Training for central government

Presentation skills

We'll listen carefully to your situation before we design your workshop. However, experience has shown that audiences for government organisations (including internal audiences) are likely to be more challenging than most. We can help your staff  handle the full range of presentations - from interested to challenging, even hositle audiences .

Whether or not your audiences are likely to be challenging, consider such core themes as: how to replace nervousness with confidence and authority, how to persuade, how to organise your thoughts and prepare, how to handle questions and interjections, how to use PowerPoint effectively. Also, how to develop rapport and engage with any audience so that they respect you even when they disagree with you.

Contact us to talk about training for the people who speak on behalf of your organisation.

Resilience

It's a health and safety issue. It's also about ensuring that your staff are fully engaged in their work - and problem-solvers, not passive victims of recession. We'll show them simple techniques that the most resilient people use when the going gets tough. The workshop would draw on research over the last 20 years which reveals what resilient people really do. The training is just as relevant for teams as individuals.

We will design a workshop to meet your needs. Consider such topics as: choices resilient people make, how to develop real optimism, how to manage disruptive emotions and stress, how to build your supportive relationships, how to keep yourself motivated, how to motivate others in challenging times.

Contact us to talk about a workshop for your team. 

Investigative interviewing

This workshop is primarily for staff in central government organisations who conduct investigative or enforcement activities. Your investigative interviewers will learn or enhance their skills in the highly effective P.E.A.C.E. method.  They’ll learn how to manage their legal obligations alongside their enforcement responsibilities.  We’ll show them how to conduct an interview that meets best practice standards worldwide and guarantees they get the best information possible, even with third parties present.

We will design a training programme to meet your needs. Consider such core themes as: how to prepare for an interview, how personality impacts on interviews, building and keeping rapport; managing aggressive interviewees, the structure of the interview, challenging the interviewee, managing the lawyer, dealing with deceit, following cues, closing the interview, evaluating the impact of the interview on the investigation.  

Contact us to talk about a training programme for your investigators.

Negotiation skills

This training is based on the findings of the Harvard Project on Negotiation. The method is a good fit for central government organisations that need to create ‘all gain’ outcomes for stakeholders and communities. We’ll show you how to work collaboratively with other parties towards an outcome that not only gives everyone what they need but also develops their vital relationships along the way.

Don’t mistake this for a soft option. We’ll also show you how to manage adversarial and aggressive negotiators with confidence.

Your training programme would be designed to match your needs. Consider such core themes as: the six-step method for effective negotiation; six habits of ineffective negotiators; zero-sum and positive-sum strategies; how to ensure you get a good deal; developing and using BATNAs; advanced interactive skills for reading cues and building rapport; recognising positions and demands; ensuring the sustainability of your agreement; dealing with adversarial tactics.

Contact us to talk about the possibility of a training programme for your negotiators.

News media skills

We understand the special difficulties in having to answer, ultimately, to the minister. Then there are other challenges. How do you speak in a convincing and persuasive manner without damaging your credibility as a public servant? How do you handle reporters who see government organisations only as targets for attack? We can help.

We are specialists in how to handle challenging public issues.

We recommend that the workshop includes: how to take the first call from a reporter so that you start on the front foot, how to prepare key messages the public will listen to. Above all, how to give a confident, convincing interview. For those likely to be in the firing line, we can also show how to handle tough, emotionally-loaded interviews.

Contact us to talk about the possibility of a workshop for the people who speak to the news media on behalf of your organisation.

Effective writing

Suitable for staff who write letters and emails to stakeholders, monthly reports to managers, or communicate with other departments or ministries. We include a focused approach to writing in plain English and ways of organising complex material into a logical structure. We can show your staff ways of ensuring that readers do read everything they write. If you need it, we can include 'email etiquette'  and clear up any confusion over such things as capital letters, apostrophes and commas.

We recommend that your workshop includes such core themes as: the golden rule of writing, the five keys to effective writing, how organise your writing in a logical way, how to get the correct balance of formality and informality, how to hold the reader’s attention; how to make the writing more absorbing without losing credibility.

Contact us to talk about the possibility of a workshop for staff who write, reports, letters and emails.

'People' skills  

'People' skills can make a huge difference in government organisations, where the way staff interact with others has a direct impact on job satisfaction, public image and personal stress.  We’ll show you how to understand the motivations and behaviours of others so that you can get on the same wavelength and communicate more easily.  

We recommend that your workshop includes such core themes as: what makes people tick, developing rapport; effective listening skills, changing communication styles, how to have courageous conversations, saying no assertively and constructively, managing difficult interactions with ease, giving feedback to achieve change.

Contact us to talk about the possibility of training for staff who need help with their communication skills. 

Safety and security in the workplace

With central government organisations often taking the flak for political and regulatory decisions, it’s more important than ever that your people know how to keep themselves and others safe in the workplace.  We’ll show you how to develop safety plans and ensure your procedures meet legal requirements. We’ll show you how to deal with dangerous and potentially dangerous situations more effectively and confidently. We’ll show you how to be well prepared before these situations arise.

We recommend that your workshop includes such core themes as: how to keep yourself safe; the importance of workplace safety to your business, recognising and dealing with unsafe situations, personal safety techniques; understanding stress responses; assault, harassment and the law.

Contact us to talk about the possibility of training for your front-line staff. 

Other topics that may be useful for your team

Managing time and pressure
Conflict resolution
Skills for trainers
Coaching for better performance
TMS profiling of individual strengths