2061 Courses in Liverpool

Who says what's right for you? How aware are you of how much you actually drink each week? Is it more than you want it to be? Does it take the edge off your performance? Or do you just think it's time to change? This session will challenge the way you think about drink. It's not about what someone else thinks you ought to drink - it's about your own attitude to it. Take away a completely fresh way of thinking about drinking. Get some insights into 'how come' you drink what you do. Find out what you can easily do to drink less. During the session you will have the opportunity to take a fresh look at: * Your drinking habits - casual/social drinking, habitual drinking, binge drinking * 'How come I do this'? * How we think about habits * 'How could I change my drinking'?

It is important for Officers to understand the roles and responsibilities, processes and procedures involved when working with Elected Members. They also need to appreciate the significance of Elected Members as the decision-makers in local government. Officers have a responsibility to work and communicate with Elected Members effectively. This very successful course is designed to help Officers with this. Note: this is very much an indicative outline. The programme is tailored to the needs of each particular organisation. To provide managers with the knowledge and understanding they need to have productive working relationships with Elected Members and provide appropriate support. By the end of the course participants will: * Understand the roles, responsibilities, processes and procedures in place for working with Elected Members * Be able to identify the best way to approach potentially sensitive issues * Understand the skills and behaviours required for working effectively with Members * Be able to deploy their influencing skills more successfully * Review their learning and have an action plan to take back and implement at work Note: this is very much an indicative outline. The programme is tailored to the needs of each particular organisation. 1 INTRODUCTION * Welcome and introductions * Objectives and programme overview 2 WORKING IN A POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT * What is political awareness? * Contact and experience with Members * Importance of the role of Members 3 WHY BE AN ELECTED MEMBER? * Perceptions of what Elected Members are and do * Values of Members and their motivations for doing what they do 4 POLITICAL DECISION-MAKING IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT * Current challenges and drivers affecting the organisation / the council * Roles and responsibilities of Officers and Members * Centrality of Members' strategic role 5 (OPTION) A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN ELECTED MEMBER * An Elected Member gives a talk about what they do * 6 HAVING A BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OFFICERS AND MEMBERS 7 MEMBER / OFFICER COMMUNICATION * Discussion of the formal processes, service procedures, etc (whether enshrined in a protocol, Memorandum of Understanding, etc) * Response times and requirements * Procedures required by Heads of Service [if appropriate] 8 INFLUENCING STYLES AND STRATEGIES * Different forms of power and how they impact * Developing an appropriate 'influencing style' * Exploring strategies for improving communication and influencing at work 9 REVIEW AND EVALUATION * Review and evaluation of learning * Personal action plans

This very practical one-day IACCM-approved programme enables participants to manage the process of commercial contracting and contract management effectively and efficiently to ensure value for money, improved service, and appropriate relationships. It covers a wide range of contract types in terms of risk and value. The programme empowers participants with the tools and techniques needed to collaborate with all key stakeholders. By the end of the programme participants will be able to: * Understand the total process of managing contracts * Exploit opportunities to extract even more added value * Develop appropriate relationships with contractors * Understand and use a range of contracting strategies and options * Measure and improve contract performance * Understand the impact of legislation on contract performance 1 WELCOME * Introductions * Aims and objectives * Plan for the day 2 CONTRACT MANAGEMENT * An overview of the contracting process, mapping the 'territory' 3 CONTRACT MANAGERS * Skills * Knowledge * Attributes * Responsibilities 4 CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS * Defining successful outcomes * Effective stakeholder engagement * Creating a shared vision of the outcomes 5 PLACING CONTRACTS * How to develop an effective specification and scope of work documents * How to develop a robust contracting strategy * Appropriate types of contract 6 CUSTOMERS AND STAKEHOLDERS * Customer and stakeholder analysis * Managing expectations and the 'shared vision' concept to ensure customer co-operation, satisfaction, and delight 7 WORKING WITH SUPPLIERS * Creating and developing commercial relationships * Types of relationship * How to manage difficult relationships * Contractor motivational issues * How to use incentives 8 NEGOTIATION AND RELATED SKILLS * Introduction to key negotiation skills * Persuading and influencing skills to work with stakeholders to improve outcomes for all 9 DEALING WITH CHANGE * Claims and variations * How to challenge contractor claims and requests for variations by making use of contractual terms * Specifications to prevent false claims 10 PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT * How to measure and improve contractor performance * Developing KPI systems * Using contractual terms and conditions and basic legal principles 11 CONTRACT CLOSE * The importance of effective contract close processes 12 CLOSE * Review of key learning points * Personal action planning

