These Workshop Training Topics/Descriptions were specifically designed with the small business owner and entrepreneur in mind. They may be executed in a half day or full day workshop; dependent upon depth of instruction desired.
1. Strategic Planning: Consider short term and long term goals for the business, potential pit falls, industry analysis and growth expectations. Competitive environment and market potential; considering demographics and history. Implement a plan, monitor and measure results; develop several “what if” scenarios. Decide on a course of action when/if plan fails; a well-constructed and thought-out plan B.
2. Time & Life Management: Using research conducted by Dr. Stewart Friedman, Prof. at The Wharton School of Business, Univ. of PA. In his book: “Total Leadership”. This workshop will create sustainable change in all 4 spheres of the business owner’s life (or … any life): work, family, community and self. This workshop will also challenge the entrepreneur with real life testimonials from other business owners who have experienced this level of “Balance”. And, offers workable and gradual methods to achieve this “4-way win”.
3. Creativity & Innovation: Consider the reality that we are all creative, and capable of thinking creatively. We will explore the pre-conceived roadblocks to creativity and innovation. And, we will experiment with various exercises to illustrate the changes that must take place in the workspace. Business owners will also learn ways to encourage innovation among all employees and partners. Decide on several actions that can be put in place to bring creativity and innovation into the everyday work environment. Discover methods and fun ways to begin today!
4. Leading Change: Realizing that ‘change’ is inevitable, it can also be a stimulus for action; providing business owners and entrepreneurs with a competitive edge. Any changes in the marketplace, in consumer preferences, and internally in the business; are all starting points for improved processes in sustaining a more profitable business and generating more sales. We will explore ways to “ride the change”, and take advantage of “new” opportunities. We will also demonstrate the risk of not adapting, and the need to embrace change throughout all levels of your company.
5. DISC/Personality Profiles: DISC (behavioral traits: dominance, inducement, submission, and compliance) and Personality Profiling to better communicate with others similar to you, as well as others dis-similar. Learning the personality style of the business owner and that of all employees of the company, and vendors serving the company. We will also explore ways to discover the personality style of your customers, and teach you and your staff ways to enhance your individual relationships with those customers. You will be able to assess your ‘DISC style’, and study ways to adapt your style to match the style of others; and increase interpersonal effectiveness, and persuasion. It will also enhance your relations with your spouse and your kids!
6. Feedback To Improve: Receiving daily feedback is a desire of all committed workers, yet not given by most business owners. This workshop will focus ways to deliver ‘Daily’ positive, constructive, and deliberate feedback. We will explore the increase in work productivity due to positive feedback, and the methods to bring about daily changes “on the floor” of your business. Making positive and constructive feedback a part of your company’s culture, will lessen employee turnover and raise the level of ‘job joy’; which in turn produces sustainable profits.
7. Recruiting/Interviewing/Hiring For Talent: “You’re only as strong as your weakest link … but as wise as your strongest” -Tania Marie’s Blog, 2014 Recruiting and Interviewing are the life blood of any enterprise. We will discover behavioral based interview questions; that can predict work habits and probable success in your company. We will explore the most effective recruiting venues; including your employee referral program, on-line employee search sites, and using employment consultants. We will define “talent”, and assist you in uncovering these all-important traits. You will identify “those particular talents and traits” that lead to hiring the most productive employees for your company’s future. This workshop will include inter-active mock interviewing, and assist you in bringing the “talent search process” to your company’s recruiting efforts.
8. The Velvet Hammer: Accountability always finds its way into every successful company. To sustain your company’s success, you and your managers will need to employ “the Velvet Hammer”. Whether its constructive criticism, or, placing a non-productive employee on a plan for improvement, or finding another place in your company (or another company) for that employee to grow and flourish. As a business owner and entrepreneur, you must be able to make any one of those decisions quickly and decisively. We will explore several methods to employ this accountability measure. Above all else; if you observe a particular employee who over a short period of time, their productivity is not trending upwards, you must act quickly and fairly to stop this downward spiral in performance.
9. Goal Setting For Entrepreneurs: Performance Goals for the coming year and for the next 60 months (5 years). Establishing the goals and benchmarks for your company, and communicating with every employee. Aligning the goals with the company vision, mission, and purpose; then again, communicating each to every employee. We will explore ways and methods to define your company’s goals, and we will also commit to defining the reasons for the company’s vision and mission and purpose. It’s not just on parchment paper, framed above the cubicles and workstations … we will produce a working document that’s relevant to your company today and throughout the remaining year. A work in progress!
