professional development WORKSHOPs:  descriptions

Download our Professional Development Workshops brochure
Client Leadership
Design professionals understand the value of preparing for project interviews, of highlighting their leadership teams on websites and of describing in marketing collateral how they will lead clients toward effective solutions.  Yet few firms train staff in how to proactively lead and manage clients.  Participants will learn specific strategies and techniques, and start developing a toolkit for effectively leading clients throughout the entire project.
Outcomes and Benefits
  • A heightened awareness of the role of design professionals as trusted strategic advisors
  • Better educated clients and more timely decisions
  • An enhanced risk management program
  • Specific strategies and techniques for leading clients throughout the entire project cycle
Mentoring and Coaching
This workshop redefines mentoring and coaching for design professionals.  Participants will learn to develop and implement mentoring and coaching initiatives that reinforce a firm’s core values and that target leadership effectiveness, constructive collaboration ​and career development.
​Outcomes and Benefits
  • Highlight the firm’s commitment to professional development, personal growth and individual career planning
  • Tailor mentoring and coaching initiatives to fit a firm’s culture and specific training needs
  • Strengthen strategic professional relationships
  • Target training in the areas where training is most needed
Leadership Development Planning
This workshop provides an overview and basic tools necessary for participants to develop a Leadership Development Plan and prepares each participant to create and manage his or her personal career planning initiative.  A strategic framework will be established for acquiring the knowledge, training, mentoring and coaching necessary to develop a comprehensive range of leadership skills.
Outcomes and Benefits
  • Encourage emerging leaders to accelerate their paths toward leadership
  • Enhance leadership communication, collaboration and accountability
  • Identify emerging leaders most capable of assuming increasing levels of firm-wide leadership
  • Overcome career development challenges by leveraging leadership pathways and learning opportunities
​​Our professional development workshops are tailored 
to ​each firm's ​culture and leadership style.
Effective ​Self-Leadership
Leadership requires both service and continuous self-reflection.  In this workshop, participants will learn self-leadership techniques for modeling leadership traits and behaviors that teach, encourage and reinforce self-leadership in others.  To be truly effective and inspirational when leading others, you must first master leading yourself.
Outcomes and Benefits
  • Develop a firm-wide leadership culture strengthened by effective self-leadership
  • Implement action-oriented self-leadership strategies that enhance individual and team performance, innovation, commitment, motivation and creativity
  • Employ self-leadership techniques to successfully lead others to lead themselves
  • Recognize leadership as a life-long pursuit with tremendous potential for continuous improvement
Leadership Team Organization
Strong leadership teams and strategic initiatives decentralize and streamline firm-wide governance, promote cross-pollination while strengthening professional relationships and provide opportunities to shape a firm’s ongoing evolution.  In this workshop, participants learn how to establish high-level firm-wide goals, develop an organizational framework tailored to their firm’s needs, establish communication protocols, develop initial team objectives and resolve anticipated challenges.  Participants will be motivated to implement a collaborative leadership system that embraces shared accountability and mutual respect.
Outcomes and Benefits
  • Efficient communication systems and techniques that lead to effective governance and decision making
  • Shared learning, collaborative problem solving and professional relationship development
  • Ability to leverage individual strengths, experiences and passions within the context of achieving leadership team objectives
  • Motivation to provide challenging leadership opportunities that facilitate personal growth and career advancement
Attracting ​and Retaining Talent
This workshop provides insights into the primary decision factors that motivate design professionals to join and remain committed to a firm.  Participants will be introduced to professional development topics that design professionals find most important.  Strategies will be discussed based on a firm’s current situation to initiate changes that attract and retain future leaders, key contributors and high-potential employees.
Outcomes and Benefits
  • Develop a targeted talent recruitment and retention policy that meets the evolving needs and desires of the professional design community
  • Implement changes that improve a firm’s street reputation
  • Initiate valuable dialogue with future leaders about professional satisfaction and  pathways to leadership 
  • Create career development action plans for high potential employees that include training curricula, accountability benchmarks and promotion criteria
Developing a Culture of Risk Management
Risk management extends beyond reviewing contract terms and implementing a technical quality control program.  This workshop shows firms how to develop a risk management culture that encompasses educating clients and managing expectations, hiring for collaboration and problem-solving skills, gathering intelligence as part of “go / no-go” decisions, communicating with stakeholders, holding clients and consultants accountable for their actions and decisions, and embracing difficult conversations. Participants will leave with a broadened perspective of collaborative risk management strategies.
Outcomes and Benefits
  • A firm-wide risk management program embraced by all staff
  • More satisfied clients and ongoing client referrals
  • Buildings, systems and structures out-performing expectations
  • Increased profitability and more opportunities for innovation
Each professional development workshop provides clarity, challenges conventional thinking and identifies solutions that ​help design professionals achieve ​their most ​pressing business and personal goals.
Implementing Operating Budgets
This workshop reveals how to develop and utilize an Operating Budget to support a firm’s strategic goals, guide financial planning and develop advanced financial management techniques.  Participants will learn how to use this powerful tool to make informed business decisions and improve firm-wide profitability.
Outcomes and Benefits
  • A comprehensive understanding of a firm’s financial structure and a deeper awareness of the costs associated with operating a design practice
  • A clear model for analyzing and making strategic financial planning and business decisions
  • Improved financial reporting accuracy and abilities to interpret and act on key financial metrics
  • Firm leaders better prepared to accurately forecast financial performance and initiate proactive planning steps
Project Financial Management
This workshop provides a comprehensive overview of the key factors that influence a project’s financial performance while presenting action steps for improving profitability.  Participants will be prepared to immediately integrate profit-focused strategies and straightforward financial management tools into daily practice.
Outcomes and Benefits
  • An elevated appreciation for the influence that ongoing project profitability has on the health and well-being of a design-focused business
  • An increased profit sharing capacity and enhanced competitive advantage to help attract and retain top talent
  • An ability to reinvest increased profits in design innovation, research and development, technical advancement, professional development and office infrastructure
  • A more effective set of project budgeting tools and tactics
Building a Successful Practice:  
​From Infancy through Mastery
Design firms often struggle through different stages as they evolve and expand. This workshop describes specific steps firms must implement as they progress from Infancy through Mastery. Topics include leadership skills, business development and expansion strategies, strategic planning, staff and client management techniques, collaboration, leadership development, creating value and negotiating fees that reflect that value.  Participants will leave with renewed energy and determination to improve their practice, empower staff and provide value closely attuned to their clients’ missions.
Outcomes and Benefits
  • Tools to evaluate the success of a firm
  • An understanding of how to navigate through the five stages of firm development
  • An ability to analyze a firm’s operations (“getting,” “running” and “doing”)
  • Specific action steps to improve a firm’s operations and align them with the firm's core values
Download our Professional Development Workshops brochure