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Working at Cornell

Supervisor Development Programs

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Whether you're already a people leader, have recently become a people leader, or wish to move into a role leading people at Cornell, we offer a broad range of training opportunities to advance and hone your skills.

  • Supervising @ Cornell

    supervising @Cornell on red block

    Online supervisory training to bring out the best in yourself and others.

    Supervising@Cornell isn't a one-time training: it's an ongoing commitment to developing the best in yourself and your staff. This online program enables you to access all the resources available at Cornell university, at your own pace and on your own schedule, wherever you are.

    Supervising@Cornell

  • Supervisor Development Program

    This is a 7-module curriculum and it is recommended (but not required) you take these courses in sequence. Courses are 1.5-3 hours each in addition to Supervising@Cornell pre-requisites. Each class will be offered twice this fall and once in the spring 2022 to allow participants the flexibility in attending.

    All modules must be completed to receive a completion status and/or certificate for this course track. This curriculum has a one-click registration option – you will be registered for all next available classes in this curriculum on selecting the ‘Register’ action button. To ensure your availability, be sure to VIEW CLASSES for each class and individually select the dates you are available to attend.

    Enroll in CULearn

    HR 2032 Key Expectations of Supervisors at Cornell

    This session is designed to introduce supervisor expectations and how it aligns to the mission of the university. After receiving this training, the participants will be able to:

    • Describe the expectations for people leaders at Cornell
    • Understand how the expectations align to Leadership Skills for Success and University Values
    • Identify people leader's behaviors that positively affect employees’ attitudes, performance and well-being
    • Discuss the impact of recognition and motivation for employees.
    • Set, communicate and monitor expectations for employees.

    This session is designed to help supervisors manage the performance of their teams from setting expectations, giving feedback and finally conducting a formal performance review. The exceptional people leader is the one who can communicate expectations about the quality, quantity, and timeliness of work to be produced in a clear and timely manner and then provide consistent and objective feedback to the employee about his/her success in meeting those expectations. The session is very interactive with a variety of small and large group activities. Participants will come to understand the impact of diversity on performance reviews.

    HR 2033 Part 1: Legal and Policy Aspects of Supervision: Introduction to Human Resources Policies, Wage & Hour and Labor Relations

    This course is designed to familiarize people leaders with their managerial responsibility to understand the basic principles of labor relations and to know and follow relevant Cornell policies related to wage and hour administration. We will briefly discuss the laws that underlie these topics and help people leaders understand their role in helping Cornell meet its legal and policy obligations to its employees. A general overview of Human Resources policies will be provided.

    HR 2033 Part 2: Legal and Policy Aspects of Supervision

    This portion of the course is designed to familiarize people leaders with their managerial responsibilities to know and follow relevant Cornell policies related to preventing discrimination and harassment in the workplace and supporting legally-required job accommodations and leaves. We will briefly discuss the laws that underlie these various policies and help people leaders understand their role in helping Cornell meet its legal obligations in these areas.

    HR 2034 Problem Solving

    This class focuses on three people leader skills: problem solving, applying judgment and decision making. Participants will explore each of these concepts in some depth, learn useful approaches, and practice application of them. Participants will also explore the value of diversity in decision making and problem solving.

    HR 2035 Inclusive Leadership: Developing Intercultural Awareness for Effective Team Building

    Cultivating organizational awareness for inclusive leadership moves the participant beyond simplistic understandings of diversity toward a working understanding of equitable and adaptive leadership frameworks. By developing/expanding their impact and role as a manager, participants will sharpen their leadership edge through inclusive practices that transform the delimiting effects of group status. Participants will engage in skill building strategies, develop an Inclusive Leadership Action Plan, and actively explore inclusive leadership concepts.

    HR 2036 Part 1: Talent Acquisition - It Depends On The Lens, Addressing Unconscious Bias in the Staff Search Process

    The Cornell Interactive Theater Ensemble and the Cornell University Recruitment and Employment Center worked very closely to develop this interactive scenario on unconscious bias in the staff search process.  In this workshop for hiring managers, people leaders, and search committee members, participants watch a filmed scenario of a search committee meeting, as five staff members begin to articulate their opinions about candidates for the short list. Following the scenario, the participants have an opportunity to ask one of the characters questions about the meeting. The CITE facilitator conducts a guided discussion of the participants responses to the scenario and the characters. This discussion is followed by a research talk on unconscious bias, describing the studies used to develop the interactions depicted in the scenario. The session concludes with a discussion of best practices for combating unconscious bias in searches.

