In-Person Training
Practice sessions, role-playing and exercises to solidify concepts
Corporate Training with Passion
ACT Human is a corporate training consultancy founded in 1997. We are passionate about helping today's workforce learn essential communication skills in an engaging learning environment.
Our programs deploy the latest research in neuroscience, psychology and adult learning. Our training sessions are delivered in a dynamic, fun and collaborative way to help every individual realize greater personal and professional results.
We call ourselves “ACT Human” because we are passionate about going the extra mile to humanize our interactions with clients.
The skills we teach and the way teach them – face-to-face and online training that range from self-paced, blended learning, to instructor-led formats - are our contribution to humanizing the world through transformational learning.
Successful organizational development is a result of personal and professional development.
This is why the ACT Process is embedded in all we do.
Awareness
Communication
The first step towards development is awareness - becoming aware of our strengths and weaknesses, our perceived needs and our desired outcomes.
The second step is communication - learning to communicate our thoughts, ideas and feelings with clarity and energy, so as to enhance our ability to connect with others and to achieve our objectives and greater personal fulfillment.
Transformation
The final step is transformation - there is an element of personal development in everything we do. We assist individuals with the right environment, tools and opportunities to make effective and lasting change.
Sustainability
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Practice time makes up a big part of our programs - participants' performance is sometimes recorded/ reviewed, but always coached and/or new skills are practiced through drills until comfort zones are expanded and change is visible.
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Carefully developed 'road maps' outlining step-by-step application guidelines and checklists are provided to support transfer of learning.
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Participants are entitled to support via email or phone.
Post Program
Follow-Up
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Evaluation summaries are compiled for every program and used as a basis of follow-up discussions with clients.
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Follow-up skills sessions - half-day programs which give participants the opportunity to apply the skills acquired during the 'base line' program and to receive additional feedback and guidance.
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Individual skills coaching - personalized, focused, one-on-one sessions to deepen and extend the individual's skill levels.
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Executive/ team coaching.
Post Program
Options
Whilst much can be achieved during our programs, some individuals have a desire to take learning that extra step. Hence, we provide a wide suite of post-program offerings. Some of the options include:
PAULA MARCONDES
Principal Consultant, Executive Coach
“Exceptional, exceeded expectations. Added value not only in terms of leadership/ presentation skills but also to our lives, including science, nutrition and meditation/ mindfulness. Thank you Paula.”
Participant, Singapore Institute of Management (SIM)
Founder, managing director and principal consultant of ACT Human & Business Development Pte Ltd (established in 1997). Greatest strength is strategic thinking with a strong grasp of how the training process impacts participants at personal levels, enables transfer of learning to the work environment, and ultimately affects the business.
Business Experience
Law degree with specialization in contract and corporate law from the University of Sao Paulo (USP). Studied law in Singapore through the University of London. In-house counsel for GEC Singapore (1995-1997) and Glencore Agrocomercial Ltd (1990-1993) when they were Brazil’s largest commodities trader and exporter. Set up legal departments of both companies and provided negotiation and contract management skills training internally. Founded ACT Human in 1997 and set up offices in Hong Kong (2004) and Korea (2006).
Consulting Experience
Corporate trainer, facilitator and accredited executive coach with +23 years of experience specializing in needs analysis, curriculum design, customization and delivery of professional development initiatives at all organizational levels (from front-line to CEO/Board level) across a plethora of industries in the areas of leadership and management development, business communication, messaging and presentation techniques, sales and negotiation skills, professional image and customer service. Worked extensively with key players in the banking and finance, manufacturing, IT and electronics, education and pharmaceutical sectors (most of which are well-known multinational corporations and Fortune 500 companies), and in the public sector with government boards and government-owned organizations.
Career Achievements & Awards
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Awarded “Top 10 Trainers 2016” by the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM)
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Articles published in the media:
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“Presenting With Conviction”, Today’s Manager, Issue 3, 2019, published by SIM
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“The Resilient Organization”, Roundabout (Dec 2012 - Jan 2013), The Team Management Systems
(TMS) magazine -
“Surviving And Thriving”, Human Resources Magazine, Jan 2012, Lighthouse Independent Media
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“Bridging The Resilience Gap (Part 2)”, Today’s Manager, Dec 2011-Jan 2012, SIM
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“Bridging The Resilience Gap (Part 1)”, Today’s Manager, Oct-Nov 2011, SIM
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“Training The Mind Versus Training The Brain”, Today’s Manager, Aug-Sep 2011, SIM
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“Thanks Coach!”, HRM Singapore, 9.8 issue, published by Key Media Pte Ltd
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Designed most programs delivered to ACT Human’s clients and authored more than +49 workbooks published by ACT Human.
