Professional Development

Consider who stands out because of a positive brand reputation. Learn the essentials of how to build a powerful personal brand and why it’s important.

• Explore the concepts of personal brand and personal image
• Discuss the importance of personal brand to professional growth and success
• Consider the elements of personal brand and how to redefine a current personal brand

Effective communication, the transfer of information from one person to another, is the foundation of positive relationships and influence.

• Identify communication enhancers and destroyers and how they relate to personal image
• Discuss the barriers of communication and using active listening to break down those barriers
• Recognize and use positive communication techniques both verbally and in writing

Professional relationships require rapport, emotional intelligence and working together.

• Define emotional intelligence and discuss how it affects personal and professional success
• Identify personal behaviors and characteristics that are important when building strong professional relationships
• Identify ways to build rapport and trust with peers and leaders

Influence is not about making life easier. It’s not about manipulation. It’s not even persuasion. Awareness of the power of influence is important.

• Identify how credibility, communication and engagement influence others
• Explain why trust is an important factor in the power of influence
• Discuss how to eliminate common communication problems and how they relate to influence

Strong personal networks don’t just happen. They are intentionally built and maintained.

• Discuss the benefits of networking to building meaningful relationships
• Identify the diversity of current network connections
• Discover opportunities to expand your network

The path looks clear when the plans are finally made. Then the to-do lists and obstacles get in the way. The plan gets set aside in order to handle the current issues of life. This module takes the time to give some purpose and a plan for next steps.

• Reflect on common experiences and share insights
• Identify opportunities for purpose
• Prepare a plan to make connections that matter

Write a personal branding statement and identify next steps to creating a personal branding statement that uniquely represents your value.

• Discuss the personal branding framework and the steps to writing a personal branding statement
• Assess the areas of opportunity, barriers and factors to building a strong personal brand
• Write a personal branding statement

The term collaboration has had a lot of attention. Recognize how to use collaboration effectively and with authenticity in an effective manner.

• Define collaboration in today’s workplace
• Discuss how to take an active collaborative role to effectively work and communicate with others
• Identify strategies to help eliminate common communication problems when collaborating with others

Presenting in any forum with clarity, regardless of the setting or number of participants, can create credibility and success. Learn how to present to others with confidence.

• Discuss what to consider when preparing a focused professional presentation
• Recognize how to build rapport when presenting ideas
• Recognize how imposter syndrome affects presenting with confidence

Strategic thinking and critical thinking are highly desired skills in today’s professional and personal life environments.

• Explore the strategic thinking process
• Identify ways to enhance critical thinking skills
• Discuss what communication skills are effective specifically for strategic and critical thinking

Discover ways to bring out the inner child and, in turn, identify what may be holding you back from bringing new ideas forward.

• Discuss the concepts of creativity and innovation
• Discover how to integrate curiosity into day-to-day activities
• Identify how failure affects creativity, curiosity and innovation

A Personal Development Plan puts a framework around a desired list of accomplishments. Spending time identifying those goals, writing them down and asking others to hold you accountable can put action to the dreams.

• Identify steps to creating a Personal Development Plan (PDP)
• Review areas of opportunity to create a PDP
• Write a PDP

Change is everywhere. Words like chaos, turbulence and uncertainty are part of life today. But while it may seem like change is always negative, it often produces needed — and wanted — benefits.

• Recognize personal response to change
• Identify the effects of stress
• Discover the behaviors of resilience