Up-skilling for success
About our workshops
We offer a range of professional development opportunities open to managers and staff at various locations across Western Victoria and Eastern South Australia. We also deliver the programs listed below in-house or can tailor content to meet your organisation's specific needs. All workshops are of 4 hours duration unless otherwise stated.
Register your interest by contacting Claire via the email link below.
Multi-Day Programs
Class of 2021 - HR Practitioners Program
This intensive year-long program is designed with practicality in mind.
Participants in this program will deep dive into best practice processes and strategies for HR excellence, underpinned by learning the legislative environment relating to each topic.
The 8 modules are as follows:
- Recruiting for success
- Interviewing and Selection
- Effective onboarding and Probationary Management
- Managing and Lifting Performance
- Career Planning and Succession Planning
- Achieving employee wellbeing and recognising achievement
- Negotiating the Minefield: Managing end of employment arrangements
- HR and Organisational Development Planning
Click here for PDF containing full program details
Emerging Leaders – 2 Day Program
Do you have talent within your organisation whom you have identified for stepping into leadership or expanded roles in the immediate to medium-term future?
We recognise that developing the confidence to step capably into leadership opportunities is key. Arm your employees with skills and tools that will build their confidence now in preparation for the future.
- Apply strategies to make the transition from “one of the team” to “leading the team”
- Use the ‘Challenging Conversations’ framework to confidently manage the performance of staff
and provide effective feedback - Apply tools and techniques to maximise the effectiveness of team meetings
- Gain a fuller understanding of how to structure conversations effectively and respectfully in the workplace
- Utilise strategies to manage time more effectively
- Recognise the value in setting a vision for the team and translate this into meaningful goals
for staff
Click here for PDF containing full program details
Lead to Succeed – 7 Module Program
Want to maximise the outputs of your team members?
Looking for the edge to take your team to the next level?
Seeking practical techniques to enhance your people management skills?
Cooper Hardiman is pleased to introduce “Lead to Succeed”, a comprehensive leadership development program which will provide participants with the skills, tools and techniques to enhance their team’s outputs and tackle the challenges of leadership with confidence. Learning with (and from) a consistent group of peers, Lead to Succeed participants will have the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills by attending 7 half-day workshops over the course of the year with the bonus of access to experienced mentors who will work with them one-on-one to support them to achieve better outcomes in the workplace.
The 7 modules are as follows:
- Leading and Succeeding – exploring the fundamentals of leadership
- Personal Effectiveness
- Feedback that gets results
- Managing and Lifting Performance
- The Leadership Challenge!
- Achieving Team Vision and Purpose
- Celebrating Success
Click here for PDF containing full program details
Managing Performance
& Behaviour
Challenging Conversations
Learn a tried and tested formula which has been successfully applied by hundreds of managers to help you address poor performance or behavioural issues as they arise.
- Use the “Challenging Conversations” model to effectively and confidently address poor performance or behaviours across a variety of situations in the workplace.
- Describe and apply various techniques to maximise the effectiveness of conversations about behaviours or performance.
Performance Management That Works
Imagine how successful your business would be if all of your staff were committed and focused on contributing their part toward achieving the organisation’s objectives as well as being accountable for the same shared values and agreed behaviours in the workplace. It’s not a pipe dream - it can happen provided your managers learn the right techniques and put the right systems in place!
- Apply best-practice approaches to pro-active performance management, and understand it’s correlation to high performing teams.
- Consider organisational values and strategy in the management of performance and setting
of goals. - Conduct meaningful performance discussions with employees, including setting goals in line with SMART principles.
When Enough is Enough
Taking disciplinary action or ending a person’s employment can be one of the most difficult things a manager will need to do. So when you do set out to manage continued under performance or inappropriate conduct it’s important that you can be confident your approach will achieve the desired result and not unnecessarily expose your organisation to legal risk and costly claims.
- Identify and mitigate the key risks associated with terminating employment, including those associated with unfair and unlawful dismissal claims.
- Distinguish between cases of misconduct and poor performance and identify the basic steps required to appropriately respond to each case.
- Conduct a basic disciplinary process and prepare effective warning letters.
