Course Details for Painless Professionalism

Swick Learning
Apr 1
3 min read

Updated: Jul 31

Basics:

Available modes:

In-person.

Recommended delivery:

Two 90-minute sessions, about 2-6 weeks apart. (Why? Read more)

Recommended audience:

Learners preparing to, or currently transitioning to professional work environments.

Maximum group size:

Approximately 40 learners.

Set up Requirements:

See below.

Overview

Whole Program:

The gap between the students’ tendencies and the expectations of the modern workplace is growing, which seems to be frustrating educators, employers and the students themselves. Most learning experiences on professionalism is simply etiquette-training — teaching young people how to write emails or handle pre-scripted conversations.

However, this ‘if-then’ logic of memorising scripts for various scenarios doesn’t give students the deeper understanding of what makes behaviours professional (or not). Without a mental framework to bring into in new situations, this kind of training quickly loses value. Instead, students need a foundational model that helps them make rapid, educated guesses about the most professional behaviours in any new situation.

Part 1:

The first session creates a framework or mental model of what professionalism actually is, conceptually. This is done brick-by-brick carefully bringing the students along on the journey and using reasoning by example at each stage. Then we begin applying the framework to various situations – either of the students’ choosing, or our backup examples – so they can begin applying the tool to the situations they reasonably expect to face over the coming months and years.

Part 2:

The second session begins with a recap and on the previous session, before moving onto to more complicated or intimidating situations. Students are encouraged to bring along example situations – real or imagined – to work through.

Promotional Material

Blurb

This can also serve as an underlying script for videos.

You may have already heard people tell you to "be professional," but what does that really mean?

If you ask most people, you’ll often receive narrow, superficial examples about what clothes to wear or how to greet others. Rarely do you get durable and portable insights into how to approach your interactions and relationships with others, or the intended impact you’re supposed to have on them.

This workshop takes a deeper dive into what professionalism truly means across various professions. You will learn a foundational framework that you can use as a basis for making confident, educated decisions about how to act professionally in any new setting.

For extra value, bring along any confusing or tricky scenarios — real or imagined — for us to work through together.

Bio:

Cam is a seasoned leader, trainer and consultant in the realm of adult education, with a career that spans management and executive roles in some of Australia's most prominent universities and, more recently, in one of Australia's most admired specialist independent schools. He has also shared his expertise as a consultant to education-related institutions and companies (both independently and through the professional services firm EY) in addition to serving on the boards of various education-related organisations. Cam's self-directed learning techniques played a pivotal role in his own remarkable journey from a university dropout, to university valedictorian, and then as university executive, all within less than a decade. Today, he teaches these methods through his own organisation, Swick Learning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do you recommend doing this training over two sessions?

Our training is typically arranged into a two-part workshop on each topic. In addition to managing cognitive load (probably the greatest reason), this has a number of other benefits:

The intention-setting at the end of the first workshop has an additional element of accountability, because learners know they will be returning to a second workshop.

The time between workshops (normally 2-6 weeks) gives learners a fair opportunity to begin practicing the techniques learned in the first session, and this often builds their appreciation for the learning so far, as well as their and resolve to continue.

A recap and reflective exercise at the beginning of the second workshop adds an element of spaced repetition which helps students retain the content.

Finally, it gives them an opportunity to troubleshoot their implementation of the techniques.

What are your set up requirements?

In-person:

A room with large projector screen.
Ability to connect to projector with HDMI as well as wireless connections and adaptors using USB-C (HDMI is always a good backup!).
Seating for learners with clear visibility to projector.
Ability to present and type on screen simultaneously.
Some free floor space for icebreakers (ideal but not essential)
Learners bring a device for the second session (ideal but not essential)