The culture in many engineering offices and projects encourages a linear, top-down process, often based on technical expertise to solve problems and make decisions. While this may be adequate for some technical situations, the majority of project problems and conflicts result from a lack of communication and teamwork and a reluctance to invite and use the ideas of others in making good decision.
Leadership is the process of influencing the actions and perhaps the thinking of others toward goal achievement. It requires the ability to understand and meet the needs of those you depend on to achieve the best results.
This course is a hands-on experiential learning workshop. It combines personal strengths and experience with team processes to make timely, effective leadership decisions. The result can be an organization or team culture that continually improves its leadership decision making and problem solving, and its ability to prevent or resolve issues before they become crises.
- Personal and team approaches to learning and problem solving;
- Collaborative techniques for decision making;
- Role of the manager in decision making;
- Causes and ways of resolving conflict for mutual benefit;
- Positive management of project crises;
- Comparative analysis to evaluate alternatives in a team;
- When to collaborate, delegate or give direction;
- Giving and receiving authentic feedback for positive results; and
- Creating a creative and productive solution-based culture.
Small teams will be formed at the beginning and the teams will work together throughout the course to practice and learn individual and team skills.
Principal, Clarrus Consulting Group, E.M. Sciences Ltd.
Jim has been working with teams for almost 3 decades and is passionate about educating people about the role that relationships and interpersonal issues have in the success or failure of projects.
Today he leads a team of 10 facilitators delivering project management and leadership workshops that embody this philosophy of focusing primarily on team relationships to over 2,000 people each year.
Jim has volunteered with the Crisis Intervention & Suicide Prevention Centre of BC, and he has worked in support of homeless communities in Burnaby. He has published two books, numerous technical articles, and has presented at major conferences and many local professional associations.
