Supervisory Leadership

This unique course provides participants with an understanding of the specific competencies and business issues that make up the supervisory framework for how effective supervision is implemented at various organizations. In addition, students use various assessment tools to receive feedback from peers and those in reporting relationships, on their skills in the elements of that framework. Participants receive individual coaching on understanding the feedback report and begin the process of creating individual development plans.

This course focuses on the organizational responsibilities of the supervisor and impact these have on the work unit. There will be opportunities for self-assessment in key areas of management behavior and the application of sound management practices to address organization needs. Participants will identify the relationship between the mission of the organization and supervisor leadership.

Participants explore and identify the competencies and skill needed by an individual to fulfill the responsibilities of a leader in an organization. With individual competencies and skill as the focus, participants compare these critical elements to the feedback received in the Elements of Supervision and Assessment course. These components are used to create an individual development plan.

The role of management is being significantly redefined by the accelerating rate of change impacting organizations, the escalating unpredictability of the competitive environment, and the increasing significance of the customer as a key stakeholder. Survival and success of the organization will depend much more on management's ability to inspire initiative, involvement, and commitment by people at all levels of the organization and much less on the decisions of executive management. You will establish a systematic process for planning work and setting expectations, monitoring performance, developing a capacity for performance and rating and rewarding performance. Through dialogue, assessment, hands-on and team problem solving, and feedback, you will solve of puzzles of defining the job, setting standards, giving feedback and aligning performance measurements for individuals, teams, business units and entire organizations.

Managing change in an organization is a dynamic process. Effective change maximizes the alignment between an organization's strategies, structure, systems and culture. It requires an understanding of the systemic interrelationships among these factors and how changes in one can affect another. This course focuses on planning and implementing change in organizations, with an emphasis on the role of leadership within an organization. Participants examine the role of leadership and the competencies and skills required of individuals who initiate, manage, and are affected by change.

This seminar is part of the Manager's Toolkit Specialized Studies Program. Virtually everything that we do in business involves working with people. In today's fast paced, highly competitive technology-driven business world, it is more important than ever to recognize and study the significant role effective listening plays in our lives. How well we listen in a large part determines how successful we will be on the job and our level of personal job satisfaction. This course is for individuals at all levels who desir to polish and/or develop effective listening skills in formal and informal settings. Through interactive discussions, role plays and activities, the following areas are covered: how to move to active from passive listening how our assumptions can get in the way of understanding others, using empathy to solve problems checking for feedback to ensure that your message is understood, separate message content from feelings, and asking questions to expand knowledge and bring out new ideas.

An elective course in the Certificate Program in Administrative Management. This course provides a conceptual framework for approaching decision-making situations with clarity and confidence. Participants build competence in two specific areas: making effective decisions based on the accurate assessment of the problem and preparing to effectively develop and analyze creative alternatives. In addition, students learn how to work on the right problem, develop and structure objectives, understand the consequences, and make appropriate tradeoffs. Using case studies and on-the-job situations encountered by the class, students explore successful models and proven techniques that are readily transferable to their own situations.

Virtually everything that we do in business involves working with people in person one on one, in groups, in writing, by phone or through a myriad of other electronic means. In today's highly competitive business world, it is more important than ever to recognize and study the significant role communication plays in our lives. As employees at all levels, how well we communicate in a large part determines how successful we will be on the job, and our level of personal job satisfaction. This course is for individuals at all levels in all types of businesses/organizations who desire to polish and/or develop additional communication skills in formal and informal settings. Through interactive discussions, role plays and activities the following areas are covered: verbal and nonverbal communication; defensive/supportive communication; assertiveness, submissiveness and aggressiveness; active listening; receiving and providing criticism; team building; delegation of responsibilities; empowerment; management and sales strategies; leadership; customer service; interviewing/recruiting; conflict resolution.