In-Person & Online Employee Training & Development NY

With work/home lines ever blurrier, we’ll look at how boundaries can be set to help maintain balance, as well as how to communicate and enforce them constructively.

Without the built-in touchpoint of being in the same physical place at the same time, employees must become a more active advocates for themselves – sharing their needs as well as their impact to combat proximity bias. We’ll look at the core strategies needed to stay visible and valued, and share a simple framework participants can use to guide their advocacy efforts.

Untethered to the rhythm and rituals of the office, some may struggle to stay engaged and energized by their work. We’ll look at the difference between a mindset of “I’m just doing my job” vs. “I’m taking ownership…” and participants will reflect on the current state of ownership in their work and how they might strengthen it.

Adaptability is the new efficiency and it is the key to survival in uncertain business environments. We will walk through the specific benefits of being adaptable and share five ways to build adaptability, along with examples of each. Participants will engage in several exercises to help build their own “AQ” – or adaptability quotient.

Hybrid teams are here to stay, but are your leaders equipped to juggle the complexities this brings? In this module, we’ll introduce 5 best practices to successfully lead hybrid teams and share tangible practices that your leaders can use to co-create a team culture, establish trust & communication, and create a sense of belonging and accountability that transcends location.

In the purely physical office, management could happen by default to some degree: observation was a key conduit of information about how an employee was doing. In the hybrid world, management must be more intentional. Participants will have an opportunity to reflect on their current management approach and envision how they’d like to show up to be successful in the hybrid context.

Without psychological safety, individuals and teams will struggle to have the impact they want. Unfortunately, the hybrid context makes this more difficult to create and maintain. We’ll define what psychological safety is and how to tell if it’s present/absent. We’ll share three simple tools and habits managers can use to build and maintain this precious resource.

As much as employees will need to advocate for themselves, managers will need to take deliberate action to create career paths that ensure that their employees are getting their needs met and their performance acknowledged.

Remote workers may experience lower levels of motivation overall. We’ll look at the role of extrinsic vs. intrinsic motivation and share a simple framework to assess and build motivation in oneself and others.

When we’re collectively navigating yet another “new normal”, having grace and compassion for ourselves and others may be the most critical skill of all.

Confidence isn’t something that we are born with, it’s an acquired skill we cultivate, every day. In this course, we’ll teach three key skills to develop confidence, debunk three myths about where it comes from and share three powerful tools for dealing with a ‘crisis of confidence at the moment when it’s needed most.

Very few of us feel as if we have enough time – but as it turns out, we all have enough – we just aren’t managing it well. And guess what… the key to managing your time better is realizing that it has nothing to do with time itself. We look at four commonly overlooked drivers of time management: managing priorities, energy, attention, and tools. This module is loaded with tips, tricks, and hacks to help you master each one.

There is nothing easy about building resilience; in fact, it’s inherently challenging. Resilience is learning how tough you are by living through adversity and growing from it. In this module, we introduce the three C’s of resilience: Challenge, Commitment, and Control. Learn how to grow your own and your team’s resilience by shifting your mindset to reframe challenges, develop a relentless solution focus, and broaden your influence to expand your locus of control.

We’ll introduce the concept and best practices of self-reflection. We’ll discuss why self-reflection is critical for enriched emotional self-awareness and intelligence, empathy development, growth, and improved performance management processes. We’ll introduce a variety of tools that can be used daily and monthly, to better understand who you are and define a vision of who you want to be.

It’s proven that successful people set clear, actionable goals – but there is an art to it and it takes practice. In this module, we’ll introduce the “smart” goals principle and provide tips and tools to set crushable goals for ourselves as well as those we manage.

In this session, we’ll learn the essentials of working and succeeding in a virtual environment. From establishing routines, setting boundaries, and communicating to managing expectations, building trust, and collaborating, you will gain new insight into optimized and evolved ways of working.

People who understand and develop an optimistic, growth-oriented mindset are more likely to be effective and successful in today’s environment. We’ll introduce relevant concepts from positive performance psychology, look at ways to develop more beneficial patterns of thought, and learn a long-term approach to developing a winning mindset.

