Career Pathing
   • Planting Seeds for Career “Miracle Grow”

CHES Exam Review
   • CHES Exam Review: Health Education’s Bottom Line

Change
   • Selling Solutions: Getting Others to Buy New Ideas
   • Leading Change
   • Managing Change

Creative Thinking
   • Mining For Untapped Creative “Gold”

Cross-Cultural Communication
   • Cultural Pearls 1: Cultural Insights That Improve Working Relationships
   • Cultural Pearls 2: Cultural Insights That Improve Program Impact

Evaluation
   • Evaluation A & E:
      Minimizing the Agony and Maximizing the Ecstasy of Program Evaluation

Group Dynamics
   • How Great Groups Do It: From Griping to Galvanized

Leadership
   • Leadership Bootcamp: Survival Basics
   • Masterclasses: specific topics available upon request

Making Referrals
   • The Art and Science of Giving and Getting Great Referrals

Patient-Provider Relationships
   • Models for Understanding and Improving Patient Provider Relationships

Performance Evaluation
   • How to Conduct Effective Performance Evaluations (for Supervisors)
   • How to Refocus, Rethink, and Recharge Your Performance Management Systems
      (for Senior  Executives)

Presentation Skills
   • Brilliant Briefings
   • Public Speaking Basics
   • Masterclasses: specific topics available upon request

Program Planning
   • Recipes for Effective Program Development
   • Program Planning for the Theoretically Challenged: Key Theories that Produce        Powerfull Programs
   • Preparing Your Program for Replication
   • Implementing A Model Program
   • Masterclasses: specific topics available upon request

Social Marketing
   • Learning to Think and Plan Like a Marketer

Supervision and Management
   • Supervision SOS: Survival Basics
   • Management SOS: Survival Basics
   • Masterclasses: specific topics available upon request

Train the Trainer
   • Instant Trainer: Learn Today How to Train Tomorrow
   • Masterclasses: specific skill sessions available upon request

Transfer of Learning
   • Yes, Trainees Can Take It With Them: How to Enhance Performance and Increase
      Organizational Productivity by Facilitating the Application of New Knowledge and       Skills

Writing
   • Emails, letters, memos, reports

Briefings       

Career Pathing:
Career “Miracle Grow”:
Tips and Tools to Help Careers Blossom

Recommended format:  1/2 day Shareshop

Everyone, at some time or other, functions as a career coach – to yourself or to people you teach, supervise, manage, and/or mentor.  Career pathing is a simple or complex, spontaneous or scripted, restricted or wide-open process – depending upon your point of view and your situation.   

In this workshop, we will talk practically and philosophically about alternative approaches to career development.  From a practical point of view, we will look at traditional perspectives and new, more “chaotic” models that seem more appropriate for the dynamic times in which we live.  We will discuss traditional career options, how to blaze paths into new areas, and consider where outside our profession we can apply our core skills and experiences.   We will look at career development in the context of life plans and our values.  Finally, we'll discuss the practical implications of resume writing and networking to support the "poised to plunge" model.  Come away inspired by the variety of options and confident in your understanding of the realities of self-marketing in today’s world.

During this workshop, participants will learn

• The history/evolution of career development
• Changes in work-realities in the last two decades
• Various career development models/approaches
• How to think “outside the box” in terms of career options, choices, directions
• What to look for and look out for in a Career Coach
• Practical next steps for self-marketing

CHES Exam Review:
Health Education’s Bottom Line

Recommended format:  5 half day review course and study group
One and multiple-day courses available upon request.

Click here for latest KDG New York City CHES Exam Prep Brochure

This five session course from 2pm-5pm on Sunday afternoons is a comfortably paced yet thorough review of the key principles, concepts, and techniques related to the updated Core Competencies of Health Education upon which the upcoming CHES exam is based. It is designed as a refresher for experienced professionals who have practiced health education for a number of years or students completing an intensive, comprehensive degree program. 

As competencies tested by the CHES exam change, so does the content of this course.