Accreditations & Certifications
- Coaching Foundation (ICT) by NeuroLeadership Group (former Results Coaching Systems), 2008
- Certified EQ Trainer by 6Seconds, 2008
- Team Management Systems Accreditation Certificate (Work Index, Linking Skills Index, Team
Performance Index, Team Management Profile Index, QO2 Index), 2000 - Power Training I and II, 1998
- Certificate in Training Management (PSB Institute for Productivity Training of Singapore), 1997
Languages
- Fluent in English and Portuguese
- Deutsches Sprachdiplom I (German)
- Conversational in Spanish
"I have attended many training programs before on presentation skills, but the only one that really stuck in my mind, was the training conducted by ACT on Powerful Presentation skills. I find that it had a lot of impact, was very powerful and well organised and can be applied in any presentation. I have personally seen the improvement in myself and used the skills that I learned very frequently."
- Corina Tan
Director, Customer Experience and Care, Dell Computers
Improve performance and thrive in the position that you currently hold as well as in your future personal and professional prospects
ACT Skills Development programs make individuals more self-aware and confident so as to consciously adopt behaviors that support them in achieving their goals.
“Paula is an excellent teacher. Very patient, encouraging, knowledgeable and able to show us practical application options, not just deliver technical knowledge. Personally I have seen vast improvement in my presentation skills from day one to the last day of the course. Paula is a fantastic trainer and person.”
Participant, Singapore Institute of Management (SIM)
Participants, line managers and clients often tell us that our programs stick, that confidence levels increase and that skills learned are transferred to the workplace.
We believe that this is the result of our 7-pronged approach.
An overview of the courses we offer:
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ACT Customer Service Series
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ACT Intercultural Communication Series
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ACT Interpersonal Communication Series
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ACT Negotiation Series
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ACT Personal Productivity & Effectiveness Series
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ACT Presentation & Messaging Series
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ACT Professional Image, Etiquette & Branding Series
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ACT Professional Sales Series
Case Study #1
Case Study #2
"I had a great time at the training. It helped me to have better understanding of ‘team’ and how I need to be in our team."
- Ha Eun-Young
Korea
Work collaboratively with others within diverse teams, work groups and across
the organization and cultures to achieve common goals and synergistic results.
ACT Team Development Solutions are designed to assist teams at all levels, from start-up to mature, to achieve synergistic teamwork.
Participants become more aware of own and other’s strengths and limitations, and work preferences.
An overview of the courses we offer:
ACT Teambuilding Workshops
Off-site meetings and corporate incentive events.
ACT Team Development Series
Highly-customized programs that tend to form part of on-going team or leadership development initiatives and often involve the use of Team Management Systems (TMS) Profiles, training sessions to bridge potential skill gaps and facilitation of carefully selected activities.
ACT Facilitation
Cross-functional teams and senior leadership teams.
We often choose to integrate Team Management Systems (TMS) instruments into our team development programs. TMS is recognized as the foremost integrated system of work-based, research-proven assessments worldwide - supporting effective positive and lasting change and higher performance in the workplace.
Benefits of Using TMS Instruments:
Team
Development
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Show how key work areas fit together and the need for activities to be linked together.
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Allow team members to see clearly how the team maps onto a researched model of team effectiveness and what areas may need to be addressed.
Personal Development
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Enhance self-awareness – the foundation of sustainable team & and leadership development.
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Provide practical feedback and insights on work preferences, leadership strengths and risk-orientation.
Leadership Development
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Enhance understanding of what motivates people at work.
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Provide practical feedback on individuals, jobs and team performance.
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Provide complete overview of how people are working together.
4 Reasons Why
TMS Instruments
Work
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Simple - Distils extensive research into some simple, universal models.
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Practical - Generates work-focused, simple and practical language.
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Proven - The TMS approach has been reviewed by the British Psychological Society and has been used by over a million people in companies all around the world.
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Integrated - Provides a versatile suite of feedback tools. It keeps development on the agenda as it fosters on-going process.
Case Study:
Team Development
Case Study:
Facilitation
"The trainer was very clear and gave us all the opportunity to express our views, opinions. A good listener too!!! Bravo! Good choice of words, her rhythm and style of presentation enabled her to have captive audience. Everyone participated and had fun – at the same time, learning all the necessary skills we needed."
