Received from Vitaliy at 08/04/11 19:11 UTC:

>Jim Higgins wrote:
> > To the original poster - ask the agency offering the course for a list =
of
> > all
> > companies in your area who have sent employees to the course and then
> > follow up with a few of them for a far better picture of the value of t=
he
> > course.  Try to talk to someone who attended the course rather than a
> > manager who sent everyone else, but didn't attend himself.
>
>Thanks, I just sent them an email about it.
>
>I already signed up, but after I talked to their rep on the phone, I start=
ed=20
>to worry. She was far more awkward than I was. Which is OK when I'm talkin=
g=20
>to an engineer (most of whom have pretty pathetic people skills), but not =
OK=20
>for an employee of a company that wants to charge me $1200 to help me lear=
n=20
>how to become a better leader and communicator.
>
>Vitaliy


Hmmm.  You may have spoken with a clerk rather than someone who would be=20
instructing the course, but I'd just be guessing on that.

I'd expect the course to help you be a better leader and communicator in th=
e=20
sense that you would be able to advance your thoughts to others more=20
convincingly in both roles, and as a result more confidently.

to best apply the skills you will learn, it will be very important to know=
=20
what the people you communicate with value and then focus on those points=20
when presenting ideas to them.  When giving a subordinate a new engineering=
=20
assignment you might sell him on the interesting technical challenge.  But=
=20
when selling management on that same project, you'd want to stress how it=20
would benefit them in terms of lower cost, better performance, better quali=
ty=20
or reliability, greater ease of manufacturing... emphasis being on money,=20
productivity and customer appeal if applicable.  Those points will bring th=
e=20
money guys, manufacturing and sales/marketing on board.  A technical=20
dissertation that would excite the company engineers will just make upper=20
management's eyes glaze over.  Combine the course skills with what your=20
audience back at work values and you should gain maximum benefit from the=20
course.  And practice and success will bring greater confidence.

And if your course has any Graduate Assistants - former course takers who d=
id=20
so well they were invited to help with future courses - be sure to talk to=
=20
each of them about how the course benefited them back at their=20
workplace.  They can provide valuable first hand experience.

Good luck.



--=20
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