Human Resources

From the early days of employee assistance programs to the current opioid epidemic, substance abuse remains a significant workplace challenge. You’ll learn how to recognize on-the-job indicators of alcohol and drug abuse and what constitutes reasonable suspicion. Examine your role in maintaining a substance-free workplace, recognizing on-the job indicators of alcohol and drug abuse, and making a “reasonable suspicion” referral for testing. You’ll also examine your role in maintaining a substance-free workplace as well as the do’s and don’ts for supervisors regarding employee substance use and abuse.

Presented by Michael McCafferty, FEI Workforce Resilience, and co-facilitated by Brittney Hayes. City of Madison Human Resources, who will speak specifically about the City’s policy on handling cases of suspected substance use at work or impacting the employee during their work time.

Learning Objectives:

1. Ensure the safety of the working environment, employees and public
2. Provide Alcohol & other drug education/awareness
3. Establish and maintain a work environment free from the effects of alcohol and/or drug use

Toxic acts have no place at work, yet too often, people experience harm. Without the right mindset, leaders might overestimate the problems their people face. Preventing harm takes more than only stopping the most severe behaviors. Unaddressed, minor behaviors and violations at any level heighten isolation, derail creativity, and erode trust. Research estimates that only 3 of 10 workers feel like their voices matter. And almost 75% of violations faced at work go unreported. 

Your people’s unfiltered opinions and creative ideas are your greatest assets. How can you be sure they feel safe enough to speak up? How can you guarantee they feel empowered to advocate for themselves and others?
 
Attendees will adopt an empathy-driven framework to label rooted issues and identify organizational initiatives that restore trust. Managers will acquire skills to ensure that their people feel empowered to speak up, regardless of their role, tenure, or social capital.
 

Prior to the Course:

• You are encouraged – but not required – to complete this survey.

The survey will help customize content for the three upcoming virtual workshops brought to you by Create Safe on behalf of the City of Madison. During the workshops, the Create Safe team will never share data collected from an individual response, but overall trends will be discussed. Create Safe will only share the overall trends with the City, and will clean and make anonymous all provided information when weighing the total feedback.

You may have grown comfortable with Zoom for meetings and trainings…maybe so comfortable that you don’t realize that the status quo may be unintentionally excluding participants. Did you know that there are strategies and tips that you can use that can make your trainings and meetings more inclusive and effective for people with disabilities? This session will broaden your perspective and you will leave with actionable tips to use in future trainings and meetings.

Learning Objectives:

1. Increase your understanding of disability-related barriers in virtual meetings
2. Obtain practical skills to remove access barriers
3. Be a better disability ally at work

Course Handouts:

• Course Agenda
• Slide Deck
• Slide Deck - Text

Build awareness on how bias, both explicit and implicit, can impact hiring decisions. Learn how to create an interview process by incorporating job-related behavioral questions with measurable benchmarks to effectively address bias in the interview process and for more objective candidate evaluations.

This course is mandatory for all supervisors and recommended for all interview panelists.
 

Course Resources:

• Position Description Example:  Payroll Clerk
• Handout: Interview Tips
• Handout:  Types of Bias
• Handout: Job Interview Bias Exercise
• Handout: Traditional to Behavioral Interview Questions Exercise
• Handout: Red Flag Process for Hiring Managers

Family Medical Leave can be a topic that even the most adept supervisor struggles with. This course will provide a background on FMLA, eligibility information, how FMLA is used, and Supervisor responsibilities.

Course Handouts:

• APM 2-21 - City of Madison Family and Medical Leaves of Absence 

• APM 2-45 - City of Madison Disability Leave and Layoff

“Feedback is the breakfast of champions” according to management expert Ken Blanchard. For leaders at all levels, it is how we learn and grow through our experiences. For managers, it’s a critical skill for improving team performance. Feedback also helps us maintain healthy boundaries and work environments. Yet it is one of the hardest “gifts” to give and receive.
This two-part series can help you move from fear to finesse.

• Part 1, Foundational Feedback will focus on the value of a positive feedback mindset, avoiding common pitfalls, and strategies to give effective feedback.
• Part 2, Intermediate Feedback will focus on ways to give feedback up, down, and sideways. We’ll also explore practices to receive feedback with gratitude and composure. Here's the link to register for part 2. 

You should complete the two courses in order, but you don’t need to sign up for both parts at once.

Learning Objectives:

Part 1:

• Understand a positive feedback mindset
• Avoid the three most common pitfalls that create defensiveness and resistance
• Learn to give effective feedback

Course Materials

Course Handout: Giving and Receiving Feedback, Part 1

“Feedback is the breakfast of champions” according to management expert Ken Blanchard. For leaders at all levels, it is how we learn and grow through our experiences. For managers, it’s a critical skill for improving team performance. Feedback also helps us maintain healthy boundaries and work environments. Yet it is one of the hardest “gifts” to give and receive.
This two-part series can help you move from fear to finesse.

