Customized Learning Experiences

Customer Service: Mission Possible!

On a quest to deliver the best in customer service? Mission Possible! is an interactive, three-hour custom facilitation that addresses customer service issues for in-tact work groups. It combines the use of video scenarios (that specifically address higher education and the service issues potentially found on a campus) with both small and large group discussion and facilitation.Participants will:

• Examine customer service from their own perspectives as customers and service providers using five factors that shape service quality
• Identify the gap between service factor execution versus customers’ perceived service execution, and,

• Action plan to close identified gaps.

Meeting Management: Meetings, Bloody Meetings

How much time do you spend in meetings and how much of that time is productive? Meetings that lack direction and focus are all too common. Declare independence from the drain and drudgery of rudderless meetings with this custom facilitation utilizing the award-winning program Meetings, Bloody Meetings.

Using humor and insight, John Cleese illustrates the essential skills that will ensure efficient, effective work sessions.

Learning Objectives:

• Plan meetings in advance
• Prepare a detailed agenda
• Pre-notify attendees
• Control the discussion
• Summarize and record decisions

Banish unproductive meetings from your department forever with Meetings, Bloody Meetings.

Creative Problem Solving: Serious Creativity

Serious Creativity provides an intact team (functional or cross-functional work group) the opportunity to solve real business problems and/or apply innovative thinking to current opportunities while learning the skills for future application on their own. Developing breakthrough ideas does not have to be the result of luck or a shotgun effort. Dr. Edward de Bono’s methods provide a deliberate, systematic process that will result in innovative thinking. This process will teach teams how to think creatively, turn problems into opportunities, find alternative solutions, and dramatically increase the number of new and practical ideas.

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High

Could a conversation (or avoiding one) be keeping you from getting the results you need? Whatever the issue–from poor productivity or declining
quality to lack of teamwork or strained relationships–it’s likely that you’re experiencing the effects of a poorly held crucial conversation.

What is a Crucial Conversation?
A crucial conversation is a discussion between two or more people where stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong. These conversations–when handled poorly or ignored–cause teams and organizations to get less-than-desirable results. Put Vital Smarts award winning Crucial Conversations training approach to work for you, your team, and your organization, and everything gets better.

Crucial Conversations Training
The training teaches you how to achieve spirited dialogue at all levels in your organization; you’ll begin to surface the best ideas, make the highest-quality decisions, and then act on your decisions with unity and commitment. This training experience introduces a set of tools that builds alignment, agreement, and interpersonal communication.

Drive change for good throughout your organization, enabling you to:

• Resolve disagreements—accurately address concerns by talking respectfully, candidly and skillfully with someone in a safe way.
• Build acceptance rather than resistance—give and receive feedback in a way that enhances relationships and improves results.
• Speak persuasively, not abrasively–effectively talk about high-stake, emotional and controversial topics.
• Foster teamwork–get the right people involved in a way that ensures better decision-making and guarantees commitment and conviction.

To learn more email DevelopU@smu.edu or call Mary Stall at 8-2194.

The Leadership Challenge

Building a rich and lasting legacy is the dream of every leader whether their role has formal leadership responsibility or an individual contributor wanting to make a more significant difference. When you liberate the leader within, you can make extraordinary things happen…for yourself, those who follow, and everyone around you.

With this multi-session training, you’ll have access to the resources that will help you discover where you want your leadership journey to take you and the tools for developing the skills you need to reach your destination and you will be able to:

• Identify your leadership strengths and weaknesses

• Clarify and communicate your fundamental values and beliefs

• Set the example for others by aligning your actions with shared values

• Express your image of the future

• Inspire others to share a common vision

• Search for opportunities to change and improve

• Experiment with innovative ideas and learn from accompanying mistakes

• Build collaboration, teamwork, and trust

• Strengthen the ability of others to excel

• Recognize the accomplishments of others

• Apply the lessons learned in the workshop to a current organizational challenge