NIACC Business Partnership - 2024-2025 by niacc_marketing

A Collaborative Approach to Workforce Training

The Business Partnership is designed to give our members access and exposure to quality training programs led by high-profile national and regional trainers. Our goal is to offer a wide variety of topics and enhance employee access by delivering classes through both face-to-face and distance learning approaches. Each year the NIACC Continuing Education Department collaborates with local North Iowa businesses to identify common training needs. Collectively, these businesses leverage funding for employee professional development. Each member of our partnership contributes toward an annual operating budget for trainers, venues, livestreaming, and more.

Thank you for being a part of NIACC Continuing Education’s Business Partnership! Employee engagement, development, and retention are critical in this time of constant change and challenges, and we hope to empower your teams with a variety of opportunities for learning and growth.

In the spring, members of the partnership provided feedback and ideas and then voted on training priorities for the 2024-2025 season. The top-rated topics, such as leadership, leading efficient meetings, communication skills, productivity and more are included in this year’s line-up, and you will hear from top-ranked speakers on these and other important subjects.

Business Partnership classes will be offered in a variety of ways and times to allow for increased flexibility in scheduling. In the fall and spring, most classes will be offered both in-person and live-online. Winter classes will be offered primarily live-online via Zoom. Please refer to the schedule for specifics on how and when each class will be offered. Recordings of Zoom sessions will be available for a specified window of time. Something new we are trying this year is offering different topics from some speakers when they are presenting both inperson and live-online sessions. This will allow for more content and insight from these incredible speakers. Participants can enroll in one or the other, or BOTH!

Please spend some time exploring this catalog, where you will find detailed information about the 2024-2025 speakers and class offerings. Mark your calendars and register early for sessions you plan to attend. We are looking forward to a highly engaging and relevant Business Partnership season!

Inclement Weather Policy:

The Business Partnership will follow NIACC’s weather guidelines. When NIACC is closed due to inclement weather, Business Partnership classes will also be canceled. Tune in to local television or radio for closing announcements.

Hello! I wanted to take a few minutes to thank you for investing in your employees by participating in Business Partnership. NIACC’s Business & Workforce Solutions is dedicated to serving the businesses and job seekers in our area. The Business & Workforce Solutions team is here to help you with training, upskilling, and building a job ready pipeline. The team can help you in a variety of ways – customized training, continued professional education, apprenticeship, training to prepare the emerging workforce, and a variety of other services. We look forward to continuing to serve you and bringing you amazing opportunities in this upcoming year! See you soon!

Patti Hanson Dean

Season at a Glance

Extraordinary Facilitation with Dr. Jim Cain Speaker: Jim Cain

TEAMMATE TRAINING WORKSHOP

Based on the Book “A PIECE OF THE PUZZLE” Eight Traits of a Quality Teammate”

Speaker: Kevin Kush

Unlock Customer Loyalty: The Power of Effective Communication

Speaker for both classes: Sarah Noll Wilson Speaker: Paulette Milewski

Curiosity First™: Transforming Conflict into Learning Opportunities

Preventing Elephants: Collaborative Commitments for Intentional Collaboration

THE AMAZING MEETINGS PLAYBOOK: CURE BAD MEETING

Speaker: Sarah Ohanesian

Jim Cain Speaker: Jim Cain

NIACC Business Partnership 2024-2025

Speaker: Steve Fredlund

Speaker: Lena Scullard

Speaker: Jon Lokhorst

CUSTOMIZED TRAINING TEAM

See something you are really interested in and would like to share with the rest of your team?

Reach out today!

Please contact our team to discuss having these speakers come to your location for a customized training! BWS@niacc.edu

Customized Training:

Whether it’s a speaker that really inspired you or a topic your staff could benefit from, customized training is an opportunity to engage your staff in training built specifically for your company’s needs. Our team will meet with you and discuss how we can connect you with the most innovative, dynamic, and valuable speakers to meet the needs of your team. Customized training can provide training services that enhance workforce skills, focus on teambuilding, assist employees with professional growth, increase your organization’s efficiency, productivity, and so much more! Customized training can be held on site at your company, on campus, at a convenient location near you or even virtually.

These opportunities have an immediate impact on your day-to-day operations. For more information, contact NIACC’s Business and Workforce Solutions team at BWS@NIACC.edu.

Extraordinary Facilitation with

Dr. Jim Cain

Instructor: Jim Cain

Join Dr. Jim Cain for a dynamic session on workplace group facilitation. Discover a dozen or more impactful activities to enhance leadership, teamwork, communication, and other essential skills. You’ll receive valuable resources to use with future groups, making your next event engaging, memorable, and fun!