If you function as a generalist, you have probably touched on many of the topics covered in this course, but you may not have in-depth knowledge in all of them.  If you specialize in one or two health education competencies, you probably have extensive experience in those areas, but would benefit from a review of the other competencies. 

The review course and study group fee includes the packet of materials – also sold separately – a review of the 7 areas of responsibility including lectures, worksheets, and individual and group and individual activities - time with new health education specialists, additional resources as requested by group members, and snacks. 

Participants review best practices for:

• Studying for and taking the CHES exam
• Assessing individual/community needs
• Planning strategies, interventions, and programs
• Implementing strategies, interventions, and programs
• Conducting evaluation and research
• Administering strategies, interventions, and programs
• Serving as a resource person
• Communicating and advocating for health education needs, concerns, and resources

This material covers the body of knowledge (7 Areas of Responsibility) as described by the NCHEC as tested by the exam,

 Taking this course (or any other course) does not guarantee a passing score.

This course helps you identify your strengths and areas needing work in your preparation for the CHES exam, gets you “jump started” in your review, and gets you “psyched” and in “exam mode.”

Click here to see latest brochure

Selling Solutions:
Getting Others to Buy Into Your Ideas

Recommended format: ½ day Skillshop

Got a great idea?  Having trouble getting others to buy into it?  Thomas Edison was right when he said, “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.”  And a lot of that perspiration comes from trying to hard-sell your ideas to others.  Relax.  It doesn’t have to be all that difficult. 

This workshop is based on the concept that you and your idea are products and that should be treated that way.  Learn how to combine social marketing, diffusion of innovation, consumer behavior, decision-making models and information about established decision-maker “types” to increase your success in selling your brilliant ideas up, down or across the chain of command.

During this workshop, participants will learn

• Five factors that influence if and how quickly new ideas are adopted
• The key features of successful ideas
• Types of idea/program “buyers” and how to accommodate them
• The factors to assess if a new idea is getting less than an enthusiastic response
• Specific action steps for promoting a new idea

When all is said and done about evaluation, the sad fact is, more is said than done.  Why?  Mostly out of fear…fear that our evaluation plans aren’t righteously rigorous or perfectly publishable enough.  To those fears and standards, we say, “Bah!” and “Humbug!” and invite you to begin to think more positively and optimistically about doing evaluations!  In this workshop, taught be a recovering evalu-phobe, we openly and honestly describe evaluation terrors and explain it’s possible to become a “born-again evaluator”.  This session will provide passionate but pressured program planners with practical evaluation tips, insights, and, maybe even a bit of inspiration, in a manner that educates and entertains.  The agenda includes a review of the basic principles of good evaluations, and then a look at Dr. Karen Denard Goldman’s evaluation job-aid created to provide practitioners with a range of minimalist to obsession-level evaluation options for the different aspects of evaluation - things you should at least know how to talk about in mixed (multi-disciplinary) company.  Come for the support you’ll need when making the inevitable trade-offs we have to make.  Learn how to, simply, do the best you can with what you’ve got – which is usually more than you think you have! You’ll leave excited about the possibilities and much more confident in your ability to do some form of meaningful evaluation, no matter what. 

During this workshop, participants will learn:

• The basic principles of effective evaluations
• The variety of evaluation component options along a continuum of  complexity/rigor
• How to decide what to evaluate and how (criteria for selecting methods)
• Trade-offs inherent in different evaluation methods

With effective leadership, even the seemingly most process-challenged assemblage of people can be helped to work together as an effective group and enjoy doing so!  In this workshop, participants will learn what a group is, how to help an assemblage of people evolve into a group, when a group will function most productively and not, how to foster productivity in a group and recognize and avoid typical pitfalls, and tips for understanding and handling difficult group members.

