THE TRAINING STARTS THE JOURNEY.
COACHING CREATES THE CHANGE.
We Offer Group Training & One-on-One Coaching
Group Training
Learn the Process. Practice the Skills.
Positive Conversations Group Training provides leaders and teams with a practical process for resolving conflicts the positive way.
Participants don't just learn about conflict resolution they begin practicing specific skills that can help them respond more positively and productively when disagreements occur.
Participants Learn and Practice How To:
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Connect and Find Common Ground before focusing on solutions.
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Listen to Learn how the other person sees the situation.
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Ask Better Questions to understand what the other person values and identify what you may be missing.
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Share your point of view in a way the other person is more willing to listen.
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Work Together to create a better solution rather than focusing on who's right and who's wrong.
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Make Clear Commitments about what each person will do next.
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Agree to Exchanging Ongoing Feedback to reinforce what's working and identify what still needs to improve.
The group training gives participants a common language and process they can use when disagreements and conflicts arise. But knowing what to do is only the beginning. When emotions rise and the outcome matters, it becomes harder
to listen, stay curious, choose our words carefully, and consider another person's point of view.
Resolving conflict is a skill and everyone can get better
but it takes deliberate practice.
One-on-One Coaching
The One-on-One Coaching is conducted virtually through Zoom, making it easy for leaders to keep practicing the conflict resolution skills. After each session, participants receive a recording of their Zoom practice so they can review the conversation, reflect on the feedback, and continue learning from the experience.
Working individually with a coach provides a safe and confidential place try different approaches, receive feedback, and make resolving conflicts the positive way a daily habit.
There are two options for using the one-on-one coaching.
The first option:
Practice With a Hypothetical Situation
You don't have to wait until you're in the middle of a conflict to practice handling one.
Participants can role-play common situations such as:
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giving difficult or corrective feedback
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addressing poor performance or missed expectations
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disagreeing with a co-worker, manager, or family member
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responding to someone who is angry or defensive
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holding someone accountable for a commitment
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addressing a recurring behavior or problem
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saying no or setting appropriate boundaries
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working through different priorities or expectations
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repairing a relationship after a difficult interaction
These practice conversations give participants an opportunity to experiment and receive feedback before having a conflict that needs to be resolved.
"Whenever you're in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude."
William James
Father of American Psychology
“If you are not actually stretching yourself outside of what you already can do, you're probably not engaging in deliberate practice.”
Anders Ericsson
Cognitive Psychologist and
Pioneer of "Deliberate Practice"
The Second Option:
Practice Resolving a Real Conflict
you can also share a difficult conversation you want to resolve in the next couple weeks. This conflict can be with someone in your workplace, family, or community. Together, we'll explore what you want to accomplish, what may make the conversation difficult, and how you can approach the conflict in a positive way.
Then we'll role-play the conversation so you can practice the questions you want to ask, the words you want to use, and how you might respond if emotions rise or the conversation takes an unexpected turn.
The goal isn't to have a perfect conversation. The goal is to get better at resolving conflict—one positive conversation at a time.
Whether you're practicing a hypothetical situation or preparing for a real conflict, every practice strengthens your ability to respond positively when disagreements occur.
Over time, these skills become positive habits and those habits can help you address conflicts more effectively, create better solutions, and strengthen relationships in the process.
You Don't Have to Attend a Group Training
Our One-on-One Coaching can also be used as a stand-alone service for leaders and teams who have not participated in a group training.
You don't have to wait until you're in a conflict to start practicing. And if you already have an important conflict or conversation coming up, don't wait until afterward to think about what you could have done differently.
Prepare for it. Practice it. Then have the conversation with greater confidence and competence.
What Leaders Say About Working with Bill
“Working with Bill has been one of the most impactful experiences of my leadership career. His coaching style is grounded in authenticity, commitment and positivity. What sets Bill apart is his ability to see potential in ALL people, even before they see it in themselves, and to motivate them with clarity, compassion, and purpose. Anyone fortunate enough to learn from Bill will walk away not only more capable, but more motivated to lead with courage, integrity, and optimism. You WILL succeed at bringing out the best in people!”
Yvonne M. Wilke
Director, ENT of Wisconsin
“Bill Durkin's approach to building positive relationships and a mutually supportive work environment has been transformative to our 85-member healthcare business. His help via both group and individual coaching has resulted in a happier staff, a marked reduction in turnover, measurable increased productivity, and a newly earned reputation in our region as being an employer of excellence.”
