Achieving the goals you set for yourself (or others set for you) gives you credibility, self-confidence and the ability to proactively steer your own career course. Too often though goals end up vague and unmeasurable, with no ties to personal or business strategy and very little chance for success. Let’s explore ways to use a well-defined vision for success to set goals that move your career forward.

It’s difficult to get anywhere if you don’t have a map. To create a fulfilling, successful and profitable career you need a clear direction and plan to reach your goals. This session will discuss what should be included in a career plan, how to tie individual goals to organization goals and how to craft a path for continual career success and growth.

Each person has a unique combination of strengths and talents, and playing to team members’ strengths will always produce the best results, both individually and for the business. But how do you do that? Let’s discuss how to identify your greatest strengths and then use those strengths to better serve customers and build business.

Everyone has weaknesses. Some weaknesses are more obvious and/or more irritating than others. While you usually don’t turn weaknesses into strengths, you can do damage control to reduce their negative impact on you and others. Let’s talk about what makes a quality a weakness and discuss ways to begin minimizing personal weaknesses.

Limited time and conflicting priorities can make it feel like you are constantly putting out fires. So how do you manage your time, attention and resources to ensure you prioritize the right clients, projects and team members? Join a frank discussion of how to differentiate campfires from three-alarm blazes – and treat them accordingly.

The most effective leaders are both high-yield (able to meet and exceed standards) and low-maintenance (willing to put in the work and meet expectations without reminders, excuses or special considerations). Let’s talk about the attributes of high-performance team members and how to proactively work to increase your effectiveness as a leader

Too often people shy away from having crucial conversations because they want to be “nice,” but properly given, feedback opens doors to professional and personal growth, strengthens the relationship between the giver and receiver, and ultimately improves your career potential. Let’s discuss how to not only provide meaningful, timely feedback, but also encourage and benefit from the feedback others can provide that you need to hear.

We’ve all heard it said, “It’s who you know, not what you know, that matters.” While that statement can seem like an indictment of name-droppers and corporate climbers, it has an element of truth. Individuals rarely find success in isolation. But that doesn’t mean you must attend every business mixer handing out business cards. Let’s discuss how to build a stronger, relationship-based, mutually-beneficial network.

Change agents are a unique find – those who don’t just tolerate change but embrace it, those with a clear, persistent, realistic vision of the benefits of change, those who build excitement and consensus by carrying that vision to others. In today’s constantly changing environment, change agents are more vital than ever before. Let’s talk about how to drive positive change within your organization.

Reading, understanding and accurately interpreting the emotions and communication behaviors of team members, clients, prospects, and others is essential in today’s challenging business environment. Your emotional intelligence has a huge impact on your career – but good news – it’s a skill that can be learned. Let’s talk about how to hone your skills so you can create and maintain more meaningful relationships with your team.

In today’s business world, much of our time is spent communicating with others. Unfortunately, most people focus more on developing great speaking abilities than on improving listening skills. Poor listening can lead to lost business, damaged credibility, loss of key employees, and costly misunderstandings. Let’s talk about how to increase the quality of your communication and your relationships by asking better questions and listening more effectively.

People mistakenly believe they are being kind or professional when they don’t initiate or participate in difficult conversations with leaders, fellow employees, or clients. But the ability to proactively initiate uncomfortable discussions can mean the difference between a culture of artificial harmony, meetings-after-the-meeting, and hidden elephants crowding up a room – and an open, honest culture where the best ideas are debated and adopted based on merit.

Most leaders recognize the impact communication has on many of the issues that are keeping them up at night: teamwork, culture, morale, trust, recruitment, and retention – to name just a few. Let’s talk about communication and how it impacts your leadership skills. Learn the symptoms of poor communication, key principles of effective communication, and steps you can follow to create a plan to proactively improve your communication skills.

Most leaders spend 50-80% of their time doing work someone else could do. The result? Other less experienced team members are denied growth opportunities, everyone remains securely in their comfort zones, and opportunities pass by. Let’s discuss not only how to determine what to delegate, but how to choose who should take work and how to set that person up for success.

Unrealized potential and underperformance cost more than wasted hours – they can lead to low morale, customer dissatisfaction and a culture of underperformance. Too often people are allowed to continue in old, ineffective and unambitious paths, when they could be encouraged to find another path (either inside or outside the business). Let’s talk about best practices for establishing non-negotiables, providing feedback and creating a consistent, repeatable process for improvement.

What’s the difference between a good manager and a truly exceptional one? Great managers not only continually develop their own skills, but also help their team learn, advance and grow in skills, confidence and ability. Join us to discuss how you can help those in the talent pool see where they need to take their careers to become MVPs.

Building a fulfilling career is easier when working in partnership with someone who’s walked the path, maneuvered the roadblocks, and can help you build a customized roadmap for a successful career. But how do you find someone? And once you’ve found a mentor, how do you make the most of the relationship and take proactive steps to become an effective participant in your own growth, development and change?

Most leaders know intuitively that customers seldom – if ever – walk away from truly exceptional service. So how do you not just help people, but provide the type of experience that creates raving fans? Join us for a discussion of tips and best practices for improving your customer service, so every interaction becomes an exceptional experience that leaves them saying “wow!”

The evolving nature of business and life can find you assuming new (less comfortable) roles, juggling complex (time-intensive) projects and struggling to meet high (sometimes contradictory) expectations of work and life. Don’t sacrifice your work for your life (or vice versa). Join us for a realistic look at how to meet work and personal expectations while ensuring work-life enjoyment.

Whether delivering information, teaching a skill, advocating a position, or influencing customer decision-making, nearly every professional has opportunities to present to groups. Being effective in such settings enhances careers and adds value to your business. What do you need to do to be fully prepared for opportunities to present? How can you identify (and avoid) your personal pitfalls? Learn how to make your next presentation a great one.