Cooper Hardiman

Organisational Development

If you want to ensure that your organisation is an employer of choice that embraces best practice processes, our Organisational Development workshops are for you. With a range of learning opportunities from developing strong and cohesive teams to managing your staff and negotiating the minefield of legislative responsibilities, there is bound to be a program to suit your organisational needs. Please contact Claire Farrer for further information on any of these workshops on 0419 138 085 or via email at claire@cooperhardiman.com.au.

In this workshop we help you to break down the 'big picture' thinking to enable you to bring your team together and use your shared goals and vision to develop the way forward. We'll provide you with the tools and skills you need to lead your team effectively and collaboratively. Outcomes for participants include:

Understanding the process for developing a clear and compelling organisational vision.
Utilise effective planning tools such as the Goals Grid and SMART goals framework.
Understand the concept of the 'visionary leader'.
Understand the role of organisational culture and leadership in keeping employee motivated and focused on achieving a shared vision.

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.

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.

Every organisation has its own unique culture. However, research suggests that the culture of a 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

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. This workshop provides practical strategies to minimise bullying, harassment and discriminatory behaviour without creating a victim mentality that may lead to a spike in 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.

For many people, dealing with the difficult behaviours of others happens all too often. In this workshop, we provide you with guidance in dealing with difficult behaviours in a clear, empathic and constructive way. Learning outcomes from this workshop include:

Learning our '7 Steps to Resolving Customer Concerns'; a simple framework to manage interactions in a way that will maximise the likelihood of a constructive outcome.
Understanding the attributes of effective communication, including active listening and the capacity to hear and understand the needs of others.
Learning the power of a 'Positive No'.
Understanding the danger in assuming that what we mean to convey and what isunderstood by others is the same thing.
Learning a range of techniques that can be utilised in different scenarios to de-escalate situations.
Developing healthy coping strategies and a greater resilience in managing our own emotions when having difficult or stressful conversations.

We have experienced 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. For employers and managers who are not sufficiently across their obligations, they may unknowingly be at risk of significant 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.

Do you want to foster a progressive and innovative culture within your organisation? How do you encourage teamwork within an organisation operating within divisions and with a different set of goals? In this workshop we challenge the concept of organisational 'silos' and discuss the benefits of effective collaboration.

Analyse the attributes of operational collaboration.
Consider a range of strategies that may benefit you and your team.
Explore the concept of innovation and the conditions we can create as leaders to lead an innovative culture.
Encourage you to consider andadopt some new practices or change your approach based on learnings from this workshop.

It is critical for managers to have knowledge and awareness around the various aspects of the employee/employer relationship. In this HR 101 workshop, we will help you to understand the key areas as they apply to managers in making sound people decisions consistent with legislative and organisational policy requirements. Outcomes include:

Understanding the key sources of employment rights and responsibilities and how they interact with each other.
Identify and respond appropriately to risks in areas such as adverse action and staff exercising a workplace right.
Manage and respond to requests for flexibility arrangements.
Understanding your Health and Safety obligations, including anti-bullying provisions.

Can you imagine your workplace filled with staff who are all committed and focused on contributing to your oganisational vision and objectives, as well as being accountable for the same shared values and agreed behaviours within the workplace? It's not a pipe dream. It can achieved, provided that 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.

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 do's and don'ts, in order to achieve the best possible outcome for everyone.

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 havinga mental illness.
Develop and apply strategies for assisting staff with a mental illness whilst continuing to ensure accountability for appropriate performance and behaviour.

So much has changed over the past two years, including the way we interact with our staff and as a team. But what hasn’t changed is that we all continue to remain accountable for our roles. In this workshop we explore strategies for effectively managing staff and teams remotely, whilst ensuring that team morale and staff wellbeing remains a priority. This workshop is suitable for managers and supervisors wishing to gain insight into strategies and tools to effectively manage your team in a changing and challenging environment. By the end of this workshop participants will be able to:

Apply Change Management principles to the context of working from home or working remotely.
Consider Performance Management in this context – what really matters at a time like this.
Share ideas for practical steps to maximise the performance of all employees and ensuring ongoing accountability.
Consider employee wellbeing, morale and culture in these challenging times.

