Inside Iowa State
August 8, 1997
Leadership training offered
Training and Development Office focuses on diversity, too
by Linda Charles
A new focus on leadership training and diversity will be evident this fall when the Training and Development Office begins "The Quest," the latest series of programs and workshops.
Three new leadership programs have been added to the list of programs, said Sharon Drake, manager.
"Foundations of Leadership" will be open to anyone who wants to learn what is needed to become a good leader. "Creating the Future" will be geared toward middle to upper managers and will emphasize leadership and honing of skills. Also, a leadership conference will be offered.
In addition, Training and Development offerings will continue to offer the "12+ Supervisory Leadership" program, a series of 16 workshops aimed at front-line supervisors that may be taken over the course of two years. The series has been so successful that a group of supervisors who have completed the program have created "Beyond 12+" to continue their learning.
Another highly successful program has been the popular "Dialogues on Diversity."
"This is our most successful program across the board," Drake said. "We're beginning to break down some of the barriers."
Participants meet weekly to discuss diversity issues, usually centered around a theme. Student volunteers also share their experiences during the sessions.
Diversity issues have been given new emphasis and integrated into most of the programs, Drake said. For instance, "DEO Orientation" includes a section on ISU culture and ethics.
While Training and Development programs indirectly relate to nearly all strategies in Iowa State's strategic plan, they are most applicable to strategies for enhancing diversity and strengthening human resource management and professional development.
"The curriculum has been reorganized to focus on the goals of the strategic plan," Drake said. "Most of what we're offering has a new and different focus."
Other offerings in the diversity program include helping disabled students, common aspects of culture, and gender issues in the workplace.
Drake said Training and Development programs now are organized into four basic groups:
- The Basics -- focuses on orienting new and current
employees to the university's policies and procedures.
Sessions cover the university's mission, resources and
policies for new employees. For current employees, the focus
is on skill development for improved job performance.
- Administrative skills -- focuses on the roles and
responsibilities of unit administrators, including
administrative techniques and legal requirements.
- Leadership development -- capitalizes on the strengths
and skills of each individual in the unit. This includes
one-time and series of programs aimed at helping everyone in
a managerial position build an effective work team and reach
goals more effectively.
- Academic partnerships -- brings several campus units together to help faculty share their experiences and collaborate on common goals, such as improved teaching techniques and exploring the Internet.
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