People Skills &

Managerial Competencies

Personal attributes needed for success

In two hours, we affect years of personal growth. 

Skills Based on Science and Research

We dive deep so there's something for everyone.

All Workshops Are 2 Hours

Customization and consulting is available.

CLASSES

Categories and Offerings

hands-on interactive sessions with real-world tools

 download: quick reference course list

Management and Leadership

The New Manager - Hit the Ground Running

Audience: People Managers and Emerging Leaders
Duration: 2hr. "Greatest Hits" or  4 session "Gravity Series"

As a reward for success, the best employees get promoted into an entirely different job. 

Here, we explore high-level skills of the best people managers. Attendees learn how to skillfully set the stage for success, avoid the trap of micromanagement, and create a science-based motivation plan.

No one likes difficult conversations which is why we also reveal a real-world, step-by-step system you can use to hold people accountable when they’re not performing. 

These are the skills it took us years to learn on our own and we geek out on this stuff.

Available as: Greatest Hits (2hr)

or 5-Session Series

        • Respect-Based Leadership – Empathy and Feedback
        • Set Clear Expectations
        • Getting and Holding Accountability
        • Courageous Conversations
        • Make It Stick - Present a Plan (for series only)
Change Management

Audience: Leaders and People Managers
Duration: 2hr. "Greatest Hits" or  4 session "Gravity Series" 

People have a natural resistance to change. As leaders, how do we understand the psychology of change so we best know how to introduce and support it?

In this session, we leverage the structure of professional change management. You’ll be able to confidently prepare for, announce, and support change. Change Management is a game changer.

Available as: Greatest Hits (2hr)

or 4-Session Series

        • Planning for Change
        • Announcing Change
        • Keep Change Going
        • Hands-on Change Planning Session
Leading Fantastic Meetings

Audience: Anyone who Leads Meetings
Duration: 2hr.

Leading a good meeting is hard enough without dealing with tech challenges and competition for attention. This hands-on workshop focuses on how to get the most out of in-person and remote meeting environments and how to lead engaging, action-oriented meetings. 

You’ll leave people saying, “That was a great meeting!”.

Strategic Thinking and Problem Solving

Audience: Leaders
Duration: 1 or 2 Sessions - 2hrs, ea.

You've excelled in your career because you get things done. Moreover, as a leader, people look to you to solve tough problems and you're expected to transition to away from sailing the ship and towards plotting a course.

In this workshop, we unlock creativity with real-world step-by-step tools you'll use right away to strategically create plans and solutions to tough challenges. These tools will become some of the most valuable professional skills you have in your arsenal. You’re going to love this workshop.

2 sessions, available together or individually  

  • Get Your Hands Out of Everyday
  • Strategic Planning and Thinking – Step by Step
Accountability: Getting and Holding

Audience: Leaders and People Managers
Duration: 2hr. 

Accountability sounds good, doesn't it?

Accountability starts with the way you assign goals and tasks and continues through the way you support your team and hold people accountable when necessary.

Studies about accountability reveal step-by-step processes you can follow to confidently build a mindset of accountability and success for your team.

Dealing with Difficult Employee Situations

Audience: People Managers & Leaders
Duration: 2hr. 

One of the hardest parts of any manager's job is dealing with difficult performance or behavior issues, especially if the employee is also a high performer.

Here, we reveal frameworks for approaching problematic behaviors and creating a respectful and inclusive plan designed for positive outcomes.

When managers and leaders have a framework it makes the conversation more likely to go well, and more likely to even happen.

Coaching and Guided Problem Solving

Audience: People Managers & Leaders
Duration: 2hr. "Greatest Hits" or  4 session "Gravity Series"

If you think about the single most significant accomplishment in your career so far, we bet it won’t be something that someone else told you to do. 

Business coaching is different from sports coaching. In business coaching, the coach skillfully walks their team members into crafting solutions and plans on their own. Following our simple 5-step method, anyone can become a successful coach. You’ll be coaching by the time you leave the workshop.

Coaching is the best tool for employee growth. 

Available as: Greatest Hits of Guided Problem Solving (2hr)

or 3-Session Series

        • Coaching Fundamentals - Avoid the Advice Trap
        • Coaching Through the Tough Spots
        • Hands-on Coaching and Planning Lab
Goal Setting – SMARTER than SMART

Audience: People Managers and Success-Driven Individuals
Duration: 2hr. 

Modern goal-setting theory and the neuroscience of goals is fascinating and so much more than SMART.

In this direction-setting workshop, we get smarter. We align with org goals and build individual goals aligned to what the best research says really works. 