This workshop is designed for managers and supervisors wishing to gain insight into strategies and tools to effectively support team development. We provide insights and advice into developing and implementing mentoring programs within your team and your organisation to enhance the professional development of your staff. This workshop will help you to build and foster trust within the mentor/mentee relationship to reach your desired outcomes and achieve team success. By the end of this workshop participants will be able to:

Understand the benefits gained by the mentor, mentee and the organisation through a mentoring relationship.
Identify the key skills and attributes that can be enhanced through mentoring, to benefit both the mentee and the organisation.
Have the skills and knowledge to develop and implement a mentoring program with individual and organisational support.
Understand how to measure the progress and maintain momentum for long term success.

Taking disciplinary action or ending a person’s employment can be one of the most difficult things a manager will need to do andit’s vital that your approach to managing continued underperformance or inappropriate conduct 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.

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

Find out more about Cooper Hardiman workshops

Up-skilling for success

Organisational Development

Achieving Team Vision and Purpose

Understanding the process for developing a clear and compelling organisational vision.

Utilise effective planning tools such as the Goals Grid and SMART goals framework.

Understand the concept of the 'visionary leader'.

Understand the role of organisational culture and leadership in keeping employee motivated and focused on achieving a shared vision.

Conflict Resolution

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.

Contact Officer Training

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.

Creating a Culture for Long Term Success

Every organisation has its own unique culture. However, research suggests that the culture of a 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

Creating a Culture of Respect

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.

Dealing with Difficult Behaviours

For many people, dealing with the difficult behaviours of others happens all too often. In this workshop, we provide you with guidance in dealing with difficult behaviours in a clear, empathic and constructive way. Learning outcomes from this workshop include:

Learning our '7 Steps to Resolving Customer Concerns'; a simple framework to manage interactions in a way that will maximise the likelihood of a constructive outcome.

Understanding the attributes of effective communication, including active listening and the capacity to hear and understand the needs of others.

Learning the power of a 'Positive No'.

Understanding the danger in assuming that what we mean to convey and what isunderstood by others is the same thing.

Learning a range of techniques that can be utilised in different scenarios to de-escalate situations.

Developing healthy coping strategies and a greater resilience in managing our own emotions when having difficult or stressful conversations.

Employment Law Essentials

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.

Fostering Innovation & Organisational Collaboration

Analyse the attributes of operational collaboration.

Consider a range of strategies that may benefit you and your team.

Explore the concept of innovation and the conditions we can create as leaders to lead an innovative culture.

Encourage you to consider andadopt some new practices or change your approach based on learnings from this workshop.

HR for Managers

Understanding the key sources of employment rights and responsibilities and how they interact with each other.

Identify and respond appropriately to risks in areas such as adverse action and staff exercising a workplace right.

Manage and respond to requests for flexibility arrangements.

Understanding your Health and Safety obligations, including anti-bullying provisions.

Managing and Lifting Performance

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.

Managing Staff with a Mental Illness

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 havinga mental illness.

Develop and apply strategies for assisting staff with a mental illness whilst continuing to ensure accountability for appropriate performance and behaviour.

Managing Staff Remotely

Apply Change Management principles to the context of working from home or working remotely.

Consider Performance Management in this context – what really matters at a time like this.

Share ideas for practical steps to maximise the performance of all employees and ensuring ongoing accountability.

Consider employee wellbeing, morale and culture in these challenging times.

Mentoring Staff for Team Success

Understand the benefits gained by the mentor, mentee and the organisation through a mentoring relationship.

Identify the key skills and attributes that can be enhanced through mentoring, to benefit both the mentee and the organisation.

Have the skills and knowledge to develop and implement a mentoring program with individual and organisational support.

Understand how to measure the progress and maintain momentum for long term success.

Negotiating the Minefield

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.

Team Building Experiences

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

Contact us today to register your interest or find out more.

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