Management and Staff Development

Why Management and Staff Development?

Our specialist background in conflict transformation brings a unique value to our management and staff training programmes.  Understanding how to connect with staff and colleagues on an empathic level gives the possibility of creating workplaces with real trust and openness enabling staff to be more productive, flexible and able to solve problems.

Training Topics

For simplicity a list of topics is given here.  In reality, it’s vital our clients receive the training they need and not the teaching we want to give.  So please treat the topics as a starting point from which we can work together to design a programme for you.

Leadership, Motivation and Delegation – two to three days

Managing Performance – Appraisal Without Judgement – two or three days

Most if not all management text books support the importance of appraisal and performance management.  Indeed the idea of making sure staff have clarity in their job, along with training and feedback on how they’re doing, is common sense.  If appraisal is such an obvious process then why is it that, from our own experience, many people’s view of appraisal is negative?

From our work on performance management it’s clear that staff want the clarity, support and training that appraisal embraces. They also want to know how they’re getting on and how their work can be developed.  What they don’t like is the judgement that goes with appraisal, and it would seem that some managers aren’t comfortable with this either. 

This is very interesting from the perspective of our conflict transformation work where we have identified the role judgement plays in fueling and perpetuating the violence cycle.  We have found that managers and staff in the UK identify with this connection between judgement and conflict.  As a result we have developed a process known as ‘Appraisal Without Judgement’.

Assertiveness for All – two days

In most situations people use one of four behaviours; aggressive, passive, manipulative or assertive.  In the first three, the individual is responding in a way that might meet or subjugate their needs in relation to another person.  Using aggressive, passive or manipulative behaviour makes it unlikely that everyone’s needs are met; a level of discontent may still remain.

Assertiveness on the other hand is about choice and about being at peace with yourself.  This state of peace and choice comes through deeper personal understanding, through self empathy and empathy for others.  Most people know that the things that really matter to them, like relationships, family, health and meaningful work do not come from constant striving or shopping.  However, our society sometimes works against this, encouraging us to get happy by purchasing things or watching television.  Unfortunately, much self-help literature feeds into the same scenario: by encouraging people to ‘strive for what you want’ or ‘have a positive mental attitude’ it seems that somehow what you need to make you happy is ‘out there’ to be got.

'Assertiveness for All' gives you

Conflict Transformation for Managers and Staff – two days

Conflict in the workplace can be beneficial, a sign of creativity and differing ideas.  But what happens when conflict is counterproductive?  When people feel ashamed, angry or embarrassed?  How do managers and staff work in such a setting?  What skills and processes can transform this situation?

The two day programme is an opportunity to gain benefits from the transformation of conflict, with the development of trust, support and honest communication and the reduction in pain and violence.  Please see our Philosophy and the section on Conflict Transformation for Organisations for more background.

The two day course brings: