Myth Making

COURSE OVERVIEW

Learn how the ground-breaking study on cognitive bias can help your team(s) avoid costly mistakes. In this course, you’ll discuss how to recognize faulty thinking, inflated self-assessments, recognize blind spots, and discover business myths that often masquerade as facts - precisely because they feel like facts. If there’s one course every company should take, it is this course on organizational myth making.

KEY CONCEPTS

• Introduction to the Dunning Kruger Effect

• Case Study on human wrongness

• Explore the root cause of faulty thinking

• Observe how ill-informed ideas can spread like a virus

• How the Dunning Kruger Effect manifests at work

• Important tools and insights on overcoming the all-too-common Dunning Kruger Effect at work

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Demonstrate functional knowledge of cognitive biases & data fallacies that affect personal and professional life.

• Analyze personal strengths and assess bias risks, then make an action plan to manage that bias.

Sample Content

The Bike-Shed Effect

COURSE OVERVIEW

Solving difficult problems is hard work - and often, individuals and teams can fall into the trap of Bike-Shedding - that is to say, focusing on trivial things at the expense of more important things. Learn how to recognize the signs of Bike-Shedding and what to do about it.

KEY CONCEPTS

• The case of the nuclear power plant and a bike shed

• Parkinson’s Law of Triviality

• Bike-shedding at its finest (worst)

• How to invoke the Bike-Shed metaphor

• How to stop Bike-Shedding

• How to tackle difficult tasks efficiently

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Discuss how Parkinson’s Law of Triviality shows up at your work space

• Learn and practice tools to identify and prevent bike-shedding

Sample Content

More Effective Meetings (Part 1)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This module examines the financial and logistical cost of conducting ineffective meetings as well as offers tools and insights on how to conduct more effective meetings.

KEY CONCEPTS

• Time is an organization’s scarcest – and most often
  squandered – resource

• Group assessment of meeting quality

• Profile of most effective meetings

• What research reveals about meetings across a wide

  range of industries

• Meeting cost calculator

• Introduce tool: Meeting Eliminator

• How to have an engaging meeting

• Video & Summary: Why Work Doesn’t Happen at Work

Sample Content

More Effective Meetings (Part 2)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Two factors determine whether your meetings are saving or costing you money: what gets done in the meeting and the energy and focus your team feels after the meeting. Unfortunately, meetings can be one of the most misused tools in a company’s arsenal.

With this module, you will explore two aspects of meeting etiquette that bear directly on the quality of your meetings: respect for people’s time and attention. Learn how to get the most out of meetings by eliminating them where possible and channeling them when necessary. Through the use of some comical examples, poignant object lessons, and breakout exercises, discover where your team thrives and what they need.

KEY CONCEPTS

• Explore how the thoughtful use of time and attention can improve the quality and reduced quantity of your meetings.

• Comical example of meeting attendees attitudes and behaviors.

• Discuss what a good meeting looks like for your team.

• See what industry leaders say about what organizers and participants can do to make the most of their time in meetings.

• Experience a powerful object lesson on distraction and attention.

• Useful tools you can use today to improve your meetings.

Sample Content

High Performance

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

High performing organizations understand the vital role of cooperation, coordination, and strong systems. This course helps teams identify areas where they can strengthen alignment, identify vital behaviors that contribute to operational excellence, and what’s needed to succeed. High performance not only signals strong teamwork, it embodies it.

KEY CONCEPTS

• Team/coordination object lesson

• An historical look at operational efficiency

• Then & now; what’s needed to succeed

• Diagnose breakdown in performance

• Clarify vital behaviors to close performance gaps

• Achieve team alignment

Sample Content

The Cost of Incivility

COURSE OVERVIEW

This module explores several facets of incivility and its effect on team dynamics.

KEY CONCEPTS

• Recognizing the many faces of incivility

• Group exercise: identifying/classifying uncivil behavior

• Understanding the price of incivility

• Social experiment (3 videos)

• The collateral effect of incivility

• Exploring the root cause of incivility

• Toxic culture assessment

• Understanding the difference between toxic and hostile

• Preventing/repairing hostile work environments

• Addressing the root cause of incivility

• How the BMCBF series works

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Identify toxic, uncivil, unethical, and illegal behavior

• Understand the difference between toxic and hostile work conditions

• Assess current work culture (culture assessment)

Owning Company Initiatives

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Share valuable insights on owning company initiatives. A group exercise illustrates the organizational lift or drag that occurs based on team support.

KEY CONCEPTS

• Why we sometimes hide behind upper management

• Reasons for a lack of accountability

• Group discussion regarding responsibility and accountability

• The J-Curve of Accountability

Sample Content

Body Language & the Power of Posture

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This module explores the power of non-verbal communication. Participants will learn how to interpret and use body language, posture and non-verbal cues to enhance their interactions with others.  In this presentation you’ll share practical examples and exercises that will increase awareness of, and ability to use non-verbal communication more openly, honestly and transparently.

KEY CONCEPTS

• How does body language and posture affect our business?

• The importance of body language.

• We believe non-verbal cues over verbal cues.

• Are you buying it?

• Exercises

  • Falling Paper

  • Gestures List

  • Charades

  • Paper Charades

• S.O.F.T.E.N the hardline.

• TED talk: Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are.

