Learning and development update

New Employee Administrative Orientation

The New Employee Administrative Orientation introduces statewide programs, focuses on administrative units and services and provides an overview of ANR structure, vision and mission. Register here. Staff and academics hired since November 2016, please join us! 

Tuesday, November 14, 2017
10 a.m.- 3 p.m.
UC ANR Building in Davis
2801 Second Street, Davis, CA 95618

Interest survey: Winter 2018 UC Performance Management Networking Cohort

Fill out this interest survey if you wish to be considered for the Winter 2018 UC Performance Management Networking Cohort.

Audience: People managers who want to or have completed the UC Performance Management Certificate (via UC Learning Center). There are 10 required and 4 elective modules to complete to earn the certificate. Each module takes from 30 to 45 minutes. (Browse course titles and codes here).

You'll meet for a facilitated call once a month for 10 months to share:

• Tools used from the UC People Management course and how they are affecting positive change
• Guidance for challenges or issues in engagement, productivity, or communication
• Homework assignments from the course

People who complete the course by June 2018 will be eligible to apply for funds to attend the second annual UC People Management Conference in August 2018. See last year's conference website.

What are current participants saying?

Through the online modules and discussions, I have learned about new methods to engage employees in their own performance and career development. Recently, I used one of these methods to address an employee performance issue, which resulted in the employee identifying the issue and coming up with solutions to improve their performance. I would recommend the series to anyone that manages people – whether they are new to supervising or not. – Karina Macias, nutrition program manager, UC Cooperative Extension Fresno County

Management Skills Assessment Program

Petr Kosina, UC IPM people manager, attended the October 2017 Management Skills Assessment Program (MSAP) at the UCLA Conference Center at Lake Arrowhead. The goal of MSAP is to address skill gaps and grow competencies that will prepare people managers for future role opportunities in their UC workplaces.

During the four-day program, Kosina participated in simulated UC management scenarios, received behavioral feedback from assessors, attended a career development workshop, and connected with UC systemwide colleagues. Before they arrived, they participated in pre-assessment components and will be involved post-program activities to continue their professional development.

As a testimonial to his experience, Kosina shared, “I enjoyed working in my group, which consisted of people from five different UC campuses and different areas of work (lab management, procurement, maintenance, communications). The one-on-one meetings with the assessor helped me to get a different perspective, self-reflect on the 360-survey outcome, and plan for my continued development as a supervisor. I especially recommend this program to new supervisors.”

But MSAP would not happen without UC assessors and a big THANK YOU is due to Jona Pressman, nutrition education program manager, UCCE Butte County. Pressman was assigned three MSAP assessees for whom she provided feedback and coaching during the program.

“Serving as an MSAP assessor for the first time was a challenging but rewarding experience," Pressman said. "I found the program to be intensely fast-paced and filled with a myriad of activities throughout each day and evening. I learned and practiced MSAP observation and feedback techniques from the onset. I was surprised how quickly I established a rapport with my assigned assessees using the MSAP tools and techniques. Since returning from MSAP, I have already used the communication feedback techniques I practiced so intensely while serving as an assessor for MSAP.”

If you are interested in becoming an assessor and helping ANR serve this UC systemwide initiative for upward mobility, please contact Jodi Azulai at jlazulai@ucanr.edu. Academics can add the assessor service to their merit and promotion package.

The next MSAP will be held April 23-26, 2018.

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In the course Giving Employee Feedback, Todd Dewett will provide the tools to hold effective discussions with your employees around performance.

Giving feedback to an employee is fun when it refers to work done well, but it isn't as fun when associated with the need to upgrade the work. And you take the risk that the employee's instant reaction is irritation or shutting down — not what you intended. 

Yet, giving feedback is an essential part of developing employees and something all managers should do.

Read more