Dealing with Difficult Situations

This program helps supervisors and managers decide how to promptly and appropriately respond to some difficult employee relations problems. Participants discuss the issues involved in and evaluate possible responses to the following situations:

• Accusations of discrimination
• Charges of sexual harassment
• Possible substance abuse on the job
• Personal problems that interfere with performance
• Chronic tardiness or absenteeism
• Lack of motivation
• Equitable allocation of resources
• Productivity and quality trade-offs

Learning Objective

• Use various techniques to appropriately address some difficult employee relations problems

Competencies: Composure, Decision Quality, Integrity and Trust

Federal Court Leadership Program

This 2-year program is open to staff in appellate, district, and bankruptcy courts and circuit offices. It helps participants build leadership skills that are transferable to multiple leadership roles. The program includes three in-person seminars, an in-district project, and self-study components.

Learning Objectives

• Enhance problem-solving and decision-making skills
• Effectively present reports to senior managers
• Analyze data in order to recommend improvements to court operations
• Develop an individual professional development plan

Competencies: Composure, Continuous Learning, Decision Quality, Managerial Courage

Making the Transition to Supervisor

This interactive, online self-study course is designed to help newly appointed supervisors build the knowledge and skills necessary to be effective supervisors. It consists of the following six units:

Unit 1: The Role of the Supervisor

Unit 2: Communicating Effectively

Unit 3: Managing the Work

Unit 4: Motivating Employees

Unit 5: Managing Employee Performance Problems

Unit 6: Where Do You Go from Here?

Learning Objectives

• Describe the major responsibilities of a supervisor
• Use active listening techniques
• Give feedback effectively to others
• Use the planning, assigning, controlling, and evaluating system to effectively organize and manage work
• Identify strategies for creating a motivating work climate
• Describe the major steps for analyzing performance problems

Competencies: Decision Quality, Fairness, Motivation, Planning and Direction, Work Measurement and Management

Management Development Program

This program offers experienced supervisors the opportunity to strengthen their skills, which enables them to address daily challenges and achieve organizational goals. Eligible participants are supervisors or managers below the deputy court unit executive level with three years or more of supervisory or management experience. The program uses an interactive, blended-learning approach that also includes pre- and post-workshop webinars. The in-person workshop includes interactive discussions plus skill-building and action-planning exercises.

Learning Objectives

• Identify managerial strengths and areas needing further development
• Use critical thinking skills to address difficult workplace issues
• Apply strategies to foster a high-performing team
• Conduct challenging conversations with direct reports
• Evaluate strategies for fostering a great workplace

Competencies: Composure, Managerial Courage, Motivation, Team Development, Work Measurement and Management

Managing Organizational Transition

This one-day program teaches communication and coaching skills that supervisors and managers can use to help employees successfully embrace organizational transition. Center-trained facilitators deliver the program.

Learning Objectives

• Describe the difference between change and transition
• Use a three-phase transition model to understand how employees approach transition
• Coach employees on strategies for effectively coping with change and transition

Competencies: Motivation, Planning and Direction, Team Development

New Supervisors’ Development Program

This program helps newly appointed supervisors develop fundamental supervisory skills. Tier 1 of the program is self-directed and self-paced. Tier 2 consists of a 3.5-day in-person workshop that includes plenary sessions and praxis sessions in which participants practice using their skills. Tier 3 consists of online courses and coaching calls with faculty.

Learning Objectives

• Use appropriate techniques for documenting work performance
• Identify how emotions influence decision making
• Engage direct reports in meaningful conversations and provide actionable feedback
• Identify effective coaching techniques
• Determine when to delegate tasks

Competencies: Decision Quality, Employee Development, Motivation, Planning and Direction, Work Measurement and Management

Performance Management in the Courts (Custom Program)

Performance management is a systematic process for managing organizational performance through people. For supervisors and managers, it is a continuous five-phase process of planning, monitoring, developing, appraising, and rewarding employee performance to accomplish the mission and goals of the court unit.

The Center’s customized programs cover all phases of the performance management process. They help court managers, supervisors, and employees build skills that support effective individual and organizational performance. Specific topics covered include performance standards, feedback and coaching, employee problems, calibration meetings, appraisal meetings, appraisal narratives, performance documentation, employee engagement, and performance management system evaluation. Each program is tailored to meet the unique needs of the court unit. The program is taught by Center staff or Center-trained staff.

Learning Objectives

• Write performance standards for performance plans or appraisal instruments
• Effectively manage employee problems
• Write clear and descriptive appraisal narratives
• Conduct effective appraisal meetings
• Participate in performance calibration meetings
• Identify strategies for maintaining a motivating and engaging work climate
• Evaluate the overall effectiveness of the performance management system

Competencies: Decision Quality, Employee Development, Fairness, Planning and Direction, Work Measurement and Management

Preventing Workplace Harassment

In this program for supervisors and managers, participants learn what workplace harassment is and what it is not, how to minimize the occurrence of workplace harassment, how to deal with harassment if it arises, and what to do if they are involved in a workplace harassment investigation.

Learning Objectives

• Define workplace harassment
• Explain the terms “hostile work environment” and “quid pro quo harassment”
• State the kinds of behavior that may be interpreted as workplace harassment
• Identify circumstances under which managers may have to deal with workplace harassment
• State how to handle an allegation or incident of workplace harassment
• List some organizational responses that minimize the occurrence of workplace harassment

Competencies: Decision Quality, Ethics and Values, Integrity and Trust

Workforce and Succession Planning

Workforce and succession planning are elements of a strategic process that helps to ensure that the right people with the right skills are in the right jobs at the right time.

The program contains three components: a pre-session conference call, a two-day in-person session and a post-session conference call. It helps unit executives and managers develop and implement workforce and succession plans by forecasting future staffing needs, identifying key positions and competencies, and designing a structured learning and development program.

Learning Objectives

• Develop a workforce plan
• Develop a succession plan

Competencies: Decision Quality, Employee Development, Motivation