Sample Content

The Psychology of Being Organized

COURSE OVERVIEW

This module explores science-backed research that shows what happens to performance and productivity when we’re organized. This training uses fast-paced group exercises, inspirational concepts and focused tools to bring the point home.

KEY CONCEPTS

• Being messy isn’t just about manners, it’s about your brain

• Structure sets you free

• Tools for an organized mind

• How your cognitive load weighs you down

• Improving workflow structure

• How organization affects efficiency

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Experience, then characterize the cognitive drag of being disorganized (exercise)

• Learn and apply the 4 Keys to Organization

• Construct personal workflow based on organizational preferences

Developing Problem-Solving Skills

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This module offers tools to solve problems by looking at patterns and principles that are universal.

KEY CONCEPTS

• Stealing an idea is stealing from the team

• New ideas spring from elevating other’s good ideas

• Nothing is original

• Steps to creative success

• How to improve your creativity

Sample Content

Channeling Negativity

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

We’ve all heard Henry Ford’s wise observation, “Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right.” That kind of sage thinking played a vital role in his company that would soon become a world leader in auto manufacturing. Mr. Ford understood that mindsets are a lot like what happens with accumulating interest … the savvy people earn it, the not-so-savvy pay it.

Our mindsets play a vital role in our ability to see and solve problems, or flounder in disbelief and denial. In this module, we explore the price of negativity and the benefits of being positive.

This is not an esoteric course, but rather digs into the practical and tactical aspects of producing results while guarding against counterproductive mindsets and channeling negative energy into a productive tool for growth.

KEY CONCEPTS

• Industry research and observations on the financial toll of negative mindsets

• A closer look on the financial and opportunity costs of negativity

• Signs that negative mindsets are turning toxic

• How to productively manage negativity

• The cost of negativity in personal & professional relationships

• Group and individual exercises to assess the tendency to be negative

Sample Content

Delegation

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Letting go of certain tasks can be difficult - but it’s necessary if teams and business is to grow. In this module, explore some easy-to-implement methods of delegation with your team and watch your time and productivity multiply.

KEY CONCEPTS

• What industry leaders have to say about delegation

• Signs your team is not delegating enough

• What delegation isn’t

• Delegation self-assessment

• Understand the return on time invested (in delegating)

• Delegation decision tree

• Group exercise that helps team uncover better ways of delegating

Sample Content

Priority Management

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

John Maxwell observed that “Priority management is the answer to maximizing the time you have.” In this course, discover some key factors that maximize our available time and those that minimize it. Also, discover some valuable insights and tools on how to evaluate and prioritize tasks.

KEY CONCEPTS

• Discover activities and mindsets that sap focus, time, and productivity

• Discuss common errors in judgement that contribute to wasting time and misuse priorities

• Explore a method to evaluate the merits of tasks and how to prioritize them

• Learn how to use The Focus Funnel

• 5 Tips for Better Use of Time

Sample Content

Motivation

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Course details coming soon.

KEY CONCEPTS

• Course details coming soon

Sample Content

Harassment

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Course details coming soon.

KEY CONCEPTS

• Course details coming soon

Sample Content

Adding to the Team Through Deeper Contribution

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Discover some powerful tools that will transform the quality of your in-person and remote meetings.

KEY CONCEPTS

• Remote meeting pitfalls

• How to keep people engaged and interested during remote meetings

• Keys to having more effective meetings

• The best meetings focus on idea development

Sample Content

Strengthening Relationships with Thoughtful Conversation

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This module explores ways to improve the nature and quality of communication.

KEY CONCEPTS

• The art of connected communication

• The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place (Shaw)

• Your message is impacted by how it is said

• Connecting through thoughtful questions

• Improving conversation skills

Sample Content

What Happens When You Pay Attention

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Filled with quick & powerful object lessons, this module illustrates the drag effect of context switching and its cost to productivity. What’s more, we explore what happens to the nature and quality of our contributions when we’re fully engaged.

KEY CONCEPTS

• The shortening human attention span

• Lack of focus is expensive

• The Good News: focus is a muscle

• Improving your focus

• Stroop Test

• What’s dividing our attention?

• Weapons of Mass Distraction

Sample Content

Managing Dynamic Priorities

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Do members of your team recognize the signs of thrashing? If left unchecked, organizations can find themselves with a chronic time famine; always busy but never enough time to get anything done. In this course, learn the general signs and symptoms of thrashing, then dig deeper and discover your teams silent symptoms and what tod o about it.

KEY CONCEPTS

• Managing dynamic priorities

• How thrashing is killing your productivity

• Signs & symptoms of thrashing

• Conduct a thrashing root cause analysis

• Determine corrective actions

• Automate, delegate, or delete

• The sure way to fail

Sample Content

Communicating Clearly

COURSE OVERVIEW

This module shares helpful tools on clarifying important messages. This training incorporates logic, humor and powerful tools that are actionable and cement concepts.

KEY CONCEPTS

• The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place (Shaw)

• How clear communication affects internal operations and customer experience

• 7 Tools for Communication

• How the lack of communication affects your work

• Increase communication skills using PREP

• Communicating poorly is bad manners

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Demonstrate comprehension of 7 vital communication skills

• Learn, practice and apply the PREP communication model for real-world scenarios

Sample Content