Teambuilding Guru Dr. Jim Cain is the author of 31 well-loved books filled with team and community building activities from around the world. His real-world in-person train-the-trainer events are legendary in the adventurebased learning community and his virtual activities are used around the world. Jim’s most recent books include: Extraordinary Facilitation, The Teambuilders Toolbox, The Adventure Trail, and Print & Play.

He has traveled to all 50 states and 37 countries (so far), sharing his knowledge on subjects ranging from teamwork and leadership to creative problem solving and trust building. His train-the-trainer programs are legendary and his conference keynotes/playnotes are active, engaging and tremendously fun. With regard to Jim’s group facilitation skills, Tom Leahy of The UnConference once remarked, “Jim, you are a Jedi Master!”

IN THIS CLASS PARTICIPANTS WILL LEARN TO:

· Enhance communication: Foster open, clear, and respectful dialogue among team members.

· Develop trust: Build a foundation of mutual trust and reliability within the team.

· Promote collaboration: Encourage cooperation and shared decision-making.

· Improve problem-solving: Cultivate creative and effective approaches to overcome challenges.

· Strengthen leadership: Empower team members to take initiative and lead effectively.

· Build unity: Create a strong sense of community and shared purpose.

Tuesday, 08/13/2024, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Face to Face, Class ID: 18424

Location: Muse Norris Conference Center

Thursday, 01/09/2025, 1:00 - 2:30 PM

Live-Online, Class ID: 18426

*Recording available through 1/23/25

Jim Cain

TEAMMATE TRAINING WORKSHOP

Based on the Book

“A

PIECE OF THE PUZZLE”

Eight Traits of a Quality Teammate

Instructor: Kevin Kush

Purpose: Help employees become teammates!

In today’s ever-changing workplace it is more important than ever to develop individuals into team players. Organizations cannot assume that employees inherently possess a WE instead of ME attitude. Quality teams reap the rewards of having quality TEAMMATES!

Mr. Kush has over thirty years of coaching and teaching experience, including 21 years with at-risk youth at Boys Town in Omaha. As a head football coach, he achieved 164 wins and 58 losses, with 13 teams in the top 10. He now shares his insights with teachers, youth organizations, and companies. He holds a BS in Marketing and Business Education and an MA in Vocational and Adult Education from the University of Nebraska. Featured as ABC World News Tonight’s Person of the Week, he is also the author of three books: The 100 Yard Classroom, Competing With Character, and A Piece of the Puzzle—8 Traits of a Quality Teammate.

TEAMMATES WILL:

• Identify common characteristics of “winning” teams

• Understand their relationship to team success

• Exhibit selfless behavior

• Respect everyone

• Acquire strategies for handling adversity

• Adapt to change

• Accept and implement feedback from authority figures

• Demonstrate high energy

• Exhibit accountability

• Make a commitment to be a great teammate

Tuesday, 09/10/2024, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Face to Face, Class ID: 18429

Location: Muse Norris Conference Center

Tuesday, 09/17/2024, 9:00 - 11:00 AM

Live-Online, Class ID: 18430

*Recording available through 10/1/24

Kevin Kush

Unlock Customer Loyalty: The Power of Effective Communication

Instructor: Paulette Milewski

Perception may not be fact, but it is your customer’s truth. Have you considered your customer’s perspective of what it’s like to interact with your company? What sources influence their purchasing decisions? Are you making it effortless for your customers to do business with you?

Attend this engaging and interactive workshop where we will delve into customer expectations and how they impact loyalty and satisfaction. This workshop is designed to help you transform your customer interactions and build stronger, lasting relationships.

Paulette brings energy and 25+ years of experience in leadership, sales, customer service and project management making training workshops interactive and enjoyable. Through storytelling, real life examples and thoughtprovoking dialogue, workshops provide participants with practical applications. Paulette has facilitated training with clients in transportation, construction, manufacturing, insurance, healthcare, consumer products and services, utilities, college and universities, and financial services.

She earned her master’s degree in organizational leadership from St. Ambrose University and has acquired other certifications along the way including Real Colors ® Personality Profile, DiSC work style assessment, Mental Health First Aid, and Prime for Life © (drug and alcohol prevention), Strategic Doing (an Agile method of strategic planning).

IN THIS WORKSHOP, YOU WILL:

• Recognize the Impact of Communication: Learn how effective communication enhances customer retention.

• Master the 7 Essential Communication Skills: Develop your voice with Pitch, Intonation, Compassion, Tone, Understandability, Rate and Enunciation.

• Apply a 6-Step Process: Gain practical strategies to deescalate difficult situations effortlessly.

