Our Leveraging Diversity program is designed to improve awareness of diversity in organizational cultures, present methods and tools for harnessing the unique value that different backgrounds bring to the strategic performance of organizations, and develop approaches to diversity management.  This program is designed to be immersive, engaging participants in conversations about when and how diversity and inclusion of different backgrounds works in business.  The workshop is not about compliance, but how a different way of seeing the world can have immediate and significant impact on the daily results of our decision-making.  Participants will walk away ready to act and engage each other in ways to make diversity and inclusion a strategic asset.

Ideal Participants: This curriculum is geared towards directors and managers who are responsible for the execution of their organization’s diversity strategy.

Location: Client site or off-site venue

Fees: Fees include all worksheets, materials, and notebooks required for the program. For a one dayprogram, just halve the figures.

01-24 Participants: $12,000
24-40 Participants: $18,000
40 Plus Participants: $24,000

Many, many organizations suffer from poor decision-making disease. Don’t pretend you’ve never heard of it before – chances are you’ve seen it run rampant in most business environments. Lurking within these organizations are poorly made decisions that defy common logic. They are based on personal preference, fear, sunk costs, history, legacy and consensus. They provide outcomes that produce more-of-the-same results, even when those results have plagued the organization in the past.

The solution offered by most management consultants: Take the emotion out of decision-making. Make it about data and statistics; a clear, rigid, structured process that only allows us to produce the right answer. We’ll chart, graph, weigh our options, make tradeoffs and in the end we’ll have an objectively generated solution – perfect for the organization, right? Well, until the execution phase…

The bottom line is we’re all human and therefore it’s impossible to take the emotion, subjectivity, fear, peer pressure, and even personal preference out of our decision-making habits. However, we believe the more people understand their (and other stakeholders’) biases and emotions the more they are able to work with them for a better outcome.

This workshop begins by dissecting the issue to be certain the correct problem is solved (how often do we solve a symptom rather than the real issue?). From there, we provide a decision-making framework that is flexible and relies on several types of data collection – from various stakeholders, ethnographic observation, end consumers, as well as the quantitative data available to the organization. We’ll look at the decision-making environment and assess how much risk is acceptable. And finally, we conclude with a discussion of how to implement the solution, create a detailed plan, and revise the solution to preempt possible execution pitfalls.

For a detailed syllabus, contact us at: conversation@thefrontierproject.com

Ideal Participants: This workshop is relevant for all levels of an organization: Anyone who makes business decisions on a daily basis (which is basically all of us). Project teams may find it beneficial to attend this workshop together.

Length: Two days (preferably with a 3-5 day in-between session for research time)

Location: Client site or off-site venue

Fees: Fees include all worksheets, materials, and notebooks required for the program. For a one day program, just halve the figures.

If we had a dime for each time one of our clients expressed frustration with an internal process or procedure, we would all be laying on the beach in Rio as you read this. We constantly hear about the terrible bureaucracy that slows everything down, the endless, pointless meetings they have to sit through, and the…

Ok, so maybe we’re over dramatizing this just a tad because some of these processes and procedures allow the organization to function in an orderly way. However, a lot of them do not. They only serve to frustrate employees, slow down the pace of business and hamper decision-making – all of which has a direct effect on shareholder value (the very excuse for the creation of these processes in the first place). Most clients chalk this up to their “highly complex organization”, however, we believe complexity usually just mucks things up, and what can be done simply, should be.

This course assists participants in architecting the most effective ways to conduct business within their organization: Changing, influencing, and simplifying the things within their span of control to improve performance.

For a detailed syllabus, contact us at: conversation@thefrontierproject.com

Ideal Participants: Vice Presidents, Business Unit Leaders with wide spans of control; project managers leading large-scale capital-intensive initiatives.

Length: 2 days

Location: Client site or off-site location: Somewhere with a lot of room to spread out and map current and future processes.

Fees: Fees include all worksheets, materials, and notebooks required for the program. For a one day program, just halve the figures.

One of the primary findings from Frontier’s 2009/10 Leadership Development Benchmarking Study is that the greatest area of concern for organizations is retention of key employees – those high potentials who have been tagged as the next big things who decide to leave for greener pastures instead of waiting out the opportunity with their current organization. This workshop is designed to address that exact phenomenon.

