Training and Coaching

Based on feedback from our clients, Brown Consulting Group has designed our training programs to reflect the needs of today’s workplace.

Our training includes two comprehensive management programs designed to provide real-world skills that manager can put to immediate use. We also provide Focused Learning workshops on current topics, our exclusive Rapid Results Sessions, providing effective training while minimizing the time away from regular duties and one-on-one coaching in a number of specialized areas.

Foundations of Leadership

This program is ideal for both new and more experienced managers who want to hone their leadership skills. Participants who complete all eight modules receive a Certificate of Completion. Sessions can also be offered individually outside of the Foundations of Leadership Program.

Benefits of Brown Consulting Group’s Foundations of Leadership Program

  1. Content can be customized and/or delivery can be adapted to align to a company’s specific challenges or needs.
  2. Activities use real workplace scenarios as opposed to generic case studies or role plays. Learners leave with real solutions that can be easily implemented.
  3. Workshops are run to build team cohesiveness and alignment across management and/or working teams.
  4. Our facilitator has a background in Organizational Development and, therefore, actions that come out of the sessions may also address structural issues.

 

Module 1 - Leadership Essentials

The terms managing and leading are often used interchangeably. But, in reality, they mean different things and require different skills. In this module, participants will explore the roles of managers and leaders, the skills required to do both, and the situations in which they are most suited. And by completing a series of assessments and activities, they will learn to flex their leadership style.

Module 2 - Effective Communication Skills

Communicating effectively in the workplace is a key management skill upon which other skills are layered. One of the major goals of this module is to help managers to be more aware of the impact their communications have on others in the workplace. They will learn to provide clear and persuasive presentation of ideas, to listen actively, to provide timely feedback, and to communicate at various levels of the organization.

Module 3 - Coaching for Development

Today’s workforce requires regular and effective feedback in order to keep goals on track. This is where coaching comes in. In this module, managers will explore the benefits of coaching their employees as it applies to their development and day to day performance. They will learn a practical coaching model and learn to adjust their approach based on the specific needs of the employee.

Module 4 - Understanding and Managing Change

Change is inevitable! For some, change is seen as something exciting that provides opportunities for growth and learning. For others, change can be difficult and may lead to expressions of resistance and anger, or not feeling accepted and supported in the workplace. In this module, participants will learn how to effectively manage change by recognizing various responses, establishing team standards such as respect, and managing stressors, all with the goal of leading an effective change process.

Module 5 - Driving Employee Engagement

It’s no secret that employees who feel valued and recognized for the work they do feel more motivated and are then more productive. Employee engagement is a key indicator of financial performance and business viability; but what causes a person to be fully engaged at work? What can a leader do to create and sustain engagement? This interactive module will walk participants through key engagement levers and demonstrate how their leadership determines their own success or failure.

Module 6 - Building Successful Teams

Teams are an important building block of successful organizations. No matter the business focus, effective teams are the essential unit that strengthens most organizations. With teams at the core of corporate strategy, your success as a leader can often depend on how well you and other team members work together. This module will focus on the value of teamwork, the stages of team development and the various team player styles.

Module 7 - Talent Attraction & Selection

With top talent at a premium, how you recruit is critical to ensuring you are competitive in today’s market. But an effective recruitment process involves more than just job postings and interviews. In this workshop, participants will learn about strategic organizing and staffing practices as well as develop actionable skills in recruitment, selection and onboarding.

Module 8 - Performance Management: Generating Results

Annual performance reviews are often a stress to employees and to managers. It doesn’t have to be that way. This module will cover key strategies for managers on how to prepare for the performance review process, effectively tackle difficult performance discussions, and actively coach and develop employees which leads to measurable business results. The module can be aligned with your company’s policies and processes.

 

Focused Learning and Rapid Results Workshops

Depending upon the topic, these specialty programs offered in a one-day, half-day or Rapid Results (1.5-2 hour) format on the following topics:

Respect in the Workplace

This workshop provides a clear understanding of harassment, discrimination, bullying, workplace violence and what contributes to a respectful workplace. This is no longer just good business sense; it’s the law. Organizations must have policies in place, keep them up to date and train their staff otherwise they run the risk of significant liability issues. The session discusses the requirements, internal policy and procedures and both employee and manager responsibilities. With customized case studies, this session is a positive, proactive step in raising awareness and preventing harassment, discrimination and violence situations. If required, sessions are available for both employees and managers.

