Training & Coaching

Series and Intensive Programs to Shape Leaders

EXECUTIVE COACHING 

Our certified executive coaches have “been there, done that” within complex political environments. MRG has experienced and seasoned leaders and students of human behavior. Our background and understanding of workplace conduct expectations, business practices and how to improve organizational culture are important touchstones in our coaching program.   MRG endeavors to have a powerful and positive impact on coaching clients and their organizationsWe are proud of our results and clients who return again and again to seek our support.   

We partner with our clients who seek to grow as managers and expand their influence.  Workplace coaching is a deliberate, regularly scheduled and on-going process intended to enable success, inspire change and promote transformation. The progression involves setting goals, identifying the support and resources necessary to achieve those goals, and regular follow-up.

We use tools and practices including DISC assessments, 360-type feedback surveys and other development strategies to help build client awareness of their areas of strength and areas for growth.  

The larger organizational coaching program also includes our Coaching for Excellence module.  This training and performance management methodology has replaced traditional “check the box” performance management in many of our more progressive clients.  See (Training) for more information. 

 

Some of our resources include: 

Resources used to build our program include: 

  • Enhancing your Executive Edge by Kim Zoller and Kerry Preston 
  • Quiet Leadership  by David Rock
  • The Happiness Advantage  by Shawn Achor
  • The Power of Full Engagement by Lohrer and Schwartz 
  • Drive  by Dan Pink  

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Building a High-Trust Workplace

We all want a high-trust workplace. High-trust workplaces have greater productivity, higher engagement, better overall performance, stronger employee and customer satisfaction, and less turnover. Low-trust environments are the opposite. Things are unpredictable, unclear and unfair. Low-trust behaviors drag down confidence, destroy creativity, reduce engagement, and threaten productivity. At every level of an organization, TRUST makes or breaks success.

Yet addressing TRUST in the workplace is challenging. Dynamics of power and hierarchy complicate matters. This course, BUILDING A HIGH-TRUST WORKPLACE, examines the fundamentals of TRUST, and its value and impact in the workplace. This course gives individuals the awareness, skills, and tools necessary to make a personal, positive difference in the trust dynamic. Regardless of rank, and whether the current environment is LOW-trust or HIGH-trust, individuals have the power to make things better. From the individual to the department/team, through customer service and across levels of management, all the way to the bottom line, fostering trust in your organization raises the bar.

Participants who have taken this course have this to say:

“This was hands down the best internal training I have had as a county employee to date, and if leveraged properly, could actually have an impact on our culture (micro/macro, internal & external).”

“The course was very insightful and I walked away with the tools to look inside myself which will help me to be a more trustworthy person.  If I practice these tools, others will follow.”

“Everyone, at all levels of our organization, can benefit from this course in changing our culture and the future of our organization.”

Please call or visit https://www.clairelaughlin.com/high-trust-workplace for more details.

Coaching for Excellence

Today’s employees don’t want to wait for an ANNUAL performance appraisal to know how they are doing. They want frequent, quality, actionable feedback—in other words, coaching. The COACHING FOR EXCELLENCE course gives managers the background and practical skills needed for goal-setting and performance-based conversations that enhance trust, cooperation, and employee retention in your organization. Build a more positive and powerful workplace culture through Coaching.

Whether you are interested in completely replacing your annual performance appraisal with a quarterly coaching model, or you simply want to teach your leaders to have focused, high-quality, on-going conversations about expectations and performance, the COACHING FOR EXCELLENCE program is for you.  Proven to be extremely effective with today’s workforce, coaching is a skill that requires both passion and practice. COACHING FOR EXCELLENCE has been tested and implemented by leading municipalities and has proven that the benefits of coaching can have a profoundly positive impact in more traditional work environments.

Participants who have taken this course, have this to say:

“I would strongly recommend this coaching process. It is supportive of all levels of employees within the organization.”

“I really appreciated the facilitation of this workshop. Claire (Laughlin/MRG) did an amazing job making coaching relatable, achievable and genuine.”