We onboard people to companies and projects but we rarely onboard to each other. This module covers the critical information we must ask – and share – with our managers, employees, and co-workers so they can understand us more fully, honor our preferences and boundaries, and work with us optimally.

In this newly developed session, we’ll explore what effective communication and listening look like in our world today. We’ll introduce the curious and closed mindset for how we intake information and how it impacts our communication. We’ll review five ingredients for great communication: clarity, brevity, context, impact, and value – diving into practical scenarios and completing activities around each one.

Brilliant jerks take note! Raw intelligence will only get you so far.  If you want to succeed as a leader, you need emotional intelligence. The good news is that EQ, unlike IQ, can be cultivated through practice. In this module, you will complete an EQ self-assessment and leave with practical skills to develop the 4 domains of EQ: social awareness, self-awareness, relationship management and self-regulation.

We review the neuroscience of threat vs reward to better understand why giving and receiving feedback is difficult and at times can be ineffective. We cover a permission-based process for delivering feedback that yields the most impactful results, strengthens performance, and promotes partnership. We’ll look at techniques that have been proven to be most effective and share many practical tips, tools, and examples to use. This module also covers how to receive feedback well.

Executive presence is a critical factor when we’re addressing an audience – in a room or on a Zoom. In this module, we define what executive presence is and why it’s important for leadership, presentations, meetings, and more. We’ll cover topics such as focus, power, warmth, character, substance, and style – and ways to improve each. We watch video examples to evaluate executive presence in others and then we complete an exercise to evaluate one’s executive presence.

Conflict in the workplace is inevitable, but far too many of us vainly hope to avoid it vs. building our capacity to deal with it successfully. We teach a five-step process for approaching and resolving conflict and review how to prevent conflict from escalating. There is an interactive activity for participants to practice what they’ve learned. We’ll also spend some time focused on difficult conversations. We’ll learn the “D.E.F.I.C.I.T.” model which helps participants organize their thoughts and approaches to handling difficult situations. Participants have a chance to practice in a paired exercise.

Regardless of role, networking is a skill that can have a significant impact on your career growth – yet it is one of the most overlooked or simply avoided. In this module, we’ll talk about three areas of successful networking: you – how to build your personal brand and manage reputation, them – who to network with, and how to do it by learning tips and tricks to ease our nerves and make networking second nature, and us – utilizing tools like our Networking Map for evolving and nurturing relationships. You’ll be able to spot networking opportunities faster and you’ll embrace them with confidence.

Coaching always has and always will be a critical competency for managers and leaders across industries and teams. As we continue to navigate evolved workplaces, many of us are learning how to make sure our teams feel supported with coaching in a virtual environment. We’ll discuss what it takes to make the shift from managing to coaching while team members are virtual. We’ll share a coaching model that managers can use (in-person or virtually) to push employees from their current reality toward their intended goals. We’ll uncover the most common barriers we face, teach antidotes to overcome each one, and learn many effective virtual coaching techniques.

We cover why delegation is hard, why it’s important and a suggested model to use when delegation can be used as a development opportunity. We complete a powerful exercise that forces participants to delegate things on their to-do lists to people up, down, and around.

Hybrid work has given employees greater flexibility and independence, but are they empowered to be proactive and make good decisions? In this module, we introduce and deconstruct empowerment leadership into tangible practices. Learn how to balance authenticity, logic, and empathy to establish trust, show your love by helping people reach their highest potential, and cultivate a sense of belonging by embracing each individual’s unique strengths.

Strategic Planning Facilitation is a critical (but commonly overlooked) skill that helps us guide others in generating ideas, opinions, experiences, and expertise to achieve a common goal. In this session, we’ll review the key principles of quality facilitation, the characteristics and competencies of strong facilitators, and how to adapt to an audience.

We’ll share the rules of engagement for successful facilitation, distinguish between the process and the content of a session, and cover do’s and don’ts, tips and tricks, and best practices for running a meeting, brainstorming, or work session seamlessly from beginning to middle to end.

We cover nine strategies to influence others without authority including favor, silent allies, reason, and more. There is an exercise to choose which strategies would be right for a current situation.