• Part 1, Foundational Feedback will focus on the value of a positive feedback mindset, avoiding common pitfalls, and strategies to give effective feedback. Here's the link to register for part 1. 
• Part 2, Intermediate Feedback will focus on ways to give feedback up, down, and sideways. We’ll also explore practices to receive feedback with gratitude and composure.

You should complete the two courses in order, but you don’t need to sign up for both parts at once. 

Learning Objectives:

Part 2:

• Understand how assertive communication strengthens feedback
• Learn to give feedback up, down and sideways
• Explore practices to receive feedback with gratitude and composure

Course Materials

Course Handout: Giving and Receiving Feedback, Part 2

Public sector investigations can present unique challenges. This course provides managers & supervisors with the knowledge base needed to conduct investigations with a focus on the investigative interview. The course will use scenario-based discussions, polls, and lectures to provide a strong foundation for making this sometimes intimidating process more manageable.

You'll leave knowing how to structure and conduct a misconduct investigation, create meaningful and helpful interview questions, and identify and address complicating factors in public sector investigations.

This training is a two-part series.  By signing up for this series, you are committing to all two classes.

October 2023 Series: Wednesday Mornings from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

• October 11
• October 18

Course Resources

• Prework

1. Read through the “Investigation Process Pre-work” document that is attached to the course webpage
2. Watch a short video on bias linked in the pre-work section of the Handout
3. Develop a couple of questions about the misconduct investigation process that will help you be a better investigator

• Session 1 
• Session 2
• Session 3
  Sessions were recently combined into two due to instructor availability for the original three dates. These materials above will still be utilized, but in an abridged way to fit within two longer sessions. 

Swamped with way too many meetings? We know that poorly organized and run meetings lead to frustration and disengagement. In this webinar, you’ll learn practical tools to plan and run effective meetings so that you can lead people towards clear and actionable outcomes with greater confidence.
Please note, the November 8, 2023 session will be recorded. 

In today’s interconnected world, successful decision-making centers on the active involvement of those who will be impacted by that decision. As a leader, making decisions can be one of the most difficult and stressful things you can do. This interactive course is designed to equip participants with the essential skills and strategies to identify, empathize, plan, and engage with those impacted by decisions. Through a combination of discussions, scenarios, and hands on workshops, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the dynamic nature of involving people in decisions that impact them and learn practical techniques to effectively engage people in projects and decisions.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify people impacted: Learn how to identify all relevant individuals/groups and the importance of recognizing varying degrees of interest and influence.
2. Apply the four decision model: Explore and increase your understanding of the four-decision model so you know how to apply it to real-life scenarios for effective decision making.
3. Create a plan: By the end of the course, you will have used the knowledge gained to create your own plan tailored to the specific people/groups identified for your decision/project.

Course Materials:

• Involving People in Decisions that Impact Them Slide Deck
• Involving People in Decisions that Impact Them Learner Workbook - Fillable

Managing performance can be one of the most difficult aspects of supervision. It relies on us to tap into interpersonal skills, our knowledge about learning styles, and to balance that with our own technical competency. We want our employees to feel comfortable in their jobs and to be able to grow and develop along the way, but sometimes an employee might have something that is impeding their ability to meet expectations. Come learn about an approach to performance management that incorporates Trauma Informed Supervision, and ongoing coaching and feedback to keep performance high. We will also explore what to do when an employee is not meeting expectations.

This course is a two-part series. By registering for this series, you are committing to all dates below:
Thursday afternoons at 1 - 2:30 PM

• May 11
• May 18

This course provides an overview of the policy and process for drug and alcohol testing at the City of Madison, with a special focus on the Supervisor's role in that process. As a result of the course, you will understand the impacts of drugs and alcohol on the workplace and specific responsibilities of a Supervisor. You will also learn about the Federal Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, and our organizational responsibilities related to that program. This program covers the specifics of APM 2-23: Drugs, Controlled Substance, Alcohol and Drug Testing Policy which is intended to bring the City into compliance with mandated federal regulations.

All supervisors of CDL holders are required to take this course, but it is beneficial to all supervisors at the City of Madison.
 

Course Resources

Please read through the following materials before the course:
APM 2-23 - City of Madison Alcohol and Drug Testing Policy
Price List for Drug Testing
Handout: Impacts of Alcohol and Other Drugs on Behavior
Handout: Supervisor Instructions for Reasonable Suspicion
Handout:  Reasonable Suspicion Checklist

Harassment in the workplace can be a form of illegal employment discrimination. This workshop is designed to provide Mandatory Reporters with a greater understanding of the City's APM 3-5, Prohibited Harassment and Discrimination, and the legal and social implications of discrimination in the form of sexual, gender, racial or disability-based harassment in the workplace. Emphasis will be placed on increasing sensitivity to what constitutes a problem and why an immediate, constructive response is important. The discussion will also focus on exploring good management practices and policies requiring the maintenance of an environment that is free of discriminatory harassment.

