Yesterday, I had the pleasure of working with three staff members from the Turks and Caicos National Trust, to brush up on their Customer Service Skills. The mission of the National Trust is to protect, conserve and promote the cultural, historic and natural heritage of the Turks and Caicos Islands for present & future generations and for the enjoyment of all.

Yesterday's participants will be working on Little Water Cay providing awareness and educational services. It was a pleasure working with them!

Critical thinking is an extremely important soft skill to foster in our organizations. It's a skill that not only impacts our problem-solving skills, but also our productivity, decision making, innovation and creativity, communication, our adaptability and so much more.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of working with the management team of the National Insurance Board. We explored ways to foster critical thinking in the workplace. Participants especially enjoyed discussions while using a critical thinking framework designed to encourage you to look at challenges from diverse perspectives. 

This week we closed up our training year for 2023. I had the pleasure with working with a phenomenal group of managers and supervisors from the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force.

Middle management is not easy, and 'Leading from the Middle,' provides managers with a 3-day experience to work together, gain knowledge and skills and apply them to practical circumstances.

Congrats to the participants from the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force. 

This week we had the pleasure of working with a group of Supervisors and Managers from the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police force. We spent 3 days exploring, “Leading from the Middle.”

Middle managers play a pivotal role in organizational success, serving as the linchpin between top-level executives and front-line employees. Their significance lies in their ability to translate high-level strategic goals into actionable plans and ensure their implementation at the operational level.

Our days were filled with learning, discussion, problem solving, role playing, strategic thinking exercises and a little play to demonstrate key points through new mediums.

Congrats to the first cohort to complete "Leading from the Middle!"

Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” – Andrew Carnegie

Today we had the pleasure of working with the NIB Compliance team. ‘Building Out Team Dynamic’ is a half day workshop that provides teams with the opportunity to learn, discuss, reflect, problem solve and grow together.

Today's session included:

• Understanding Teams
• Team Development
• Chemistry in Teams
• Vision and Goals
• Developing Cohesion and Building Relationships

Way to go NIB!

"Responsibility equals accountability, accountability equals ownership, and a sense of ownership is the most powerful thing a team or organization can have." - Pat Summit

Earlier this week, we spent some time with the Turks and Caicos Islands Gaming Commission exploring one of our newer workshops, Accountability in the Workplace.

Building an accountable workplace requires strong teamwork and collaboration. Every team member must have a strong understanding of the values of the company and recognize the importance of their dedication, in order to attain success.

This workshop will provide you with informative tools and practical strategies that can be used to help empower your team to work towards achieving the benefits of accountability. Accountable employees will fuel performance and productivity, and generate an enhanced workplace.

​Way to go Gaming!
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Yesterday we had the opportunity to with work with the Turks and Caicos Islands Gaming Commission. Our afternoon was filled with lots of learning, debate, laughter, discussion and fun.

"Building Our Team Dynamic" reminds us that it is not enough to put a group of individuals together in the same department and call them a team. A team dynamic is built through an intentional effort by all members of the team.

Way to do Gaming Commission!

"90 % of how well the talk will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform."
Somers White

Over the last few weeks, two employees from the Sports Commission of the Turks and Caicos Islands have been joining me weekly to work through ‘The Public Speaker.’ This coaching program is 5-sessions and walks participants through planning, creating and executing impactful speeches and presentation.

Being a confident public speaker can be a benefit to your personal and professional life.

Our last workshops in October were with the staff from Mr. Grouper's Restaurant and Les Suites at Mr. Grouper. Participants enjoyed the opportunity to learn, debate and laugh together. Each group had the opportunity to learn about:

• Who We Are and What We Do - Understanding your internal and external customers.
• Establishing Your Attitude
• Understanding the Customer's Needs and Situation
• Dealing with and Recovering Difficult Customers

Last week we completed a Soft Skills Refresher with the supervisors and managers at Ocean Club.

As we worked through the content of Interpersonal Skills, Understanding and Resolving Conflict, and Building Out Team Dynamic, we had great learning, discussion, debate and laughter.

We look forward to working with Ocean Club again soon!

Yesterday we had our second of three sessions with the Ocean Club Management team. People often assume that conflict is always negative, but it does not have to be. Conflicts are a sign of a problem, and when we view conflict as an opportunity to solve problems, we can make a shift that becomes solutions oriented. 

As with most Soft Skills, managers are first encouraged to learn about the topic, and look inwards before looking outwards. Having an understanding of conflict, how we manage conflict, and how we can support our team members as they navigate through conflicts is the first step to implementing the conflict resolution process. 

The topics discussed in this session include:

• An Introduction to Conflict
• The Conflict Resolution Process
• Conflict Resolution Styles
• Understanding Anger
• Stress Management

Way to go Ocean Club!
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Yesterday we worked with our 3rd group of supervisors in the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force on the Continuous Performance Management. This workshop is a great opportunity for managers to refine their coaching skills and gain and refine their performance management techniques toolbox. 

