Develop its professional efficiency

Objective
To provide the knowledge and skills required to analyze and develop the key skills needed to establish the values, the vision and the mission for an organization.

Target audience
Managers.

Prerequisites
None.

Topics covered

• Traditional vs. evolutionary leadership : the human factors
• Personality types: analytical, driver, amiable, expressive
• Myself as a leader: my personality, my strengths, my weaknesses, my evolution and my self-motivation
• Models for personal growth: at what stage am I in the process of attaining my objectives
• Self-knowledge and the logical phases of development
• Strategies for developing creativity and thinking outside of the box
• Consistency: the key to integrity and transparency
• Situational leadership: transition and crisis
• Identifying the belief systems and values that influence decisions
• Discover your vision, mission and passion
• Personality types and assignment of tasks
• The five main symptoms of a dysfunctional team
• Feedback: positive re-enforcement vs. judgment, action-reaction
• Dimensions of renewal: spiritual, physical, mental and emotional

Accredited course.
12 PDU

Objective
To provide the knowledge and skills required to recognize the symptoms of problematic time management, implement appropriate solutions, identify time robbers and capitalize them.

Target audience
Any audience.

Prerequisites
None.

Topics covered

• Symbolic representations of external and internal time frames and their effects on behaviour
• Energy: the key to superior performance
• Tools for improved time management: communication, knowledge, analysis, micro-management, discipline and perseverance
• Establishment of priorities: short term, mid-term, long term, evaluation grid
• The four quadrants of time management: urgent, not urgent, important, not important
• Learning to delegate: resistances, development and win-win solutions
• Symptoms of a management in crisis: evolving from a management of emergencies to planned management
• Time robbers: elements that reduce efficiency, exploration grid to discover and eliminate them
• A personal action plan for healthy time management

Accredited course.
12 PDU

Objective
To provide the knowledge and skills required to develop one's own tools for better understanding and handling changes in the organization.

Target audience
Anyone.

Prerequisites
None.

Topics covered

• The reasons for constant change in organizations
• The four principal stages of change
• Tools for understanding one's reaction to change: facts vs. interpretation
• Feelings, attitudes and behaviour associated with periods of change
• The various types of stress caused by change
• Dealing with one's emotions during periods of change
• Roles played by individuals: executioner, victim and saviour
• Analyzing and overcoming resistance to change
• Strategies, tools and tips from psychology and communication theory: improving one's comfort level during a period of change
• Self-questioning during a period of change
• Motivation in the face of change
• Ten commandments for making a change successful for oneself and for the organization

Note: Managers should preferably attend Course CH113.

Accredited course.
6 PDU

Objective
To provide the knowledge and skills required to uncover your own potential for creativity, and that of your team, and to develop an outlook that leads to creativity and innovation.

Target audience
Any audience.

Prerequisites
None.

Topics covered

• How does creativity work and what are its basic concepts
• The advantages of innovation for enterprises and their markets
• Stimulate your imagination with different techniques
• Identify and implement strategies to improve creativity and innovation
• Identify the major barriers to creativity and innovation: personal or organizational
• Conditions that promote creativity
• Improve your innovative capability by mastering the steps of the creative process: various approaches, including Walt Disney's method
• Organizing and channeling individual and team creativity and innovation
• Active application of creativity and innovation techniques
• Continuously improving your creative and innovative abilities

Accredited course.
12 PDU

Objective
To provide the knowledge and skills required to make informed decisions by means of a systematic process based on setting objectives, analyzing alternatives, evaluating risks, and documenting each step.

Target audience
Managers and anyone participating in decision-making processes.

Prerequisites
None.

Topics covered

• The rationale behind the methodology: introducing the decision-making framework
• Goals of the decision-making process: why and by whom
• Developing the objectives: results expected in the short and long term, resources to be used or maintained, and factors that influence the choices
• Setting the objectives with respect to individuals, the organization, clients, products and services, and competitors
• Classifying the objectives: mandatory or optional?
• The weighting process: developing a decision matrix
• Assessing the alternatives
• Risk assessment: establish the potential adverse consequences
• Making a decision: choosing an alternative that best fits the decision matrix with an acceptable level of risk

Accredited course.
6 PDU

Objective
To provide the knowledge and skills required to implement a process for solving problems based on techniques for identifying the problem, gathering relevant facts and providing a sound analysis of the information prior to taking corrective action.