We walk OD and Executive Teams through a process to determine the strengths and weaknesses of their current talent pool and how to acquire the talent needed to build a strong bench. Once this assessment has been conducted, we focus on how to retain key employees (and how to redirect former shooting stars) through creative assignments, coaching, mentoring, and honest communication.

We can’t guarantee you’ll hold on to all your organization’s high-potential employees, but we can guarantee you’ll leave this workshop with a plan to address the big-picture talent situation and the confidence in your ability to fill key positions in the future.

For a detailed syllabus, contact us at: conversation@thefrontierproject.com

Ideal Participants: Vice Presidents and Executives responsible for coaching and mentoring the generation of top leadership; Human Resources Talent Directors and Organizational Development staff leading Succession Planning initiatives.

Length: 2 Days

Location: Off-site venue

Fees: Fees include all worksheets, materials, and notebooks required for the program. For a one day program, just halve the figures.

This course is designed to help employees understand and deal with the anxiety that is a side effect of the constant state of change within organizations. The focus is on helping stressed-out employees keep their heads in the game, stay productive, and effective, while dealing with the uncertainty the economic environment is hurling their collective way. We take an empathetic, but hard-lined approach in this program; offering some space to reflect and cope, but keeping the conversation constructive, realistic, and focused on long-term opportunities.

For a detailed syllabus, contact us at: conversation@thefrontierproject.com

Ideal Participants: Individual contributors, managers, and directors facing significant internal organizational change; employees who have “survived” a layoff or organizational restructure.

Length: One day

Location: Client site or off-site venue

Fees: Fees include all worksheets, materials, and notebooks required for the program.

What is the magic recipe for leadership? Well, it depends on who you ask. Countless business school professors, former executives, executive coaches and management consultants flood the marketplace year after year with the latest and greatest theories on what makes an excellent leader, yet, many leaders we ask feel they do not know what they need to do to improve their performance and influence in their roles. Frankly, we don’t care about the latest and greatest leadership trends, we care about what is actually going to work for the leaders we coach. Therefore, the focus of this workshop is to assist leaders in figuring out what type of leader they want to be and why, and then help them get there.

We do this by allowing some time for reflection, to learn from others’ personal experiences, to assess the organization’s needs, and to discuss the types of systemic changes that can be made inside the organization to reflect their leadership influence. We then help to define their vision and work with them on how to best communicate with the organization. And finally, we provide practical advice on how to establish the support they need to evolve into the dynamic leader they intend to become.

For a detailed syllabus, contact us at: conversation@thefrontierproject.com

Ideal Participants: This course is ideal for newly promoted directors and vice presidents who want to make an immediate impact in their new position.

Length: 2 Days

Location: Off-site venue is preferable

Fees: Fees include all worksheets, materials, and notebooks required for the program. For a one day program, just halve the figures.

Ah, the dreaded performance conversation. Is there a manager out there that looks forward to that time of year? It arguably is the most important conversation employees have each year, yet most managers feel inadequate delivering feedback and therefore tend to gloss over the process in hopes of not upsetting the apple cart.

This workshop addresses the development of people from several angles: Assessing performance, keeping employees engaged, and building a high-performing team, all with the central focus on the performance conversation. The way we look at it, a manager’s plan to develop their people can only be as effective as their ability to give (and receive) feedback.

We believe every employee wants to make a meaningful contribution to the organization. This workshop will help managers figure out the best way to utilize the talent they have and create a long-term plan for a high-performing team.

For a detailed syllabus, contact us at: conversation@thefrontierproject.com

Ideal Participants: Managers and directors looking to improve their performance communications with staff and create high performing teams.

Length: 2 Days

Location: Client site or off-site venue

Fees: Fees include all worksheets, materials, and notebooks required for the program. For a one day program, just halve the figures.

2010 just might be the year of the customer. We’ve all made budget cuts, removed underperformers, and streamlined our organization. Now, we are competing head-to-head with companies who are emerging from the recession more agile, more lean, and more focused.

