Quotes from Commissioners

"When we were searching for a partner organisation to develop and deliver a new learning and development programme for our Supervisory staff, Arcadia Alive was one of the few that were prepared to work with us to meet our exact requirements rather than deliver something which was "off the shelf". They have facilitated a lively, highly interactive programme, which gives our employees the opportunity to acquire and practice using a range of vital new skills, and have done so in a very supportive, understanding and friendly manner. The feedback from participants' managers is that they can see immediate and sustained improvements in performance in the workplace, and positive changes in attitude and behaviour."
Diane Taylor - Head of Corporate Training - Wolverhampton City Council
"I was delighted with the way the day went. The content of the sessions was very helpful, the way in which it was delivered was entirely appropriate (not an easy task with such a diverse group of people) and the chance to spend time out with each other was invaluable. The team are a very good bunch but the process we went through both reinforced and enhanced that view. I have had very positive feedback from everyone involved - some of them have been through quite a few management programmes, so I was delighted with how much they valued this one."
Melanie Dudley - Head of Service, Strategy and Resources - Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
"It is apparent that the involvement of Arcadia Alive has been of value to a large number of staff who, as a result of attending the workshops, feel valued by the Department and feel they can cope better with the demands of their work. Staff rated highly the content, style and usefulness of the workshops. The written comments confirmed that the content had impacted on the participants and that they had benefited from the time spent on it."
Lynda M. Garbutt - Independent Evaluator, Aiming for Excellence Programme - Durham County Council

Public Sector Services

Coaching Skills

Target Audience:

Managers and team leaders.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

To enhance managers' appreciation of the impact of good coaching and boost their confidence in using this vital tool in developing strong teams. The momentum built by learning and practising key coaching skills and strategies on the day should carry over to their workplace where they will be able to implement the action plans developed with specific members of staff in mind.

Overview:

This course addresses all pre-conceived ideas and misconceptions delegates may have about coaching and how to do it well. Most of all it focuses on understanding the dynamics of this one-to-one exchange and avoiding one of its most common pitfalls: taking the reins out of the hands of the coachee and providing solutions that he/she would have done better to find out for themselves. With plenty of opportunity to practice, managers will get a chance to examine their own blind-spots and make sure they don't inadvertently get in the way of their coachee.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

  • The difference between coaching, mentoring and supervising.
  • The importance of encouraging the coachee being self-directed and owning the learning experience.
  • The subtle interplay of personal, hierarchical and functional aspects of the coaching relationship.
  • Common pitfalls to avoid and where their own strengths and weaknesses lie.

Participants will learn key skills to:

  • Plan, prepare for and initiate a coaching relationship with specific members of staff.
  • Build rapport and gain the trust of their coachee.
  • Monitor and analyse how the coaching relationship is evolving.
  • Set appropriate boundaries.
  • Give effective feedback.

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Communicating with Teams

Target Audience:

Managers and team leaders.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

Delegates will be more self-aware in how they act around the team and what kinds of results that behaviour is likely to bring. Each delegate will come away with a better understanding of their specific team's dynamics and how they could be influenced for the better. This will bring renewed confidence in the manager's ability to get their team to 'get the job done'.

Overview:

This course covers the main aspects of communicating with teams, and not just when things are running smoothly! We look at general team dynamics and communication skills as well as case studies of particular issues they are likely to have encountered. Participants get ample opportunity to bring their own experiences and questions to the table so that practical solutions can be worked out in the group setting.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

  • Team development stages and where their team and team members are at.
  • How to make group dynamics work in your favour.
  • The range intervention styles to be adopted according to the needs of the situation.
  • How their attitude unawarely influences the outcome of every interaction with team members.
  • Their own communication style.

Participants will learn key skills to:

  • Analyse and understand communication habits within their teams.
  • Recognise and take into account team members' work and personal needs.
  • Choose which is the most judicial approach in any team situation.
  • Influence groups and individuals.
  • Handle tough conversations.
  • Run more effective meetings.

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Communication & Interpersonal Skills

Target Audience:

Members of staff.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

To enhance employees' communication skills through building awareness of how specific factors that are within their area of influence can affect the communication process. Delegates will have a much better grasp of what they can do to avoid misunderstandings and foster effective communications and relationships in a variety of settings.

