The Supervisory Development Program (SDP) provides participants with the proven fundamental skills necessary to become an effective and successful supervisor.
This program is designed for supervisors, those aspiring to be supervisors or anyone interested in learning more about supervision. Those who complete the six core classes plus two elective sessions will receive a certificate from KCPDC.
The SDP elective requirement can be satisfied by attending two of the Special Topics sessions or the annual Professional Development Conference.
Registration
Advanced registration is required for all KCPDC events. Registration is free for employees of KCPDC member institutions. Registrations must be submitted to your campus KCPDC representative. Your KCPDC representative will provide you with information for the session.
2024 – 2025 Events
Critical Skills for Supervisors Presented by Sandy Brown
- Date: Tuesday, September 24
- Time: 1:00 – 3:00 pm
- Location: Online on Zoom
- Description: This session is designed to introduce the major competencies and skills necessary to maximize supervisor effectiveness, such as accountability, delegation, employee engagement, motivation, and critical communication.
- Objectives: After receiving this training, participants will be able to:
- Describe the major competencies integral to supervision
- Identify supervisory behaviors that positively affect employees’ attitudes and performance
- Identify the primary components to effective and critical communication
- Discuss the impact of recognition and motivation for employees
Making New Employees Feel Welcomed Presented by Loretta Summers
- Date: Tuesday, October 22
- Time: 1:00 – 3:00 pm
- Location: Online on Zoom
- Description: Talent management means hiring the right person for the job and successfully onboarding the new hire. When employees feel part of the organization, retention and productivity are improved. This requires more than a day or a week of orientation. It could take months or a year for the new employee to form social attachments and understand the organization’s culture, and managers are key to ensuring the success of new employee onboarding programs.
- Objectives: After receiving this training, participants will be able to define:
- Difference between orientation and onboarding
- Business case for onboarding
- Components of an effective onboarding process
- Roles and responsibilities
- Virtual Onboarding
- Metrics
Legal Aspects of Supervision Presented by Dr. Kim Jones, J.D.
- Date: Thursday, November 14
- Time: 1:00 – 3:00 pm
- Location: Online on Zoom
- Description: This course is designed to familiarize supervisors with the sources of the law, unlawful employment discrimination, justification and defenses to various employee complaints, and consider preventive measures and proper language. It includes a review of sexual harassment and steps a supervisor can take to prevent it. After taking this workshop, supervisors will be aware of the varied complex responsibilities.
- Objectives: After receiving this training, participants will be able to:
- Describe the general aspects of the law relating to the workplace, e.g., structure of the court system, civil vs. criminal liability, common law vs. statutory law
- Identify the federal laws that apply to the workplace – Title VII, the American Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- Understand issues in negligent hiring – the interview process and background checks: What can you ask? What should you ask? Performance evaluations and disciplinary actions/dismissals
- Understand issues in negligent supervision – performance evaluations, disciplinary actions, and dismissals
- Know some methods to prevent workplace violence
- Recognize discrimination in the workplace – what are the protected classes?
- Understand the types of sexual harassment – quid pro quo and hostile work environment
- Understand inclusive approaches to legal aspects of supervision
Performance Management Presented by Dr. Roger Dusing, Ph.D.
- Date: Tuesday, January 28
- Time: 1:00 – 3:00 pm
- Location: Online on Zoom
- Description: This session is designed to help supervisors manage the performance of their teams from setting expectations, giving feedback and finally conducting a formal performance appraisal. The exceptional supervisor is one who can clearly communicate expectations about the quality, quantity, and timeliness of work to be produced and then provide consistent and objective feedback to the employee about his or 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 inclusive approaches to performance appraisals.
- Objectives: After receiving this training, participants will be able to:
- Understand why it is appropriate and how to set performance expectations
- Recognize and apply sound principles of giving (and receiving) feedback
- Explain why performance appraisals are often viewed as a negative experience
- Identify means to diminish the fear and anxiety that often accompany performance review
- Identify strategies for handling not only positive appraisals (the easy ones), but also those requiring corrective action (the difficult ones)
- Apply the strategies for conducting performance appraisals to any appraisal instrument currently in use
Inclusive Leadership: Developing Intercultural Awareness for Effective Team Building and Innovative Outcomes Presented by Gaby Flores
- Date: Thursday, February 27
- Time: 1:00 – 3:00 pm
- Location: Online on Zoom
- Description: Cultivating intercultural 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 own cultural self-awareness, 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.
- Objectives: After receiving this training, participants will be able to:
- Understand the dynamics of organizational culture (micro and macro impacts)
- Explore baseline concepts and techniques to manage biases and assumptions in one’s self and others
- Demonstrate knowledge of tools/skills for communicating across differences and influence inclusion across department/team
- Describe equitable approaches and best practices for leading diverse teams
- Link Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts to department/organizational strategy though DEI action and accountability planning
- Share resources for additional skills building and professional development
Decision Making and Problem Solving Presented by Dr. Dale Marrant, PDD
- Date: Tuesday, April 8
- Time: 1:00 – 3:30 pm
- Location: Online on Zoom
- Description: This class focuses on three skills of a supervisor: decision making, problem solving, and applying judgment. It is designed to explore each of these concepts in some depth and offer various ways to consider their application. The content will guide the participant through the topics and offer a series of guidelines to consider. Practical information will be shared and supplemented with handouts which will be good resources for use after class. Participants will come to understand the impact of diversity on decision making and problem solving.
- Objectives: After receiving this training, participants will be able to:
- Understand the concepts of decision making, problem solving, and judgment
- Know three ways (unilateral, democratic, consensus) to make a decision
- Understand several techniques and/or strategies for problem solving
- Analyze the components of judgment
- Understand the impact of diversity on problem solving and decision making
