Instructor Led Programs

Persuasion in Practice: Enhancing Communication and Team Dynamics

Learn how to master Cialdini’s six principles of persuasion and apply them to your department’s goals. We’ll also explore how a healthy work environment (based on the *SCARF model) enhances influence. Lastly, we will touch on how techniques like framing, priming, and other "simple" behavioral tactics can improve communication. Engage in hands-on exercises, secret challenges, and peer review to sharpen your persuasive skills.

BUILD: Work Culture: Practices in Developing Inclusive Environments

There are many approaches to developing inclusive work environments. This session will approach creating an inclusive environment using a 3-level framework that will be applied to creating more inclusive spaces.

Activities will be facilitated to prompt personal reflection as well as provide tools to consider how one’s values and roles may influence organizations of which they are a part. You will walk away with a personalized action plan to start creating a more inclusive organization.

Enhance Your Personal Brand: Lessons from the World's Most Successful Companies

Apple. Google. Target. Twitter. Coca-Cola. Starbucks. These are some of the most famous brands in the world. But did you know that you have a brand as well? Your personal brand is the essence or promise of what will be experienced by others when interacting with you. Through self-reflective exercises and creative thought experiments, this program will show participants what factors comprise their personal brand, which ones may be increasing or decreasing their effectiveness, and how to develop a personal brand that enhances personal and professional success.

BUILD: Understanding Transgender and Gender Diverse Identities—Support and Advocacy

The Transgender and Gender Diverse Identities workshop is designed to provide participants an opportunity to better understand nuances around the transgender and gender diverse communities. Included in the session: language regarding gender diversity, challenges faced by the community, and most importantly how to support trans and gender diverse folks in the community.

Healthy Workplace Relationships: Developing Supportive Connections (Pt 3 of 4 part Mental Health Awareness Series)

For many people, work relationships are some of the most impactful in their life. Attendees will be given resources to help identify their existing strengths, both as individuals and as part of their various relationship systems, and ideas of how to continue to learn and grow. Provided by SupportLinc.

Understanding the Role of the Human Resources Organizational Change Consultation Office (Information Session)

The Human Resources Talent Management office offers training and consultation focusing on helping people manage change. These services are intended to help support individuals, teams and groups better understand and manage change.

Charting your course: A woman’s financial guide

When it comes to financial well-being, many women are fighting to catch up. In this webinar we’ll cover some financial basics that can lay the groundwork for success. You’ll also learn how to take action and tackle financial challenges to keep moving toward your goals.

BUILD: Accessibility 101 @ PSU -- An Introduction

This session introduces the main points of accessibility policy and guidelines and uses demos of assistive technologies, such as screen readers, and testing strategies and tools to show how following accessibility guidelines benefits everyone. The session ends with information on how to learn the skills and strategies to successfully implement accessibility guidelines based on your job duties and technological environment.

Purposeful Productivity: Getting Real Stuff Done... For Real!

Do you find yourself working really hard, but still not feeling like you’ve accomplished anything – at least anything important? Do most goal-setting processes stress you out or fall short in your life? There is a way to be productive and get stuff done that’s flexible, forward-moving, and fun! It takes some discipline, but it's not rigid. There are a few steps, but it's not hard. You’ll learn a quick process for productivity that might just change how you approach everything from cleaning the garage to tackling a massive project at work, from building a new healthy living habit to earning a new credential.

BUILD: Interfaith Education: Societal Understanding

This is the second program in the Interfaith Education workshop series. It builds on the previous workshop focused on Interpersonal Understanding. *It is recommended that you participant in the first session of the series, Interfaith Education: Interpersonal Understanding, prior to attending this session, but is not required.

Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention

With a focus on prevention, this program reviews sexual assault as it relates to Pennsylvania laws, the importance of consent, and resources and support for victims.

Mentoring 101: The Basics for Mentors

Have you been approached by someone to be their mentor (or considered sharing your skills and experiences with others as a mentor)- and you’re not sure how to begin? Join us for an information session to learn more about:

• The benefits of mentoring
• The roles of the mentor and mentee
• Characteristics of a successful mentoring experience Identifying what you can offer—and how to step up

We will share mentoring best practices, hear from a mentoring pair about their mentoring journey (and why it was worth the time and effort) and provide a next step action plan to get you on your way as a mentor!

Exploring University Park Transportation Services and Options

Join us for an informative session hosted by Penn State Transportation Services, where you'll learn about the wide range of transportation services and options available to employees at the University Park Campus. This session will cover services such as Fleet Operations and rentals, Parking, Campus and Community Transit, Biking, the Spin Bike Share Program, carpooling, and other local transportation alternatives. This session will help you navigate transportation options for both work-related travel and daily communing needs.

FiSH! Philosophy

The FiSH! Philosophy is a set of simple, practical tools to help you create a workplace where people love to be and where the energy and passion lead to increased productivity, teamwork, and customer satisfaction. This 2.5-hour online program will introduce participants to the core principles of the FiSH! Philosophy, explore its application in the workplace, and provide actionable strategies to foster a positive and engaging work environment. Through interactive sessions, real-world examples, and collaborative activities, participants will learn how to incorporate the FiSH! Philosophy into their daily routines to enhance workplace morale and performance.

