5/4/21

Administrative Support: Working in Partnership with Your Boss

Whether you're an office administrator, an office assistant, a personal assistant, or an administrative assistant, job satisfaction and career advancement require you to build a partnership with your boss. Good boss relationships involve mastering administrator essentials, dealing effectively with different management styles and handling confrontations.

In this course, you'll learn about building and maintaining a true partnership with your boss and how this can be beneficial. You'll also discover approaches for dealing with different management styles, as well as various techniques for handling any confrontations you may have with your boss. 

Objectives

• recognize the key elements for building and maintaining a positive partnership with your boss
• distinguish between different management styles
• select ways of dealing with controllers and open managers
• identify methods of responding to bureaucratic and entrepreneurial managers
• select techniques to successfully avoid or deal with a confrontation with your boss

I hope you enjoy this class.  Please feel free to reach out if you have any suggestions for future courses.

Click on this link to access the training. https://share.percipio.com/cd/gPhLqDZrJ  will need to log on to Percipio with your UTSW credentials.  You may notice that SkillSoft has become Percipio.

 4/27/21

Resolving Workplace Conflict (PACT Performance Standard – Teamwork)

A conflict-free life is the stuff of dreams. But the world doesn’t work that way, and for all of us, workplace conflict is sadly an inevitability. Personality and organizational conflicts arise from myriad different sources and take many different forms. As a result, resolving conflict is a necessary skill, and business professionals need a plan for addressing it and managing conflict situations. In this course, you'll learn to recognize the sources and signs of conflict. You'll also learn conflict management strategies and processes for conflict resolution. Additionally, you’ll explore methods for handling difficult people and keeping the process of conflict management on track when difficulties arise.

Objectives

• recognize sources of organizational and interpersonal conflict
• identify actions that help prevent or mitigate workplace conflicts
• recognize behavior outside acceptable boundaries of workplace conflict
• recognize appropriate actions to take when confronted with a conflict situation
• identify steps for resolving a workplace conflict
• identify techniques for overcoming obstacles to conflict resolution

Click on this link to access the training.  https://share.percipio.com/cd/2eTwb-sqL will need to log on to Percipio with your UTSW credentials. 

 4/20/21

Solve Problems Using Systems Thinking in the Workplace (PACT Performance Standard - Problem Solving)

Systems thinking allows you to understand how systems work, as well as your role in them. Systems thinking affords you the ability to see the interrelationships among all events, putting you in a better position to address problems.

Objectives

• recognize characteristics of a system
• recognize what makes systems thinking different from traditional thinking
• recognize attributes of systems thinking
• identify the elements of systems thinking used to solve a complex problem
• identify the steps that can be used to solve a chronic problem

Click on this link to access the training.  https://share.percipio.com/cd/hzCvUYq9y will need to log on to Percipio with your UTSW credentials. 

 4/13/21

Leveraging the Power of Analogical Thinking (PACT Performance Standard - Problem Solving)

When struggling with a difficult problem, it’s easy to become hemmed in by traditional habitual thinking. Learning to leverage the power of analogical thinking allows you to think creatively and gain fresh insights through the exploration of unexpected similarities. In this course, you’ll learn what analogical thinking is, when it’s best used, and how to use it. You’ll also learn under what situations it can fail, and how to avoid superficial analogies so you can make better strategic choices.

Things you will learn in the class:

• discover the key concepts covered in this course
• identify key characteristics of analogical thinking
• identify the advantages of using analogical thinking
• identify steps in the analogical thinking process
• recognize common reasons why analogies fail
• recognize key elements of a process to evaluate the strength of analogies

Click on this link to access the training. https://share.percipio.com/cd/z8iqerxVh will need to log on to Percipio with your UTSW credentials. You may notice that SkillSoft has become Percipio.

 4/6/21

Becoming an Accountable Professional (PACT Performance Standard)

Unless you're the sole owner and proprietor, everyone in a business answers to someone else. From the CEO to the temp in accounting, every employee has someone they're accountable to. But the judgment and approval of the boss isn't enough, by itself, to make a job rewarding. Everyone must also answer to an inner boss, a personal, internal voice that provides guidance on whether the job is done as well as you can do it. Accepting personal accountability means your setting demanding standards and committing to meeting them. Further, personal accountability is also key to successful business networking. It's a necessary part of building trust and relationships.

In this course, you'll learn how to listen to your inner boss, focus on meeting your internal standards, and apply them to your work, your goals, and your future.

Things you will learn in the class:

• recognize the intrinsic rewards of being an accountable professional
• distinguish traits of accountable people
• identify examples of people taking on responsibility
• recognize the behaviors of unaccountable people
• describe how to build accountability within a team
• identify actions that encourage accountability in others
• establish clear expectations to promote accountability

Click on this link to access the training. https://share.percipio.com/cd/klK3gnA0_ will need to log on to SkillSoft with your UTSW credentials.  You may notice that SkillSoft has had an update.

 3/30/21

For this week’s Training Ops Tuesday, please take a few moments to familiarize yourself with the UTSW EAP (Employee Assistance Program) webpage.  UTSW offers many resources for employees and their families.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Human Resources - UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX

Attached to this email are a few articles that can be found in the Articles and Resources section.  This is only a small portion of the amazing articles available.

You can also reach out the EAP at 214-648-5330 and 800-386-9156 for assistance with life’s challenges.  The program can provide a limited number of free counseling sessions for you and immediate family members.

 3/23/21

Understanding Tact and Diplomacy 

In business, the best communicators tailor what they say based on other people's perspectives, goals, and feelings. Communicating with diplomacy and tact allows you to be more persuasive and build stronger relationships.

In this course, you'll learn about tact and diplomacy: what they are, and how enhancing your business communication skills through their employment can be of value. You'll also learn skills and strategies to put tact and diplomacy to work for you.

Objectives

Developing Diplomacy and Tact

• discover the key concepts covered in this course
• identify the characteristics of tact and diplomacy
• recognize the value of improving tact and diplomacy skills
• identify ways to improve tact and diplomacy by focusing on others
• identify key skills needed for actively demonstrating tact and diplomacy
• identify strategies to overcome common internal challenges to remaining diplomatic

Click on this link to access the training.  https://utsw.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/COURSES/bs_acm30_a01_enus   You will need to log on to SkillSoft with your UTSW credentials.

 3/16/21

How to Manage Difficult Conversations

Difficult conversations can be immensely stressful. Handled the wrong way, this kind of conversation can also damage your work relationships and leave you feeling unsure of your abilities. However, with the right preparation and mindset, you can make sure that you communicate difficult news with tact and diplomacy.

In this course, you'll learn some basic guidelines about when and where to initiate difficult conversations, and useful steps for managing the associated stress. You'll learn how to prepare for a difficult conversation using a four-step process, so that you're confident and can make the conversation as constructive and diplomatic as possible. Finally, you'll learn how to demonstrate that you have the right mindset when communicating bad news to an employee.

While this class appears to be from a supervisor’s prospective, these skills can be applied to any situation.

Click on this link to access the training.  https://utsw.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/COURSES/amg_06_a03_bs_enus  You will need to log on to SkillSoft with your UTSW credentials.

 3/9/21

Organizing your Physical and Digital Workspace

Organizing your physical and digital workspaces is a great way to be more productive. When you declutter your workspace, you can improve many aspects of your work day, including your ability to concentrate, achieve targets, and become more efficient.

This course will help you increase your productivity by showing you how to organize and maintain both your physical and digital workspaces. You'll learn the rewards of organizing your workspace and find out what a productive workspace looks like. You'll learn how to use your organization skills to manage your digital workspace. And finally, you'll find out how to make your new clutter-free life last by making organization a habit.