    HR 2036 Part 2: Talent Acquisition: Best Practices for Recruitment and Retention

    In any organization, your people are your most important (and costly) resource. As a people leader, knowing how to successfully attract and retain talent is vital to your success. This session is designed to provide an overview of the recruitment and selection planning processes.  

    HR 2037 Managing for Retention and Development

    This session is designed to help people leaders manage the performance of their teams from setting expectations, giving feedback and finally conducting a formal performance review. The exceptional supervisor is the one who can communicate expectations about the quality, quantity, and timeliness of work to be produced in a clear and timely manner and then provide consistent and objective feedback to the employee about his/her success in meeting those expectations. The session is very interactive with a variety of small and large group activities. Participants will come to understand the impact of diversity on performance reviews.

    HR 2038 Supporting Employee Well-being and Career Development

    This session will equip people leaders and prospective people leaders with the knowledge and resources necessary to support a culture of well-being and career development in the workplace.

  • Additional Courses

    Leading in these Times

    As a leader, it is vital to understand the ever-changing landscape of where and how we work.  In this three-course track, people leaders will explore relationships, strategies for effective communications, coaching for performance and development, and how to tap into employee strengths and passions. 

    Courses that can be taken individually or receive a certificate by completing the track. There is no required end date for completing any track – take classes at your convenience and complete in your own time!

    Course 1: The Changing Landscape of Work

    Course 2: Building Connections

    Course 3: Recognizing, Developing and Moving Talent at Cornell

    Objectives:

    • Understand the changing landscape of where and how we work
    • Learn how to build connections, norms, and culture across the team
    • Establish trust within your team
    • Understand the importance of recognizing, utilizing, developing and moving talent at Cornell

    Building Trust   

    Course 1: Establishing and Maintaining Trust in Work-Groups

    Course 2: The Value of Trust for Creating and Maintaining Belonging

    As a leader, it is your responsibility to establish trust and motivate the team to create an environment that encourages collaboration and partnership between colleagues.  As a member of the team, what are you doing to foster an environment where trust is co-created? In this program, we will explore:

    • How to establish trust within onsite, hybrid and remote work-groups
    • What actions in work lead to trust and which disrupt trust
    • How teams with high levels of trust can support employee engagement and a sense of belonging

    Communications

    Course 1: HR 3055 Managing and Facilitating Meetings

    Course 2: HR 3056 Effective Listening

    Course 3: HR 3057 Giving and Receiving Effective Feedback

    Course 4: HR 3058 Difficult Conversations

    As a result of this track of communicating in remote, onsite, and hybrid work environments, you will learn:

    • Effective techniques for facilitating business meetings
    • The importance of listening and techniques for effective listening
    • Cornell's expectations on giving and receiving feedback and strategies to do that well
    • How to approach and manage difficult conversations

    Emotional Intelligence

    The capacity to be aware of, control, guide, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically. In this 7-part track, we explore the role of emotions in our daily lives. The series will begin by exploring our own self-perception and expression and move through how it effects our interpersonal relationships, decision making, and stress management.Objectives:

    • Understand what emotional intelligence is, how it works, and how we talk about it
    • Explore emotions and their roles in our daily lives at work and beyond
    • Evaluate the importance of emotional intelligence in navigating current events
    • Develop a toolkit to help navigate interpersonal relationships, and decision making
    • Utilize tools to help manage stress and maintain personal wellbeing

    Course 1: HR 3059 Intro to Emotional Intelligence

    Course 2: HR 3060 Self-Perception - Self-Regard, Self-Actualization

    Course 3: HR 3061 Self-Expression – Emotional Expression, Assertiveness, Independence

    Course 4: HR 3062 Interpersonal – Interpersonal Relationships, Empathy, Social Responsibility

    Course 5: HR 3063 Decision Making – Problem Solving, Reality Testing, Impulse Control

    Course 6: HR 3064 Stress Management – Flexibility, Stress Tolerance, Optimism

    Course 7: HR 3065 Pulling it all Together!

    Employee Engagement

    Engaged employees fully invest their best selves in the work they do. But what is employee engagement and how is it created? Employees and leaders intuitively know that when we find a place where we can throw our hearts, spirits, minds, and hands into our work, we are happier, healthier, and produce better results. Yet, most of us struggle to understand exactly why we engage in some environments and don’t in others. As a result of attending this workshop, you will:

    • Understand what employee engagement is and isn’t
    • Learn the 3 types of employees and how to locate yourself among them
    • Develop strategies to remain committed to workplace mission and vision while maintaining and enhancing your own wellbeing
    • Explore the pillars of intrinsic motivation and how to work with your organization to ask for what you need
    • Develop strategies for cultivating a collaborative and empowering environment that fosters pride, creativity, and commitment amongst our employees