Category: Development and Training

Training, education and ongoing professional development is very important to your ongoing success at MSU. This category highlights professional development news, views and opportunities.

Reimbursement for a Non-Credit Learning Opportunity

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As an MSU benefits-eligible support staff employee, you have access to Educational Assistance. This benefit offers financial assistance towards your professional development after you’ve worked at MSU for an equivalent of 12 full-time service months. If you work less than full-time, the benefit is prorated based on your employment percentage.

You may receive up to $900 per year to use towards registration costs for a variety of non-credit learning opportunities, including trainings, seminars, workshops, conferences and courses. You will need to submit an Educational Assistance application to request financial assistance. You can access the Educational Assistance application in the EBS Portal under the My Career and Training tab. The learning opportunity must be considered job-related and from an approved institution/program to be approved for financial assistance.

You will need to upload two documents to your Educational Assistance application to receive reimbursement:

  1. Proof of Payment: The registration costs will need to be paid up front by either you or your department before you receive reimbursement. Make sure to submit proof of payment that clearly shows whether you or your department should be receiving the reimbursement. If you paid for the learning opportunity, you should upload a receipt that clearly shows you paid. If your department paid, you will need to obtain either the procurement card statement or the department operating statement (this would depend on the method of payment that was used) from your department’s fiscal officer.
  2. Proof of Attendance/Completion: There are a variety of documents that you can upload for proof of attendance, including a certificate of completion, formal email/letter of congratulations for completing or attending the learning opportunity, or confirmation of your registration if no other documentation was issued/provided.

PLEASE NOTE: Courses that you register for through the Courses for MSU Employees application in the EBS portal, such as Organization and Professional Development courses or MSU IT courses, do not require an Educational Assistance application. For these courses, you just need to select Educational Assistance as your form of payment when you register.

The Educational Assistance benefit also offers financial assistance for credit courses, which you can learn more about in this previous blog post. Find detailed information about Educational Assistance on the HR website. Questions? We’re happy to help! Contact the HR Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.

How to Get the Most Out of Classroom Training

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This post was written by Kathie Elliott, Sr. HR Professional for Organization and Professional Development.

It’s Tuesday morning, and you realize you’re scheduled to attend a course which you completely forgot about until this moment. You arrive late, and the rest of the class is talking about the pre-work they completed and brought with them. As you grab an open chair, you feel your phone buzz and see a text from your co-worker. You are late and feel unprepared and distracted.

At your table, you contribute very little and try to avoid the facilitator’s eye. Four hours later you leave and feel you were too distracted by the work day’s emails piling up and your feeling of unpreparedness to focus on what you were supposed to learn.

Sound nothing like you? Great! Still, do you have a nagging feeling that you could be getting more out of your training opportunities? Read on for tips.

BEFORE TRAINING

  1. Confirm Logistics: Know the location/time of the course and verify directions. Be sure to add in time for unexpected delays, like confusing Google directions or if you are supposed to be at Nisbet or at the Henry Center, Kellogg Center or other common locations. To be safe, check your email and junk mail for any class updates.
  2. Clear Your Calendar: Leave time for the class and a little time after in case you want to network or ask the facilitator a question. And give yourself time in the office afterward to think about what you learned, digest all that new information, and consider how to apply it. 
  3. Limit Distractions: Let your co-workers and family know that you’ll be attending a course that day and to not expect you to answer any calls or emails right away. Make sure you change your out of office message for your phone and email. Limit physical distractions by making sure you are rested, fed, hydrated, caffeinated, and prepared for fluctuating classroom temperatures. Favorite beverage, special dietary items, comfortable but appropriate clothing can enhance your learning experience.
  4. Bring Your Learning Mindset: Be a co-creator of your learning experience by coming prepared to learn relevant, immediately applicable skills. Many facilitators will send out reminder emails in the days leading up to the class with any prework or final notes. Then, try setting some goals for yourself. What are a few questions that you want answered? Do you want to meet and network with others in similar positions?

DURING TRAINING

Since you’ve taken steps to limit distractions and discomfort, you’re all set to be an engaged learner. If you need a push to stay attentive, try asking one of your prepared questions, offer to be the spokesperson for your table, or jot down a couple notes to share with a co-worker later. If you’re more visually inclined, why not try visual note-taking? Visual note-taking – which uses a combination of images and text to help synthesize info – is a creative way to pay attention and capture/group the info you’re learning in class so you remember it better later.