Inefficient meetings are increasingly common and yet most companies don’t confront the issue in a compelling and enterprise way. This module covers the tenets of successful meeting preparation, leadership, and follow-up as well as tips and tricks to enhance meeting culture at the individual, team, and organization levels.
 

Decisions drive 95% of business performance, but we rarely think of our decision-making ability as a skill that can be honed. We’ll discuss challenges, inherent biases, and the critical thinking process we all go through when making decisions. We’ll learn how to navigate decision-making with more ease, speed, conviction, and most importantly – confidence.

In this module, we draw on the DiSC model to learn about the four different styles: dominance, influence, steadiness, and conscientiousness. We examine how the approach to successfully managing each style is different and look at the priorities, motivations, fears, and limitations of each style.

For best results we recommend, participants take the DiSC Workplace assessment.

In this module, we’ll teach three steps to prepare for promotion discussions with employees, share tools to help determine if they’re ready for a promotion and discuss how to handle difficult conversations around promotions.

We’ll look at why performance management is so important and the role it plays in an organization’s “bigger picture” and driving things like development, growth, motivation, productivity, and overall success. We’ll clarify the roles of managers and employees in the process, and discuss and practice goal-setting.

In the manager version of this module, we’ll also cover three key steps and dos and don’ts for managing the career growth of others.

There are numerous skills involved in managing up. We’ll review the top 20 to determine which ones we’ve already mastered, and which ones we need to focus on. We’ll discuss the unspoken skills that are commonly overlooked, learn the four management styles, and lastly put ourselves in our manager’s shoes through a series of exercises not just to better understand them, but how to improve communication and ways of working with them.

Theories of motivation have been around for decades, but our new hybrid world requires a refresh. In this module, leaders will learn how to help their teams build autonomy, mastery, and purpose in challenging environments and how to authentically and intentionally use recognition and rewards to inspire their people to do their best.

There’s a major difference between doing a job and taking ownership. In this session, we discuss what it means to take ownership and embrace accountability in your role and on your projects, and more importantly, how to make it happen. We will get clear and specific about the five areas of accountability – expectations, capabilities, measurement, feedback, and consequences – and how they must work together as a system. Each participant will complete their assessment for a current project based on these areas, and we’ll discuss specific ways to increase your ownership and accountability going forward.

Talent is our most critical asset – so the ability to interview well is a critical skill, particularly during times of big transition. In this module, we’ll cover how to optimize interviews for the best candidate experience. We’ll also do a deep dive on developing competencies, asking behavioral interview questions, and discussing the importance of probing to help identify the best talent quickly.

Collaboration is an overused word but underutilized leadership practice. If you want to have great collaboration, you need agility, psychological safety, and intentionality. In this module, learn how to lead effective collaborations by fine-tuning your team practices, creating an environment that is safe for risk-taking, and being intentional about how and when work gets done together.

Humans are not wired to be critical thinkers although it is one of the most sought-after skills by employers. We’ll take a look at how to improve critical thinking skills by using questions to re-frame problems and get to meaningful solutions. We’ll also share how we can avoid common biases with greater awareness and how shifting our mindset can help us solve problems more effectively. (Note: this is typically run as a 60-minute course. We have a four-hour version that covers the topic more in-depth.)

To be successful in today’s competitive landscape, innovation is a must. But in the quest to be innovative, we all must confront and deal with our fear of failure. We’ll look at the hallmarks of a “failing backward” approach (e.g. status quo mindset, working alone, using time poorly) vs. a “failing forward” one (e.g. setting clear goals, embracing experimentation, asking powerful questions.) We’ll share specific strategies for working through failures quickly.

Failure is a prerequisite to innovation. In this module, we’ll discuss what failure is and what it is not and the difference between carelessness and experimentation. We’ll learn five ways to become a failure-tolerant leader and what it means to take intelligent risks.

This module covers both the transactional and emotional journey that individuals and organizations go through during the process of change. We’ll learn about the “Process of Transition” and the “Emotional Change Curve”. Participants are asked to deconstruct previous change initiatives to determine what has worked and not worked for them in the past. After reviewing the important ADKAR change model, we spend some time reviewing a framework for leading change and finally complete a group activity applying what we learned to real current changes participants are facing.