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Being your Best at Work

This program is designed to accompany Coaching for Excellence but is aimed at the individuals who participate in the coaching process as coachees. BEING YOUR BEST AT WORK teaches foundational employment skills that inspire and empower people to thrive at work and participate wholeheartedly in quarterly coaching conversations. Modules focus on the critical skills of listening, being receptive to feedback, “managing up,” setting professional goals and tracking progress. Ideal for organizations who want to support their employees to participate fully in the coaching process.

Please call or visit https://www.clairelaughlin.com/coaching-for-excellence for more details.

LX EVOLVE

You depend on your managers and supervisors to lead the way. Do they have the support they need to be successful?

Managers and supervisors are the backbones of every organization. They drive the work, manage the resources, and create the culture. But let’s face it—most are overwhelmed and unprepared. They need real leadership training in order to meet the demands of today’s complex, changing environment.

LX EVOLVE is the real leadership training they need.

LX EVOLVE is transformational leadership development. MRG & Claire Laughlin have curated and customized a series of our most sought-after training topics to support supervisors and managers in leading organizations through this “new normal.” From prioritization to problem-solving, and conflict to collaboration, this comprehensive array of competency-based trainings compose a professional development experience that will transform your organization.

Topics include…

Building Credibility as a Leader, Supporting Accountability, Managing Performance, Leading Effective (Virtual) Meetings, Engaging Your Team, Prioritizing, Planning and Goal Setting, Delegating, Directing and Coaching, Managing Conflict, Igniting Engagement, and Leading Change.

Your supervisors, managers and leaders will come away from this program able to…

  • Prioritize the work, and provide clear expectations for team deliverables
  • Set clear standards for performance
  • Lead meetings that matter
  • Determine clear and actionable goals, and translate those goals into shared work plans
  • Engage team members in the timely completion of project-based work
  • Move through conflict into problem-solving and decision-making
  • Lead your organization through change
  • Delegate effectively
  • Coach a team member to build competence and confidence
  • And more!

Imagine the savings represented by this degree of organizational effectiveness!

With your leaders enrolled in LX EVOLVE, you won’t have to recruit or hope for the best—your managers and supervisors will have all the support they need to develop core leadership competencies. Improvements will ripple through your organization.

You can find additional details HERE, or download the attached LX EVOLVE brochure (pdf).

We invite you to carefully consider your supervisors, managers, leaders, and high-potentials. Select a sizable group to enroll in this program. Why? Because by selecting a cohort to participate, the group dynamic will deliver exponential energy and momentum, increasing the organizational benefit.

This is NOT a quick-fix training program. LX EVOLVE is a professional development experience designed to help your organization fundamentally shift the way things are done. Your leaders will network and interact with other organizations, which breaks the walls of myopia, builds humility and accountability, broadens perspective, and helps them see the benefit of applying skills and making real change.

Due to high demand, we’re opening LX EVOLVE again in August 2021. Save $375 by enrolling by July 30 ($1875 per person as of 7/31/21).

Learn more: https://www.clairelaughlin.com/evolve or contact Claire Laughlin at 831.239.8483 or CLaughlin@Solutions-MRG.com

MRG Joins Group of Globally Certified REACH Coaches

MRG partnered with Dr. Andy Molinsky, owner and creator of The REACH Method, to successfully certify MRG consultants:  Patty Francisco, Sofia Style, and Michael Egan.  MRG also anticipates certification of Mary Egan, Marcie Scott, and Cathy Thompson.  MRG proudly becomes part of the globally certified REACH coaches and is excited to deliver the program to our clients in California.

The REACH Method is a leadership and personal development program developed by Dr. Andy Molinsky, based on his award-winning books Global Dexterity and Reach. The Reach Method helps individuals and teams become unstuck and reach their potential by learning to diagnose and successfully overcome their psychological roadblocks in an easy-to-use method customized to your organization’s needs.  The REACH Method was recently certified and accredited by the International Coach Federation.

Increasing Awareness and Enhancing Diversity in the Workplace

Using the REACH method, MRG is developing its latest workshop on Increasing Awareness, Enhancing Diversity in the Workplace.  Utilizing the proven methods from the REACH program, MRG provides customized training on how to encourage and promote diversity, inclusion and equity in the workplace by focusing on how teams and individuals can tackle and overcome various personal and professional challenges such as handling difficult conversations, providing feedback, participating in meetings with confidence, developing and using power and influence, networking in an authentic manner, and speaking up and asserting one’s self.

