Professional Business Writing: 

Our Professional Business Writing course is designed for writers requiring a complete, cohesive approach to improving their writing. This course identifies the most common problems your writers face and delivers quick, memorable, and easy-to-apply solutions. Our course content is accessible and practical. Working collaboratively and individually, participants are given realistic and challenging practice exercises after each lesson to reinforce what they've learned. They're also encouraged to bring in their own writing samples to help them recognize personal writing habits, both positive and negative, and edit their work accordingly.

Module 1: Style
• Maintain positive language to establish strong, friendly business relationships and avoid negative reactions to unwelcome news
• Use a modern, plain language style to win readers' interest and avoid confusion
• Be concise to promote clarity and energy in writing
• Create fluent transitions between ideas so documents are clear
Module 2: Mechanics
• Correct common grammar and punctuation errors to promote comprehension and maintain credibility
• Practice proper word usage and remedy commonly misused words
Module 3: Writing Effective Messages and Documents
• Follow a process to save time and overcome writer's block
• Express ideas persuasively to encourage readers to act
• Format messages for clarity and ease of reading (through headings, lists, and layout)
• Develop email etiquette to deliver messages effectively
• Use detailed templates to effectively deliver good news, bad news, and other common business messages and documents

Email Success

Email Success is our popular half-day workshop designed for busy professionals who need to engage their readers with clarity and energy - and boost their writing efficiency. Through friendly interaction and lots of hands-on, industry-specific exercises and case studies, participants learn the benefits of

• saving time organizing, composing, and managing email;
• stressing the context and importance of the message through the subject line, message structure, and visual format;
• developing a professional and engaging tone;
• using modern conventions for professional email etiquette; and
• structuring messages for positive and negative response scenarios.
  

  Each participant receives a detailed course manual and reference guide, as well as a laminated tip sheet offering quick reference to common writing concerns.

Course Outline

1. Breakdown of the writing process to save time and better organize message
2. Placing key idea and action items up front
3. Structuring good and bad news messages
4. Maximizing readability through message layout
5. Improving tone to ensure
1. a reader focus that captures reader's interest and ensures positive response
2. a positive style to avoid negative reaction to bad news and manage reader's response
3. modern, plain-language style for clarity, friendliness, and to avoid unnecessary confusion
4. concise sentences to promote clarity and eliminate wordiness
5. the active voice over the passive voice when possible for clarity
6. Effective subject lines that ensure your message is read immediately
7. Email etiquette to maximize reader respect and minimize misunderstandings
8. Managing email to save time and improve productivity

Grammar and Punctuation Refresher

It can happen to anyone. Your ideas may be flawless and your style charming, but it takes only one or two sentence-structure gaffes for your reader to question your credibility - and your organization's. From misused pronouns to run-on sentences and pesky apostrophes to confusing hyphens, this surprisingly fun, upbeat workshop offers memorable, down-to-earth answers to common language queries.

A comfortable, informal atmosphere means that no one is put on the spot and all questions are appreciated. Lots of engaging practice exercises make course content memorable. To maintain motivation, participants work together on case studies and even compete in a review game of skill, teamwork, and edge-of-your-seat excitement!

1. Writing mechanics: confidential self-assessment
2. Solutions to common grammar problems
3. Solutions to common punctuation errors
4. Issues in language usage: capitals and hyphens
5. Misused words
6. Effective proofreading

Presentation Success

Presentation Success is an interactive workshop designed for business professionals looking for a straightforward, effective approach to developing and delivering business presentations. The course content is clear, insightful, and challenging. Participants work individually and collaboratively practicing new skills on day one, and then develop and deliver their own presentation the following week on day two. Presentations are videotaped, analyzed and peer-reviewed (with helpful checklists), allowing each participant to recognize his or her strengths and build on weaknesses.

Course Outline

1. Introduction: Defining a Presentation's Success
   This module examines the importance of the presentation in business. It identifies the presenter's most common misconceptions about his/her function and the audience's perceptions. Finally, it offers a benchmark for presentation excellence and defines the elements that will ensure presentation success.
   
2. Story Telling and Selling
   Telling a story that connects with your audience is the best way to generate enthusiasm and advocacy for your ideas. Regardless of your knack for narrative, this module will teach you the simple elements of storytelling and show you how to use them to inspire your audience! You'll also learn how to recognize your audience's needs, allowing you to win them over by giving them what they want.
   
