Upcoming Classes:

Finance for Non-Financial Managers

Leslie Williams Crocker

A key component to an individual’s development within an organization is understanding the numbers side, the life blood of the business.  This class provides people from all backgrounds with a solid understanding of how things impact the bottom line.  Join us and learn how to analyze and interpret financial statements, as well as the language associated with financial data such as the income statement and the balance sheet.  Take with you an understanding of how to forecast revenue and plan for growth, how to plan budgets, justify investments and most importantly, how to spot problems before they result in problems. Participants do not need to have any prior finance or accounting knowledge.

The following represents a sampling of other courses we may offer:

iPhone Photography

Julia O'Malley

Make photos with your phone that work better on social media and can work to illustrate reports. Learn about your phone's technical capabilities, how to consider light and composition, and basic photo editing. (Must have an Instagram account)

Personal Branding

Julia O'Malley

In a hands-on course, create, shape and hone a 360-degree presence online that feels authentic, compelling and professional. Tips and tricks for developing your voice and building audiences on specific platforms including professional Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Discuss website strategy, get feedback on your existing profiles, plus bonus Instagram stories tutorial.

Clarifying Your Message: Business Writing Essentials

Dr. Christina McDowell

Communication is important to personal success in the workplace and organizational success in the marketplace. Fighting for attention in the workplace and having our messages heard, however, is routine. By applying basic principles, you will break down barriers to communication and ensure messages are received in the crowded business marketplace. The purpose of this workshop is to provide you with business writing essentials in order for you to clarify your message. Learn how to produce professional written business documents. This session will include professional tips on how to communicate effectively in writing effectively in the workplace.   

Engaging Your Audience: Business Presentation Essentials

Dr. Christina McDowell

Engaging an audience from the get-go is key to delivering an effective professional business presentation in the workplace. By organizing your information in the most persuasive way possible, you will command attention and successfully reach your audience. The purpose of this workshop is to provide you with business presentation essentials in order for you to deliver an effective presentation.  Learn to determine appropriate presentation methods for reaching your audience, structuring a memorable message, designing and developing professional presentations, and delivering successful informative and persuasive business presentations. This session will include professional tips on how to engage your audience by applying business presentation essentials.

Communicating in the Workplace - Generational Differences

Dr. Christina McDowell

For the first time in history there are four generations in the workplace. Each generation rebels at some point in their life in attempt to distinguish themselves from other groups (i.e., hair, music, words). So, it is important to consider generational differences and to ask questions such as what are their value systems?  How do you communicate as a leader, a manager, a partner in your organization? What do you need to know about different generations? Think about the intergenerational communication that goes on in your workplace. Half of today’s workforce is comprised of Generation X and Generation Y (Millennials). The other half consist of 45% Baby Boomers and 5% Traditionalists who have been tasked with mentoring the younger generations. When differences in intergenerational communication in the workplace are recognized, you will be able to communicate effectively, support employees in performing well, and reach success on projects. The purpose of this workshop is to increase your awareness of the importance of effective workplace communication, specifically related to generational differences. This interactive session will challenge you to manage your interactions with your coworkers—to stop and think before you write and speak. The session will include professional tips on how to communicate clearly and concisely in an intergenerational business setting.

#Oopsism: Communicating Effectively Across Cultures in the 21st Century

Dr. Terry Nelson

”Alaskan people get everything for free, right”; “Why do you sound white”; “You’re an old-timer, you wouldn’t understand”; “That’s so gay”; Oops! Have you ever had a situation when you wished you could literally grab the words that had escaped from your mouth? During this 2-hour interactive workshop, participants will discuss how unintentional remarks shaped by society’s negative and positive stereotypes are deemed as subtle “isms” (sexism, racism, elitism, ageism, homophobism, etc.) rather than miscommunication or misconception. Participants will explore how to manage and diffuse “Oops, that’s not what I meant!” moments. The ultimate goal of this workshop is to heighten participants’ awareness, comprehension, and appreciation of cultural differences and to provide participants with skills to effectively communicate across cultures. 

HE SAID, SHE SAID: Gender Miscommunication?

Dr. Terry Nelson

In a meeting at work, she says, “I think maybe….” and he says “My strong advice is….”. Consequently, the male’s voice is amplified and the female’s voice is attenuated. Is it a matter of linguistics, gender, or both? Should women make their language more muscular in order to be heard in a male dominant workplace? Or, should men and women recognize they communicate differently and adjust to the differences. In this interactive seminar, we will discuss the possible origin of why men and women differ linguistically and how as leaders you can proactively align gender communication within your organization.

