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.

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 and it will be mailed to you approximately two to three weeks prior to the course.

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

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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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Labor Relations at the University

Working in a union environment provides unique challenges for 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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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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Supervising Student Employees

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 an overview of the process for recruiting and hiring student employees and offer guidelines for their effective management. Participants will look at ways to ensure both the employee and the University get the most of student employment experiences.

Participants will:

• Identify the steps, rules, and policies needed to hire student employees
• Outline how the needs of student employees differ from other employees when it comes to interviewing, orientation, training, scheduling, motivation, and performance management
• Recognize how important it is to create performance standards/outcomes for student employees

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Understanding the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Co-requisite: Managing Hidden Disabilities

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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