Training Solutions:
Internal Communication
Too often, corporate functions receive training only on their respective specialty. Yet, their ability to understand how they impact overall business success and their ability to make decisions and communicate ideas with that in mind, strengthens the entire organization. There is a gap between what employees value/companies need and where many companies are investing in training. Sphere offers solutions to help employees increase their business relevance and communication effectiveness – preparing them to be better partners to each other and sales and leadership teams they support. Key programs include:
In addition to gaps in
technical skills (41%), business
leaders say there are also gaps in communication and other soft skills:
62%: communication/interpersonal skills
58%: managerial/supervisory skills
58%: critical thinking and problem-solving
51%: leadership/executive-level skills
50%: process improvement/project
management
2015 ATD Survey
Exceptional Communication: The Foundation
This program provides employees at all levels and across roles with a solid foundation – mindset, strategy, and skills – on how to communicate effectively, including developing and demonstrating emotional intelligence, effective interpersonal skills, collaboration, data gathering, and clearly communicating ideas and updates. With intact or cross functional teams, modules on creating a communication charter for the team also can be included. Modules on having critical conversations and effective written communication are also available.
Building Strategic Business Partnerships
Many corporate functions (IT, HR, Marketing, Finance, etc.) have representatives embedded in different lines of business. In many cases, they need to earn a seat – and a voice – at the table, particularly when it comes to strategic planning. This program helps participants to add the most value by addressing what they need to understand about their internal business partners and how they need to communicate in order to earn that seat and that voice – ultimately strengthening overall organization effectiveness.
Executive Presence
As high potential employees advance through the organization and organizations increase matrixed decision making, less experienced people are increasingly finding themselves engaging at the executive level. Their ability to demonstrate executive presence helps enhance credibility and increase receptivity to their messages. We help participants develop executive presence by addressing the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to excel at the executive level. This program is also appropriate for salespeople calling on client executives.
Influencing without Authority
With more cross functional teams and matrixed decision making, everyone in today’s organizations has to be able to influence without authority. Done well, internal influence looks a lot like excellent selling. Borrowing from the world of strategic selling, this program prepares individuals across levels and teams to effectively understand their colleagues’ business objectives and needs, make recommendations with those objectives and needs in mind, anticipate concerns, prepare alternatives, and reach consensus on how to move forward.