Personal Growth Courses

Advanced Communication Skills

This course has been developed for those who already have good communication skills and want to take them to the next level. It is designed for both one-on-one and group communications. Even the best communicators can have their communications derailed in stressful situations where one of the communicants is resistant, feels misunderstood or when you are really surprised by the other person’s reactive behavior. This course focuses on effective communications on important issues where opinions may vary and emotions can run high. Applying these techniques in the right way at the right time has the power to not only diffuse a potential problem, but also build rapport and transform the relationship. A personal Action Plan will be developed to bridge the gap between information learned, skills practiced in the workshop and effective use of these skills in the workplace.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the interpersonal communication process and how it relates to building rapport and better relationships.
Determine your communication and preferred learning styles.
In less than two minutes of conversation determine the other person’s communication and preferred learning styles.
Apply the results of a self-assessment to determine how your style changes in stressful situations.
Learn to be a vigilant self-monitor and to effectively adjust your communication behaviors on-the-run during important conversations.
Learn to skillfully engage in dialog that diffuses defensiveness and results in shared meaning.
Learn the connection between effective communication and teamwork, leadership, personal and professional success.
Create an Action Plan to improve “crucial” communication skills that can be immediately applied at the worksite and in your personal life.

Strategies and Tactics for Effective Negotiation

Effective negotiating includes a set of skills that can be developed to increase your professional and personal power. We don’t get what we deserve; we get what we negotiate. This dynamic and interactive course provides several techniques used to successfully complete a “win-win” negotiation and guidance on when to apply each technique. Based on the popular book, Getting to Yes, you will learn an effective principle-centered approach to negotiating.

Learning Objectives:

Learn strategies, tactics, techniques and psychological insights of the negotiation process.
Understand how to develop a “both-win” approach that removes tension.
Learn what research tells us about negotiation and how to adjust your behavior appropriately.
Understand how time affects both sides in a negotiation.
Recognize negotiation traps and tactics.
Understand and learn how to maximize power in the negotiation process.
Recognize deadlocks and avoid impasses.
Understand and apply five modes that work in negotiation.

Getting Results through Personal Accountability

Learning Objectives:

Learn strategies, tactics, techniques and psychological insights of the negotiation process.
Understand how to develop a “both-win” approach that removes tension.
Learn what research tells us about negotiation and how to adjust your behavior appropriately.
Understand how time affects both sides in a negotiation.
Recognize negotiation traps and tactics.
Understand and learn how to maximize power in the negotiation process.
Recognize deadlocks and avoid impasses.
Understand and apply five modes that work in negotiation.

Motivation for Peak Performance

The heart of teamwork and performance excellence is a healthy, positive and motivated associate. The purpose of this workshop is to learn and successfully apply performance motivation techniques that align with MGM Core Values. Participants will understand what excellence at the worksite looks like, how their contribution is essential, and develop strategies to modify and align their attitudes and daily performance with an identified standard of excellence. A personal Action Plan will be developed to extend the learning experience.

Learning Objectives:

Examine Ten Basic Assumptions for healthy work teams.
Understand the Foundations of Attitude, Behavior, and Motivation.
Construct a tool that guarantees daily personal motivation.
Use a behavior modification tool to release past experiences.
Get people to do what you want because they are intrinsically motivated.
Identify behaviors associated with good and bad attitudes at the workplace.
Apply the Law of the Farm: develop a positive attitude at work and home.
Learn how to become Gung Ho People!
Utilize the strengths found in diversity to motivate peak performance.
Develop a simple tool to move people to positive action.
Examine what high-trust environments have in common.
Apply the Psychology of Achievement.
Develop a framework for team celebrations.
Examine a template for “Winning Every Day”.
Write an Action Plan to extend the learning experience.

Rapid Read Professional Speed Reading Course

The Rapid Read Professional Speed Reading Course is designed to increase your reading speed and comprehension in one day – Guaranteed! You will learn how traditional school education slows up your reading rate and how to unlearn these barriers. You will also learn memory techniques, study short cuts, and how to streamline your e-mail.

Learning Objectives:

Assess your present reading rate and comprehension.
Identify poor reading habits and how to eliminate them.
Maximize eye movement; the key to better reading.
Increase your eye span to take in more words.
Demonstrate an ability to retain what you need to remember from reading.
Take notes more efficiently.
How to eliminate distractions to keep focused on your reading.
Become a critical reader.
4 ways to read any book, magazine, or newspaper and which works best for you.
Streamline e-mail.
Improve on-screen reading.
Double or triple your technical reading speed.
Continue improving your reading speed and comprehension.
Assess your post-training reading speed and comprehension; see the results!
Develop an Action Plan to extend the learning experience.

Resiliency Skills During Change and Transition

Resilience is the ability to bounce back after periods of change, setbacks, disappointments and/or failures; to be adaptable and flexible; and to incorporate life experiences into new ways of thinking, feeling and acting. It is often not the change itself that is difficult to absorb, it is the period of transition to change and therefore the need to develop resiliency skills during this transition.

Constant and relentless pressures can wear us down, burn us out, or hurt us physically and mentally. However, once we learn to use it, our resilient natures can buoy us during setbacks or times of difficulty, and bring us health and personal vitality throughout our lives.

In this workshop, you will explore your resiliency demands, assets and current levels of functioning by completing a personal Resiliency Map instrument which will pinpoint your strengths and vulnerabilities and help you chart new strategies for enhancing personal health and overall performance.

The instrument examines 21 resiliency factors and has six separate parts:

Part One – Environmental Demands, looks at the changes, pressures, and stressors that are part of your everyday work, personal, and family worlds.
Part Two – Environmental Assets, determines areas of satisfaction, benefit and support within both work and non-work settings.
Part Three – Resilient Beliefs and Values, measures four thinking and feeling patterns that help or hinder your ability to build resilience.
Part Four – Personal Coping Capabilities, explores five basic competencies that help you to bolster resiliency and manage demands.
Part Five – Social Coping Capabilities, covers three major areas of interpersonal support and connection.
Part Six – Health and Functioning, describes the degree to which you are free from physical, behavioral, or emotional systems that reflect chronic difficulty in managing life and work demands.