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Professional Development and Electives

Please note: Professional development courses are open for all to register. You do not have to be enrolled in a specific program to register for a professional development/elective course.
Mississippi Certified Public Manager Program (CPM)
Advanced Grant Writing

This follow-up class is ideal for employees who obtain grant funding. Participants will learn to increase their understanding of proposal writing techniques by looking at the components of a proposal. In doing this we talk about goals, techniques, process, editing, needs statement, costs, and the logic model. 
Objectives:
•    Increase understanding of proposal writing techniques
•    Identify ways to avoid writing mistakes
•    Identify critical components in proposal writing
•    Learn to view proposals from the reviewer's viewpoint
TARGET AUDIENCE: All staff responsible for securing funding
3 Hours CPM Elective Credit

Advanced Presentation Skills - Teams

Good presentation skills can catapult careers, but for some people the fear of speaking in public is a paralyzing obstacle. In this class, the fundamentals of public speaking are taught along with tips for turning the attention of the audience away from the speaker and onto visual aids. Each participant will have the opportunity to practice in a safe, supportive setting.
Objectives:
•    Differentiate among types of presentations
•    Identify the components of a presentation
•    Understand the importance of visual aids and control
TARGET AUDIENCE:  Individuals who interact with the public,
Those who are on a management track,
Those who deliver critical services, or
Those who manage people, projects, or programs
6 Hours CPM Elective Credit

Advanced Writing for CPM

Employees often devote up to three hours each day struggling to express their thoughts and recommendations in writing. Sadly, this time is squandered if emails, memos, reports, and other documents are misinterpreted or even ignored. With awkward sentence structure, poor organization, and murky language, most written communication drops off the radar due to information clutter. 
Advanced Writing teaches how to set quality writing standards that help increase productivity, resolve issues, avoid errors, and heighten credibility. Participants learn a four-step process to create writing that cuts through the clutter to write faster with more clarity, and gain skills for revising and fine-tuning every kind of document.
Objectives:
•   Organize initial ideas around a clear purpose
•   Structure a prototype based on solid writing standards
•   Evolve the prototype into a draft document
•   Review and refine the draft against formal standards
•   Produce a final and collaborative edit of the draft
•   Build skills to achieve a successful CPM project
TARGET AUDIENCE:  Individuals who interact with the public,
Those who are on a management track,
Those who deliver critical services, or
Those who manage people, projects, or programs
6 Hours CPM Elective Credit (Required for the CPM Program)

Civility in the Workplace

Civility is about citizenship, about learning how to live together in a community. Rules placed in law or just as standards we call good manners help us co-exist as good citizens. In the last month have you witnessed or experienced a rude behavor? What is your normal emotional reaction? In this course you will learn the benefits of civility and finding common ground.  
Objectives:
•   Understand the definition of civility
•   Review DiSC 
•   Assess your civility
•   Learn how to find common ground
•   Emotional Intelligence review
TARGET AUDIENCE:  Individuals who interact with the public,
Those who are on a management track,
Those who deliver critical services, or
Those who manage people, projects, or programs
6 Hours CPM Elective Credit 

Communicating as a Manager

According to the American Management Association, a communication skill set is one of the six core competencies a manager needs to develop. One reason is that effective communication between managers and employees is essential for an organization to succeed. Managers communicate so that their employees know what is expected of them, understand what it is that they’re doing correctly, and identify where they might need to improve. Clear communication also helps to increase employees’ motivation and commitment. 
The results of unclear communication can be costly: poor performance and work quality, inefficiency, inability to achieve goals, misunderstandings, frustration, disappointment, anger, reduced job satisfaction, and increased turnover. 
Learning to communicate effectively with employees helps you in several ways. You will have better relationships with your employees, encounter fewer problems, and achieve your goals more easily, making you more valuable to your organization. The ability to communicate clearly is an essential management skill that can make your job more fulfilling and improve your career prospects.
Objectives:
•    Understand the Why and What of Managerial Communicating
•    Learn to convey your message clearly
•    Learn how to communicate through changes
TARGET AUDIENCE: Individuals who interact with the public,
Those who are on a management track,
Those who deliver critical services, or
Those who manage people, projects, or programs
6 Hours CPM Elective Credit