During this skillshop, participants will learn

• To recognize differences in group functions, roles, and make up
• Three key tasks of any group
• Stages of group development over time
• Ten dimensions of effective and ineffective groups
• How, in given situations, to convert ineffective behaviors to more constructive performance

Making Referrals:
The Art and Science of Giving and Getting Great Referrals

Recommended format: ½ day Skillshop

In 1964, Judge Stewart, when talking about defining hard-core pornography (Jacobellis v. Ohio), essentially said: I can’t define it but I know it when I see it!  It seems that’s how we define a good referral, too.  Sure, we want to make certain we “hand off” our clients appropriately and effectively – but what exactly does “a good referral” entail?  Precious few of us actually ever learn – except by trial and error on the job - how to make good referrals – a set of standards that protect the interests of both the referring professional and the client.  We also are rarely taught how to be a “good referral recipient.”  Making referrals is serious business and can make and break – on many levels – the referrer, the referee, and the referral recipient.

During this workshop, participants will learn

• The terms and purpose of a referral
• Circumstances when a referral should be made
• Reasons for referral resistance by providers and clients
• Ineffective referral types
• Attributes of effective referrals
• What to do before, during, and after making a referral
• The three golden rules for getting referrals
• Issues to keep in mind when taking on a referral

What’s Up, Doc?
Models for Understanding and Improving 
Improving Patient/Provider Relationships

Recommended Format: ½ day Skillshop

Health and human services practitioners in every setting are more successful facilitators of behavior change and regimen compliance when they understand the dynamics of "patient-provider" relationships.   In this workshop, participants will discover the differences, advantages, disadvantages, and practice implications of four fundamental control-based models of care relationships and other patient/provider communication theories.  Participants will learn how these frameworks can be combined with other theories frequently applied to health education to influence provider as well as client behavior.

During this workshop, participants will learn

• Four models of care relationships
• Selected theories of patient/provider communication
• To apply an understanding of these models in a variety of situations
• How multiple theories and models can be combined to influence client (and practitioner!) behavior
• How to help health care providers and consumers recognize rewarding relationships and/or help create them

How to Refocus, Rethink, and Recharge 
Your Performance Management System

Recommended formats: One-on-One Training or Organizational Change Initiative

There comes a time in the life of every organization – actually, it happens many times – when (more) attention needs to be focused on the purpose, the policies, and the process of performance evaluation. 

Sometimes, all you need is a “booster” training session for supervisors.  The training is a review of your performance management system, the activities that need to be going on throughout the year, and performance evaluation/appraisal best practices. 

At other times, organizational change is called for – it’s time to establish new performance priorities, policies, procedures, and technologies.  It’s time to educate, motivate and/or inspire your managers about changing organizational values and visions, new expectations, and revised standards and processes.

Come talk with us about your performance management system needs.  Whether it’s training or a system assessment and “overhaul”, we can help.

Program Planning for the Theoretically Challenged:
Key Theories that Produce Powerful Programs

 Recommended format: 1 day Skillshop

• The benefits of working with theories
• The three pre-requisites of all theories
• How to choose from among the rich array of theories available
• The essence of applying at least one personal, interpersonal, community, organizational or systemic  theory to program planning
• New and emerging theories program planners should keep an eye on
• How to start building a powerful theory-based program to meet a current need

Preparing Your Program for Replication

Recommended format: Executive Briefing and 1 day Skillshop

It’s amazing!  So many programs have been shown to be effective and yet so many have not been adopted or successfully “transplanted” to other sites!  Why?  Sometimes it’s because we were so caught up in the excitement of designing, launching, implementing, and monitoring the model program that we didn’t plan ahead for replication.  In this workshop participants will receive and review a Planning for Replication Checklist and discuss strategies for integrating planning for replication into the implementation and evaluation of their programs.  Sometimes a “transplant” doesn’t take because the original gardener wasn’t available to offer advice and guidance.  In this workshop, we will also look at a “level of commitment ladder” and discuss the implications of being a sponsor of a Model Program or Best Practice.  This will help program planners and executives determine to what degree the sponsoring organization and staff can be involved in program replication. 

