Course Description

Organizations need leaders who can do more and be more in order to succeed in today's complex environment.

They need frontline leaders with strong interpersonal skills who can get things done by mobilizing and engaging others. 

Course Outline

This foundation course for most programs in the Technical Leadership Certificate series helps leaders communicate effectively so they can spark action in others. The course teaches leaders the interaction essentials they need to handle the variety of challenges and opportunities they encounter every day in the workplace and beyond. 

• Leadership Today (and Every Day): Working in teams, learners conduct the discussion they read about in the Course Prep. Participants watch a video that shows the variety of demands a leader faces, and the facilitator highlights the importance of meeting team members’ needs. The facilitator leads an activity to introduce personal and practical needs, and then introduces the Interaction Essentials.
• Key Principles to Meet Personal Needs: Facilitator introduces the Support Key Principle. Working in teams, learners discover key insights about the Esteem, Empathy, or Involvement Key Principle and teach their assigned Key Principle to the rest of the group. The facilitator introduces the Share Key Principle and leads a discussion about the benefits of using these skills in the workplace.
• Working to Meet Personal Needs: Participants watch two video segments that show a manager using Key Principles. The facilitator leads the group as they read several situations and choose an effective response to each one. Working in pairs, learners read additional situations and write an effective response to each one.
• Up Close and Personal: Working with a partner, learners take turns responding to statements “on the spot” using the Key Principles. Learners graph the results of their self-assessment and identify actions they will take to address any challenges they might encounter in using the Key Principles effectively.
• Practically Speaking: Facilitator overviews the Interaction Guidelines to meet practical needs. Participants watch a video leader effectively use these skills during a discussion with a team member. Learners begin to complete a Discussion Planner for an upcoming workplace discussion.
• Using Effective Feedback for Leadership Success: Facilitator leads a discussion about the nature of feedback in the learners’ environment. Facilitator introduces the STAR approach to providing positive and developmental feedback. Participants practice by writing a STAR and delivering it to a fellow participant.
• Wrap-Up: Teams prepare and present a brief presentation of five specifics for the assigned concept learned in the course, including its business impact.

Learner Outcomes

At the end of this program, learners will be able to:  

• Achieve results through others by building strong interpersonal relationships
• Plan for successful interaction with team members--in person and virtually
• Provide meaningful, supportive feedback that motivates team members and helps individuals improve their performance
• Impact business outcomes by consistently meeting the personal and practical needs of others

Notes

Testimonials

"I thought this course provided me exactly the tools I have been searching for to help me with communication. Both personally and professionally. Thanks!"
Spring 2019 Participant

“It gives a good foundation for developing strategies for preparing hard discussions and also gives guidance on how to develop trust with others.”
Fall 2018 Participant

"I recommend this course because the content is critical and foundational to any work setting.  Relationships / communication are where things start.  The instructor was excellent in their teaching / style.  I had taken a similar class through another employer who used the DDI materials and I walked away with much more information from this one.  Way to go!"   

Fall 2019 Participant

“Communication - effective communication is intentional, you can develop your skill level. Why wing it when you can master it.”
Fall 2018 Participant

Accrediting Associations

• HRCI 3.5 PDC
• SHRM 3.5 PDC