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State Government Special Topic Workshops

We offer state agency employees a number of professional development opportunities to help them excel in their current positions or prepare them for higher-level responsibilities. State agencies or departments can build their own customized training program to meet specific needs by selecting one course or multiple courses from a wide variety of topics.

Individuals

State employees should get in touch with the appropriate contact at their state agency to indicate interest in workshops. The state agency will then consult with us to set up a class of participants.

Agencies

Agencies may schedule a class or classes and customize a training program specifically for employees of the agency. We will work with the agency to develop a program by choosing the appropriate content or sessions. It is possible to mix-and-match subjects differently than what is proposed in the descriptions listed below. A variety of developmental content can be integrated to create multi-day courses. Academies are available at various leadership and management levels.

Courses

We tailor each course to fit an organization's specific environment and incorporate relevant case studies. Adjustments to the depth and complexity of the content allow these workshops to reach various levels of employees in an organization.


For more information, contact Michael Hourihan by email or at (404) 702-8114.


Course Descriptions

  • Behavioral Assessment

This course will provide professional assessment of personal styles, evaluate the benefits and detractions of a preferred style, and call attention to effective ways of employing alternative styles. It will emphasize behavioral analysis and opportunities for adjustments.

 

  • Communication

Participants will explore the various components of effective communication—such as sending and receiving—and engage in interactive strategies to take in and deliver all types of messages—agreeable, neutral and difficult. This course will examine how to create and deliver effective communication in group and/or public settings. 

 

  • Conflict Management and Resolution

Participants will identify various personal conflict management styles, understand the sources and drivers of conflict, and create alternatives and options leading to partial and complete resolution. This course will include an overview of negotiation skills. 

 

  • Customer Service

Participants will examine how to create appropriate service environments and defined deliverables for internal and external customers in addition to addressing problem and complaint resolution. This course may also include the use of the customer roundtable concept, which consists of brief panel discussions by external customers to present real issues and expectations. 

 

  • Ethics

Participants will gain a greater understanding of the ethical implications of the choices they make. This course will examine ethical styles, differences, principles and issues relevant to public service and will include an examination of applicable laws and policies. It will also clarify and assess the different ethical dimensions represented in the public sector. 

 

  • Leadership

Participants in this class will learn to adapt leadership styles to various organizational, developmental and resource-driven environments, which is commonly known as "situational leadership." This course will emphasize the transitional phase of a manager adapting to evolving roles, departments or teams. It will present alternative styles of leadership that are dependent on situational needs at a given time.

This course will include content on

        • identifying what is motivation and what it is not

        • examining methods of managing and reacting to motivational issues, skill deficiencies and performance drivers

        • personal and positional power

        • understanding the relationship between power and influence

        • determining methods of transforming power into influence and selecting appropriate influence strategies

 

  • Management

This course will help existing or new managers to address general management and supervision skills, which encompasses the techniques and models necessary to effectively and efficiently oversee a unit, team or department.

Content areas include

        • steps and methods of choosing tasks and delegates

        • how to structure the transition of duties to effectively achieve the successful transfer of actions

        • providing appropriate messages that are rational rather than emotional and are delivered with appropriate content and timing to result in positive behavior adaptations

        • methods for choosing the appropriate actions and communication styles to effectively interact with internal staff at the senior level, peer/co-worker level and with direct reports. Also includes approaches for external clients, customers and vendors

        • how to manage the development process of direct reports and followers so that it leads to continuous improvement

        • setting and maintaining accountability

        • documenting actions 

 

  • Problem Solving and Decision Making

Participants will discuss strategies for determining the appropriate situation review, problem review, decision review and future review approach in order to correctly evaluate each stage of the problem solving process and determine the best overall outcome. This course will provide a rational structure for determining the root cause of problems, addressing symptoms and creating solutions and implementation models. It also will present situational decision making based on data and circumstance analysis.  

 

  • Team and Group Dynamics

Participants will focus on understanding the role of teams and the roles on a team.

This course will provide insights into the stages of

        • group or team development

        • management practices for matrix and silo organizations

        • strategies for influencing others on interdepartmental, cross-functional and project teams


 

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