Cultivating Potential
The Appleton Greene Corporate Training Program (CTP) for Cultivating Potential is provided by Mr. Biss MRED Certified Learning Provider (CLP). Program Specifications: Monthly cost USD$2,500.00; Monthly Workshops 6 hours; Monthly Support 4 hours; Program Duration 12 months; Program orders subject to ongoing availability.
Personal Profile
Mr. Biss, MRED, is a Certified Learning Provider (CLP) at Appleton Greene. He has experience in management, marketing, and operations. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland and a Masters of Real Estate Development from Auburn University.
He has industry experience in the following sectors: Non-profit & Charities, Real Estate, Defense, Aviation and Aerospace.
He has had commercial experience in the following countries: United States of America, or more specifically within the following cities: Washington DC, Atlanta GA, Charlotte NC, Orlando FL, and Raleigh NC.
In addition to serving as a KC-130J Transport Plane Commander during global operations throughout North America, Europe, and the Middle East, he served in leadership positions in aviation operations, quality assurance, and maintenance. During one role as a maintenance division officer, he was responsible for the maintenance of a $400MM fleet of aircraft and the leadership of 100 personnel.
Upon retiring from the Marine Corps, Biss pivoted professionally to pursue aspirations in human potential development and has been involved in pioneering work to bring advances human potential development and positive psychology interventions to those in addiction recovery to help cultivate their higher potential for wellbeing and a life of meaning.
Additionally, he serves as a founding member of a water NGO, where he leads small teams into rural villages in Central America to deliver innovative water solutions, having served more than 50 communities so far providing safe water to nearly 12,000 water-insecure people.
To request further information about Mr. Biss through Appleton Greene, please Click Here.
(CLP) Programs
Appleton Greene corporate training programs are all process-driven. They are used as vehicles to implement tangible business processes within clients’ organizations, together with training, support and facilitation during the use of these processes. Corporate training programs are therefore implemented over a sustainable period of time, that is to say, between 1 year (incorporating 12 monthly workshops), and 4 years (incorporating 48 monthly workshops). Your program information guide will specify how long each program takes to complete. Each monthly workshop takes 6 hours to implement and can be undertaken either on the client’s premises, an Appleton Greene serviced office, or online via the internet. This enables clients to implement each part of their business process, before moving onto the next stage of the program and enables employees to plan their study time around their current work commitments. The result is far greater program benefit, over a more sustainable period of time and a significantly improved return on investment.
Appleton Greene uses standard and bespoke corporate training programs as vessels to transfer business process improvement knowledge into the heart of our clients’ organizations. Each individual program focuses upon the implementation of a specific business process, which enables clients to easily quantify their return on investment. There are hundreds of established Appleton Greene corporate training products now available to clients within customer services, e-business, finance, globalization, human resources, information technology, legal, management, marketing and production. It does not matter whether a client’s employees are located within one office, or an unlimited number of international offices, we can still bring them together to learn and implement specific business processes collectively. Our approach to global localization enables us to provide clients with a truly international service with that all important personal touch. Appleton Greene corporate training programs can be provided virtually or locally and they are all unique in that they individually focus upon a specific business function. All (CLP) programs are implemented over a sustainable period of time, usually between 1-4 years, incorporating 12-48 monthly workshops and professional support is consistently provided during this time by qualified learning providers and where appropriate, by Accredited Consultants.
Executive summary
Cultivating Potential
About 14 years into my career as a Marine Corps Officer, I found myself at a painful crossroads. I was earning a great living, was well educated, and had many professional successes to my name. Yet, emotionally, I was dead inside. Every ounce of energy I had poured into attaining what I was “supposed to want and have in life” was for naught; authentic happiness, fulfillment, and joy were absent from my life. Then a mentor guided me to the root of my pain and helped me appreciate that living beneath my true potential was the cause of my suffering. With expert guidance and support, I shed the sinking feeling of not being enough and I was empowered toward a dream life of meaning, boundless joy, and honest fulfillment.
I am now on a mission to share a process for others to break free from false limitations and unnecessary suffering that hold them back from being their best self. Cultivating Potential is just that. This program empowers individuals to live happier, more fulfilling, and more joy-filled lives. By reconnecting with their innate wisdom and personal strengths, participants are set on the path to greater success in all areas of life and significantly enhanced contribution at work and in the community.
With human capital being such a significant investment of a company’s resources, it’s vital to empower employees to reach their potential and to bring the best version of themselves to the organization.
Participants develop increased confidence, self-efficacy, and a renewed sense of meaning both personally and professionally through the program’s step-by-step process. With the tools to take full ownership of their performance and results, participants will begin accepting complete responsibility for their actions (or inactions) and the outcomes they create. This new level of ownership and responsibility provides the freedom to live into their true potential for success, fulfillment, and contribution. And as the employees of an organization take ownership and begin leaning into their true potential, so does the company as a whole.