Tuesday, 10/08/2024, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Face to Face, Class ID: 18431

Location: Muse Norris Conference Center

Wednesday, 10/23/2024, 9:00 - 11:00 AM

Live-Online, Class ID: 18432

*Recording available through 11/6/24

Paulette Milewski

Curiosity First™: Transforming Conflict into Learning Opportunities

Instructor: Sarah Noll Wilson

(In-person)

Embark on a transformative workshop that explores the power of adopting a curiosity-first mindset in navigating conflicts within your team. Discover how embracing curiosity can shift debates from being right to being about learning, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.

IN THIS WORKSHOP, PARTICIPANTS WILL LEARN TO:

• Cultivate curiosity to enhance conflict resolution and promote open-minded dialogue.

• Shift from debate-focused to learning-focused mindsets in team interactions.

• Apply practical tools for integrating curiosity into team communication.

• Foster a culture prioritizing self-awareness, diverse perspectives, and collective learning through a Curiosity First Approach™.

Preventing Elephants: Collaborative Commitments for Intentional

Collaboration (Virtual) Instructor: Sarah Noll Wilson

We will present our approach to preventing workplace issues with our Collaborative Commitments model. This proprietary method emphasizes team togetherness, addressing crucial yet often overlooked aspects of collaboration before they turn into challenges.

Sarah Noll Wilson, an Executive Coach, Keynote Speaker, Harvard Business Review contributor, and Bestselling Author of “Don’t Feed the Elephants,” bridges the gap between intentions and impact. She hosts the podcast “Conversations on Conversations,” is certified in Co-Active Coaching and Conversational Intelligence, and frequently lectures at universities. With over 15 years in leadership development and degrees from Drake University and the University of Northern Iowa, Sarah’s vibrant energy enhances team dynamics. Outside of work, she enjoys games with her husband Nick and time with their dog, Sally.

THE VIRTUAL SESSION WILL FOCUS ON HOW TO:

• Balance task focus with team dynamics for a healthier workplace.

• Prevent conflicts by establishing Collaborative Commitments.

• Invest in understanding team members’ needs and perspectives for better collaboration.

Thursday, 11/14/2024, 1:00 – 4:00 PM

Face to Face, Class ID: 18442

Location: Muse Norris Conference Center

Tuesday, 11/19/2024, 9:00 - 10:30 AM

Live-Online, Class ID: 18443

*Recording available through 12/3/24

• Leverage team diversity by embracing differences with a collaborative mindset.

• Foster open communication and transparency through Collaborative Commitments.

• Address and prevent unspoken tensions by setting clear expectations.

Sarah Noll Wilson

THE AMAZING MEETINGS PLAYBOOK: CURE

BAD MEETING

Instructor: Sarah Ohanesian

Businesses need meetings. It’s the number one communication vehicle businesses need to actually make progress. But, when I ask people what prevents them from getting their work done, the number one answer is: meetings. In this session, I share my 3-Step Meeting Formula for having meetings that get results and how to host meetings people actually want to attend.

Sarah is the textbook Type-A-corporate-ladder-climber who realized it’s nearly impossible to exist in the professional world unscathed by the brushes of burnout.

After 15 years working for the same company, starting as an intern and rising to Chief Marketing Officer, she saw burnout, disengagement, and lack of purpose as huge problems affecting not only herself but her colleagues as well. Just like being blonde and 5’1”, her identity was rooted in being busy. It was everything.

She started to realize that high-performing individuals were hitting all the marks on paper, but in reality, they were stressed out, unfulfilled, and so stinkin’ busy. She knew she had to do something about it. And if there’s anything a high achiever is good at, it’s creating more work for themselves. So she started a business, SO Productive…then co-founded another, Super Productive.

Using her COAT productivity system, she helps reduce turnover and disengagement by empowering teams to think about a neuro-inclusive approach to productivity. Meaning, businesses don’t just need productivity, they need productivity fit for every brain type and everyone on the team.

IN THIS MEETING MANAGEMENT MASTER SESSION, WE WILL COVER:

• Why we do need meetings.

• The surprising meeting that is wasting everyone’s time.

• The meeting you should be having, but probably aren’t.

• Roles and responsibilities: the missing ingredient that makes meetings more effective.

• In-meeting etiquette that grows your whole team.

• Post-meeting behaviors that are derailing your team.