Mandatory Reporters are defined as Supervisors, Managers, Lead Workers, and Department/Division Heads or are employees in the Mayor's Office, Department of Civil Rights, or Human Resources. They are required to take this training 45 days after hire or promotion, and then once every three years.

If you are not a Mandatory Reporter, please register for Prohibited Harassment and Discrimination Policy.
 

Contact Kym Woodly at KWoodly@cityofmadison.com with questions or concerns.
 

In this half-day workshop, you’ll learn how to maximize your productivity through your Individual Work Plan. The result: increased productivity and efficiency in your week without needing to do more, plus increased engagement for the work you do. In the second half, you’ll learn how different behaviors and mindset shifts can help you in positive ways towards productivity, and ensure that work planning can be executed both effectively and efficiently.

Course Resources

• Template: Individual Work Plan
• Template: Agency Work Plan (for Supervisors)

• Handout: Weekly Brain Dump

The City of Madison provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities or long-term medical conditions when the accommodations are directly related to performing the essential functions of a job, competing for a job, or for enjoyment of equal opportunities. These accommodations help our employees, our agencies, and our organization to be more inclusive, innovative, and thriving. Supervisors have a critical role in the accommodations process. This course will provide the fundamentals of accommodations, explore the role of the Supervisor in this process, and inspire us to creatively look at our positions and job functions in a way that supports employees toward individual and organization excellence.

This course is mandatory for all supervisors.

Whether we call it Public Participation or Community Engagement, we’re often wondering about how to do it in an authentic manner. Join us to learn more about the 5 R’s to Getting Authentic and resources and tools to create an inclusive public participation strategy. You will review the RESJI Public Participation Guide, learn about the City’s efforts to cultivate a shared approach and set of values for community engagement, and discuss best practices and lessons learned.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn the importance of embedding racial equity in public participation
2. Familiarize yourself with the RESJI Public Participation Resource Guide
3. Gain insight and tools to build an inclusive public participation strategy

Course Materials

• May 2, 2023 Slide Deck
• RESJI Public Participation Resource Guide

About the Facilitators

This training will be facilitated by the RESJI Community Connections Team. The RESJI Community Connections team is composed of staff of multiple departments. All team members are dedicated to embedding racial equity into our work with community members. The team authored the RESJI Public Participation Resource Guide and are proponents of elevating the role of public participation at the City of Madison, developing a shared approach and set of values for community engagement, and centering racial equity and inclusion when planning for public participation and when developing projects, programs, and policies. 

Finally back by popular demand! This course is for those beginning their learning on racial equity and social justice, or seeking a foundational primer. This course is for those wondering "What is racial equity? What does it have to do with my job? What can I do about it?" To explore these questions we'll use slides, handouts, videos, art, comedy, local and national case studies, pair and group dialogue, and activities to build "equity muscles." 

The course has three sections:

1. SELF: identifying one's own social identities and examining power, privilege, marginalization and their intersections. 
2. SYSTEMS: exploring the different levels of racism: individual, institutional, and structural. 
3. SOLIDARITY: finding our roles in building towards inclusion and belonging.

Learning Objectives:

1. Be able to describe key concepts related to equity and structural racism,
2. Practice talking about race constructively with others as it relates to oneself, one's work, and one's department/division,
3. Identify tools and practices for counteracting bias in one's work and practices, and
4. Identify opportunities to advance racial equity in their relationships, work, and life. 

Have you experienced a stressful, perhaps traumatic event in the workplace? As a supervisor or manager do you feel prepared to handle and support your staff through these abnormal events? Join us to learn more about critical incidents, how they present in the workplace, normal reactions your employees may experience, and your role as a supervisor. We will share resources, skills, and information to better prepare you for handling these events in a trauma-informed way that will leave your staff feeling supported and will provide a smoother transition back to normal operations.

Learning Objectives:

• Discussing what a critical incident looks like and how it impacts employees
• Increasing awareness about supervisor’s/manager’s role in addressing the critical incident and supporting employees who were impacted
• Learning about resources to assist when a critical incident occurs and how EAP will be involved in the response

Because this course is interactive, we request that you join from a computer or smart device. This course incorporates break-out sessions and we encourage your full participation in the virtual space.

