Daniel Robin & Associates

Making Workplaces Work Better

This document gives an overview of what participants can expect from the Leadership Development & Team Communication workshop series.

There are three distinct but overlapping toolsets, useful for collaboration and leadership in (1) Communication, (2) Coaching, and (3) Win-win Negotiation.

1.     Effective Communication in a Total Quality Environment

Participants explore, learn, and practice conversational tools for

¨       Preventing and correcting the ten most common errors in communication

¨       Establishing and building rapport, verbally and non-verbally (body language), especially with people with whom we share differences or are difficult to understand.

¨       Verifying and clarifying that you heard and understand the intended communication (whether or not you happen to agree with it)

¨       Ability to skillfully handle negativity and blame; ability to acknowledge problems without getting stuck in a negative frame (the problem itself and its inherent limitations).

¨       Setting clear goals conversationally, getting to clear and complete agreements

¨       Asking the right questions to build rapport, lead, and get the facts; distinguish observation from interpretation; fact-based decision making (comparing and evaluating facts and ideas without stating an opinion or drawing a conclusion)

¨       Learn to detect and reduce resistance; ability to keep the perceived level of conflict low enough that constructive dialogue and collaboration is still possible.

Outcome:  Improved interpersonal, interdepartmental, and team communication, greater effectiveness with people, fewer breakdowns due to misunderstanding, enjoy better relationships built on trust and mutual respect, and obtain more reliable results. 

2.  Coaching and Facilitation Skills

The skills, techniques and structures for "coaching" others:

¨       What is coaching?  Get clear on the distinctions between coaching and other approaches (mentoring, tutoring, bossing, and counseling).  When to use what

¨       Self-assessment:  awareness of the 10 common errors a coach could make and the eight essential elements (skill areas) of coaching

¨       Ability to ask open-ended coaching questions without giving advice

¨       Distinguish between four types of conversation; for example, when to focus on ideas and brainstorm possibilities, when to evaluate those ideas, and the importance of having a clear up-front agreement (a contracting conversation)…

¨       Learn and use the three steps to holding accountable

¨       Ability to provide praise & recognition in balance with feedback & constructive criticism

¨       Using intuition as a coach; structures for tracking, learning and mutual accountability

¨       Ability to brainstorm, evaluate ideas, make decisions as a group, & create action plans

Outcome of Learning Coaching Skills:  Help affect a shift from having employees depend on their supervisor to solve problems and give direction to building an environment where employees self-manage, coming up with their own answers.  Ability to coach and facilitate provides a powerful and respectful way to serve and assist others with attaining their goals.  With practice, coaching can become the foundation for cooperation and effective teamwork.

3. Win-win Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

Negotiation skills provide a set of tools for handling difficult workplace behaviors and dealing well with differences, resolving conflicts, and continuously improving:

¨       Learn to recognize the predictable path of conflict escalation, and how to step off the dance floor early enough to prevent exhaustion from doing the “reactionary tango”

¨       Understand and apply five strategies for handling differences

¨       Self-assessment to discover one’s leadership and interpersonal style

¨       Use seven steps to handling interpersonal differences; how to prepare for negotiation

¨       Learn how to work effectively with strong emotions like anger and hostility:  Learn how to “draw the line” and set healthy boundaries.

¨       Practice building bridges between your natural leadership style and that of others

Go back to the Leadership Training course description.

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