10. Presentation Skills (communicate to 1 or 1000): A successful business owner must be able to effectively communicate what he or she is dreaming for the company. Where they think the company is headed, and why it’s a good idea for all employees to join them on this journey. You will discover how to run an effective business meeting; whose purpose is to educate, empower, and inspire. You will also learn “how” to present any topic to all of your employees; thru use of various instruments to explain and propel your points. We will video your presentation during the workshop; to critique and improve your speaking and presenting style, always adapting to your audience. We’ll have a lot of fun too!
11. Leadership vs Management: Yes … they are not the same! The business owner and entrepreneur must be both “the leader”, and “the manager”; sometimes within the next 30 minutes. As “the leader”; you provide the big picture, the vision for your company, the 30, 000 feet view of the company, and its position in the marketplace. As “the manager”; you are frequently involved in the day-to-day operations and decisions of the company. Your feet are often ‘the feet’ on the ground; as you satisfy customer desires, and coax an employee to walk back from the plank! We will discover ways to define each of these principles. We will delve into the merits of ‘delegation’, and how and when and to whom you should trust and delegate important decisions. We will help you determine the proper role that you should occupy, and, at the right time of your company’s evolution.
12. Setting Sales Objectives: If you cannot measure it … … or … … if you don’t measure it … …! Either way, there is a desperate need today, for you to set sales and revenue objectives for your company. Objectives that every employee feels that they have a vital role in its attainment, and they are financially tied to the outcome. If the company does well, they do well. And, conversely, they share in the company’s shortfall. We will assist in your development of realistic sales and revenue objectives for the coming year; using historic financial outcomes, market predictions, and your intuitive sense of the growth you see happening this year. We’ll uncover ways for you to clearly define your sales and revenue targets for the year. And, we’ll recommend ways to align your workforce with your sales and revenue objectives; they will partner with you, while sharing the burden.
13. Delegate/Develop/Equip: When you first started your business, you were “jack of all trades”; doing every ‘job’ that you knew needed to be done … and … done right. After a while you began to realize that every successful business requires a team of people, just as committed as you are, to see it thru. And, it also became apparent that you could no longer do ‘every job’ alone; that you had to teach, train, and trust other people to do the work. Your ability to delegate the right jobs to the right people, and to empower them to act as if they were you; that’s when you began to doubt your decision to do so. This workshop will teach the mechanics needed to delegate and empower your workforce. We will discuss specific development methods and ways to equip your managers, supervisors, and leaders; to perform the right jobs that need to done to sustain your company’s growth. We know ‘true delegating’ is really hard for an owner to do … we will walk you thru this difficult transition; to help you find your way.
14. Create The Vision: Your Vision Statement is future-based, and meant to inspire and give direction to your employees. It answers “the why” and “the how” of your business. As the goals are met and exceeded, the vision statement has to be revised to mirror the changing business culture. Your vision for the company is always adjusting and changing as your company and its foot print grows. In this workshop we will help you define “the vision”, and discuss ways to ‘cascade’ the vision to every level and employee in the company. We want each employee (especially those directly connected to your customers), to live and breathe the vision, with the same commitment as you. We will help you create and communicate your vision.
15. Building A Winning Team: Realizing that every successful enterprise (without exception) came to exist and thrive because of team dynamics. It is never done by one person alone. So many examples of successful partnerships in business; Buffett & Munger (Berkshire Hathaway), Gates & Allen (Microsoft), Jobs & Wozniak (Apple), Page & Brin (Google), and William & David (Hewlett-Packard) … to name a few. Your company may have been started by you alone, you are more than aware that to sustain your growth; you have to build a team. This workshop teaches ‘team building’ from conception to design and implementation. You will leave with the ideas and tools to construct your current team of employees, into a well-oiled machine of passionate and committed partners.
16. A Sustainable Growth Mindset: Using the work and research of Dr. Carol Dweck, and her book: “Mindset, The New Psychology of Success”; we will explore the reality of a “fixed” vs “growth” mindset. An opportunity for you to discover your particular mindset and why it’s important to the growth of your business. And, why it’s equally important for your employees to demonstrate a growth mindset, when dealing with your customers. We will study the details of Dr. Dweck’s findings, and the implications for your business. This workshop will offer principles and ideas that can be applied beyond the office; affecting parenting and building sustainable relationships.
17. Building A Culture To Acquire New Customers/Clients: Every day any successful entrepreneur is thinking about acquiring new customers, and building a sustainable process to insure this outcome. It is indeed the life blood of your company. This workshop offers several ideas to build this “need for new customers” into your culture. We will review various methods of turning your current satisfied customers, into a prime resource of referring new customers to your business. Your current satisfied customer may indeed be your best entry into the home or business of your current prospects. We will help you uncover this growth opportunity, leading to the change in your company’s culture of acquiring new customers and clients.