Overview:

Participants are encouraged to recognise their own share of responsibility (and power!) in various areas of the communication process and how to take control for better results. They will develop their self-awareness and readiness to adapt their communication style to suit any person or situation.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

  • Pitfalls and opportunities of the communication process.
  • What's going on 'behind the scenes' in any interaction with people.
  • Their own communication style.
  • How they can stear a conversation towards their intended outcome.
  • Assertiveness skills.

Participants will learn key skills to:

  • Identify what really matters to people so as to maximise chances for a win-win.
  • Become better communicators by using active listening skills.
  • Read and interpret people's non-verbal signals.
  • Say 'no' without offending.
  • Deal with 'blocking gambits'.
  • Avoid confrontation while still getting results.

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Dealing with Difficult Employees

Target Audience:

Members of staff or managers.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

To create greater self-awareness in how we partly 'make' people difficult and give people the tools and the confidence to tackle work relationships that have been strained and frustrating in the past. Participants should leave the course feeling motivated to change current patterns of behaviour and approach future interpersonal difficulties with an open mind and a focus on problem-solving, not finger-pointing.

Overview:

Although all communication should be two-way, many of the skills needed to deal with difficult people involve learning dealing with our own feelings and attitudes. How we express ourselves, the language we use, our body-language, our assertiveness and how much we value our own opinions, all play a major part. This course covers all the strategies that are within our control to ease existing tensions and promote better understanding on all sides.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

  • The difference between acting and re-acting.
  • Which kinds of behaviours 'push their buttons' and why.
  • How much responsibility they bear for the outcome of every communication.
  • How different people have different needs.
  • Different communication styles and how they interact with each other.

Participants will learn key skills to:

  • Become aware of and stay in control of their feelings and thoughts about a particular person or situation.
  • Practice objectivity and resist the temptation to act on assumptions.
  • Stay calm and focused.
  • Listen non-judgementally.
  • Find the need behind the want.
  • Negotiate fairly to reach a win-win situation.

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Dealing with Stress for Managers

Target Audience:

Managers and team leaders.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

For managers to be able to model good stress awareness and effective coping skills, before leading their team through various risk assessment exercises that should result in the implementation of appropriate stress management strategies.

Overview:

In order to reduce stress one needs to understand what triggers harmful pressure and how best to manage it. Therefore the course is very experiential and based on reviewing real life and work scenarios. Managers will best be able to pass on the learning to their staff if they themselves have experienced the benefits of stress management first hand.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

  • The causes and symptoms of harmful pressure and their impact at work.
  • How a manager sets the tone for the team's stress management behaviour.
  • Their own blind-spots and stress triggers.
  • Different people react to pressure in different ways.
  • The various levels of stress intervention in a work setting.

Participants will learn key skills to:

  • Re-evaluate and challenge their 'internal drivers', a source of much pressure and stress.
  • Plan a greater level of balance between work and home life, and coach their members of staff to do the same.
  • Manage their time and priorities better (and their team's) to avoid stress arising in the first place.
  • Risk assess their team's stress levels and develop a team-wide stress management strategy.

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Dealing with Stress for Staff

Target Audience:

Members of staff.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

For employees to become more aware of their fluctuating stress levels and take effective action before it starts making them ill. At the end of the course, they should be able to recognise the beginning symptoms of stress in themselves and in colleagues, and feel empowered to do something about it.

Overview:

In order to reduce stress one needs to understand what triggers harmful pressure and how best to manage it. Therefore the course is very experiential and based on reviewing real life and work scenarios. Employees also get to practice self-awareness exercises and simple cognitive strategies that can easily be implemented back in the workplace.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

  • The causes and symptoms of harmful pressure.
  • Their own blind-spots and stress triggers.
  • How different people react to pressure in different ways.
  • How it is their own attitude which will often decide whether they suffer from stress or not.
  • How some stress management strategies that people develop for themselves are helpful, while others are not.

