Effective Communication Skills for Professional Growth

(WLC 303) Course access begins Wednesday, December 2, 2015 Expert Presentation (Live) on Tuesday, December, 8, 2015 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM EST

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Communication is a critical skill for leaders to influence, build trust, empower and energize people and teams. However, many professional women still hold back when voicing their opinion, or in tough conversations because they're not sure of what to say. Learn powerful tools to improve your communication between co-workers, employees and higher-ups. You will gain skills to express yourself effectively and build credibility to move your career forward. In this course you will discover:

• Effective ways to express your opinions with confidence and tact
• Simple, positive changes you can make that improve attitudes and behavior
• How to recognize when communication breaks down and improve it
• Key elements of the feedback processes and how to use them

Course Highlights

Assertive Communication Tools for Women that Boost Credibility

• Developing confidence in your own judgment - and projecting it
• Powerful words women should use and weak words to avoid
• Using "straight-line" communication to build credibility
• Handling common challenges women face when communicating
• Create your own personal action plan to boost your effectiveness

Handling Difficult Conversations and Situation with Confidence

• Why many women avoid difficult conversations, and why this won't be you
• Ways to handle criticism and feedback professionally
• Tools for making your message clear and choosing the best timing
• Key elements to help you plan your conversation
• Words to choose and words to lose when confronting a colleague

Live Question & Answer Session - Have your questions answered by the expert!

Our Expert Instructor

Pamela Jett is an internationally recognized presenter and author on developing leadership skills and improving workplace relationships. Her background includes:

• Ms. Jett has worked with clientele ranging from the high-tech sector and manufacturing to women's groups and government agencies
• Pamela has served clients such as Lockheed Martin, Allstate Insurance, Sony, The United Way, NASA, plus many other notable organizations

A CONVENIENT AND IMPACTFUL LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Our carefully selected courses give women professionals like you tools and techniques to advance your career, while helping you make your organization more competitive, productive, and profitable. You get timely, relevant information and practical strategies that you can immediately apply. Best of all, you can complete your training right from your office or home.

HIGH-QUALITY TRAINING WITHOUT THE HIGH COST

For only $349, you get exclusive online access to:

• Live presentation from leading women experts
• Convenient on-line training - no classrooms or travel
• Supplementary assignments to enhance learning
• Interactive discussions to network with your peers
• Personalized feedback on course activities
• Real-time Q&A with instructors

You have up to 10 days to complete the course. When you do, you will earn one of four credits needed towards your Women in Leadership Certificate.

If you can't attend the live event, the presentation will be posted to our learning platform within 24 hours.

Learning With Us

Our courses are set up so you can complete coursework online in a format that is convenient for busy women managing multiple projects at work and at home. Each course is comprised of live interactive instruction from a topic expert, articles and videos, exercises to put your new skills to work and a proprietary online discussion forum with expert instructor feedback and peer networking opportunities.Learning assignments and materials are available online 24/7 to be completed any time of day that best fits YOUR schedule.

• Live-Instructor Lead Training: Each course contains a live training in the first week. Presentations are delivered by women that are industry experts, best-selling authors, lawyers, and respected leaders, covering the most recent, relevant topics impacting professional women today.
• Reading Assignments and Exercises: Further your course work and improve retention of what you've learned with supporting reading assignments and exercises that are evaluated by an experienced instructor. Readings and assignments are conveniently accessible online 24/7.
• Discussions: Each student has the opportunity to discuss and debate topics with your peers in an interactive setting, with feedback facilitated by your instructor.

With each course program you will receive:

• Convenient, on-line training you can do right from your office or home
• Actionable leadership tools you can put to use today
• Opportunities to network with women peers to share experiences and make connections
• Hands-on learning activities that help retain more, making the most of your time
• Live, expert instruction from today's leading women professionals
• One-on-one, direct feedback and support as you progress through each course
• Mobile access that makes learning even easier, where ever you are

Live presentations and discussion sessions are conducted online. Follow-along PowerPoint presentations and additional course materials are made available through downloadable PDFs.

Should you have any questions along the way, your course instructor and a dedicated student services team are available to assist you via email and phone.

Program Investment

Success Is Priceless

Continuing education may be the best investment you can make in yourself, and your career. Our courses increase your knowledge, enhance your job performance, add credentials to your resume and ultimately make you a stronger candidate for growth opportunities.

Our Certificate programs are competitively priced at $349 per core course and $199 per elective course. All course materials and personalized feedback are included. There are no administrative or technology fees.