Why this is so important:
As society has tended toward a digital, fast-passed world, individuals in the workforce have strained to keep up with the increased demands on their energy. At alarming rates, people report being more overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed than ever before, resulting in decreased creativity, loss of ambition, and an inability to engage with their full potential.
Climbing rates of consumer debt, drug addiction, treatment for anxiety and depression, obesity, and even suicide tell the tale of how well society is coping. Look a little further, and we see increasing rates of preventable disease in an era when health care, nutritious foods, exercise, and mindfulness apps have never been more accessible.
Many people feel disconnected from the person they want to be, which takes a toll on much more than the individual; it detracts from their ability to show up fully at work and contribute to their organization’s mission.
At what cost?
For most companies, human capital is the most significant expense and the greatest asset; entire organizations succeed or fail based on the wellbeing of their employees.
In American alone, a pre-pandemic estimated $750 billion was lost annually to the economy through disengaged employees, absenteeism, turnover, and reduced production, and decreased product quality. Since the pandemic, some estimate this $750 billion annual figure has increased at least 10-20% and will continue to rise at the same rate for years to come.
This financial toll results from a workforce suffering from disengagement, poor individual self-efficacy, lack of connection to others, and a lost sense of meaning. When these symptoms are present, so are substances and behaviors that numb the pain and fill that emotional void. Sometimes, these destructive behaviors become full-blown addictions and fuel the downward spiral of despair and further erode human capital.
What can be done?
With the right tools and processes in place, there is a tremendous amount of untapped potential that individuals can harness to help themselves become their best version. Learning a few fundamental principles can empower a person to regain control of their life, become clear about where they are and who they want to become, then take decisive action toward achieving any outcomes they seek.
When an organization invests in cultivating that full potential of each employee, the return on investment is experienced in increased productivity, creativity, employee engagement, improved team dynamics, innovation, and performance. Before a company invests more in attracting new talent or reducing employee turnover, it must cultivate the full potential of the valuable employees it already has.
There is no better time than now:
On the heels of the Global Pandemic, recent shifts in the global marketplace have opened opportunities for companies to exploit and gain new ground. The organizations that will benefit the most from this shift are those with the capacity to innovate, adapt, and navigate unforeseen challenges creatively. The degree to which a company can achieve this is determined by the degree to which employees are showing up as the best version of themselves. Empowering employees to be emotionally resilient, self-confident, grounded with a sense of meaning, and able to tap into their strengths is the key to a company reaching its full potential now and for decades to come.
Solution/Process – How this program Cultivates Human Potential
Inspired by Positive Psychology’s framework for human flourishing and integrating principles for success that have been taught and refined for nearly 45 years, Cultivating Potential delivers a positivity-focused and strengths-based process for reaching one’s highest potential.
This program takes participants through a six-phase process for personal development and professional growth – building the foundation, developing greater emotional resilience, engaging with innate-strengths, cultivating positive relationships, establishing a strong sense of meaning, and developing habits for the greatest achievement.
Phase One: Foundation
The height of a building is limited by the strength of its foundation, so too is the height of one’s potential success and achievement in life. The first part of building that foundation for growth is believing that growth is possible and accepting that full ownership of one’s life is the surest path to reaching one’s full potential. This level of ownership requires each individual to accept complete responsibility for the outcomes in their life. For many, stress and a heartfelt desire to do well can force them into a reactionary or survival mindset where attention tends toward external threats beyond their control. This external focus is disempowering and promotes fears or feelings of being overwhelmed. Establishing a foundation for reaching one’s highest potential demands taking personal responsibility for one’s thoughts and behaviors. With this acceptance of responsibility comes increased self-esteem and a sense of control. Phase One is a significant step towards participants cultivating their full potential; this stage of the program instills that everything a person needs to achieve their ambitions is within their control. Their goals are attainable with their capacity to grow.
Phase Two: Positivity
“Positivity” is not about being positive all of the time – that is not attainable and would not be productive. In this program, positivity focuses on developing participants’ emotional resilience necessary to offer their best contribution regardless of the environment and circumstances around them. Positivity is about bouncing back from losses or negative situations without getting stuck in a negative emotional state or downward spiral. To bolster one’s positivity and emotional resilience, one must overcome the effects of negative biases and survival instincts that no longer serve them. Building on the benefits of accepting responsibility, this phase helps participants achieve higher levels of resilience by learning to focus on their past wins and successes. Acknowledging past achievements – from childhood to present day – is a powerful way to develop the self-esteem and confidence needed to lean into the next difficult challenge.