- Mohamed Ghazali Amin Ali
Human Resource Manager
“More than education, more than experience, more than training, a person’s level of resilience will determine who succeeds and who fails. That’s true in the cancer ward, it’s true in the Olympics, and it’s true in the boardroom”
- Dean Becker
Organizations do everything they do to be more resilient - to be more successful not just in the short term, but in the medium to long term. Yet, research shows that volatility is ever increasing, and so is the gap between winners and losers.
Resilience development is about providing individuals with the mindset, tools and a whole-system approach to managing change, teams, planning strategy, writing policy, and mapping organizational development in more resilient ways.
Resilience Development Offerings
Designed to help individuals improve their ability to integrate work and life in more meaningful, healthier, fulfilling and sustainable ways and for organizations to create sustainable competitive advantage in increasingly turbulent conditions.
An overview of the courses we offer:
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ACT Building Resilience Series
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ACT Mindfulness & Wellness Series
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ACT Leading Resilient Organizations Series
Why is developing resilience important for an organization?
Case Study
“Powerful content and learning points. Good content that I can follow easily. This is the best course I have ever attended. I was engaged throughout the course, visual aids, group discussions, games, videos are all used in meaningful and engaging manner.”
- Participant
Singapore Institute of Management
ACT Human virtual solutions enable powerful learning experiences online without losing the human touch by encompassing all 5 senses:
Pre-Course
We work closely with our clients to understand what they need and get participants to prepare and meet each other beforehand – it’s selfie-time!
During Course
We enhance the experience of digital learning during the course by making it fun and very interactive with polls, questions and comments.
Post-Course
We supplement the course lessons with self-directed online learning post-event, and provide the space for everyone to stay connected with social learning and messaging.
Future Upcoming Course
Data and insights to invite interested participants to upcoming workshops.
ACT Human online courses are offered in fully self-paced or blended (self-paced and instructor-led) versions:
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Powerful Presentations
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Provide Superior Service & Manage Upset Customers
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Negotiate & Influence For Successful Outcomes
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Professional Sales Skills
We understand the importance of accountability and alignment, especially in times of change, so we track the application of our online courses with real-time data analytics so as to have an insight on participation for easy follow ups.
"The coaching sessions have been a great inspiration. The sessions are well structured, challenging, rewarding and focused – I feel that I have benefitted from each and every session. What is particularly interesting is the process of continuation. We do not start on new and unrelated discussion points, but my coach manages to challenge me to continuously progress on every single goal set at the beginning. Through this approach, I have to keep an open mind, remain flexible to discover new aspects of the goals I set."
- Senior Banker
Clients tell us that our sessions are inspirational, well structured, rewarding and focused and that they feel challenged to continuously progress on every single goal set at the beginning of the process. We believe that this is the result of our 7-pronged approach to coaching:
Coaching Offerings
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Supports the creation of goals in the workplace, in line with the company strategies , mission and vision
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Provides support, an objective view and honest feedback
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Supports sustainable peak performance
ACT Executive
Coaching
ACT Personal Coaching
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Supports the creation of goals in personal areas (life, relationships, health, finance, career, community, etc)
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Enables the creation of long-term habits that support goal achievement
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Facilitates greater self-awareness
Case Study
At times it is vital to assess individual preferences and reveal critical dynamics to ensure that performance objectives are achieved and, ultimately, to enable the development of high-performance in the workplace.
In times like these we choose to integrate the following tools into our programs:
1. Team Management Systems
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Team Management Profile (TMP™)
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Obstacles-Opportunity Quotient (QO2™)
2. Interpersonal Influence Inventory (iii™)
3. The Platinum Rule®
3. Subarctic Survival Situation (SSS™)
Team Management Systems
All our consultants are TMS-accredited and often we choose to integrate their instruments into our programs.
TMS is recognized as the foremost integrated system of work-based, research-proven assessments worldwide supporting effect positive and lasting change and higher performance in the workplace.
Benefits of Using TMS Instruments:
Team
Development
-
Shows how key work areas fit together and the need for activities to be linked together.
-
Allows team members to see clearly how the team maps onto a researched model of team effectiveness and what areas may need to be addressed.
Personal Development
-
Enhances self-awareness – the foundation of sustainable team & and leadership development.
-
Provides practical feedback and insights on work preferences, leadership strengths and risk-orientation.
Leadership Development
-
Enhances understanding of what motivates people at work.
