WORKSHOPS & PROGRAMS
Changing the way you think. Our strategy at Way To Go! inc is to help you face your problems with a fresh mindset, new strategy and tools that produce breakthrough, sustainable solutions. Our programs are designed with real work as the centerpiece. We take theory and make it relevant, accessible, and practical. Our training is highly experiential but grounded in theory and research, including the latest in neuroscience, positive psychology, emotional intelligence, and adult learning.
Workshops
(1.5-2 hours)
COMMUNICATION
Assertiveness
Learn more about speaking up for yourself. Communicating authentically and courageously. Understand the difference between passive and assertive and between assertive vs aggressive. Learn what assertiveness looks like.
Communication SNAFUs
"You jumped to conclusions," “you know what they say about assumptions,” these are just some of the phrases that belie the link with how our mind works to the results we get--even negative ones! We will get to the bottom of common communication disconnects in a fun and interactive way. You will be introduced to concepts such as “mental models” a model rooted in systems thinking, the Ladder of Inference and most importantly, how you can integrate these tools and concepts to avoid communication disconnects.
Listen Up Part I & II
Listening is something we do every day, in fact, that we’ve been doing all our lives. Mostly, we don’t think too much about it. Yet this skill has the potential to change your life—and not just at work, but your personal life too. In this experiential and fun workshop, you will experience this surprising fact firsthand.
Key Take-Aways
-
Three different levels of listening, and how to use them.
-
How you listen actually impacts others’ performance--to the good or bad.
-
How to avoid communication disconnects.
-
Beyond the words: What are they really saying?
-
How good listening helps de-escalate.
-
How a certain level of listening strengthens relationships.
Part 1 includes the first 2 levels of listening, where you will practice and observe video clips. Part 2 includes the 3rd level of listening and more practice of all the skills.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecies
Our beliefs are so powerful that they determine the actions we take, which often leads to results that in turn reinforces our beliefs. We call this a vicious cycle, or in systems thinking, a reinforcing loop. How do we escape this vicious cycle, and even turn it into a virtuous cycle? We learn about something called a Belief-Action-Results cycle, and how you can use that knowledge to prevent unintended negative results.
Tangle Conversations Part I, II, & III
Something went wrong and you need to address it. For many people, that makes our hearts beat faster and we either avoid it or address it head on without stopping to consider how we might best be effective. In this workshop, we unravel the tangle, look at a framework for addressing it, including the key “prep” work that increases the likelihood that the conversation will be an effective one. Tangle conversations, if done well, serve to strengthen relationships and smooth the path forward. Part 1 focuses on learning how to create a Purpose Statement and clarity of the topic, i.e. Content, Pattern, Relationship. Part 2 focuses on learning the framework. Part 3 is a review and an experiential workshop to continue practicing and deepening the learning in real life scenarios.
DELEGATION
Delegation that Delivers and Develops
Delegation is a tricky thing. Have you ever given someone a task, only to find out they had a completely different understanding of what needed to be done? Or didn’t do it at all? Sometimes it just seems like it’s quicker to do it yourself. Do you find that you don’t have time to do the work you know you should be doing, because you’re too busy putting out fires or fixing problems that shouldn’t be there to begin with? Learn the latest coaching principles to delegate in a way that delivers the right results, giving you the time to tend to the job of leading, and also delegate in a way that develops, so your people are more equipped to handle more complexity. Take your delegation to the next level and learn the language of accountability.
Language of Accountability
Accountability is more than just talking to someone when they don’t do what they were supposed to do. Learn more about how to set yourself up well to prevent those conversations to begin with. Take your delegation to the next level and learn the language of accountability.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: The Basics
Diversity Training- Explore and adopt approaches and behaviors for creating an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming environment within the workplace. Understand how developing greater sensitivity to and awareness of the various dimensions of diversity, gender, generational differences, race, ethnicity counters the detrimental impacts of microinequities and unconscious bias contributing to greater productivity and employee engagement.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Gender Diversity
Gender Diversity - This workshop will equip participants with actionable gender inclusion strategies in the areas of language, communication, pronoun use, and behavior. Understand how terms and key concepts such as non-binary and transgender, the difference between sex and gender, stereotypes, the impacts of gender-based microaggressions, the fluidity of gender, and the gender binary impact workplace effectiveness and inclusiveness.
