Supervisory Development Lab Courses

Supervisory development lab courses are intended for both new and experienced supervisors.

Courses are also available in-house for departments and units. When delivered in-house, supervisory courses provide opportunities to discuss internal information pertinent to the topic, and give supervisors and managers a setting to share information with peers in the same area.

For more information contact Corey Bonnema, bonn0014@umn.edu or 612-626-9721.

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Delegating Effectively

This course provides an introduction to a set of principles for how to achieve a balance between supervision and delegation for reduced tension and improved productivity. This training combines book discussion with some analysis of barriers and traps to delegation that you need to avoid.

Participants will:

• Be able to apply the concepts from book "The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey" to more effectively delegate work to employees.
• Know how to efficiently address employees who impose unnecessary time demands on you.
• Understand the advantages and disadvantages of the three styles of delegation: delegate and walk away, delegate and stay close, delegate and coach
• Recognize and identify delegation barriers and traps and know what to do to overcome them.

As pre-work for course you are asked to read the book, The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey written by Ken Blanchard. It’s a short book and will take about one hour to complete. There is a charge of $10 for the book. You will receive an email with instructions for payment, then the book will be mailed to you.

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Effective Applicant Interviews

The selection and interviewing process is the first step toward creating a successful staff. Creating behaviorally based interview questions will help supervisors assess candidates’ abilities to do the tasks required by the job. This session will offer tips for writing job descriptions, creating interview questions, and holding an effective interview.

Participants will:

• Know how to develop a recruitment strategy and plan
• Learn how to prepare interview questions and what questions to avoid
• Learn how to structure the interview process to make applicants feel at ease

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Exploring Supervision

This course was developed to give employees who are interested in moving into a front-line management role the opportunity to safely explore the “real world” of management. An emphasis is placed on learning from the transition experiences of other managers as well as peers who have recently made the transition into their first front-line management role.

Participants will:

• Identify the behavioral attributes that are most common in successful managers
• Understand the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are critical for effective front-line management
• Examine steps to take to pave the way for a graceful transition into a front-line management role
• Recognize potential issues if managing friends or peers

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The Gift of Feedback

Giving feedback is one of a supervisor’s most important coaching tasks; it’s also one of the most difficult. This session will provide lessons on how to give feedback using an easy to understand tool called the D.E.S.C. model.

Participants will:

• Recognize the importance of positive feedback in changing perceptions about constructive feedback
• Understand the key steps for giving feedback and identify the differences between specific and vague feedback
• Learn how to address different employee reactions to constructive feedback
• Learn how to effectively and efficiently solicit feedback for themselves

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Labor Relations at the University

This course is intended for University of Minnesota supervisors.

Participants will:

• Learn about the union environments and the U of M perspective on bargaining units
• Understand the differences between problem solving meetings, investigatory meetings, and grievances
• Practice the role of hearing officer at a first-step grievance

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Preparing for Performance Reviews: Tips for Managers Online Course

A performance review is an annual, formal appraisal of an employee's past year's performance and goal accomplishments. This course is designed to provide supervisors and managers the information and skills needed to prepare for and write anual performance reviews for their staff.

After completing this online course you will be able to:

• Identify the benefits of conducting annual performance reviews
• Describe steps to increase the quality and accuracy of performance reviews
• Create factual and easy to understand performance notes
• Write descriptive written comments
• Analyze performance review ratings for the existence of rater errors

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Situational Leadership II

This course focuses on two main aspects of leadership: management theory and the SLII model. First, you will analyze past management theories, learn how management differs from leadership, and discuss what it takes to be a successful leader here at University.

You will then be introduced to the Situational Leadership II (SLII) model. SLII is a comprehensive and proven method for effectively managing and developing people, time, and resources. It is designed to increase the frequency and quality of conversations about performance and development between managers and the people they work with, so that competence is developed, commitment is gained, and talented individuals are retained.

The basic premise of Situational Leadership II is that different leadership styles are effective in different situations, and leaders must be flexible enough to adapt their style to the specific situation.

Pre-requisite: You will need to complete a Leader Behavior Analysis Questionnaire. This material will be sent to you approximately two weeks before the course; the questionnaire takes about 30 minutes to complete.

Fee: $215

To Register: Send your name, department EFS #, employee ID #, phone number, and the session you wish to attend to orgeff@umn.edu.

View the Situational Leadership brochure (pdf)

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Student Employees: Hiring

Student employees can be an important factor in the success of University units. For supervisors, they offer a unique set of challenges and rewards. This session will give you a basic understanding of the process of hiring student employees.

This course should be taken in conjuction with Student Employees: Supervising.

Participants will:

• Understand the process for hiring student employees
• Know where to find student employment policy information
• Be familiar with important student employment forms
• Understand the importance of utilizing work study funding

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Student Employees: Supervising

Student employees can be an important factor in the success of University units. For supervisors, they offer a unique set of challenges and rewards. This session will provide tips for effective management of student employees.

Pre-work: As pre-work for this course, you are asked to read a short article on Millenial and Generation Y employees. This pre-work takes approximately 25 to 30 minutes to complete and will be e-mailed to you 2-3 weeks prior to the course.

This course should be taken in conjunction with Student Employees: Hiring

Participants will:

• Understand how the needs of student employees differ from other employees when it comes to interviewing, orientation, trianing, scheduling, motivation, and performance management
• Learn how important it is to create performance standards and outcomes for student employees
• Learn some tips for managing Millennial or Generation Y student employees

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Understanding the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Co-requisite: Visible & Invisible Disabilities and Accommodations in the Workplace: Practical Information for Supervisors

This interactive session will provide a refresher for understanding the eligibility and notification requirements of FMLA and clarify the relation of FMLA to other leave policies. Participants will be able to discuss issues related to complex FMLA situations.

Participants will:

• Understand the legal framework of the FMLA
• Know how University policies, rules, and contracts are affected by the FMLA
• Understand what obligations the University has to employees regarding FMLA
• Learn when to involve Disability Services in FMLA issues

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Visible & Invisible Disabilities and Accommodations in the Workplace: Practical Information for Supervisors

Pre-requisite: It is recommend that participants taking this class also sign up for the Understanding the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This class is typically offered 2 weeks after this Visible and Invisible Disabilities course.

Developing and managing accommodations for employees with disabilities in the workplace can present a challenge, especially if the condition is hidden. Statistics show that employees with medical conditions are on the rise, so it is important for supervisors to understand the accommodation process.

After completing this course you will:

• Know what services and support Disability Services provides to employees and supervisors
• Understand the concept of reasonable accommodation and what the employee and employers responsibilities are in the accommodation process
• Know what the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) are
• Know how to respond to an employee if they disclose a medical condition to you
• Know how to avoid the most common mistakes made by supervisors

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