1. www.trestle.ae
TRESTLE
CONSULTANCY
E N A B L E | E D U C A T E | E M P O W E R | E N E R G I Z E
BUILDING BRAND YOU
How to create your own personal
competitive advantage.
2. TRESTLE
CONSULTANCY
E N A B L E | E D U C A T E | E M P O W E R | E N E R G I Z E
Trestle is a training and development business
specialising in professional learning and development.
Run by Frank Luijckx, CEO, and Erika Maitland, COO,
Trestle is based in Dubai, UAE, and delivers training
across the Middle East to companies including DP
World, Zain, Fairmont Hotel, IBM, Omnia, Bayt and
Naseba.
www.trestle.ae
+971 (0) 525309396
3. IF YOU DONT,
WHO WILL?
Looking after “brand you”
is essential in today’s competitive
environment.
With more talent chasing the opportunities and investment,
building brand you becomes even more important if you are
going to be successful in attracting and working with the jobs, people,
and investment you need.
But, equally, there has never been a better time to invest in brand you.
The demand for soft skills – like leadership, presentation, communication and
negotiation – here in the Gulf greatly outstrips the number of job seekers,
executives and investment seekers with those skills.
Investing in yourself and your skills can, therefore, be an important part of building
brand you – and of creating your own personal competitive advantage.
In the past, we looked to employers to invest in their people.
But the way we are working is changing. And the old orders are changing.
New, emerging companies which leverage a newly flexible and mobile
workforce don’t have the same impetus to invest in their people.
These changes are leading many people to ask themselves “if my employer
isn’t investing in me, then should I be investing in my own future?” or
“how do I even get on to the career ladder in the first place?” And what
happens when you are your own boss?
If you don’t believe and invest in yourself, who will?
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WHERE TO START?
Do you have a vision for your own career? Of where you would like to get to?
Marketers will tell you that the first step to building any brand is to conduct a
thorough “current state” analysis.
This means being honest with yourself about where your strengths and
capabilities lie. Trusted colleagues, teachers, coaches – and even previous
job interviewers – can help you with feedback if you find this type of analysis
difficult.
BUILDING
BRAND YOU.
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YOUR PERSONAL
SWOT
-
The next stage of any brand building process is to
understand the market in which you are operating.
What current market opportunities exist?
How do they map onto your own vision for your own
career?
What do you need to do to exploit the opportunities
you’ve identified? Which additional skills will you need
to achieve your goals and set yourself apart from your
competition?
BUILDING BRAND YOU
WHERE TO START
SWOT
OPPORTUNITIES
What opportunities exist in
your chosen field? What are
employers looking for? What
does the economy need?
STRENGTHS
What are your personal
strengths? Education,
qualiifications, skills,
experience, connections, etc,
PERSONAL CURRENT
STATE ANALYSIS
-
SWOT
A SWOT analysis is one tool traditionally employed at the first stages of the
marketing process. Looking at yourself through this perspective can be an eye
opener! It helps you think about what you want, what is realistic and what you
need to do as you work towards achieving your goals.
EXPLOIT YOUR STRENGTHS
If you’re honest with yourself, and do your research, your SWOT should help you
develop your career strategy. It should become obvious to you how you can
leverage your strengths to exploit opportunities and mitigate threats.
As well as leveraging your strengths, look at how you can plug your weaknesses
and convert them to strengths.
PERSONAL COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Competitive advantage is all about what makes you better than the competition.
In the context of your professional and career success, it means assessing the
personal, professional, geographical and economic environment in which you
work. By assessing this honestly, you should be able to identify areas where you
either have already or could work towards securing your own personal competitive
advantage.
Do you need to develop
professional skills, soft skills
or experience?
WEAKNESSES
What disruptive forces
exist in your profession,
workforce or economy?
THREATS
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- - -
1. “The Skills Gap in the Middle East and North Africa: A Real Problem or a Mere Trifle?” YouGov and Bayt (2016)
2. YouGov and Bayt, ibid
3. “The Arab Human Capital Challenge” Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation in cooperation with Price
Waterhouse Coopers Intelligence and Strategy Unit, p27.
- - -
THE SKILLS IN DEMAND IN THE GULF
A SOFT SKILLS SHORTAGE.
Investing in and developing your own ‘soft skills’ can
give you vital competitive advantage in today’s job
market.
A 2016 research report conducted by YouGov® and
Bayt, the Middle East’s number one job site, found that
employers in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries
have difficulty recruiting candidates with the required
soft skills for both senior and mid- to junior-level
positions.