3. Connect-the-Dots Planning and Organizing
   Developing an effective presentation structure can be relatively easy and efficient with the right approach and templates. This module offers practical tools for creating ideas and coordinating them for logic and effect.
   
4. Key Components of Delivery
   An engaging opening and strong close are key to any presentation. This module will show you how to seize your audience from the beginning and motivate them to act on your concluding statements.
   
5. The Benefits and Limitations of PowerPoint
   Presentation media can go a long way in making or breaking a presentation. And although PowerPoint will always take a backseat to the actual presenter, it can offer him or her many advantages. This module teaches you the advantages of PowerPoint, even if you're a technophobe! You'll also learn how to create simple graphics and text that your audience can digest.
   
6. Stand and Deliver: The Artful Presenter
   In effective communication, it's not always what you say but how you say it. This module will help you polish your presentation by teaching you to identify and perfect those verbal and non-verbal nuances that audiences notice.

Managing Conflict

Unresolved, ongoing, or even unacknowledged disputes can limit productivity throughout your organization's operations. Our Conflict Management training programs are targeted to meet the specific needs of your employee groups. Our "managing conflict questionnaire" will help you decide on your target groups and their needs, and your responses help us to customize the best program for your organization.

We'll offer practical skills for dealing effectively with unproductive behaviour and encouraging mutual respect and cooperation amongst all employees. These programs are a cost-effective way to ensure a positive work environment and improve organizational efficiency.

Industry-relevant case studies, video-taped role-play simulations, and peer feedback checklists are used to increase participant's retention of communication and mediation techniques applicable to current workplace issues.

Sample Course Outline: Managing Conflict for Leaders

1. The Nature of Conflict
   

   This module examines the many forms of conflict in the workplace. Participants consider the potential positive and negative implications of interpersonal conflict on both individual employees and organizational effectiveness. Guidelines for appropriate workplace behaviour provide a basis for the response techniques to follow. Specific lessons include

   	• Conflict: roots and results
   	• Personal conduct in the workplace
   	• Barriers to resolving conflict

   
   
2. Communicating in Conflict
   

   A message's effectiveness depends as much on its delivery as it does on its content. In conflict scenarios, recipients are especially sensitive to our words, body language, intonation, and interpersonal management skills. This module arms participants with personalized communication strategies, while offering best practices for establishing credibility and co-operation. Specific lessons include:

   Communication Styles

   • Assessing personal needs and communication   • Preferences   • Response cues   • Establishing an environment of trust

   
   

   Effective Listening

   • The importance of listening   • Asking questions and paraphrasing   •Transmitting non-verbal cues

   
   

   Written Communication

   •Creating the appropriate tone   • Documenting conflict issues

   
   
3. Resolving Conflict
   

   This module offers explicit methods for mediating conflicts between two or more employees and for addressing behavioural problems with individuals. Participants develop competencies through practical simulations covering a variety of conflict scenarios. Specific lessons include

   Informal Mediation

   • Mediator's role and responsibilities   • Effective approaches to mediation   • Rules, guidelines, and techniques   • Follow up and credibility

   
   

   Managing Difficult Employees

   • Addressing unproductive behaviour   • Dealing with emotional people   •Responding to harassment and discrimination

   
   
4. Fostering Workplace Harmony
   

   Good leaders are sensitive to the needs of their team members. This module examines the qualities of a positive, satisfying work environment. Participants learn how to establish a culture of co-operation and maintain it. Specific lessons include:

   	• Clarifying the leader's role
   	• Motivating and empowering employees
   	• Navigating workplace politics
   	• Staying in touch with employees
   	• Offering constructive criticism
   	• Establishing standards for personal accountability

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Communication Success

Open, effective, and positive interpersonal communication is key to an organization’s success. Through our Communication Success training program, First Line Communication helps your employees improve their interpersonal relationships at work through more effective verbal and listening skills. This two-day program is a cost-effective way to ensure a more positive, open work environment and improve organizational efficiency.

Prior to the course, participants receive brief pre-workshop surveys that help identify issues requiring special attention. Case studies, role-play simulations, and peer feedback checklists are used to increase participant’s retention of communication techniques and concepts throughout the workshop.