The Organizational Toolkit

• recognize the rewards of an organized workspace
• recognize what a productive workspace looks like
• apply the process for creating a clutter-free workspace in a given scenario
• recognize appropriate examples of the principles of effective filing
• recognize techniques for managing digital files
• manage your e-mail in a given scenario
• recognize how to maintain a productive workspace

Click on this link to access the training.  https://utsw.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/COURSES/pd_32_a01_bs_enus  You will need to log on to SkillSoft with your UTSW credentials.

 Bonus Video: 7 Things Organized People Do That You (Probably) Don’t Do https://youtu.be/tlFGOSEI_lo

 3/2/21

Preparing for Change

Change can be disruptive, but adapting to change can also open new possibilities. A changing work situation can create a period of uncertainty while you adapt. A clear understanding of what organizational change is can help build your resilience and flexibility. In this course, you'll find out what can trigger organizational change. You'll explore common responses to change and the stages of reacting to change that people go through when dealing with organizational change. You’ll learn why it’s important to be resilient when adapting to change, and how to prepare yourself to get the most out of change.

Preparing for Organizational Change

• recognize the benefits of accepting organizational change
• distinguish between examples of internal and external triggers of organizational change
• match types of organizational change to corresponding examples
• match common reactions to change with corresponding examples of individuals exhibiting those reactions
• sequence the stages of reacting to change
• determine how an organizational change will impact an employee over time, given the person's initial reaction
• recognize the importance of learning how to prepare for change
• use strategies to ready yourself for organizational changes

Click on this link to access the training.  https://utsw.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/COURSES/pd_31_a01_bs_enus You will need to log on to SkillSoft with your UTSW credentials.

 2/23/21

Benefitting from a Promotion Plan

Are you happy in your job? Or drifting along without a career plan? Either way, being proactive about where your career is heading is a good start. Exploring your career options is an important part of managing your career.

In this course, you'll learn how to develop your career management skills and give your career a boost. You'll get tips on improving career prospects and moving within your current company. You'll learn how to use a promotion plan and explore the best ways to ask for assignments that will move your career forward. And you'll find out how to make a break and move on.

Benefitting from a Promotion Plan

• recognize strategies for identifying internal advancement and development opportunities
• identify considerations for making a lateral move within your organization
• sequence the steps for creating and implementing a promotion plan
• recognize the benefits of having a promotion plan
• identify examples of strategies for successfully asking for assignments that will advance your career
• recognize ways to successfully move on to a different employer
• use strategies to manage your career and keep it on the right track

Click on this link to access the training.  https://utsw.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/COURSES/apd_03_a02_bs_enus You will need to log on to SkillSoft with your UTSW credentials. 

 2/9/21

 Setting Healthy Boundaries

A boundary is a line that marks the edge of an area.  There are physical boundaries, such as, property lines, and there are also emotional and mental boundaries, such as, relationship, personal, and work boundaries.  Setting healthy emotional and mental boundaries are essential for your well-being.  The process of creating boundaries is as simple as saying yes or no to events that happen in your life.  The trouble is that feelings and emotions are often entangled in those choices making it difficult to set those boundaries.

The following videos will help you better understand how to set and maintain boundaries:

• Good Boundaries Free You https://youtu.be/rtsHUeKnkC8
• How to Set Boundaries & Stop People Pleasing https://youtu.be/IIVdn_Zmyxo
• How to Set Boundaries And Stop People Pleasing https://youtu.be/fUsa5fqTOiE (Same title, different video, all good information.)
• How to Say No to People Without Feeling Guilty in 3 Simple Steps https://youtu.be/Yc-y9EWzB-c

Once you have set boundaries, you may want to consider your work-life balance.  People with a healthy work-life balance are satisfied with both their work and home lives. They can fulfill their multiple family responsibilities at home, as well as work and community commitments without guilt or regret. They're healthy physically, emotionally, and socially. They’re not over-worked. In fact, they have a sense of control over their life, and feel that the decisions they make are informed choices.  Click on this link to access the training.

https://utsw.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/COURSES/pd_30_a01_bs_enus You will need to log on to SkillSoft with your UTSW credentials.

