Our Services

Working Partners	Education Planning
Here's a simple truth: If consultants are nothing more than an extra pair of hands, you aren't getting full value — all you really have are part-time staff members. We develop working partnerships with our clients in which we bring insights, experience, and a clear understanding of what will work and what won't. As partners, we see ourselves working with our clients not for them. The role of partner is taken seriously by us. As we see it, our responsibility is to listen to how your organization is distinctive, to challenge old assumptions, to bring the experience of others to the decision-making table, and to deliver the highest quality products and processes. As partners, we won't tell you what you want to hear; we'll tell you what you need to hear.	This is a systematic planning process in which input on the strategic direction of the organization is coupled with the education and development needs of employees. A cross-functional, cross-level planning group develops a comprehensive, education plan that defines the mandate of education within the organization, the goals of education and development, who is responsible for the learning process, target populations, content areas, training priorities, learning methodologies to be used, reinforcement techniques, how results will be measured, and who will be the classroom facilitators. As an investment plan for human resource development, the plan defines how education will support the strategic direction of the organization. The planning process produces an important benefit: buy-in. The plan is owned now by the organization and not just a single department. Gone are the days of trial and error program implementation and worry about whether a seminar or workshop will gain acceptance. This service is most appropriate for organizations who see development as an investment rather than as a cost and who are willing to make a long-term, strategic commitment to development. For those organizations, the message to employees is clear: development is valued and an integral part of our culture.