Captivated Audiences: Next Level Business Presentation Skills

Stage presence is being in charge of the space around you and in tune with the energy of the room. When it's cultivated and nurtured, stage presence can grow. Is embracing the spotlight a challenge for you? Learn to command the stage and deliver powerful presentations with clarity, confidence and conviction. This active seminar will teach you techniques implemented by actors, using tools of the trade, to help craft your presentations. Understand vocal technique, how to overcome stage fright, ways to memorize, skills for reading your audience and develop the style, walk and talk to engage your audience, whether it is large or small. Take center stage with this seminar and become your best self. 

Organizational Behavior Series I: Smart Negotiation Skills

Frank Jeffries

In this class you will learn how to effectively prepare for negotiation and will develop a deeper understanding of basic negotiation skills.  You will have the opportunity to integrate these skills into your "tool kit", understand the stages of negotiation and effective tactics for each one.  You will develop and practice skills that allow you to negotiate better outcomes and build better working relationships.  Bottom line – the class will prepare you to negotiate more effectively in every area of your life.

The Effective Manager: How to Optimize, Motivate, and Inspire

Frank Jeffries

Your effectiveness as a manager depends on the strengths and weaknesses of your approach to managing employees. Insights gained through continued education and experience will result in significant improvements in your managerial capability — which will be noticeable to you as well as those around you. In this 3-day class series, you will gain a practical understanding of the most effective skills in directing the work of others. 

Real Estate Investment Finance

Terry Fields

This 12-hour ECE eligible seminar is not a "get-rich-quick" class or "guru" workshop. This is a condensed version of a college-level real estate investment finance course for investors (or aspiring investors) and professionals looking for the tools to understand and evaluate real estate investments and income-producing properties. This is a hands-on course, hosted in a computer lab, allowing you to work in Excel and learn concepts you can take home and put into practice. 

Topics include: 

• Advantages and disadvantages of investing in real estate
• Methods for financing real estate and loan underwriting standards (debt coverage ratio, loan constant, loan-to-value, etc.)
• Understanding and preparing loan amortization schedules
• Standards for categorizing revenue, expenses, and net operating income
• Standards for calculating before-tax cash flow
• Understanding positive and negative leverage
• Calculating common performance metrics like cap rates and cash-on-cash return
• Understanding the impacts of inflation, interest, and appreciation on the value of property over time
• Calculating net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR)

Fair Housing: A Practical Guide to Leasing and Operating Apartment Rentals

Terry Fields

Landlords, property managers, leasing professionals, and licensees working with residential rental properties should have a strong understanding of Fair Housing laws and how they affect the way they conduct their business.

Fair Housing laws are in place to prevent discrimination in the sale or rental of housing based on certain protected classes like race, religion, and familial status. While many landlords or professionals feel they are following the law and have a basic understanding of discriminatory behaviors or policies, many are unfamiliar with the details required to ensure compliance or hear conflicting stories about what to do.

This course aims to help landlords and operators feel more confident in their leasing and operating of apartment rentals, avoiding violations and costly liability.

Topics will include:

• Municipal, state, and federal protected classes and exemptions
• Reasonable modification and reasonable accommodation requests
• Assistance animals -- definitions, policies, and best practices
• HUD's guidance on occupancy standards
• HUD's guidance on criminal background screening
• Intentional and disparate impact definitions and examples
• Best practices for equal treatment and avoiding complaints

This 2-hour course qualifies for "Consumer Protection" DCE credits for real estate licensees for 2016-18. 

Business Ethics: Right, Wrong and Really Wrong

Can I tell you a secret? Conflict, what conflict? Hiring the boss's nephew... It's not enough to be able to identify an ethical issue, you also need the skills to discuss, analyze and solve ethical problems in the workplace.  Come join us as we explore the critical tools necessary for resolution. Case studies in confidentiality, personnel management, and conflict of interest will be used to explore different modes of ethical decision making. We will also introduce best practices for avoiding and resolving ethical problems. 

Transitioning Military: Segueing from Service: From Military to Corporate Leadership

Many leaders experience frustration in their transition from leading military personnel to leading civilians in the corporate setting. Motivation, accountability and teamwork that they used to take for granted are now frustrations that can sometimes seem insurmountable.

In this one-day interactive seminar, we'll discover how to gain and grow employee engagement through:

• aligning teams around core values, 
• creating a motivational climate in the workplace, and 
• creating a culture of team accountability. 

We'll also discuss common mistakes former military leaders make when first leading in the corporate world, and strategies for avoiding them.