 2/2/21

Aligning Goals and Priorities to Manage Time

Too much to do and too little time? Everything is urgent? Modern technology means our employers can reach us 24/7, so schedule management and goal setting are more important than ever. When you're under pressure to deliver, you need to know your priorities. Meeting targets and achieving goals consistently regardless of the business situation isn't easy. And this means managing your time effectively.

In this course, you'll learn about aligning each goal with your employer's expectations, clarifying your goals, and prioritizing your most important work. You'll also learn how to ask questions to clarify goals, and how to establish and schedule priorities based on these goals.

Separating What's Important From What's Not

• recognize how misaligned goals can result in a lack of clarity at work
• sequence examples of the steps for using a goal alignment worksheet to align your goals with organizational goals
• ask questions that will help you clarify your goals so you know what is important
• identify some guiding principles that can help you prioritize your work effectively
• match tasks to their appropriate level of urgency and importance as defined in a Priority Matrix
• determine your goals and then prioritize your work tasks according to their importance and urgency

Click on this link to access the training. https://utsw.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/COURSES/apd_08_a01_bs_enus You will need to log on to SkillSoft with your UTSW credentials.

 1/26/21

Uncovering and Utilizing Your Talents and Skills

We all have individual talents and skills that make us unique in some way, but you may not be aware of your own skills, or how to use those skills to improve many areas of your life. In this course, you'll learn what is meant by talent and skill, and why it's important to understand what talents you possess. This course also covers techniques for identifying your unique capabilities, and outlines what you should include in a talent action plan to fully utilize and develop your key talents and skills.

Discovering and Using Your Talents

• distinguish between talents and skills
• recognize the rewards you gain from knowing your talents and skills
• distinguish between the three types of skills you can have
• recognize techniques for identifying your talents and skills
• identify the elements to include in a talent action plan

Click on this link to access the training. https://utsw.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/COURSES/apd_10_a01_bs_enus You will need to log on to SkillSoft with your UTSW credentials.

1/19/21

Establishing Self-Confidence for Life

Healthy self-confidence is critical for success in your life, and not just your personal life, but professional as well. When the people you interact with in daily life sense that you don't feel confident in yourself, they may not feel confident in you either. In this course, you'll learn what's meant by 'self-confidence,' and the behavioral indicators of low and healthy self-confidence levels. You'll also learn how to perform a personal analysis of your current self-confidence levels, so you know which areas to work on. Finally, you'll discover real-world techniques you can use for building and maintaining healthy self-confidence levels.

Building and Maintaining Self-confidence

• distinguish between the key contributing elements of self-confidence
• identify behaviors that indicate low self-confidence
• recognize healthy self-confidence behavioral indicators
• identify the steps for assessing your current self-confidence level
• recognize techniques to use to increase your level of self-confidence
• identify techniques for maintaining healthy self-confidence levels

Click on this link to access the training. https://utsw.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/COURSES/apd_10_a03_bs_enus You will need to log on to SkillSoft with your UTSW credentials.

Bonus Content: Check out this video about the skill of self-confidence.  https://youtu.be/w-HYZv6HzAs

1/12/21

Understanding Unconscious Bias

No matter who you are, you are prey to unconscious biases. To be part of a complex, diverse team you must take steps to overcome implicit and explicit biases and reject social stereotypes. Understanding you own bias, whether conscious or unconscious, is the key.
In this course you'll learn about the characteristics of unconscious bias and the nature of buried prejudice. You'll discover how they can inadvertently affect your thinking and decision-making. And you'll learn about the positive things that can happen when you take an anti-biased approach to people and situations in the workplace.

Understanding Unconscious Bias

• recognize key characteristics of unconscious bias
• match assumption-based unconscious biases to their descriptions
• categorize examples of confirmation-based unconscious biases
• distinguish between unconscious biases related to fixation
• recognize how addressing unconscious bias can benefit the workplace
• recognize unconscious biases in the workplace

Click on this link to access the training.  https://utsw.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/COURSES/apd_14_a01_bs_enus  

1/5/21

Using Performance Appraisals to Advance Your Career

It’s almost time to have your mid-year performance appraisal with your supervisor.  Many people don't always recognize the growth opportunities they are presented with by getting feedback.