Give and Receive Effective Feedback

Audience: People Managers and Success-Driven Individuals
Duration: 2hr. 

Frequent feedback is the #1 most highly correlated behavior that goes into motivation. Yet, giving and receiving feedback is often difficult, and sometimes not very helpful.

In this workshop, we leverage research that focuses on how the most successful communicators offer feedback. We reveal and practice clear and easy ways to make sure the feedback you offer is less likely to create emotional backlash and more likely to create growth.

Set Clear Expectations

Audience: People Managers and Success-Driven Individuals
Duration: 2hr.

In this fascinating and useful session, leaders learn a step-by-step process to focus on performative success.  They will set action-focused goals, assign tasks and projects, and build a culture of reporting—all without micromanagement!

Remote & Hybrid Team Leadership

Audience: Leaders and People Managers 
Duration: 2hr.

The landscape of modern work has changed more in the last few years than ever before. Research is just now starting to catch up.

High-level studies are finding surprising truths about the effect of work from home and what leaders might do to increase job satisfaction, decrease negative effects, and make a significant difference in innovation and the human side of work.

In this workshop, we reveal the fascinating research that is coming to light and use it to make informed plans for our teams. Informed plans are the best kind of plans, aren’t they?

Succession Planning - Create Career Paths

Audience: People Managers and Success-Driven Individuals
Duration: 2hr.

Good leaders recognize the risk in running an organization without talented people ready to move into key positions when the current occupants leave.

In this session we take a step-by-step approach to identifying potential candidates for advancement and build a plan to prepare them to step into a new role.

Leaders will learn how to create a vacancy risk assessment and how to create a program of training and support to mitigate risk and increase employee growth and morale.

Performance Reviews for Growth

Audience: People Managers and Success-Driven Individuals
Duration: 2hr. "Greatest Hits" or  2 session "Gravity Series"

Performance reviews are often dreaded by employees and leaders alike. But, it doesn't need to be that way. A well-done performance review creates a structured path employees can follow for success.

In this step-based workshop, leaders learn all they need to know to quickly create impartial and legally defensible performance reviews. An effective, fact-based, forward looking, action-oriented performance review can be every leaders number one tool for employee growth.

Manage Team Conflict

Audience: People Managers & Leaders 
Duration: 2hr. "Greatest Hits" or  2 session "Gravity Series"

80% of workplace conflict never gets solved. It just gets “let go”. Of course, when conflict isn't addressed, it builds up and becomes a systemic relationship issue.

Modern conflict resolution practices provide us with a fantastic roadmap to get to the heart of what's really going on and build solutions that foster strong relationships.

Here, we take a hands-on “how-to” approach to resolving conflicts in a way that feels natural and people-oriented. Managers won’t need these skills every day, but they’ll be very thankful for them when they do.

2 sessions, available together or individually  

  • Managing Conflict on Teams: Step-by-Step
  • Language Skills of Conflict Resolution
Interview to Hire Your Dream Employee

Audience: People Managers & Leaders
Duration: 2hr.

Most of us treat employee interviews as a conversation. Then, we're surprised when the employee doesn't live up to our hopes.

In this hands on step-by-step workshop we will break down the most important characteristics of a dream employee and then craft an interview that uncovers if the candidate has what we want. We’ll use research supported methodologies to get honest answers out of candidates and we’ll be confident we know their skill level in critical competencies.

Don't hire another employee until you take this workshop. It makes a massive difference.

Teaching and Learning Design

Remote Teaching for Engaged and Active Participants

Audience: People who will teach, train, or onboard online
Duration: 2hr.

So many teachers accept that remote teaching won't be as good as an in-classroom experience, but it doesn't need to be that way. It is true that learners are 40% less likely to engage online, so educators need to go get the engagement.

In this fantastic session, we focus on the most important “next-level” techniques for using today's most popular online tools to get people interested, engaged, and learning.

Teach Through the Fluff: The Psychology of Great Learning

Audience: Teachers, trainers, SME's, managers, sales people, emerging leaders
Duration: 2hr.

Teaching isn't a natural skill for most people. We tend to “present” what is already in our brain and forget how the information got in there.

Here, we break down the how of the learning journey step-by-step into a simple structure. Then we follow that structure to create clear, concise, and action-driven learning your audience will love you for. This stuff is game changing.

Experiential Learning: Bring Life into the Classroom

Audience: Teachers, trainers, HR
Duration: 2hr.

In real life we don't learn very well by just listening. We also don't learn well by just doing.

In this fascinating session we examine and apply scientific research that shows how to blend discussion, lecture, and hands-on experiences to maximize learning. You're going to love this one.

