Unbridled Talent Development

For managers, the most important step in the talent development process is collaborating with employees to set clear expectations and measurable goals for performance. Goal setting is one of the most powerful tools that a manager has at their disposal. Research consistently shows that individuals and teams that set goals achieve success at much higher rates than those who don’t. This may be simply because when we set goals, we are setting a direction and determining a course of action.

Goal setting should be a collaborative effort between the manager and the employee. When employees are involved in setting goals that are important to them, they have a greater interest in making them happen. Throughout the year, consistent follow up and progress updates can be used as a valuable reinforcement technique; accordingly, employees are aware when they are on track or veering off course from meeting agreed upon objectives.

This workshop will provide managers with the necessary tools and resources to communicate clear expectations, set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely) goals, and practice effective follow up techniques that will contribute to employee success.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the importance of having goals that align with company strategy.
• Review the characteristics of effective and collaborative goal setting.
• Identify obstacles that hinder accomplishing goals and how to overcome them.
• Practice effective goal setting techniques.
• Learn strategies to prioritize mission-critical tasks for your team.
• Discuss how to keep goals on track and celebrate accomplishments.

Being clear on what is expected and delivering influential feedback to an employee can many times be stressful and difficult for leaders to deliver. In fact, we’ve all most likely endured the pain of well-intentioned, but poorly executed feedback.  However, if implemented on a consistent basis, clear expectations and feedback helps employees gain a sense of clarity and confidence that can motivate them to build their skills and deliver amazing results.

What we know for sure is that healthy, honest and thoughtful feedback builds trust and respect, keeps the lines of communication open between an employee and manager, and creates an environment where everyone can succeed.

This workshop will guide leaders through the process of setting clear expectations with employees that defines acceptable levels of job performance and answers the question, “What does success look like for your role?”.

It also gives leaders the opportunity to practice a simple, yet powerful four-step feedback model that is intentional and has a positive impact. The feedback model is fact-based and highlights the impact of behaviors/performance on the team, department and company. It encourages the employee to take accountability for their actions and supports building collaborative solutions between the leader and employee.

Learning Objectives:

• Gain confidence in using expectation setting and feedback as an accountability, development and growth mindset tool
• Learn to give fact-based, objective examples when discussing feedback
• Understand how to discuss the impact of behaviors/performance and build collaborative solutions
• Practice a four-step model for providing feedback that is clear and valuable
• Learn strategies for providing future focused feedback and influencing positive change

“More than 60% of employees who report to managers who are not good coaches
are thinking about quitting.”  – Zenger Folkman Study

Effective coaching is an essential skill all leaders need to embrace and strengthen. Coaching helps employees to develop skills, improve confidence, and uplevel thinking. It can motivate employees to perform at their highest level by helping to discover their strengths, align to goals that matter to them, create possibilities for future success, and encourage small action steps. 

This workshop will help leaders understand the difference between managing and coaching and the benefits that coaching provides to the individual, team and company. Leaders will learn how to identify and leverage coaching moments and practice a powerful coaching dialogue process. By using appreciative questioning, leaders will increase motivation for positive and lasting change in performance and behavior.

Leaders will also learn how to facilitate peer-to-peer coaching circles on their team and steer clear of common coaching mistakes. This coaching program equips leaders with coaching tools that empower and encourage employees to develop new skills and behaviors, make positive changes for the future, and demonstrates a commitment to employee growth.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the difference between managing and coaching.
• Learn the benefits of using coaching as a development tool.
• Understand the attributes of a successful coach and assess your strengths and opportunities.
• Identify ways to build a strong coaching relationship with your employee.
• Learn how to recognize coaching moments and engage in a powerful coaching dialogue.
• Practice strategies for leading peer-to-peer coaching circles.

“Manager attention is still the single greatest driver of performance.”

~ Kate Brown, Change and Talent Management Executive, S&P Global

Great leaders recognize that One-On-One’s are a foundational component of employee well being and experience. These meetings are foundational to building trust and creating psychological safety on a team. Purposeful and empowering One-On-One’s help to drive efficiency, productivity, and improve employee motivation and engagement levels.  They also create an opportunity for managers to get valuable feedback on their own performance.