Crucial Accountability

Accountability is a critical performance criterion for the workplace. Accountability exists at all levels of an organization/team. The accountability term is frequently used when tasks and team objectives are not being met, but more frequently than not, it was not defined up front what ‘it is’ to the accountable individuals and teams. Supervisors in particular are responsible for ensuring that accountability exists within the team but frequently ‘defer’ and do not confront the lack of accountability. At the same time individuals within an organization/team need to understand their individual accountability and holding their peers accountable. All need to understand what the elements are for achieving it and how to coach/counsel when it is not being met. Much of the presentation will be based upon the book, ‘Crucial Accountability: Tools for Resolving Violated Expectations, Broken Commitments, and Bad Behavior’.

BUILD: Accessibility 103 @ PSU – Accessible PowerPoint Template

The focus of this session is building accessible PowerPoint slides so that all audiences can access the information. Starting with some basic Penn State PowerPoint templates, we will explore how to insert image ALT text, tables with headers, usable links and text with proper reading order for a screen reader. We will also show how you can use the Slide Master tools to expand the template with new layouts and color options.

Your Personalized Blueprint for Emotional Intelligence

Have you ever struggled to navigate a tough conversation, felt misunderstood, or wished you could manage stress more effectively? This workshop will help you uncover how boosting emotional intelligence—the ability to understand, regulate, and express your own emotions and those of others—can provide the tools to handle these challenges with confidence and clarity.

Mentoring 101: The Basics for Mentees

Have you been thinking about finding a mentor but don’t know where to start?

Join us for an information session to learn more about:

• The benefits of mentoring
• The roles of the mentor and mentee
• Characteristics of a successful mentoring experience
• How to find a mentor

We will share mentoring best practices, hear from a mentoring pair about their mentoring journey (and why it was worth the time and effort) and provide a next step action plan to get you on your way as a mentee!

SupportLinc EAP Overview for Benefits-eligible Employees

Life can be a juggling act. It takes time and energy to balance your work, family and personal wellbeing. The SupportLinc Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available around-the-clock, 365 days a year, to help manage life’s challenges, at no cost to Penn State benefit-eligible employees and their families. This seminar will provide an overview of SupportLinc services, expert guidance, and valuable resources – all 100% confidential – for a wide array of personal and work-related concerns, including stress, anxiety, grief, mindfulness, relationship issues, dependent care and much, much more.

Team Dynamics: Six things to think about

Promoting a productive and safe work environment involves fostering trust, delegating effectively, and maintaining open communication. By incorporating the tips from this training program, managers can develop the skills and mindset needed to counteract any tendencies toward micromanagement and instead build trust and foster a more positive and productive work environment that benefits you and everyone on the team.

From Routine to Remarkable: A Creativity Bootcamp for Innovation at Work

Creativity isn’t just for artists—it’s a skill anyone can develop to solve problems, innovate, and make work more engaging. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll explore creativity as a mindset, process, and set of practical tools. Learn how to recognize and overcome common barriers to creativity, spark fresh ideas, and apply innovative thinking to real-world challenges. Through interactive activities, you’ll learn to apply a variety of tools and techniques as you practice the creative problem-solving process. Whether you’re tackling routine tasks or complex projects, this session will equip you with strategies to think outside the box and bring creative solutions to life.

The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team

Do you wonder why you enjoy certain tasks at work, and it seems like the day flies by when you’re doing them?  Do you put off certain tasks or get exhausted when you have to do them frequently?  Those tasks could be in your working genius or frustration.

Communicating Change: The Importance of Effective Communication in Change Management

Communication before, during and after a change implementation is key to ensure end users and stakeholders understand the what the change is, how it affects them, and how it will be implemented. Determining the breadth and depth of types of communications is important to ensure successful change implementation.

TIAA: INVEST! Take Control of your financial life: 5 steps to managing money and debt

If you’re just starting out or want to improve your day-to-day financial skills, this webinar will help you learn how to manage your money and balance your priorities so you can enjoy life now and save for the future.

BUILD: Inclusive Learning and Working

The Inclusive Learning Model (ILM) was designed by the World Campus Accessibility Team to assist student-facing units with creating a more inclusive student experience by providing innovative resources to address unique challenges and misconceptions. This workshop will help units to foster inclusion within their mission, practices, and procedures.

BUILD: Accessibility 102 @ PSU - Accessible Word Templates

This is a follow-up to IDP Accessibility 101

In this session, we will walk through using a Word template to create accessible documents using Microsoft Word with templates as an example. We will reformat a report so that it includes headings, image ALT text, accessible tables, and an accessible bar chart with a description. We will also discuss how to share an accessible template for multiple documents and how to modify the styles of a template.