Yesterday's workshop had lots of learning, reflecting, discussing and debating performance management techniques.

The objectives of our Continuous Performance Management workshop are:

•  Define and understand performance management
• Set goals, measure performance and get results
• Gain tools to provide feedback and assessment
• Recognize the Importance of Motivation
• Develop a Performance Journal and Performance Plan.

Yesterday, Mrs. Guilmise Pierre was delighted to make a trip to South Caicos to work with the 4th and 5th formers from the Marjorie Basden High School in observance of National Youth Week.

Mrs. Guilmise conducted a Youth Skills Workshop under the theme of “Celebrating Youth
Leadership - Empower, Envision, Energize, Educate, Engage" This interactive workshop had participants engaging in activities, games and discussions around topics of:

• Developing Your Human Capital
• Time Management
• Growth Mindset
• Resume Writing
• Interpersonal Skills

Congratulations to the Department of Youth Affairs for organizing such a meaningful and  practical workshop!

Earlier this week we made a quick trip over to the Nation's Capital to run a small group session with the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force. We had a great time learning, discussing, debating and role-playing performance management techniques. The objectives of our Continuous Performance Management workshop are:

•  Define and understand performance management
• Set goals, measure performance and get results
• Gain tools to provide feedback and assessment
• Recognize the Importance of Motivation
• Develop a Performance Journal and Performance Plan. 

This week we finished up a 12-session program with a group of eager employees from the Pool and Beach Department at Grace Bay Club. We had so much fun working with them and were constantly amazed by their enthusiasm, effort and gratitude!

Our overall aim over the 12 sessions was to provide these employees with the instruction and support needed to improve their language skills in a way that will positively impact their performance in the workplace. We focused on empowering each employee to become more competent in their understanding, reading, listening, speaking and writing of the English language.

Program Objectives are as follows:

• Improve listening and spoken vocabulary.
• Improve oral comprehension skills.
• Improve spoken grammar skills.
• Improve conversational English.
• Answer questions appropriately.
• Ask clarifying questions.
• Complete everyday reading and writing tasks.

​Congratulations Gentleman!

Yesterday we finished up The Business Writer, our 5-session coaching program. This program allows for participants to review essential concepts that are the building blocks to being an effective business writer. This group of participants from Grace Bay Resorts, enjoyed working together to improve their skills. We with them all the best!

Yesterday I had a full day with the executive management of the TCI Sports Commission. Participants appreciated diving deep into the ideas of equity and conclusion. They also appreciated learning about generational gaps and pairing that with a discussion about the history of the TCI and how a countries history and defining moments can shift generational characteristics. 

"My advice for young people is, study what you love and intern in what you want to do. And I think it’s okay to pivot as many times as you need to." - Eva Chen

Earlier this week we made a quick trip over to Grand Turk to work with some of the students taking part in the National Internship Program. The goal of this workshop was to address some of the concerns raised in the National Skills Audit…particularly, critical thinking.

In ‘The Analytical Mind,’ participants are encouraged to be intentional about the way they are team players, the way they learn information, the way they apply critical thinking to their work surroundings, and how to reach their personal and professional potential.
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"Inclusivity means not ‘just we’re allowed to be there,’ but we are valued. I’ve always said: smart teams will do amazing things, but truly diverse teams will do impossible things."
~ Claudia Brind-Woody

On Friday we continued our DEI training with the Royal Turks and Caicos Police force. We had great learning, great discussion and great debate. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training challenges participants to look inward before looking outward. 

Congrats to these two employees from British Caribbean Bank for completing 'The Business Writer.' This coaching program provides an opportunity for employees to brush up on their writing skills and increase their confidence in everyday business writing.

Earlier this week we continued our DEI training with the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force. DEI training is about awareness and provides an opportunity for teams to dive deep into how to manage the complexities that can arise with a diverse staff. Diversity, goes beyond race, ethnicity, nationality and culture, and includes aspects such as age, generations, education, experiences etc. We look forward to our continued training in this area with RTCPF.

Over the last little while I have had the opportunity to work with the Health Professionals Authority.  We had such a great time learning and growing personally and professionally. Soft Skills development is essential in today's workplace and in order to truly improve, the principles must be embodied in all areas of your life. The Essential Soft Skills that HPA decided to work on are:

• Building Our Team Dynamic
• Customer Service
• Reaching Your Potential as a Leader
• Personal Productivity

I look forward to working with HPA in the future!

Writing is a key method of communication for most people, and it's one that many people struggle with. The Business Writer provides a great opportunity for professionals to brush up on their skills and review the basic concepts that make someone a confident and effective business writer. For more on The Business Writer Coaching Program, visit our Coaching Page.