15 years... 100s of workshops... thousands of "grads"... ...and more success stories than we can keep track of: Workshop participants publishing thought leadership that positions them for speaking opportunities, board appointments, media interviews... Media interviews where they share their insights in powerful and impactful ways... Public speaking opportunities in which they incorporate compelling stories that resonate and persuade...
Award-winning author, speaker and advocate who delivers impactful and inspirational keynotes and programming to amplify the voices of women in all their diversity to make Canada more equitable and democratic
The guy at the front of the room last weekend was an award-winning writer and performer, but his demonstrated excellence in "doing" was not matched by an ability to teach the skills he'd mastered. I walked away with a few useful takeaways that I could have easily googled online, feeling irritated by my investment of 3 hours on a gorgeous Sunday that could have been better spent. Informed Opinions’ longevity – 15 years this fall! – has been built in large part on our ability to share information and strategies in ways that empower mastery in others. Here are 5 things we do to create the kind of impact that has helped sustain us: 1. We survey participants in advance of every workshop to learn about their contexts for attending, and what they’re hoping to learn. That allows our facilitators to tailor the content to those present. 2. We urge them to arrive with a specific application for the skill being taught in mind: the topic they’ll be interviewed on, the research insight they want to amplify, the speech they’re preparing to deliver. 3. We limit our public workshops to a maximum of 10 participants to ensure that everyone attending has the opportunity to ask questions specific to their reality and get individual feedback. 4. We balance theory and practice, sharing research-supported insights that feed into applied exercises so they have a chance to test out their sense-making, get clarification as needed, and receive immediate input from others. 5. We assess our own performance in every workshop, inviting constructive feedback so that we can make the next iteration of the workshop even more impactful. Our approach pays off: virtually 100% of participants indicate they would recommend their experience to others. Informed Opinions delivers dozens of #training sessions every year; most of them are return engagements, requested by non-profits and universities, companies and unions who have worked with us previously. But each fall, winter and spring, we also schedule three or four “open” #workshops that individuals can sign up for, investing in their own #professionaldevelopment. In the next three months, these include: - #Storytelling to Increase Your Impact - Insider Strategies to Become a Go-To Media Source - Translate your Research into Policy Impact - Master Class in #PresentationSkills All four workshops were expressly developed to meet needs identified by our workshop “grads”. And I am so honoured that research and policy specialist, Dr. Amanda Parriag and respected international journalist, Jacky Habib, make time to collaborate with us. Spots still remain in each of these 4 workshops; check them out in the link in my comment below. And if you’re part of a team, association or organization that would benefit from a dedicated session tailored to your particular needs, DM me; I’m happy to connect to explore how we can support you.