During this workshop, participants will learn

• The language of replication
• How to set appropriate goals along the program dissemination continuum
• How to apply key elements of diffusion theory to replication planning
• When and how to plan for program replication
• Responsibilities of model program sponsors and staff during replication

Implementing Model Programs:
To Clone or To Customize

Recommended format: Executive Briefing and ½ day Skillshop

At a conference or while networking or reading, you find a Best Practice or Model Program  you want to replicate in your community.  After you successfully “sell” the idea to supervisors and colleagues and, they buy it, you must successfully implement the new program!  You’re more likely to be successful if you can answer these four critical program replication questions: (1) What kind of partnership do you want/need with the organization that created the original program and why?  (2) How can you most effectively promote the implementation of the model program (change) within your organization? (3) To what degree do you actually want to replicate the program? and (4) What are the trade-offs of high fidelity (cloning) vs re-invention (customizing) of the original program?

During this workshop, participants will learn

• Five factors that influence if and how quickly new ideas are adopted
• The key features of successful ideas
• Different levels of support available from program originators
• Advantages and disadvantages of program fidelity and re-invention
• How to analyze a program replication situation

Don’t wait to see if the advertising will work – try marketing instead!  And the difference is incredible.  In this workshop, learn what marketing really is and isn’t, what it can do and should never be expected to do.  Learn professional marketing concepts, tools, and techniques typically used in the business world that have been successfully applied to health education, health promotion, and social service programs.  This is social marketing, and it's an approach everyone is talking about but few are using correctly!  Learn what social marketing really is (and isn’t!) and see what it has to offer you and your programs – to your entire philosophy about how you plan programs.

Then, learn how to apply these commercial marketing tools and techniques to develop your own program!  Take the principles, concepts, tools, and techniques you’ve studied and put them into practice!  Start drafting a marketing-based program plan today! 

During this workshop, participants will learn

• What social marketing is and isn’t
• Ten core marketing concepts and strategies that can be applied to social programs
• How to segment markets
• When and how to use focus group as a research technique
• How to analyze a marketing mix for an existing product or service
• How to draft a marketing plan that includes one or more marketing mixes for 2-3 market segments
• To critique and suggest improvements for proposed marketing mixes

Instant Trainer:
Learn Today How to Train Tomorrow

Recommended Format: 1-3 day Skillshop

If you need to train “tomorrow” and training’s not your “thing”, this course is just what you need .  Whether you’re a supervisor responsible for training staff, a newly hired trainer, a subject expert drafted to conduct classes, or in another position in which you need to instantly learn how to train, this course is for you!  This course is specifically designed to equip you to prepare and deliver successful training in a relatively (and sometimes ridiculously) short period of time. 

During this “training bootcamp”, participants will learn

• How to set training objectives
• How to design a workshop
• To find, create, and effectively use teaching aids
• Basic training techniques
• Audience management techniques
• How  to increase the likelihood that people will use what you teach back on the job

Transfer of Learning:
Yes, Trainees Can Take It with Them
How to Enhance Performance and Increase Organizational Productivity
by Facilitating the Application of New Knowledge and Skills On-the-Job

Recommended format: Executive Briefing and ½ or 1 day Skillshop

Yes, trainees can take what they learn with them and apply it successfully on the job…IF the principles discussed in this workshop are supported!  This workshop provides supervisors, managers, trainers, directors of training, and trainees with specific tips that will help trainees effectively and continuously apply the knowledge and skills gained from training.
It’s all about synergistic partnerships, with each partner knowing his or her own important roles and responsibilities.

It’s not enough for trainees to grasp and remember what is taught; what ultimately matters is whether they use it/apply it back on the job!  This workshop is an excellent way to ensure that they take what they learn back to the workplace.  

This workshop will be most valuable if offered in conjunction with an Executive Briefing on Transfer of Learning – the application of learned knowledge and skills.

During this workshop, participants will learn

• The meaning and goals of transfer of learning
• Four key factors that affect on-the-job application of learning
• Nine major barriers to transfer of learning and discuss how they can be overcome
• Key roles/actions by the trainee, the supervisor, trainees’ co-workers, and the trainer
• How to increase the likelihood that trainees will apply what they learn in training when they return to work