FirstLine Supervision - Session 1 (Plymouth 1)

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FirstLine Supervision - Session 1 (Plymouth 1)

FirstLine Supervision - Session 1 (Plymouth 1)

Date: February 21-23, 2018
Time:
  • Day 1: Feb 21, 2018 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Day 2: Feb 22, 2018 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Day 3: Feb 23, 2018 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: MMUA Office, 3025 Harbor Lane North, Suite 400, Plymouth, MN 55447
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MMUA continues to provide FirstLine Supervision, a performance-proven program designed around a solid core of interpersonal skills to provide the first line supervisor with leadership skills needed in today’s competitive market. Modules, unique to municipal utilities, have been developed and blended with selected modules from Miller Heiman/Achieve Global Leadership programs to present a supervision program for MMUA members.

A Practical Approach

Today’s first line supervisors and managers experience increasing demands for higher performance. At the same time, they must master complex new rules that require collaboration, innovation, and quick solutions to sudden changes. Firstline Supervision gives managers, supervisors, team leaders, and individual contributors the basic understanding and skills they need to interact with others in organizations where employee involvement is increasing.

This program includes the basics, yet goes beyond the traditional supervisory-management program. The format uses behavior modeling, which stresses realistic examples, discussion, practice, feedback and planning, with emphasis on the practice. It stresses working with people.

Management Support Important

Management support for program participants is critical. Staff from Central Lakes College is available upon request to meet or consult with the participant’s supervisor to coordinate skills developed by training with the on-the-job skill opportunities. Cooperation between the employer, the employee and the training institution ensures maximum results.

Everyone Wins

The payoffs are enormous for a supervisor who masters the skills in Firstline Supervision.

For the supervisor, it includes the satisfaction of being involved in building stronger people, stronger teams, and stronger systems, all of which are needed in these challenging times. There is also the knowledge that they are making a major contribution to the organization while also growing both personally and professionally.

For employees who work for such a supervisor, the payoffs include being associated with a leader who is a builder. It means having greater opportunity to make a worthwhile contribution and to have pride in their work. It means developing in skills and confidence as a part of a winning team.

For the organization, the chance to build increasing strength in its people, its services and its systems has great payback over the long term. It means meeting strategic objectives that can help ensure economic survival.

Presentation and Materials

Class size is limited to provide maximum opportunity for participants to benefit from the instructor-led multi-media activities. Each participant receives a binder containing workbooks for each skill unit, including observation and planning forms.

The Program

The program includes seventeen (17) individual modules designed to be completed by attending four consecutive three-day sessions (1 full day + 2 half days). These sessions are offered twice each year over a two-year period. Because the modules need not be taken in sequence, a participant may stop or miss a session if an emergency prevents regular attendance, and re-enter when space in the program is available.

The first module, Building Trust Under Pressure: The Basic Principles is a pre-requisite for all other modules. This is scheduled prior to each session to allow new participants to begin the program at any session on a space available basis. Subsequent modules may be taken in any sequence so participants can start at any point in the rotation.

Miller Heiman/Achieve Global Modules

Fourteen modules, selected from Miller Heiman/Achieve Global Leadership programs, provide the central theme:

CORE INTERPERSONAL SKILL UNITS

  • Building Trust Under Pressure: The Basic Principles
  • Providing Constructive Feedback
  • Understanding Yourself and Others
  • Speaking to Influence Others
  • Addressing Emotions at Work
  • Giving Recognition
  • Listening in a Hectic World

PERFORMANCE APPLICATION UNITS

  • Identifying Work Priorities and Setting Expectations
  • Delegating for Shared Success
  • Correcting Performance Problems
  • Resolving Conflict
  • Activating Change
  • Generations in the Workplace: Leveraging Age Diversity
  • The Hallmarks of Supervisory Success

Unique Municipal Utility Modules

Three topics have been developed with special application to municipal utility operations:

SPECIAL MUNICIPAL UTILITY UNITS

  • Finance for Municipal Utilities
  • Customer Relations
  • Personnel Relations/Employment Law

The Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association, under contract with the Custom Training Services of the Central Lakes College, has developed this program. All inquiries pertaining to registration, program and records should be directed to MMUA, 3025 Harbor Lane North, Suite 400, Plymouth, MN 55447-5142; phone 763.746.0707 or email rkelly@mmua.org.

