The document describes a self-paced training program for small groups that focuses on business, leadership and consulting skills. The trainings are designed to take 90 minutes and encourage participants to learn together through solving case studies and discussion questions. The trainings cover topics like project execution, relationship building, leadership and influence through materials like instruction booklets, workmaps and game cards. Testimonials from participants indicate the hands-on approach generates good conversations and results in changed behaviors at work.

1. Consulting Stance The Discipline of Consulting Overview of Self-Paced Business and Consulting Skills Training for Small Groups For more information, visit www.ConsultingStance.com or call (512) 380-1801.

2. Over the past year, we’ve taught business, leadership and consulting skills to large groups of corporate clients with a focus on IT project teams and professional services organizations. In the process, we have begun to lose faith in the “sit and listen” style of learning. It works, but it doesn’t work as well as “do and discuss” when you are trying to change behavior. As a result, we developed self-paced training kits that encourage students to learn together, teach one another, and remain fully engaged throughout the process.

3. Groups of 4-5 employees gather in a conference room and go through the training kits, following written instructions and solving case study problems together. Participants apply their varied backgrounds and experience to the material as the training progresses. The result is a common understanding of the concepts and an instant accountability network to reinforce change after the training session.

5. Workmap

6. Game Cards

8. This is where you establish your credibility and prove your value to your customer or employer. We start with the bottom tier of the pyramid, where we Get Stuff Done. Authority Access Influence Credibility What You Know What You Can Do Technical Skills Execution Domain Knowledge Consulting Stance Pyramid

9. The Accomplish Objectives training kit is made up of six activities that provide a framework for effective Execution, which is the foundation of the pyramid. The workmap contains three sections: project, task and collaboration processes. The participants work together to agree on the ideal arrangement of the steps in each process and then to diagnose which steps may have been skipped to cause specific outcomes or project symptoms.

10. The middle tier of the pyramid is about Making People Happy Establishing effective relationships requires more than technical or business expertise. In order for them to trust you, first theyhave to like you. Authority Access Influence They Know You They Listen to You Credibility What You Know What You Can Do Technical Skills Execution Domain Knowledge Consulting Stance Pyramid

11. The Establish Strategic Relationships kit encourages employees to look beyond the immediate task or transaction and build bridges to the Key Players in their circle. Activities include identifying ways to build relationships and ways to manage conflict with fictional people with common personality traits. Participants read the 16 personality cards and determine whether each person is a Key Player in the case study and their One Thing that keeps them happy. This activity is more complex that it appears at first. Personal experiences and stories emerge as the workgroup tries to agree on a solution. Our answers often trigger further discussion and insight among the participants.

12. Establishing Strategic Relationships also presents the Conflict Roadmap to help participants navigate conflict in the workplace. Situations involving the fictional characters are presented and participants work together to identify High Road and Low Road responses. They then compare their ideas with ours and discuss.

13. The top of the pyramid is the key to Success. The other three training kits teach multi-directional leadership in a variety of situations. Authority They Seek Out Your Advice You Can Affect Decisions Access Influence They Know You They Listen to You Credibility What You Know What You Can Do Technical Skills Execution Domain Knowledge Consulting Stance Pyramid

14. Project Launch – encourages project teams to come to agreement on communication protocols, problem-solving procedures and task execution strategies at the beginning of the project to reduce the risks inherent in any team-based activity. Customer Experience – draws the participants’ attention to how their decisions and behaviors affect the customer’s experience, regardless of whether that customer is a consulting client or internal business customer, and provides simple tools and guidelines to make improving the customer experience easy. Accelerating Authority – teaches four ways that every employee establishes authority, with specific examples, and a means to identify individual strengths and opportunities, resulting in a personal plan for each participant that will result in greater influence and increased opportunity. Each kit can be used by a single group of employees or as part of a larger program or all-hands meeting.

15. Testimonials from recent participants: “Fun, interactive way of learning to build effective relationships.” - Karen B., Emerson “Draws a clear line between activities and desired results.” - Mike A., Wells Fargo “A valuable method to increase successful projects and build horizontal leadership.” - Andrew C., Clarum Group “This is a hands-on tool that generates terrific conversation.” - Brad S., Applied Materials “Brings multiple concepts and skills together for experiential learning.” - Max S., Sitestuff “This course explains and demonstrates the value of soft skills and teaches you ways to grow those skills.” - Kim L., Dell “Really emphasized that just being an expert is not enough to keep my clients happy.” - Denise D., Consultant “I gained valuable knowledge and strategies for dealing with clients.” - Doug P., Consultant In post-training surveys, 100% of participants responded to the question, “Will you change your behavior or priorities at work as a result of this training?” by checking YES. For more information, visit www.ConsultingStance.com or call (512) 380-1801.