SMART Conversations / Overview Are your employees and managers afraid of change and lack the relationship building skills needed to support change? Is your organization struggling with integrating an intergenerational or an acquired workforce? Are you concerned about sustaining collaboration & teamwork? Do you need diversity training beyond race & gender? Are turf battles creating a toxic climate? Is your staff acting out rather than talking out frustrations? Do you have talented employees who struggle when working as a team? Effective communication is the key Unlock the full potential of your staff and your organization s performance by leveraging the power of dialogue. SMART Conversations gives employees and managers a new way to have meaningful conversations, which Consider all perspectives respect differences build on everyone s ideas and experience galvanize teams encourage full participation Our work centers around the four core conditions of SMART Conversations : Shared Meaning are we talking about the same thing? Authenticity Are we being real with one another? Respect Can we extend respect to others and listen to their ideas and perspectives whether or not we agree. Trust Can we trust that everyone in the conversation is telling the truth? What are the benefits? You can expect significant improvements in these areas: productivity collaboration & innovation staff retention client satisfaction business development Creating a culture of collaboration Our SMART Conversations curriculum is built on the pioneering works of Stephen Covey s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Peter Senge s The Fifth Discipline, Daniel Goleman s Emotional Intelligence and David Bohm s On Dialogue. This facilitated training builds foundational skills in effective conversation, a platform for creating a culture of collaboration. In fact, our clients find that a collaborative culture makes them a talent magnet when recruiting. How many of us go into meetings open to having our minds changed? Our program: the details During the training, we will cover essential elements of action-driven dialogue, including: creating a common understanding of interests vs. positions delving into the dangers of the Belief Map identifying & managing personal Trigger Styles experiencing an open dialogue using a real work situation To learn more or to schedule a workshop, please contact Paul Weisman.
SMART Conversations / Project Teams One of the biggest time wasters on project performance is miscommunication, which can result in expensive errors, broken relationships, unhappy clients, tainted reputations and schedule delays that dramatically erode profits. Can you afford this risk? Prepare all key stakeholders: contractors, engineers, clients and constituencies to work together efficiently by using a powerful team building platform called: SMART Conversations. Our 1.5-day training program is designed to launch projects with minimal frustration and maximum cooperation. By aligning your professionals in a single direction, you can be assured of client satisfaction and profitability. Here s how it works Part I Key stakeholders participate in a one- day foundational SMART Conversations class, which gives them the opportunity to - Create a connection and bond as a team - Learn what SMART Conversations are and how to have them - Experience what true collaboration and open conversations look like - Identify/manage their Trigger Style - Appreciate the value of diverse perspectives Part II The next day, we will facilitate a formal half-day Team Chartering conversation covering: Purpose and Alignment Why is this team being formed? What purpose will it serve? What challenge, problem, issue or opportunity will it address? How is the work of this team in alignment with the larger goals and strategies of the organization? Goals and Expectations What are the specific goals for this team? When will we know we have completed our work? Who are our Customers and Stakeholders? What are their needs and expectations? What are the challenges? Approach How and when will the team meet? What are the norms or ground rules that the team will agree to? How do we make decisions? How will we hold each other accountable? Skills & Expertise Assessment What skills/expertise is needed for team success. What are the skill gaps? Who will fill them? Resources Needed How much time and money will we need for this project? Any other required resources? Authority What level of spending authority does the team have? What authority do they have for other resources? What approvals will be required and by whom? Agreement All members will be invited to sign the charter, indicating their agreement. Optimize your project performance by using the power of dialogue as a teambuilding and productivity tool. To learn more or to schedule a workshop, please contact Paul Weisman. Roles/Responsibilities Who is the team leader? What is their role? Who is responsible for facilitation, logistics, and information management? How will each person be involved in decision making? Who has the final word?
SMART Conversations / Taste Do you or your team members avoid conflict or struggle with finding the right words when engaged in contentious issues? Do you find it difficult to say what s on your mind at work because it may damage relationships? Would you like to effectively communicate with your team in an honest, direct way that promotes collaboration and respect? An insightful, convenient program During this 1½ to 2hr introductory program, you will get a taste of a powerful teambuilding platform called dialogue. Our SMART Conversations method has far-reaching impact in the workplace and builds on the thinking advanced by Stephen Covey s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and the work of David Bohm and Peter Senge. Dialogue is based on the four conditions of SMART Conversations : 1. Shared Meaning Are we talking about the same thing? 2. Authenticity Are we being real with each other 3. Respect Do we welcome and respect all perspectives? 4. Trust Do we trust each other enough to speak our minds with candor and compassion? Expected outcomes During this facilitated snapshot of our powerful workshops, participants will be able to... Understand and explain the importance of connecting with colleagues at work Identify your Trigger Style Understand the Core Conditions of SMART Conversations Understand and quantify the cost savings associated with surfacing Undiscussables Make the connection between open communication, trusting relationships and high performance Benefits of creating a dialogue culture Organizations that practice dialogue report the following benefits and results: Creates receptivity to change Sustains needed changes, including behaviors and business strategies Stimulates creativity and innovation Fosters business results through synergy Empowers teamwork and collaboration Instills loyalty within the organization SMART Conversations / Taste is a 1½ to 2hr program that introduces you to our transformational one- and two-day workshops. To find out more and to schedule your introduction, please give us a call. For more information or to schedule a workshop, please contact: Paul Weisman
