Professional Development for Business Leaders

Southern Oregon University's executive and management training workshops address skills gaps identified by local employers.  Could your company's executives use just a little more confidence in making presentations to the board, the press, or the public?  Do you have good manager who struggle with some aspects of developing a work team?  Does your leadership team have a solid grasp of how to grab and spin data into a precious resource?  These skills make all the difference in growing from good to GREAT. 

Here are some great courses to go in depth into various topics that are 5 weeks long:

Entrepreneurship in Organizations - June 26 to July 24


Students learn to ideate, innovate, and iterate in collaboration with an engaged audience to develop, finance, and market works of value. The course introduces students to the crowd-funding platforms, social media marketing tools, and new digital distribution channels that have opened economic opportunities to content creators and offers students a foundation in the skills needed to launch and manage a successful creative enterprise. The course teaches students to develop a value hypothesis, conduct customer development interviews, and build a minimum viable product (prototype) to test the student’s business model or organizational change. Students are welcome to apply entrepreneurial thinking to pursue any enterprise that interests them.

Creative Thinking - July 31 to August 28


Involves experiential exercises designed to give students an opportunity to learn and gain thinking skills. Topics and exercises cover the development and assessment of creativity; the roles of learning styles, communication, assumptions, inferences, and hypotheses in creativity; the impact of groups on creativity; and various strategies for enhancing creativity.

IT legal and Ethical Issues - September 24 to October 28


Inquires into the ethical and legal implications of the products, activities, and behaviors of digital technology users, emphasizing U.S. laws and technology. Examines digital works, copyright laws, software, business practice patents, and a few significant court cases that raise fundamental constitutional issues. Enables students to understand the complex laws surrounding digital technology and to be able to form sound ethical and legal positions in the digital world.

Organizational Communication - October 29 to December 2


Studies the formal and informal channels of the message movement (up, down, and lateral) in modern profit and nonprofit organizations. Examines the role of communication in different theoretical approaches (e.g., classical, cultural, systems, and human resources) and organizational processes (e.g., assimilation, leadership, and decision making).

Organizational Leadership - October 29 to December 2


Based on a wide range of research and literature, this course includes an overview of major theories, approaches, and themes of leadership along with practical self-assessments to allow each student to explore how each leadership approach applies to respective situations. A major emphasis will be the application of the field of emotional intelligence to the study of leadership.

 

These classes are intense 5 week classes that include a few evenings in the Higher Education Center in Medford and online.  If you would like more information about these classes, please contact professional@sou.edu. 

 

Dates and Times of the three to six hour workshops beginning in Fall 2018 will be here soon!

Future Topics for Fall 2018 to Spring 2019:

Project Management Fundamentals Being Better Informed to Prevent Sexual Harassment
Change Management Improving Group Dynamics
Process Improvement and Metrics Alignment Interviewing and Listening
Developing Intelligent Teams Leadership through Meyers Briggs (MBTI)
Project Management Tools for Managers Managing Change through Communication

 

Past Topics:

It's a Matter of Mindset: Three Critical Perspectives that Drive Effective Quality & Continuous Improvement

It's a Matter of Mindset: Three Critical Perspectives that Drive Effective Quality & Continuous Improvement
May 23, 2018 at 8:30AM - 11:30AM in Ashland             $125 per person    

While quality and continuous improvement processes like TQM, Six Sigma, Lean, and Lean Six Sigma were each designed to facilitate improvement, they have definite differences in basic aims and perspectives. There are, however, three essential (though not often discussed) mindset components that underlie each of these systems, and are necessary to effectively implement improvement processes. In this session, we will explore:

  • Why a tool called the State of Mind Diagram can be essential to all quality improvement efforts
  • How a phenomenon now known as the Virus of Bias can interfere with assessments and data analysis and what leading companies are doing about it
  • What the term Quantum Responsibility means and how this foundational approach ensures more effective engagement, communication, and buy-in from all those involved in a continuous improvement or quality process
  • How an understanding of a process known as Leveraging the Genius of Inclusion increases a team’s ability to better understand the challenges and opportunities presented throughout the improvement process.