All teams progress through the stages of forming, storming, norming, performing, and mourning. We review the signs that a team exhibits at each stage and the actions that we as managers and leaders must take to move our teams to the next level.

Agility has been identified as the critical business skill of our time, and yet only 10% of leaders have sufficient agility to succeed in the long term. Agile leaders are better equipped to respond to changing circumstances by incorporating new skills into their day-to-day responsibilities. We’ll share a framework that examines the components of agility, and participants will identify personalized ways to improve their agility as a leader.

Servant leaders are those who share power and put the needs of others first. In this module, we’ll define what it means to be a servant leader, the benefits, and review ten key characteristics.

Different situations require different levels of the directive and supportive behavior. Depending on the amount of each needed by an employee determines whether the manager delegates, support, coaches or directs. We will look at situational leadership through the lenses of trait and behavioral theory and apply it to our work.

70% of employees say they’re most engaged when senior leadership continually updates and communicates company strategy. We’ll define what makes a transparent leader, look at the six tenets of transparency, and learn ways to incorporate them into our daily routine for powerful results.

People at high trust companies are more engaged, more productive, and more satisfied with their jobs. In this module, we explore how to make the most of the precious time you have to develop relationships of trust with others. We’ll learn how to build 10 critical skills that will help you nurture relationships including empathy, transparency, and vulnerability. We’ll review the Trust Equation and look at relationship “killers” to avoid. Lastly, participants will build a relationship map to be more thoughtful in connecting with others.

In this session, we’ll introduce and discuss the foundational principles and best practices of presenting, especially within a virtual environment. We’ll look at the principles of persuasive presentations and touch on the importance of context, understanding your audience, and defining your purpose. We’ll cover tangible aspects such as equipment, lighting, body language, etc. as well as intangible aspects – how to deliver energy to the camera, alternate strategies for reading a room, driving engagement, and more. You’ll leave with practical tips and tricks you can apply in your very next presentation, and feel more confident while doing it.

As a follow-up to the instructional portion of training, participants may engage in small group practice sessions where they will have the opportunity to practice what they’ve learned and received helpful feedback from their peers and a coach.

Questions are a powerful tool – they fuel innovation, unlock opportunities, mitigate risk, and help us solve problems. Sadly, most of us never ask enough of them. We’ll review the three ways we can improve the quantity and quality of our questioning through types, categories, sequence, and intent. We’ll talk about adapting questions to the conversation, how to leverage them to build relationships, and much more. Participants will hone their questioning skills through an interactive exercise.

In this module, we explore what it is that sets consultative sellers apart from traditional salespeople. We’ll look at how consultative sellers approach and view buyers, how they present solutions, how they engage and communicate, and how they focus on relationships and partnerships. We’ll cover the four key aspects of consultative selling, including doing the research, building rapport, focusing on the relationship, and keeping it real. We’ll utilize many tools and frameworks such as our State of the Union tool which helps diagnose business challenges and opportunities to better understand goals, motivations, and objectives of prospects and clients, the SPECIFICS model, and DiSC.
 

Listening is not simply an action we perform by using our ears. It’s a full-body experience and a critical thinking skill. In this module, we’ll touch on the three levels of listening: passive, active, and contextual, but we’ll pay special focus to what it means to listen contextually – to what’s not being said. We’ll uncover what cues to look for while having sales conversations. We’ll learn what they mean and how to adapt to them to keep moving closer to closing.
 

We teach a framework for developing powerful points of view on our work or a business issue. We’ll learn the three key elements of defending an idea: tone, time, and tenacity, and review practical tips and tricks you can use in your next presentation or sales conversation to defend without getting defensive and move your clients to a “yes”.

When seeking new drivers of growth and revenue, we often spend our time focused on prospecting and bringing in new business when the reality is it’s usually more profitable, more efficient, and frankly just easier to sell to our existing clients and customers. In this module, we explore organic growth and uncover the often overlooked opportunities right in front of us – we’ll discuss where to look for them, what form they take, and six strategies for turning those opportunities into outcomes.

