15 Professional Skills courses in Liverpool

Coaching, Workplace coaching, Floor walking coaching, Organisational coaching,

All organizations have policies and procedures that guide how decisions are made and how the work is done in that organization. Professionally written policies and procedures increase organizational accountability and transparency and are fundamental to quality/standards assurance and quality improvement.

This course is for anyone wishing to understand their strengths and development areas and those who are seeking assistance to progress their careers and convey their abilities confidently.

The 'golden rule' of negotiation is simple - don't! But life's rarely that simple and very often we do have to negotiate, particularly if we want to win the business and especially if we want to win it on our terms. Such negotiations are crucial. We need to prepare for them. We need a strategy, and the skills to execute it. Does your team have a structured approach? Is it flawlessly executed, every time? Or is there room for improvement? This programme will help them master the six fundamentals of closing better business: Manage all these elements well and you will win more business, more profitably. This course will help participants: * Negotiate from a position of partnership, not competition * Deal more effectively and profitably with price objections * Identify and practise successful sales negotiating skills * Identify strengths and weaknesses as a sales negotiator * Understand different types of buyer behaviour * Learn to recognise negotiating tactics and stances * Apply a new and proven structure to their business negotiations * Identify and adapt for different behavioural styles * Be alert to unconscious (non-verbal) communication * Prepare and present a proposal at a final business negotiation stage * Project confidence and exercise assertiveness in all sales negotiations 1 PLANNING FOR SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS NEGOTIATIONS This session introduces the concept of business negotiation and looks at its importance in the context of the participants' roles and activities. It briefly examines why we negotiate and the dynamics involved. Session highlights: * What kind of a negotiator are you? * Negotiation skills self-assessment and best practice * How to establish roles and responsibilities for both parties * How to identify and set objectives for both buyer and seller * How to research and establish the other person's position (business negotiation stance) 2 HOW TO STRUCTURE YOUR NEGOTIATIONS This module presents an eight-step framework or structure for use in negotiations and considers how best to prepare and plan your negotiations within the context of a supplier/customer relationship or business cycle. It also includes a brief review of legal responsibilities and what constitutes a 'deal'. Session highlights: * Learn and apply a formal structure to use when negotiating * How to establish short- and longer-term objectives and opportunities * How best to plan, prepare and co-ordinate a major business negotiation meeting, or on-going negotiations * Understanding of basic legal and organisational requirements 3 VERBAL NEGOTIATION SKILLS This session examines the human and communication dynamics inherent in any negotiation situation. It emphasises the importance of professional skills in preparing for a negotiation by identifying needs, wants and requirements accurately and by qualifying the competitive and organisational influences present. Session highlights: * How to fully 'qualify' the other party's needs, requirements and constraints during the negotiation process by using advanced questioning and listening skills * How to pre-empt negotiation objections by promoting and gaining commitment to options, benefits, value and solutions * How best to propose and suggest ideas, using drawing-out skills 4 NON-VERBAL NEGOTIATION SKILLS This module highlights how different personal styles, corporate cultures and organisation positions can influence events, and demonstrates practical methods for dealing with and controlling these factors. It also examines key principles of body language and non-verbal communication in a practical way. Session highlights: * Gaining rapport and influencing unconsciously * Understanding the importance of non-verbal communication; reading other people's meaning and communicating effectively as a result * Ensure that non-verbal behaviour is fully utilised and observed to create maximum impact and monitor progress (eg, buying signals) * Recognising that business negotiations are precisely structured and agreements gained incrementally 5 PROPOSING AND 'PACKAGING' This session highlights how best to present and package your proposal. It looks at how to pre-empt the need for negotiating by creating minor-options and 'bargaining' points, as well as how to manage the expectations and perceptions of the customer or buyer. Session highlights: * How to identify the key variables that can be negotiated * The power and use of 'authority' within your negotiations * How to structure and present your proposal, ideas or quotation to best effect * The importance of when and how to identify and influence buyer's objections 6 DEALING WITH PRICE This module highlights how to best present and package price within your proposal or negotiation. In most cases, price has more to do with psychology than affordability and preparation and careful handling are essential. Session highlights: * The three reasons that people will pay your asking price * How to set price in a competitive market * The key differences between selling and negotiating * Ten ways to present price more effectively and persuasively 7 GETTING TO 'YES': TACTICS AND STRATEGIES There are many different tactics and strategies common to successful negotiators. This session looks at those that are most appropriate to the participants' own personal styles and situations. The importance of 'follow-through' is also explained and how to deal with protracted or 'stale-mate' business negotiations. Session highlights: * How to negotiate price and reduce discounting early in the process * How to recognise negotiating tactics and strategies in your customer or supplier * Key strategies, techniques and tactics to use in negotiation * The importance of follow-through and watching the details * How to deal with stalled business negotiations or competitor 'lock-out' 8 CASE STUDIES AND REVIEW This session examines a number of different situations and participants discuss ways to approach each. This will allow learning to be consolidated and applied in a very practical way. There will also be a chance to have individual points raised in a question and answer session. Session highlights: * Case studies * Question and answer * Planning worksheet * Negotiation 'toolkit' and check-list 9 PERSONAL ACTION PLANS Session highlights: * Identify the most important personal learning points from the programme * Highlight specific actions and goals * Flag topics for future personal development and improvement