AFTER TRAINING 

Learning really doesn’t happen until it’s applied. Develop a post-training action plan and stick to it. In the amount of time it would take for you to brew a pot of coffee, you could jot down your top takeaways, action steps and goals, obstacles, resources and strategies, and how to keep yourself on track. Before you know it, you’ll be a hero at work for your willingness to learn new skills and share them with others

Are You Ready to Lead?

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This post was written by Jennie Yelvington, Sr. HR Professional for Organization and Professional Development.

Are you interested in moving into a formal leadership role, but not sure how to get there? The first step is to examine whether you have and are exhibiting the types of skills necessary to be successful in the role. That assessment can help to inform your development plan, prepare you for more responsibility, and highlight your capacity to others.

The following behaviors will help you demonstrate leadership ability no matter your current role:

  1. Identify your goals, discuss with your supervisor, and actively work toward them. Leaders need to be continually learning and developing themselves to maintain self-awareness and deal effectively with change and complexity.
  2. Take on stretch assignments. Look for opportunities to lead projects or initiatives, serve on committees, suggest improvements, and provide value added service.
  3. Learn about the university and how it functions. Leaders need to consider how issues impact not only their unit, but also their department, college, and the university. Familiarize yourself with issues impacting higher education, attend events that allow you to hear other leaders speak, and network broadly to better understand the landscape. While it is normal to think about how a situation impacts you personally, leaders place a priority on what best suits the mission, goals, and values of the organization.
  4. Strengthen your “people” skills. Effective leaders know how to engage and motivate their team, work collaboratively with their peers, and influence the leaders above them. Being empathic, listening for understanding, communicating effectively, and handling difficult conversations are baseline skills that every leader needs.
  5. Be a problem solver. Rather than complaining about issues you see (or ignoring them), develop and share ideas for addressing them. Ask good questions and get input from others who are involved and impacted as you attempt to identify possible solutions. Even if your ideas aren’t implemented, you build your capacity to solve problems and demonstrate that you are capable and proactive.
  6. Understand your biases and demonstrate inclusion. It is easy to always turn to our “go to” people who think like we do, but that isn’t generally the best approach. We all have biases, but once we understand them we can consciously work to include others who might offer valuable, different perspectives.
  7. Model professionalism. Dress in appropriate attire for the role you would like to secure, handle problems and disappointments with grace and maturity, move quickly from venting to sound action, keep up on skills necessary for your role, avoid engaging in gossip and redirect others who do, consistently follow through on commitments, be respectful of the others’ time and opinions, be actively supportive and helpful to your colleagues and leaders.

Talk with your supervisor to get their perspective on how you are doing in the above areas. HR Organization and Professional Development offers several instructor-led courses that can help you strengthen capacity in these areas. Find all current courses on the HR website and consider taking the following courses:

  • Honing Your Emotional Intelligence
  • Communicating and Influencing Up
  • Essentials of Project Management
  • Process Mapping and Analysis
  • Crucial Conversations
  • Crucial Accountability
  • Sustainable High Performance
  • Thriving Through Change
  • From Distracted to Productive
  • Everything DiSC: Behavior Styles at Work

In addition to instructor-led courses, current staff and faculty have access to elevateU, which offers free access to eBooks, videos, and online self-paced courses to help build your leadership skills. Learn more about elevateU on the HR website and try these leadership-focused learning opportunities through elevateU:

For more career advice, read this interview with Sharon Butler, Associate Vice President of Human Resources. Butler shares lessons she’s learned about becoming a great leader and, more specifically, addresses how women can get ahead in the workplace.

Options for Using Your Educational Assistance Benefit

Published on by Megan MacGregor5 Comments

Are you an MSU support staff employee looking for professional development opportunities? There are a variety of ways for you to learn and grow in your career at MSU. If you find a course or learning opportunity you’re interested in, don’t forget you have access to Educational Assistance! This benefit offers financial assistance towards your professional development after you’ve worked at MSU for an equivalent of 12 full-time service months. If you work less than full-time, the benefit is prorated based on your employment percentage.

You may receive financial assistance for a variety of learning opportunities. For non-credit learning opportunities, you may have up to $800 per year to use towards registration fees. It must be considered job-related and from an approved institution/program to receive assistance. Some examples of learning opportunities you can use this benefit for include:

For credit courses, you can receive up to 14 credits per academic year. Your financial assistance level is determined by your union group, the type of course you’re taking (graduate or undergraduate), and where you’re taking the course (MSU or another university). The course must be considered job-related, degree-related, or career/professional development-related.