This 2-day workshop is offered with an internal and external focus. Day 1 will focus on building your internal network and relationships by focusing on your personal network, your brand, influencing skills and perceptions. Day 2 focuses on your external relationships with suppliers, patient groups etc. This will focus on assertiveness, outcome rather than relationship focus, and influencing and negotiating skills. DAY ONE 1 CAN YOU SUCCEED BY YOURSELF? 2 RELATIONSHIP AWARENESS THEORY 3 THE STRENGTHS DEPLOYMENT INVENTORY / YOUR FACET5 PROFILE 4 BUILDING RAPPORT 5 INFLUENCING POWER BASES 6 ACTIVE LISTENING 7 BUILDING YOUR PERSONAL INTERNAL NETWORK 8 PERCEPTIONS 9 YOUR BRAND DAY TWO 3 PREPARING FOR CONFLICT 2 THE NEGOTIATION CONVERSATION 1 YOUR STAKEHOLDERS AND WHAT THEY WANT FROM YOU 4 INFLUENCING OTHERS 5 YOUR COMMUNICATION APPROACHES FOR SUCCESS 6 EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE 7 THE TRUST MODEL 8 KNOWING YOUR OUTCOMES

When managers have too many decisions to make, it can have a serious impact on the speed and efficiency of the organisation. When those decisions are commercial ones, the results can wreak havoc with the bottom line. Often the problem arises when those below them or in operational areas of the organisation aren't equipped or allowed to make a decision for themselves. Issues get passed back up and that wastes time. This programme provides a solution, giving your entire team the skills to: And most importantly, they'll be able to do this in line with the broader aims and commercial objectives of the business. By the end of the programme participants will be able to: * Fully appreciate the importance of effective decision-making in business * Use the five-step 'Stop, Think, Act!' decision-making process * Stop leaping to conclusions * Really understand the situations and decisions they are dealing with * Identify good options * Evaluate those options * Make decisions and then put them into action * Apply these tools and techniques to all their decisions in future 1 UNDERSTANDING THE BUSINESS WE WORK IN * What are the critical factors in our business? * What is the SWOT analysis for our business? 2 UNDERSTANDING WHAT DECISION-MAKING IS 3 BACKGROUND * Culture of 'having to be doing' * To change things we have to think about it! * We are paid to make decisions! 4 RECOGNISE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DECISION 5 THE 'STOP, THINK, ACT!' TECHNIQUE 6 STOP! * Recognise the opportunity to make a decision * Don't leap to conclusions * Get ready to think * Initial questions: * Is this my decision? (Do I have the authority?) * Who is this going to affect? (Do they need to be included?) * When do I need to make the decision? (What's the timeline?) 7 THINK! * The 3 Cs - making sure we understand the decisions we have to make * What is the context of this decision? * What is the overall situation? * Why is this decision important? * What do we need to achieve? * What will success look like? * Do I have clarity about the decision I need to make? * Can I write it down? * Can I express it clearly in two sentences? * What are the criteria? * What are the critical commercial factors that we will use to select our options? * What will we use to measure the business success? 8 ACT! * Identifying options * What data do I need to collect? * Issues with today's overload * Identifying what will help you * Select options * How many options? * Must match your criteria * Must achieve success * 'Decision compass' exercise * Analyse options * Tabular method * Risk analysis (likelihood v effect) * Head, heart and gut (is there any organisational history/bias that we are up against?) * Making your decision * Taking it to action * First actions * Planning how to make it happen