Leveraging Your Power & Privilege Series
In this workshop, participants will explore the concepts of social identity as it relates to power and privilege. The participants will examine the concept of intersectionality as it applies to building inclusive organizations. Intersectionality refers to how our multiple identities change how we experience the world. The workshop will give insights into how each of us possess privilege and challenge participants to explore how their privilege can be used to benefit ourselves and the communities in which we identify. Participants will explore how their power and privilege can be used to benefit marginalized groups.
EMERGENT LEARNING (2-4 hours)
Emergent Learning is a framework for dialogue and learning around a key framing question. The framing question, which if answered, is a question that would make a significant positive difference in everyone’s work. A draft of that framing question is developed typically in conjunction with input from the parties involved. The question is vetted then we collectively define metrics for success.
Past Examples:
-
What would it take for us to walk the talk, bring the leadership culture to life, and hold each other accountable to that?
-
What would it take to prevent burnout?
-
What would it take to improve performance and processing time?
Each person will be asked to look at the past & future in the following context. We answer the first one with virtual “stickies”:
-
Data: What defining moments have either helped or hindered my ability to achieve this (Framing Question) thus far?
-
Insights: What is there to learn from these defining moments?
-
Hypothesis: What new actions do we think would be helpful to implement and what do we think will happen as a result?
-
Opportunities: What events are already on the calendar to which we could apply these hypotheses.
From here, the group will develop an action plan. The beauty of Emergent Learning is that the focus is on continuous learning and applying what you’ve learned to the future, preferably things already on the calendar. What often happens at off-sites is that managers walk away with a lot of action items that are not realistic to carry forward given the demands of day to day reality, and then the team gets demoralized. Emergent Learning focuses on “learning in action”—engaging in a cycle of continual reflection, using Before and After Action Reviews to supplement.
LEADERSHIP
Growing Talent with Supportive Relationships
Research shows that the 70/20/10 formula tells us that 20% of development happens when we build relationships with people who can support our growth. How can you as a leader help your direct reports cultivate supportive relationships with mentors, coaches, sponsors, and peers to help them grow?
Leader as Coach Intro (formerly GROW)
Leaders feel an overwhelming pressure to create results and often know exactly what must be done and how to do it. In the face of such pressure, it’s tempting to be directive in delegating work to others or even worse, to do it yourself! When leaders do it themselves thinking it’s quicker, they don’t realize what isn’t happening: creating capacity in your team, but what is happening is creating a dependency on you, the leader, to do things that aren’t yours to do. So how can you develop capacity in your team and inspire people? Research consistently shows that people have greater buy-in when they reach the answers themselves. Learn a simple coaching model that is a proven approach to build leaders’ ability to ask powerful questions that focus people in the right direction, hold people accountable, and help them identify their own solutions and learning. Most importantly, they learn how to create sustainable results within the organization, with their people and with themselves.
Leadership Influence for Positive Change
Wouldn't it be great if people would just do what we ask them to do? Whether it's our boss, our co-workers, subordinates or family members, we often find it challenging to achieve the results we want when we have to work through other people. And the reality is that even when we manage others, success isn’t achieved just by telling people what to do. This module will teach you core strategies for exerting personal influence, defined as "making your ideas powerful from another person's point of view."
Leadership Presence & Confidence
Inspiring others is an intangible quality rooted in our ability to see, sense, and be present. In this workshop we will identify five easy yet effective practices to grow our ability to connect deep within ourselves so that we can read the room (or the Zoom) and communicate with more power, presence, and passion.
One-on-One Conversations
What do you cover in your 1:1 with your direct reports? This workshop will give you a framework for making the most out of your one-on-one meetings, leaving you with a good beat on what’s going on, and your staff feeling inspired, motivated and supported, all while tracking deadlines and priorities.
