Welcome to the Schward Members Area

Here, you will be able to access content specific to the course or program that you have already joined.

The content should be challenging and help with your work and private life by improving communication, understanding people and learning how to manage conflict.

Learn More

communication skills Matter

Better communication is the heart of solving conflict

Learning to listen is the key to communication.

Learning to communicate effectively is the key to conflict resolution.

Dr Neil Schultz

My name is Neil Schultz and I have been working with people in conflict for thirty years during my time in the psychiatric, financial and legal professions.

It became clear that the harm people experience is a product of some form of conflict, and more often than not, this conflict came from a failure of communication.

For a lot of my career I have been working to resolve problems long after the worst of the damage was done. Now, I work with people and businesses to prevent the damage caused by toxic conflict.

Make the Most Out of Your Program

There are different programs with content and formats that vary depending on the package you are enrolled with. However, in spite of the differences, the commonality is that to really benefit from the programs, you must engage with the content and the tasks.

All have written content to read and/or video material to watch, and/or the assistance of personal coach to guide you through the process. It is possible to watch videos and read content without gaining. However, if you take the time to follow the exercises and involve yourself with discussions if you are part of the moderated programs, you will get the most value out of the time you spend with us.

Part of engagement involves taking time. Like many things in life, the more time you devote to something, the better you will get. Of course you can rush through content, but it is important to do more than that. New information is not immediately absorbed, learned skills do not become immediately accessible. It takes time, repetition and practice to achieve integration of knowledge and develop skills that are available to you when you need them to be.

You will see there are several exercises and homework to be done during each topic or lesson.

The ‘exercises’ relate to specific content that immediately precedes it and is designed to help you contemplate what has gone before and begin to integrate it into your knowledge. If you are part of a moderated group or having private coaching, these exercises will be an important part of the the discussion process. It is very important to have undertaken these exercises – preferably before any discussion has started. Alternately, if you are enrolled in a fully online program, these exercises are fundamentally important steps for you to reflect on what you are learning.

The homework, has a similar purpose though tends to require you to ‘pull together’ the concepts being developed in the previous section. It is also available for future discussion but again you will get the most out of the program if you take time to consider the questions and answers from the perspective of your experiences.

Our programs contain a lot of helpful content, but it is important to be aware that its primary goal is self development. Self development necessarily requires that you are able to reflect on your experiences, the new information and blending these elements together – essentially creating a newer or more resilient self.

While many people who undertake our programs do so because of a specific cause or problem they have encountered, our graduates also tell us that they manage situations differently after completing the work. These differences include being able to manage conflict better, but also being more self aware, aware of the needs of others and more able to cope with people who are becoming conflictual around them.

We have other programs to suit a wide range of issues or develop specific skills including self awareness, understanding body language and developing empathic skills. Some also find that it is helpful to continue a coaching process over a longer period – this allows participants to put ideas and skills into practice in the real world and then discuss the outcomes and work on improvements over time. This creates the most resilient form of learning available.

If you are interested in other programs, please use our contact form and we will be happy to discuss it with you.

Business are complex organisations and conflict and poor communication can have devastating impacts on profitability. This comes from inefficiency because of poor communication and arising tensions, or rising to litigation with your own staff, clients or even competitors. Considered this way, investing in programs such as ours represents risk management that can pay many times the cost of the program. For example, the average cost of a workers compensation claim for mental health issues is over $115,000, if claims like these can be prevented the investment has clear benefits.

We provide a number of services that you may find helpful:

  • Pre-employment & onboarding programs are used to bring your newest staff up to speed when they start. Not only do they develop skills at the outset to ensure a smooth transition into your team, but it also sets a standard that they know they are expected to maintain.
  • Small group sessions for staff you would like to upskill
  • Private coaching sessions for management and executive staff who need higher level communication and conflict management skills.
  • Intervention strategies for when you already have a problem that is becoming serious. In this case we are able to intervene and use either group sessions, private sessions with the affected parties or even mediation.
  • Recruitment. Most recruiting focusses on finding people with skills, we focus on finding people who have superior communication communication skills and self awareness who also have the desired skills for your role. This approach greatly minimises the risk of developing problems in the first place.

The key to preventing conflict is to become a

master communicator.

Feedback we have received

We had a whole department do the program because of constant conflict. Not only did the immediate problems get resolved, but everyone works better, more effectively now.
JW Williams
Lawyer
Wow, I signed up because I was always dealing with people who seemed to be upset. This program helped me understand what was happening and how I could solve problems. Life is much easier now.
Elizabeth Jones
HR Manager
I took the course because I was always involved in conflict. Now I understand how I contributed to conflict. Life at work is a lot smoother now and I even feeling like I am being included and part of the team. I’ve never had that before.
Phillipa Reeves
Accountant
I started a business to do business but found myself dealing with staff being upset about trivial things. With the private coaching I was able to see what the trivial problems were about and now I can address their issues confidently.
Alistair Roberts
L;fe

Communicate for success.

Better communication creates better relationships and reduces conflict.

Start your program now.

Don’t forget to login though.

Let’s do it… start now.

Send us a message.