Events for May 2025

Whenever we respond to another person, we are giving feedback. Feedback may be based on many things. It may take many forms. And only some feedback is useful. Providing clear, timely, meaningful feedback improves employee performance. It avoids attacks, judgments, and name-calling, and it uses reinforcement to point out positive behavior that can be repeated […]

Things change rapidly and continually at work which requires us to address unanticipated, uncertain, time-pressured and complex problems and decisions. In this session we will consider how critical thinking, along with self-awareness and understanding of the mental shortcuts we often, and unknowingly, take can be integrated into a process to help cultivate good judgment. Pre-registration […]

In this session, participants will be exposed to essential information about protecting privacy including privacy application in academia, global privacy regulations and personal privacy protections. This session will seek to: Introduce relevant privacy laws and policies that affect how the University conducts business; Explain the role of each employee and responsibilities for managing data; Describe […]

Purchasing 101 is an introduction and overview of the purchasing policies, regulations and statutes that govern purchasing at the University. This workshop is for requisition initiators and department approvers who work with requisitions and purchase orders. Topics covered include elements of a good quote, dollar levels for verbal and written quotes, definitions of public solicitations […]

This course is intended for anyone with tier 1, 2, or 3 fiscal responsibility. The course will define fraud, discuss the different types, and differentiate between theft and fraud. This course will also cover the types of fraud that occur most frequently at UF and outline the strategies for preventing, detecting, and reporting fraud. Pre-registration […]

Change happens. It is a real, concrete, often stressful fact of life. Do you ever wish that change would go away--or at least slow down? If so, this class is for you. During this course, participants will: Examine the initial normal reactions to change; Explore ways to overcome resistance to change; and Prepare a personal […]

The research is overwhelming—our brains aren’t built for multitasking. When we constantly juggle various cognitive tasks, we experience decreased productivity, impaired cognitive ability, increased stress, and diminished creativity—all of which reduce us to fractions of the effective professionals we are capable of being. Many professionals surrender to a frantic and unfocused workstyle out of the […]

This workshop is designed to Increase participants' understanding of Other Personnel Services (OPS) employment at UF so they may manage the appointment processes associated with these employees more effectively and ensure other relevant guidelines are followed. This workshop will introduce concepts surrounding OPS appointments and will discuss general OPS employment, student employment, and Academic OPS. […]

Explore how a Growth Mindset can encourage continuous improvement and innovation. This perspective can free people to think creatively and hold themselves accountable for their results. Experience a life-changing way of tackling work-related problems. In this session, we’ll: Define the growth and fixed mindset; Identify why and how we learn from failure; and Discuss strategies […]

This workshop is designed to increase participants' understanding of the faculty appointment, recruitment, and hiring process. In the session, faculty appointments and titles will be covered, including appointment status modifiers and administrative titles. The faculty recruitment process will be explained. Additionally, information about required paperwork when completing a range of transactions on behalf of OPS, […]

Effective managers create and cultivate collaboration and teamwork in order for their unit to reach its full potential. In this session, we will discuss tactics managers can use to build a collaborative team. Specifically, we will look at team development from a manager perspective and how to facilitate decisions that everyone can commit to by […]

Being a new manager has its challenges--whether it is a result of being new to a work unit, shifting from peer to supervisor, or just being new to management in general. Attend this workshop to learn how to manage that transition successfully. The workshop also will provide a useful framework for establishing your role as […]

We know that leaders have a significant impact on creating a culture of inclusiveness within a team or department. In this session, we will explore the foundational elements of inclusive leadership. What does it look like? How does the leader cultivate her or his own inclusiveness and, even more important, create a team environment where […]

Do you control your email or does your email control you? Is email the best communication tool? Most of us spend a good part of our day using this powerful medium. Often we sort through emails with content that would have been better communicated via the phone, in-person, in a chat or in a virtual […]

"It takes too much time to plan--besides, I've been successful so far without planning." "Everything I have to do is important." Sound familiar? In today's work environment, supervisors often are bombarded with simply too much to do. And, while it is true that we don't have enough time to do it all--it is equally true […]

Designed for payroll processors, department administrators, and supervisors, this session provides an in-depth review of UF leave policy and facilitates a better understanding or FMLA and extended leaves of absence. For anyone who interacts with the myUFL Time and Labor module and/or manages time-worked and leave, this session is for you! Leave Policy is part […]