Target audience
Managers and anyone participating in problem-solving processes.

Prerequisites
None.

Topics covered

• The rationale for the methodology: Introducing a framework for solving problems
• The objectives of problem-solving: for whom and by whom
• The statement of the problem: identify what exactly wrong
• Diagnosis of the problem: What, where and when? What is its scope?
• Identifying the potential causes: Using your knowledge and skills to identify the cause of the problem
• Identifying the relevant factors: unique, specific or different components
• Identify the change: potential impacts on the cause of the problem
• Evaluating the potential causes

Accredited course.
6 PDU

Objective
To provide the knowledge required to exhibit impeccable behaviour in one's professional relationships, to respect business protocols and etiquette, and to avoid blunders in delicate situations.

Target audience
Any audience.

Prerequisites
None.

Topics covered

• The importance of the first meeting: introduction, handshake, personal space and language
• Adopting a dress code suitable for the business occasion; norms of personal hygiene
• Maintaining a polite demeanor: gestures, language and voice
• Etiquette at the office, how to fit in with the hierarchy
• Handling a business meal at a restaurant or in the office, good table manners
• Behaviour at social functions: handling drinks, exchanging business cards
• Formal occasions with well-defined protocols: greeting VIPs, respect for titles, precedence rules, cross-cultural skills
• Tact and self-control: what to say and what not to say, how to make an apology and how to accept one

Accredited course.
6 PDU

Objective
To provide the knowledge and skills required to stand out in business by always leaving a good impression, by adjusting adroitly to the unexpected, by mastering the nuances of personal and business life, by projecting credibility and by using subtle techniques which distinguish yourself from the competition and allow you to handle professional relationships with aplomb.

Target audience
Any audience.

Prerequisites
None.

Topics covered

• What are appropriate subjects for conversation in a business relationship?
• Learn how to interrupt politely
• How to broach, avoid and revisit subjects
• Preparing for all eventualities, and handling difficult situations with tact and control
• The notion of distance between the client and oneself: building a familiar and confident relationship with clients
• Adapting one's language to that of the client: understanding cultural and generational differences
• The use of voice to inspire confidence: detecting attitudes by means of vocal cues
• Understanding the messages transmitted by one's intonation

Accredited course.
6 PDU

Objective
To provide the knowledge and skills required to develop the ability to intervene successfully, to use the language of influence, and to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Target audience
Anyone in contact with in-house or external clients on a regular basis.

Prerequisites
None.

Topics covered

• Active and interactive listening techniques
• Voice and style: reflections of intention
• Perceptions: impact on relations and tools to adjust them
• Nonverbal language and staying in tune with the client, face-to-face and over the telephone
• Empathy and understanding: speaking the clients' language
• Efficiently using e-mail
• Handling client requests, orders and needs
• Using a language of influence related to the perceptual modes of clients and to the benefits of the products and services
• Opposition, argumentation and influential language
• Differentiating dissatisfaction, objections and complaints
• Vertical sales and cross-selling: definitions, how and when to use them
• Guide to the steps of a call: calling scenarios, from the opening to the conclusion, critical points
• Client follow-up and the development of customer loyalty

Objective
To provide the knowledge and skills required to use active listening techniques in order to manage communications with disappointed, upset or difficult clients, and to maintain self-confidence in the face of negativity.

Target audience
Anyone responsible for responding to complaints, or for negotiating with clients under difficult circumstances.

Prerequisites
None, but Customer Service Personnel: Techniques and Tools (Course CH139) is recommended.

Topics covered

• Basic concepts of communication under difficult circumstances with the clients
• The usefulness of complaints: prevention of problems and continuous improvement
• Lack of satisfaction, complaint or objection: how to differentiate and correctly respond to each
• Using motivational language and reformulating the problem in order elicit a positive response
• Overview of the steps used in managing a complaint
• Uncooperative personalities: establish your client profile and develop scenarios for action and intervention
• Detecting and handling the manipulative client
• How to deal with aggressive clients
• Using influential language techniques (neurolinguistic) to handle difficult clients
• Skills needed to handle difficult clients
• Negotiating with difficult clients: assessing the constraints of the problem and establishing win-win solutions

Objective
To provide the knowledge and skills required to read faster and improve your understanding and retention of written information.