Next-Level Learning Design

Audience: Teachers, trainers, instructional designers, HR
Duration: 2hr.

Don't think of yourself as an instructional designer. Think of yourself as a problem solver, because that's what good teaching does, it solves problems.

In this mold-breaking session, we reveal the 4-step structure anyone can follow to create fantastic classes, videos, manuals, or workshops. When you're ready to up your game, this is the workshop for you.

Create Engaging and Effective Video Learning

Audience: Teachers, trainers, HR
Duration: 2hr Greatest Hits or 4-session Gravity Series.

Let's face it, most e-learning is pretty bad. But, it doesn't need to be.

Here, learning professionals will dive into the fascinating world of designing and developing video learning. You'll learn more than just how the tools work. You'll learn how to work the tools to make video learning sessions you will be proud of. Plus, it's fun!

Measure Learning and PROVE Effectiveness – All the Way to ROI

Audience: Learning professionals, instructional designers, senior teachers
Duration: 2hr.

“Measuring the Leaning” is the number one concern of learning professionals worldwide.

Without serious measurement to prove value, learning programs can feel like a “nice-to-have”. But if you have proof that your learning programs are smart business decisions it's much easier to get leadership on board. Here, we take learning out of the “squishy” category and lay out how to create credible evaluative data all the way up to ROI.

Don't worry, you don't have to be a math person to make this stuff work.

Next-Level Work Skills

Time Management

Audience: Everyone
Duration: 2hr.

Time management is one of the most valuable professional skills you’ll ever learn. Good time management is not natural to human beings--but it can be adopted with a little practice. We focus on the best “bang for the buck”, validated techniques to take control of your schedule, reduce stress, clarify priorities, and get more done in less time. 

Organized people will love this material. Less organized “busy-brain” people will LOVE the result. 

Project Management for Non-Project Managers

Audience: Anyone involved in projects, large or small
Duration: 2hr. "Greatest Hits" or  2 session "Gravity Series"

This is the “Greatest Hits of Project Management”. Anyone can learn and apply practices professional project managers use to focus on goals, estimate time and cost, create a plan, and keep important stakeholders confidently in the loop.

If your role includes to “making things happen” we recommend moving this workshop to the top of your list.

Available as: Greatest Hits of Project Management (2hr)

or 2-Session Series

        • The Greatest Hits of Project Management
        • Hands on Project Planning Lab

 

Project Management and Risk Management

Audience: Project Managers, and anyone involved in major projects
Duration: 2-5 session "Gravity Series"

Project Managers are the “get ‘er done” backbone of any organization. Gravity Learning project management and risk management workshops focus on the most important step-by-step methodologies that real world project managers use to plan, execute, and avoid risks on major projects.

Choose individual workshops, or the whole series:

Gravity Series Includes:

    • Project Initiation and Objective Setting
    • Building Requirements and Risk Management
    • Schedule Planning, Reporting, and Problem Solving
    • Closing and Measuring Success
    • Hands on Project Planning Lab
Emotional Management - Neuroscience of Emotional Intelligence

Audience: Everyone who’s ever been challenged by emotions. So, everyone.
Duration: 2hr.

Humans have forever disappointed themselves trying to control emotions. You don't control emotions, you have them. 

Here we take a captivating look into the neuroscience of emotions and concrete techniques you can use to get your “thinking brain” working when emotions are high. 

TalentSmart tested emotional intelligence alongside 33 other important workplace skills and found that emotional intelligence is the strongest predictor of performance and success in all types of jobs. Get yourself some! 

Relationship Management - Skills for Social Awareness and Strong Interactions

Audience: Everyone
Duration: 2hr.

Social awareness and relationship management is not about being a mind reader or second guessing everything you might say.

In this workshop we focus on noticing all kinds of communication and reacting appropriately, making people feel truly listened to, and navigating sensitive social interactions that can either build or harm our reputation.

You’ll learn game-changing skills that are the most heavily correlated with success in all roles.

Discover Needs and Build Trust

Audience: Analysts, project managers, managers, anyone who partners on projects or works with leadership to make things happen.

How can we best serve our business partners and clients? By being positive that we fully understand their problems, needs, and expectations.

In this game changing workshop, we explore the psychology and skills around building trust and confidence when beginning a project or initiative. Managers will learn the high-level skills the most successful professionals use to lead their team to successful outcomes.

Outcomes:

  • The ability to take on an initiative or team project with the greatest chance of success
  • A high level of trust from leadership

The ability to build your brand and that of your team as people who “get what we’re trying to do” and make it happen

Decision Making & Creative Problem Solving

Audience: Everyone
Duration: 2hr. 