Employer Reimbursement

It is proven education will only increase your value in the workplace. Many companies offer educational funding assistance for employees working to acquire advanced knowledge and training. Some employers will cover partial or full costs. Check with your human resources department for details on your company's educational funding assistance policy.

Tax Savings

Continuing education expenses often qualify for a tax deduction, particularly if the courses you're taking are directly related to your field. Check with your accountant or visit http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc513.html for more details.

Leadership Certificate

Regardless of where you work, women face a unique set of challenges and obstacles in the workplace that their male counterparts may never have had to deal with or relate. Whether it's trying to get to the next level in your career, or getting your ideas heard, women typically have to work harder - and smarter - to advance.

By earning a Women in Leadership Certificate you will be up-to-date on the most important skills, techniques, best practices, and information to effectively lead and communicate with others in your organization. You will be able to immediately apply the tools you learn to improve productivity and performance with defined and measurable results.

Benefits for the Individual Woman:

By participating in our certificate program you will:

• Accelerate your career with leadership skills women professionals need to smash through the glass ceiling and get ahead in today's workplace
• Develop assertive communication skills that will help you speak up with confidence and authority and get your message heard - without having to sacrifice your femininity
• Build credibility and influence with techniques that win over even the most difficult people in any office - and without coming across as "bossy"
• Network and share experiences with a community of women leaders and peers who have been in the trenches too, and understand where you're coming from
• Become an innovative leader for change and growth in your organization using your own unique skills and strengths
• Gain balance in your life so you can excel at work and at home, and increase your satisfaction in both
• Get an inside look of what it takes to succeed from top women professionals

Benefits for Employers

With our certificate program your organization will:

• Empower your female leaders with the skills they need to effectively manage and motivate
• Keep your top women performers: demonstrate the value you place on your female employees by investing in their professional development
• Increase productivity with essential communication and leadership skills that utilize the unique qualities women bring to an organization
• Create strategic thinkers that lead change and bottom-line growth through stronger connections with both male and female peers
• Build a stronger workplace culture that supports the advancement of women within the organization and provides further career opportunities

Boost your own job performance, security and stature with our online leadership certificate program created by leading women professionals and experts today. You will earn your Women in Leadership Certificate by completing 4 expert level core courses plus 1 elective course developed specifically for women professionals.

Leadership Elective Courses

If you are completing a Women in Leadership Certificate, in addition to 4 core courses you are required to complete 1 elective course. Elective courses cover specific areas allowing you to go more in depth into topics that mean the most to you. You are only required to view and listen to the presentation - there is no discussion or additional assignments. An elective course is a full length presentation with printable notes and earns 1 credit toward a Women in Leadership Certificate.

How Good Managers Become Great Leaders (WLC 401)

Top women leaders of today will tell you the secret to their success is balancing the right amount of management and leadership skills. Knowing the difference between being a manager and being a leader is a crucial step to moving your career to the next level. Highlights:

• How your power and authority can be helpful - and when it can be destructive
• When your team expects you to lead vs. manage - what's the difference?
• Advanced motivation skills to turn around declining moral
• Communication skills top women leaders use in the toughest situations
• How to perfect your strategic thinking to get to the next level

Speaker: Pamela Jett

Keys to Success in BOTH Work and Life (WLC 402)

Are you suffering from "Super Woman" syndrome - trying to excel in your professional role while getting it all done at home? With the right tools, you can find balance to manage challenges at work and at home. Highlights:

• Take more control and delineate the lines between work and home
• Exceed expectations of clients and employers, while managing the home front
• Beat burnout from juggling demands of both your professional and personal lives
• Exercise your options to get more flexibility and support in the workplace
• Prioritize what's important to gain more time - and get your life back

Speaker: Tara Powers

Do's and Don'ts for Handling Difficult Conversations (WLC 403)

Have you ever put off having a tough conversation because you had no idea of what to say, or the nerve to say it? If so, you are not alone. For many women professionals, the thought of delivering bad news or criticism makes us feel anxious and uncomfortable. Highlights:

• What to say and what to avoid when having tricky conversations
• It's not personal: keys to delivering criticism professionally
• Tips for appearing confident and credible during tough discussions
• How to master your emotions even when others can't
• Articulating what needs to be said when your career is on the line

Speaker: Pamela Jett

How to Increase Your Influence and Visibility (WLC 404)

