Module Descriptions
We will offer one module (course) at a time, selected from the list below.
The Management Development modules are designed for people in leadership positions—first line supervisor through director—AND for those who might want to become supervisors someday. The Knowledge & Skills Development modules are appropriate for ALL employees.
Management Development Modules:
The Roles of a Leader
This introduction to the leadership series is recommended, but not required. What are good leaders trying to do? What are their primary roles? Most of the later modules cover the SKILLS needed to perform those roles—the HOW of leadership. In this module we discuss the WHAT of leadership.
Motivating Employees
Why are some employees unmotivated? Or are they actually de-motivated? What can we do to create an environment where our people are self-motivated to do great work?
Delegating to Employees
What work should be delegated? To whom? How can we delegate while increasing—rather than decreasing—employee motivation and performance?
Developing Employees
Why is employee development important? Development for what purpose? Who is primarily responsible for developing our employees? How can it be done?
Dealing with Difficult Employees
Why might some employees be difficult to deal with? What can we do before starting the formal discipline process? Which behavior style is best in handling the situation? (We will NOT cover the formal discipline or performance appraisal processes—Human Resources provides separate training on those topics.)
Additional Tips for Working with Employees
Sample topics include the chain of command, your accessibility, employee overtime, Parkinson's Second Law, and personal relationships with employees.
Improving What We Do and How We Do It
This is the weakest part of many leaders' game. To what degree does your job require you to find faster, better, cheaper ways of doing things? How can we approach these initiatives?
Customer Happiness
Customer happiness is key to the continued existence of our institution and therefore of our jobs. What strategies can we use to keep both internal and external customers happy and still accomplish our other goals? For example, do we need more policies and procedures . . . or fewer?
Problem-Solving & Decision-Making
What are the pitfalls in decision-making, and how can we avoid them? What is the proper role of attorneys, of intuition, of yes-men? What is a professional intramural scrimmage?
Leading Team Meetings
How can unnecessary meetings be prevented? What can, and often does, go wrong in meetings? How can those problems be avoided or fixed?
Staff Meetings and One-on-One’s
What topics do you discuss with your employees? How? How often? Are there better ways?
Hiring
What four things should you do when you learn an employee is leaving? What are the advantages of diversity, and what types of diversity are important? How can we limit the risk of a bad hire? (This module supplements, but does NOT replace, training provided by the SIUE Division of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.)
When a New Boss Takes Over
What should a new supervisor do first? How should departmental employees adjust to the new boss?
Organizational Structures and Resistance to Change
What are the pros and cons of the various ways of organizing an institution? What are options for dealing with resistance to change?
Knowledge & Skills Development Modules:
Working with the Boss
Do you have a boss? Does your boss have a boss? How is your working relationship with those folks? Could it be even better? We will discuss how to work with your bosses to everyone's mutual advantage.
Working with Colleagues
Sample topics: What are one-strike ballgames? What are the consequences of damaging somebody’s pride? What can we challenge, and what should we never challenge? How can we handle an intimidator? What is the secret to changing other people?
Leading Yourself
What are common causes of career derailment? What does professionalism require? How can we keep balance in our lives?
Goal-Setting
How can we set and achieve personal goals? Departmental goals? Is it true that everything can be measured?
Time Management
What are strategies for achieving more in less time and with less stress? What are common time wasters, and how can we address them?
Negotiations
How often do we negotiate? (More often than you think.) What is the spectrum of negotiations, and what tactics are appropriate for each type? How should we respond if negotiations turn negative?
Expressing Yourself in Writing
Why is it so important to your career that you write well? What percentage of employers think college graduates write well enough? What are common mistakes? We'll explore some quick strategies/skills to help you improve.
Public Speaking
What kinds of presentations do we make in our lives? What is the best way to practice? What elements should we focus on, and what tactics will help us succeed? How is a presentation like a rocket ship?
Finance and Budgeting in Higher Education
Where do public and private universities get their money? What is State Money vs. Local Money? What’s the difference between a Budget Problem and a Cash Problem? What is the budgeting process for our state appropriation? For State Accounts? For Local Accounts?