The leadership role of the project manager is increasingly recognised as a key determinant in delivering success. These skills can often be critical in project situations, where tight budgets and deadlines demand the highest levels of team performance and where the working environment presents fresh challenges on a daily basis. This programme focuses on the leadership skills required of project managers and will benefit anyone involved in managing projects large or small wishing to extend or enhance those skills. The objectives of this programme are to help the participants: * Understand the significance of leadership skills to the project manager and the impact of these skills on project performance * Review the key skills needed to be an effective 'multi-dimensional' project leader and learn how to develop, adapt and apply them in practice * Learn how to identify the preferred leadership style for the context and organisational culture of a project and how to develop personal style versatility * Understand the role of the project leader in building an effective team and the skills required to promote and sustain team performance * Gain a better understanding of the interpersonal skills needed to motivate individual team members and harness the full potential of the team DAY ONE 1 INTRODUCTION * Aims and objectives * Personal objectives 2 PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP * What is a leader? How much can leadership be learned? * The project environment and the impact of leadership skills * The characteristics of high performance project teams and their leaders 3 PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP * Some useful models and theories of leadership explored * Types of leadership; choosing how to use leadership power * Evaluating personal leadership style; how to develop style flexibility 4 SYNDICATE CASE STUDY: LEADERSHIP IN ACTION * Review of the role of leadership in a contemporary project * Feedback and plenary discussion: effective project leadership 5 TEAM EXERCISE: LEADERSHIP SKILLS OF THE PROJECT MANAGER * Teams compete in performing a project simulation * Project review and feedback * Discussion of the outcome: role and skills of the project leader 6 LEADERSHIP SKILLS FOR PROJECT MANAGERS * The 3 dimensions of project leadership: inwards, outwards, and upwards * The vital role of communication skills and how to develop them * Developing a 'project vision': strategic thinking skills * Understanding others; emotional intelligence skills * Being a visible leader; behavioural and influencing skills * Building effective relationships; the importance of trust and respect DAY TWO 7 LEADING THE PROJECT TEAM * The role of leadership in developing team performance * Understanding individual strengths; recognising team role preferences * Managing conflict and promoting positive team dynamics * Setting standards, maintaining discipline and rewarding performance * Harnessing team potential: building motivation within the team * Promoting team learning; the team leader as coach / mentor 8 LEADING THROUGH THE ORGANISATION * Gaining the support others; developing effective influencing skills * Getting empowerment from key stakeholders * Knowing when and how to take the initiative and lead * Building and maintaining rapport with key partners * Becoming an effective team player in leadership teams * Becoming a business leader; leading colleagues and co-workers 9 TEAM EXERCISE: LEADERSHIP AND NEGOTIATION * Teams engage in a negotiation exercise * Exercise review and feedback * Discussion of the outcome: negotiation skills of the project leader 10 NEGOTIATION SKILLS FOR PROJECT LEADERS * Characteristics of effective negotiators * Classic problem behaviours and mind-sets to avoid * Getting to win-win; building partnership and trust 11 LEADING MORE SENIOR STAKEHOLDERS * The challenges and skills of leading and managing upwards * Communicating with more senior stakeholders; building credibility * Negotiating upwards: knowing when and how * The role of networking skills; building and maintaining rapport * Handling disagreements; the art of diplomacy * Handling personality and style conflicts with more senior people

The aim of this course is to provide an overview of Agile approaches to product development. It explains what Agile is and when and why to use it. The scope of the programme includes: The course emphasises the collaborative nature of Agile and the flexibility it offers to customers. The principal training objectives for this programme are to help participants understand: * Why and when to use Agile * How to use Agile * The roles involved in Agile development * The cultural factors to take into account * How to manage Agile developments 1 INTRODUCTION (COURSE SPONSOR AND TRAINER) * Why this programme has been developed * Review of participants' needs and objectives 2 BACKGROUND TO AGILE * Issues with traditional approaches to product development * How Agile helps * Roots of Agile * Agile lifecycles * Product v project 3 HOW AGILE WORKS * The Agile Manifesto * Agile principles * Process control: defined v empirical * Different Agile methods * The Scrum framework * DSDM Atern 4 MANAGING AGILE * When to use Agile * Managing Agile projects * Team organisation 5 AGILE TECHNIQUES * Daily stand-ups * User stories * Estimating * MoSCoW prioritisation 6 COURSE REVIEW AND ACTION PLANNING (COURSE SPONSOR PRESENT) * Are there opportunities to use Agile? * What actions should be implemented to adopt Agile? * Conclusion