Performance Reviews
Before you begin your organizations’ round of performance reviews, it’s a great time to work with Way To Go coaches on a proven brain-friendly protocol for organizing and holding performance reviews that you and your people will find helpful. First we’ll review the steps in the accountability process and then we’ll hone in on the actual performance review conversation, employing a neuroscience-based feedback protocol within a larger conversation framework.
Systems Thinking: Balancing the strategic with the tactical
Systems thinking provides you with powerful tools to help individuals and teams think critically and strategically together. It’s a way that enables you to get out of firefighting, reacting mode and focus on strategic work. A systems thinking approach lends itself to understanding and exploring many of the complex issues we face today.
MEETINGS
Effective Meetings
We will explore various best practices for meetings, with an emphasis on virtual meetings. We will learn about the fallacy of multi-tasking. We will provide tips and exercises for maximizing meetings and minimizing inefficiencies. We will learn Kantor’s 4 Player Model and how to apply this concept to meetings.
The Secret Ingredients to Make Your Meetings Rock
Transform meetings from time wasters to meetings you never want to miss. In this workshop, we’ll discuss the power of meeting norms and get you started on developing norms to improve your own team meetings. We’ll discuss how to work with your norms and how to update them as your work, team, and context shift. Your meetings will never be the same.
Managing Difficult Meetings
You’ve learned how to have 1:1 tangle conversations but what do you do when you run into this in the context of a meeting? Especially if it’s your customers? Let’s look at how we can apply the concepts and tools you’ve learned so far to skillfully address this situation.
PERFORMANCE
High Performance: Boost Your Focus
Our effectiveness as leaders is directly related to our ability to focus our attention on what matters most. In this workshop, you will identify your strengths and expand your repertoire of strategies to tune your focus. As a result you will be more present for others, more productive throughout your day, and feel a greater sense of inner reward.
High Performance: Overcoming Distractions & Learning How to Focus
Our effectiveness as leaders is directly related to our ability to focus our attention on what matters most. In this workshop, you will identify your strengths and expand your repertoire of strategies to tune your focus. As a result you will be more present for others, more productive throughout your day, and feel a greater sense of inner reward.
Managing Priorities
Learn positive habits for increasing personal productivity, how to make steady progress on big goals, the power of identifying meaningful objectives, and how to say no gracefully.
Managing Up
No matter where you are in the department, this workshop on Managing Up is for you! Your relationship with your boss is one of the most important relationships at work. Yet, what do you do when you’re having challenges with your boss? This workshop helps you understand the difference in communication styles, how to better align with your manager.
The Science of Positivity and Morale Part I & II
What does research show is a key element of high performing teams? What makes for strong relationships? The answer is in the ratio of positive to negative interactions. Learn about the neuroscience of positivity and morale. Learn what triggers you and others. Learn how NOT to escalate and instead how to mitigate. And even more importantly, learn how to prevent triggers from happening in the first place. We’re really good at pointing out what’s wrong (there’s a neuroscientific reason for that), but not necessarily in pointing out what’s right. Learn about the research-based Team Toxins, and how to escape them. You’ll also learn an appreciation protocol that will help you exercise that positivity muscle and override your brain’s default response.
WELL-BEING
The 8 Dimensions of Wellness
A key to creating a healthier life is making better choices feel easy. In this workshop, you will gain a new perspective on your wellness and identify the number one thing that will move you forward. Learn how greater calm, enjoyment, and quality of life can be yours when you know how to leverage calm with incremental change.
Stress Relief / Relaxation
Stress Relief / Relaxation sessions are designed to help people cope with everyday stress. Some of the relaxation session topics are:
-
Seated stretch & diaphramatic breathing
-
How to use standing during your workday to enhance your health and prevent repetitive stress injuries.
-
How to wake up the brain for problem solving.
