Human Resources

2008 Leadership Development Institute Training Program Schedule

*DATE*	*CLASS TITLE*	*ALL* *EMPLOYEES*	*SUPERVISORS* *& MANAGERS*	*FACILITATOR*
4/3/08	Managing Conflict	X	X	K. Hackett
4/8/08	Delegation		X	G. Trusley
4/15/08	Emotional Intelligence and Team Leadership Skills		X	J. Latack
5/14/08	Leadership Skills for the 21^st Century		X	K. Robbins
5/20/08	Taking Control of Your Workday	X	X	K. Hackett
6/12/08	Interpersonal Communication Skills	X	X	G. Nilsson-Weiskott
8/12/08	Prevent Burnout – Practice Stress Management	X	X	S. Nilsson-Weiskott
8/26/08	Presentation Skills	X	X	J. Sena
9/11/08	Project Management	X	X	K. Hackett
10/1/08	Coaching Skills for Managers		X	M. Steiner Suter
10/15/08	Dealing With Difficult People	X	X	K. Robbins
10/23/08	Managing for Superior Customer Service		X	K. Robbins
11/5/08	Writing Skills	X	X	J. Sena

LEVEL I: EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT

These programs are available for all employees as a part of their personal and professional development.

Prevent Burnout: Practice Stress Management

An inevitable part of most high performance jobs is personal stress. Project deadlines, critical decisions, volumes of unfinished work, conflict, constantly changing situational factors, expectations, and dealing with people all build toward excessive stress. This seminar is designed for people who:

* operate at high levels of performance;
* want to learn to manage stressful times more effectively; and,
* seek skills, such as breathing reeducation, imagery, worry cessation, and others.

These skills can be used in both professional and personal situations.

Dealing with Difficult People

Success in careers depends heavily on how well, or poorly, we handle colleagues, superiors, and staff. Learning how to establish productive relationships and work effectively with others is the objective of this program. Participants will learn:

* how to understand what makes people difficult;
* how to develop practical approaches to dealing with difficult people;
* how to understand their role in coping with difficult people; and
* how to use effective coping strategies for dealing with them.

Interpersonal Communication Skills

The ability to communicate clearly is an attribute highly desired by persons at all levels of an organization. Research clearly demonstrates the relationship between effective communication and staff productivity, optimal problem solving, personal satisfaction, and positive relationships. In this seminar participants will:

* assess their own communication style;
* practice communication techniques;
* learn ways to improve listening skills, one-way/two-way; and,
* verbal and non-verbal communication.

Managing Conflict

Rapid changes in most industries have made conflict an everyday occurrence. Conflict is a natural part of life in any organization and can be an important source of creativity and energy if managed effectively. Keeping conflict constructive is one of the basic challenges of employees and managers alike. This program will help participants:

* improve understanding of the sources and dynamics of conflict;
* understand both the negative and positive aspects of conflict; and,
* select and carry out appropriate strategies.

Project Management

Project management brings together and optimizes the resources necessary to successfully complete a project. Attend this program to learn a comprehensive process that capitalizes on the best current thinking on how project success can be achieved. We will engage participants in activities to:

* understand the elements of project management
* strengthen key project management skills
* apply project management tools to a job related project
* address common pitfalls

Taking Control of Your Workday

Time is one of our most precious resources. This program is designed to help participants identify their time management strengths and weaknesses and to create an action plan aimed toward improved efficiency. Participants will learn to:

* set priorities;
* organize their time;
* analyze/manage paperwork;
* conquer procrastination;
* handle interruptions; and,
* analyze their current time usage.

LEVEL II: SUPERVISORY/ MANAGEMENT TRAINING

These programs are targeted for team leaders, supervisors, and middle managers that would like to enhance their ability to manage others in the workplace.

Coaching Skills for Managers

Coaching skills are essential for any manager who wants to help people do their best work. Building positive work relationships, creating a motivating environment, and having productive coaching conversations with staff all contribute to a high performing work unit. This program will help managers:

* identify the fundamental skills for coaches, including asking smart questions and providing effective feedback;
* apply a coaching model to help staff take on new assignments and develop new skills;
* diagnose individual performance problems; and,
* use a problem solving discussion model to improve performance.

Delegation

To be most effective, managers cannot do everything themselves. There is not enough time in the day. A manager must know when to delegate, what to delegate and how to be effective. This seminar provides a comprehensive, step-by-step approach to the art of delegation. It is designed to help managers:

* better understand how delegation practices directly impact performance and morale;
* identify the benefits of effective delegation;
* identify the symptoms of ineffective delegation;
* identify major reasons why managers are reluctant to accept delegation; and,
* customize their delegation efforts based on the individual talents and abilities of their staff.

Emotional Intelligence and Team Leadership Skills

Effective managers recognize and manage emotions in themselves and others - not only troublesome reactions but also those positive feelings that can uplift and inspire people. Emotional Intelligence, EQ, is four times more important than IQ for success as a leader. EQ skills have been linked to profitability, creativity and team effectiveness as well as life satisfaction and health habits. Participants will:

* identify the major EQ competencies and how they link to leadership effectiveness;
* complete a self-assessment of emotional intelligence to pinpoint strengths and liabilities;
* develop strategies for building emotionally intelligent teams; and
* use an EQ agenda for turning ordinary conversations into powerful prompts for change.

Leadership Skills for the 21st Century

Organizations are changing at an unprecedented rate. Technological innovations, globalization, changing demographics and increased competition all demand that we focus on organizational effectiveness - less bureaucracy, flatter organizations, more teamwork, continuous improvement, and innovation.

Strong leadership is key. More than any other single factor, the competence and character of an organization's leaders will determine its ability to enjoy continued success in the 21st century. This program will help participants:

* define the need to develop new leadership skills to succeed in a changing organization;
* identify behaviors and practices that characterize effective leaders;
* apply a research-based transformational leadership model to relevant work situations;
* identify new trends in leadership theory and practice; and,
* create a personal leadership development plan.

Managing for Superior Customer Service

Customers of today's organizations have increasingly higher expectations of the service you and your staff provide. Whether you serve external or internal customers, a critical part of your responsibility as a manager is to make sure employees have the skills, resources, and commitment to offer exemplary customer service. In this seminar, you will learn how to lead your staff in developing your service strategy and how to empower them to focus on the customer's needs and deliver outstanding service. This program is designed to help managers:

* understand the basics of superior service;
* clarify customers' expectations and how to meet them;
* learn techniques for measuring service effectiveness;
* create a work environment where staff wants to serve the customer; and,
* teach staff how to solve service problems and manage difficult customers.

Presentation Skills

Speaking in front of others is the second most feared activity among Americans. Yet, no skill creates greater visibility and gives people more opportunity for positive exposure. In this program, participants learn how to:

* make presentations really count;
* project a presence that inspires others to listen; and,
* develop a presentation that meets the audience's needs.

Writing Skills

Managers know that the ability to write well is highly valued in modern organizations. No aspect of a manager's performance is of greater importance to his or her personal success than effective communication skills, particularly writing. This seminar provides guidelines and techniques for improving business writing. Writing samples are required of all participants prior to the seminar. Participation is limited to 14 persons. Managers will learn to:

* write for readability, correctness and appropriateness;
* combine clear thinking and proper grammar when writing; and,
* develop a logical progression of ideas when drafting correspondence.