This course will explain how to manage the performance appraisal process to your benefit. You'll be given tips for listening to and applying feedback so you can use your formal and informal performance appraisals to your best advantage. It also outlines how to implement the periodic appraisal strategy to move your career forward, and ways to recognize and use constructive criticism for self-development.

Using Performance Appraisals to Advance Your Career

• identify the differences between periodic and annual appraisals
• match features to the relevant appraisal type – monthly or quarterly
• recognize the opportunities your annual performance appraisal presents
• identify how to prepare for a performance appraisal
• recognize the importance of being open to receiving constructive criticism
• recognize examples of effectively using constructive criticism to seek corrective action
• match the strategies for presenting your accomplishments at an appraisal to their attributes
• use strategies that help a performance appraisal advance your career

Click on this link to access the training.  https://utsw.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/COURSES/apd_03_a03_bs_enus

12/29/20

Power Up: Turning on Your Self-starter Potential!

Self-starters take initiative, work without supervision, and begin projects independently. Organizations are always looking for people who come to the table with creative ideas, who find work that needs to be done and do it without waiting to be told. But self-starters also gain personal benefits from being someone who takes responsibility for their own happiness, the success of their work and relationships, the morale of their workplace, and their life.

In this course, you'll learn the characteristics that most self-starters have in common, and why they are valued as employees and as leaders. You'll also learn the skills you need to build or enhance your own self-starting toolbox, the barriers you may encounter on the path to being a self-starter, and strategies to overcome those challenges.

Power Up: Turning on Your Self-starter Potential

• discover the key concepts covered in this course
• identify the characteristics of self-starters
• recognize how being a self-starter will help you in any job
• identify behaviors that reflect an internal or external locus of control
• identify tools to strengthen your self-starting skills
• identify strategies for overcoming barriers to becoming a self-starter

Click on this link to access the training.  https://utsw.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/COURSES/bs_apd03_a04_enus

12/15/20

Critical Thinking

This week’s training will be a bit different.  There are a series of links below.  Please visit each link for additional information about Critical Thinking.

• What is Critical Thinking? https://youtu.be/HnJ1bqXUnIM
• 5 tips to improve your critical thinking https://ed.ted.com/lessons/5-tips-to-improve-your-critical-thinking-samantha-agoos
• Critical Thinking brain teasers https://youtu.be/m2eINI4WXkc
• 7 Habits of Highly Effective Thinkers https://youtu.be/IFWbxZrjWhM

12/8/20

Customer Service - Internal

When you do things to help other people within UTSW do their jobs better, you are providing internal customer service. The quality of that service often has a huge impact on the overall quality of customer service delivered to external customers.

In this course, you'll learn about types of internal customers and how to identify internal customer relationships. You'll also learn about the importance of getting to know your internal customers, identifying their expectations of you, and taking action on those expectations.

Things you will learn in the class:

• recognize internal customers
• recognize the importance of identifying your internal customer service relationships
• recall benefits of identifying and getting to know your internal customers
• identify examples of techniques for identifying mutual expectations with internal customers
• recognize examples of guidelines for taking action and gathering feedback from internal customers
• recall guidelines for providing internal customer service
• recognize actions that demonstrate an internal customer service attitude
• use guidelines and strategies to identify and assist your internal customers

Click on this link to access the training. https://utsw.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/COURSES/acs_03_a04_bs_enus 

Bonus Content Brief video about internal customer service.  Only 3 minutes long.   https://youtu.be/m5fDxyYGRWk

12/1/20

Customer Service – Facing Confrontation

Achieving service excellence is very challenging when dealing with angry customers. By following a few simple techniques to avoid confrontation, you can manage difficult customer relationships and project a high-quality client service (CS).

