Change Leadership: Inform, Involve, Ignite! Robert Harris offers a distinctive point of view and a wealth of practical tools and tips to help managers and front-line supervisors succeed at change.

NAVIGATING YOUR CAREER (for organizational and employee benefits)

Overview:
Today, career planning is a two way partnership whereby the organization can provide the infrastructure (e.g. tools, resources, training) for employees to succeed in their roles and, for their part, employees need to take the ownership to initiate and follow-through on important career-related actions .

Employees often lack confidence on how to undertake the process in ensuring the best fit between their own skills, interests, and needs in line with evolving organizational goals. The Navigating Your Career program provides participants with a proven 3 stage model to maximize career satisfaction and success.

The first part of the course engages participants in a variety of exercises to identify and clarify key strengths, values, transferable skills, interests, motivators and de-motivators. The second part of the course examines “fit” considerations, trends and opportunities.

Typically, most employees simply need to “fine-tune” their roles to enhance job satisfaction and success. Most employees are already in job functions that fit with their overall needs, however, as these needs evolve, it is helpful to reexamine how overall satisfaction, and job effectiveness, can be achieved.

The course is highly informative and facilitated by a career planning expert. The course tends to be very interactive such that, by the end of the course, participants have new insights and ideas which can form the basis for useful actions and discussions.

Each participant is given a Navigating Your Career Workbook which is an integrated, comprehensive set of strategic career models, personal diagnostic and application tools.

At the end of the one-day workshop, participants have enhanced self-knowledge and have developed the several components of their personal career plan, as well as the ability to implement practical tools to help their staff navigate their careers in today's workplace.

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CAREER PLANNING AND SELF ASSESSMENT

Overview: With the rise in work-life conflict in today’s workplace (see Duxbury report, 2003), it is vital to have a current career plan which aligns your strengths, values, motivators, needs and interests with your roles at work and outside of work. This training program enables participants, through a variety of self assessment exercises, to crystallize what is most important to them at their career/life stage, examine evolving trends and needs both within their own workplace and the general marketplace, and then develop a career plan to enhance current and longer term career/life satisfaction.

Intended Audience: Employees at all levels

Course Duration: One Day

Methodology for Delivery: A variety of self assessment exercises integrated with small group and one-on-one discussions. Instructor provides guidance and helps with interpretation of results.

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MAXIMIZING PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS

Duration: One Day

Target Audience: All Staff and managers who are coping with increased demands, decreasing resources, and increased time pressures including multiple constituents.

Purpose of Course l Learning Objectives: Duxbury and Higgins, in a study of 31,000 Canadians in 2002-03, noted a significant rise in work-life conflict, from 38% in 1991 to over 60% in 2002. The harsh reality is that, while employees are busier than ever, they are not necessarily more effective. Employee satisfaction is down while turnover and absenteeism is increasing. This program provides participants with a focus on personal and professional effectiveness, and overall sense of well-being. We examine major contributors to employee ineffectiveness, and look at those factors within individual control that can be altered for greater overall effectiveness.

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INTERVIEW SKILLS

Overview: This course prepares participants to more effectively handle interviews, including what to do before, during and after the interview. Participants will be able to apply course information to real workplace positions for which they may wish to be interviewed. We discuss such interviewing challenges as dealing with difficult questions, minimizing nervousness, how to best answer questions, preparing effectively prior to an interview, and closing the interview.

We explore the different types of interview questions today including situational (hypothetical), behavioural and competency-based. We also explore how best to interview within a panel interview setting.

Throughout the course, participants are able to engage in role plays and practice interviewing. In addition, depending on the circumstances, video tape can be used to enhance learning. The course uses a variety of tools and exercises and is taught with adult learning principles.
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Intended Audience: Employees at all levels

Duration: One Day (note: can be done as ½ day when combined with ½ day Resume Writing skills)

Methodology for Delivery: Highly interactive and experiential using real workplace situations and positions. Significant opportunity to practice and role play, including feedback from instructor and other participants. Participants get a chance to work in small groups to practice interviewing

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RESUME WRITING SKILLS

Overview: The course provides participants with a deeper understanding of today’s approach to resume writing. Resumes have evolved considerably over the years. Historically, most people used a “chronological” resume format which listed their duties. Today, especially with the need to demonstrate transferable skills, many people prefer a “functional” resume which highlights their core competencies and helps them move beyond traditional roles and/or be “typecast” in one line of work. The reality is, there are appropriate uses of different types of resumes. That is, depending on the individual situation, differing resume formats will prove more successful for the person. This course highlights the pros and cons to different resume structures.

With the increased emphasis on behavioural and competency-based interviewing, more emphasis is being put on past accomplishments and demonstrated skills. Using a resume template, participants can build their resume throughout the day. In addition, sample resumes, along with action verbs will be provided to help people continue their resume development following the course. In the past, the facilitator has been open to leaving his email address in case participants wish to email him a ‘finished product” for final comments. The facilitator will also examine how to develop effective cover letters.

Intended Audience: Employees at all levels

Duration: One Day (note: can be done as ½ day when combined with ½ day Interview Skills course)

Methodology for Delivery: Highly interactive and experiential using real work place examples and actual sample resumes. Dialogue, discussion, and lots of application using a resume template. Customized to OPS environment and based on adult learning principles

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RESUME WRITING AND INTERVIEWING SKILLS

Overview: This course is a very practical and hands on program which helps employees understand and apply the rudiments of effective resume writing and interviewing. The first part of the program overviews types of resumes (chronological, functional, hybrid) including the advantages and disadvantages of each. Participants will be able to identify the resume format that would work be best for them. Using a template provided participants then craft a resume highlighting their key strengths and achievements.

The second part of the course reviews effective preparation, delivery and follow-up when interviewing. We examine different types of interview questions and how best to respond with an emphasis on behavioural based interview questions, as well as situational questions. Participants get an opportunity in small groups to practice interviewing and responding to questions.

Duration: One Day

Who should attend: All employees and managers

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RETIREMENT PLANNING

Overview: Retirement has changed greatly in recent years as people choose to retire earlier than 65 or, in some cases, are asked to retire, while at the same time generally living longer. This means that whereas retirement used to be a brief period towards the end of one’s life, now retirement is considered a period that can be very meaningful as a major phase of our lives. Especially with the influx of baby boomers approaching retirement, the traditional paradigm of “smelling the roses” has changed. People are more vital and want to remain so for as long as possible

This 2-day program assists people in getting in touch both with their financial needs as well as their most important values, motivators, and interests, and ensure alignment with these elements as the individual transitions This includes the OPS attendees as well as their guests (“significant others, etc.).

This course recognizes the diversity in society and the differing lifestyle and living arrangements that participants may have in coming to the course.

Intended Audience: Employees and “significant others” typically within 5 years or less to retirement.

Duration: Two Days (One Day Financial; One Day Lifestyle)

Methodology for Delivery: Highly interactive allowing participants the opportunity to interact and learn with others both one-on-one and small group. Respectful of both the OPS attendees and their guests. Lots of exercises and discussion, based on adult learning.

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