Now is the time to focus on your target audience, the customer you are serving. Be it internal or external customers, your organization must be keenly focused on meeting their needs and providing them with new products or services before they realize they need them.

Our program will help your team develop competencies to meet current customer needs. This includes identifying business and partnership opportunities and gaining an understanding of the key issues and drivers affecting your customers. Then, there is the process of cultivation or the method of discovering new customers. We will show you techniques for building trust, deepening relationships, and communicating value, negotiating effectively, and scoping the project.  By the time we are finished with you, you will have cultivated the partnership mindset and will suffer from what we call “customer on the brain.” A common side effect is expanded profits and uber loyal customers.

For a detailed syllabus, contact us at: conversation@thefrontierproject.com

Ideal Participants: Vice Presidents, Directors, Managers, or High-Potential individuals who allocate capital based on new initiatives and the ongoing needs of an organization.

Length: 2 days

Location: Client site or off-site venue

Fees: Fees include all worksheets, materials, and notebooks required for the program. For a one day program, just halve the figures.

Churchill. Welch. Gates. Winfrey. Grant. Thatcher. Jobs. Mandella. Few would argue these people have lead many to great success. Yet, the need for leadership does not end at the top of a company. Or, an army. Or, a country. Every project that an organization undertakes requires a leader who can drive results from the team, while developing every team member to their potential and connecting project goals with the direction of the organization.

Project leadership is a soft skill, the squishy kind that makes many project managers nervous. Leadership combines creative, communication, and analytic methods in ways that inspire greatness from the ordinary. Participants in this program will learn how to tackle this squishy topic, even learn to love the ability to lead. Along the way you will learn tools and practices that will help you develop into shades of one of the great leaders. Or, at least a leader that can get teams to finish projects on time and budget.

For a detailed syllabus, contact us at: conversation@thefrontierproject.com

Ideal Participants: Good for new and experienced alike. Focused on junior and mid-level managers with the potential for development and responsibility for increasing performance in your organization.

Length: 2 consecutive days

Location: Can be delivered on-site, but preferably off-site in a unique location

Fees: Fees include all worksheets, materials, and notebooks required for the program. For a one day program, just halve the figures.

The ability to draft a bulletproof business case is a must-have skill for executives. This program will guide participants through the process of building a business case from inception to completion. The end goal is to arm you with the essential pieces of information you need to have in order to sell your ideas throughout the organization or select the best use of your company’s capital. This program is perfect for those  trying to develop the ROI mindset and will help participants expand their perspective to consider the needs of all stakeholders: those in their entire organization, customers they serve, and even those who are directly and indirectly impacted.

For a detailed syllabus, contact us at: conversation@thefrontierproject.com

Ideal Participants: Vice Presidents, Directors, Managers, or High-Potential individuals who allocate capital based on new initiatives and the ongoing needs of an organization.

Length: 2 Days

Fees: Fees include all worksheets, materials, and notebooks required for the program. For a one day program, just halve the figures.

Pick up any  university executive education catalog (or inflight magazine for that matter) and you’ll see endless courses offered in “selling”, “persuasion”, and “winning”. We’re not interested in any of that. This workshop teaches participants the core skills in the art (not science) of influence.

Participants are introduced to the core negotiation techniques of identifying motive, finding mutual interest, and reaching agreement.  We teach participants how to structure discussions, use visual tools of communication, and project authentic authority in group situations to influence decisions and behaviors.

This program can be used to replace or enhance our Presentation Skills program and complements our Influence (Advanced) program.

For a detailed syllabus, contact us at: conversation@thefrontierproject.com

Ideal Participants: High-Potential individuals who are required to influence decision-makers, including “managing-up” the chain of command.

Length: 2 days

Location: Delivered on-site with immersive multimedia materials. Some “on-street observation” time required.

Fees: Fees include all worksheets, materials, and notebooks required for the program. For a one day program, just halve the figures.

We open with an introduction to how the brain processes information and the physiological influences that often override ‘logic’ in making decisions.  Then, building on the the techniques taught in Influence (Core), we develop participants’ advanced negotiation skills in analyzing and mapping decision-dynamics; recognizing irrational patterns of choices; and harnessing emotional factors to influence decisions and behaviors.