In this course, you'll learn about typical trouble spots in dealing with angry customers and guidelines for avoiding conflict. You'll also learn how to handle a customer complaint by defusing the tension, investigating the problem, and coming to an agreement on a solution.

Things you will learn in the class:

• recognize examples of guidelines for taking responsibility for customer complaints
• match boundary-related customer service mistakes to strategies for preventing them
• match types of customer service rudeness to strategies for avoiding them
• recognize guidelines for defusing a customer's frustration
• identify strategies for investigating customer complaints
• recall guidelines for coming to a problem-resolving agreement with a customer
• recognize strategies for properly addressing and handling customer complaints

Click on this link to access the training. https://utsw.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/COURSES/acs_03_a05_bs_enus

11/10/20

Self Awareness

You may be happy to know that there is no test on this one.  This is just a video to watch.  It is a previously recorded live video, so you don’t need to text in any responses when they ask.    The video is about 50 minutes long.

Things you will learn in the class:

• What self-awareness is and why it matters, as well as, what gets in the way
• How to thrive in a changing world by using self-awareness
• Four practical tools you can start using today!

Click on this link to access the training. 

https://utsw.skillport.com/skillportfe/assetNonSSOLaunch.action?courseName=_ss_book:148509&courseType=7 

11/17/20

Perseverance and Resilience

Accomplishing tasks and staying focused on achieving your goals requires grit and persistence. An adaptive mindset helps you focus through the distractions, information overload, demanding pace, and the accompanying stresses that can often pull you off task.

In this course, you'll learn to develop personal resiliency, adaptability, and perseverance. You'll explore the resources and people it takes to sustain perseverance, and you'll discover actions to help you build a work-life balance, sharpen your focus, and foster the resilience perseverance and overcome setbacks.

Things you will learn in the class:

• recognize what it takes to persevere
• recognize examples of self-trust that support and sustain perseverance
• choose the people to include in your circle of trust
• recognize the characteristics of resiliency
• use strategies for resilience to improve your perseverance
• recognize actions that help you build balance and sharpen focus in the workplace
• identify actions to regain resilience
• recognize how to persevere in the face of setbacks

Click on this link to access the training. https://utsw.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/COURSES/pe_03_a01_bs_enus 

11/3/20

Emotional Intelligence

This week we are learning about emotional intelligence, which is key to being a successful leader.  Now, you might be thinking “I am not a leader, this doesn’t apply to me.”  Wrong, you are ALL LEADERS in your role here at UTSW, in the Dermatology Department, and in your lives outside of work.  We all lead by our example, experience, and knowledge.

This course provides an understanding of why emotionally intelligent leadership is important. It also provides practical, positive techniques for promoting and improving emotional intelligence as a leader within your business environment.  There are 7 segments in the training for a total of 24 minutes.

• recognize reasons why emotional intelligence is important in the workplace
• identify examples of behaviors that match the domains associated with emotional intelligence
• recognize techniques for developing self-perception
• recognize examples of methods for developing social perception
• identify techniques that help control emotional responses

Click on this link to access the training. https://utsw.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/COURSES/bs_ald14_a04_enus

10/27/20

Building Trust

Building relationships and trust are important to our professional relationships.  Building trust is a process that doesn’t happen overnight.  In this 29 minute class you will learn the building blocks for building trust in the workplace.  The class is broken down into 9 segments plus a short test that can be completed separately or altogether.  Do what works best for you and your workload.

Things you will learn in the class:

• recognize trustworthy people based on their behaviors
• recognize opportunities to demonstrate trustworthiness at work
• identify readiness factors to build trust with others
• connect with others in a way that promotes trust building
• recognize listening skills to seek to understand others
• demonstrate ways to maintain trust while collaborating
• recognize the steps for confronting broken trust with communication
• recognize strategies for rebuilding trust

Click on this link to access the training. https://utsw.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/COURSES/pe_04_a01_bs_enus