Developmental Training Topics

The Arnold Group customizes training programs to fit your needs. Samples of these programs are listed below and TAG will always work in partnership with you to design an effective program, tailored to your company and staff.

1. Building and Leading Effective Teams
2. The Courage to Lead
3. Dealing with Challenging Employees
4. Documenting Discipline and Performance
5. The Do’s & Don’ts of Employment Terminations
6. Effective Communication
7. Employment Law 101
8. Hiring Right the First Time
9. Influence and Negotiation
10. Leading Effective Meetings
11. Managing Change - Tools for Successful Transitions
12. Managing Conflict
13. Motivation in Today's Workplace
14. Performance Management - The Key to Employee Development
15. Principles of Time Management
16. Progressive Discipline - A Systematic Solution 
17. Sexual Harassment
18. Stress Management
19. Valuing Diversity in the Workplace
20. Winning Customers through Service

1.  Building and Leading Effective Teams:

• Guide and coach work teams through the stages of team evolution
• Effectively manage team processes, including conducting productive team meetings 
• Learn how to manage conflict and handle resistance within the work team 
• Understand how to manage group problem-solving and decision-making processes and activities

2.  The Courage to Lead:

• Define leadership and assess your own leadership style
• Discover what steps to take to help employees gain a renewed sense of responsibility and pride in their work 
• Use key coaching steps to improve employee performance
• Increase employee accountability for results
• Learn strategies to align subordinate behaviors with workplace goals

3.  Dealing with Challenging Employees:

• Understand how important it is to manage yourself 
• How to identify the root of performance problems
• The effects of negative employees on your work environment
• Discourage “weeds” from invading your departmental garden  
• The gift of constructive criticism  
• Perpetuate problem-solving attitudes  
• Learn how to effectively deal with difficult employees

4.  Documenting Discipline and Performance:

• Recognize common discipline problems and causes  
• Identify the need for disciplinary action  
• Define necessary elements for effective documentation
• Develop and practice basic skills in administering disciplinary action and performance documentation
• Understand the importance of consistency and follow up
• Avoid claims of bias or discrimination from disciplinary and employment actions

5.  The Do's & Don'ts of Employment Terminations:

• Recognize the many laws that place restrictions on the termination process
• Know the legitimate reasons you can safely terminate and how you should go about it  
• Recognize the importance of current and accurate employee records  
• Know the four steps of progressive discipline and how to implement them
• Learn how to conduct an exit interview

6.  Effective Communication:

• Examine all aspects of communication (verbal and nonverbal)
• Understand why communication breaks down
• Appreciate the benefits of effective communication  
• Develop the skills for good, interactive communication  
• Realize the potential value of employee input  
• Learn how to solicit ideas, suggestions, and participation 

7.  Employment Law 101:

• Develop a basic understanding of employment laws
• Identify the associated costs and effects of violations  
• Recognize the legal implications, including supervisor liability  
• Recognize that harassment and discrimination are illegal and cannot be tolerated  
• Discuss how to handle reports of harassment or discrimination

8.  Hiring Right the First Time:

• Select the right person for the job
• How to prepare for interviews
• Learn to develop legal and effective interview questions  
• Recognize and avoid bias when rating applicants  
• Realize the importance of documentation
• Avoid interviewer errors 
• Avoid negligent hiring claims 

9.  Influence and Negotiation:

• Influence the activities and outputs of others without the ability to resort to mandatory compliance 
• Manage differences by generating options 
• Assess the impacts of employee influence and conflict management styles on achieving a productive work environment 
• Employ multiple tools, including creative problem solving techniques, to advance the negotiation process towards better outcomes

10.  Leading Effective Meetings:

• Learn how to plan and conduct meetings to maximize participation and achieve desired outcomes
• Realize importance of using effective meeting practices 
• Build confidence in the use of effective meeting leadership practices 
• Gain practical tips to implement with your next meeting 

11.  Managing Change - Tools for Successful Transitions:

• Formulate and clearly articulate a business case for any change initiative
• Understand the challenges inherent in individual and collective change efforts  
• Realize that managing the transition is more important than managing the change  
• Explore the impact of information sharing and communication in successful change efforts  
• Make change happen in the organization

12.  Managing Conflict:

• Understand the relationship between conflict and the organization 
• Identify sources and types of organizational conflict
• Identify misunderstandings in conflict situations
• Understand cooperative forms of negotiation  
• Develop and implement useful conflict management strategies  
• Learn tools for building a climate of trust and cooperation in the workplace

13.  Motivation in Today's Workplace:

• Increase awareness of external and internal factors that affect employee performance 
• Enhance knowledge of the major theories of motivation and how to apply them in the workplace  
• Find out what motivates your employees  
• Employ an effective arsenal of motivational techniques to achieve peak performance from your workers  
• Encourage employees to achieve personal and organizational goals
• Cultivate enthusiasm in your organization  

14.  Performance Management - The Key to Employee Development:

• Learn how to conduct legally defensible appraisals without discriminating 
• See how much preparation should go into each appraisal  
• Find out how setting new objectives should be handled  
• Take a look at some special situations you may run into and how to treat them  

15.  Principles of Time Management:

• Evaluate your time management skills 
• Identify procrastination patterns and time wasters  
• Organize your workday more efficiently  
• Stay on track with your schedule  
• Set priorities and develop action plans  

16.  Progressive Discipline - A Systematic Solution:

• Understand the four steps involved in progressive discipline 
• See why you need to investigate the facts before you implement progressive discipline  
• Understand the importance of a thorough paper trail

17.  Sexual Harassment:

• Consider the laws that prohibit sexual harassment in the workplace
• Recognize the specific forms of harassment  
• Know who can commit sexual harassment  
• Recognize who can experience sexual harassment  
• Learn when an employer is liable  
• Understand under what conditions sexual harassment can occur  
• Understand the objectives of a workplace sexual harassment policy 

18.  Stress Management:

• Identify sources of stress 
• Analyze workplace stress factors  
• Review symptoms of stress
• Stress management techniques  
• Cost of stress in the workplace  
• Common stress management mistakes  
• What to do to reduce stress in using time (wisely) 

19.  Valuing Diversity in the Workplace:

• Reduce prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination in the workplace
• Understand what behaviors are considered unlawful harassment  
• Understand the concept of valuing diversity and analyze personal perceptions

20.  Winning Customers through Services:

• Analyze the importance of service for your organization 
• The difference between external and internal customers  
• How customers decide if their needs have been met  
• How to handle customer complaints
• Demonstrate excellent customer service in your daily work 

Don't see exactly what you need? Let us know! Contact us to explore additional training topics.