Professional Development

In today’s world, leaders in most organizations are busy responding to crisis, change, pace and the complexity of work. They rarely take time to discuss as a team, leadership issues that tremendously impact the effectiveness of their work.

MGC&C offers a variety of customizable half day workshops addressing the most common issues we find in organizations. When we begin working with a team, we often find folks who feel frustrated, defensive, or worn out, because of misunderstandings or miscommunication. Over time we help leaders gain a better understanding of themselves and others, and an increased appreciation of the diversity of personalities, perspectives, and behaviors. We facilitate conversations around culture, change management, sharing meaningful feedback, behaviors of high impact teams, and qualities of inspirational leadership.

Typically, we work with organizations over a four-to-six-month period providing a powerful combination of workshops and individual leadership coaching for senior leaders or the entire management team. We are onsite for four to six days, spread across the engagement, facilitating half day workshops. The most popular workshops are listed below. There is also the option of developing workshops on a topic or concern specific to the team. Coaching begins before the first workshop, when timing permits, and continues with a session after each workshop. Each leader is assigned to either Marian or Gene for leadership coaching. Research shows that training coupled with individual coaching increases the likelihood of growth, learning and the adoption of new behaviors. We see engagement increase as the team works together in new ways.

Description: In this session participants will focus on improving communication through increased understanding around individual behavior styles. The DiSC profile will provide a framework for understanding. Participation in this session will lead to growth in emotional intelligence, more effective communication, and increased engagement.

In this highly interactive session, we will:
• Discuss the four components of Emotional Intelligence
• Gain a better understanding of self
• Learn to recognize other styles in the workplace
• Learn to communicate more effectively with each different style
• Gain an increased appreciation for differences

Participants should gain a better understanding of their own behavior; the behavior of others and practice communicating in ways that better reflect the preferences of other styles. Participants will have completed the DiSC online assessment, at least one week in advance of the training session. A printed report will be delivered to each participant during the training.

Description: Intentional effort to create and manage a more dynamic culture can foster change in your workplace fueling performance, enhancing satisfaction and engagement, and increasing the achievement of desired outcomes.

In this highly interactive session, we will:
• Discuss why creating a dynamic culture is important
• Describe the current culture and brainstorm desired changes
• Consider the impact of:
• Relationship building
• Leading courageous conversations
• Creating a feedback habit
• Strategic staff development
• Practice sharing feedback
• Outline specific steps to make it happen

Participants should gain an understanding of their personal impact on the culture of the organization and practice skills necessary to create a culture where employees are more highly engaged and productivity flourishes.

Description: Intentional effort to understand your own and others’ styles for dealing with change will increase the likelihood of success as you move as a team through periods of significant change.

In this highly interactive session, we will:
• Learn about three unique styles for dealing with change
• Learn how a preferred style affects how others perceive an individual and how a style influences the perception of others
• Explore the advantages, strengths, and potential traps each style offers in a team effort
• Identify four predictable stages of transition associated with change
• Increase collaboration and cooperation, improving teamwork

Participants will have completed the Change Style Indicator online assessment, at least one week in advance of the training session. A printed report will be delivered to each participant during the training.

Description: Participants will engage in conversation around methods to build or strengthen teams with greater impact. Practical tools will be presented, and participants will have the opportunity to practice using these tools with current, real, scenarios.

In this highly interactive session, we will:
• Identify attributes of successful teams
• Consider the value of adopting a coaching mindset with both staff and volunteers
• Introduce a simple coaching model
• Consider the impact of our DiSC style
• Practice coaching and being coached on real life issues
• Create an action plan for implementation

Participants will leave this workshop with specific ideas about things they can do to improve their teams.

Description: Appreciation and Inspiration are truly game changers in the workplace. Authentic appreciation expressed in ways that are meaningful to the individual is key to retaining great employees and volunteers. When employees aren’t just engaged, but inspired, organizations see real break throughs. This session will build capacity and understanding around both authentic appreciation and inspirational leadership.

In this highly interactive session, we will:
• Discuss why inspiration and appreciation are critically important
• Identify different preferences for appreciation
• Understand own appreciation style preference
• Practice delivering appreciation in variety of styles
• Identify attributes of inspirational leaders
• Consider how we can leverage strengths to bring greater inspiration
• Develop an action plan to increase appreciation and inspiration

Participants will be asked to complete the MBA assessment online at least one week in advance of the session and bring a printed copy of their report to the training.

Description: Our mind is both our constant companion and worst enemy. Often, our negative thoughts sabotage our potential for both performance and happiness. All negative emotions, including stress, are because of self-sabotage. In this workshop, we will introduce research-based tools that can be used to strengthen the part of the brain that serves you and quiet the part that sabotages you. You will learn to better manage your emotions so that you can handle life’s challenges with a more positive mindset and less stress.

In this highly interactive session, we will:
• Introduce the simple PQ (Positive Intelligence Quotient) Operating System
• Identify 10 Mental Saboteurs and 5 Sage Powers available to everyone
• Introduce and practice exercises to strengthen participants’ PQ
• Enable participants to better understand and intercept their primary Saboteurs
• Consider ways to reframe every problem into a gift or opportunity

Participants will be asked to complete the Saboteur Assessment online in advance of the workshop and bring their report with them to the workshop. Marian & Gene Guinn are authorized facilitators of Shirzad Chamine’s PQ, Mental Fitness. PQ is based upon research results from hundreds of CEOs and their teams, Stanford students, world-class athletes, and more than 500,000 participants from 50 countries.

Individual Coaching

Research has shown that training coupled with coaching has a much greater likelihood of creating behavior change. 1:1 coaching will allow each participant the opportunity to personally dive deeper into workshop topics, receiving individualized support, as they work to implement new skills and knowledge. To enhance the effectiveness of training, each participant receives coaching sessions with Marian or Gene Guinn, post graduate certified Executive Coaches. Coaching will take place on Zoom.

Coaching is a structure that facilitates the process of personal and professional development. The coaching relationship will be designed together around the skills and issues that matter most to the participant. Coaching is not therapy or counseling. Everything discussed within a coaching session is held completely confidential by the coach. We recommend including at least as many coaching sessions as workshops per participant.

Investment

We are pleased to schedule a conversation to design a leadership development plan best suited to the needs of your organization. Total investment for this deep work varies based on the size of the team and the number of workshops included.

Who needs professional development services?

  • Management Team
  • Board
  • Organizational Leaders

  • Departments

  • Staff

“3 Ways to Boost Retention Through Professional Development”

by Erica Keswin, Published on HBR.org, April 05, 2022

https://hbr.org/2022/04/3-ways-to-boost-retention-through-professional-development

What our clients are saying…

“Thank you for sharing your leadership workshop series with our leadership team. We really needed this experience and insight. It genuinely improved our communication and our bonds with each other.

Personally, I enjoyed watching you two work together so well and so happily. Thanks for being great at what you do.”
Tara M. Tuttle, PhD, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Lewis Honors College, University of Kentucky

“Thank you both so much for the time, expertise, and wisdom you have shared with us over the last 8 months. I don’t know that I can fully comprehend how much I have learned, but I know that my self-confidence in my job, and my relationship with my teammates, is stronger because of your coaching.”

AnnaMarie Cornett, Chief of Staff, Lexington Public Library