Overview
Learn "success skills" the quick, easy way
You could spend years on the job acquiring these professional skills — and you might make a lot of mistakes and misjudgments along the way.
Or, you can attend this powerful, one-day seminar and learn practical, hands-on ideas that will make you more productive, more valuable and more satisfied in your job than ever before. We'll demystify essential professional skills, such as:
- Prioritizing
- Problem solving
- Delegating
- Political and people skills
- Managing time, resource and crises
- Decision making, and much more
Agenda
Your Job vs. Your Career
- Five signs you’re just doing a job — and five powerful steps that will help you move toward a rewarding career.
- Six simple actions to move your job toward more challenging and responsible activities.
- Four insightful questions you can ask yourself to put your career and goals into focus — and better understand what you want from your job.
Assertiveness & Responsibility
- Nine key duties you can execute that make you indispensable to your supervisor and your organization.
- How to take the initiative and make decisions — you’ll lessen the burden on your supervisor and assume more responsibility.
- When your manager is gone or unavailable — what you can do to make things run smoothly and efficiently.
- How to be more assertive and confident in day-to-day communication with key managers and executives.
Stress Management
- A three-pronged approach that reduces the day-to-day stress you face in your job.
- How just 10 minutes every day can reverse most of the negative stress you encounter — even if pressure seems unavoidable.
- How to deal with the restraints and demands of multiple supervisors who all need your time and attention.
- The worst days and hours: how you can eliminate the most common “stress pockets” and smooth out end-of-day and end-of-week pressure.
Balancing Priorities
- The one key to working smarter, not harder — and getting more done every single day.
- Four ways to set priorities — you’ll learn which is the best approach for any situation.
- An innovative system to establish firm, reachable deadlines — and stop the “ASAP” crunch.
- How to say “no” or refuse a request — without sounding negative or feeling guilty.
Problem-Solving Skills
- A seven-step process to deal effectively with any problem — no matter how big or how small.
- Tips for developing alternative approaches to problems — and pinpointing a solution that appeals to everyone.
- How to present your problem-solving ideas to your supervisor — and earn respect and credibility in the process.
- Six essential steps to implement the solution to a problem — learn how to increase cooperation and ensure success.
Ask for What You Need
- Six things you should not say when making requests and resolving problems.
- An eight-point script to ask for — and get — what you need to do your job better.
- Why you should suggest your solution first — and not leave it up to your boss to solve the problem.
- Five ways to reach an agreement and get a commitment for your request — you’ll prevent misunderstandings and increase efficiency.
How to Give & Get Clear Instructions
- How to use feedback to prevent costly mistakes and misunderstandings.
- What to do when you’re not getting enough feedback from managers or coworkers.
- Three key principles that ensure better two-way communication in every phase of your work.
- How to detect a breakdown in communication — before a crisis situation develops.
Persuasiveness & Influence
- Three ways to get someone to act on your requests by demonstrating the benefits first.
- How to develop a simple plan before asking for action — and increase your chances for on-thespot agreement.
- Two ways to counter expense resistance by demonstrating the benefit of an action outweighs the cost.
- How to be more persuasive than you ever thought possible — a dynamic “benefit formula” used by the most successful sales professionals.
Your Personal Time Management System
- Are you just efficient ... or effective as well? How to go beyond doing the job right, to doing the right job right.
- The powerful “80/20 Notebook” system — have every planning tool you need at your fingertips.
- Much more than a list: the 6 essential elements of the super-effective to-do list.
- How to develop a daily plan that keeps you focused and on-track.
Crisis Management
- How to anticipate an approaching crisis — and avoid it before it erupts.
- Smart planning tips to reduce crises and unnecessary shifts in priorities.
- Eight easy-to-understand steps for producing a realistic action plan for projects and priorities.
- How to estimate the time a project will require — and eliminate crises caused by time overruns.
Reducing Interruptions
- Five specific measures you can take now to halt interruptions that put a dent in your day.
- How to use time logs to avoid interrupting your boss with questions and queries.
- The sure-fire “quiet hour/mad hour” schedule that gives people access to you — and still gives you time to concentrate on top priorities.
- A little-known management technique for gaining control over interruptions.
Effective Delegation
- Five clear steps that show you how to delegate — even if you don’t have authority over other employees.
- “I can do it better and faster myself” — how to overcome the #1 barrier to effective delegation.
- How to pass along work without worry: 10 ways you can ensure the assignment will be done right and on time.
- What to do when people don’t do what’s expected or refuse to cooperate with you.
The Manager/Assistant Team
- How to answer questions and make decisions in the absence of your supervisor.
- Three specific situations that offer opportunity for job growth — and how you can take full advantage of them.
- How to demonstrate you’ve earned an increase in pay, responsibility or title — and get your manager’s full support.
- A proven method to find out what’s expected of you — and whether or not you’re delivering what’s expected.
Workplace Communication
- Security Rules: Need-to-know procedures for preserving confidential information.
- A quick assessment to determine whether you can handle the call for your boss — your initiative and dependability will be appreciated.
- Three intelligent telephone tips that shave minutes off of every phone call — without being abrupt or blunt.
- Techniques for writing clear, concise emails that get an immediate response.
- Unintentional email practices that can lead to conflict and misunderstandings.
Multiple Bosses
- How to prioritize the demands of more than one supervisor to everyone’s satisfaction.
- Dozens of tips for day-to-day duties, including messages, mail, work assignments, appointments and scheduling for multiple managers.
- Who’s in charge? What to do when instructions from one boss conflict with another’s.
- A smart method that gets your supervisors to cooperate with each other — without putting you in the middle.