Based on well-honed tools and processes used by companies like Toyota, Dow Chemical, Intel, Amgen, and Whirlpool Corporation, the course will also include case studies, peer-to-peer discussions, and group dialogue.  Presenter: Christopher Harding

Conflict Resolution in the Workplace

Conflict Resolution in the Workplace
June 6th, 2018 at 8:30AM - 4:00 PM        $245.00 per person

Managers and employees spend an inordinate amount of time managing their own and team members’ conflicts and challenges. Few people have had quality training in these areas; as a result, resolution processes and outcomes are often less than productive or lasting. They can lead to uncomfortable and costly tangible and intangible consequences for the individuals involved and sometimes the entire organization.  Conflicts can “blow up;” or silently “linger” with resentment; get in the way of the work; take more time than they should; or even lead to increased grievances, absences, and turnover.  In this practice-based workshop, managers and employees both will learn: how to increase their personal power in any conflict, identify what’s really at stake when issues emerge, engage in best practices for raising tough issues, respond appropriately when they are presented, decide whether or not to get involved in others’ conflicts, and create communication agreements for conflict prevention in their own departments.  Participants will become aware of the strengths and weaknesses of their own and others’ conflict styles and tactics.  For more details about this workshop, click here.

Project Management and Metrics

Project Management & Metrics - Learn How to Manage The Busy-ness
April 27, 2018 at 8:30AM - 3:00 PM        $245.00 per person

Too complicated, too complex, too overwhelming: Making progress on a large project can feel like an endless Monday! This two-part workshop offers an introduction to project management and metrics that will help you establish control, and mark progress, over complex tasks that span months and involve multiple people. Click here for more information.

Project Management Fundamentals (8:30am-12:30pm) – An introduction to the language and framework of project management. Upon completion participants will have the tools to manage projects involving 3-5 people and spanning several months duration. We will lay out the basics of the classical Waterfall model, with a half-dozen hands-on exercises. We’ll use ProjectLibre software (freeware) to generate a Gantt Chart. Participants must bring a project to class to use in the exercise – either a work or home project.

Lunch is provided for those attending both morning and afternoon sessions

Metrics (1:00-3:00pm) – An introductory class designed to engage participants in understanding the real purpose and use of metrics. We will examine the big ideas and best practices associated with metrics. Upon completion participants will be prepared to comfortably apply metrics to processes in their world.

Financial Literacy for Managers


Financial Literacy for Managers

January 24th & February 7th, 2018 at 8:30AM - 11:30         $245.00 per person

The need for financial literacy at the management level is more important than ever. As businesses experience rapid changes accompanied by mounting challenges there is an increased demand for transparency and accountability and a need to improve existing financial reporting models. During this two session workshop, you will be equipped with the knowledge to bolster the financial capacity of your division or organization, and improve decision making and provide better support to your organization while understanding Financial reporting such as performance and loss statements, income statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements, managerial accounting, budget analysis, and performance evaluation tools to become proficient in budget and cost analysis that impact financial strategies. 

Responsibility, Empowerment, and Accountability: Three Secrets Effective Leaders Know and Apply


Responsibility, Empowerment, and Accountability: Three Secrets Effective Leaders Know and Apply

March 14th & March 28th, 2018 at 8:30AM - 11:30         $245.00 per person

Responsibility, Empowerment, and Accountability are powerful tools too often misunderstood and poorly applied in today’s organizations. In this two-session course (3 hours each), you will discover and practice the essential skills and mindset necessary for effectively implementing empowerment while creating a culture of authentic responsibility and accountability. Based on principles and practices utilized by Fortune 100 companies and thriving start-up organizations alike, this interactive, participatory course will enable you to you generate optimum engagement, effectiveness, and buy-in from your staff, colleagues, partners, or family members.

 

Other Workshops to Meet Your Needs:

Do you have other management training needs specific to your leadership team? Our network of professional development specialists can build content especially for you. We can also pull in topic specialists from across the Northwest to meet specialized needs.  Email professional@sou.edu.

 

Register for Business & Career Development workshops at: www.sou.edu/takeaclass

For more information or group registration call 541-552-8150 or email professional@sou.edu