Mark is the principal of Tough Conversations Made Easy and has qualifications in science, health, education and psychology at both the undergraduate and post-graduate level. He has over 35 years experience and has been a tourist guide, taxi driver, school teacher, lecturer, senior education officer, manager, project officer, team leader and coordinator, principal policy advisor, instructional designer, researcher and evaluator.
Throughout his career, Mark has been known for his skills as a speaker, presenter, educator, trainer, mentor & coach. He has also been known for his skills in handling tough conversations, delivering great presentations, using advanced role-play techniques and in helping teenagers handle the real world of alcohol. It’s these things to which Mark now dedicates his life as The Tough Conversations Guy.
Check out some of Mark’s experience: as a speaker, presenter, educator & trainer; in helping employees handle difficult people; in drug & alcohol education for young people; as a researcher & evaluator; and as an MC, facilitator, host & rapporteur.
Qualifications
Mark’s formal academic qualifications are: MEd, BSc, GradDipEd, GradDipHealth, GradDipPsychology & DipHypnotherapy.
Additional academic subjects completed: personality theory; social psychology; psychometrics; developmental psychology; gerontology; organizational psychology; biological psychology; abnormal psychology; counselling; research methods; survey design; and statistics I, II & III.
Other subjects, courses and programs completed: 4MAT Instructional Design System; project management; group dynamics; group work; DISC; education strategies; handling drug-affected clients; public speaking; learning styles; presentation skills; facilitation; acting skills; influence and persuasion; dealing with difficult people; Cognitive Behavioural Therapy; Neuro-Linguistic Programming (he completed his first program in NLP in 1987); coaching; and negotiation.
Principal of Mark McPherson Consulting – 2003 to 2010
Instructional designer, educator & trainer. For the: Australian Hotels Association Mark produced a training manual and a participant manual on the Responsible Service of Alcohol; Australian Department of Finance & Administration Mark devised and presented across Australia a 2-day introductory and a 2-day advanced program for staff of Federal Members of Parliament and Senators “How to deal with difficult people and, at the same time, deliver great customer service”; and Burnet Institute of Medical research Mark devised and presented a detailed step-by-step 5 day training program for police in Vietnam, China, and Myanmar “How best to deal with HIV-infected, drug affected and drug addicted people.”
Researcher & Evaluator. For example, for: NSW Health Mark produced a literature review and an evaluation of a parenting program; City of Sydney Mark produced a review of strategies addressing drug and alcohol problems and a framework for a strategic plan; and National Centre in HIV Social Research Mark designed and developed questionnaires and undertook original research.
How to handle difficult people. For example, Mark designed and delivered numerous keynote addresses, seminars, workshops, etc for organizations including: Housing NSW, Client Services Officers ‘Dealing with difficult clients’ – designed and delivered monthly; Centre for community Welfare Training ‘Front-line communication’; Go Grains Health and Nutrition Ltd ‘Managing Conflict’; Certified Practicing Accountants (CPA) Aust ‘Getting staff engaged and keeping them there’, “dealing with difficult people’; Western Sydney Community Forum ‘Managing difficult clients’; Australian Funeral Directors Association ‘Handling disruptive people’; School Executive (The Scots College; Bowral HS; Blakehurst HS; Lithgow HS); School Administration and Support Staff (Sydney Distance Education HS, North Coast region in Lismore, Coffs Harbour and Taree); Information Expo, Coffs Harbour; Primary Principals Conference, Mudgee; Melbourne Body Corporate Management; Interactive sessions for students (Lithgow Public School, Kesser Torah College, Ingleburn High, Rochedale High (Qld), Warilla HS, Kempsey High).
Employee from 1971 to 2003
Principal Policy Advisor, Office of the Deputy Commissioners, NSW Police.
Team Leader, Drug Programs Coordination Unit, NSW Police.
Manager, Professional Development, Centre for Education and Information on Drugs and Alcohol, NSW Health.
Coordinator, Sexual Health, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C Services, South Western Sydney Area Health Service, NSW Health.
Senior Health Promotion Officer, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
Senior Education Officer, Personal Development, Health, and Physical Education – NSW Board of Studies.
Senior Education Officer, Drug and Alcohol Studies Unit – NSW Technical and Further Education Commission.
Part-time: Education Officer, NSW Family Planning Association; Taxi Driver; Lecturer, Teacher Education; and Education Officer, Health education Unit, Sydney University.
Secondary School Teacher, 8 years, Personal Development, Health and Science.
Tourist Guide at Jenolan Caves, NSW, from 1971-1977
Plus: Volunteer counsellor at the Wayside Chapel Crisis Centre; bar worker; postal worker.