SMART Conversations / Email. Email can be an efficient job tool or a frustrating, time-wasting activity that destroys productivity, ruins relationships and increases exposure. Churning out rote emails without considering the audience s needs can also lead to lost opportunities and miscommunication. Diverse workplaces, particularly those with cross cultural and intergenerational aspects, present additional challenges because they require a level of heightened sensitivity and understanding conveyed in tone, word choice, voice, style and content. In this workshop, you will learn how to write effective emails that build and sustain relationships by sharpening your writing skills and applying the SMART Conversations model: Shared Meaning are we talking about the same thing? Authenticity Are we being real with one another? Respect What is our intention? Are we honoring the person(s) we are writing to? and, Trust does the tone and style of our email build or discourage trust? At the workshop s completion, you will discover how to effectively build and sustain relationships by writing clear, meaningful emails. What is it? This interactive workshop is designed to help take your participants' email writing skills to a new level of effectiveness. Your professionals will learn how to compose concise emails that get their point across in a positive, respectful way, minimizing misunderstandings and promoting positive relationships. Who should attend? All levels of employees and managers whose role requires frequent communication through email and those who work in diverse settings. Core topics using an easy, repeatable writing process that initiates and sustains a two-way dialogue applying the four core conditions of dialogue to writing email creating clear subject lines that engage not demand or offend building relationships by ensuring that all parties are on the same page re: topic gaining awareness of and ensuring that the tone of each email is courteous, collaborative and respectful, and that the writing style (formal, informal matches the culture understanding email etiquette techniques, including treating each email like a legal document and checking it for liability issues; controlling the urge to hit Reply All without double-checking the recipients need to know Pre-work/Self-Assessment. Participants complete a self assessment and provide one email writing sample at least one paragraph long. In-class, participants improve their email relationship writing skills by: evaluating effective emails engaging in writing exercises participating in interactive activities, including the Belief Map receiving peer coaching using the SMART Conversations Email Tool What are the key benefits? Protecting the organization from liability issues Saving time by writing emails in half the time Build and sustain high quality relationships Clear communication Avoid making assumptions about the reader or the writer writing clearly and concisely to avoid costly misunderstandings and broken relationships Contact Information For more information or to schedule a workshop, please contact: Paul Weisman
SMART Conversations SMART / Online Conversations / Online Building Cultures of Authenticity, Trust and Respect Your organization is in the midst of change, and what you need is a change management initiative. However, you have an enormous workforce and cannot afford to take people off the job for more than a few hours. Or, perhaps you have acquired a new company and integration isn t going so well. You need to rebuild a new culture, and you need everyone on the same page fast. Maybe you have none of these problems (lucky you), and you simply want to expand your internal training offerings to touch on issues of dealing with difficult people, respecting diversity, building powerful teams or becoming a leader. What do all of these topics have in common? The need for powerful communication skills, the hardest soft skill your employees will ever need. SMART Conversation is the key Unlock the full potential of your staff and your organization s performance through dialogue. SMART Conversations is based on a conversation style called dialogue that includes: Shared Meaning are we talking about the same thing? Authenticity Are we being real with one another? Respect Can we extend respect to others and listen to their ideas and perspectives whether or not they agree. Trust Can we trust that everyone in the conversation is telling the truth? What are the benefits? Through our online learning program, you can target specific individuals or teams. They will progress at their own pace, participate in interactive activities, keep a journal and take a final exam. It s quick, easy and affordable. As a result of this 3-hour learning experience, participants will gain awareness of their impact on others and understand how to recalibrate their communication skills to do their jobs more effectively. This online delivery method is also ideal as prework for our one and two-day classes to give participants a strong theoretical foundation of dialogue concepts and skills prior to attending a class. Creating a culture that speaks the same language Smart Conversations /Online gives you the flexibility to affordably train large numbers of people based on the business needs of your organization. Learning the skill of dialogue is a skill that is foundational to every other training or facilitation that you offer sine it teaches professionals how to be and work effectively with each other by holding conversations that balance authenticity with trust to create respect. Our program: the details Our web-based learning program will cover the following: - Learning the definition of SMART Conversations - Identifying personal Trigger Styles - Reflecting, through journal writing, on the impact they have on others and how to make needed improvements For more information or to schedule a program, please contact: Paul Weisman
SMART Conversations / Revenue Share What s the big idea? To demonstrate our commitment to doing good while doing well, Weisman Consulting offers a revenue sharing approach to working with organizations that share our philosophy. We think the idea is a triple win for your organization, the nonprofit you designate or one you already support, and for us. Revenue- Sharing Strategy Overview 1. We will share 10% of our gross revenue with (nonprofit) for any SMART Conversations workshops we are hired to deliver based on recommendations and/or referrals from (nonprofits ) Board, Staff and extended community. 2. To initiate this revenue-sharing program, we recommend a 2-hr SMART Conversations / Taste workshop for select members of (nonprofits ) Board. Our request is that appropriate decision makers attend to experience our work and assess its value. The fee for this introductory workshop is $1,000. This introduction is an experiential format and does a nice job of replicating our 1-day and 2-day workshops. This experience will give a Taste of our work and let the participants establish value. 3. Once value is established to your satisfaction, any (nonprofits ) Staff, Board member, and/or extended community who directly refers or recommends a SMART Conversations workshop to an organization, which results in a contract and revenue paid to Weisman Consulting, will qualify for our 10% revenuesharing offer. How can you learn more? You and/or any colleague may try a free demo of our SMART Conversations / Online training. This portion of our training covers the full curriculum from a theory basis and is designed to be coupled with various forms of in-class modules and coaching. Simply go to: <http:///>, click on di.a.logic login (in process of being rebranded to SMART Conversations ), click on the free demo link and follow the directions to set up your demo. We look forward to your feedback on this experience. Contact Information For more information or to schedule a SMART Conversations / Taste or a workshop, contact: Paul Weisman