Larry Burton, MD
Partner, ENT of Wisconsin
We are a single specialty medical practice, which has grown fivefold in the past 10 years. With this growth came some issues with communication between the owners, the management staff, and the employees at large. We hired Bill Durkin to help us with these communication issues, and with his assistance we have transformed into a far more positive and efficient organization. Perhaps the biggest impact of Bill’s intervention was equipping us with resources to help us understand each other, and to use words which convey our desire to interact in a more positive way. We are indebted to him for giving us the tools needed to keep our organization focused on the overall goal of better communication.
Dr Robert Prehn, MD, Founding Partner
Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialists of Wisconsin
"On behalf of the Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce, I want to sincerely thank you for sharing your knowledge & leading the civility workshop. The information you provided was truly invaluable, and we are so grateful for the effort you dedicated to making the session impactful. Your support of OPACC & your commitment to helping us add value to our member means so much! We deeply appreciate your partnership & the positivity you share! Thank you again!
Sarah Stasukewicz
CEO, Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce
"Bill has been more than just a leadership coach. We have a family business, and he helped my entire family get along better."
Artie Cichy,
VP SurfaceWerks, Inc.
Resolve the conflict. Strengthen the Relationship.
POSITIVE CONVERSATIONS REQUIRE
DELIBERATE PRACTICE
The Power of Deliberate Practice
The Positive Conversations Training does more than just share good ideas. The participants in our programs actually practice the positive conversation skills we teach. Knowledge is important it just doesn't change behavior. To get better at a skill you need to engage in deliberate practice.
Anders Ericsson, the world’s leading scientist studying expert performance has proven deliberate practice, not "natural" talent, is the reason high performers excel.
Knowledge is important, but it does not change behavior. To keep getting better, leaders and teams need to engage in deliberate practice on a regular basis.
Deliberate Practice has the following criteria: A specific goal; Expert coaching; Consistently learning from feedback so you can build on your strengths, correct mistakes, and continue to grow; Challenging yourself to move outside your comfort zone and learn something new; Building a foundation of strong fundamentals; Being focused and involved, not simply listening passively to others’ advice; Using visualization or mental practice to rehearse a specific skills you want to improve.
To learn more about the Positive Science behind this training
and the importance of Deliberate Practice
.
POSITIVE TRAINING
The skills in our Positive Conversations Training are taught in a group session that include leaders and teams who volunteer to be in the program. When engaged people go through the learning experience together, relationships get stronger and positive change happens faster.
The training is built on an action learning model.
There are no lectures. Knowledge is important, but it doesn't change behavior. We all need "deliberate practice" to improve relationships, restore civility, resolve conflicts, and bring out the best in everyone.
During the training, you will be involved in a variety of small group exercises designed to help you PRACTICE the skills required to build stronger relationships and resolve conflicts the positive way.
The timining of all training experiences are customized to the unique needs of each client.
"If you are trying to create positive change in your workplace, family, or community? If your answer is 'yes,' your number one priority today should be to get a little better at bringing out the best in everyone around you... one positive conversation at a time."
Bill Durkin
"Bill has been more than just a leadership coach. We have a family business, and he helped my entire family get along better."
Artie Cichy, VP SurfaceWerks, Inc.
"Your workshops and coaching has produced measurable results in productivity as well as real improvements in communication. Thank you for everything Bill."
Jack Schacht, President, Illinois Trade Association
“I appreciated hearing the simple, practical
ways our focus and choice of words can
impact our conversations.”
Don Raineri
I thought the zoom breakout sessions
were awesome!”
Amie Cargola
WEEKLY FOLLOW-UP MESSAGES
To help leaders and teams develop positive habits during the training, each person will have an opportunity to participate in our Follow-Up Process. During the four weeks following the group training, participants will receive more education, encouragement and short positive action projects designed to support everyone as they experiment with finding better ways to resolve conflicts...one positive conversation at a time.
“I had the pleasure of attending Bill Durkin’s program. What an invigorating experience! We focused on ‘real’ communication that leads to successful business relationships and results. Bill had obviously familiarized himself with our business environment. My management style, techniques and philosophy of work were reinforced throughout the seminar and I felt rejuvenated.”
MaryAnn Reedy, Customer Service Manager Aetna
POSITIVE COACHING
For many leaders, group learning experiences are not enough to create consistently positive results. When new attitudes and skills are taught without follow-up and accountability, old behavior resumes quickly. Leaders may develop the desire to change; but after a few days, most people are back to their old habits. In order to ensure leaders get better at improving relationships and bringing out the best in everyone around them, Bill Durkin has developed a unique Coaching Process to enhance the value of the workshop.