Call or email us today to take the first step in customizing your training program to increase awareness and enhance diversity in the workplace.

 

The Leadership Challenge®

The Leadership Challenge® Workshop will engage and inspire you, as a leader. This practical, hands-on workshop is a unique and highly-interactive experience that has served as a catalyst for profound leadership transformation in organizations worldwide. Aimed at the upper-level leaders and culture-shapers within your organization, it is our most popular program among public and private sector executives. This 2-day intensive program is led by Claire Laughlin, a trained Leadership Challenge® facilitator.

The Leadership Challenge® empowers participants to put the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® to work, teaching them to Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Other to Act, and Encourage the HeartTM. Leaders who effectively demonstrate the Five Practices have been proven to have a measurably positive impact on culture, engagement, productivity, and even the customer experience. This workshop provides the insight and confidence that leaders need to achieve their full potential and drive organizational results. The Leadership Practices Inventory® can also be used to add360° feedback to the experience.

There’s no better investment than the experience, enthusiasm, and productivity your exemplary leaders will bring your organization.

Supervisory Academy

Supervisors are often promoted based on their technical skills but left to their own devices when it comes to people-leadership skills. This can create a deep “skill divide” in your organization and leave your front line and customer-facing employees with less support than they need.  Supervisors matter! They need to know how to engage employees, build trust, lead effective teams, and manage performance. The SUPERVISORY ACADEMY helps develop the tactical and people-leader skills that foster success in this role and contribute positively to your organization.  Participants will come to know themselves better, understand the breadth and scope of their roles, and gain confidence as people-leaders.

This series of half-day courses can be mixed and matched based on the needs of your organization. Our most popular titles include:

  • Being a Great Supervisor
  • Essential Communication Skills
  • Leading a Team
  • Delegating for Development
  • Essential Coaching Skills
  • Creating an Environment of Trust
  • Proactive Problem Solving
  • Motivating Others
  • Managing Workplace Conflict
  • Planning and Aligning
  • Setting and Achieving Goals
  • and more!

The Career Accelerator Series

This multi-part series helps individuals develop the professional skills and work habits they need to be positive contributors and move up through your organization. If you are committed to succession planning and developing your talent pipeline, then the Career Accelerator Series is for you!

Ever notice that some people easily advance in their careers while others get stuck and struggle? Why do some people exude positivity and energy, while others see the glass as half-empty and perpetually feel like the victim? Specific skills, habits, and behaviors make the difference: how you think; how you manage your time and priorities; how you manage interactions with others; and how you achieve results. The CAREER ACCELERATOR series offers a variety of classes to address the common ways that we get ourselves stuck. Take one class or take them all for a truly transformed YOU!

This series of half-day courses can be mixed and matched based on the needs of your organization. Our most popular titles include:

  • Who are YOU at work? Understanding Your Values and Motivations
  • Building Emotional Intelligence and Self-Awareness
  • Powerful Positive Thinking (AKA The Happiness Class)
  • Managing Time
  • Business Writing
  • Managing Stress
  • Managing Conflict
  • Confident Decision Making
  • Planning and Prioritization
  • Making the Most of Mentoring Opportunities
  • Managing Up
  • Networking
  • and more!

In-Person, Online & Hybrid Delivery Options Available

MRG, in partnership with Claire Laughlin Consulting, offers several course-delivery methods designed to meet the needs of every organization. Whether you prefer video-based courses, LIVE courses, or a hybrid option that blends the two, we’ve got you covered! We will work with you to design and deliver a transformational training experience that engages your participants and compels them to action!

“Claire was great. She kept things moving forward.”

“Claire was amazing – she was informative and action based.”

“Claire was very clear in her directions and controlled the group gently and effectively.”

“Claire did a great job at adjusting to our needs as the day progressed.”

“Claire is gifted – she has the right personality to do this type of work.”

“Claire was very engaging and kept the conversation flowing.”

“Claire was very calm and kept the class on track. She really got me thinking outside of my realm of work.”

"Claire had great energy and movement.”