“Interestingly, ‘technical skills’ were often seen as
posing the least challenge (50% and 53% finding
these difficult in senior and more junior hires,
respectively). ‘Soft skills’, on the other hand, are
regarded as most lacking.” 1
Interestingly, these findings are in line with the same
survey’s findings about candidates’ views of their own
skills and experience:
“When asked to rate the importance of various
skills in improving their chances of finding a
job, those looking for senior positions placed
most importance on ‘communication skills’ (91%),
‘efficiency’ (91%), ‘collaboration/ teamwork’ (90%)
and ‘ability to work under pressure’ (90%).
Similar perceptions were noted among job seekers
looking for mid- or junior-level positions, with the
majority believing that soft skills are more likely to
give them an advantage when looking for a job as
opposed to ‘technical skills’.” 2
The same skills gap was identified in a study by the
Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation:
“Having expressed a general dissatisfaction
with the quality of skills delivered to the market,
Arab business leaders were asked what their
fundamental expectations were from the education
system. Overall, soft skills like communication,
teamwork, analytical skills and innovative thinking
were found to be most important to Arab business
leaders who rated them at 90% or above.” 3
Given this shortage of soft skills, and the clear demand
for them, professionals who invest in their own soft
skills can expect to have a clear advantage both in the
job market and in their professional life.
The good news is that soft skills can be taught – they
aren’t a result of personality or alchemy. Developing
them can be as simple as a new way of approaching
the task at hand, perhaps with coaching and continued
practice.
And they can help you achieve vital advantage over
other job seekers, to gain that promotion, or attract the
investment you need.
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WHAT ARE ‘SOFT SKILLS’?
- - -
Soft skills are personal attributes that indicate a high level of emotional intelligence.
Good manners, empathy, teamwork, the ability to collaborate, effective communication and presentation skills,
adaptability and conflict resolution are all soft skills.
Just like ‘hard’ technical skills, soft skills can be taught, developed and nurtured.
Demonstrating soft skills on a CV is a little more difficult than listing concrete accomplishments or technical
qualifications but they are equally important.
Research shows that soft skills are in demand, including here in the Gulf states.
8. WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR BUILDING BRAND YOU
Experienced business professionals are asked to give multiple speeches and
presentations each year. C-level executives need to be able to answer questions
from a variety of stakeholders and communicate the company strategy to their
employees in a clear and convincing way. Senior managers often need to translate
complex information into concise arguments to give a convincing message across
different audiences.
Talking Toolbox gives you the tools to talk with confidence.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
• Learn the secrets TV hosts and radio broadcasters use to enhance your
presentations.
• Learn how to engage and inspire your audience.
• Communicate with ease.
• Own the stage.
• Understand how to use nervous energy to enhance your performance.
ABOUT THIS COURSE
During this course you will gain insider knowledge from an experienced BBC radio
and TV broadcaster about how to deliver impactful presentations and keep your
audience’s attention using different engagement techniques. You will discover
how to remember your talk for maximum effect, how to deliver with confidence
and you will learn the advanced techniques the professionals use. You will have
the opportunity to practice on video what you have learnt and receive valuable
constructive feedback from the trainer.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Business men and women who are serious about improving their presentation
skills.
Entrepreneurs who want to pitch their business to investors.
Executive leaders from all sectors who have to present to their board, press,
customers or shareholders.
People who have to speak as part of their job or hobby and who want to deliver
their talks with confidence and skill.
ABOUT THE TRAINER
Jeremy Nicholas is a British author and broadcaster who has more than thirty
years’ experience in broadcasting and twenty years as a speaker. Winner of
the 2016 UK Professional Speaking Award of Excellence and the voice of global
bestselling EA FIFA video games, Jeremy is also President of the Professional
Speaking Association in London, UK.
Jeremy says: “If, like me, you like standing up in front of people and talking you are
always going to be a bit different, because most people would rather run in the
opposite direction.”
However, rather than running in the opposite direction, by attending this course
you can improve your confidence and learn some solid techniques for presenting.
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TALKING TOOLBOX
-
Soft Skills.
A lively, fun and challenging course that will help you to develop your skills and confidence in public speaking and presenting.
TOOLKIT 1:
TALKING TOOLBOX
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WHAT OUR DELEGATES SAY
“The thing that makes the Talking Toolbox session so
valuable is how practical and engaging it is. Jeremy gets
you involved from the start and offers great constructive
feedback and tips that really helped me transform my
public speaking ability in the space of a few hours.”
– Ed Dickson
TALKING
TOOLBOX.
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WHAT OUR DELEGATES SAY
“Pia is a great combination of wisdom paired with humour.
Her seminars are very hands-on with lots of practice... I
feel empowered and I now have a lot of techniques at my
disposal.”
– Sylvia Kern
PERSONAL
EXCELLENCE.
11. WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR BUILDING BRAND YOU
Communication skills aren’t all about presenting: the way we interact with others is
a vital piece of the puzzle. Though we all learn to speak at a young age, very few
people go on to develop these communication skills to maximise their potential.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
• Learn the fundamentals of communication.
