AiA Classic® Workshop



An Employee Engagement Strategy and a Personal Development Experience



30 full hours of high-involvement learning

Discover what over four million people worldwide learned with AiA Classic® (formerly called Adventures in Attitudes). In 1957 Bob Conklin designed AiA to guide people through life's most important questions. Today, a classic is re-invented - AiA Classic®.

AiA Classic® has changed lives for 50 years. You too can learn how to change your life...at work...or at home!

Achieving higher levels of personal and professional excellence begins with seeing the possibilities, not just the problems. It means changing our perspective – of ourselves and of others. But changing attitudes is risky. It means leaving where we are and not going back – stepping out of the comfort zone and getting uncomfortable. It requires mental and physical stamina, courage and even some distress.

Most times, it’s easier to say no to changing our habits and attitudes than it is to say yes! But saying yes opens up all sorts of new opportunities and possibilities. Say YES and discover the power you already have within yourself … the power to change your attitudes, your habits of thought, your work, your relationships, and your life … for the better!

Why is AiA unique? The process addresses the thoughts and attitudes that generate behavior, action, performance, and results. AiA addresses the cause underlying the problem and creates an opportunity for self-discovery and self-awareness, leading to more effective communication, problem solving, team interaction and individual success.

Coping with the continuous changes of our downsized, right-sized, re-engineered, team-oriented and increasingly diverse workplace has left many of us confused, fearful, suspicious and even angry. As our attitudes deteriorate, so do our commitment, loyalty, and most importantly, performance and self-esteem.

This empowering program has been designed to help people understand that how they perceive and respond to events around them is their choice. Awareness is the first step in changing negative attitudes to positive ones. It’s key to establishing personal responsibility and accountability in the midst of change and chaos. And it helps turn passive resistance into high-energy performance.

Everyone a Student, Everyone a Teacher

During this 30-hour workshop you will move through high-involvement learning using small group interaction, shared experiences, individual and group exercises and facilitator-led discussions.

The AiA Classic experience is an intensive but flexible learning program. The level and intensity of participation is determined solely by each individual. Most participants recognize early on that it is not “training as usual” and quickly embrace their active, personal role in the process.

Built on a foundation of self-discovery, the process uses small group interaction, shared personal experiences, individual and group exercises, and facilitator led discussion. Throughout the learning process, participants move through the following ten high-involvement areas critical to increasing emotional intelligence, enhancing self-awareness, listening and communicating effectively, facilitating and adapting to change, strengthening positive attitudes, and improving relationships for greater personal and professional success.

AiA Classic and Emotional Intelligence

Employers and today's world require new skills -

AiA Classic provides the opportunity to learn to:

Increase self-awareness, self-confidence and self-motivation by affirming strengths, talents, abilities
Transform negative attitudes into positive ones
Improve listening, verbal, recording, reporting and speaking communication skills
Overcome self-imposed limitations and restrictions
Enhance personal initiative and determination
Increase leadership, innovation, management skills
Develop awareness of the importance of ethics, honest, integrity, values and personal responsibility
Develop information evaluation and information synthesizing skills leading to accurate reporting
Improve team work, group management and situation management skills
Develop empathy, compassion, intuition and judgment in interpersonal relationships
Achieve new levels of performance through goal-setting and time management techniques
Learn effective approaches to problem-solving and problem anticipation
Utilize imagination and creativity in negotiation, change strategies and conflict management

Have You Ever Asked Yourself These Questions?

Who am I? What is my direction? Where am I going?
Can I like myself better? Feel better in my self-image, self-esteem and self-confidence?
What are my positives and negative attitudes? How can I change them?
What are my emotions? How do I handle them? How can I overcome my fear, anxiety, doubt?
How can I get along with people better?
What are good relationships and how do I develop them?
How do I handle the people problems in my life?
How do I move forward? Setting goals and taking action? How do I motivate myself and others?
Do I need to take more personal responsibility?
Can I improve the quality of my life, day to day? Better utilize goals, time expectations, or opportunities?
Can I be a good leader and manager? Develop leadership skills? Can people count on me?

Say YES to AiA Classic and Answer Those Questions!

Empowerment begins with seeing the possibilities, not just the problems. It means changing our perspective - on ourselves and others. Saying YES opens up all sorts of new insights and possibilities.

Experience this life changing workshop!

