Training Workshops

Nonverbal behaviors comprise approximately 60–80% of all interpersonal communication. They can reveal a person’s true thoughts, feelings, concerns,  intentions, and fears. And because people are not always aware they are communicating nonverbally, body language is often more honest than the spoken word.

In this three-hour presentation, Joe explores how nonverbals are used in business to better read and decode others, as well as to enhance communication. With a focus on how all the body communicates, the attendees will examine the nonverbals that matter the most, their relative priority, and how they can be used to more quickly understand others, establish trust, create positive bonds, increase face-time, and enhance communication.

Joshua Bitton will be teaching a workshop on how to apply the Meisner acting technique to daily communication. How do some of the world’s greatest actors seem to “live” their characters on screen?  What makes some performances seem more authentic than others?  It’s all about reacting instinctively to their surrounding environment, especially the person they’re communicating with.

Dive into learning how to really listen, really respond and how to truly process another person’s behavior in real time.  It will help you observe all elements of a person’s behaviors – body language, tone, what they say, and what they don’t – to make communication more flexible and natural.

For centuries, magicians’ secrets have been repurposed by intelligence agencies, criminals and con artists because at the heart of every great magic effect is a simple but powerful method for manipulating human perception. In fact, the art of magic is a focused form of person-to-person communication where illusion, psychology and multiple forms of deception are employed to create seeming impossible effects. The tools of this secretive art can be applied directly to social engineering or positive forms of communication. So by understanding how magic methods work, we can expand our understanding of deception and learn to recognize sophisticated strategies or vulnerabilities that might be invisible to others.

The Magic Way is a unique presentation tailored for non-magicians to understand and apply these powerful communication and problem-solving tools to business situations, personal interactions and security scenarios. In this unique workshop, one of the world’s finest sleight-of-hand artists, effect creators, and magic consultants unravels magicians’ methods to reveal (and share) a way of thinking that will inform or inspire new solutions and ways of communicating in any field. Exclusively for the Human Behavior Conference, R. Paul Wilson will reveal how magicians and mentalists solve seemingly impossible problems using remarkably simple methods to shape reality, read minds, predict the future and even control how people think and what they remember.

The Art of Perception provides professionals in the cybersecurity and intelligence communities the necessary tools to enhance perception and communication in assessment, surveillance, and critical response. In this highly participatory, fast moving, and visual presentation of works of art, participants revisit both the application of their perception skills and the ability to communicate concisely and effectively in exchanges of critical information. Specifically designed to address the role of perception and observation among team members, the training also emphasizes the importance of pattern recognition in acclimating to both short-term and extended threats. Painting, sculpture, and photography are also employed to dismantle biases and long-held assumptions that impede collective decision making and best practices. The overarching objective of The Art of Perception is to provide attendees with a renewed sense of critical inquiry and self-perception that will be instrumental in both problem-solving strategies and prospective tactical initiatives.

Difficult subjects, emotions, personalities, complexity, localities, and time constraints often impact on regular communication. However, when communication is critical or difficult, preparation and having the right skill set will determine your success. This interactive session defines and dissects the variety and depth of critical communication and the need for planning and execution of proven skills to communicate effectively but, more importantly, influentially.

Learn how to define what is a critical or difficult conversation, deal with issues and difficulties that may arise or surprise, and assess ourselves and others as part of the critical communication process.  Discover proven techniques to assist in difficult conversations, how to pivot quickly and effectively during a difficult conversation, and most of all, how to leave others feeling better.  Prepare, coordinate, rehearse intellectually for difficult situations and implement self-analysis and introspection to grow your critical communication skill set.

After spending 20 years catching spies and convincing people to work for the American government, I realized that those same skills can be used in everyday interactions. But what if the person you need to influence is difficult or just doesn’t like you? What if you never have seen eye to eye? Then this course is for you. We will be using the intelligence agencies’ “recruitment process” as a framework for interpersonal communication and building deep connections. All elements of my strategies for rapport, trust, and assessing others, as well as elicitation, will be covered.

You’re an excellent liar. That may not be what you expected me to say to you—someone clearly committed to personal growth as evidenced by your attendance at this conference! But the truth is that you are an excellent liar. And so am I. Because humans are excellent liars. And our most damaging lies are the ones we tell ourselves.

At the most basic level, self-deception is believing something that’s false –or– refusing to believe something that’s true. The problem with lying to yourself is that it keeps you stuck—it keeps you from creating your ideal life. It affects your career success, your relationships, your happiness, your income, and even your physical health. Because you can’t change something that you can’t admit. That said, you can learn to be more honest with yourself and help others do the same. This workshop will teach you the psychology behind self-deception. Specifically, you will leave knowing: 1) how you and others lie to themselves, 2) why we lie and how it hurts us, and 3) how to become more honest. For only when you admit the truth do you have the opportunity to change.

Assessing for character flaws is key not just for safety reasons but also for determining how to best interact with them. Whether it is a formal interview, during an annual job review, an interpersonal matter, or conducting a due diligence or difficult interview, knowing what these personality types may do and say, knowing their body language, their tactics, and the danger they may present to themselves or others, in crucial. This is where the course excels. This course is not for everyone but if you want experienced training in dealing with toxic individuals and those that are severely flawed of character, then this course is a must.

This program is ideally suited for anyone in the “people business” which is just about all of us, so if you are in HR, management, coaching, social work, teaching, law, security, compliance, law enforcement, threat or extremist assessment, counterintelligence, or in the field of medicine, or corporate development, this course is for you.

The book Dangerous Personalities will be required for participants as the checklists in the book will be referred to in the program to more accurately assess individuals who may be severely flawed of character.

What do the world’s best con men, nation-state spies, and your friendliest next-door neighbor have in common? They are all masters of something we call elicitation.  In this course, world-renowned social engineering expert, Chris Hadnagy, will give you a seven-step framework for how you can learn to master elicitation and get anyone to want to tell you anything you want.

This will be an interactive course, with engagement inside and outside of class, so come prepared to step out of your comfort zone and expand your horizons to learn this life-changing skill.  No matter if you are looking to be a social engineer, enhance your communication skills, get ahead at work, learn to communicate better in your family, or a combination of all of those things, this course will change the way you view communication.

What is human bias and how does it impact our everyday lives? Can we recognise when we are acting on ‘autopilot’ and slow down our thinking? How can we ‘hack’ our own human heuristics to be kinder to ourselves and others? In this training session, Dr Jessica Barker will draw on her vast experience in the human side of cyber security to explore human bias in different aspects of our lives. This training session will help you to become more empathetic, influential, and resilient.

Human bias impacts every part of our lives. This interactive workshop will help you understand human bias to develop your professional and personal skills, to be more self-aware and more mindful in your interactions with others.

This session will:

• Address the main cognitive and emotional biases that impact our ways of thinking and acting – often without us being aware of them
• Explore how human bias impacts different areas of our lives, including our perceptions about ourselves and others
• Unpick how we can use this understanding of human bias to think more clearly and act more consciously
• Help you recognize when others are trying to manipulate you, and understand how you can positively influence those around you