Improving personal effectiveness is a wide ranging topic and no single facet of behaviour can improve it dramatically; however, in understanding what makes some people more effective than others and by then examining these factors an improvement in personal effectiveness can be achieved. This is a highly interactive training course and delegates will be asked to take part in a number of questionnaires, case studies and discussions in order to improve their personal effectiveness.

The course has been broken down into three sections with a different focus in each section: Personal Assertiveness, Time and Priority Management and finally Conducting Successful Meetings.

Course Objectives

Deal with conflict situations promptly with minimal disruption to the essential tasks at hand.
Approach people problems with increased confidence and an enhanced understanding of the reasons behind colleagues’ behaviour.
Forge positive working relationships with individuals who might previously have been viewed as difficult or un-cooperative.
Develop an enhanced understanding of the factors that motivate and de-motivate your colleagues.
Overcome negative or aggressive behaviour.
Adopt a confident, professional and appropriate behaviour style when faced with difficult people or situations.
Recognise the value of effective time management.
Clarify your own key areas of responsibility and priorities.
Identify and overcome the primary causes of poor time management.
Identify time wasters and personal preferences that affect performance in the workplace.
Prioritise your tasks and cope more effectively with day-to-day demands and pressures.
Learn to plan ahead and use your time more effectively to increase personal productivity.
Become more assertive and disciplined.
Learn how to prepare for a meeting so that participants are clear about their role and what is to be achieved.
Acquire a range of interpersonal skills to keep control of the meeting and disarm disruptive participants.
Ensure that each agenda item is introduced and dealt with effectively.
Structure discussions to build group consensus and gain a clear decision on each specific agenda item.
Identify what can go wrong in meetings and know what action to take to ensure participants keep focused on the task.
Encourage appropriate participation and eliminate time wasting.

Designed For

This course is designed for professional and administrative staff at any level, and may be of particular use to those with a supervisory or managerial role or where personal interaction with others is involved.

Course Duration

Two Days

Maximum Number of Delegates

Eight

In-House Delivery Option Available

Yes

Section One - Personal Assertiveness

Handling difficult people and situations is one of the most stressful aspects of the modern working environment. This section provides a practical guide on how to handle difficult people effectively and ensure successful outcomes in an assertive but non-aggressive manner. Delegates will examine aspects of human behaviour and review their options when faced with difficult, aggressive or un-co-operative people. This part of the course provides delegates with an opportunity to discuss their own experiences as well as those of others in a safe and supportive environment.

Content

Developing Your Understanding of Behaviour

People and behaviour
Encouraging others to break non-productive work behaviour styles
How your behaviour affects others and vice versa
Recognising the different factors which influence an individual’s motivation

Interpersonal Skills and Assertiveness

Adopting an assertive approach to your relationships with others
Being positive - avoiding personality clashes
Building harmonious and open working relationships
Communicating with colleagues at all levels within your organisation

Dealing with Difficult People

Why are some people difficult?
Dealing with people who are aggressive, cynical or obstructive
Identifying and dealing with the underlying causes of ‘difficult behaviour’

Dealing with Difficult Situations

Typical situations you may face at work and ways of dealing with them
Dealing with situations and events rather than personalities
Adopting an appropriate approach in a variety of situations
Overcoming the preconceived ideas and attitudes of others - looking for positive outcomes

Section Two - Time and Priority Management

Time management is crucial in today’s business environment. Time is a limited and expensive resource that requires as much if not better management than money. If time was money how many people in business would spend it so unwisely and freely without any focused pre-planning, prioritising or indeed any forecasting of the return on the investment? In today’s busy business world many are still forced to do just that because they don’t have the time to change their behaviour.  This practical and intensive part of the course is aimed at delegates who want to take more control of their workloads by organising tasks, people and themselves more effectively.

Content

Managing Your Job

Managing yourself and the resources at your disposal
What are you and your team trying to achieve?
Defining your objectives and key result areas
Establishing responsibilities and priorities

Practical Time Management and Planning Activities

Effective use of diaries, time planners, time logs, etc.
Criteria for prioritising - urgent and important
Planning and scheduling your activities
Dealing with interruptions and distractions - staying focused
Managing time under pressure
Developing a proactive approach to short, medium and long term plans

Managing Yourself

Investing time and effort in order to achieve more in the future
Your time management behaviour - preferred working styles
Personal effectiveness - a guide to self-discipline
Highlighting personal ‘time-stealers’ and areas of weakness

On-going Self-development

Reviewing your management of time at regular intervals
Overcoming your old habits - maintaining your new standards

Section Three - Conducting Successful Meetings

Conducting successful meetings is a vital skill in today’s business environment and they provide a vital forum for planning, debate, information, briefing and decision-making; however, too many meetings are poorly prepared and managed, leading to the loss of valuable time and failure in satisfying their objectives.  This section of the course is designed to give participants guidelines on the necessary preparation and structure of meetings to ensure successful outcomes. Its purpose is also to enable delegates to learn and practise the effective skills of chairing and participating in shorter and more productive meetings.

Content

Roles and Responsibilities

How to become an effective meeting leader
Which type of meeting suits your needs?
Your key responsibilities as a participant

Clarity in Meeting Preparation

Creating meeting objectives that are clear and specific
Setting an agenda
Structuring the agenda - where to place the least and most important items
How to lobby for support
Collecting appropriate data from interested parties
Briefing minute takers and guest speakers

Lead an Effective Meeting

Personal qualities of meeting leaders
Creating an atmosphere where all participants will be able to contribute
Keep focused on the agenda and prevent the introduction of irrelevant issues
Controlling time wasting and disruptive influences
Forging an environment for open discussion
Formulating agreement from a variety of views
Guidelines for running short meetings

Communicate with Authority

Learning the fundamentals of non-verbal communication

Deal with Disruptive Influences

Ensuring all participants have a say
How to make interventions that will curtail irrelevant discussions
Employing techniques to keep control

Action Points and Endings

Tips for making clear decisions
The two prime times for summarising key points
Gaining commitment through the delegation of action points
How to prevent the meeting drifting on
Learning to end with a focus on the future

Personal Development

Creating a personal action plan to enhance your future development

£934.13 (£795 + VAT) per Delegate.

Discounts are available if 2 or more delegates from the same organisation attend the same course.

Please read 'How much does each course cost' on our FAQ's page for details.

This is a new course and as a consequence there are no testimonials at present.