- Apply a range of strategies to effectively conduct disciplinary meetings including those resulting in termination.
Conflict resolution
and problem solving
Conflict Resolution
Unresolved conflict costs Australian workplaces billions of dollars each year. In fact, one study suggests a staggering 46% of Australian employees would rather look for a new job than contend with a workplace issue and 48% of employees take time off work when experiencing a tough time at work. [R U OK? Australian Workplace Relationships survey 2012] . In this workshop we give you the tools, techniques and confidence to appropriately address workplace conflicts as they arise.
- Recognise the underlying causes of common workplace conflicts.
- Describe the strengths and weaknesses of various techniques to resolve conflict and identify the most appropriate method to apply to different conflict types.
- Build confidence and skill in applying various conflict management strategies including mediation techniques used by professional mediators.
Discrimination bullying and harassment prevention
Contact Officer (full day)
Appropriately trained volunteer Contact Officers provide an important alternate avenue for employees to discuss issues of concern relating to claims of unlawful discrimination, harassment and/or bullying. They can also play a significant role in reducing claims and demonstrating an organisation’s commitment to building an inclusive workplace culture.
This workshop ensures that your Contact Officers understand their role and are equipped to perform
it well.
- Learn what is and ISN’T the role of the Contact Officer.
- Identify and describe activities that may constitute harassment, bullying and unlawful discrimination in accordance with the current legislative framework.
- Recognise the weaknesses in formal complaints mechanisms and identify strategies to support employees to self-resolve disputes where appropriate to do so.
- Implement best practice approaches to personal record keeping, feedback mechanisms to senior management and the creation of appropriate support networks.
Building respectful workplaces
Practical strategies to minimise Bullying, Harassment
and Discrimination
This workshop is suitable for all of your workforce and ensures your staff are educated about appropriate standards that are expected of them and others in the workplace in relation to equal opportunity,
bullying and harassment.
Our workshops are delivered with a focus on respectful behaviour - not creating a victim mentality that will just lead to a spike in your formal complaints.
- Clarify legal definitions of what IS and ISN'T bullying & harassment.
- Understand the difference between direct & indirect discrimination.
- Develop basic techniques to self-resolve concerns about inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.
- Develop staff members' skills in receiving feedback and championing respectful behaviours.
Understand your employment obligations
Managing Staff with a Mental Illness
As many as one in four adults in Australia will suffer from a mental illness during their working careers, yet many managers are unsure of their legal obligations and how to respond. Is it a breach of privacy to ask someone about their condition? How can I best support a person with a mental illness without becoming their psychologist? Can I discipline a person if they behave inappropriately due to a mental illness? What if they go on WorkCover or are suicidal? In this practical workshop our facilitators will share their expertise and guide you through the minefield.
- Describe the major types of diagnosable mental illness and their most common symptoms.
- Identify early warning signs of mental illness in the workplace.
- Identify key legal risks associated with managing a person who had identified as having
a mental illness. - Develop and apply strategies for assisting staff with a mental illness whilst continuing to ensure accountability for appropriate performance and behaviour.
Employment Law Essentials
The past five years has been a period of rapid change in employment law. The introduction of Modern Awards, the National Employment Standards, new adverse action and anti-bullying provisions, developments in the common law and increased obligations relating to superannuation and OH&S have all added to the complexity. Many employers and managers are unknowingly at risk of signifcant financial losses and being held personally liable for breaches of their obligations.
- Identify key legal risks associated with selection and recruitment.
- Identify potential areas of improvement in contractual documentation.
- Describe the key obligations imposed by the Fair Work Act with particular focus on the National Employment Standards, Adverse Action and Anti-bullying provisions.
- Demonstrate a general understanding of the sources of other obligations imposed by other acts relating to OH&S, Superannuation and Long Service Leave.
Negotiating the Minefield
Making Sense of your legal HR obligations
Do you have staff who are consistently late or absent from work who are suffering from a non-work related illness or injury? Is their illness or disability impacting on their performance in the workplace? What can you do? In this workshop we explore how you can move through the minefield of “do’s and don’t’s” of managing staff with special needs with a particular focus on injuries and illness.