Talking about Mental Health in the Workplace (Pt 4 of 4 part Mental Health Awareness Series)

1 in 5 adults in the United States experiences a mental health concern every single year. While emotional distress is not always a sign of mental illness, it can still take a major toll on employee wellbeing – not to mention productivity. In the end, everyone suffers when emotional distress and mental illness are left unaddressed in the workplace. Fortunately, employees and organizations can take steps to create a supportive environment, or what is often referred to as a psychologically healthy workplace. Taking these basic steps not only helps employees in distress and connects them to care – it increases employee resilience and engagement, as well as productivity. Provided by SupportLinc.

Professional Writing Essentials: Punctuation

Words are only part of writing. Punctuation keeps your writing easy to understand and expressive! This course reviews the basics of punctuation and how to properly use it. Individuals will gain confidence as they learn the building blocks to create properly punctuated, effective communication. Learners will participate in discussions and exercises to build their punctuation comprehension.

BUILD: Introduction to Deaf Culture and American Sign Language

This presentation provides an engaging and informative introduction to the rich history, unique language, and vibrant culture of the Deaf community. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of Deaf Culture, including its values, traditions, and the social and historical factors that have shaped it.

Providing Exceptional Customer Service in a Hybrid Workplace

Life as we know it is very different; we are living and serving our internal and external customers in ways we could not have even imagined.. But are we achieving success or are we finding excuses to explain why customer service is falling behind?

Safety and Security for Office Personnel

This program offers useful safety guidelines for the workplace, reviews security features typical of campus buildings, and identifies different ways to contact the police. You will learn how to implement a code word, how to deal with irate customers in a safe manner, and how to respond if you encounter an individual with a weapon.

Dealing Positively with Challenging People & Situations

To realize the importance of effective communication and how to respond positively with internal and external customers during challenging situations. Sometimes it seems like people are difficult on purpose, even when you try your best to help them. Some days it seems like all your ‘buttons have been pushed’! Attend this engaging seminar to help you recognize when you are going to ‘react’ rather than ‘respond’.

Attitude of Gratitude

Gratitude is the practice of affirming gifts and positivity in the world coupled with the recognition from which these resources stem. The practice offers physiological, psychological and social benefits improving on our bodies, minds and relationships. In this presentation, we’ll discuss the many benefits of gratitude and provide simple and manageable ways that offer significant results to cultivate gratitude in our everyday life. Provided by SupportLinc.

Mentoring 101: The Basics for Mentors

Have you been approached by someone to be their mentor (or considered sharing your skills and experiences with others as a mentor)- and you’re not sure how to begin?

Join us for an information session to learn more about:

• The benefits of mentoring
• The roles of the mentor and mentee
• Characteristics of a successful mentoring experience Identifying what you can offer—and how to step up

We will share mentoring best practices, hear from a mentoring pair about their mentoring journey (and why it was worth the time and effort) and provide a next step action plan to get you on your way as a mentor!

Mentoring 101: The Basics for Mentees

Have you been thinking about finding a mentor but don’t know where to start?

Join us for an information session to learn more about:

• The benefits of mentoring
• The roles of the mentor and mentee
• Characteristics of a successful mentoring experience
• How to find a mentor

We will share mentoring best practices, hear from a mentoring pair about their mentoring journey (and why it was worth the time and effort) and provide a next step action plan to get you on your way as a mentee!

Dealing with Financial Stress provided by SupportLinc

Finances continues to be a major source of stress for many people. In this presentation, attendees will learn some of the most common causes of financial stress. Additionally, they’ll learn to recognize the negative effects of financial stress as well as practical strategies to reduce or eliminate it.

Building Positive Self-Esteem: Strategies for Success provided by SupportLinc

From time to time, everyone faces circumstances that make it hard to feel good about themselves. This presentation is designed to provide attendees with ideas and practical strategies that they can begin using immediately to increase self-esteem and can begin to develop an overall healthier mindset.

SupportLinc EAP Overview for Benefits-eligible Employees

Life can be a juggling act. It takes time and energy to balance your work, family and personal wellbeing. The SupportLinc Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available around-the-clock, 365 days a year, to help manage life’s challenges, at no cost to Penn State benefit-eligible employees and their families. This seminar will provide an overview of SupportLinc services, expert guidance, and valuable resources – all 100% confidential – for a wide array of personal and work-related concerns, including stress, anxiety, grief, mindfulness, relationship issues, dependent care and much, much more.

Mentoring 101: The Basics for Mentors

Have you been thinking about finding a mentor but don’t know where to start?

Join us for an information session to learn more about:

• The benefits of mentoring
• The roles of the mentor and mentee
• Characteristics of a successful mentoring experience
• How to find a mentor

We will share mentoring best practices, hear from a mentoring pair about their mentoring journey (and why it was worth the time and effort) and provide a next step action plan to get you on your way as a mentee!

Mentoring 101: The Basics for Mentees

Have you been thinking about finding a mentor but don’t know where to start?

Join us for an information session to learn more about:

• The benefits of mentoring
• The roles of the mentor and mentee
• Characteristics of a successful mentoring experience
• How to find a mentor

We will share mentoring best practices, hear from a mentoring pair about their mentoring journey (and why it was worth the time and effort) and provide a next step action plan to get you on your way as a mentee!