Course Outline
Day 1: Introduction and Fundamentals of an Active Attitude
1. Introduction to an Active Attitude
- The significance of an active attitude when working with the internal customer.
- Definition of the internal customer and the role of internal relationships.
- Proactive vs. reactive attitudes – how they affect collaboration.
- Insights from “Games People Play” (Eric Berne): Analysis of typical psychological games that may arise in relationships with the internal customer. How to recognise such games and effectively manage them in the workplace.
2. Conscious “YES” and “NO” in Relationships with the Internal Customer
- Duration: 3 hours
- Conscious “YES”: When and how to express agreement so that it remains authentic and intentional.
- Conscious “NO”: When and how to refuse while maintaining respect and professionalism.
- The art of assertiveness – tools for expressing your position clearly.
- Insights from “Learned Helplessness: How to Overcome It” (Martin Seligman): How to identify signs of learned helplessness and how to overcome them? Developing a sense of agency and strengthening confidence in one’s ability to make decisions.
3. The Art of Asking the Right Questions
- The importance of open-ended and closed questions in communication.
- How to ask questions that deepen understanding of a situation and support collaboration?
- Practical Exercises: Formulating questions based on participants’ professional scenarios, refining active listening skills.
Day 2: Project Work and Managing Emotions
4. Project Work – Managing Collaboration
- The role of communication in project-based work.
- Conscious Decision-Making in Projects: How to effectively decide whether to accept or decline tasks.
- Cross-team collaboration – key principles for effective project cooperation.
- Group Exercise: Simulating task allocation in a project using conscious “YES” and “NO” approaches.
5. Managing Emotions and Pressure in Internal Relationships
- Recognising emotions associated with agreement and refusal.
- Techniques for handling pressure in internal relationships.
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Insights from “The Wisdom of Psychopaths” (Kevin Dutton): Learning to make bold decisions even under pressure. Exercises focused on emotional control and maintaining firmness, inspired by techniques described in the book.
- Determination and Focus on the Goal: How psychopaths can emotionally detach from events to achieve their objectives.
- Emotional “Switching”: Training the ability to quickly shift between emotional responses and rational thinking.
- The “Cold Calculation” Technique: How to make decisions calmly, assess risks, and act effectively.
Day 3: Case Study Work and Summary
6. Case Study Work
- Analysis of selected cases from participants’ work – challenges in relationships with the internal customer.
- Group Exercises: Team-based work on solving a case study where participants must apply conscious “YES” and “NO” and ask the right questions to find optimal solutions.
- Presentation of group outcomes and discussion of best practices.
- Insights from “Games People Play” (Eric Berne): Identifying psychological games in the analysed cases and proposing effective countermeasures.
- Insights from “The Wisdom of Psychopaths” (Kevin Dutton): Analysing situations requiring cold calculation, emotional detachment, and determined pursuit of goals.
7. Summary and Planning Further Development
- Duration: 3 hours
- Key takeaways from the workshop: What did participants gain?
- Planning next steps – what can I do to develop an active attitude?
- Discussion of participants’ individual challenges and strategies to overcome them.
Requirements
Work Methods:
- Interactive lectures and presentations.
- Group discussions.
- Situational simulations and practical exercises.
- Reflection and analysis of real-life cases from participants’ daily work.
- Case study work involving collaborative development of solutions.
Development Outcomes
- Improved effectiveness in building relationships with the internal customer.
- Development of skills for consciously expressing agreement and refusal in the workplace.
- Ability to ask the right questions when communicating with the internal customer.
- Increased effectiveness in project work and team collaboration.
- Better handling of difficult situations and conflicts within teams.
- Understanding the mechanisms of psychological games and their impact on relationships.
- Developing skills to overcome learned helplessness and strengthen a sense of agency.
- Effective application of techniques inspired by “The Wisdom of Psychopaths” in managing emotions, making decisions, and maintaining composure under pressure.
Testimonials (4)
Meeting efficiency is something that's fairly "basic", but not thought about a lot and with really large implications on people/company time. Understanding these best practices and keeping them top-of-mind will be of immediate help.
Dan Moffatt - Chris Courtemanche
Course - Personal Efficiency and Managing Meetings
Provided and explained very clearly a lot of foundational concepts, which fit well with the team's level of learning. The exercises were very engaging and I believe my team were comfortable and participated very well. Coordinating with the trainer as well was very seamless.
Christlan Tolentino - Canadian Blood Services
Course - Critical Thinking
the exercises and the way the trainer was explaining
Sorana Haiduc - Ness
Course - Stress Management and Prevention
1. Methodology 2. Its structure and usability 3. Real, practical examples and excercises