Many women professionals struggle with having their hard work recognized at the office. Are you frustrated with trying to get buy-in for your ideas in meetings? Wish someone would show you ways to become more visible, and gain the seat at the table you aspire to? Highlights:

• Capitalize on your own unique skills and strengths to stand out
• Identify professional goals, and what it takes to get there
• Expand and deepen visibility in the workplace
• Build credibility and influence to get a seat at the table

Speaker: Colleen Slaughter

Delegating Skills that Get Results (WLC 405)

It's no secret - clear communication is one of the most important skills a professional woman must possess to advance. To thrive as a leader, women must be able to use clear and powerful communication to give instructions, provide helpful and corrective feedback, and delegate in a way that yields results. Highlights:

• How to deliver instructions with authority - without seeming pushy
• Keys to building buy-in and support for your projects
• Tips for dealing with difficult people and winning them over
• Effective ways to give and receive criticism without taking it personally

Speaker: Pamela Jett

Boost Your Success: How Today's Top Women Use Creativity and Innovation (WLC 406)

Women bring a unique set of skills to the workplace that makes us an integral part of the creative process. With the right tools and techniques, you'll be a driving force for innovation and creativity in your organization, taking it to the next level. Highlights:

• The seven key principles for leading innovation you need to know
• Why improving creativity at work propels your career forward
• How to maximize the creative potential of individuals and teams
• Six steps to build an environment that fosters creativity and innovation
• 10 specific techniques for being more creative and innovative in your work

Speaker: Tara Powers

Gaining Power and Credibility with Emotional Intelligence (WLC 407)

Effective leadership is built on Emotional Intelligence (EI). Women leaders engage more with managers and employees to achieve better balance and are set up to succeed more at work if they understand Emotional Intelligence. In this training you will gain in-depth knowledge and the practical Emotional Intelligence skills you need to ensure that you are a strong and emotionally intelligent leader. Highlights:

• What Emotional Intelligence is and why is it crucial to your career
• How to manage your anxieties and self-doubts as a leader
• Ways to be more confident and decisive with decision-making techniques
• Steps to create cohesive teams that understand how to apply emotional intelligence

Speaker: Pamela Jett

Get Organized, Get Productive, Get Promoted (WLC 408)

Productivity is the key ingredient for your professional growth and development. When you're equipped with the right tools, the right plan, and the right attitude, you will rightfully take your place as one of the most inspiring professional women within your organization. Highlights:

• How women can turn chaos into momentum when everything happens at once
• How to reap the benefits of better planning to get more done
• Why deadlines get missed - and how to make sure they won't be again
• Specific tips to organize your work area for improved efficiency

Speaker: Patty Kreamer

Avoiding Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers (WLC 409)

As women, we usually want to be the "nice girl" and say "yes" to each new task or project we are asked to do, but we can't do it all - nor should we. How and why do women unconsciously sabotage their careers? And what can you do about it? Highlights:

• The kinds of risks professionally respected women must take everyday
• Why you shouldn't obediently follow instructions - and what you should do instead
• Ways to use body language to project confidence and credibility
• How to break the cycle of working nonstop without a break
• Proven ways to stop giving in when you know you are right

Speaker: Pamela Jett

Coaching Skills to Build Better Relationships (WLC 410)

Coaching is a core competency in today's high performance workplace. Successful women professionals understand coaching is an essential means of strengthening working relationships with employees, colleagues and bosses so everyone can achieve more. Highlights:

• Build trust and respect with associates up and down the ladder
• Use a step-by-step formula for coaching chronic behavior into winning habits
• Work with employees and superiors to find solutions together
• Motivate and improve the productivity of your team

Speaker: Carol Hacker

Effective Leadership Skills for Women: Key to Professional Growth
(WLC 411)

From the front-line worker to the CEO, effective leadership skills are essential for women looking to motivate those around them and build buy-in for their ideas. Strong leadership skills are what will take you to the next level of your professional development. Highlights:

• Attributes of effective leaders, and how you can develop them yourself
• What you can do to gain support for your ideas up and down the ladder
• Tips to build a strong team and get them excited about your projects
• How to lead from a base of facts, data and passion - not emotion

Speaker: Mildred Munjanganja

Critical Skills for Business Networking Today (WLC 412)

For women, successful networking is based on building strong relationships and rapport with people that will support you as you grow in your career. How do you develop these strong connections? Highlights:

• Build your network and professional credibility
• Motivate people to want to help you - by bringing value to them
• Show people how they can most effectively help you
• Develop a networking process to get the results you want

Speaker: Michelle R. Donovan