Find detailed information about Educational Assistance – including how to apply – on the HR website. Questions? We’re happy to help! Contact the HR Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.

Please note: Academic Specialists have a program similar to Educational Assistance, please see the HR website for details.

Resources for New Supervisors

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Are you a recently appointed or newly hired supervisor or manager? Whether you’re brand new to your leadership role or an experienced supervisor looking for resources to develop your skills, there are tools available to help you. Information is available in various formats to fit your schedule and learning style including in-person courses, online resources and toolkits on the HR website.

Professional Development Courses

  • Fundamentals of Supervision on April 24
    Supervisors are a main determinant of overall performance, retention and morale in an organization. Participants with less than three years of supervisory experience will learn fundamental skills on how a supervisor adds value to the organization, how to move from peer to supervisor, tips to build communication skills and more. Learn more about the Fundamentals of Supervision course.
  • New Supervisor Essentials on May 22
    This course is for recently appointed or newly hired supervisors and managers of support staff. You will learn key tools you can use in your new role as a supervisor and a panel of supervisors will be available to answer your questions and share lessons learned. The Office of Employee Relations will also give an overview of important information that every supervisor at MSU needs to know. Learn more about the New Supervisor Essentials course.
  • Foundations of Student Employee Supervision Certificate Series starts June 19
    This four-session certificate series is designed for MSU professionals looking to enhance their skills in supervising and leading student employees. The series focuses on skill building and understanding the unique needs and challenges inherent in overseeing the work of student employees. These courses can also be taken individually, but you’ll need to attend all four to receive the certificate. Learn more about the Foundations of Student Employee Supervision Certificate series.

Online Resources with elevateU
The elevateU portal is full of online resources including eBooks, videos, courses and more – all available to you for free 24/7. Want to learn more about optimizing team performance, cultivating creativity or processing change? You’ll find resources on these topics and much more in the elevateU portal. Use these tools to help you build your own skillset as a new supervisor or share these resources with your team to help them reach their professional goals. Learn more about elevateU and access here.

Toolkits on the HR Website
The HR website contains a wealth of information useful to those in a supervisory role, including toolkits for various processes. Whether you have questions about how to hire support staff, want an overview of benefits options or need to know deadlines for payroll processing, these toolkits are available to assist you. Find toolkits for supervisors on the HR website.

TIAA offers financial workshops for women to learn more about investing, saving and more!

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Looking to learn more about financial literacy? TIAA, one of MSU’s retirement vendors, is offering upcoming workshops on April 11 specifically geared towards women who are either in the early stages of their careers or mid-career. The She’s Got It: Financial Knowledge for All workshops are guided to help woman learn about investing, building actions plans and learning how to secure your future well-being. This workshop will focus on core concepts on investing, finding ways to save for life events and developing financial goals.

Why is it important to save? In life, anything can happen, and it is important to save for your future and for both expected and unexpected life events. You may not end up saving as much as you like every year, but you can start with a goal and plan from there. The workshops will go over ways to save if your single, married, in long-term relationship and saving with children and parents.

Below are some of the basics things you can learn from the workshops:

Saving and investing:

  • Setting aside an emergency fund
  • Increasing contributions from raises
  • Learn how to pay yourself first!
  • Two secrets of making your money grow

What to consider when investing?

  • Investment risk
  • Volatility
  • Asset allocation and diversification
  • Expenses

The workshops will be held on Thursday, April 11. Choose from one of the following sessions:

  • 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. OR
  • Noon – 1:30 p.m.

Both workshops will be at the MSU Student Center, Lake Huron Room, located on the third floor. For more information on this workshop or to reserve your seat, visit the TIAA website or give them a call at 800-732-8353.

Register for Upcoming Roadmap to Retirement Courses

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Are you thinking about retiring from MSU in the next 1-2 years? Thank you for your years of service to the university! We want you to feel prepared for this next stage in your life. To support you, we offer courses, tools and resources to help you plan for your retirement, including the Roadmap to Retirement course.

“We know it can be overwhelming to think about all of the things to consider when retiring. Based on our years of experience helping MSU employees, we’ve designed the half-day Roadmap to Retirement course to provide you with some of the most important information you will need as you prepare for this exciting transition to your next chapter in life,” says Dan Mackey, Human Resources Manager and Retirement Administrator.

This course gives you a chance to ask retirement experts questions and covers a range of topics critical to your successful retirement, including:

  • Your MSU benefits in retirement
  • An overview of Social Security
  • Financial preparation tips for retirement.