Studies show that high EQ scores have a significant correlation to job performance, especially when it comes to those in sales roles. Salespeople with high EQ are more resilient, are better at building trust, and are more able to create strong emotional connections — thus improving their sales outcomes. In this module, we’ll uncover the cognitive processes buyers go through and the role their emotions play when they make decisions. We’ll learn an EQ framework and tips for improving in each of the four key areas: self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and relationship management. We’ll take an assessment to see where we stand with our own EQ, and leverage many practical tools such as our Client Buying Dossier.

Negotiating skills are invaluable in the world of selling and many others aspects of work — and life. In this module, we learn the Harvard Model of Principled Negotiations covering the four principles present in every successful negotiation: understanding the people, understanding their interests, developing creative solutions, and finding ways to agree. We’ll review many skills and tactics like perspective taking, preparing a BATNA, and applying the LIM model to actual negotiations, so you’ll be prepared to approach your next negotiation with confidence.

No one likes to hear objections, but the reality is successful sales have two times more objections than unsuccessful ones. In this module, we will face our fear of objections head-on to better understand what they mean and where they stem from: need, value, features, and desires. We’ll learn a process for preparing for objections and review six data-backed tips for handling them like a pro — so next time we’re faced with an objection we see it as an opportunity.

As with everything in our world, the world of sales specifically is undergoing constant, rapid evolutions. There are pros and cons to this because we have many ways to get in contact with prospects, but it’s getting harder and harder to meaningfully engage. In this module, we’ll uncover and bring clarity to the complexities of prospecting and networking. We’ll look at the three biggest challenges you will face in prospecting and networking (breaking through, getting in, and standing out), and talk about the antidotes to each one while providing powerful tips and tools.

In this module, we review a comprehensive process for selling more successfully, including how to get smart about your buyers as people, meeting preparation, presenting effectively, and managing the post-sell.

For best results, we recommend administering the DiSC for Sales assessment before the course.

Everyone who sells has the opportunity to optimize their skills around more advanced selling strategies. Using the DiSC model as a foundation, this module is focused on helping you understand the priorities that shape your sales experience, identifying your personal sales strengths and challenges, and recognizing and adapting to different buying styles.

We’ll do a deep dive into the critical areas of client leadership, including understanding the client and their business, developing and strengthening client relationships, fostering creative solutions, and evaluating and optimizing. We’ll leverage a variety of practical tools, and participants will leave with an account optimization plan for a current client.

Evaluating creative ideas and giving feedback can be tricky skills to master. This critical module reviews different ways in which we can evaluate creative ideas through different lenses. We’ll share honest insights on how to deliver comments effectively. We’ll learn practical tips and tricks, look at examples of feedback we hear every day, and finally review actual creative concepts and put new skills into practice.

Breakthrough creative work starts with an inspiring brief. In this module, we’ll review different types of briefs, break down the essential questions they should answer, and compare examples of what makes a great brief and what makes a bad one. We’ll look at real creative examples to understand the key briefing “ingredients” and teach tips and tricks to write a solid brief that will set the stage for the best creative results.

Advertising is a discipline that is undergoing rapid and constant change, in lockstep with technology, business, and culture. With that, it is also an industry that has a deeply rooted history. In this module, we will take a high-level look at that history, how consumption of media has changed, and how creative strategies have evolved along with it. From radio, TV, and print, to the debut of the internet and smartphones, to purchase ecosystems and the metaverse, we’ll reflect on where we’ve been and discuss four key factors to consider as we look ahead to where we’re going.

Pitches aren’t just regular presentations – they’re performances. In this module, we’ll look at all of the elements of a winning pitch performance, including:
Theme – the reason to win
Story – elements, structure, types
“Screenplay” (the deck) – process for collaborative writing and tips on writing powerfully (memory, visuals, etc.)
S.t.a.r. – giving the audience “something they’ll always remember”
Casting – individually and collectively
Staging – fundamentals of position, room setting, technology
Rehearsal – blocking vs. dress rehearsal, degrees of rehearsal, preparing for Q&A
A delivery – very brief overview on the basics (voice, eyes, etc.), deconstructing authenticity

As any good client leader knows it can be difficult to define exactly what it is we do because our skills are put to the test in so many areas, every day. We are called upon to foster strong client relationships, drive growth, develop high-performing teams, make smart strategic decisions and sell transformational ideas – all at an unprecedented time of accelerated pace and competition in our industry.