Getting Along in the Workplace: Effectively Managing Conflict

Workplace conflicts can mean decreased productivity and unnecessary distractions. Using an assessment tool, participants learn their particular conflict style as well as those of their colleagues. This practical, interactive half-day session can help participants to better manage through conflict by providing understanding and strategies to work together effectively.

Presentations Skills Primer: More Confidence, Less Stress

Presentations are one of the most powerful communications tools in an organization. In this interactive one-day workshop, participants will receive practical instructions on making effective presentations including using eye contact, gestures and body language naturally, responding to listeners and using audience-involving techniques that sell ideas; keeping presentations on track and using PowerPoint effectively. This program is designed for anyone who wants to hone their presentation skills, gain more confidence and reduce their stress when making presentations.

Best Practice Recruitment

This comprehensive workshop is a must for anyone involved in hiring—those new to the process—and those who wish to hone their interviewing skills. To avoid costly recruiting mistakes, participants will learn the best recruiting sources, screening tools and techniques, behavioural-based interviewing, legislative issues and other key components to make effective hiring decisions.

 

One-on-One Coaching

Brown Consulting Group offers a variety of one-on-one specialized training programs in situations where individualized training is required. These sessions are customizable, flexible and may range from single sessions to extended programs.

Diversity / Sensitivity Training

This program is specifically designed for the individual in your organization who struggles with the diversity of the contemporary workplace. Individuals who struggle with these issues by displaying inappropriate behaviours undermine the ability of the organization to achieve success. We provide one-on-one diversity awareness to the individual whose interactions with peers, supervisors and subordinates have fallen short of acceptable organizational norms and/or current human rights legislation and standards. These behaviours include a failure to appreciate the ethno-cultural breadth of the workforce; a failure to understand issues related to sexual orientation; and a failure to appreciate the necessity for equity in gender relations.

360° Feedback

A 360° Feedback assessment can be an effective tool to gain information on performance. Although the tool is available for use at any level, it is particularly helpful with the assessment of the senior leadership. Brown Consulting Group uses an on-line tool to gain input from participants in an anonymous and confidential manner. Our trained facilitator will analyze the results and provide effective feedback and coaching as well as work with the employee to create an actionable development plan with key milestones and support mechanisms.

Owner / Manager One-on-One

Being an owner/manager can be challenging. You excel at running your business, but every now and then a difficult HR situation arises that takes precedence and your valuable time. Your employees can come to you for guidance and direction, but who can you reach out to? This is where we can help. We understand the owner/manager and the challenges of how human resource issues can significantly impact your business. We are here to talk, whether it’s a specific employee issue or you need some direction on reorganizing, communicating or just managing better. We’ll listen, help you strategize and resolve issues so you can get back to managing your business. Sessions can be scheduled on a regular or as needed basis.

Management Coaching

This coaching is designed for managers who need to hone their leadership abilities. Individual coaching is ideal for managers who have never had the opportunity for formal management training or who would like to brush up on their management skills. Whether it is direction on how to develop team-building strategies, how to deal with a difficult employee relations issue or how to communicate more effectively, these coaching sessions deliver results.

 

Read what our clients say about our training programs:

“We hired Lynn and her firm of HR professionals to assist in evaluating and improving our HR processes and procedures. It all started with a comprehensive diagnostic assessing where we were at relative to our size and growth strategy. The document that we received was a “report card” on everything from recruiting to the pervasive culture in the company. The report included sections on policies, compensation, benefits etc. and was great value while being constructive and helpful in establishing our near term HR priorities. On an ad hoc basis, we have also turned to Brown Consulting for help with compensation analysis and recruiting HR professionals. They can serve as interim HR department or as trusted advisors in the HR function.”

Graham Badun, Chief Executive Officer, AlarmForce Industries Inc.
AlarmForce Industries Inc.