- Describe the relevant legislation which applies to recruitment, management and termination of staff who are injured, ill or have special needs.
- Apply simple techniques to keep staff accountable for temporary absences.
- Identify suitable strategies to manage more complex cases involving long term illness and injury.
Recruitment
Effective Recruitment, Selection and Induction
We all make mistakes - but recruiting the wrong person is a costly and time consuming mistake that can usually be avoided. In this workshop we teach you the simple but effective techniques to ensure that you “Hire hard - Manage easy”.
- Use behavioural interview techniques to recruit for the right values and behaviours - not just experience or technical competency.
- Apply the tactics that effective recruiters use to get the most out of recruitment, selection, reference checking and induction processes.
- Identify and mitigate the key legal and reputational risks associated with recruitment.
- Understand the importance of induction and onboarding processes, including elements of best practice processes.
- Maximise the employee probationary and qualifying periods in accordance with the Fair Work Act.
Interview Like an Expert*
Are you required to interview staff and want to ensure that your approach is as effective as it could be? In this masterclass we explore more advanced interview techniques and strategies to ensure you select the best available candidate.
- Identify common mistakes and limitations associated with a range of interview techniques and approaches.
- Identify areas for improvement in their own interview technique as well as opportunities to improve their organisation’s interview processes.
- Apply advanced behavioural interview questioning techniques to identify relevant skills and values that each candidate will bring to your role.
- Describe and apply techniques to ensure you select the best candidate for the job - not the best candidate at selling themselves at interview!
Culture and leadership
Leading Through Change
The capacity to successfully lead teams, work groups or organisations through change is one of the most critical skills required of any leader – especially at a time when the complexity and pace of change has never seemed greater. In this workshop we equip you with the tools to maximise your effectiveness in leading people through change.
- Explore common mistakes and key obstacles to the successful implementation of organisational change and how to overcome them.
- Identify the critical role that leaders within organisations play to drive effective change.
- Apply project management methodology to implement robust change management techniques and ensure that your proposed changes achieve their intended strategic objectives.
Creating a Culture for Long Term Success
Each organisation has its own unique culture. However, research suggests that the culture of each workplace is a key driver of organisational performance. So what can you do to ensure that you are driving the right culture for long term success?
- Describe the significance of organisational culture and it’s link to organisational performance.
- Identify some of the strengths and weaknesses of your existing organisational culture and how this is likely to impact on the organisation’s long term success.
- Reflect on your own leadership style and identify any changes you wish to make to drive your preferred culture.
- Identify solutions to common cultural challenges in workplaces including encouraging prudent risk taking, driving greater initiative and innovation and avoiding silos or an “us versus them” mentality.
Leadership Essentials (full day)
Recently appointed to a supervisory or managerial role? Been in the role for some time but not sure where to best spend your limited time, energy and effort? In this workshop we share with participants
a range of tools and techniques that they can use to maximise their impact as a leader of teams or individuals.
- Identify and apply strategies to make the transition from “one of the team” to “leading the team”.
- Apply tools and techniques to maximise the effectiveness of team meetings.
- Utilize strategies to manage time more effectively.
- Recognise the value in setting a vision for the team and translate this into meaningful goals
for staff. - Build confidence and skill in managing the performance of staff including providing effective feedback.
Team building and understanding team dynamics
Workplace Challenge
Unified teams that genuinely collaborate and co-operate are more productive teams. Through participating in a range of fun and practical team building challenges which promote effective communication, collaboration and creative thinking - your team won’t just learn the theory, but will also experience first hand the satisfaction and results that come from working in a cohesive team towards a common purpose.
- Articulate your teams’ shared purpose and vision and how each member contributes to the achievement of that vision.
- Develop a clear set of actions and priorities to lead their team toward success
- Foster innovative and creative thinking
Leadership Edge Workshops marked with an * are recommended for participants with prior experience related to the topic or who have also undertaken or will be undertaking the equivalent Leadership Essentials topic immediately prior to their participation.
Register your interest by contacting one of our friendly staff.
Get in touch
info@cooperhardiman.com.au PO Box 837, Warrnambool 3280
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