Increasingly organizations are recognizing the need to provide front-line employees with the non-technical, “soft-skills” training they need to work effectively with other people. As the expectations rise for front-line employees to take initiative on the job and to assume greater responsibility for self-direction and self-management, the more if becomes evident that they need to acquire critical people skills. Whether it is customer service, communication, negotiation or conflict management skills, front-line employees must develop the ability to achieve results by working with and through others.
Sterling Institute programs address many of the diverse skill-training needs required of front-line employees as well as managers and supervisors. Most of these programs are designed as one-day or two-day courses that focus on helping participants develop specific competencies. Each program is highly focused on specific subject areas. This enables employees to select targeted courses that they regard as relevant to their individual needs and interests. We have found that matching offerings to each employee’s perceived development needs increases their motivation and commitment to making changes on the job.
Here are short summaries of each of our Professional Development programs. If you would like more detailed information on any of these programs, simply click on "Learn more" at the end of each description.
Building Emotional Intelligence
This one-day program is designed to assist participants to improve their performance and the climate of their work units by increasing their interpersonal effectiveness. They learn the principles of Emotional Intelligence and how applying them will benefit them and their development. During the workshop participants learn and practices tools that can improve how they control emotions and deal with difficult situations so they can identify specific steps they can apply back on the job. Learn more.
Effective Communication
This one-day program examines personal communication styles and focuses on critical skills of listening, providing feedback, communicating in team settings, and the use of questioning as an intervention. Participants engage in group exercises to examine interpersonal and situational factors that create obstacles to effective communication. They will learn to recognize barriers to communication and choose effective techniques to overcome them, use active listening, questioning and other techniques to ensure mutual understanding and strengthen working relationships and understand their personal communication style and how to respond appropriately to the communication style of others. Learn more.
Conducting Effective Meetings
This one-day program goes beyond rules and checklists to examine the predictable challenges that occur during meetings. Participants learn how to maximize the outcomes of team meetings by planning effectively, matching their leadership style to the meeting function, handling difficult participants and situations and choosing the right decision-making techniques for different agenda items. Program participants also learn how to implement appropriate follow-up steps. Learn more.
Performance Consulting
This three-day workshop helps participants define the value they add to their organizations. It leads them through the seven phases of the consulting process with applications to real, internal clients. The workshop assists participants to analyze the client-consultant relationship and equips them to strengthen it on the job. It also helps staff professionals to become true partners with their internal customers in achieving important work unit and business goals. Learn more.
Handling Conflict
This two-day program helps managers and supervisors learn skills to resolve conflicts effectively. The program shows participants how to diagnose sources of conflict, identify their own conflict resolution style, and examine alternative styles for dealing with conflict situations. They learn to apply a powerful five-step process for refocusing potentially destructive situations into productive interactions. Participants practice critical non-defensive communication skills such as active listening and self-assertion. Participants create personal action plans that help them deal with conflicts they are currently confronting. Learn more.
Enhancing Customer Service
This two-day program helps front-line employees identify their customers and learn how to identify and meet their customers' requirements. They examine the factors that contribute to and inhibit customer service and assess the current levels of customer satisfaction in their work areas. This program also prepares participants to handle difficult day-to-day interactions with customers and identify ways to improve the level of customer satisfaction in their personal practices and in the work unit. Learn more.