A creativity test developed for NASA engineers showed that most of us are highly creative as children but lose creativity as adults. We get stuck in decisions and tend to play it safe to a fault. 

Here, we unpack a step-by-step process you can use to get in your creative groove and develop innovative solutions to complicated problems. You'll understand the science of decision making, and how to leverage it when there's no clear choice. Plus, it’s fun.

Growth Mindset – Pivot Away From “Can’t”

Audience: Everyone
Duration: 2hr.

In a Stanford study of 170,000 10th graders, having a growth mindset was the #1 predictor of success regardless of IQ, social class, race, or income.

Can you learn a "mindset"? Research says, yes! In this workshop we reveal why Growth Mindset isn’t just another “you can do it.”

You’ll learn how to build and support a Growth Mindset in yourself and those around you.

The Art of Influence

Audience: Everyone, especially leaders or emerging leaders
Duration: 2hr.

Why do some people have influence and others don’t? It turns out that influence is something you do, not something you have.

In this fascinating workshop we unpack the social psychology of influential people. We reveal the most impactful things you can do to raise your influence, build relationships, and ask for things in a smart way.

You'll love these tools.

OUTLINE

  • The 3 behaviors that have the largest impact on influence
  • How to identify and tailor asks to your audience
  • How to be the kind of person people like to say ‘yes’ to
What Leaders Really Want - Self Leadership!

Audience: Everyone, especially emerging leaders and potential high-performers
Duration: 2hr.

In this workshop, we break the myth of the “dutiful employee“. It turns out that what most of us think leaders want is the opposite of what they really want.

The practice of self-leadership allows anyone to take on a leadership role, step up, and intentionally influence yourself and those around you--in a way that makes you shine.

The practical path of self-leadership involves identifying goals instead of tasks, looking forward, planning, and taking on accountability. Self-leadership skills are the ones that make a difference, and the ones that get you noticed.

Communication 

The Science of Clear and Impactful Writing

Audience: Everyone
Duration: 2hr.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Did they even read the email?”. The answer is “no”. 

In this workshop, we explore the captivating world of linguistics, readability, and messaging key stakeholders. We leverage simple rules and frameworks you can use to make a huge impact on your professional communications, right away.

The type of writing we're taught at school doesn't work well for fast paced workplaces. The skills we bring in this workshop are not your "everyday tips". They are relevant and impactful for professionals of all levels. You (and your leaders) will be happy you joined us.  

Storytelling with Data

Audience: Everyone, especially leaders or emerging leaders
Duration: 2hr.

Data without stories is unclear or uncompelling. Stories without data are hard to fully trust or take action on.

The best presentations come from a point of view, follow a compelling structure, and strategically weave in data to get buy-in and action.

In this session, we delve into the science and “how to” of data-driven storytelling. We connect to the “stories” of how humans make decisions, and learn to share compelling and engaging data in a way that leads to action—without being a natural storyteller.

Outcome: People say YES to your ideas and proposals.

Courageous Conversations

Audience: Everyone
Duration: 2hr.

When feedback isn’t working, it’s time for a difficult conversation.

In this interesting and valuable workshop, we examine and adopt skills the most successful communicators use to get successful outcomes from difficult conversations.

You'll learn natural, non-psychobabble ways to safely have those tougher conversations. You won't use these skills every day, but when you do, you'll be happy they're there.

Assertive Communication - Modernized!

Audience: Everyone
Duration: 2hr.

If you’ve had challenges with assertiveness, then join the club. 60% of us do.

Most of us have realized that traditional assertiveness suggestions lead to assertiveness backlash. So, we’re stuck in the same old place of being ineffective or coming off as weird and aggressive.

Be prepared to realign to the “new assertiveness”, backed by research about people who have the best outcomes. You learn and apply science-backed assertiveness tools that feel more natural and lead to significantly better outcomes. You’re going to love this stuff.

Conflict Resolution & De-Escalation

Audience: Everyone, especially people managers
Duration: 2hr. "Greatest Hits" or  4 session "Gravity Series"

More than 80% of workplace conflict never gets resolved. It just gets "let go".

Conflict is only “solvable” when we know what the conflict is truly about--and chances are it’s not about what you think. Here we learn how professional dispute arbitrators find out what is really going on and how to reach solutions that help everyone grow. This is some good stuff.

Available as: Greatest Hits of Conflict Resolution and De-Escalation (2hr)

or 4-Session Series

        • Communicating Through Conflict
        • Understanding and Uncovering the Root of Conflict
        • Building Consensus and Solutions that Work
        • Hands-on Practice Lab and Growth Presentations

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