-
Provides practical feedback on individuals, jobs and team performance.
-
Provides complete overview of how people are working together.
Team Management Profile (TMP™) provides constructive, work-based information outlining an individuals' work preferences and the strengths that he/she brings to a team.
Work preferences are explored in terms of:
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How an individual prefers to relate to others
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How an individual gathers and uses information
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How an individual makes decisions
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How an individual organizes him/herself and others
The Opportunities-Obstacles Profile (QO2™) is a unique instrument measuring people's inherent approach to risk. It assesses the balance of energy they are likely to put into seeing the opportunities or seeing the obstacles.
An opportunities-obstacles quotient is calculated which enables comparison of team members' risk acceptance levels. The qo2™ and related feedback is calculated from an individual's response to fifty questions. The information provides an effective starting point for discussions regarding personal and team development.
The Interpersonal Influence Inventory (III™ ) is a communication assessment for employee and management development training that identifies 1 of 4 influence styles: open aggressive behavior, concealed aggressive behavior, assertive behavior and passive behavior.
Research shows that assertive behavior improves individual and organizational performance. The interpersonal influence inventory is an assessment that has helped thousands of professionals assess their personal influence style, learn how they "Come across" to others, and work toward becoming more effective communicators.
Based on an assertive behavior model, the interpersonal influence inventory measures openness of communication and consideration for others.
The core of the III™ is derived from leadership and persuasive communication literature. The literature suggests that direct expression of one’s views, coupled with consideration for others, can help improve individual and organizational functioning. When one attempts to influence another, two dimensions of behavior produce an influence style. The dimensions of behavior are openness in communication and consideration for others.
Mastering one important skill - adaptive communications - will help you become a charismatic, effective leader that others want to follow, a top-producing sales professional and/or improve your personal relationships.
Have you ever wondered why you hit it off with some people immediately, while with others it's like oil and water?
That is because there are four primary behavioral styles - directors, thinkers, relaters and socializers - each with a very distinct and predictable pattern of observable behavior.
The observable behaviors are across two dimensions – openness (open versus guarded) and directness (direct versus indirect). Once you understand these patterns, you have the key to unlock your ability to connect with and communicate successfully with nearly anyone.
Completing the platinum rule online assessment only takes 3-5 minutes to learn what makes you tick.
Once completed, you will receive your in-depth platinum rule report describing your behavioral tendencies in your interactions with others at work and in social settings.
"Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!"
- Brian Flannigan
Regional Marketing Manager
Ciba Specialty Chemicals China
Presenting With Conviction
by Paula Marcondes, ACT MD
Today's Manager, Oct 2019 - Issue 3
This article first appeared in Today's Manager Magazine, published by Singapore Institute Of Management. Reproduced with permission.
The Resilient Organization
by Paula Marcondes, ACT MD
Summer 2012 (Dec 2012 / Jan 2013) issue of Roundabout, the Team Management Systems (TMS) magazine
Psychological Testing For The Selection Process
Article featuring an interview with Sachiyo Kawasaki
Today's Manager, Apr-May 2012 issue
This article first appeared in Today's Manager Magazine,published by Singapore Institute of Management. Reproduced with permission.
Surviving and Thriving
by Paula Marcondes, ACT MD
Today's Manager, Dec 2011-Jan 2012 issue
This article first appeared in Today's Manager Magazine, published by Singapore Institute of Management. Reproduced with permission.
Bridging The Resilience Gap (Part 2)
by Paula Marcondes, ACT MD
Today's Manager, Dec 2011-Jan 2012 issue
This article first appeared in Today's Manager Magazine, published by Singapore Institute of Management. Reproduced with permission.
Bridging The Resilience Gap (Part 1)
by Paula Marcondes, ACT MD
Today's Manager, Oct-Nov 2011 issue
This article first appeared in Today's Manager Magazine, published by Singapore Institute of Management. Reproduced with permission.
Training The Mind Vs. Training The Brain
by Paula Marcondes, ACT MD
Today's Manager, Aug-Sep 2011 issue
This article first appeared in Today's Manager Magazine, published by Singapore Institute of Management. Reproduced with permission.
Thanks Coach!
by Paula Marcondes, ACT MD
HRM Singapore. 9.8 issue
This article first appeared in HRM Singapore, published by Key Media Pte. Ltd.
Contact Us
Contact us by email, phone, via our social media channels or just drop us a note here.
Paula Singapore: +65 9660-1022
Paula Brazil: +55 11 9332-88888