Target audience
Any audience.

Prerequisites
None.

Topics covered

• Assess your reading speed, level of understanding and retention capability
• The reading process and habits of the fast reader
• Physiological and technical barriers: re-reading, mix-up of words, subvocalization and irregularity of rhythm
• Psychological impediments to learning to read quickly: how to overcome them
• Strategies based on your needs: searching for information, skimming for the essential, acquiring an overview and assimilating key information
• Improve your perceptive capability and develop concentration
• Simultaneously train your eyes and brain: ocular exercise and improvement of the field of view
• Retention: reception, transfer, reactivation and mnemonic techniques
• Specific concerns related to electronic media

Accredited course.
12 PDU

Objective
To provide the knowledge and skills required to take notes in a synthetic way, to structure the ideas developed and to write the minutes of a meeting.

Target audience
Clerical workers, secretaries, administrative assistants or associates and any other individuals who provide administrative support.

Prerequisites
None.

Topics covered

• Different types of minutes and their uniqueness as compared to other written documents
• Objectively recording facts, discussions and decisions
• Stress caused by note taking: tips and tools for handling it
• Key steps in taking notes and editing minutes
• The working relationship between the chair and the secretary of a meeting: strategies and methodologies
• Reconciliation of the moral support, the participation to the discussion and note taking
• Various techniques used to take notes: making a choice based on the objective and issues of interpretation
• Essential techniques for taking notes without using shorthand
• Organizing and structuring notes: choosing key words, consolidating scattered information, identifying the essential information et using titles and sub-titles
• Strategies to use when meetings become very technical
• Writing minutes: adapt the format and style to the target audience, respect the legibility rules, use visual benchmarks, arrange links between paragraphs and present elements that require an action as opposed to informative elements

Objective
To provide the knowledge and skills required to define the role and functions of the administrative support staff from the point of view of collaboration and skills development, and to promote healthy and efficient working conditions.

Target audience
Clerical workers, secretaries, administrative assistants or associates and any other individuals who provide administrative support.

Prerequisites
None.

Topics covered

• The characteristics of a good executive assistant
• The new clerical work and the evolution of technology
• The administrative support staff: its role and responsibilities
• The evolution of the role of the administrative support staff versus the increasing autonomy of managers equipped with technological tools
• Determine and manage the expectations of your immediate superior
• Getting a proactive and strategic vision of your role as a participant
• Develop and maintain an efficient and harmonious relationship with your superior
• Adapt your efforts to the distinctive personality of your superior
• Evolving challenges for administrative support staff
• The importance of team work and interpersonal relationships
• Tools, tips and strategies for working effectively with different personalities
• Develop your communications skills
• How to better handle change
• Supporting managers in planning and managing change
• Managing time and priorities
• Stress management

Objective
To provide the knowledge and skills required to describe one's own time management strategies, to identify where time is lost, to develop an action plan, and to master time management tools and techniques.

Target audience
Clerical workers, secretaries, administrative assistants or associates and any other individuals who provide administrative support.

Prerequisites
None.

Topics covered

• Analyzing one's own success at time management: how time is lost, developing an action plan
• Efficiency: handling time-wasting activities, time management frameworks
• Task hierarchies: identifying priorities, estimating time requirements, combining tasks by type or level, reacting to emergencies, handling interruptions and unexpected demands
• Avoiding delays: eliminating useless tasks, notifying in case of slippage, renegotiating priorities
• Better time management through effective communication
• How to plan: information and expectations, using retroactive planning, perfecting techniques for gaining time
• Tools for managing time and priorities
• Mastering one's own personal energy cycle

Objective
To provide the knowledge and skills necessary to make effective use of the new features of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook 2007.

Target audience
Managers.

Prerequisites
Knowledge of MS Office tools.

Topics covered

• New features of Office 2007: the new interface, the Office button, the ribbon, tabs, the quick access toolbar, zoom, the state bar, galleries, contextual menus and instant overview
• New features of Word 2007: the new interface, efficient formatting, themes, building blocks and inserting graphics
• New features of Excel 2007: the new interface, new worksheet calculation features, simplified table formatting, themes, conditional formatting, charts, dynamic pivot tables and layout
• New features of PowerPoint 2007: the new interface, themes, new drawing tools, customized layout, efficient formatting and animation
• New features of Outlook 2007: the new interface, management by categories and colour, RSS streams, new priorities, attachments and spam

Objective
To provide the knowledge and skills required to use the essential features of MS Word to rapidly create and edit documents.