Unit 1: Communication
Communication Skills
Communication Problems

Unit 2: Attitude Awareness
Understanding Yourself
Personal Roadblocks

Unit 3: Self-Confidence
Managing Yourself
Managing Emotions

Unit 4: Understanding
Understanding Others
The Key to Good Relationships

Unit 5: Personality
Leading with Attitude and Personality
Fulfilling Personal Needs

Unit 6: Relationships
Getting Through to People
Problem Solving Skills

Unit 7: Group Dynamics
How You Come Across to Others
Getting Along in Groups and Teams

Unit 8: Work
Attitudes About Work
Six Steps to Motivation

Unit 9: Purpose and Goals
Defining a Life Purpose
Setting Goals

Unit 10: Personal and Professional Development
Self Management
The Seven Great Attitudes

AiA Classic Learning Unit Objectives

Begin your journey of self-discovery, self-development,
and self-improvement!

What People Say After AiA Classic...

I still have my binder on my desk. When I need a little pick-me-up I
will read the nice things that people wrote to me on the last day of
class. I have been carrying my cards in my purse. The card on
Understanding Myself and Others means alot to me. I try to remember #3
on the card, "I can't help the way I feel right now, but I can help the
way I think and act." I try to use this concept in my professional and
my personal life. I do try to remove the 'mind binders' and choose how I
react to everyday situations at work, at home, and in society. Even when
I'm driving and someone cuts me off, doesn't let me in, or is just a
horrible driver, I think that I can be mad, throw my hands up, call them
names, flip them off (which I NEVER would do), but then I think that it
won't solve anything. The only thing 'flipping out' accomplishes is
making myself angry for the day. I also try to give the other person the
benefit of the doubt. Maybe they are hurrying to the hospital to see a
loved one for the last time, maybe they were told that if they're late
one more time they'll lose their job, maybe they are just having a BAD
day, and we all have them, maybe they are just a soandso and don't
deserve my time. There are many parts of the program that have helped me
and will continue to help me in my personal and professional goals. I
found the program to be a very enlightening experience and I che rish
the friendships that were fostered through my participation. Since the
end of the program I bought a house, improved my marriage, was awarded
the 2007 Lisa Seney Award for participation in local sports programs for
children with disabilities (which I continue to volunteer with),
completed a 2yr traineeship here at XXX (agency name) and move to a SG18, participated in the Mentor/Protege program as a protege, was appointed by the
Commissioner to the Intra-Agency Task Force on Women's Issues, and have
been waiting for tuition vouchers to continue working on my Bachelors
Degree in Health and Human Services.
From a March 2007 AiA Classic participant

The class "Adventures in Attitudes" was one of the best training classes that I have ever had. It was so unlike most of the technical "Nuts and Bolts" classes that I am usually encouraged to attend.

If I had to point to one life-changing thing that I took out of that class it would be this- that we all have the power, during each of our interactions with another person during the day, to make a positive or a negative impact on that person and to actually influence how they feel about themselves.

This is an amazing power!

I have thought of this often and it has tempered my words and my attitude during some harsh interactions. It has even emboldened me to step outside of my usually shy persona to do things that I would not normally do; these acts have ranged from complimenting a total stranger on some aspect of their appearance or demeanor to offering a helping hand to someone carrying a heavy load. It is interesting to see how people react to these unexpected kindnesses - most are very positive. And the way it makes me feel is always positive.

From a March 2007 AiA Classic participant

It sounds corny, but my life has changed dramatically since I took this course. The course itself was what I was hoping for and it met all of my expectations and more, but I have to say that I think it may have been different if it weren't for the participants. I was fortunate to share my time with a wonderful group of people. I learned it is all about Attitude! It's no longer about what happens around me and to me, it's all about how I react to it and let it affect me.

It's hard to put into words how much this class allowed me to change myself, but I want to Thank You for setting the class up, participating with us and for your understanding during my emotional transformation during the class. I just hope the others got half of what I got out of it. Thanks again.
From a March 2007 AiA Classic participant

This training class was the best training class I have ever attended. I learned from the instructor and the participants. Although I've always disliked group activities, I learned so much from them in this class. The most important thing I learned was that it's not always what happens around me, but how I react to it. I am now a much calmer person which benefits my personal life, but also my work life. I look more at the positive and try to correct issues rather than just dealing with them or rather, let the issue (or individual) deal with me. This has helped me tremendously in my new position where I manage over 150 people. I've even received compliments from my staff for staying calm when others have not.
From a March 2007 AiA Classic participant

Training Resources


The AIA Classic® Facilitation System includes: Process Overview Manual Projects Manual Train the Trainer Manual AiA Classic Preview Additional Resources



AiA Classic®



click here to contact ALD for additional information

AiA Classic® & Adventures in Attitudes® are products of Inscape Publishing, Minneapolis, MN