-
Going on vacation in your mind - special place meditation
-
Seated stretch & diaphragmatic breathing
-
Discover this simple breath technique while enjoying live cello music.
-
Supporting ourselves and others with positive intentions/affirmations
-
Jaw health and chewing for better health.
-
Focus your attention: Practices to help with eye strain and fatigue.
-
Play rhythms that follow our breath - build focus and stamina. Live music enhances your experience.
DeStress & Take Control
These are uncertain and unsettling times. In this workshop, you'll identify ways in which you can feel and be more empowered to respond to unwanted changes even when there are factors beyond your control. Learn how to apply Stephen Covey’s Circle of Influence to decrease stress and have more control. Learn about the neuroscience of change, including a research-based technique of reappraisal and how to apply it to your situation in a way that feels authentic, reduces your stress and increases your resilience. These models can help you not only through COVID-19, but for the rest of your life! This workshop has been delivered both in person and virtually for large and small audiences, and will map the way to addressing our challenges and stressors through insightful interaction, impactful examples, exercises and the opportunity to practice.
Positive Intelligence (PQ Six Part Series)
We all know the value of becoming physically fit; but do you know the benefits of investing in your mental fitness? This workshop will introduce you to a 3-step process you can use to help you retrain your brain so you can shrink the power of negative thoughts and emotions and meet life’s challenges with a positive mindset more of the time. Research with over 500,000 people has proven that Mental Fitness helps us access peak performance, sustain healthy, fulfilling relationships, and experience a greater sense of happiness and well-being. This is a six-part series of 90 minute workshops for any size group. There is also a more intense 8-week program for a pod of 5 participants.
In Part 1, you’ll learn the basics of Positive Intelligence (PQ), explore the concept of Saboteurs and Sage Powers, and some strategies for increasing your PQ.
In Part 2, you will learn to recognize and interrupt your primary Saboteurs — deeply entrenched patterns of thoughts and emotions that can have a damaging impact on your personal well-being, performance, and relationships.
In Part 3, we’ll continue learning how to grow our mental fitness and deepen awareness and understanding of our primary Saboteur patterns and equip ourselves with tools to help us interrupt Saboteurs and shift to a Sage mindset.
In Part 4, we will get acquainted with and practice the Sage Powers defined in the Positive Intelligence framework and learn how to summon them up on command.
In Part 5, an integrating workshop, we will explore practical applications of the Positive Intelligence operating system so that you can increase your capacity to sustain the practice of mental fitness, and enhance performance, relationships, and well-being in your life and work.
In Part 6, this final workshop in our PQ series, we will learn how Positive Intelligence can be applied to teaming to boost performance and grow collaboration and positivity.
The Power of a Growth Mindset
Did you know that your mindset affects your stress level, self-confidence and openness to learning? It sure does! And learning how to identify your current mindset and transform it into something more helpful is the first step. Once you do that, there are plenty of tips and tricks for cultivating what’s called a Growth Mindset. That’s just what we’ll cover in this workshop.
PQ Pods
After delivering Positive Intelligence workshop series of six, PQ Pods allow you to dive even deeper and build a solid foundation of mental fitness by strengthening three critical mental muscles to shift the balance of power from your inner Saboteur (your negative self) to your inner Sage (your positive self).
Most attempts at positive change fail because we stop at insight and don’t build habits. Sustained change towards a more positive mindset requires laying down
neural pathways to form new habits through consistent daily practice. And that’s what this 8 week program design empowers you to do
FIND YOUR WHY
The purpose of the Find Your Why effort is to provide an experience and a tool kit for discovering purpose for you and your team in a way that is inclusive and co-created, personal, and meaningful. So that everyone connects more deeply with purpose-driven work that fuels the organization's collective ability to tackle important organizational challenges and support the mission.
This is typically a 6-9 month effort.
-
Each individual will be able to voice their own why and the why for their team. They will be able to share a personal story that connects to the organization Why.
-
Organization leaders will not only know their own why and their team’s why but they will also know every other team’s why and how they connect at the overall organizational level.
