Presenter:
Christiana Reene
RDN, MPH Evaluator, Center for Program Evaluation and Quality Improvement (PEQI) Emory Centers for Public Health Training and Technical Assistance Rollins School of Public Health | Emory University

JoAnna L. Hillman
MPH Director, Center for Program Evaluation and Quality Improvement (PEQI) Emory Centers for Public Health Training and Technical Assistance Rollins School of Public Health | Emory University

Description:
Join the creators of "No More Crappy Surveys" for an interactive virtual workshop on leveraging your professional strengths to build client trust through effective communication and client relationship management approaches. Many early-career evaluation professionals have the necessary skills to successfully manage client relationships; yet, many enter the workforce with low confidence in their ability to effectively navigate and nurture these relationships in a way that fosters communication, trust, and rapport. This session seeks to increase the application of effective communication skills among early-career evaluation professionals engaging with clients and/or partners, leveraging learners' individual strengths to build confidence in their relationship management approach. Whether engaging with clients who are prickly pears or cool cucumbers, participants will learn strategies to successfully plant, grow, and nurture client relationships. The session will describe three components essential to evaluation client communications and relationship management: Establishing trust at the beginning through effective scoping of evaluation needs (planting), building trust using proactive and responsive approaches (growing), and maintaining trust through difficult situations (nurturing). Learners will explore best practices in written and oral client communication, practice facilitating successful client meetings, identify their unique communication strengths through a hands-on activity, and discover methods for tactfully navigating difficult situations such as client evaluation anxiety through real-world case study scenarios. Attendees will leave with bolstered communication skills and strengthened confidence in their own unique client relationship management approach.


Learning Outcomes:

• Participants will be able to identify at least two of their own communication strengths to apply to their relationship management approach 
• Participants will be able to confidently articulate their professional experience and strengths to establish client trust during an introduction 
• Participants will be able to name at least three trust-building strategies to use when facilitating client meetings 
• Participants will be able to craft clear, tactful, and professional emails using proactive and responsive communication approaches 
• Participants will be able to articulate both oral and written strategies to successfully navigate difficult client conversations.

Agenda and Learning Strategies:
I. Introduction
10 minutes
Warm up activity - Communications confidence

II. Strategy One: Establish Trust (Plant)
15 minutes
a. Exploratory calls: scoping needs and tailoring services
b. Introductions that wow!
c. Activity: Pair and share professional introductions
d. Budgeting and business

III. Strategy Two: Build Trust (Grow)
25 minutes
a. The kickoff meeting
b. Overview of proactive and responsive management approaches
c. Email: Professional practices and tips
d. Project Management: Keeping track of client deliverables
e. Mapping Activity I: The client deliverable management matrix
f. Internal Meetings: Leveraging internal meetings to meet client needs
g. Client Meetings: 10 tips for top-notch facilitation of client meetings
h. Activity: Identifying your own relationship management strengths

IV. Strategy Three: Maintain Trust (Nurture)
25 minutes
a. Real-world approaches: Diplomatically managing stressful situations and evaluation anxiety through oral and written approaches
b. Mapping Activity II: The client deliverable management matrix revisited
c. Putting Your Learning Into Practice: Client Case Scenario(s)
V.Q & A 10 minutes

VI. Wrap Up
5 minutes

This workshop is aligned to AEA’s Competencies and Guiding Principles as follows:
This learning session is closely tied with AEA "interpersonal" domain, as it focuses on the development of communication, facilitation, and conflict-resolution skills to ensure effectiveness for professional practice. It also draws upon the AEA "planning and management" domain due to the complex nature of managing client relationships as well as project deadlines and deliverables.

This learning session aligns with the guiding principles of "Competence" and "Integrity". Ensuring effective relationship management with clients and partners is the vehicle through which evaluators often "provide skilled professional services to stakeholders" (Competence). The session also highlights many of the (Integrity) guiding principle approaches focused on communicating truthfully and openly, and addressing concerns with transparency.

Facilitation Experience:
Christiana Reene has facilitated several trainings in her professional career, including "No More Crappy Surveys" at AEA's 2022 Summer Institute, in addition to a variety of trainings for both technical and non-technical audiences. Her experience includes facilitating interactive virtual sessions on survey methods, client relationship management, staff training and development, community and professional education on nutrition and chronic disease, a diabetes ECHO series, and others. She also provides hands-on technical assistance and evaluation subject matter expertise to colleagues, clients, and partners through her role at Emory Centers. Her training approach is warm and engaging with a touch of humor, keeping learners excited and leaving them with actionable takeaways they can apply to their public health practice. JoAnna Hillman has led the development and delivery of multiple evaluation workshops for organizations including AEA ("No More Crappy Surveys"), Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, the Georgia Department of Health, the South Dakota Department of Health, The Hawaii Public Health Institute and Emory University's Nurse Practitioner Residency Program. She frequently guest lectures on evaluation for Emory University's School of Public Health, The University of Rhode Island's Health Studies Program, and the CDC Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program. JoAnna's training approach is energetic, active, and direct, keeping learners engaged through fun and innovative teaching methods that highlight real-world, business-driven approaches. This learning session has been successfully delivered to early career professionals at Emory Centers for Public Health Training & Technical Assistance, and its components are currently being adapted for use among additional professionals engaged in client relationship management.


Date:
July 19, 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Eastern Time