Promotions are often the reward for hard work, but stepping into a management role without guidance can be overwhelming.
Madison Adult Career Center (MACC) is adding six leadership programs this fall in partnership with strategic business advisor Nicole Derr, aiming to give those in a position of authority the opportunity to gain practical tools they can use on the job.
This idea of collaboration began when MACC noticed how many community companies and organizations promote from within, and those put in a new role may not have all the skills to be an effective leader.
“These employees progress into a supervisory role, but they’re not really sure how to do that—how to supervise, how to manage, how to communicate, lead,” Director Sonja Pluck at MACC said.
Together, Derr and MACC built a set of courses that tackle those needs head-on. The lineup includes; Leadership Bootcamp, Leadership in the Trenches, Building a Leadership Pipeline, Living Your Best Life in Retirement, Succession Planning For Business Owners and Succession Planning For Senior Leaders.
Derr, who spent years working with larger companies in the Cleveland market before returning to the area, designed the classes to be interactive and candid.
“This isn’t your grandma’s leadership class,” she said. “We give students an overview and then we go deep on the topics, mostly through hands-on activities that give the participants practice applying their new skills, this way they have a more nuanced understanding of the topic and are prepared to apply the concepts immediately upon returning to the office.”
Leadership Bootcamp is aimed at new supervisors and emerging leaders, including those who have been leading without formal training.
Leadership in the Trenches is the next step for mid-level and senior leaders who want to sharpen day-to-day decision-making, coaching and communication. Leadership Bootcamp is a prerequisite.
Building a Leadership Pipeline focuses on succession planning and continuity for organizations preparing for transitions.
Living Your Best Life in Retirement helps owners and senior leaders plan for a purposeful next chapter and for healthy handoffs at work.
Succession Planning For Business Owners and Succession Planning For Senior Leaders prepares you for the legacy you are leaving behind and the next steps of life.
The Leadership Series cover topics including:
– Prioritization and Time Management
– Modern Risk Management
– Conflict Resolution
– Emotional Intelligence
– Giving and Receiving Feedback
– Leading Innovation & Disruption
The Leaving a Legacy Series cover topics including:
– Employee engagement & retention
– Assessing future leadership needs
– Identifying high potential employees
– Establishing a leadership career progression
– Your retirement blueprint
Class sizes intentionally run small, are taught at MACC to encourage in-person open discussion, and have accommodating schedules so leaders will be able to attend. Most sessions will include a one-on-one coaching session with Derr at no additional cost.
“We purposely keep these classes small and confidential, and if there’s something a student doesn’t want to share in front of their cohort, they will have that personal time just with me,” Derr said.
The goal of these sessions is practical change that shows up in everyday work and in long-term results. Priorities are clearer and the vision and mission are explicit, so staff can move forward with confidence.
The subject matter of the courses are not for a specific industry, but rather everyone in a leadership position can benefit from attending.
“It’s only going to impact an individual positively, as well as the company,” Pluck said. “They take this new knowledge back, and their teams are more productive.”
Participants from the community have come from support service agencies, accounting and financial services, and public service, with manufacturing and banking groups expected in upcoming sessions.
Feedback from past sessions include:
“There was a variety of content and an engaging style of instruction.”
“Overall great experience!”
“I enjoyed the small class size and how personable it was.”
“Nicole did a wonderful job engaging all participants.”
“The instructor was very knowledgeable and interesting.”
“Enjoyed the videos and resources for use to further our training.”
“Lots of new information to take back.”
Details and registration for Leadership Bootcamp, Leadership in the Trenches, Building a Leadership Pipeline, Living Your Best Life in Retirement, Succession Planning For Business Owners and Succession Planning For Senior Leaders are available here.
For questions about the new programs or if there is a specific leadership need within your company that doesn’t fit the description of any of the current courses, contact Madison Adult Career Center at (419) 589-6363 or spluck@madisonrams.net.
