The programs listed here are offered as keynote speeches or breakout sessions, but can also be customized to your organization's needs as half-day programs. Most of these topics are also available as extensive training courses.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: NEW PATHWAYS TO PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Have you ever heard the phrase "book smart, but no common sense?" Have you ever thought that while IQ is important, it doesn't necessarily make for an excellent auditor or a successful and happier person? Of course you have! And the smart people who research this have finally developed completely new ways to define and cultivate intelligence that has direct application to the workplace, to auditing, and to your personal life. Joan Pastor has been fortunate to be involved in the pioneering research in this new field. Learn the six components that make up emotional intelligence (including anger control and social skills) and how you can increase not only your "Emotional IQ," but the quality of your life as well.

THE BREAKTHROUGH TO SUCCESS: HOW TO GET OUT OF YOUR
OWN WAY

Sometimes success is easier to achieve than you might think. What you think could very well be the greatest obstacle in your path! Learn the real nature of success and failure, where you personally stop yourself from achieving more, and how to use failure as a stepping stone for success.

LEADERSHIP SKILLS FOR AUDITORS

Auditors need to demonstrate their ability to significantly contribute to the firm's overall effectiveness, express effective leadership skills, develop cooperative relationships with others (especially across departmental lines), and effectively lead others in new directions. Managing audit teams and customers are also important responsibilities requiring a positive, proactive approach. Learn these skills plus the eight characteristics of leadership, which aspects are more relevant to the audit profession, and how possessing such skills can enhance the image and role of auditors.

LEADERSHIP: WHEN IT'S HEALTHY, WHEN IT'S NOT, AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT

If there is one thing that last September and Enron have confirmed for us, it is that there are excellent leaders out there, and there are not. But we all know that good and potentially harmful leaders exist in all organizations, large and small. In this session, you will learn what the research shows most makes a manager or executive an effective leader, and work on developing a few of those skills yourself. We will also look at what makes an ineffective leader and look at the "dark side of leadership." Learn exactly how potentially harmful peope move into leadership positions in the business world, how they can create so many problems but still keep their power, and why they eventually fail, taking many others with them. This session is guaranteed to make you really think.

NEGOTIATION AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT SKILLS FOR AUDITORS

Audits often result in recommendations for improvements in efficiency, requesting changes in procedures and corrections of errors. When all do not agree with the auditor's suggestions, negotiation and conflict management skills are critical to the success of the audit. Workshop attendees will learn priceless skills and strategies, including how conflicts arise, the critical stages in negotiations to follow, and how to prevent differences of opinion from evolving into major problems. You will also learn how to manage your own internal stress so that you may handle conflicts as effectively as possible. This topic is one of Joan's most popular.

THE POWER OF POSITIVE PERSUASION

In this seminar, you will learn how to develop positive, non-manipulative "influencing" skills. The ability to influence is just as important as negotiation and conflict management. By using these barely perceptible communication skills, even the most resistive auditee will see the benefits of the auditor's recommendations. Use of these skills will earn you the respect of your clients, management, and co-workers.

BUILDING BRIDGES THROUGH CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Joan Pastor will show you, with practical suggestions, how to understand and communicate more effectively with those from different backgrounds. This seminar will focus on how to overcome communication barriers and how to overcome cultural faux pas. An in-depth analysis is also taught on how to avoid stereotyping and its causes, as well as how to communicate with those who are stereotyping you.

IMPLEMENTING AND FACILITATING BSA METHODOLOGY IN YOUR ORGANIZATION

This seminar will teach you about Control Self-Assessment (CSA), the main approaches that are currently being taught, and which methodologies are:
(1) more or less successful than the others; (2) easier to implement; and
(3) best for your organization. You will learn the mistakes that others have made and how to avoid repeating them, thereby saving the company money. You will also learn the consulting, planning, and follow-up skills necessary to work more easily and efficiently with confidence and expertise.

COMMUNICATION AND CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS FOR AUDITORS

Most auditors realize that communication skills are just as important to successful audits as technical skills. The focus here is on important skills auditors don't usually consider but are absolutely necessary, such as listening skills, handling conflict, handling difficult people and situations that arise in auditing (or within the department and audit teams), developing mental flexibility, communicating from a client-centered approach, and so on. This material is often combined with other training programs listed here, or can be given as a highly dynamic keynote or breakout session.

SO YOU THINK YOU'RE A GOOD COMMUNICATOR

Most professionals realize that communication skills are just as important to their work as the technical skills. The focus here is on important skills most people don't usually consider but are absolutely necessary, such as listening skills, handling conflict, handling difficult people and situations that arise in your profession (or within the department and project teams), developing mental flexibility, communicating from a client-centered approach, and so on. This material can be given as a highly dynamic keynote or fun breakout session.

DYNAMIC INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES FOR AUDITORS

This workshop will address strategic skills necessary to conduct a successful audit. You will learn how to ask all types of questions in a nonthreatening manner, thereby receiving extensive information. Some of the covered topics are planning the interview, building rapport quickly, conducting the interview, tips for detecting lying, opening and closing techniques, how to gather information as effectively and efficiently as possible, developing more spontaneity while interviewing, etc.

MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT FOR AUDIT MANAGERS

If you are an internal audit supervisor or manager, you probably came up through the ranks or from a public accounting firm (or are in a public accounting firm). The challenge: people who are promoted because of excellent audit and other technical skills do not necessarily have an instinctive grasp for how to be an effective manager. Learn what is required of a manager in today's organizations and how to coach employees and manage employee performance, network effectively in the company to build the department's image and services, delegate and solve "people" problems properly, develop a mission, vision and strategic goals that everyone will follow, develop a team effort, and influence upward. These skills will make your job much easier, and much more enjoyable!