Tuesday, 12/10/2024, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Face to Face, Class ID: 18433

Location: Muse Norris Conference Center

Thursday, 12/19/2024, 9:00 - 11:00 AM

Live-Online, Class ID: 18435

*Recording available through 1/2/25

Sarah Ohanesian

THE SAFARI WAY: ROARING SUCCESS

WITH THE RIGHT PEEPS IN THE JEEP

Instructor: Steve Fredlund

It’s frustrating when high-potential team members aren’t as productive as they could be. The issue isn’t their potential but converting it into real contribution. Awardwinning actuary Steve Fredlund, who analyzed data from over 150,000 global employees, reveals how to enhance hiring to boost productivity and retention. Known as “The Safari Dude,” Steve’s approach, part of his “Big 5” principles, focuses on “getting the right peeps in our jeep” to build a more effective team.”

Steve Fredlund is a visionary with diverse expertise as an award-winning actuary, humanitarian, coach, consultant, author, speaker, podcaster, entrepreneur, and safari leader. His dual paths of a fulfilling but increasingly unfulfilling career and impactful humanitarian work in East Africa led him to discover the “Big 5” factors that blend happiness and adventure. This discovery forms the basis of his “The Safari Way” approach, enhancing life and leadership globally.

His upcoming book, Do the Unright Thing: How to Recognize and Escape the Good Life Trap, addresses those feeling unfulfilled despite a successful life. As a two-time TEDx speaker, Steve captivates audiences with his authentic, humorous style. Known for being “”genuine”” and “”hilarious,”” he has been described as “”the only actuary you actually want to sit next to.”

Steve holds a fellowship in the Society of Actuaries and an MBA. Outside of work, he enjoys disc golf, poker tournaments, and enduring Minnesota sports..

AFTER THIS TALK, THE AUDIENCE WILL:

• Understand the difference between hiring for potential and hiring for actual contribution

• Recognize alignment and connection as key drivers of productivity, engagement and retention

• Be equipped to take tangible next steps to build a more productive team

Thursday, 2/13/2025, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Face to Face, Class ID: 18436

Location: Muse Norris Conference Center

Friday, 02/21/2025, 9:00 - 11:00 AM

Live-Online, Class ID: 18437

*Recording available through 3/7/25

Steve Fredlund

TRAIN-THE-TRAINER

Instructor:

Lena Scullard

Transform your training the Lena’s Train-the-Trainer program, designed to equip professionals with the skills and confidence for effective classroom, on-thejob, or virtual training. This session will offer tools and techniques to engage and inspire learners through interactive activities, real-word applications, and expert insights.

As a top-rated speaker, facilitator, and consultant, Lena Scullard helps individuals and teams boost their confidence and achieve success through inspiring live and virtual programs. She combines performance with interactive delivery to create impactful, engaging experiences. With over 20 years in hospitality and corporate training, Lena has designed and delivered programs for FranklinCovey, The Pacific Institute, Achieve Forum, and DiSC. She holds degrees in Theater and English Literature, and is also an experienced emcee and event consultant.

IN THIS WORKSHOP, YOU WILL:

• Master the principles of adult learning to enhance engagement

• Utilize diverse instructional strategies to accommodate various learning styles

• Employ interactive virtual tools and techniques to create an engaging online learning experience

• Develop practical coaching techniques to support learners in real-world settings

• Implement structured on-the-job training plans to ensure consistency and effectiveness

Thursday, 3/20/2025, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Face to Face, Class ID: 18438

Location: Muse Norris Conference Center

Wednesday, 3/05/2025, 9:00 - 11:00 AM

Live-Online, Class ID: 18439

*Recording available through 3/19/25

Lena Scullard

Mission-Critical Leadership: How Smart Managers Lead

Well in All Directions

Instructor: Jon Lokhorst

Most leadership development focuses on managing subordinates, but effective leadership involves leading in all directions: upward to superiors, across peers, and empowering teams. It starts with self-leadership, a crucial yet often overlooked principle for building a thriving, productive culture.

Jon holds the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation from the National Speakers Association, an honor achieved by less than 20% of its members. This recognition, along with his Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential from the International Coach Federation and his CPA designation, reflects his professionalism and success.

Jon partners with event planners and organizers to navigate challenges and enhance your event. He is also the author of Mission-Critical Leadership: How Smart Managers Lead Well in All Directions. Despite his CPA background, Jon proves that CPAs can be engaging, funny, and a pleasure to work with.

IN THIS HIGHLY INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP, YOU WILL:

• Expand your view of leadership and what it takes to be a successful leader.

• Discover the two R’s of leadership and how they shape your leadership style.

• Explore actionable tips to lead well in all directions.

• Employ a tool to show up as your best self and deliver your best value as a leader.

Tuesday, 4/15/2025, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Face to Face, Class ID: 18440

Location: Muse Norris Conference Center

Wednesday, 4/23/2025, 9:00 - 11:00 AM

Live-Online, Class ID: 18441

*Recording available through 5/7/25