Proof Positive in the Workplace:  Proof that Positivity Works and How to Make It Work in YOUR Workplace

This training can be adapted from one hour to four hours, depending on the needs of your group or organization.  The latest research on positivity is shared through engaging stories and videos that will convince even the most hard core skeptic that positivity works.  Every participant will walk away with tips and ideas for increasing their own positivity and the positivity of their teams.

The 1 hour training is great for a breakout session at larger conference or retreat.

Here is what one participant said about the 1 hour break out session:  “Dr. Jones presented a workshop at the 4C/SD conference on April 23, 2010 on the topic of developing a culture of positivity to improve productivity, personal satisfaction and reduce turnover in response to stress in the workplace. This was a timely topic, and the conference participants benefited from the information provided by Dr. Jones. I look forward to engaging in more training with her on this topic in the future.”

~ Leslie Carr, Director of Professional Development at College of the Canyons

Breakthrough Trainings and Retreats

Using Appreciative Inquiry as the basis for all our trainings and retreats, we create spectacular breakthroughs for you and your team.  Our trainings and retreats are designed to tap into the positive core of your organization so that you can create a new positive future.

Our Promise: Participants will go back to their work empowered, energized and engaged.

We are serious about it!  If we don’t fulfill our promise we don’t collect our fee.

Strategic Planning Retreats:  Design a New Future for Your Organization

We will design a strategic planning retreat with you that will support your organization in strategically planning its future.  Pre-retreat, organizational members participate in a Discovery process that includes an Appreciative Inquiry Interview to discover the organization’s positive core.  This lays the groundwork for the actual retreat work.

Strategic planning retreats have been conducted with the Courthouse Legacy Foundation, Caboodle House and the Ventura County Human Services Agency.

Staff/Board Retreats:  Getting Everyone on the Same Page

How many times have you wished that your staff and board would just get on the same page?  Staff/Board retreats are an effective way to bring staff and board members together so that they are aligned with the mission of the organization and can understand how best to serve the organization as staff, as board members and as staff and board members together.  An Appreciative Inquiry Interview guide is developed for the organization and conducted as part of the retreat to help retreat participants tap into their positive core and develop an understanding of how to carry it into the future.  Participants leave the retreat with a sense that they know everyone better and that they have ideas for how they as individuals and collectively as group can make a meaningful contribution to their organization.

The Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County recently held one of these staff/board retreats.  This is what some of the participants said:

“The facilitator added value by being well prepared with simple yet thoughtful activities that got us in touch with our common purpose.  Being open to our greatness.  Thank you!”

~ Grant House, CACSB Board Member and Santa Barbara City Council Member

“Easy style, great job—insightful.”

~ Fran Forman, Executive Director, CACSB

Staff Retreats: Guaranteed to Recharge Your Staff

Do you sometimes wish that staff would just be more positive? Staff Retreats are a great way to create more positivity in your organization, boost the morale of staff and give everyone some breathing space from the day-to-demands of their jobs so that they can recharge.  Participants learn the principles of positivity along with compelling research that support these principles, how they can engage with colleagues in a more positive way and also create more positivity in their work units.  By the end of the retreat organizational members will have set goals for creating more positivity for themselves and their colleagues with an action plan for follow up.

What participants say about this retreat:

“Thank you so much for facilitating such a wonderful retreat. Myself and the staff really enjoyed every minute of it. I’m receiving such good feedback…POSITIVITY is the new word!!! Thank you :)”

~ Sharmelle Parker, Program Manager, PROTOTYPES Outpatient programs

“I attended your positivity retreat; what I liked the best was watching my co-workers be engaged in something that seemed to be interesting to them and that seemed to inspire some as well. I also loved the cactus analogy and the beautiful pics, too! The next couple of days at work I have overheard several co-workers saying things like ‘proof positive’ ‘think positive’, etc! And, I noticed several of us trying to do the positive things we said we were going to come back to work and try, like smiling more and greeting one another. So, I think it was a success!!”

~ Stephanie Armbruster, Supervisor, PROTOTYPES Outpatient programs

Motivational Interviewing: Learn Research-Proven Methods for Motivating Staff and Clients

Stunning results in creating change in hard-to-treat populations have been achieved using Motivational Interviewing.  Most commonly used with people that are in treatment for addiction, MI has been shown to be effective with the homeless, groups who want to develop wellness, people who are experiencing relationship and mental health issues and, yes, people in the workplace, too!  Learning how to use MI is an effective way to change the culture of organizations to be a more collaborative, less judgmental and more forgiving way of working together.

By the end of the day-long training participants will have a working knowledge and understanding of the principles and practices of MI.  Participants see a video of Dr. Bill Miller (the developer of MI) conducting a Motivational Interview with a client and also have an opportunity to apply the principles to their own situation through group discussion and role plays.  Participants will leave the session with ideas and an action plan for how they can create changes in their organizations that will support both clients and staff flourishing.  CEUs are available for participants.

The Art of Advocacy:  Giving Voice to Important Issues

Participants leave this daylong seminar having learned how to create a compelling message with an understanding of why it is important.  Volunteers, staff and board members will become evangelists for your organization after participating in this training on how to become an effective advocate.  Even the most reticent public speaker will leave with more self-confidence about their ability to create and deliver a compelling message.

Transformation MOJO:  Survive and Thrive with Change

This training has been specifically developed for people in a life transition who are looking to transform themselves.  Job Support group participants have found this training to be especially helpful.  The training helps participants understand the stages of transition and how they can incorporate some of the research from positivity to create a new future for themselves.

Get Your MOJO: 12 Week Leadership Development Teleclass