• Consider theoretical approaches, e.g. the island model, the iceberg model.
• Understand the logical levels and how they affect every interaction.
• Develop active listening skills.
• Express yourself clearly using the four-step model
• Avoid assumptions and use positive wording.
ABOUT THIS COURSE
During this course you will work with a coach and trainer with more than 20
years’ experience in this field. She will guide you through the fundamentals of
communication and challenge you to think about the way you communicate.
You will learn how to get your message across effectively, how to express yourself
without criticising, how to listen to others, how to show empathy and how to stand
up for yourself without alienating others.
All are vital skills for interacting with each other and building relationships with
colleagues, customers and other stakeholders.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Anyone who wishes to communicate more effectively.
Business men and women who would like their words to carry more weight.
Entrepreneurs who want to improve the way they intereact with others.
People who are serious about maximising their potential at work and in life.
ABOUT THE TRAINER
Pia Cornaro, who is both US-American and Austrian, has been working as
an independent trainer and coach for over 20 years, mainly for multinational
enterprises in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (such as IBM, Henkel, OEMV).
Her focus is on interpersonal communication, team building, self-management
(including time and stress management) and personal development for sales
people and managers. The goal of her seminars and coaching of individuals is to
foster passion for continuous development and growth. She has lived in different
countries and learned 6 languages, and offers training and coaching in English,
French and German.
Intercultural awareness and respect for differences form the basis of all her
training. Besides a Ph.D. in Linguistics and Language Studies from Vienna
University, her background includes Suggestopedia, TEFLA, NLP, Systemic
Coaching, Louise Hay Methodology and Nonviolent Communication. Pia resides in
Vienna, Austria..
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PERSONAL
EXCELLENCE
-
Soft Skills.
A thought-provoking and practical course with ideas for maximising your potential by improving the way you communicate.
TOOLKIT 2:
PERSONAL EXCELLENCE
12. WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR BUILDING BRAND YOU
Love it or loathe it, social media is an essential skill in today’s professional life.
If you are not already active in online communities and social media, your
colleagues, customers, investors and competitors are all likely to be engaged in
conversations from which you are excluded.
Social media can help you to spot opportunities, head off problems and build the
kind of trust that creates business and professional opportunities.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
• Understand what social authority is and why it is important.
• Ensure your profiles speak about who you are.
• Develop strategies for personal connection.
• Learn how to use key social media channels, including Linkedin, Twitter,
Google+ and YouTube.
• Explore what to say and how to say it for effective content and messaging.
• Learn what metrics you need to monitor in order to track your progress and
optimise your social media activity.
• Develop your own social authority.
ABOUT THIS COURSE
Designed for subject matter experts with busy schedules, the Social Media
Bootcamp curriculum has been tailored to be delivered over eight weeks in a forty-
five-minute session each week.
By the end of the course you will feel confident about using a variety of social
media channels and will have developed and begun to implement clear strategies
for developing your own social authority.
You will also know how to track your progress using key performance indicators so
that you can continue to enhance your messages and connections and maximise
your reach.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Senior leaders who understand that social literacy will determine whether social
media will make or break their organisation.
Subject matters experts who want to engage with an online audience.
Entrepreneurs who want their social profiles and social authority to open doors.
Business men and women who want to improve their professional status and
reputation using social and online tools.
Everyone interested in developing their own social authority.
ABOUT THE TRAINER
You will be assigned a Profitecture social media ‘personal trainer’ who will set
goals, give assignments and check in weekly to answer questions and give
feedback on your progress.
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SOCIAL MEDIA
BOOTCAMP
-
Soft Skills.
Cut through the clutter to create a social strategy built on what matters most to you and improve your social authority.
TOOLKIT 3:
SOCIAL MEDIA BOOTCAMP
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WHAT OUR DELEGATES SAY
“Social Media Bootcamp was an excellent program. Very
comprehensive and intense. After taking the course, you
can clearly see that you can get out of social what you put
into it – something I would not have known or agreed with
had I not taken the course.”
– Greg Simon
SOCIAL MEDIA
BOOTCAMP.
14. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT:
TALKING TOOLBOX
-
PERSONAL
SWOT ANALYSIS
-
01 //
ABOUT YOU DEVELOP
02 //
Make a Change
Developing your presentation skills is a
good way to begin to develop Brand You.
Presenting skills can be measured and most
professionals will have opportunities in their
professional life to put them to use - and
benefit from their improvement.
Start by taking our Talking Toolbox course.
Then look for ways that you can put
your new skills into practice: seek out
opportunities to present. Volunteer to
speak.
What new opportunities arise?
Start with an Honest Assessment
What is Brand You right now?
