Individual Development Programs

Write on the Mark™

Translate what's in your head into a written document that your intended audience will read, understand, and respond to in the way you want.

This one-day course introduces participants to proven, timesaving methods for writing business documents (for example: letters, memos, and e-mail) that get results. Participants will learn to plan, organize, and format attention-getting documents; communicate their ideas clearly and concisely; project an appropriate tone; use correct grammar and punctuation; and edit for accuracy and accomplishment of purpose. In-class skill practice and instructor feedback on learners' writing samples reinforce the course content. Portions of this course, for example, how to plan and organize documents, can be offered as separate workshops.

Grammar Refresher

Find out if what you learned in English class still applies today and what "new rules" have emerged.

In this half-day session, participants will revisit the essential elements of English grammar, learn the changes resulting from everyday usage, and review acceptable variations in today's business writing. Practical, engaging exercises will build participants' competence and confidence in writing well-structured, grammatically sound sentences; using correct punctuation; and communicating clearly and professionally.

E-mail Essentials

Write e-mails that snare readers' attention, hold their interest, and accomplish your objective.

As e-mail has become the predominant form of workplace communication, writers and readers have a renewed appreciation for the value of being able to write well. This half-day workshop spotlights techniques for writing coherent, fluent, and correct e-mail messages. It addresses distinctions between e-mail and other kinds of writing, methods to streamline the writing process, language to ensure the message is easily understood, and guidelines for e-mail etiquette. Participants will enhance their skills with in-class exercises and individual feedback on their own writing samples.

One-on-One Coaching for Business Writing

Do you want to focus on honing a particular aspect of your writing? Are you unable to attend a class?

Individually tailored coaching offers individuals a more targeted approach to sharpen their writing skills. Sessions include assessing current skill level; coaching to develop an efficient approach to preparing, organizing, and drafting documents; revisiting tools and techniques to improve grammar, usage, punctuation, and style; and providing guidance and feedback on work-related documents.

Proofamatics

Develop the accuracy and speed essential to proofreading documents that must reflect your company’s standard of excellence and professionalism.

Offered in collaboration with CRG ASSOCIATES, this ten-hour Vital Learning course (delivered in four separate sessions) is specifically designed to measurably improve the ability to detect document errors quickly and accurately. The average result is a 29% improvement in proofreading skills. Participants learn to use a 3-Phase System for proofreading that trains the eye to move in new patterns and focus on different information in documents to identify errors. Increased concentration and reinforced language skills are additional benefits. Learners are able to evaluate their own progress throughout the course as they engage in skill-building exercises.

Professional Presentations

Whether presenting to inform, persuade, or motivate an audience, you want to project confidence, competence, and professionalism. 

Developing skills for expressing ideas clearly, concisely, and persuasively is the focus of this highly experiential, interactive course. Participants will examine and practice the strategies and tactics for planning and organizing presentations that communicate their purpose and target their audience, exhibiting confidence through gestures and vocal quality, and using support tools and visual aids to enhance their presentations. Videotaping individual presentations will reinforce group and facilitator feedback in applying the skills covered in the program. Course length is one to two days, depending on the number of participants.

Achieving Communication Effectiveness

Sending clear, concise messages and listening effectively establish credibility, aid in persuading and influencing others, increase efficiency, and build successful business relationships.

This one-and-a-half day Vital Learning program, offered in collaboration with CRG ASSOCIATES, helps participants examine their individual communication patterns and construct more effective messages. Video presentations, group discussions, and skill practice address identifying and overcoming communication barriers, responding effectively to different behaviors and situations, dealing constructively with conflict, strengthening listening skills, and projecting confidence.

Navigating Change

Change has become a constant in our professional and personal lives. Recognizing its effects and having the skills to manage it successfully are essential to minimizing the stress, remaining productive, and surviving the transition.

In this one-day program participants will learn a four-phase change curve model to describe the predictable reactions and corresponding behaviors people exhibit during personal and organizational change and how to deal with those behaviors. Using a self-assessment tool to identify their own current position in the change process, facilitator-led discussions, and group exercises, learners will create a personalized, realistic plan to implement successful transition management strategies for themselves and others.

Meetings with Results

Successful meetings require more than setting the date, reserving the room, and inviting participants. Get people to attend, participate, commit, and follow through on action items. 

The three phases of the meeting process: planning, conducting, and closing are the focus of this one-day course. Applying methods examined in a video, group discussion, and skill practice for each phase of the process, learners will be able to plan and prepare meetings with specific objectives, adhere to the agenda, promote positive communication among participants and handle disruptive behaviors, and achieve meeting closure and follow-up.