Programs

Too often, however, managers lack the skills that they need to tackle the complex demands of their job, and they don't know how to lead their people effectively. Most managers receive little or no guidance in becoming truly capable managers. Even managers with MBAs often find themselves at a loss when faced with real business challenges and teams of real people. Our programs give managers the skills they need to help their companies thrive.

Workstone Forum Programs

We offer programs for managers at all levels and in all parts of STEP companies. Our programs are made up of nine-week and twelve-week series, and they run from 18 weeks to 36 weeks in duration.

We offer four standard Workstone Forum programs:

• Middle Manager Development Program
• Senior Manager Development Program
• Business Manager Development Program
• Account Manager Development Program

We routinely tailor our programs to meet the specific needs of our customers. In addition to our standard programs, we have a collection of nine- and twelve-week series for specialized and advanced audiences. We also create new sessions, new series and new programs for our customers as needed.

Middle Manager Development Program

Our standard 36-week program for middle managers includes:

• Participant selection and invitations
• Participant intake assessments
• One-on-one intake interviews and assessment reviews
• Kickoff workshop
• Four nine-week series of group sessions:
• Self-Management and Leadership Series
• Teamwork Management and Leadership Series
• Values-Based Leadership Series
• Healthy Business Management Series
• Weekly delivery of program materials
• Weekly collection of feedback from participants and facilitators
• Four one-on-one coaching sessions for each participant
• Additional tools and assessments
• Becoming a Manager, a train-the-trainer program for participants to deliver to their people
• Closing workshop
• One-on-one follow-up interviews
• Four mid-program reports and one overall program report

For more detailed information about the structure and content of our Middle Manager Development Program, see Sample Curriculum and Schedule.

Senior Manager Development Program

Our standard 36-week program for senior managers includes:

• Participant selection and invitations
• Participant intake assessments
• One-on-one intake interviews and assessment reviews
• Kickoff workshop
• Four nine-week series of group sessions:
• Business Negotiation Skills Series
• Customer Development for Managers Series
• Unblocking Communications Series
• Strategy and Innovation Series
• Weekly delivery of program materials
• Weekly collection of feedback from participants and facilitators
• Four one-on-one coaching sessions for each participant
• Additional tools and assessments
• Five Minds of the Manager, a train-the-trainer program for participants to deliver to their people
• Closing workshop
• One-on-one follow-up interviews
• Four mid-program reports and one overall program report

Business Manager Development Program

Our standard 36-week program for STEP business managers includes:

• Participant selection and invitations
• Participant intake assessments
• One-on-one intake interviews and assessment reviews
• Kickoff workshop
• Four nine-week series of group sessions:
• Client Relationship Management Series
• Business Negotiation Skills Series
• Unblocking Communications Series
• Hardwiring Business Excellence Series
• Weekly delivery of program materials
• Weekly collection of feedback from participants and facilitators
• Four one-on-one coaching sessions for each participant
• Additional tools and assessments
• Closing workshop
• One-on-one follow-up interviews
• Four mid-program reports and one overall program report

Account Manager Development Program

Our standard 18-week program for account managers includes:

• Participant selection and invitations
• Participant intake assessments
• One-on-one intake interviews and assessment reviews
• Kickoff workshop
• Two nine-week series of group sessions:
• Customer Leadership Series
• Customer Development Series
• Weekly delivery of program materials
• Weekly collection of feedback from participants and facilitators
• Two one-on-one coaching sessions for each participant
• Additional tools and assessments
• Closing workshop
• One-on-one follow-up interviews
• Two mid-program reports and one overall program report

About the Programs

In Workstone Forum programs:

• Participants are placed into learning groups of four to six members.
• The groups meet by telephone for 60 minutes each week. The sessions are led by a Workstone-certified Group Facilitator.
• Each session is supported by a short reading that discusses best practices.
• Each session provides practical techniques for applying new knowledge.
• Most techniques are illustrated and supported with on-the-job tools.
• The primary focus of each session is the current, ongoing work of the managers.
• The managers share knowledge, build relationships, and support each other in their professional growth.
• The Group Facilitator ensures that the group discussions focus on concrete business issues and measurable financial results.

To learn more about the Workstone Forum format, see Approach.

Program Objectives and Benefits

Each Workstone Forum program:

• Improves the management and leadership skills of the participants
• Achieves measurable performance improvements within the participants' workgroups
• Prepares the participants for succession to higher positions within the organization
• Improves communication and engagement throughout the participants' workgroups
• Improves collaboration among different parts of the organization
• Increases learning and innovation within the organization
• Improves customer service and customer loyalty

In addition, each program has objectives and benefits that are specific to its audience.

To learn more about the objectives and benefits of Workstone Forum programs, see Impact.

Tailoring the Programs

We regularly customize our standard programs in order to meet the specific needs of our customers. Customizations can include modifying or creating individual sessions, or it can involve modifying or creating entire series.

In addition to the series listed here, we also have a collection of fully-prepared nine-week and twelve-week series for advanced and specialized audiences. The specialized series can be inserted into our standard programs, or they can be used to create entirely new custom programs.

To learn more about how we can customize and create programs to meet the specific needs of your managers, please contact us.

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Processes and Reports

To ensure great results, we use a special set of processes, tools and reports to deliver our programs.

For overall program delivery, we:

• Perform a thorough needs analysis
• Administer assessments to participant candidates
• Advise on participant selection
• Conduct one-on-one intake sessions
• Deliver one or more in-person workshops
• Advise on the assignment of participants to program groups
• Assign facilitators to program groups
• Provide the executive sponsor with written program reports.

Upon request, we're always available to speak with the executive sponsor about the program on the phone or in person.

For the delivery of each weekly session, we:

• Coordinate session scheduling
• Send session materials to the participants
• Collect online feedback from all session participants
• Collect an online session report from the group facilitator

We monitor participant engagement and satisfaction closely, and as needed, we communicate proactively about any issues or questions that arise. Upon request, we provide participants with one-on-one coaching sessions and provide them with additional learning materials.

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Sample Curriculum and Schedule

The following table provides a detailed example of the structure and content of our Middle Manager Development Program.

Middle Manager Development Program

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