This half-day course is free to MSU faculty and staff. There are two Roadmap to Retirement courses available on Wednesday, August 7: a morning session from 8:30 am – Noon and an afternoon session from 1:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Ready to Register?

To register for Roadmap to Retirement, login to the EBS Portal and click on the My Career and Training tab, then the Courses for Employees at MSU tile. Find a complete list of available OPD courses on the HR website.

Retirement Resources on the HR Website

If you are unable to attend the Roadmap to Retirement course detailed above, there are a variety of webinars and online tools available on the HR website. The webinars on this page include the same presentation slides that are shared during the Roadmap to Retirement course.

Questions? We’re here to help! Contact the Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.

photo of a book open on a desk with library stacks in the background.

Assistance for Professional or Educational Development

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As a benefits-eligible MSU employee, you have access to a variety of unique benefits and resources to help you and your family succeed, including Educational Assistance and Course Fee Courtesy. These benefits offer financial assistance toward your professional development or the educational development of your spouse and/or dependents after you’ve worked at MSU for a certain amount of time.

MSU HR receives a lot of questions about the differences between Educational Assistance and Course Fee Courtesy. We hope this article will help clarify the differences between the two benefits and encourage you to take advantage of them.

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE

Who’s eligible to receive this benefit?
The Educational Assistance benefit is available to MSU support staff after working at MSU for an equivalent of 12 full-time service months. If you work less than full-time, the benefit is pro-rated based on your employment percentage.

Note: A similar program, The Professional Development Support Program, is available for Academic Specialists. 

What does the benefit include?
You may receive financial assistance for both credit and non-credit courses, which may include trainings, seminars, workshops, conferences or other educational opportunities. Use this benefit to enhance your professional skillset or help you reach Performance Excellence goals.

For non-credit courses, like professional development courses available through HR, support staff employees have up to $800 per year to use towards course registration fees. This money does not roll over to the next year, so be sure to take advantage of this benefit every academic year. The course must be considered job-related and from an approved institution/program to receive assistance.

For credit courses, you can receive up to 14 credits per academic year. Your financial assistance level is determined by your union group, the type of course you’re taking (graduate or undergraduate), and where you’re taking the course (MSU or another university). The course must be considered job-related, degree-related, or career/professional development-related.

MORE INFO: Find detailed information about Educational Assistance – including how to apply – on the HR website.

COURSE FEE COURTESY

Who’s eligible to receive this benefit?
The Course Fee Courtesy benefit is available to your dependents or spouse. Regular support staff become eligible for this benefit after the equivalent of 60 full-time service months, which is equal to working at MSU full-time for 5 years. Faculty and academic staff become eligible based on their appointment; fixed-term faculty/academic staff are eligible after 60 full-time service months; continuing/tenure employees are automatically eligible; full-time Health Programs (HP) faculty become eligible upon the commencement of the first additional HP appointment.

What does it include?
This includes a Michigan resident undergraduate tuition rate reduction of 50% for your dependent(s) and/or spouse who attend MSU. So, if you have children and/or a spouse who are planning on attending MSU, you could save 50% off their undergraduate tuition rate. This benefit is only valid for a student’s first bachelor’s degree and through the semester in which the 120th credit is attempted.

MORE INFO: Find detailed information about Course Fee Courtesy – including how to apply – on the HR website.

Have further questions about Educational Assistance or Course Fee Courtesy? Contact HR’s Organization and Professional Development department at prodev@hr.msu.edu, and we’ll be happy to assist.

Courses in February to Improve Workplace Communication

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Being able to communicate effectively with your co-workers is key to a successful and engaged workplace. When you can share your ideas openly and understand your co-workers’ views in return, you’re more likely to feel happier at work. Yet, oftentimes there are certain barriers that can make communication difficult, like personality or work style differences. If you have a better understanding of your own work and personality styles – and can identify different styles in others – you can start to bridge any gaps of misunderstanding and ultimately communicate more effectively.

We have a variety of courses available in February for MSU employees related to improving communication:

Everything DiSC: Behavior Styles at Work
Have you ever had a co-worker or boss who you could not even begin to understand? Even when you ask them questions, you’re still unsure what they need or want. Most of us have felt this way at one time or another. The course EverythingDiSC: Behavior Styles at Work is designed to help you understand yourself and other people better by giving you an understanding of different behavioral work styles.

Before the course, you will take a simple online assessment to learn your DiSC style, which is your unique work behavior style. During the class, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how your style relates to others and tools to help you connect better with co-workers whose priorities and preferences differ from yours.