“I have used the services of Brown Consulting Group in several organizations and found the delivery of interim management, M&A integration and policy review services to be of the highest standard while meeting deadlines and budgets. Brown fills a unique niche in the HR consulting world.”

Nickey Alexiou, Vice President, Human Resources
Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario

“We have engaged the Brown Consulting Group to assist us with a number of assignments over the years including, interim management, compensation projects, recruitment, downsizing and merger/acquisition transition support. We have found them to be extremely professional and responsive to our requirements. Their significant employee relations knowledge has been an asset to ING during the periods we have required additional support, I would recommend them without reservation.”

Denise Thompson, Vice President, Human Resources, Corporate Shared Services, Intact Financial Corporation
ING Canada

“For the past few years we have outsourced our HR function to the Brown Consulting Group. This has been very cost-effective and beneficial for many aspects of our business, including hiring, performance management and terminations. They have consistently brought a higher level of knowledge, experience and professionalism in human resources that we would not have otherwise been able to access.”

Mark Canes, President, Blue Link Associate Limited
Blue Link Associates Limited

“The work of this group is highly professional, competent and experienced in a wide range of areas, as well as being responsive to needs and timetables…I highly recommend their consulting services without reservation.”

Anne Shirley Sutherland, Former General Secretary for Human Resources
United Church of Canada

“I appreciated the professionalism you brought to the issues and the situation. The one thing that stands out for me was your ability to help me frame any decision I needed to make, not in terms of the current issue, but focusing on the outcome. You helped me move beyond the emotional issues and to make some decisions that were good for me and my family.”

Complainant in a Harassment Allegation

“Our company found itself faced with a nasty situation that was only looking to get nastier and spiral out of control.
Lynn did not hesitate to put herself in the middle of this and was available whenever she was needed. Several details of the situation might have been missed if not for her thorough and professional interviewing of the witnesses.
Lynn’s experience proved invaluable to successfully resolving the situation. I would not hesitate to recommend her to any company in a similar situation.”

Eric Prydatok, Human Resources Manager
Satin Finish Hardwood Flooring

I would like to express my appreciation for your assistance and guidance in helping us achieve a dramatic turnaround in work culture within a short period of time for our non-profit organization. We were fortunate to have an organization like yours to support our efforts into also putting a solid framework going forward. Please feel free to forward any potential new clients to my attention for profession or personal references.

Johanne Gauthier, Operations Manager, AGAPÉ Centre
AGAPÉ Centre

Roots of Empathy has worked with Brown Consulting Group for many years, relying on their knowledge of the best Human Resource practices to ensure our organizational structure and policies support our Mission. They find solutions that are right for our not- for- profit reality and are proactive in informing us about new developments and practices that may affect our business.

Lee Robock Director, Finance and Administration, Roots of Empathy
Roots of Empathy

We have been working with Lynn for over three years now and it’s always been a pleasure. Lynn’s calm demeanour and insightful advice has always been extremely helpful to our business. She is extremely thorough in her approach and her inquisitiveness leads us to sound decision making. We wish Lynn all the best for future endeavours and highly recommend working with her.

Shivi Bhardwaj, HR Generalist, Trajectory
Trajectory

Lynn is an outstanding advocate for her clients.  She is professional, kind and always up-to-date on industry news. I have known Lynn for many years and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Brown Consulting Group’s HR services.

Brian Shifman, Executive Director, Vaughan Chamber of Commerce
Vaughan Chamber of Commerce

Our firm has been working with Brown Consulting Group since 2016.  Lynn Brown was essential in bringing our firm into compliance with the new HR legislation.  We also used Lynn to review and rewrite most of our internal documents and process around our employee practices.  This has resulted in much clearer process for our employees and much less exposure to any risk for the company.  I continue to use Lynn as a go-to consultant for day to day questions around policy and best practices.  Lynn is quick to respond with timely and accurate information and is not only super professional, but a pleasure to work with.  I highly recommend Lynn and her firm.

Brian Gay VP, Finance and Operations, DesignAgency
DesignAgency