That said, there has never been a more exciting time to work in the creative industry if you have the right tools. In this hands-on course, participants will learn how to:

• Use principles of DiSC to get a clear understanding of their style and how to flex their style to clients, co-workers, agency partners, and more
• Understand clients and deliver on what they want
• Sell transformational ideas without being a ‘sales person’
• Offer feedback, embrace conflict, and say ‘no’ without ever using that word
• Lead high-performing teams
• Understand and exhibit executive presence
• Increase resilience and better manage stress
• Define their personal brand and identify their authentic leadership style

No matter what it says on your business card, everyone in the agency and the creative business world needs to bring strategic prowess to the table. In this hands-on course, we’ll cover the mindset, toolset, and skill set any creative strategic thinker needs for success.

What you’ll learn:

• Using Your Three Brains
• Asking Better Questions
• Applying Convergent and Divergent Thinking
• Becoming a Ruthless Reductionist
• Finding Inspiration in Unexpected Places
• Developing and Delivering Great Briefs

In our business, we tend to expend a significant amount of time and energy fostering the technical skills of our creative teams, but often we neglect the development of other skills that are critical to driving overall performance – how to sell work and lead clients from the front, managing others and nurturing relationships, and developing teams.

In this program, we’ll focus on building the often overlooked, but critical foundational skills creative leaders need to succeed. We recommend a balance of modules related to sales, client-leadership, and internal management – of both teams and peers.

Project managers sit at the center of the agency’s universe, ensuring all moving parts of projects run not just smoothly, but also with utmost efficiency, effectiveness, and quality output. This requires a unique mix of skills.

In this program, we’ll focus on building critical foundational skills across the project management team. We recommend a balance of modules related to communications, interpersonal, leadership, and technical skills that will support the team in managing the complexities of driving the process forward.

When we understand ourselves and others better, our ability to work more effectively increases as well. The DiSC Workplace assessment is a simple and practical tool that helps participants understand their style and the styles of others. We’ll review what motivates and stresses each style, how they respond to conflict, and how to communicate most effectively with each. Participants will learn how to predict the work styles of colleagues, clients, and those they interact with regularly and learn precisely how to adapt when working with and managing others.
 

Everyone who sells has the opportunity to optimize their skills around more advanced selling strategies. This iteration of the DiSC assessment is focused on priorities that shape your sales experience, your personal sales strengths and challenges, and how to recognize and adapt to different buying styles.

People possess qualities that make them “natural leaders”, but many leadership skills need to be learned and developed. Work of Leaders focuses on the tangible steps taken to lead a group or organization toward desired outcomes. This DiSC assessment provides a robust view into each participant’s personal leadership style and measures different leadership behaviors across three areas: crafting a vision, building alignment, and championing execution. The assessment also benchmarks how participants are performing individually and as a team collectively.

The Genos Model of Emotionally Intelligent Leadership helps participants understand what EI competencies and behaviors they demonstrate when leading and interacting with people. Based on the results of the assessment, participants will be able to highlight both strengths and opportunities for growth, and determine what actions to take to improve their leadership development. Results do not reflect your actual EQ or innate level of emotional intelligence.

The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator is an introspective self-report questionnaire indicating differing psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. The test attempts to assign four categories: introversion or extraversion, sensing or intuition, thinking or feeling, judging or perceiving. Through the debrief, you’ll learn about your own style and personality and further explore and understand your likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, career preferences, and compatibility with other people.

A cohesive team needs to master five key behaviors: building trust, mastering conflict, achieving commitment, embracing accountability, and focusing on results. This assessment is taken by all participants and in our session, we’ll look at the team’s performance in all areas. Once debriefed, the group generates and prioritizes ways in which they can improve in each of the five areas.