Phase Three: Engagement
With a strong foundation and healthy emotional resilience in place, this phase empowers participants to lean into their life and work with increased levels of engagement. Instead of focusing on unavailable resources, participants will learn to identify and elevate their experience and innate strengths to overcome future challenges. This phase provides tools to recognize and release old thoughts and beliefs that are holding individuals and teams back from their potential so they can uncover new levels of self-confidence and drive that will carry any organization forward. Following a process for developing discipline and managing willpower, participants will turn the techniques they learn into sustaining habits for positive engagement.
Phase Four: Relationships
The purpose of having an organization is so individuals can work together for the common good. This phase of the program is dedicated to helping participants build relationships that promote collaboration, teamwork, and personal growth throughout the company. While each person may have their own responsibilities, organizations rely on those individuals to contribute positively and constructively to the group’s efforts. This collaboration requires healthy relationships to be formed and maintained. Positive relationships need trust, effective communication, mutual support, and understanding to thrive. During this phase, those in leadership positions, or aspiring to be, will learn ways to encourage the growth of their team by modeling the behavior and responsibility they expect from subordinates. Leaders will also learn how to promote personal growth in others by using specific feedback methods during training and evaluations.
Phase Five: Meaning & Purpose
Purpose, meaning, and joy fuel the passionate energy that allows people to put forth their best. A strong sense of meaning has been proven to be a critical element in one’s ability to suffer through the trying times and fulfill their ultimate vision of success. Authentic joy shows up in different ways and at different times for everyone. However it shows up, joy releases natural endorphins that reduce stress, recover immune function, and improve cognitive function. Joy also increases one’s drive to engage in work that is meaningful to them. By leveraging specific tools and processes introduced in this phase, participants will find an increased capacity to contribute at work and make an impact within the organization.
Phase Six: Achievement
The final phase of this Cultivating Potential process ties together each program element to ensure the best platform for success and achievement. To make the most significant strides toward achievement, one must be crystal clear about the goals they intend to meet. While setting clear goals is an important step, what happens in execution ultimately determines success or failure. The basic principles for achievement are timeless; learning to apply these principles to today’s rapidly-evolving world is the key to success. By accepting responsibility and leveraging innate strengths, participants will discover tools that make reaching goals inevitable.
Outcomes – What Will Clients Achieve as a Result
Humans are incredibly resilient and are endowed with a tremendous amount of individual potential. With the right processes to cultivate that innate potential, people can overcome their fears and previously held limiting beliefs to attain higher levels of success than imagined before.
Cultivating potential is a process that empowers each individual to live and perform at their highest level by overcoming internal barriers to success such as a limited mindset, poor emotional resilience, and lack of self-efficacy.
A paradigm shift from a fixed mindset of preservation to a growth mindset of opportunity and advancement is what lays the foundation for becoming our best selves and cultivating our highest individual potential. While this process is straightforward and simple to comprehend, overcoming the innate biases for protection requires a systematic approach to be effective and provide sustainable results.
By the end of this program, participants will benefit from:
– a growth mindset that recognizes past successes and the ability to grow to overcome future challenges,
– an ownership of their innate strengths that can be leveraged when obstacles arise,
– self-care routines for promoting a more joy-filled and meaningful life,
– performance habits that promote higher achievements.
These benefits work synergistically to help participants reach their highest potential. As the six-phase process unfolds, participants will experience transformational shifts in their self-efficacy, positive affect, creativity, and resilience. These measures all contribute to a process of cultivating higher actualized potential from each member of the workforce, which translates to cumulative increases in workforce capital at every level.
In the global marketplace, some corporations invest heavily in developing the individuals that make up the organization – these are the companies that adapt, innovate, and expand in reach, impact, and profits.
Curriculum
Cultivating Potential – Part 1- Year 1
- Part 1 Month 1 Framing Potential
- Part 1 Month 2 Growth Foundation
- Part 1 Month 3 Promoting Positivity
- Part 1 Month 4 Fostering Resilience
- Part 1 Month 5 Enhanced Engagement
- Part 1 Month 6 Strengths Ownership
- Part 1 Month 7 Team Cohesion
- Part 1 Month 8 Spheres Leadership
- Part 1 Month 9 Established Meaning
- Part 1 Month 10 Cultivating Joy
- Part 1 Month 11 Unlimited Potential
- Part 1 Month 12 Continuous Growth
Program Objectives
The following list represents the Key Program Objectives (KPO) for the Appleton Greene Cultivating Potential corporate training program.
Cultivating Potential – Part 1- Year 1
Part 01 Month 01: Framing Potential
Cultivating Potential carries a theme throughout that each module is “positivity-focused” and “strengths-based.” This first module will introduce the concept of such an approach and its opportunities for personal growth and increased potential.
