"Using More Than Your Words," (new window) an article in professionally speaking, the on-line magazine of the Ontario College of Teachers.

"The Devil Is in the Details," (new window) a Sacramento News & Review article by Emily Marquez.

Workshop participants practicing their new skills.

Sierra Training Associates (STA) is a privately owned, US consulting firm specializing in the custom design and delivery of a full range of corporate communication skills. STA offers uniquely designed workshops and training in presentation skills, building and sustaining rapport, collaborative group development, meeting design, coaching, and facilitating for the private, public and not for-profit sectors. Our clients are pleased to walk away with applicable skills that make their work place more effective, respectful, and collaborative. Our sessions with regional and national sales representatives have resulted in increased rapport and more trusting relationships resulting in greater productivity and profitability.

Some of the services offered by STA include design and delivery of workshops and seminars on:

• Effective presentations skills
• Establishing rapport and building trust
• Leadership skills
• Running productive meetings
• Facilitating diverse groups
• Building and sustaining respectful work environments
• Instructor development training

Our consultants have worked in the industry for over 20 years. STA has grown to be a recognized leader with expertise in the areas of nonverbal communication, effective presentation skills, development of collaborative groups and facilitation. STA works with executive, mid-level and front-line staff, skilled professionals, as well as management and sales teams. Our firm, unique in its approach, has a reputation as an organization, which has:

• exclusively unique programs and services focusing in nonverbal communicative skills that enhance the quality of all communication.
• significant experience working in the public and private sector enabling our team to share best practices.
• extensive experience working with school districts, university faculty and staff.
• expertise in coaching groups and individuals.
• expertise facilitating focus groups, work groups, team and board meetings.
• expertise and experience working with global corporations.

Our firm has experience working with small-scale businesses to global corporations that include Amdocs, KPMG, Blue Shield, LRA International, Via Rail, Universal Music, and Wachovia Bank.

For Educators

Sierra Training Associates provides workshops for teachers focusing on:

• Classroom management techniques
• Effectively managing diverse groups of students
• Questioning strategies to develop and surface student thinking
• Techniques for managing classroom dialogue

Are you thinking beyond seminars and workshops? We also provide keynote addresses and executive coaching in communication, leadership and effective meeting management.

Our customized workshops also include sessions aimed at:

• increasing capacity to initiate, develop and sustain high functioning learning communities.
• expanding repertoire of practical facilitation tools.
• enhancing skills for modeling and teaching patterns of professional inquiry.
• learning templates and tools for teaching collaborative groups skills to others.
• gaining strategies for intervening when individuals and groups lose focus.
• increasing influence, confidence and skills as a productive group member.