SOFT SKILLS TRAINING FOR TECHNICAL TALENT

The role of the “technologist” involves more than scientific expertise. The soft skills workshop is designed to ensure that your technical talent is aware of the challenges and the many demands that are placed upon them from an organizational perspective. Attention is given to the subject of leadership, project management, communication, and navigating the political waters that architects find themselves in. The main topics covered are the role of the technologist in the greater organization, the importance of technician as consultant, defining and guiding business strategy, and technical leadership.

Program I: Connected Working The focus of this module is to promote the concept of employee interconnectivity by improving on two key business activities that rely on effective collaboration; Meetings and Delegation. Collaborative Work Practices and Behaviors • Managing Business Meetings • Learn the 5 Primary Meeting Types • Key Elements to Effective Meetings • Audience Profile Development and Participant Mapping • Meeting Process Flow • Meeting Tools and Templates (Agenda, Meeting Invites, Participant Map) Effective Delegation Strategies • Delegation vs Job Responsibilities • Review of the Delegation Process • Creating Task to Talent Alignment • Identifying appropriate Tasks to assign • Practice Assigning Tasks Case Study & Practice	Program II: Change Management The focus of this module is to understand business goals and align them to on-the-ground activities. Strategies are provided to cascade goals, increase employee commitment and engagement. Goal Setting (Direction, Framing, and Scoping) • Review annul Performance Goals & Targets • Open discussion about the State of Business • Goals Cascade Exercise • Key Task Identification Engagement and Commitment • Framing: Goals achievement using the Force Field Analysis • Open discussion about Performance Analysis • Promoting Employee Engagement through Incentives • Promoting Employee Commitment through Opportunities • Brainstorming Effective Communication Strategies Case Study & Practice
Program III: Problem Solving The focus of this module is to present and practice processes that work through the details of any problem and reach an acceptable solution which takes into account includes customer needs and that may contain elements of innovation. Problem Solving Strategies • 7 Step Method • Strategic Decision-Making Process Customer Focus • Multi-customer definition • Customer list creation • Understanding customer drivers On Being Solutions Driven • Ways to present data, concepts, solutions • Solution to KPI Alignment • Five Step Innovation Process Case Study & Practice	Program IV: Effective Communication The focus of this module is to explore common day to day interactions in order to improve overall communication between Managers/Supervisors with Staff, Executives and Customers. Influencing and Negotiating • Presentation of the 4 Negotiation Options • Understanding the Best Alternative to Negotiation Agreement (BATNA) • Communicating Negotiated Decisions Difficult Conversations • Describing Difficult Personalities • Understanding Personality Drivers • Strategies for managing challenging conversations Effective Communication Strategies • Presentation Skills Primer • Aligning our message with multiple audiences • Barriers to effective communication • Industry language and jargon Case Study & Practice
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