Participants will learn key skills to:

  • Spot the danger signs of harmful pressure.
  • Re-evaluate and challenge their 'internal drivers', a source of much pressure and stress.
  • Manage their time and priorities better to avoid stress arising in the first place.
  • Plan a greater level of balance between work and home life.
  • De-stress quickly and effectively when needed, at least until they can neutralise the stressor.

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Emotional Intelligence

Target Audience:

Members of staff, team leaders, managers.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

To provide participants with the opportunity to learn new skills in the vital interpersonal field of emotional intelligence, with tools and strategies that can be implemented as soon as they are back in the workplace. Delegates will be able to 'read' themselves and others more effectively, hence be in a better position to reach a satisfactory solution to any problem encountered - to everyone's benefit.

Overview:

Participants learn to accurately perceive, understand and express their feelings, in a way that allows their emotions to work for them rather than against them. Self-awareness is key here and there is plenty of opportunity for eye-opening insights into themselves and their interactions with colleagues.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

  • Why emotional intelligence is so important and how it compares to IQ.
  • What promotes and hinders emotional intelligence.
  • The art of looking at things from different perspectives.
  • How their own behaviour impacts on others.
  • How to go about addressing areas where there is 'room for improvement'.

Participants will learn key skills to:

  • Develop self awareness - recognising their feelings and thoughts.
  • Practice self-regulation - being able to control their emotions.
  • Realise motivational factors - being able to persist in the face of discouragement.
  • Experience empathy - being able to read emotions in others.
  • Social skills - influencing and handling others

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Leadership Skills

Target Audience:

Managers and team leaders.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

Develop current managers into becoming creative and inspiring leaders within the organisation, the kind other people look up to. Delegates should come out of the course confirmed in their ability to be a model and an initiator, with clear insights of where they are at and where they are going, so that they may create the momentum around them needed to move forward as a learning organisation.

Overview:

Building on delegates' current experience of being managers, this course stretches their perception of their job and works on expanding their comfort zone to a place where they are confident to take a stand and make bold decision, clearly communicated and effectively implemented. With a strong focus on self-awareness and awareness of others, this course provides sharp tools and strategies to take a step up from 'simply managing'.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

  • The qualitative difference between managing and leading
  • The complex belief system and rule book that guide their every decision - mostly unawarely
  • The strengths they can rely on and blind-spots they need to work on
  • Their own need for a sustainable source of support and inspiration
  • The importance of fostering each team member's leadership capabilities

Participants will learn key skills to:

  • Address personal barriers to effective leadership
  • Sharpen their communication habits
  • Develop and implement a team vision
  • Build an enabling and motivating team environment
  • Align their and their team's personal goals with organisational goals
  • Practice creative decision making and problem-solving

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Managing Change

Target Audience:

Managers and team leaders.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

Creating highly skilled managers with the ability to successfully lead others through change, avoiding the confusion and uncertainty that often accompanies these processes. Pressure and stress for staff will be reduced and staff will be more co-operative and willing to adapt to new initiatives enabling organisational growth and development.

Overview:

The focus is on providing participants with the fundamental concepts to support and integrate their staff through the process of change. This is achieved through a thorough understanding of these transition times and the pitfalls to be expected and avoided, along with enhanced interpersonal skills to guide others through the sometimes threatening and challenging circumstances of change.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

  • Why change is unsettling for everyone to varying degrees.
  • Why change often stalls in organisations.
  • How to handle cynicism, fear and resistance.
  • How their own attitude is decisive in helping their team to cope with change.
  • The stages of change and their corresponding role in each stage.

Participants will learn key skills to:

  • Assess and monitor the evolution of the change process
  • Develop strategies to support staff through change
  • Provide direction and clarity for all
  • Build trust and lead by example
  • Encourage staff to take personal responsibility and fulfil their role to achieve the planned changes.

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Performance Management

Target Audience:

Managers and team leaders.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

To provide participants with the opportunity to update and enhance their skills in the vital area of performance management, with tools and strategies that can be implemented as soon as they are back in the workplace. Managers should come away with a much better understanding of how performance management can work in their favour rather than being a stale exercise in numbers gathering and meaningless performance appraisals.