This module then aims to empower the audience with a clear understanding of what human potential is and what factors can inhibit or elevate one’s actualized potential throughout life. As participants will begin to fully appreciate, every human has an incredible amount of untapped potential within them. Each person also experiences many events, circumstances, and conditioning that limit this expressed potential behind walls of insecurity or fear. Before long, many develop a propensity to settle for results and achievements far beneath what they genuinely want and are capable of attaining.
Fortunately, the forces limiting one’s innate ability begin to dissolve once a study of human potential begins. This in-depth study of human potential introduces many concepts and principles that will be developed fully during later modules. Core concepts for this workshop include self-efficacy, positive affect, happiness setpoint, eudemonic vs. hedonic happiness, overall life satisfaction, illness-wellness continuum, and personal responsibility for outcomes. With this foundation established, participants will chart a course forward that follows a holistic and comprehensive approach that addresses each element of positive psychology’s PERMA model. PERMA, an acronym for Positivity, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Achievement, addresses each avenue for personal growth and wellbeing.
By the end of this module, participants will be confident that they can tap into much more of their innate potential and have a clear vision for how this journey will be accomplished in the coming months. While this module is more about sharing concepts and laying a foundation for growth than it is about the application, participants will have a renewed spirit for growth and future possibilities that is itself an empowering outcome.
Part 02 Month 02: Growth Foundation
This second module shifts the focus from learning ideas to application and the Cultivating Potential process for personal transformation.
A growth foundation begins with helping participants to adopt a growth mindset. Too often, we fall prey to the false belief that we as individuals have fixed strengths, talents, and abilities. Recent neuroscience and positive psychology have shown that skills and abilities are not a fixed variable but can continue to develop throughout a person’s life. Adopting a growth mindset (the focus for this module) provides the context for tapping into innate abilities that have yet to be revealed and processing for honing skills, gaining knowledge, and developing habits that reinforce personal growth.
Once a growth mindset is adopted, the possibilities for increased performance and heightened achievement become near limitless. This change starts with learning to accept full responsibilities for our individual actions and the outcomes we experience in life. Shifting the locus of control over our outcomes to the thoughts, visions, and actions we can control is a personally liberating and incredibly empowering skill to develop. Participants will leverage new tools to analyze how they can best respond to events and circumstances to get the outcomes they seek, regardless of external factors that influence the situation.
By the end of this module, participants will be ready to give up old habits of complaining, blaming, and excuse-making to focus their attention on their personal ownership of the situation and the responses that will lead to constructive outcomes. Through process-oriented performance evaluations, leaders at every level will learn to promote a growth mindset in their team members and co-workers.
With sights set on what is possible with a proper growth foundation, any participant’s inclination to shy away from one’s most ambitious goals will be addressed through processing limiting beliefs. Too often, it is not one’s innate ability that limits their level of achievement as much as it is false beliefs about what is possible for that individual, team, or organization to achieve. These false beliefs become self-fulfilling prophecies as we as individuals or groups limit our expectations for future outcomes; our performance is governed to meet the falsely perceived limitation we hold.
Part 03 Month 03: Promoting Positivity
Positivity is not about being positive all of the time. Positivity, in this sense, is about developing the emotional resilience necessary not to get stuck in a negative place for too long and to have the tools to rebound from emotional triggers constructively. As a continuation of mindset work, this module will introduce tools that participants can use to develop greater emotional resilience while improving self-efficacy. One of the most significant improvements to emotional resilience comes from applying a positivity-focused approach to our personal inventory.
It’s a natural human tendency to ruminate over our past mistakes, failures, and setbacks. Our brains are wired for survival before anything else; part of that survival is avoiding repeat behavior that may jeopardize the fulfillment of our basic needs. In our brain, this translates to, “I must keep all of my past errors top-of-mind so I don’t repeat them.” The obvious flaw in this well-intended mindset is that remembering our mistakes or shortcomings is not enough to prevent a recurrence. Additionally, being vigilant toward the negative aspects of our past only erodes our confidence today by increasing stress and depleting our self-efficacy. By understanding this negatively biased propensity of thought, we have the power to take action and change this natural tendency by adopting a new approach.
Regardless of how many perceived weaknesses, defects, or past mistakes a person has, there are always many more past wins, successes, and innate strengths to acknowledge. A simple exercise of listing out one’s past wins and successes on a comprehensive accomplishments list is a transformation exercise that starts promoting positivity. Once a habit of positive recognition is established, we are empowered for greater confidence and improved self-efficacy—these restored positive emotions fuel our creativity, mental performance, and personal drive.
Part 04 Month 04: Fostering Resilience
Resilience is a c