How is this program different from others?

Yes please!

Communications is an all-encompassing word, most commonly thought to be publicity and marketing related. A big company communicating with a big world.

When it comes to individuals communicating with each other in the workplace, most of the focus is on the really tough stuff like firing people, performance reviews, and conflict resolution. These are areas people just dread and they benefit from assistance though it’s often not long lasting. Seminars are valuable tools for stimulating thought but as many of us have experienced, that expensive weekend seminar is gone from our minds pretty quickly and little gets solved. Maybe we are looking at that kind of experience with expectations that require something different.

There are many excellent people working with CEOs so that area is in good hands.  It’s the up and comers, middle managers and directors who become of even greater value to their organization with this skill under their belts as they rise to positions of influence and leadership.

Our approach is to introduce the idea through a one-hour keynote or half-day working seminar. To follow is a four month coaching program so people become genuinely skilled, through practice, in how to say anything to anyone on a daily basis not just the ‘big’ conversations. You can eradicate a lot of need for conflict resolution and other workplace difficulties by how people speak to each other. It’s a learnable skill that is far reaching, it’s not hard, and navel gazing is not required.

Program Design

The one hour presentation gives a really good feel of what is covered during the four month coaching program in terms of the ideas and techniques involved and many examples of successes and failures, including my own. It can be organized by department, or for specific employees who obviously struggle in this area, or as a lunch and learn for anyone to attend. It is designed to be flexible and it can be customized.

The half-day working seminar is more in depth and gets people involved with the work. It’s similar to group coaching but without the preliminaries of longer term group coaching, such as an initial interview to get to know the person, and what their focus areas are.

Group Coaching

The session schedule for groups is four months (16 weeks), one hour per week. It’s constructed with individual and group sessions:

• an individual meeting with each person (week 1)
• followed by two group sessions (weeks 2, 3)
• an individual meeting (week 4), and so on. In total there are six individual sessions and ten group sessions.  For those who do well in groups and still have some time focused on them to increase their depth of understanding.

Individual Coaching

This is 16 weeks of personalized coaching, one hour per week, giving the client a chance to roll up their sleeves and focus on becoming a skilled communicator. For those who want the dedicated time and privacy.

Confidentiality

Group coaching is done on company premises with one coach. Visitors are not anticipated but can come with the groups’ agreement.  Individual coaching can be done on company premises or by telephone.  All coaching sessions are bound by confidentiality amongst all in a group and the coach, and between an individual client and coach. There is no video or audio recording. Handwritten notes are welcomed and also bound by the confidentiality agreement.

Coaching weekly keeps the momentum up and focuses the attention.