Our Teaching Methods
We believe strongly in individualized teaching. We offer courses on-line and in-person, but we like to keep them short - three hours max. We also provide individual coaching sessions and iterative (and inexpensive) short course modules available through Patreon.
Time Management
We offer a unique method for learning how to manage time and priorities - one that is up-to-date and truly practical for today's highly variable working world. The course is based on Steve's book, Cool-Time: A Hands-On Plan for Balancing Work and Managing Time, now in its third edition and is one of our most popular courses.
More details here.
Change Management
Working environments are changing quickly, and it can be difficult for many people to accept change and work through it. This course, based on Steve's book The Future of Workplace Fear (2022) helps people understand the root causes of the fear of change, and provides methods for working through its phases and successfully ushering in chnage. We also offer Change Management course for Leaders and a session in Organizational Change.
More details here.
Generative AI in the Workplace
Artificial intelligence (AI) will become a permanent and growing presence in the workplace. This continuously evolving course describes the various technologies that make up AI, and how teams can work with it, how to remain aware of its dangers and pitfalls, and how to prepare your organization for its implementation.
More details here.
AI for Leaders
Leaders of organizations and departments carry the double burden of learning about all the pros and cons of AI with still leading their teams into a fast-past future. This workshop provides leaders with up-to-date knowledge about AI as well as the stikks and strategies for introducting it (or not introducing it) into their organizations.
More details here.
Project Management
Complete your tasks and projects on time, on budget and correctly. We offer a 1-day fundamentals course and a 1-day advanced course, based on the Project Management Institute's Book of Knowledge (PMBOK).
More details here.
Communicating as Leaders
Great leaders are by nature great communicators. This class has been designed for managers entering leadership roles, executives already in leadership positions, and people who are considering a leadership path. It teaches the skills and techniques, as well as the attitudes and outlooks of great leaders and provides memorable examples to help students develop this vital skill.
More details here.
The Virtual Workspace and the Distributed Team
There is much more to virtual workplaces than Zoom. The new generation of virtual environments are not only more immersive and engaging, they are designed to become part of the everyday-all-day, and not just for meetings. This course demonstrates some of the best approaches to managing virtual teams, demonstrating techniques that will break the barriers and convert "remote" teams into distributed teams. Designed for managers and team members alike, and based on a best-selling book that Steve had a key role in developing.
More details here.
Cyberhygiene and Cybersafety in the Workplace
This vital course teaches techniques such as password management and password safety, avoiding phishing links, understanding spearphishing, social engineering and ransomware, as well as establishing a plan for when the worst happens, and your organization gets paralyzed. This course is not aimed at the IT or cybersecurity department, but instead is delivered ins straightforward, layperson's terms for regular employees who are often the primary target of cybercriminals. Learn why this is so much better than the "phishing sting" email from IT.
More details here.
Management Excellence
Management Excellence. These are two extremely overused terms. It’s time to wrestle these concepts back into something practical by looking at metrics of quality developed over the twentieth century, such as Six-Sigma and kaizen, and pairing them with much needed elements of situational awareness and actively listening to the voices of internal and external customers. This is not an academic course – it’s practical and proven, and we also teach it at the business school of a Toronto-area university.
More details here.
Iterative and Individualized Learning
One of the best ways to capitalize on team productivity and competency is to dispense with the idea that meetings and professional development training sessions need to be held in one place at one time. New technologies allow employees to connect asynchronously and iteratively, allowing more opportunity for learning more effectively in a way that aligns better with each person's schedule and style.
More details here.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Our workshop delivers a complete understanding of DEI, including definitions of each of its three segments and the categories within each, along with procedures and methods for implementing DEI into the workplace, project managing the transition, and teaching DEI to other staff members.
More details here.
Operational Productivity & Continuous Improvement
Learn the methods of quality control and continuous improvement as they were developed through the 20h century, and see how they are being applied in today's business environment.
More details here.
Psychological Safety in the Workplace
Psychological safety is a new term for many, but it refers to “a shared belief held by members of a team that it’s OK to take risks, to express their ideas and concerns, to speak up with questions, and to admit mistakes — all without fear of negative consequences” (Harvard Business Review). Quite simply, when people can work without fear they work better.
This may sound like common sense, but for centuries workers have spent their careers laboring under the constant fear of getting reprimanded or getting fired for making a mistake. It remains a common concern in today’s workforce, and leads to activities such as Quiet Quitting, the Great Resignation, high turnover and low quality.
This course delivers a full understanding of the concept of Psychological safety, why it is necessary, especially in the 2020s economy, and how to develop it within a workplace.
More details here.
Emotional Intelligence
“Emotional intelligence is the ability to use, understand and manage one’s own emotions in a positive way, and to manage stress, communicate effectively, de-escalate issues, problem solve and empathize with other people,” says Joanne Frederick, a licensed professional mental health counselor based in Washington, D.C. The term “emotional intelligence” rose to prominence in 1990 thanks to psychologists John D. Mayer, Ph.D. and Peter Salovey, Ph.D. It has since become a common phrase to describe emotional aptitude not just in interpersonal and romantic relationships, but in relationships between parents and children and in academic and professional settings. (Forbes)
More details here.
Fostering a Wellness Culture in the Workplace
Designed for leaders and managers, this course aims to provide participants with the knowledge, strategies, and practical tools necessary to cultivate a culture of wellness within their workplace. Participants will explore various aspects of employee well-being, learn effective techniques for promoting health and wellness, and develop action plans tailored to their organizational needs.
More details here.
Stress Management
This course is designed to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and techniques necessary to effectively manage stress in the workplace. Participants will explore the causes and effects of workplace stress, learn practical strategies for coping with stressors, and develop personalized stress management plans to enhance their well-being and productivity. Part of this course is based on Steve’s second book, Cool-Down: Getting Further by Going Slower, which investigates the productivity, balance, and stress management that comes from intelligently stepping away from the hamster wheel mentality.
More details here.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
This course is designed to develop students' critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities through theoretical frameworks and practical applications. Students will explore various methodologies to analyze complex problems, evaluate evidence, and develop innovative solutions in diverse contexts.
More details here.
Workplace Innovation
What's the difference between improvement and innovation? What about between modernization and innovation?Improvement kind of explains itself: it's the ongoing process of seeking to do an established task better. Modernization can be seen as bringing an existing process into a contemporary context, like moving from a typewriter to a word processor, or from postal mail to email - it's the same process, just with newer tools.
More details here.