This is an essential programme for members of staff whose role exposes them to aggressive or violent behaviour. 1 WHAT'S HAPPENING? * Issues around us * Risks in context * Personal experiences 2 SAFETY FUNDAMENTALS * Following internal policy and procedure * Personal safety and lone working * Use of technology 3 NIPPING ISSUES IN THE BUD * Recognising early warning signs * Avoiding causing problems for ourselves 4 CALMING - REACHING - CONTROLLING * Tips and techniques for potentially calming a situation * Reaching and building rapport * Accelerants - tips on avoiding accelerating a situation * Assertiveness techniques * Non-verbal behaviour * Active listening and the use of questions and distractions * Exploring ways forward and identifying win/wins * Avoiding the secondary argument * Fogging * The 'drama triangle' * If all else fails... 5 HARASSMENT, STALKING AND ON-LINE BULLING * What constitutes harassment and definition of stalking * On-line bullying * Steps to take 6 REPORTING PRINCIPLES * Importance of incidence reporting * Taking care of us * What next?

This course has a simple objective: to help gain appointments with potential clients. In most consultative selling situations clients won't commit to purchases over the telephone. This means setting up a meeting to discuss the options with them face-to-face. But getting 'face time' can be tricky. This practical workshop can help. Participants will acquire essential tools, skills and methods; discuss specific organisational issues; and identify areas for improvement. They will discover how to: * Increase their effectiveness through proper preparation * Construct attention-grabbing opening statements * Help potential clients feel comfortable agreeing to a meeting * Develop tactics for responding to difficult excuses and objections * Stress the benefits of a face-to-face consultation * Develop and enhance their questioning and listening skills * Prevent customers cancelling booked appointments 1 INTRODUCTION TO APPOINTMENT SETTING * Key trends that have changed the way people buy today - and will buy tomorrow * Why many sales people avoid picking up the phone * The difference that makes a difference - what makes a good appointment-maker? 2 BEFORE YOU PICK UP THE TELEPHONE * It all starts with a plan... * Who and what to focus our attention * How much research should we undertake and why? * Setting primary and secondary objectives 3 MAKING YOUR APPROACH * Key considerations * Every call is an opportunity - creating a positive mind-set * Using a structured approach * Using partnership language 4 GAINING AN INSIGHT INTO THE CUSTOMER'S NEEDS * How to quickly 'tune in' to your customers, so that you can serve them more easily * Developing speech patterns that put customers at their ease * Using effective questioning and listening skills * Finding and building pain points 5 DEALING WITH EXCUSES AND OBJECTIONS * Pre-empting potential excuses * Developing techniques for responding to client objections * Keeping the door open for future contact 6 SECURING THE APPOINTMENT * Selling the benefits of a consultancy meeting * Techniques for avoiding cancelled appointments * Gaining commitment 7 ACTION PLANS * Course summary and presentation of action plans

How to protect your cash flow In the current economic climate more and more companies are finding that their customers are taking longer to pay - or are not even paying at all. As cash flow is key to the survival of any business, effective debt collection tactics are vital for all businesses. This workshop concentrates on the telephone skills and techniques you can use to achieve the most positive outcome in any debt collection situation - payment of money owed, as soon as possible, whilst keeping the collection cost as low as possible. The course will help you: * Understand your debtors and communicate with them accordingly * Develop a strategy for more effective debt collection * Make every call count * Handle difficult calls * Reduce the amount of time you need to spend on chasing payment * Increase your collection rates 1 THE DEBT COLLECTION PROCESS * Understanding the reasons behind payment default * Looking at the debt situation from the customer's point of view * Developing a strategy for effective debt collection 2 ADVANCED TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION SKILLS * Techniques for speaking to the person responsible for paying the debt * How to gain the customer's trust when discussing debt * Telephone collection skills best practice * Key phrases that keep the conversation positive and open 3 QUESTIONING AND LISTENING SKILLS FOR GATHERING INFORMATION * Different types of question * Using high-gain questions to uncover key information * Active listening that will help you understand what customers are really saying * Leading with examples and high-impact questions * Summarising and restating 4 OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS AND EXCUSES * Identifying objections * Preparing suitable responses * Probing objections and ways to overcome them 5 GAINING COMMITMENT AND ENDING THE CALL * Learn how to negotiate an agreement to suit both parties * Summarising actions for you and the customer * Ending the call professionally 6 DEALING WITH DIFFICULT AND CHALLENGING SITUATIONS * Understand different personality types * The correct way to respond to an upset customer * Ways to calm angry customers (and handle verbal attacks) 7 ACTION PLANS * Course summary and presentation of action plans