An Intensive Program for Business Professionals
(Example below is based on a program conducted November 2015 in conjunction with Ramkhamhaeng University and other businesses and governmental agencies from the country of Thailand.)
Workshop Description
In today’s global competitive environment, Human Resource Professionals are increasingly called upon to utilize leadership skills in their responsibility to implement strategies and processes to drive business results. While proficiency in performance of Human Resource Management functions remains a prerequisite, it is this expertise combined with leadership skills that will develop highly competent leaders and executives.
This workshop was developed with extensive input from successful business leaders. It seeks to provide participants with a structure for exploring and understanding effective leadership theories, principles, and processes. Workshop techniques, coupled with executive leader presentations will help the attendee apply this knowledge to their personal and professional lives. It is our belief that workshop participants who combine the development of leadership skill sets with contemporary techniques in the management of Human Resources tend to be set apart from their counterparts and experience a high level of career success. The following is a listing of major components of the workshop:
- Interactive presentations on the body of knowledge of leadership. For example: workshop coverage includes Trait, Skills, and Situational Approach; Transformational Leadership, Leadership Ethics, Team Leadership. Additional presentations and workshop analysis and discussion are draw from resources such as John C. Maxwell’s book titled “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”.
- Interactive presentations on organizational development and change management. Content examples include: Supporting all aspects of change management relating to business transformation. Delivering change management training for all levels of the organization.
- Presentations by executive leaders: Viewed by many attendees as one of the most important features of the workshop. Successful leaders share their insights and experiences with class participants. Attendees will be expected to highlight key points of each presentation in their formal workshop notes. Case study questions following the executive leader presentations utilize the workshop format and facilitate attendee participation and interaction with the executive presenter. Included in discussions are new topics in Human Resources literature such as those presented in articles appearing in the Harvard Business Review.
- Development of a Personal Leadership Strategic Plan: A workshop focus is to provide each student with the knowledge and tools to create a “personalized leadership framework.” Participants will gain insights from many sources (speakers, text, case studies, etc.). The culmination of the workshop will be that each student compiles a “Personal Leadership Strategic Plan” that outlines what they feel are the most effective and useful leadership principles that they learned from the workshop. It will also include how they will apply them to their life, their company, and their future careers. This plan will reflect on where the participant has progressed in terms of their own experiences and development. It will conclude in a specific and (to the extent possible) measurable plan for future development and success of the participant’s business and personal career.
- Optional Visits on a third day may be made to the Ben Franklin Technology Partners Center located on the Lehigh University campus as well as local companies. In some cases company representatives come to campus for presentations depending on time availability and logistics.
Goals of Attending
Typical goals of those attending the workshop include the following:
- Gain an understanding of the body of knowledge associated with the practice of effective leadership. Both historic development and important characteristics as applied to the contemporary enterprise.
- Utilize the workshop approach to gain insights and perspectives from successful leaders from a variety of businesses. This is important for personal advancement and effective interaction with employees in the Human Relations context.
- Obtain useful knowledge regarding leading change and adapting this to new business models. This knowledge combined with the Personal Leadership Strategic Plan has also proven to be an important workshop benefit.