Overview:

The performance management course provides delegates with a practical understanding of the issues and techniques involved in managing performance in their organisation and links well with both the Change Management & Leadership Courses. Part one of the course focuses on the organisational aspects of performance management, whereas Part 2 focuses on the people issues and corresponding interpersonal skills required to handle them.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

  • What promotes and hinders performance
  • Using data analysis to identify sources of poor performance
  • Creating action plans to address poor performance
  • How to develop a system for managing performance in their area
  • The people issues encountered in performance management

Participants will learn key skills to:

  • Identify the root cause of performance issues
  • Identify the key performance indicators
  • Analyse and interpret data
  • Build a systematic method of managing performance
  • Address the people issues of managing performance in individuals using a coaching model

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Personal Development for Managers

Target Audience:

Managers and team leaders.

Duration:

Half-a-day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

To allow participants to take a step back from the daily pressures at work and at home to assess where they are at in their lives and where they want to go from here, from a career as well as from a personal point of view.

Overview:

Delegates are encouraged to take part in various self-discovery exercises that will indicate to them how satisfied they are with their current situation and what they may want to do about it. They then go on to devise a detailed action plan for change. This is an inspirational course where participants are only asked to share as much as they feel comfortable with. Most of the work is done individually or in pairs, in the strictest confidence.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

  • Their life achievements to date.
  • Their dreams and aspirations for the future.
  • Their current level of satisfaction in various areas of their life, including work.
  • What motivates them to want to change.
  • What their next steps are.

Participants will learn key skills to:

  • Separate emotions from facts when looking at their situation.
  • Set a clear direction for themselves with short-term and long-term goals.
  • Put in place the support they need to achieve these personal and work goals.
  • Communicate their plan to others.
  • Find and hold on to the right attitude to achieve success on their own terms.

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Personal Development for Staff

Target Audience:

Members of staff.

Duration:

Half-a-day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

To allow participants to take a step back from the daily pressures at work and at home to assess where they are at in their lives and where they want to go from here, from a career as well as from a personal point of view.

Overview:

Delegates are encouraged to take part in various self-discovery exercises that will indicate to them how satisfied they are with their current situation and what they may want to do about it. They then go on to devise a detailed action plan for change. This is an inspirational course where participants are only asked to share as much as they feel comfortable with. Most of the work is done individually or in pairs, in the strictest confidence.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

  • Their life achievements to date.
  • Their dreams and aspirations for the future.
  • Their current level of satisfaction in various areas of their life, including work.
  • What motivates them to want to change.
  • What their next steps are.

Participants will learn key skills to:

  • Separate emotions from facts when looking at their situation.
  • Put in place the support they need to achieve these personal and work goals.
  • Communicate their plan to others.
  • Find and hold on to the right attitude to achieve success on their own terms.

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Programme Management

Target Audience:

Members of staff.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

To give employees the resources needed to meaningfully participate in the delivery of long-term, organisation or department-wide programmes without loosing steam or getting veered off course along the way. Participants will have a better awareness of what is required of them as individuals and as a team on such long-distance undertakings and will be more motivated to see themselves as part of a whole working towards a common goal.

Overview:

This course outlines the vital steps taken by different stakeholders during the course of a project to ensure high performance and a successful outcome. Participants become familiar with the different phases of a project and their particular role in each one. The focus is on how their own attitude and level of participation can make a difference to the end result, however remote and distant it appears.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

  • What makes or breaks high performance projects.
  • The full project cycle and how to distinguish between the different phases.
  • Project management terminology.
  • How their choices and decisions affect the final outcome.
  • The importance of keeping in mind the bigger picture.

Participants will learn key skills to:

  • Become aware of and communicate their personal and work needs in order to achieve effective teamwork.
  • Challenge thoughts and feelings that may hinder them.
  • Keep focused when things get though.
  • Self-monitor and take responsibility for their own part.
  • Ackowledge and celebrate small wins on the way.

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Project Management

Target Audience:

Managers and team leaders.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

To give managers who are either already involved in project management or will occupy key positions in the future, the opportunity to delve into the responsibilities attached to the design, implementation and evaluation of projects. As a result, managers will be more confident and motivated to take responsibility and authority, maximising their chances to lead future projects to fruition.