Registration fees are payable to MMUA. Registration fees include tuition, program materials (ring binder and workbooks) and refreshment breaks. Participant lodging and meals are not included.

Cost and Commitment

The total investment for development of the supervisor/manager includes releasing the employee for eight and one-half days of training over a two-year period, cost of travel and lodging with meals, plus registration fees. Maximum benefit to the utility will be realized with the interest and support of the participant’s supervisor.

Program Agenda

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21
7:45 AM — Registration  (for NEW students only)
8:00 AM — Building Trust Under Pressure: The Basic Principles  (for NEW students only)
New challenges are constantly placing pressure on today’s leaders whether they have formal positions or are the “go to” person. Now more than ever, everyone in the organization needs a deep understanding of leadership principles and help in tailoring those principles to their own work realities.

1:00 PM — Providing Constructive Feedback  (returning students start here)
The need for organizations to adapt quickly to changes makes feedback to correct problems and improve processes a critical skill. Participants learn guidelines for both giving and receiving feedback in positive, constructive ways that help them get information to the right people at the right time, bring problems to the forefront before they get out of hand, and build strong working relationships that foster ongoing learning and mutual respect.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22
8:00 AM — Speaking to Influence Others
The sharing of knowledge, thoughts, and ideas is essential to an organization’s ability to achieve continuous learning. Employees must be motivated to say what they think and skilled in expressing themselves effectively.  This unit raises participant’s confidence and skill in presenting their thoughts and ideas. They learn techniques for planning, organizing, and delivering result-oriented messages-techniques they can use in situations ranging from informal discussions to formal presentations.

1:00 PM — Generations in the Workplace; Leveraging Age Diversity
This unit gives participants the skills to recognize daily opportunities to coach others in ways that bring out the best in everyone and maximize performance within the organization. People learn how to guide, motivate, and support one another to reach everyone’s best level of performance.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23
8:00 AM — Customer Relations
Customer relations are a mainstay of the utility business. Explore the nature of customer expectations and the role employees play in creating customer loyalty. Understand the relationship of internal customers and work environment to external customer service. Apply customer relations strategies and positive language to provide high levels of service.

The Instructor

Eloise Thorson is a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Foods and Business and an MA in Organizational Leadership from the University of St. Catherine. She has twenty some years experience training in industry for the Central Lakes College. Her training experience has been with personnel in government agencies, healthcare facilities, manufacturing and service organizations.

Who Should Attend

  • A lead person whether they are a lineworker dealing with several people, or an administrative secretary, managing office procedures and policies.
  • This program is ideal for the newly promoted manage or supervisor. Supervising people that were once your friend and counterpart on the job will require a whole new set of skills and solid leadership training!
  • The experienced manager or supervisor. They need training just as much as the new manager or supervisor! Often times they never had any previous training and can use new insights and perspectives on the essentials of leadership skills.

Program Cost

The program fee provides instruction, refreshment breaks, and participant supplies, including binder and workbooks. Participants are responsible for all travel, meals and lodging expenses. Registration fee will increase $50 if received after February 2. There is a $25 per person cancellation fee.

Hotel Information

Comfort Inn
3000 Harbor Lane, Plymouth, MN 55447
Phone: 763.559.1222
(This hotel is closest to MMUA's office.)

Ask for MMUA's corporate rate—$85 per night plus tax. You must call to get our rate.
More information about the hotel can be found at this link: www.choicehotels.com/minnesota/plymouth/comfort-inn-hotels/mn055

Country Inn & Suites
210 Carlson Parkway North, Plymouth, MN 55447
Phone: 763.473.3008
Ask for MMUA's corporate rate—$85 per night plus tax for standard King or 2-Queen; $95-$100 per night plus tax for King Suites.
Use our special link to make reservations online. MMUA's corporate ID is 113714.
More information about the hotel can be found at this link: www.countryinns.com/plymouthmn

Photographs

By registering for this event I/we authorize Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association (MMUA) to photograph me at this event and use such photographs in MMUA marketing materials (both electronic and print). I/we understand that I/we will not be paid for giving this consent.

Questions?

Contact Rita Kelly by email rkelly@mmua.org or phone 763.746.0707.

A printable brochure is also available.