Supervisor Orientation is a training program that equips supervisors with the tools and information to excel in their roles. Participants will begin by exploring the City of Madison’s Mission, Vision, Values, and Service Promises. By becoming familiar with these primary elements, we can begin to align our actions and behaviors with the City’s leadership framework – Values-Based Leadership. Through the Strengths, Teamwork, Alignment, and Results (STARS) framework, supervisors will analyze their team’s situation so they can adapt to meet need and make impact. This training emphasizes situational mindfulness, enabling supervisors to nurture the employee experience, and connects them with valuable resources for ongoing support and development. 

Course Materials:

• Supervisor Orientation Slide Deck
• Supervisor Orientation Learner Workbook - Fillable

Recommended Resources & Gatherings:

• Our new Supervisory Collective is a community for supervisors, by supervisors. It's a great space for new supervisors to make connections in a collaborative learning space.
• Check out the new Supervisor Resources on EmployeeNet. This is a collection of information and tools that support you in your day-to-day management work.

Recommended for Supervisors who completed Supervisor Development Program more than 5 years ago (pre-2017), as a refresher and/or Supervisors of supervisors, to support you in onboarding, coaching and developing your staff. 

Are you a supervisor that wants more tips and insights in how you can support your LGBTQ+ staff and foster an inclusive work environment for existing and new employees? In this course, you will learn more about your responsibilities as a supervisor and come away with actionable ways to promote inclusion within your team.

The material covered in this course is for supervisors - if this topic is relatively new to you, we recommend you first attend the following two courses for more general, foundational knowledge. 

• LGBTQ+ Part 1: Creating Inclusive Spaces

• LGBTQ+ Part 2: Contributing to Systemic Change.

Learning Objectives: 

1. State supervisor roles in supporting transitioning employees and all transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming employees regardless of transition status
2. Name ways to protect legal name and sex assigned at birth information
3. Demonstrate prevention and recognition of and response to harassment in the workplace

Course Materials:

• Slide Deck
• In Course Examples Handout

“We must transform ourselves to transform the world.” -Grace Lee Boggs

As managers and leaders who recognize there are systems of oppression in the workplace that we must reckon with and dismantle, we must also tend to the internal work within ourselves to build equity, inclusion, and belonging. We cannot wait for the “system to transform” – we also have to “transform ourselves.”
This session is for managers, or anyone who leads teams, to explore how their own identities shape their worldview and thus their management style and approach. Participants will explore concepts such as intersectionality, positionality, identity salience, reflective practice, and deep listening. Through individual and group activities and a case study, participants will use their own self-awareness, behaviors, and interactions as sites of learning.

Learning Objectives:

1. Exposure to the concepts of intersectionality, positionality, identity salience, and reflective practice
2. Practice reflecting on one’s own identities
3. Practice deep listening skills with colleagues
4. Practice a liberating structure model for solution building

As a result of employee survey responses, the City began a new employee/supervisor check-in process in 2021. The goals of these discussions are to provide more support to employees, further our growth, and help us align individual performance with our organizational vision, mission, and values. This session provides an overview of the City process and highlights new tools developed to make these discussions richer and more productive. 

Course Resources

Prior to the session, please check out our resources and come to the training session prepared with any pressing questions you might have about the Employee Check-in Process.

1. Preview the Resources on the Employee Check-in Process and Resources page
2. Identify 1-2 of your most pressing concerns about the Employee Check-in Process and bring those with you to the session. 

Before we lead others, we must first learn to effectively lead ourselves. For most of us, our personal values guide how we feel and act day-to-day. The four principles of Values-Based Leadership help us lean into our values while remaining curious and open to the values and experiences of others.

Through self-reflection, a balanced perspective, true self-confidence, and genuine humility, we can grow our leadership from any position. This is an excellent course for people at all levels in their leadership journey.

Learning Objectives:

1. Become familiar with the City of Madison's Leadership Framework
2. Reflect on your own values and how these can help guide you in your daily leadership work
3. Begin to practice the Values-Based Leadership Framework

Course Materials:

• Values-Based Leadership Slide Deck
• Values-Based Leadership Learner Workbook - Fillable

Note: A significant part of this course is spent in small group discussion in Zoom breakout rooms. You will also need access to the Fillable Learner Workbook during the course. Using a computer, tablet, or at minimum a smartphone is recommended. Phone-only participation is discouraged because it will be difficult to access course materials and interact with others in your small group.

If you are planning to broadcast the course in a conference room for a group, contact the instructor ahead of time for special instructions and activity modifications.

Congratulations on your promotion to supervisor!  In navigating your changing role, you not only need to be knowledgeable about policy and procedures but will also need to develop strategies that empower team members, build trust, respect, and “buy-in”. During this session, you will learn strategies to transition into this new role, identify common roadblocks for new managers, and find ways to prevent and overcome them.

Participants in this course will also have the opportunity to sign up for a free follow-up group coaching session with the instructor, Dr. Hammonds.

Course Materials

Handout- Course Workbook

Slides