Honing Your Emotional Intelligence
The essence of emotional intelligence (also known as EQ or EI) is our ability to identify and manage our own emotions and to identify emotions in others. In today’s high-stress, multi-tasking workplace, having a high EQ can lead to better stress management, stronger relationships with better communication and increased job satisfaction. The Honing Your Emotional Intelligence course will show you tools to master the principles found within EQ. Specifically, this course will focus on:

  • Why EQ is an essential competency in today’s work world.
  • How to fully engage the four fundamental areas of EQ: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management.
  • How to increase your EQ.
  • Why EQ has a direct impact on job satisfaction and performance excellence.

Thriving Through Change
Change is inevitable and being able to communicate effectively through change will help ease the transition process. This course will define what change is and help you understand the stages and reactions to change. Learn techniques and strategies to help you cope with stress and manage the process successfully.

Ready to Register?
To register, login to the EBS Portal and click on the My Career and Training tab, then the Courses for Employees at MSU tile. Find a complete list of available OPD courses on the HR website.

Creating Professional or Personal Development Goals that Stick

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Did you make a New Year’s resolution? The start of a new year inspires people to make big changes to improve their lives. Unfortunately, that goal we set on January 1 can start to look pretty daunting a couple weeks later when the initial buzz of new year motivation wears off. It’s not uncommon for goals to be forgotten or abandoned. In fact, for those who make New Year’s resolutions, 80% fail to stick to their goal by February (Jantz, 2018). If you’re struggling to maintain your New Year’s resolution, don’t give up hope yet. This just means it’s time to recalibrate or redefine your goal, and we’ve got tips and tools to help.

Identify Why a Goal is Meaningful to You
At the start of a new year, people are inspired to commit to lofty goals they’ve previously never been able to achieve. Common goals include lose weight, save money, learn a new skill and find a new job (Economy, 2019). Unfortunately, that initial rush of inspiration is only temporary, which is why most end up losing interest after a couple weeks. Motivation alone cannot push you to achieve a goal, learn a new skill, or change a habit. And if your goal is too vague, you’re likely to forget about it come February.

When you’re curious about a goal, you must ask yourself why you want to achieve it – and then keep asking yourself why until you get to the root of why this goal is meaningful to you. Leadership and career coach Lisa Rogoff explains, “You’d be surprised at how many [goals] are grounded in values and purpose. And when you can surface that meaning and give it a voice, a simple goal shifts into a mission. With your why front and center, it’s almost impossible to turn your back and not go after it.” When you identify the personal value and meaning behind a goal you increase your likelihood of achieving it. Read Rogoff’s full article.

Get help identifying a meaningful professional development goal by visiting the Explore Your Learning Needs page or the Sample Goals for Different Roles page on the HR website.

Get SMART.
After you’ve identified your goal and why it’s meaningful to you, it’s time to make it SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. The SMART method helps you make a detailed plan with clear objectives to achieve your goal. Learn more about SMART goals.

Be Accountable.
If you have a professional development goal, try sharing it with your supervisor or incorporating it into your Performance Excellence plan (for support staff). Check in with your supervisor periodically to make sure you’re hitting your objectives and making progress. If you’re not sure how to broach the subject, visit the Requesting and Accepting Feedback page for tips to start the conversation.

Stay Inspired with Resources on Campus.
As an MSU employee, you have a variety of resources available to help you create lasting change and achieve your goals:

  • Take a professional development course on one of the many subjects offered through Organization and Professional Development. For support or academic staff with 12 full-time service months, don’t forget you can use your Educational Assistance benefit for any fees.
  • Use the FREE online elevateU resources – books, videos, courses and more!
  • The WorkLife Office offers tons of resources and programs to help MSU employees navigate the workplace, their careers and life transitions.
  • The Academic Advancement Network provides programs, opportunities, and events for faculty, academic staff and academic administrators.
  • The MSU Health4U program offers health-related articles, cooking classes, coaching, and health/wellness events.
  • The MSU Library provides events and classes on a variety of interesting subjects to staff and faculty.

Economy, P. (2019, January 01). 10 Top New Year’s Resolutions for Success and Happiness in 2019. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/10-top-new-years-resolutions-for-success-happiness-in-2019.html

Jantz, D. G. (2018, January 03). This Year’s Resolution. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/this-years-resolution_us_5a4cff60e4b0d86c803c7b1b

Rogoff, L. (n.d.). The Best Goals Start With ‘Why’. Retrieved from https://advice.shinetext.com/articles/the-best-goals-start-with-why/