This workshop will help leaders understand the purpose of a One-On-One, how to prepare using a set of best practices, and introduce an agenda and conversational framework that empowers employees to  to focus on their own personal and professional development goals and provide their manager with integral feedback.

Leaders will also evaluate the effectiveness of their current One-On-One meetings and look for opportunities to adapt their approach and agenda moving forward. As a result of this workshop, leaders will embrace the One-On-One meeting as one of the most important tools they have to drive performance, retention and engagement.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the purpose of One-On-One conversations between a manager and employee
• Learn best practices for preparing for the One-On-One meeting
• Identify positive outcomes of empowering One-On-One meeting
• Review focus areas for having effective One-On-One conversations
• Practice using a One-On-One conversational framework
• Evaluate your own One-On-One meetings and where to adjust and adapt your agenda

Observing employee performance and behaviors, providing feedback, coaching, and taking corrective action when necessary should take place on an ongoing basis as part of the talent development cycle.

Performance discussions with employees should always be based on objective and verifiable information and should provide examples of the behavior you would like to see continued or improved. Without communication and feedback from their manager, employees are not aware if they are performing the job as expected or if they need to make adjustments. Over time, lack of communication and feedback can lead to dissatisfaction, low morale, and poor performance.

This workshop will teach managers techniques to hold effective performance review discussions that encourage positive performance and development. We will also review and practice the steps to using a progressive performance improvement plan process including how to use documentation to promote accountability and get poor performance back on track.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the types of performance discussions to have with an employee
• Understand what key information and data to include in the performance review
• Learn how to prepare and plan for a performance review discussion
• Understand how to have an effective performance review discussion and how to keep it future focused
• Review the steps of a performance improvement plan and what documentation is important

““Just as the accumulation of small improvements can make a dramatic, lasting change in the organization’s products or services, the repeated, numerous small occasions of taking note of the contributions of individuals and teams of individuals can create a different company.”  ~ Patrick Townsend and Joan Gebhardt

Employees are your most important asset. Studies indicate that focusing on employee wellbeing, acknowledging a job well done, and creating a psychologically safe environment can motivate employees to put forth their best efforts and perform at higher levels.

With today’s pace of change, increased workloads, and high expectation levels, employees are feeling the stress of getting more done, with fewer resources in a quicker amount of time. Savvy organizations are employing all the strategies they can muster to create a workplace where employees feel valued and respected because what they know for sure is that by increasing the value of employees, they can create a more valuable company.

Recognition for going the extra mile is important but it’s only one piece of a much larger puzzle. Companies must focus on building a strong foundation of clarity, alignment, accountability and collaboration before recognition efforts will begin to have a positive impact. Leaders must be vigilant about paying attention to employee wellbeing and fostering an inclusive team culture. If these things aren’t happening, any recognition efforts become a band-aid solution that placates employees for the short-term.

In this workshop, leaders will learn about the the PERMAH framework and how it can transform motivation as well as how to determine whether recognition strategies are paying off. Participants will leave the session with an understanding of what creates a motivational and inclusive team environment and will commit to positive change moving forward.

Learning Outcomes:

• Learn about the PERMAH framework and how it impacts wellbeing and productivity
• Understand how to use recognition to improve overall motivation and performance levels
• Review guidelines for recognition and how to evaluate effectiveness
• Discuss why building psychological safety is a path to inclusion

Identify ways to create a more inclusive team culture

“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.”

~ Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook

With today’s rapid transfer of information and knowledge, collaboration and teamwork are an absolute necessity in any business. A successful team will understand how to collectively assess a situation, problem or opportunity, and apply a variety of skills, tools, people and resources to achieve objectives. This level of team effectiveness is only achieved with a high level of trust, open communication and strong relationships.

This program focuses on what it takes to build high levels of trust and strong relationships and manage the special nuances and challenges that teams face.

Learning Objectives:

• Review common challenges of teams
• Understand two perspectives for team leadership
• Identify attributes of teams with high trust levels
• Learn discussion tools and agreements that build strong team trust
• Understand the natural stages of team development
• Review relationship building tips for leaders