Learning That Applies	Program Development
Our responsibility is to develop learning experiences that make it easy for participants to apply new skills and new knowledge back-on-the-job. So we do everything that we can to ensure that learning does take place and transfer happens. We work with internal partners to develop program materials that reflect the learners reality; programs are packed with practise opportunities; pre and post-program materials are standard; learning contracts are often included; classroom learning techniques encourage involvement; coaches' guides for the immediate manager are typical; job aids and reinforcement tools are used. All are designed to increase the back-on-the-job application.	In response to either the strategic direction of your organization and/or the learning needs of an employee population, a comprehensive learning program is designed and developed. It can be taught by either internal or external facilitators or managers. Program components typically consist of a pre-program, a participant's manual, a post-program, and a leader's manual. The content is determined by the needs of your organization. Typical content, however, has included interpersonal communication, leadership, motivation, coaching, counselling, change management, continuous improvement, team building, facilitation, customer service, and negotiation. To ensure successful implementation, executive overviews, train the trainer programs, coaching sessions, and reinforcement tools are also available. As required, we can take the development process from concept to printed learning materials. All programs are highly participative, practical, and realistic. Content determines what learning techniques are used. Programs have included reality quizzes, opinionnaires, role plays, videos, chalktalks, simulations, case studies, round-table discussions, games, inventories, assessments, and action planners, to name a few. As the design process begins, we work closely with you in writing a crisp definition of what is to be achieved. A content outline is then developed and we begin the process of actually writing the program. Once a first draft has been written, you review it to make sure it is accurate, relevant, and reflects your organization.
Down-to-earth and Practical	Training
Adult learners know they don't have all the time in the world to learn everything they would like to learn. So they use a fundamental test to evaluate whether or not they should spend their time: Is this learning practical? If it isn't, they go on to something that is. That same test of practicality is used on everything we do. That way we don't bother you with approaches that don't work and can't stand the tough tests the real world gives. That means we ensure that each technique or model is theoretically strong but we won't bore you with the theory ... we're too down-to-earth and practical for that. Ample doses of fun go into the learning process — fun that is created both by the challenge of learning new and relevant material and fun that is created by experienced program leaders.	In seminars and workshops, participants learn new attitudes, skills, and knowledge or refresh what they already know. Our in-house programs vary in length from one to five days and can cover a host of topics, depending on the learning needs of your organization. We have programs in areas such as: team building, leadership, listening, interpersonal communication, change management, continuous improvement, managing for commitment, front-line supervision, meeting management, business writing, interviewing skills, performance management, and coaching and counselling. The situations we talk about in the classroom are specific to your organization. We use your problems, your situations, your needs. The result is that the participants relate to the material more quickly, develop a keener interest, and use the ideas more readily. Or you may wish to attend programs at our Training Centre: Facilitation Skills. Our seminar leaders deliver a delightful mix of common sense, wit, and enthusiastic energy
Focus	Management Development Surveys
If resources were endless, focus wouldn't be necessary. But resources aren't, so focus is. As well, we make sure that when participants arrive at a program and workshop they are focused and ready to learn. This happens through pre-program materials, readiness surveys, and learning contracts. The result is little or no wasted time getting started.	This service is for clients who want to make sure that each participant arrives ready to go and clear about what they need to be learning. As a pre-program readiness tool, participants are asked to complete a survey of up to 100 questions. Six co-workers are asked to do the same. The scores are tabulated and the result is a detailed, by question, report which defines what skill areas need improvement and what skills are strengths. The recipient of this confidential report can see their own rating, the rating of their co-workers, the average rating of other participants, and the average rating of co-workers. The survey can be administered prior to a program and after a program. When this is done, participants can see what changes they feel they have made. Ready-made surveys are available that cover interpersonal communication, leadership, team building, performance management, and change. But for the most benefit, the surveys should be tailored to the material being taught in the program.
Integrity	Assessment Centre
Making a promise is easy; keeping a promise isn't. But for us, there really isn't any choice. We work by a simple maxim: we do what we say we are going to do. A deadline committed to is a deadline kept; a process agreed to is the process that is undertaken; a plan established is a plan implemented. There's no other way for us to do business ... it's a fundamental value, a moral benchmark. But integrity has another side to it. We practise what we preach. That means we wouldn't suggest an approach or technique unless we use it ourselves. We have to be convinced that what we tell our clients, works.	If you are trying to decide how to select the best internal trainers or if you want to evaluate the skill sets of your existing trainers/facilitators, then this service can be valuable for you. Since observed behaviour is the best indicator of how an individual will perform in the classroom, individual candidates are asked to participate in a series of activities while observers note their behaviour on a structured observation sheet. A total of 14 dimensions can be observed: engagement, composure, support, expressiveness, clarity, speech, enquiry, listening, reinforcement, resourcefulness, spontaneity, integration, logic, and closure. A detailed development report is produced for each candidate. For successful candidates, Train the Trainer or Facilitation Skills is the next step. Or you may want to consider Quality Check as a way of assessing the performance of your current trainers/facilitators. Trained observers watch your facilitators in the classroom and then produce a development report.
Future Present Insight	Strategic Planning
Life within organizations is a balancing act: service with efficiency, continuous improvement with bold stroke changes, empowerment with control. But one of the most challenging balancing acts is the long-term with the short-term. At LIVE Consultants Inc. we take pride in our ability to keep one eye on the future and one eye on the present. That means you don't get the latest fad from us that will be here today and gone tomorrow. Our job is to find and use the stuff that will stand you in good stead today and tomorrow.	If your organization wants to re-define or re-evaluate the nature of the business and what will make you successful in the future, this service is ideal. Using input from several levels of the organization, the senior management team develops a strategic plan which defines: what business you are in — mission, who you want to be — vision, what moral benchmarks you will abide by — values, and how you will take advantage of opportunities to ensure you are successful — strategies. To craft this strategic plan, a four-phase process is used: situation analysis, purpose, strategy formation, and impact analysis. A draft of the plan is tested with key stakeholders within the organization — customers, employees, suppliers, and shareholders. The end result is a published plan which will act as a strategic guide to those responsible for doing operational planning. Here's the fundamental assumption of the process we use: you know more about your business than we do or that we could ever hope to know. Therefore, we become your planning partner where we supply a planning process and facilitate the decision making and you supply the content associated with your business reality.

Carrying On The Tradition	Team Building
Our offices and Training Centre are located in the rural village of St. Jacobs. Part of the building was originally an old harness shop where the harness makers plied their craft. They designed, moulded, and stretched the leather until it transformed itself into a useful, practical product. The values of the harness maker were hard work, quality, and ingenuity. Today, we carry on that same tradition. We take the raw materials of ideas and experience and craft them into useful and practical products and services that our customers value.	Teams are the new organizational unit of the future. Learning to work as a productive team is much easier said than done — especially since so much effort and reward has gone into developing individuals. In this service, an intact work group meets to evaluate its current level of functioning and then to define its goals, roles, procedures, and relationships. This simple, yet powerful model unlocks team issues and sets unproductive conflict aside by focusing on a central purpose. Agreements are established by the members of the team and documented in a team contract. Team performance is monitored at regular intervals to determine what needs to be adjusted as well as to celebrate team victories.