Compassion Fatigue

Everyone is not OK but back at work anyway. In this session we look at the history, symptoms of, relevance of, and coping methods for compassion fatigue in public employees. Employees are going into performance reviews, brainstorming sessions and the office with all kinds of grief. Small problems feel large. Large problems feel colossal. And with mental health care hard to obtain, workers are trying to fill the gaps.
Objectives:
•    Identify the signs, symptoms and practice areas where compassion fatigue can occur.
•    Describe the challenges associated with identifying, preventing, and managing compassion fatigue.
•    Describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as it relates to compassion fatigue.
•    Discuss a plan to mitigate compassion fatigue as the COVID-19 pandemic continues
TARGET AUDIENCE: Individuals who interact with the public,
Those who are on a management track,
Those who deliver critical services, or
Those who manage people, projects, or programs
6 Hours CPM Elective Credit

Consciously Overcoming Unconscious Bias

Successful completion of this course will increase your ability to do the following:
•    Understand the nature and origins of implicit/unconscious bias. 
•    Recognize the ways that implicit/unconscious bias can lead to unfair or harmful decisions and actions in the workplace.
•    Identify ways to effectively address situations where unconscious bias has had a negative impact.
•    Discover strategies to ensure decisions and actions are equitable and objective.

CPM Project Workshop

How do you choose a project topic? Does your idea relate to your current job responsibilities or to your ideas for the improvement of services in the workplace? Does your idea relate to the information, theories, models, and principles you have learned in the MCPM training sessions? In this class, we discuss the procedures for the CPM projects and give one-on-one feedback on your ideas to help ensure the successful completion of your project.
Objectives:
•    Understand the mechanics of writing a Level 3 CPM Project Proposal and Project Report
•    To discuss/explore potential topics
•    Leave with confidence in completing your Level 3 CPM Project Proposal and Project Report
TARGET AUDIENCE: Individuals who interact with the public,
Those who are on a management track,
Those who deliver critical services, or
Those who manage people, projects, or programs
6 Hours CPM Elective Credit

Creating Your Own Personal Brand

Creating Your Own Personal Brand encompasses a worker’s behavior, appearance, and workplace ethics. Employees who have high standards of professionalism are frequently perceived as being more credible and reliable than their coworkers. As a result, these employees are frequently regarded as their company’s leaders. With the workplace more and more competitive, this course is designed to train employees on how to showcase themselves and stand out among the crowd. 
Objectives:
•    Understand the impact of cultural influences from the 19th century to present day
•    Learn how generational influences introduce stereotypes and how to break through the stereotypical mindset
•    Gain insight into personal branding, including professionalism, character, attitude, competency, and conduct
TARGET AUDIENCE: Individuals who interact with the public,
Those who are on a management track,
Those who deliver critical services, or
Those who manage people, projects, or programs
6 Hours CPM Elective Credit

Crucial Accountability

A culture with weak accountability is one where those who see problems say nothing because they assume they don’t have the authority or skills to raise a concern. This course teaches a straightforward, step-by-step process for identifying and resolving performance gaps, strengthening accountability, eliminating inconsistency, and reducing resentment. 
The course teaches participants how to:
• Hold anyone accountable, regardless of the person’s power, position, or temperament
• Motivate others and permanently resolve problems without using power, by clearly and concisely explaining specific, natural consequences
• Manage projects without taking over by creatively helping others avoid excuses
• Keep projects on track and resolve performance barriers
• Move to action by agreeing on a plan, following up, engaging in good reporting
practices, and managing new expectations
TARGET AUDIENCE: Individuals who interact with the public,
Those who are on a management track,
Those who deliver critical services, or
Those who manage people, projects, or programs
6 Hours CPM Elective Credit for Crucial Conversations® graduates
HRCP participants should not take this class since it is part of the HRCP curriculum.