Overview:

This course outlines the vital steps taken by different stakeholders during the course of a project to ensure high performance and a successful outcome. Managers become familiar with the different phases of a project and the opportunities and traps that arise at each level. They also get a chance to evaluate the development and outcome of past projects in order to learn from their own and others' experiences.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

  • What makes or breaks high performance projects.
  • The full project cycle and how to distinguish between the different phases.
  • Project management terminology.
  • The importance of leveraging project stakeholders and potential partnerships.
  • Their options in terms on getting their team on board.

Participants will learn key skills to:

  • Define inspiring project outcomes.
  • Generate innovative and creative ideas that both complement and fit in with organisational vision and culture.
  • Model leadership and good team management skills.
  • Get things back on track when necessary.
  • Transfer experience and knowledge gained from one project to another.

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Team Building & Development

Target Audience:

Managers and team leaders.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

To equip managers and team leaders with both fundamental and innovative strategies which enable them to create effective teams. Participants will be fully equiped to take on a newly formed team or even put one together from scratch, and prepared to take from the very beginning the important steps needed to ensure that the various team members' strength gel and complement each other.

Overview:

The emphasis will be on practical theories of team leadership, task setting and team composition that can be applied to build highly motivated and productive teams. Participants will get a chance to examine their own 'baggage' in terms of negative team experiences and dealing with 'difficult' people, so that these can be learnt from and put aside.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

  • How to develop and implement a vision for the team
  • The range of intervention styles to be adopted according to the needs of the situation.
  • How their attitude unawarely influences the outcome of every interaction with team members.
  • Their own communication and team-management style.
  • Their individual team members' needs and expectations.

Participants will learn key skills to:

  • Provide individuals with a clear role and direction within the overall framework of the team.
  • Put in place effective and meaningful communication systems.
  • Influence the attitudes and expectations of the team.
  • Nurture and guide team members to be able to work together well.
  • Develop conflict resolution strategies and assertively handly new or difficult team members.

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Team Development

Target Audience:

Managers and team leaders.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

To equip managers and team leaders with both fundamental and innovative strategies which enable them to develop and grow existing teams. Participants will be able to challenge the status quo and the ineffective communication habits that often set in with existing teams, in order to create a more cohesive and motivated team than before.

Overview:

The emphasis will be on practical analysis of the current team situation, with the learning of tools and strategies to improve on the current situation be it from a performance point of view or a people point of view, or both. Participants will learn not to be held back by the current team's 'history', but rather break through existing patterns of behaviour, their own and that of their team members.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

  • How to develop and implement a new vision for the team
  • The range of intervention styles to be adopted according to the needs of the situation.
  • How their attitude unawarely influences the outcome of every interaction with team members.
  • Their own communication and team-management style.
  • Their individual team members' needs and expectations.

Participants will learn key skills to:

  • Involve team members in re-shaping their roles and the overall direction of the team.
  • Redesign effective and meaningful communication systems.
  • Influence the attitudes and expectations of the team towards these changes.
  • Nurture and guide team members towards the new goals.
  • Develop conflict resolution strategies and assertively handle tough feelings that may come up due to the changes.

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Time Management

Target Audience:

Members of staff.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

A reduction in the amount of time wasted at work, along with a reduction in the interpersonal tensions and stress reactions that often accompany it. More effective employees can then devote essential time to planning long-term improvements, instead of 'fighting fires' all the time. Participants' self-awareness and self-esteem is increased as they feel they are more 'in control' and can take charge of their work day.

Overview:

This course builds awareness of fundamental time management principles and provides practical strategies that reduce time wastage at work, on an individual level as well as from a team perspective. Participants learn a more effective use of time through the ability to plan and organise activities and to handle the human dimensions associated with time usage.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

  • The essential strategies for effective time management.
  • What their personal time-wasters are and how to deal with them.
  • The importance of creating time to think, plan and organise tasks in advance.
  • The human element of time management.
  • The Golden Rules of assertiveness.

Participants will learn key skills to:

  • Handle interruptions and the demands of others.
  • Beat procrastination and other time-wasting mental habits.
  • Create and continually monitor a time management plan.
  • Flexibly respond to challenging and changing situations.
  • Apply stress management techniques when external factors take over.

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