Be realistic about your own strengths and
weaknesses.
Do some work to understand what
opportunities exist for you.
Speak with colleagues, customers and staff
to get honest feedback.
Think about those areas that need
development in the context of the
opportunities available to you (and the
threats that exist!).
What do you want Brand You to become?
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YOUR JOURNEY
BUILDING BRAND YOU
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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT:
SOCIAL MEDIA BOOTCAMP
-
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT:
PERSONAL EXCELLENCE
-
GROW IMPROVE
03 // 04 //
Continue to Develop
Now that you’ve seen some measurable
success with your new presenting skills,
it is time to develop your communication
skills further.
Our Personal Excellence course helps
you to complement your new-found
confidence in public speaking with
empathy and improved listening skills.
Monitor how your relationships with
colleagues and customers improve.
Continue to look for opportunities to
speak and present.
Develop Online Too
Personal communication is the
fundamental first step, but now that you are
developing your professional relationships,
reputation and public speaking, you will
need to develop your professional online
presence too.
People who attend your presentations
will be able to find you easily online, your
profile needs to look professional.
These connections can help you build your
social networks and will doubtless open up
further professional opportunities for you.
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TRESTLE CONSULTANCY
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
OUR PROPOSITION
We are based in Dubai, UAE.
We are the trusted advisor in the
industry because we have a holistic
approach to personal career
development and growth.
We provide structured and progressive
education programs, which are up-to-
date and relevant, catered specifically
for the modern professionals.
We are the catalyst for people who want
to realize their full potential through
mindset and behavioral shift.
We organize public workshops and
seminars that help individuals discover
themselves, as well as manage the daily
demands in life, by giving them a fresh
perspective.
We ensure the education delivery meets
the skills, needs and objectives of each
individual.
OUR CLIENTS
Our programs cater to both individuals
and enterprises.
We provide coaching to young
professionals or entrepreneurs who
want a fast start for their career or
business.
We also assist seasoned professionals
who are pursuing their career
advancement, or have decided to
switch career paths.
Most of our clients are sales and
marketing professionals, public
speakers, C-level executives, corporate
spokespersons and entrepreneurs.
Our focus industries include, but are not
limited to: Technology, Telco, Finance,
Oil & Gas and Hospitality.
Erika Maitland, Trestle COO, is aiming to set a new high
standard of professional training in the Middle East.
Established as a forward-thinking company, we deliver and
present our education programs with the right blend of virtual
and classroom learning.
We place a strong emphasis on our educators.
This means that we ensure all our programs are developed
and led by internationally renowned educators, who are
subject matter experts with deep industry experience.
THE BEST
PROFESSIONAL TALENT
OUR TEAM OF EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONALS IS
WHAT SETS OUR TRAINING APART.
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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
OUR OTHER COURSES
COURSES THAT CAN BE DELIVERED AS PUBLIC OR PRIVATE COURSES
• FORGING YOUR SUCCESS THROUGH PROFESSIONAL ETIQUETTE
• EMPOWERING WOMEN IN BUSINESS
• CUSTOMER SERVICE ORIENTATION
• HANDLING COMPLAINTS AND DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS
• POSITIVE COMMUNICATION
• INTERCULTURAL AWARENESS
• CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
• EFFICIENT MEETINGS
• FACILITATING CREATIVITY MEETINGS
• THE NEW RULES OF SELLING
• SALES CALL MASTERY
• MASTERING BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
• MONEY SUCCESS SYSTEM: FINANCIAL PLANNING
• 4IR & MACHINE LEARNING
BESPOKE CORPORATE TRAINING SERVICES
• TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS
• CORPORATE TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT
• BESPOKE COURSES
• COACHING FOR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND
PERSONAL WELL-BEING.
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TALKING
TOOLBOX
PERSONAL
EXCELLENCE
SOCIAL MEDIA
BOOTCAMP
- - -
Gain confidence when
presenting and speaking
in public.
- - -
Improve the way you
communicate to maximise
your potential.
- - -
Create and develop
your own
social authority.
TRESTLE CONSULTANCY
YOUR PARTNER FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
Trestle offers a range of open public courses throughout the year.
Please check our website for details:
www.trestle.ae
We also deliver all our courses on a private in-house basis
as well creating and delivering bespoke in-house training for individual organisations.
WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU?
www.trestle.ae
+971 (0) 525309396
20. TRESTLE
CONSULTANCY
E N A B L E | E D U C A T E | E M P O W E R | E N E R G I Z E
CONTACT WEB
Address
Dubai Internet City,
Building 11,
Office 107,
PO Box 500483,
Dubai,
United Arab Emirates.
Telephone
+971 (0) 525309396
Website: http://www.trestle.ae
Email: info@trestle.ae