-
The organization has a sense of cohesion and a core common purpose that is patient-centric.
-
This clarity of purpose contributes to the sustainability of people, mission, and high quality service.
LEADER AS COACH MASTERY PROGRAM (LACMP)
The Leader as Coach Master Program (LACMP) is a comprehensive and transformative leadership development initiative designed to empower individuals in leadership positions to become highly effective coaches within their organizations. This program is tailored for executives, managers, team leaders, and professionals who seek to enhance their leadership abilities by adopting a coaching approach to guide and support their teams and colleagues.
The program design is informed by a research-based approach to learning retention, each module building on the previous segment, creating repetition and application of learning over a prolonged period of time. Each module is highly interactive, employing various engagement techniques including, but not limited to, polls, chat box, verbal solicitation, cameras-on encouragement, breakout groups for exercises and discussion, facilitator demos, and “fishbowl” exercises. Between live sessions, participants are encouraged to apply and reinforce the skills learned in each module in between sessions.
There are two versions of LACMP. These are:
-
LACMP - IN PERSON (1.5 hour virtual welcome/orientation, 1st module - 3 days, 2nd module - 2 days)
-
LACMP - VIRTUAL PROGRAM (Three months, meet two consecutive days a month)
For more information, click here.
Move to Energize and Move to Calm
Move to Energize (15-minutes a day for 3 weeks, morning sessions)
Cultivate regulation and resilience by moving with just enough vigor to stimulate the benefits of exercise, while layering in goals and mindset to supercharge positive outcomes.
Move to Calm: (15-minutes a day for 3 weeks, afternoon sessions)
Gear down after the stress of a workday with gentle movement, breathing, and guided awareness practices to end your day with more energy, enjoy your personal time after work, and sleep better at night.
COACHING
(Individual, Sign Up, Team, Retreats and Resiliency)
We have 5 types of coaching:
1. Individual Coaching
This is a six month engagements for individuals with a total of 14 hours coaching session. It is a deliberate process using focused conversations to create personal and professional growth that results in accelerated performance and development. Ideally, it includes a 3 way with the manager at the start to get input into the coaching goals, and at the end to assess the success of the coaching from the manager’s perspective. Please note that besides these meetings, all other information is kept confidential, consistent with International Coaching Federation ethics. Way To Go! inc. incorporates neuroscience, systems thinking, organizational learning principles, emotional and social intelligence, positive psychology, and neuroplasticity into our approach.
2. Sign Up Coaching
Sign up coaching is a full coaching session with a credentialed coach. The purpose of sign-up coaching is to help anyone in the organization, regardless of status, deal with a specific issue, overcome a challenging situation or support in achieving a goal. Consider it “just in time” coaching.
There are two sessions involved in sign up coaching. The first session, which is one hour long. And the second session a month later, which is 30 minutes to create accountability, sustainability, and support.
3. Team Coaching/Team Building
This aims to help team members deepen professional and personal relationships and develop a better understanding of the organization’s strategic and culture change goals. Team Coaching can be particularly helpful in the following scenarios:
-
The team is wrought with conflict among its members.
-
The team is struggling with burnout.
-
For whatever reasons, morale is low.
-
The team is not meeting its goals.
-
The team is high stakes, high visibility and could use the extra support to help it perform at its highest, most efficient level.
4. Retreats
We offer expertly curated retreats designed to inspire growth, foster collaboration, and ignite innovation within your team. Whether you're looking to strengthen leadership, improve communication, or recharge with creative problem-solving sessions, our retreats provide a focused environment away from the everyday distractions of the workplace.
Our retreats are tailored to meet the unique needs of your organization. We blend workshops, team-building exercises, and wellness activities to create a balanced experience that drives both personal and professional development.
5. Resilience Coaching On Demand
This consists of three private 15-30 minute Resilience Sessions within a two-month timeframe. Whenever the coachee is feeling stressed and overwhelmed, they can simply text their coach to have a Resilience Coach at their fingertips, helping them reach calm and productivity in just 15-30 minutes.