This very practical one-day programme provides participants with the skills and knowledge required to be an effective member of the procurement team and to enable them to procure a wide range of resources for the organisation, in a compliant and cost-effective manner. It also empowers them to be able to collaborate with all key stakeholders. By the end of the programme participants will be able to: * Understand the basic concepts of good procurement practice * Apply a range of tools and techniques for developing scopes of work and specifications * Apply various methods to select and evaluate suppliers * Develop robust contract award strategies * Appreciate the commercial importance of effective procurement and opportunities to reduce cost and add value * Develop appropriate procurement strategies depending on risk and value * Appreciate the legal aspects of procurement 1 WELCOME * Introductions * Aims and objectives * Plan for the day 2 THE BASICS OF PROCUREMENT * The concept of total cost of ownership v price * The procurement cycle * The roles of the customer and the contractor * Impact upon profit 3 SPECIFICATION PROCESS * Importance of effective specifications * Specification development process * Types of specification * Team approach * Use of performance specifications * Early supplier involvement (ESI) / early contractor involvement (ECI) 4 QUALITY * Concepts and practices * Defining 'fit for purpose' * Conformance to requirements * Compliance to standards * Role of the supplier * Quality assurance tools and techniques 5 PROCUREMENT METHODS * RFP * RFQ * ITT * Negotiated procurement * Strategic partnerships * Outsourcing 6 TENDERING * How to undertake a formal tendering process * Business case to award * Critical stages in the process * Risks and benefits 7 TENDER EVALUATION * How to undertake a quotation analysis * Tools of analysis * Use of VFM models * Role of the customer * Comparisons around cost, quality, and delivery 8 SUPPLIER SELECTION AND EVALUATION * Developing critical selection criteria * Using the 10Cs model * Importance of effective selection process * Weighting systems * Importance of validity and evidence 9 CAPITAL EQUIPMENT PROCUREMENT * Life cycle cost issues * Payback calculations * Compatibility issues * Maintenance and training issues * After-sales support 10 SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS * Corporate social responsibility issues * Communication * 360 feed-back * Open and ethical * Initial understanding * Clear and fair terms and conditions 11 CLOSE * Review of key learning points * Personal action planning

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

The aim of this course is to provide an overview of the principles and practice for leading and managing a portfolio of smaller projects in a multi-project / multi-task environment. It presents a range of practical methods and techniques relevant to the smaller project scenario, using exercises and case studies to show how these can be applied. The scope of the programme includes: The course also emphasises the importance of the leadership and team-working skills needed by project managers and team members in carrying out their roles. The principal training objectives for this programme are to: * Explain and demonstrate the key principles of successful project management * Demonstrate a range of useful project management tools and techniques * Define the role, and help participants understand the skills required by, the project leader * Provide a structured framework to help participants manage multiple projects * Identify opportunities to improve project management within the organisation DAY ONE 1 INTRODUCTION (COURSE SPONSOR) * Why this programme has been developed * Review of participants' needs and objectives 2 MANAGING SMALLER PROJECTS * Projects and project management * Lessons from past projects; the essential requirements for success * Differences between projects; characteristic project life cycles * Key issues and challenges of smaller projects * The multi-project world; project portfolio management 3 PROJECT EXERCISE * Syndicate teams plan and manage a small project * Review of the project exercise: What are the keys to successful management of small projects? 4 SETTING UP THE PROJECT * Getting organised * Managing the definition process * Identifying and managing project stakeholders * Working with the customer to define the scope and agree deliverables 5 CASE STUDY 1 * Defining the project scope and deliverables * Syndicate teams define the scope and deliverables for a typical project 6 PROJECT PLANNING * The importance and cost benefit of effective planning * Planning the plan; deciding how detailed a plan to create * Packaging the work and estimating timescales and costs * Developing project / resource schedules; setting milestones for control v * Identifying and managing critical path activities 7 CASE STUDY 2 * Creating the project plan * Syndicate teams develop and analyse the project plan DAY TWO 8 MANAGING PROJECT RISKS * Identifying risks to the project outcome, timescale and cost * Evaluating risks and adopting an appropriate risk strategy * Defining risk ownership; keeping a simple risk log * Keeping risk management up to date; staying pro-active * Integrating planning and risk management 9 PROJECT CONTROL * Managing change, minimising scope creep * Selecting the data needed to provide early warning of problems * Monitoring performance easily with 'S' curves and slip charts * Using trend forecasting to assess true project status * Running project review meetings 10 MANAGING A MULTI-PROJECT PORTFOLIO * Understanding the world of multiple projects * Establishing ownership of project / programme management * Classifying projects and creating the 'master schedule' * Defining and applying project lifecycle management * Resource management: essential pre-requisites and mechanisms * Project prioritisation criteria and techniques; pain / gain analysis 11 MANAGING THE MULTI-PROJECT TEAM * Characteristics of small project teams / part-time team membership * Clarifying line and project management responsibilities * Implementing effective manpower planning * Establishing professional working practices in the team * Developing project management competences in the team * Establishing team roles and integrating team members 12 COURSE REVIEW AND TRANSFER PLANNING (COURSE SPONSOR PRESENT) * Identify actions to be implemented individually * Identify corporate opportunities for improving project management * Sponsor-led review and discussion of proposals * Conclusion

