Thinking Outside the Classroom

My overall teaching area is business communications including strategic planning and marketing – all areas where I also have proven real world expertise.

I train busy people.  My philosophy is to create quick learning solutions to meet specific audience needs.  I look for what is practical, relevant and immediately useful, providing accessible readings and supporting materials ie: tips and templates vs books and binders.

Course areas I have taught:

Management Communications– advanced presentation skills, preparing business proposals, resolving communication issues with employees, organizations, communities, cross-cultural

Media Relations– dealing with media, cultivating media, media training, how to deal with crisis communications

Public Speaking– using Aristotle’s canons of rhetoric to help individuals frame how to approach speaking to various groups [without the PowerPoint!]

Strategic/Business planning– workshops on how to plan the plan, setting goals and measures, how to effectively solicit stakeholder inputs, creating & communicating the document, working the plan, reviewing/auditing the plan

Employability Skills– developing dynamic resumes, cover letters, job search approaches, interview skills and techniques

Stakeholder/Client Communications– have facilitated courses for other firms on dealing with clients, internal firm communications, workplace culture for immigrant professionals, ethics

Services available are:

• Custom sessions relating to specific needs or a combination of business communication requirements which include training plus follow-up; a most effective combination to reinforce new learning in the workplace. Initial sessions could be 1-2 hrs to 1 day in length plus 1-2 hr follow-up sessions in small groups and individual contact.
• Informed training on workplace presentation skills to teams and small groups with a unique twist – minimal reading materials, fast-paced knowledge transfer, and immediately applicable ideas; delivered in shorter formats of 1 day or 2 half-days. 
• Private sessions to executives, directors, technical analysts, scientists and academics who have an upcoming need for a refresher on delivery skills, content development, persuasive audience strategy/execution or speaking with the media.  Optional: attend the presentation providing feedback on the live performance.
• Facilitation and delivery of proprietary and in-house training sessions/workshops covering practical applications in workplace communications including interpersonal skills, writing and presenting effectiveness, sales, dealing with technology, speaking to the media and e-mail productivity.
• Content development either refreshing current lesson plans and/or writing short case studies that help ground the learning experience using practical, real world examples/situations.