January 2019 Programs

New Employee Welcome Experience

The New Employee Welcome Experience is the first event in a year-long series designed to help increase the understanding of CU Boulder’s culture, organizational structure and governance, operations, learning mission, values, and campus initiatives. This program is offered to new, permanent CU Boulder employees in their first year of employment.This day-long event will help new employees become oriented with the CU Boulder campus. The New Employee Welcome Experience starts at Old Main Heritage Center in the historic heart of campus where participants will begin to develop their understanding of what it means to be a member of the CU Boulder community. The day will include a 2 hour walking tour of campus and a 1 hour bus tour broken into two portions throughout the day. Lunch will be provided by Elevations Credit Union and print materials are provided by CU Imaging Services (your campus printer).

 

CU Discover: CU Sustainability for Employees

Did you know CU has a long history as a leader in campus sustainability and “green” practices? Do you have questions about zero waste, campus energy and transportation?  As a new employee, you play a key role in CU’s continuing innovation and leadership on sustainability. Come learn about sustainability on campus and all the many ways you can join the effort! This session will cover information regarding CU’s leadership on sustainability efforts, the many ways to get involved, (from the simple and easy, to the more committed), and resources available to campus employees regarding sustainability. The departments and initiatives that play a role in campus sustainability will be highlighted.

At the end of this sessions, Participants will

• Understand what makes CU a global leader in sustainability
• Understand how to get involved in campus sustainability efforts as an employee
• Understand where to go for more information and resources on campus sustainability 

Presenter: Kelly Simmons, Sustainability Training Manager, CU Environmental Center

New CU Boulder employees in their first 12 to 18 months of employment are invited to participate in the CU Discover Lunch and Learn Series, part of the Department of Human Resources' comprehensive, year-long onboarding program. Participants are encouraged to bring their lunch. Learn more aboue the program on the CU Discover webpage. 

 

Crucial Conversations Workshop 

Crucial Conversations is a two-day course that teaches skills for creating alignment and agreement by fostering open dialogue around high-stakes, emotional, or risky topics – at all levels of the organization.  By learning how to speak and be heard (and encouraging others to do the same), you’ll surface the best ideas, make the highest-quality decisions, and then act on your decisions with unity and commitment.

The CU Boulder Department of Human Resources has teamed up with VitalSmarts to offer this important course to CU Boulder employees. Based on the national best-selling book Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking when the Stakes are High, the Crucial Conversations course teaches participants to speak persuasively, not abrasively; foster teamwork and better decision making; build acceptance rather than resistance; and resolve individual and group disagreements. See the attached document for a detailed description of the course.

Cost: $250 (The course fee includes a Crucial Conversations Toolkit, cue cards for each lesson, a Crucial Conversations model card, a copy of the New York Times bestselling book, Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, the Crucial Conversations audio companion MP3 download, and a course completion certificate).

Learn more about Crucial Conversations.

 

Managers Academy: The Highly Effective Manager

The 'Highly Effective Manager' (HEM) course provides foundational knowledge and skills to managing others. The content focuses on best practices in supervising staff and begins with helping participants gain a better understanding of their own management style. Participants will:

• Understand the role of a supervisor
• Identify strategies to engage employees
• Identify and explore their own management styles with regards to motivation, delegation and development through the use of the DiSC Management behavioral assessment
• Recognize the importance of a manager’s role in communicating with employees and leadership on campus
• Discover supervision practices that promote inclusion and an appreciation for diversity
• Identify strategies for navigating workplace conflict
• Develop skills to foster team work and problem solving

Employee Management and Compliance Essentials is a critical prerequisite course for supervisors who wish to participate in the Highly Effective Manager (HEM). HEM builds on the foundational knowledge developed in the course.

 

Crucial Conversations Refresher: Start With Heart

Organization and Employee Development (OED) along with campus partners introduce a Crucial Conversations Refresher program for Crucial Conversation (CC) graduates. There is no cost to attend this program. All Crucial Conversations graduates are invited to join certified facilitators for an hour-long deep dive into the CC curriculum. 

Neuroscience and learning transfer theory tells us that consistently practicing new skills is the biggest predictor to successfully integrating learning into your everyday environment. The Refresher program will provide an interactive opportunity for CC graduates to practice and hone the skills and strategies presented in the original CC training.

Refresher Participants will be able to:

• Apply CC skills and strategies in a facilitated environment.
• Collaborate with other CC graduates and facilitators to enhance their application of CC concepts.