Target audience
Managers.

Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of Word.

Topics covered

• Indispensable keyboard shortcuts
• Designing and structuring the document onscreen
• Using styles and tab stops
• Automatic numbering and the table of contents
• Integrating images and graphics from other applications
• Creating tables and forms
• Efficiently using Search and Replace
• Creating and using templates
• Collaborative sharing of documents: tracking changes and inserting comments
• Comparing documents
• Protecting a Word document

Note: The course is presented using Word 2003, but the features described are available in Word 2000 and Word 2002 as well. The course given with Word 2007 covers the new features available in Word 2007..

Objective
To provide the knowledge and skills required to make use of the essential features of Excel to increase productivity and autonomy.

Target audience
Managers.

Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of Excel.

Topics covered

• Indispensable keyboard shortcuts
• Organizing the data in order to work efficiently with Excel
• Setting up the page efficiently: using the fill handle, and special cut and paste techniques
• The various addressing modes: A1, $A$1, $A1 and A$1
• Essential features
• Automating layout: custom formats and conditional formatting
• Cross-sheet and cross-file formulas
• Creating graphics
• Updating multiple tabs simultaneously
• Choosing a good analysis tool: pivot tables, filters and subtotals
• Using scenarios
• Input control: protection and validation of information

Note: The course is given using Excel 2003, but the features described are available in Excel 2000 and Excel 2002 as well. The course given with Excel 2007 covers the new features of Excel 2007..

Objective
To provide the knowledge and skills required to make use of the essential features of PowerPoint to rapidly create and edit presentations.

Target audience
Managers.

Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of PowerPoint.

Topics covered

• Fundamental techniques: editing efficiently, using models, modifying layouts
• Creating a new presentation
• Rapidly inserting content via a mode plan
• Including external elements: images, photos, graphics and tables
• Creating and editing graphics, tables and org charts
• Using objects to enrich a presentation
• Modifying the color scheme and the layout
• Defining text and graphic areas
• Using attractive animation effects
• Essential shortcut keys in presentation mode
• Printing handouts for the participants and slide notes for the presenter

Note: The course is given using PowerPoint 2003, but the features described are available in PowerPoint 2000 and PowerPoint 2002 as well. The course given with PowerPoint 2007 covers the new features in PowerPoint 2007..

Accredited course.
6 PDU

Objective
To provide the knowledge and skills required to optimize time management and improve productivity using the task management, calendar, contact list and journal features of MS Outlook.

Target audience
Managers.

Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of Outlook.

Topics covered

• Overview of the main productivity tools in Outlook
• Interactions between the different features of Outlook
• Managing tasks: creation, use, advancement, delegation, follow-up
• Planning and managing meetings: organization, meeting requests, handling replies, private and group meetings
• Using the calendar: display formats, sharing, printing
• Managing contacts: the address book, classifying, sorting, grouping, distribution lists
• Using the journal: creating entries, and associating them with contacts
• Using notes
• Creating customized displays
• Automatic archiving of entries
• Efficiently searching in folders

Note: The course is given using Outlook 2003, but most features described are available in Outlook 2000, 2002 and 2007 as well. A version of the course which uses Outlook 2007 is available on demand for privately arranged group sessions.

Objective
To provide the knowledge and skills required to effectively manage e-mail with MS Outlook.

Target audience
Managers.

Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of Outlook.

Topics covered

• Managing folders: creation, organization, sharing
• Creating rules for automatically categorizing, answering deleting or filing messages
• Handling spam
• Techniques for automatically archiving messages
• Efficiently searching messages and folders
• Toolbars: customizing, creating and adding tools that make managing messages easy
• Search tools and follow-up indicators
• Using shortcuts to access frequently used folders, documents and Web addresses
• Setting up effective working screens
• Creating and using categories
• Grouping facilities
• Creating out-of-office messages and setting up automated replies

Note: The course is given using Outlook 2003, but most features described are available in Outlook 2000, 2002 and 2007 as well. A version of the course which uses Outlook 2007 is available on demand for privately arranged group sessions.