation that you experienced in the past as well as take part in progressively more challenging case studies that are tailored to the work you do. You will enhance your personal and professional life with powerful new negotiating skills. The goal of this workshop is to improve your negotiation skills by helping you to identify your own preferred negotiation style and strategies, and to learn about the need to plan for any upcoming negotiation. The workshop is also designed for you to experience typical negotiation situations at certain key points of the life cycle of a project, enabling you to develop an awareness of your effectiveness during negotiations at these stages. The majority of time is spent on practicing newly presented negotiation techniques and receiving feedback on application for further development and improvement. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Identify your preferred negotiation style and strategies Examine the Principled Negotiation Model Adapt your negotiation strategy to the progress of the negotiation Experience typical negotiation situations during the life cycle of a project Develop an awareness of your effectiveness during negotiations Improve your negotiation skills Negotiation Model Negotiation defined Negotiation phases Common approaches to negotiating Principled Negotiating Principled negotiation and the four rules Best alternative to a negotiated agreement Project Negotiation Simulation: Part 1 and Part 2 Project Negotiation Simulation: Part 1 Project Negotiation Simulation: Part 2 Negotiating Cases Negotiating cases Summary and Next Steps
Program Management Skills Program managers coordinate and give oversight to the efforts of marketing groups, project teams, product delivery, maintenance and support, operations and staff from various functional groups, including suppliers, business partners, and other external bodies. The goal is to ensure that proposed business transformation, through the delivery of complex products and processes, is implemented to realize the organization's strategic benefits and objectives, for which the program was selected. The goals of this course are twofold: To provide participants with key program management principles and techniques, recognized as best practices, to enable more effective program management; and to leverage core elements of the program management life cycle, processes, tools and techniques, to enable program management effectiveness. The participant will learn and apply the principles of program management through discussions, activities, and case study exercises. What You Will Learn At the end of this workshop, you will be able to: Maximize the transformational impact of a program according to the business needs Explain management principles and techniques and apply them within a program context Implement program governance and organization that will produce expected benefits Plan for and manage benefit realization, risks, issues, and quality Manage component projects' interdependencies that are linked to both program and strategic objectives Engage program stakeholders effectively. Improve communication and action planning effectiveness for programs in organizations Getting Started Introductions Course structure Course goals and objectives Foundation Concepts Fundamental definitions and concepts Program challenges and benefits Program best practices and success criterion Stakeholder management Governance: program management office and program boards Standard for Program Management overview Vision, Leadership, and the Business Case What is vision, why, and how? Leadership vs. Management Program business case Program Organization and Governance Program organization Program governance Program board roles and responsibilities Benefits Management Benefits explored Benefits management Benefits realization Program Management Planning Program management plan Program blueprint and roadmap Program component dossier Program tranches Program estimating Program scheduling Program Monitoring and Controlling Program Control - An Overview Program Monitoring and Controlling Monitoring and Controlling Transition Program Risk and Issue Management Risk and issue management overview Program risk management Program issue management Program Quality Management Program quality management overview Program quality management principles Program Stakeholder Management Stakeholder engagement overview Stakeholder engagement planning EI, trust, communication and stakeholder engagement Program Closure and Benefits Sustainment Program closure overview Closing the program Program benefits sustainment Summary What did we learn, and how can we implement this in our work environments?
Project Communication Skills (On-Demand) In this course, participants will actively explore best communication practices from a variety of perspectives: in-person, virtual, electronic, and via formal project documentation. Communication is the single most critical project success factor. When effective, projects get executed on time, within budget, and with objectives being met. But that isn't all. Strong communication also nurtures healthy team relationships. And in today's highly diverse world, where projects are often fast-paced, complex, and virtual, that is more important than ever. Strong communication skills foster cultural awareness, trust, and empathy. Together, they contribute greatly to project success-and ultimately, to future project success. In this course, participants will actively explore best communication practices from a variety of perspectives: in-person, virtual, electronic, and via formal project documentation. In order to be transformative, however, those perspectives will be filtered further through the lens of their formal, personalized assessment. It is a powerful tool which identifies individuals' internal needs and priorities. It translates those into descriptive profiles and reports, gifting users with valuable information about themselves and others. Paired with the course's real-world activities, it will provide uniquely strategic opportunities for communicating effectively and meaningfully-and with less conflict, both personally and professionally. What You Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Identify basic elements of communication and explain how they affect teams Explore how your assessment style impacts you and how you communicate with people of other styles Infer how your style impacts the way(s) you send and interpret emails and instant messages Analyze real world email and instant messaging practices to determine how they affect communication and relationships Explore best practices for formal project communications and presentations Analyze how your assessment style and global diversity can contribute to both strong team communication and conflict Identify solutions for virtual team work communication challenges Getting Started Foundation Concepts Communication as a foundation skill Elements of communication Communicating across media Targeting your audience How communication impacts team performance The Assessment Framework Overview of the assessment's approach Exploring assessment report Increasing your effectiveness with other assessment styles Email and Instant Messages Preferred communications and assessment styles The email brands we create Assessment styles and email Emotion and email Email guidelines and best practices Anatomy of an email The seven deadly email sins Instant messages and other interfaces Project Communications and Presentations Communicating across the project lifecycle Project templates Structuring a presentation Delivering a presentation Interpersonal and Team Communication Skills Communication styles and techniques Managing conflict in a project environment Styles and conflict Communication and global team leadership Virtual Communication Leading global virtual teams Virtual processes and technology Virtual team leadership Summary and Next Steps