Deeply immersive, peer-reviewed and applied to real scenarios facing your organization, this program is designed to stretch high-calibre individuals to develop a powerful, authentic influence style congruent to their roles and personality.

For a detailed syllabus, contact us at: conversation@thefrontierproject.com

Ideal Participants: Executives and high-potential individuals with responsibility for negotiating partnerships, winning new business or driving major projects.

Length: 2 days

Location: Delivered on-site with immersive multimedia materials.  Some “on-street observation” time required.

Fees: Fees include all worksheets, materials, and notebooks required for the program. For a one day program, just halve the figures.

Most employees inside organizations are told they must be innovative in order for their company to survive. Ironically however, often the constraints and resistance by members of leadership to new ideas prevent employees from exploring truly innovative ones. In this economic environment, why put your job on the line by rocking the boat?

Of course in some situations employees simply lack the capacity to create and develop new ideas and so along with cultural constraints, there is also a skill deficiency that must be addressed. This program teaches (or refreshes) the skills to become a powerfully innovative thinker as well as develops the capacity for supporting and leading innovation efforts using hands-on, pragmatic, and understandable exercises.

For a detailed syllabus, contact us at: conversation@thefrontierproject.com

Ideal participants: Junior, mid-level, and senior managers with the potential for development and responsibility for increasing performance in your organization.

Length: 2 consecutive days

Location: Can be delivered on-site, but preferably off-site in a unique location

Fees: Fees include all worksheets, materials, and notebooks required for the program. For a one day program, just halve the figures.

We’re not talking about how to make everyone feel good or be part of a meeting.  The goal of this workshop is to teach techniques in leading meetings to an outcome.  How to structure; locations to choose; how to chair; how to close down difficult participants; how to ensure all relevant opinions are heard; and how to drive toward an outcome.  Oh, and how to communicate afterwards to ensure follow-through on commitments.  This program is perfect for organizations drowning in meetings and struggling to innovate or respond quickly to change.

For a detailed syllabus, contact us at: conversation@thefrontierproject.com

Ideal Participants: High-potential individuals with a passion for getting thing done.

Location: Client Site or Frontier Studio

Length: 2 days (One day of theory/techniques; One day of application/practice)

Fees: Fees include all worksheets, materials, and notebooks required for the program. For a one day program, just halve the figures.

Where to stand, how to sit and what to wear.  What your body language projects in terms of your leadership style. Developing a style that is congruent with self and projects leadership presence.

For a detailed syllabus, contact us at: conversation@thefrontierproject.com

Ideal Participants: Business unit leaders who are required to communicate direction and project authority

Length: 1 day

Location: Can be delivered on-site, but preferably off-site in a unique location

Fees: Fees include all worksheets, materials, and notebooks required for the program.

“My belief is that PowerPoint doesn’t kill meetings. People kill meetings”. – Peter Norvig

At Frontier, we take pride in knowing that our meetings are filled with engaging, thought provoking, presenter (rather than slide) focused material all while using PowerPoint as the medium. How do we do it? We step back to ask ourselves, why we are presenting in the first place, and what tone, message and venue will be most effective for the delivery.  We also assess our target audience and speak to the most resonant figure in the room (Hint: it’s not always the most senior member).  Then we develop a presentation lead by narration and supported by visual imagery.

Want to host meetings that co-workers look forward to attending, stay awake through, and walk out with a complete understanding of the purpose without bullet points and slides filled with words? Take part in our presentation skills session, which moves from the offline storyboard phase (pens and paper) to a final product with the impactful use of stock photography, fonts, and quotes. You will also learn tips and techniques of where to stand/sit/walk and how to effortlessly direct Q and A.

For a detailed syllabus, contact us at: conversation@thefrontierproject.com

Ideal Participants: Anyone who’s ever saved a document with the suffix .ppt

Length: 2 consecutive days, including practice and peer review.

Location: Can be delivered on-site, but preferably off-site in a unique location

Fees: Fees include all worksheets, materials, and notebooks required for the program. For a one day program, just halve the figures.