Human Resources

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.

We matter. Since we spend nearly 90,000 hours working, we deserve to feel this at our jobs. Neurologically, a lack of safety prevents us from experiencing this truth. No matter the reason, when safety gaps emerge, we have no reason to show up and meaningfully engage. 

Our voices matter. To believe this, we must trust that our leaders value our perspectives and care about remedying issues. How can we advocate for others if we lack the skills or practice advocating for ourselves? And how can we ensure that everyone feels comfortable speaking up? 

This program challenges ineffective and outdated status quos to address what truly matters when building healthy, people-centered workplaces. In an authentic discussion, we will explore the importance of and how to define our safety needs. By adopting skills that enhance work relationships, participants will learn to advocate for themselves and others confidently.
 

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

How can you be inclusive and respectful with people of all genders? With verbal and written examples, you will leave this training with specific strategies in using language that shows your coworkers and community members of all genders that you value them.
 

This course is part of the series of offerings related to the implementation of APM 2-52 as we work towards realizing our vision of being an inclusive organization.
 

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe how gender-neutral and transgender-inclusive language differ

2. Name at least 2 strategies for creating gender inclusion with language other than using they pronouns

3. Explain the importance of using correct name and pronouns

4. Demonstrate how to introduce a coworker’s pronouns

5. Identify two ways to correct a pronoun or name mistake

Course Materials 

• Gender-Inclusive Language Slide Deck
• Gender-Inclusive Language Leaner Material - Practice and Tip Sheet

Resources:

• Gender-Inclusive Language Style Guide
• Resource Guide for a Gender-Inclusive Workplace

Feeling safe is vital in creating spaces where people can engage as their best selves. On a neurological level, it is impossible to be present if we feel unsafe. This is true no matter the type or severity of harm faced. Unaddressed or recurring safety gaps erode organizational trust, limit productivity, stifle people's voices, and ultimately cause us to check out.

But when we do feel safe? The results are profound. People who feel safe build stronger relationships, are more engaged, make creative decisions, and experience a deeper sense of belonging.

Creating safe environments doesn't happen by chance. It requires intentional organizational efforts and investing in our people's voices to drive inclusive change.

Applying the Feel Safe framework to their culture, participants work through a process that empowers them to reimagine a people-centered workplace. Participants will diagnose safety gaps before distinguishing individual and organizational paths that foster feelings of safety.
 

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.

Additional City of Madison offerings by Tim Mousseau:

• People-Centered: Because We Matter: Advocating for Each Other to Build Healthy & High-Performing Teams
• Manager-Centered: Alone In A Crowded Office: How Leaders Can Overcome Harmful Behaviors That Foster Isolation

In order to build and sustain inclusive and multilingual spaces in our organizations, everyone’s voice and lived experiences needs to be valued and recognized. It is critical that all City staff have the necessary tools and information to communicate with those whose primary language is not English. Do you know how to support individuals who drop by or call your office in a language other than English?

Attendees will learn how to connect with an On-Demand interpreter, inclusive practices in working with interpreters, and participate in scenarios to practice learned skills, including communicating with people who use sign languages. You will also learn about the City of Madison’s Language Access Program, services, and compliance requirements.

Learning Objectives:

1. Connect with an On-Demand interpreter
2. Use inclusive practices when working with interpreters
3. Communicate with people who use sign languages
4. Explain the City of Madison’s Language Access Program, services, and compliance requirements

Do you want to learn how you can create a welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ colleagues, friends, city residents, and visitors? You’ll get an overview of LGBTQ issues with a focus on issues that affect transgender people. With this foundation, you’ll be ready to discuss LGBTQ+ inclusion and how to create a welcoming environment in your workplace and in other spaces you participate in. You are also encouraged to register for LGBTQ+ Part 2: Contributing to Systemic Change

Learning Objectives:

• Define basic LGBTQ+ terms and differentiate the concepts of gender and expression, sex assigned at birth, and sexual orientation.
• Understand and apply key LGBTQ+ concepts to yourself and others
• Name two disparities experienced by LGBTQ+ communities

Course Materials:

• LGBTQ+ Part 1 Slide Deck

A follow-up to the foundational welcoming skills discussed in LGBTQ+ Inclusion Part 1, this course dives deeper into institutional inequity for LGBTQ+ people and discusses how to create systemic change. You will engage in reflection and discussion of how to involve the voices of transgender, gender non-conforming, and nonbinary people in decision-making in City operations. You are also encouraged to register for LGBTQ+ Part 1: Creating Inclusive Spaces prior to this session. 

Learning Objectives:

• Name two examples of institutional biases experienced by transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming people
• Identify ways to involve the voices of transgender, gender non-conforming, and nonbinary people indecision-making
• Name ways the City upholds institutional biases, and how City employees can work to deconstruct these systems

Course Materials:

• LGBTQ+ Part 2 Slide Deck

Known as APM 3-5, the City's Prohibited Harassment & Discrimination Policy covers expectations for creating a discrimination-free workplace.

Harassment in the workplace can be a form of illegal employment discrimination. This workshop is designed to provide employees with a greater understanding of the City's APM 3-5 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. 
 

Permanent City employees are required to take this training within 45 days of hire and every three years following.
If you are a Mandatory Reporter (Lead Worker, Supervisor, Manager, Department/Division Heads) or are an employee in the Mayor's Office, Department of Civil Rights, or Human Resources, please register for the Mandatory Reporter Training course instead. 
 

Presented by: Department of Civil Rights (DCR)

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

 

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. 

Module 1: “Let’s Talk About It” – Things that are NOT better left unsaid.
Everyday acts of exclusion are hidden in plain sight at work. They can make us and our colleagues feel invisible, unwelcome, and unvalued. This workshop opens up a conversation about subtle acts of exclusion and how they create barriers to genuine inclusion. Participants will learn about different types of bias, and how bias can show up as a subtle act of exclusion in the workplace. We will explore ways to counteract bias and the importance of cultural humility.

Module 1 Learning Objectives:

1. Orient participants to the Multicultural Affairs Committee (MAC) and Women’s Initiatives Committee (WIC) Climate survey.
2. Learn what subtle acts of exclusions are and how they relate to the City’s Prohibited Harassment and Discrimination Policy.
3. Understand how subtle acts of exclusions impact the City of Madison’s employees and its workplace culture.

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

Join us for a deep dive into what it means to live trauma-informed. We will explore the impact of trauma on a personal level and how it shows up in the workplace. We will provide you with skills to navigate this in the workplace by learning more about how to have difficult conversations, how to regulate, and how to set appropriate boundaries.

Learning Objectives:

• Discussion about types of trauma and how it shows up for different individuals
• What trauma looks like in the workplace
• Learn skills to help have difficult conversations, regulate, and set appropriate boundaries

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.