Leadership Communications Online Master Classes

Facilitation & Meeting Management: October 13 & 15, 2020

Navigating Difficult Conversations: December 1 & 3, 2020

Facilitated by World Renowned Communications Expert Jennifer Abrams

“I thought the webinar was well-planned, well-focused, and easily relatable. So much so, that I have to say of all the webinars I have joined since the pandemic started (and there has been an explosion of them!), this has been the best! That is, best planned, best run and not only was the content very applicable, the way you presented it was helpful to process (with a good mix of speaking, breakout groups to process and share the info). The helpful comprehensive packet with extra reading was an additional plus factor.”

Dr. Gwyn Underwood, Superintendent, Cebu International School, Cebu City, Philippines

This is a Certificate Program – 10 Hours of Professional Development will be Awarded

These Master Classes are part of ACAMIS’s Leading Effective Teams for New and Aspiring Team Leaders, which is currently in progress. Registrants for these Master Classes will be joining as a new cohort.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO PARTICIPANTS
Email communication before the course start date

Upon registration participants will be emailed a course introduction, instructions for how to participate and a pre-course survey and Jennifer Abrams book, Having Hard Conversations. Course announcements will be sent from events@pdacademia.com, please add this email sender to your safe sender list.

If you do not receive this email please let us know.

Program Introduction

What Will I Learn?
By the end of these Master Classes, participants will leave with the understanding and confidence to:

Assess and improve meeting management skills
Facilitate collaborative meetings that put professional learning at the center
Understand what makes a conversation difficult and be able to prepare effectively for them
Structure the opening of a difficult conversation and script likely scenarios that might ensue

How will I learn?
NEWLY DESIGNED! Based on extensive research, we have developed a model for ONLINE professional development that will:

Enable participants to learn at their own pace using a mix of content delivery methods to meet the needs of various learning styles and preferences;
Challenge participants to apply knowledge and tools introduced throughout the program to their own working context;
Connect participants to process content collectively and share unique experiences and perspectives; and
Demonstrate understanding of knowledge and tools by having peers review assignments and presentations.

You can anticipate 30-60 minutes per module of asynchronous coursework (done on your own time) and 4-hours per module synchronous live sessions to get coached by the facilitator and connect with peers to take the learning deeper - that’s 10 hours total spread over 2 modules.

How do I prepare?

Upon Registration:

Participants must complete a pre-course survey. The purpose of this survey is to understand the participants familiarity with course content and assist the facilitator in determining the Cohort assignments.

Receive a copy of Jennifer’s book, Having Hard Conversations.

When?
Facilitation and Meeting Management
October 13 – 15:30 to 17:00 (HKT): Participants will work in groups of 4-8 to process content and receive individualized feedback from Jennifer.
October 15 – 15:30 to 18:00 (HKT): Jennifer will facilitate a webinar that will draw upon participants reflections from the previous session and facilitate case discussions to guide participants in applying the content.

Navigating Difficult Conversations
December 1 – 15:30 to 17:00 (HKT): Participants will work in groups of 4-8 to process content and receive individualized feedback from Jennifer.
December 3 – 15:30 to 18:00 (HKT): Jennifer will facilitate a webinar that will draw upon participants reflections from the previous session and facilitate case discussions to guide participants in applying the content.

Who is this experience for?
Workshop content has been developed for leaders that regularly facilitate meetings and must address a range of questions, concerns and complaints from parents, teachers and other community stakeholders. Roles that have participated in these courses and rated the content and facilitator very highly have included: Heads of School, Principals, Business Managers, Deputies, Department Heads, Coordinators, Grade Level and Subject Team Leaders and Operational Managers.

Master Class Agenda

During each Master Class participants can schedule a 30-minute virtual meeting with Jennifer to review content and identify ways to apply it to their context.

Friday, September 11: Facilitation and Meeting Management	Module 2 Online Learning: (Pre-Course Assignments, recorded lectures and readings are available for download)	To be influential and capable of facilitating effective meetings, team leaders must learn a wide range of communication skills, meeting facilitation skills and how to manage resistance within a group setting. Cohorts will be given readings, videos and self-assessments to review and reflect on in connection to this topic. Take the SCARF Assessment is a part of the homework for this module. https://neuroleadership.com/research/tools/nli-scarf-assessment/ Video lectures will be uploaded introducing this modules content and giving instructions for how to facilitate the second Cohort Meeting.
Tuesday, October 13: Facilitation and Meeting Management	Live Cohort Meeting #2: (15:30 - 17:00)	Cohorts will share learnings from their SCARF self-assessments readings and video viewings. Cohorts will then look at case studies using a specific protocol to discuss difficult behaviors in meetings and brainstorm solutions for how to mitigate those behaviors.
Thursday, October 15: Facilitation and Meeting Management	Live Webinar 2: (15:30 - 18:00)	Participants will go back into their influence assessments, SCARF assessments and meeting facilitation skills list and Jennifer will take a deep dive into key strategies for effective meeting facilitation, influential language choices and mitigation of resistance.
Friday, November 6: Navigating Difficult Conversations	Module 4 Online Learning: (Pre-Course Assignments, recorded lectures and readings are available for download)	As administrators, coaches or colleagues, we often come up against situations where difficult topics must be addressed. What do we know about the best strategies for those moments? What questions should we be asking ourselves before we speak? And, how can we be humane and yet growth producing? Based on Jennifer's books, Having Hard Conversations and Hard Conversations Unpacked, and her work with conflict and interpersonal communication, this module will provide participants with action plans and scripting tools for having those necessary hard conversations. The book, Having Hard Conversations, will be used in this module. Participants should prepare a personal case study of a difficult conversation or relationship to use as part of this module. Video lectures will be uploaded introducing this modules content and giving instructions for how to facilitate the Cohort Meeting.
Tuesday, December 1: Navigating Difficult Conversations	Live Cohort Meeting #4: (15:30 - 17:00)	In this meeting, the cohort will split into pairs or trios to review Chapters 1-4. Then following a video from Jennifer go into partners to work on outcome mapping for specific case studies.
Thursday, December 3: Navigating Difficult Conversations	Live Webinar 4: (15:30 - 18:00)	Participants will complete Chapter 6 - Scripting - head of the session. Jennifer will review the chapter providing key examples not previously seen in the chapter and provide time to write possible scripts and receive feedback from others on words, tone, etc. Jennifer will also address body language, location, the what if they respond negatively and other worries during the session. Participants should plan 20-minutes to read Chapter 6

Program Facilitator

Formerly a high school English teacher and a new teacher coach, Jennifer Abrams is currently a communications consultant. Her publications include Having Hard Conversations, The Multigenerational Workplace: Communicate, Collaborate & Create Community and Hard Conversations Unpacked - the Whos, Whens and What Ifs. Her latest book is Swimming in the Deep End: Four Foundational Skills for Leading Successful School Initiatives.

Internationally, Jennifer has been invited to present at the EARCOS, NESA, ECIS, AISA, AASSA and Tri-Association conferences, and at schools across Asia and Europe and South America and Africa. More about Jennifer’s work can be found at her website, www.jenniferabrams.com, and on Twitter @jenniferabrams.

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