Category: Development and Training

Since Performance Excellence began six months ago, we have experienced great support and participation from MSU supervisors and support staff. As you saw in the online training, we have taken a phased approach to changing the performance management process. We’d like to give you a heads-up on an upcoming change in the Annual Review form.

If you have a performance review due after July 1, 2016, supervisors will have four options to choose from on the Annual Review Form, instead of the current two options. The four-rating system provides you and your supervisor with more options to better define your performance and professional development over the previous year.

If your next review is due before July 1, 2016, you need to use the current ratings system, in which the supervisor selects one of two ratings on the Annual Review form:

• Meets/exceeds expectations
• Does not meet expectations (requires a Performance Improvement Plan)

If your next review is due after July 1, 2016, you need to use the new ratings system, in which the supervisor will select one of four ratings on the Annual Review form:

• Does not meet expectations (requires a Performance Improvement Plan)
• Developing
• Meets expectations
• Exceeds expectations

Guidelines for each of the levels can be found on the Annual Review form, which will be updated and available on the website on Friday, July 1.

For further information on Performance Excellence, including the official forms, support tools and FAQs, please visit the website.

Coming to Michigan State April 19 and 20, TIAA is offering two new financial essentials workshops tailored to meet women’s needs.

“Attention to detail: Financial finishing touches for women” is an interactive workshop on organizing your complex investments and assets and on developing an estate plan. It will be held twice on Tuesday, April 19; first from 8:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., second from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. “Inside money: Managing income and debt” will be held on Wednesday, April 20^th, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The workshop focuses on utilizing a budget and understanding the effects of good and bad debt.

Both will be held in the Lake Huron Room at the MSU Union. Breakfast or lunch will be provided at either of the workshops and there is no cost to attend. Register here or call 800-732-8353 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET). Take this opportunity to learn about preparing for the future! We hope to see you there!

A 2014 FBI study revealed that 7.5 percent of active violence incidents between 2000 and 2013 occurred in institutions of higher education. Roughly 60 percent of all active violence incidents ended before police arrived.

You can learn the best ways to prevent and survive in such an event in the upcoming class “Recognizing and Preventing Violence in the Workplace” on Wednesday, April 13 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Instructors from the MSU Police will provide instruction on how to identify these behaviors of concern, how to act upon suspicions, and how to react in an active violence incident to maximize survival chances. Participants will also learn how police respond to these dangerous situations.

Find out more about the course and learn how to register on the PDS website.

Michigan State University is a leading research institution that aims to make the world a better place by solving current and future problems through research and education. MSU relies on support staff to enable these efforts on a daily basis. However, with so many departments and employees, it’s not surprising that employees can lose sight of the university’s greater purpose.

It’s only human for individuals of an organization to become disinterested or unengaged in their work if they are not invested in the success of their employer. The upcoming Professional Development course, “Creating a Culture of Commitment,” provides supervisors with the tools to inspire employees to contribute to the success of departments within MSU, and the university as a whole.

Attending this course can assist supervisors with the continuous feedback, coaching and development stage of Performance Excellence, as well. Supervisors will learn how to motivate employees during this stage with the knowledge that their individual work strengthens their department, which in turn supports the ongoing efforts of MSU.

“Creating a Culture of Commitment” is Thursday, April 28, from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The Total Compensation and Wellness office within MSU Human Resources has established process improvements for hiring support staff at the university. Hiring managers and staffing coordinators that were unable to attend any of the presentations going over the process updates are encouraged to review the information by watching the narrated video and reading the presentation PDF and timeline document available on the HR website.

The presentation explains the rules and guidelines for the posting process and how to submit hiring recommendations.

If you have any additional questions, contact the Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or call 517-353-4434.

The upcoming Skillsoft Live Event, free to MSU employees through elevateU, focuses on a particular human quality that affects your everyday thoughts and actions.

On Wednesday, December 2 at noon EST, Travis Bradberry will present “Emotional Intelligence 2.0: Taking Your Game to the Next Level.” His presentation will take place in San Diego, but you can get a front row seat through your computer screen.

Bradberry is the award-winning coauthor of Emotional Intelligence 2.0 and the cofounder of TalentSmart, the world’s leading provider of emotional intelligence tests and training services. Emotional Intelligence is ability of an individual to recognize their own and other people’s emotions, to discriminate between different feelings and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior. It is responsible for 58 percent of your job performance. Bradberry will enable you to capitalize on your emotional intelligence and in turn improve the overall quality of you decision-making skills, leadership capabilities and much more.

You can view this presentation live and for free through elevateU. You do not have to sign up in advance; log in to EBS, select your ESS tab, click the Professional Development link and then the elevateU link. Once you are in elevateU, click the title of the presentation in “Live Events” under “Upcoming Events” in the home page before the presentation begins.

Do you want to create a lasting impression among your colleagues and enact change within your organization? You have the ability, but just might lack the in-depth knowledge of behavior necessary to influence those around you.

Attend the Professional Development Services “Influencer” session to learn how to be more effective in your everyday interactions and create strategies for lasting change. You will learn a proven model for creating change by applying six sources of influence. Find the root/real causes behind behavior problems, effectively motivate and enable others regardless of formal authority. The information in this two-day session is founded on tested research and case studies from trusted professionals. This session is in 10 Nisbet on Wednesday, October 21, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday, October 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with attendance required both days.

You can also read the book that this class is based on, “Influencer,” for free through ElevateU. “Influencer” is a New York Times bestseller that will empower any reader, regardless of background, skill level or profession, to create inevitable change through influence. It was written by distinguished scholars and behavioral scientists.

Use these resources provided through MSU to take control of your influence!