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Leadership Workshop FAQs

Q.     If I go through the Leadership workshop, will I be an Effective Leader?

A.     No, probably not, unless you already were before you went through it. Seriously, becoming an Effective  Leader is a lifelong journey. The workshop is designed to give you a foundation on which to build. If you take the Principles we discuss to heart and practice and work on them, you will be on your way to becoming a more Effective Leader and a better person too!

Q.    What will I need to bring to the Leadership Workshop classes?

A.    I try to keep things as simple as possible. You won't be forced to sit through any boring PowerPoint or overhead slide shows. The class is all about discussion and participation. My job is to introduce the Principle, give a brief explanation of what it means, and then try to guide and lead the discussion in the right direction. You should bring a positive attitude, a willingness to have an open dialogue, and a few sheets of paper and a pen. That's really about all you need.

Q.    How long does the Leadership Workshop last?

A.    As a rule, there are eight sessions, each lasting about an hour or so, although I try never to look at my watch! The first session is an introductory session, the middle six cover the Principles, and the last is a wrap-up session. If we have time, I have some extra material that I try to work into the final session.

Q.    Why do you prefer to hold the Workshops on company premises before, during or after working hours?

A.    That's simple. To hold down costs, and it's much easier for me to come to you than you to come to me.

Creative Thinking Workshop FAQs

Q.    How can you teach Creative Thinking?

A.    You can't and I don't try. I believe everyone has the ability to think creatively if they understand how the process works and practice it. And it is a process, not some magic something or other that only a few "creative" people have. Having said that, I've learned that some people seem to get the hang of it better than others. But that's not the point. The point is that anyone can do it, and anyone can improve.

Q,    How long does the Creative Thinking workshop last?

A.    This is a tricky one, and that's the nature of Creative Thinking. It seems to work on its own time frame and can't be forced. I've discovered that three sessions are an absolute minimum, but five is more the average. The participants are actually doing a lot of work between sessions, but don't let that frighten you. It's not real work. As for each session, they tend to last about an hour. However, on more than one occasion, they have gone well over an hour. That's why I always try to schedule the sessions so that they can be as open-ended in time duration as possible.

Q.    How many participants should there be in any given Creative Thinking workshop?

A.    At least five, and no more than about ten. Less than five is really not enough, and more than ten is chaos.

Q.    If I am involved in a Creative Thinking workshop, what should I bring? And will I feel any pressure to "think" Creatively?

A.    You should bring yourself, a positive attitude and a willingness to have some fun.  And you will need something to write on and something to write with. A legal pad or a notebook and a pen is about all you need. And don't worry. There is absolutely no pressure. The creative process just doesn't work under pressure.

Q.    What else will we need?

A.    We will need a meeting space large enough to handle the group. We will need a flip chart and some markers. I can provide these if you don't have them. We will need to be able to hang flip chart pages on the wall and leave them there for the duration of the workshop. The meeting room should be made generally available to workshop participants at any time during normal working hours. This facilitates an important part of the process I was telling you about, and allows you to "work" between sessions.

Quotes of Note

"So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work." 

    Peter Drucker

"If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail." 

    Abraham Maslow

"Don't worry too much about developing the leader. Develop the person, and the leader will emerge."

    Charles Walker

"An effective leader is one who inspires others to give maximum effort to achieve a worthwhile goal." 

    Charles Walker

"Arrogance seeks no truth but its own, and is easily fooled by self-praise."

    Charles Walker

"Team cohesion, motivation and morale are formed in large part upon the shared experiences of the team members. Effective leaders know this, and never set themselves above or apart from the experiences of their team."

    Charles Walker

"Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment."

    Barry LePatner

"Few men have the virtue to withstand the highest bidder."

    George Washington