This workshop will provide participants with the insight and skills to be more effective business networkers, face-to-face and online. The approach taken is to build on the strengths people already have and their successes. It is easier to develop what you already have than to try and develop skills that do not come easily. Being yourself is the most effective tool for business networking and building relationships. This course will help those attending: * Appreciate the importance of networking, and different forms of networking * Understand the dynamics of communication that are specific to networking * Become more confident and assured when 'working' a room * Improve their influencing skills, especially with people who are experts and in positions of authority * 'Sell' themselves and promote their company * Identify and manage their profiles using online social networking sites * Use effective follow-up to maintain active contacts and connections * Select the correct networking groups, clubs and events * Create their own personal network 1 THE IMPORTANCE, AND DIFFERENT TYPES, OF NETWORKING * Personal objectives and introductions * Test networking session * Examples of the importance, purpose and format of various types of networking, and benefits you can expect 2 HOW TO WORK A ROOM - PREPARATION AND STRATEGY * Three things to know before you attend any event * Non-verbal communication and art of rapport * Breaking the ice - worked examples with practical demonstration 3 COMMUNICATION DYNAMICS IN NETWORKING - THE POWER OF THE LISTENING NETWORKER * Why it is better to listen than talk * Effective questioning and active listening * Creating a natural and engaging conversation, 1-2-1 and in a larger group 4 ASSUMPTIONS WHEN NETWORKING * How to use the 'instant judgement' of others to your advantage * What assumptions are you making? * How to keep an open mind 5 BUSINESS NETWORKING ETIQUETTE * Meeting and greeting at a business networking event - approaching complete strangers and introducing yourself * Socialising: joining and leaving groups easily * Making a good first impression in 30 seconds * The use of status when networking 6 MAKING CONNECTIONS * Asking for cards, contact details and referrals * Gaining a follow-up commitment * Some tips and tricks 7 BUSINESS NETWORKING REHEARSALS * Practice sessions 8 PERSONAL BUSINESS NETWORKING ONLINE * Overview of different types of networking sites - there is a lot more out there than just Facebook! * Examples of creating an effective profile * Using social networking effectively - case studies and application * 'Advanced' applications - blogs, articles, twitter, feeds, etc. * Online demonstration and examples 9 BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS - FOLLOW-UP AND FOLLOW-THROUGH * Maintaining a good database * Developing a contact strategy with different types and levels of contact * How to analyse your contact base

This one-day workshop is designed to enhance your PowerPoint skills to achieve dynamic presentations that work with you, making it easier to deliver a polished, professional presentation. You will learn advanced PowerPoint skills that will save you time and elevate your presentations. This course will help participants: * Create custom shows to personalise presentations for individual clients * Make the Slide Master work collectively with slide layouts and themes * Seamlessly interact with external content using links * Work with advanced animations and transitions, and video/audio tools 1 THEMES AND MASTERS * Add a Design theme to a presentation * Make changes to the Slide Master * Delete layouts from the slide master * Saving a slide master with themes as a template 2 ADVANCED GRAPHICS AND DIAGRAMS * Drawing, duplicating and resizing shapes * Grouping, aligning and stacking shapes and graphics * Using SmartArt for diagrams and organisation charts 3 GRAPHS AND CHARTS * Inserting and formatting a chart * Linking an Excel chart to a slide * Linking Excel tables to a slide * Animating charts 4 VIDEO, CUSTOM ANIMATION AND HYPERLINKS * Adding and editing video * Animating pictures and drawings * Hyperlink to another Slide or Website * Compressing and optimising media 5 PRESENTING * Reuse slides * Hide slides * Rehearsing timings * Enabling a presentation to run continuously