TMP Course Descriptions: Period 1

Today’s leaders face unprecedented challenges: employee engagement levels are at ten-year lows, quiet quitting is a reality, and generational dynamics require new approaches that engage teams in ways that drive top performance. Leading in the 21st century requires more than traditional management skills. It demands adaptability, intentional strategies, and the ability to empower employees to reach their highest potential and contribute at exceptional levels. This is especially true in STEM industries, where ingrained norms can reinforce non-inclusive environments that impede team outcomes. Given current momentum against DEI, leaders must be prepared to foster inclusive environments in ways that align with business priorities, create resilience, and generate long-term success while retaining underrepresented colleagues who offer essential contributions to our workforces.

The good news? Leaders who develop the right strategies will not only maintain but strengthen high performing cultures, creating more positive work environments, deeper collaboration, and better performance outcomes, all while attracting and retaining top talent. Through principles of strengths-based leadership, positive organizational scholarship, and emotionally intelligent leadership, this course provides practical tools to navigate the current landscape effectively.

Key Topics Include:

• What effective leadership looks like in the current climate of marketplace disruption and workforce disengagement
• Learning your top strengths and how to channel them toward building an effective and impactful leadership brand that empowers your team
• Developing skills for leading yourself and others using principles of growth mindset and strengths-based leadership
• Cultivating emotional intelligence to build trust and  belonging
• Implementing practical approaches to level the playing field without alienating key stakeholders 
• Leading culture change in ways that create lasting impact and sustainable progress

Psychology has traditionally studied individuals, couples, and organizations in difficulty. Most theories and therapies are based on the work with these groups. But this problem-oriented focus has limited the usefulness of psychology in helping people to create and sustain success. There is a body of research that has sought to understand the traits and behaviors of people and organizations that succeed in the areas of career; building healthy, productive work relationships; and maintaining good physical health. The studies reach surprisingly consistent conclusions regarding the skills that allow us to create, maintain, and enhance success. In this hands-on course, you learn the skills of creating and sustaining excellence in the workplace through a lively mix of lecture, film, live demonstrations, case studies, and role-play scenarios.

Topics include:

• The 4 Skills of Successful People and Organizations
• How Successful People Change
• Strategies for Coping with Adversity in the Workplace
• The Essential Skill to Look for in an Employee or Colleague
• Preventing Conflict and Maximizing Collaboration
• Dealing with the Emotional Challenges of Managing People

This course provides an upbeat and supportive environment where you will learn to unlock your true potential and perform at new levels of personal and professional excellence. You’ll explore inner terrain that we don’t normally have the opportunity to travel.

Learning Outcomes:

• Discover your true life mission and learn how to harness your inner resource toward achieving it
• Create a customized leadership identity and integrate that “prototype of excellence” into your nervous system
• Understand how your early heroes and role models imprinted your values
• Replace limiting paradigms with empowering beliefs and integrate new behaviors into your daily actions
• Apply emotional intelligence strategies to step into optimum states of motivation, action, and high performance
• Learn to confidently take action in uncomfortable situations despite fear or embarrassment

Outline of the Course

Day One

The Why: Establishing a theoretical framework for thinking about generations

The course begins with exploring the 'why' of the generational phenomenon. You will prepare to articulate the need for organizational adaptation (recruiting, training, processes, procedures, knowledge transfer, mentoring, and other dynamics).

Day Two

The What: Discussing current challenges presented in a multigenerational workforce

Once we gain a perspective on generational differences, we will identify specific challenges organizations and course participants are experiencing. The list of challenges that emerge from class discussion will inform real-world intervention strategies for leading today's workforce.

Day Three

The How: Discovering management competencies that lead to effectiveness

We will learn the competencies that differentiate effective managerial leaders from those who struggle with a multigenerational workforce. Participants are invited to suspend their perspectives and explore the values behind the behaviors of the various generations in the workforce. Participants will consider how their management approach is reflected or not reflected in the list of competencies.

Day Four

Discussing current challenges, young professionals face

We will discuss young professionals' challenges when they enter careers and how managers can help them overcome career barriers. The session will be significant for onboarding and developing young professionals.

Day Five

Preparing emerging leaders

We will identify personal challenges young professionals face when transitioning into management and how to help them negotiate the fear of disappointing their boss or isolation from former peers they experience. The ability to deal with ambiguity and decision-making will be a focus.

Team Project Assignment: Role-Play Exercise

Role-play: To act out or perform the part of a person or character, for example, as a technique in training.

Objective:

Learn how to apply the core competencies to real-life situations or help young professionals overcome a challenge they face in the workplace. Please refer to your notes for competencies and challenges. Select one of the nine competencies or one of the challenges and create two role-plays in which you use a competency or challenge in a work situation. One role-play will be utilizing a competency to engage the employee effectively. The other role-play will be an example of what not to do. The role play should be 5 to 7 minutes.

Course Learning Outcomes:

• Explain the dynamics at play in a multigenerational workforce
• Describe the theoretical framework for thinking about generations
• Use nine competencies critical to managing today's workforce
• Describe the challenges young professionals face when entering the workforce and how to coach them for success
• Recognize and address personal and organizational bias
• Develop emerging leaders
• Work cross-generationally