The hiring process does not have to be a guessing game or a legal mine field--and this session is designed to show why and how. It seeks to help you take the uncertainty out of the hiring process. Through group participation, interactive exercises, and a video presentation, this workshop will show you how to take […]

This course is designed for faculty and staff who hire new employees. Explore unconscious bias and how it affects the recruitment and hiring process. You will learn recruitment strategies to expand your applicant pool and ways to improve your resume review and interviewing process. You will expand the talent on your team when you apply […]

This workshop is designed to increase administrative staff members' knowledge of the overview process of hiring and paying foreign nationals. The session will review key concepts such as identifying UF offices involved in the process, determining how to pay a foreign national based on purpose, guidelines for each visa, and assembling the tax package and […]

In this course, the participants will be introduced to an "internal control framework" and study the key concepts together with a series of questionnaires that will guide them in performing unit based internal control self-assessments. It will clarify the most dreaded auditor terms such as "segregation of duties", "dual controls", "risk assessment" and provide common […]

Most of us think we're good communicators. Listening and talking are things we engage in all the time, so we assume we do it well. Unfortunately, that's often not the case. Attend "Communication Confidence" to learn a number of skills and tools to improve the way you communicate with others. Behind these skills are these […]

Does the thought of giving someone candid feedback back make you uncomfortable? Is being on the receiving end of feedback something you dread? Whether you are the giver or the receiver, feedback is NOT an easy thing to do! Learn how to deliver direct and caring feedback, discuss ways to seek input and feedback from […]

Supervisors often cite employee motivation as a major challenge. How do we create an environment that really motivates employees? This workshop helps supervisors focus on what really matters when it comes to employee motivation. Participants will learn to: communicate in a way that builds committed, self-confident employees; focus on what really motivates people (it may […]

Supervisors are expected to manage their employees. However, has it occurred to you that you have the power to influence the way you interact with your boss and “manage up?” The relationship you have with your supervisor impacts you in many ways including work/life integration, productivity, professional development, promotion, and your own well-being. Managing up […]

How many meetings have you attended or conducted where they just seemed like wasted time? Well, no more! Attend this workshop to learn techniques for planning and facilitating effective meetings. This workshop counts as an elective in the Supervisory Challenge certificate program. Pre-registration required in myTraining. A link to Zoom will be sent to registered […]

Make your writing fast, fun, and fabulous! Come to Power Writing and learn how to design power-packed documents that your readers will actually enjoy. In this class we will focus on preparing professional business documents discuss, including a review of grammar, tone, stressing the positive, saying "no" gently, and doing a little more than you […]

Do you engage with your colleagues in a way that brings out their best? Does your team collaborate in a way that combines the unique talents and abilities of each member to achieve big goals? In this discussion-based course, you will discover specific inclusive behaviors and strategies proven to increase engagement, innovation, and productivity in […]

A harmonious and connected workplace makes day-to-day tasks easier and enhances the level of enjoyment we experience at work. This course provides the opportunity to explore what influences your interactions with others and specific tools to use so you can discern what motivates people's actions and communicate more effectively. The course is designed to give […]

What is your “why”? What motivates you in your professional life? What future do you wish to create during your career? This course will help you leverage the power of storytelling to tap into your passions and purpose and unleash your best work performance. Your story is important and meaningful. By reflecting on your experiences […]

Course Description: Procurement 102 is an introduction to working with Contracts for Services – learn what a good Statements of Work is, who can sign the agreement, legal requirements that Procurement reviews for and tips for successful contract management. This class is for UF staff and faculty who need to purchase services.

In "Leading the Challenge of Change," participants will discuss why change is difficult, what they can and should expect when implementing change, and how they--as leaders or "change agents"--can make changes more effectively by taking employee response into account. By focusing on normal responses to change, along with the impact of resistance to change and […]

Conflict is part of our daily lives and can undermine our success unless we get better at using it effectively. As surprising as this might sound, we want conflict in the workplace; but it has to be the right kind of conflict. In this class you will learn how to build your conflict competence/fitness to […]

"Bill's work is not up to speed, but I'm afraid he's going to get angry if I tell him." "Mary does good work . . . when she actually comes to work." "The problem with Joe is his attitude." "I just want to fire her!" Employees who are difficult take up a lot of their […]