The formal coaching option takes place over the four weeks following the group training experience. During the coaching sessions, you and Bill will videotape a role-play of a conversation you’re going to have with a relationship challenge in your workplace, family, or community. When the role-play is complete, you and Bill will review the tape and identify what went well and what you can do to improve. Your assignment after the video coaching is to have the conversation and apply what you learned. Additional coaching sessions can be scheduled after the four weeks on an as-needed basis.
Bill will also be available anytime during the four weeks by phone
or email to answer your questions, offer guidance and make
sure positive habits are being developed. This process gives you the encouragement and support you need to get better at bringing out the best in everyone as you become more effective at resolving conflicts...one positive conversation at a time.
ASSESSMENT OPTIONS
Clients have the option of adding the following assessments before or after the training experience.
Contact Bill Durkin for more details.
Positive Conversations and Positive Coaching Assessments
Leaders and teams can complete a short on-line self-assessment and get feedback from others on the skills being taught in the training.
Each participant has the option of taking the CLIFTON STRENGTHS Assessment
Research conducted by the Gallup Organization shows leaders and teams who discover, develop and use their strengths are: More Engaged at Work, More Productive and Happier and Healthier.
Knowing a team member's Strengths helps leaders depersonalize conflicts by shifting the focus from personal flaws to natural differences in perspective. This insight allows leaders to identify the specific root causes and behavioral triggers behind a disagreement. Guided by this understanding, leaders can reframe the tension and establish collaborative agreements that resolve conflicts by leverage each person's unique talents.
"There is no more effective way to empower people
than to see each person in terms of his or her strengths."
Don Clifton, Creator of the Strengths Finder Assessment
POSITIVE TRAINING PREVENTS NEGATIVE RESULTS
The Effects of Negativity in the Workplace
ByAndra Picincu
A negative work environment can lead to diminished performance and poor employee morale. In the long run, it may harm your company's reputation and affect your ability to attract talent.
Employees who left their jobs due to bad company culture may have cost organizations over $220 billion over the past five years, reports the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). The real cost of workplace negativity is much higher, though.
Workplace Negativity Hurts Your Bottom Line
According to research from SHRM, about one-third of employees say that their managers don't encourage a culture of open communication. Approximately one-quarter don't feel respected and valued at work.
Gossip and unresolved workplace conflicts affect employee morale and engagement. Over time, these issues may lead to a toxic work environment and hurt your company's bottom line.
The University of Southern California states that workplace negativity costs companies around $3 billion a year. According to one study published in IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, negative actions can quickly spread from person to person and affect everyone in the organization. If left unaddressed, they can decrease work performance by up to 30 percent.
Bill is a wonderful speaker and very knowledgeable. He kept our interest by giving personal examples. By providing the tools we needed, he made things easy to understand and helped us find a new way to approach things by looking at a situation from a different angle. Bill was thoroughly prepared and related the topics of his discussion to our office, our personal lives and other situations in which we can use our core skills. We need the skills talked about in this class before we can go looking for new business.
Great class. We certainly look forward to working with you again.
-- Carol Thornton Director, Continuing Professional Education RSM McGladrey --
As I reflect, Bill about our accomplishments over the last year, there is no doubt that you have had an appreciable impact on CBI Corporation. The training you offered our company was valuable, and everyone came away with thoughts and ideas that they have implemented. As important to me was the fact that you made sales calls with me. After 37 years of sales, it is easy to think you have most, if not all, the answers. You helped me realize that on a call I thought went extremely well but, as you pointed out, could have been much better. You have helped revitalize both me and CBI from a sales and marketing standpoint. You are a great guy with a lot of knowledge. We look forward to working with you again on other projects as they come up.
-- Cliff Bregstone, President CBI Corporation --
The workshop and follow-up sessions conducted by Bill Durkin for PricewaterhouseCoopers has added new dimensions to my leadership and enhanced my contributions to my work.
I’ve been able to extend myself to the teams that I lead, to elicit their participation, and to bring out the best in each of them.
Business is often a complex matter, and the heart of any business is people. I would highly recommend Bill Durkin because he has such a positive impact on people’s ability to relate, communicate, and perform. He has developed a real ability to bring people together, which is instrumental for increasing productivity and effectiveness in all business.
-- Pam Nigro, US UT PricewaterhouseCoopers --
CONTACT BILL DURKIN
To learn more about his Workshops, Coaching
or speeches, contact Bill Durkin at