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REGISTER one of three ways:

  1. Send an e-mail to Pamela Clark-Stein
  2. Print the registration form and fax it to 701.663-3745
  3. Print the registration form and mail it to:
       NDAREC
       PO BOX 727
       Mandan, ND 58554

2008 Education Menu

2008 Education Catalog (PDF)*
*Dates may have changed on the above pdf, for
an updated and current list of dates click on
this link:
NDAREC Association Dates


Mastering Leadership Skills: Understanding Your Leadership Style—Module I
Brochure
Registration Form

Recommended for all REC employees and especially first-level through mid-level supervisory staff

Wednesday, March 26—Mandan

Mastering Leadership Skills consists of six skill-building modules, which are structured to help managers and supervisors meet the challenges of today’s work environment. Following the recommendation of 2007 Mastering Leadership Skills graduates, NDAREC is bringing back Module I: Understanding Your Leadership Style and encourages all co-op employees to consider this coursework for more effectiveness and teamwork on the job. This seminar is focused on helping the individual gain an understanding of his or her environmental needs, and specifically, his or her personal interaction style. During this one-day session, each participant will begin to clarify what it is they do best, and why they are effective interacting with others. Conversely, this session also helps participants probe aspects of their behavior that may be
counterproductive in the workplace.

Key topics

  • Understand specifically why and how personal behavior affects other people
  • Develop an understanding of personal strengths and weaknesses when interacting with others
  • Develop a flexible style of interacting with others
  • Identify working relationships which are in jeopardy of being lost or damaged due to an inability to function harmoniously with team members
  • Identify key concepts of maintaining and nurturing solid working relationships based on mutual respect and trust
  • How to diffuse potentially explosive relationship problems

Instructor: David Glaspell


Mastering Leadership Skills: Defining Leadership Roles—Module II

Recommended for first-level and mid-level supervisors and managers. Module I is suggested as a prerequisite to enrolling in this program.

Thursday , March 27—Mandan

Employees are evaluated based on their performance and productivity. Leaders are evaluated on how well their work unit or team performs. When an employee moves from being one of the group—to being in charge of the group—his or her focus and work habits must change. The transition from being one of the group to being placed in a supervisory role, can be catastrophic if not handled properly. This session will target those issues the new (and experienced) supervisor may be confronted with, and provides key concepts for developing solid working relationships with others.

Key Topics

  • How to transition to a position of authority and responsibility
  • How to develop your employees
  • How to train and develop future leaders
  • The personal attributes of an effective leader
  • How to develop an appropriate and professional relationship with those you supervise
  • How to “fill in” for some of your immediate supervisor’s shortcomings
  • Understanding the difference between leadership and management
  • How to take care of your employees

Instructor: David Glaspell
 


QBQ! The Question Behind the Question

For REC employees

Thursday, July 24—Minot and
Wednesday, Nov. 12—Jamestown

Participants will be introduced to QBQ!—a personal accountability tool that enables people at all levels of the organization to ask better questions, get better answers, and consequently, better results. Instead of asking questions like “why is this happening to me,” “when is someone going to tell us what’s going on,” and “who’s going to solve the problem,” individuals will choose questions like “what can I do to make a difference,” “how can I help,” and “what choices do I have right now?” This QBQ! facilitated learning program is designed to promote a change in thought processes from negative to positive, and tear down organizational silos, boost morale, foster creativity and increase productivity.

Key topics

  • A personal accountability tool for leaders at every level: defining the QBQ understanding leadership and accountability, eliminating stress, and the power of choice
  • The “how to” of QBA—stopping the blame game, defeating procrastination, the foundation of teamwork, and the value of action
  • Personal accountability in action: the essence of learning, serving and coaching, understanding communication, and the power of serving others
  • Creativity and integrity: the cost of organizational politics, characteristics of achievers, common gaps in integrity

Instructor: Michael Lindblom’s


Workforce Development from the Inside Out
Recommended for REC chief executive officers, general managers and department managers, and supervisory personnel

Wednesday, Aug. 6, and
Thursday, Aug. 7—Mandan

Now is the time to re-examine the ways your cooperative develops, implements and evaluates programs to ensure a competent and ready workforce. We all know the  challenges ahead with the anticipated shortage of qualified employees for the electric utility industry—and the need to actively recruit and retain the most talented pool of workers possible.

In alignment with the NDAREC 2008 work plan and the recommendation of the NDAREC professional development committee, this seminar will address recruitment, hiring, orientation, succession planning, retention and exit programs. As part of the customized-development phase for this seminar, interested cooperatives will be invited to participate in a First Impressions—Lasting Impressions assessment conducted by the instructor. Results of the assessments will be used to tailor and prioritize the subject matter to better match the specific needs and interests of the NDAREC membership.
Participants will also be introduced to the Center for Energy Workforce Development and available resources through this national consortium for developing solutions to the coming workforce shortage.

Key topics

  • Workforce requirements to achieve short- and long-term goals and objectives such as workforce restructuring, expansion or reduction
  • Conducting job analyses to create job descriptions and identify job competencies and essential job functions
  • Establishing hiring criteria based on job descriptions and required competencies
  • Assessing skill sets of internal workforce and external labor market to determine availability of qualified candidates
  • Developing and implementing selection, interviewing, testing, reference and background checks, and drug-screening process and procedures
  • Developing, implementing and evaluating orientation processes, retention strategies, succession planning process, mentoring, leadership development, voluntary and involuntary exit process

Instructor: Kathy Ibach


Business Writing Solutions

Recommended for REC employees with communications and writing responsibilities

Tuesday, Oct. 7—Bismarck (satellite locations to be determined)

Participants will be surprised how fun this writing seminar is, not to mention the immediate results in terms of improved writing skills and confidence with their written communications. This seminar includes many hands-on activities so participants may apply the concepts immediately, including work on three to five of their own writing samples.

Key topics

  • E-writing skills
  • Business letter-writing skills
  • Document writing skills
  • Proper formatting and grammar
  • Proofreading: writing for the reader and not yourself
  • Proofreading for proper punctuation

Instructor: Nicole Beauclair


Advanced Rate Decisions: For Experienced Directors, NRECA #968.1

Recommended for REC board members. (Board members taking this course must have completed course NRECA #2640.1, Financial Decision Making)

Thursday, Oct. 2—Mandan

This course is designed to enable directors to discuss and understand the complex issues that must be balanced when the board considers equity management and alternative rate philosophies and strategies. Through a set of case studies and problem situations, attendees will analyze and discuss such issues as equity goals, long-range revenue requirements, achieving fairness for multiple rate classes, and dealing with proposed rate increases.

Key topics

  • Components of a rate philosophy
  • Key steps in the rate-making process
  • Evaluating equity goals

Instructor: Scott Luecal


Understanding the New World of Power Supply, NRECA #966.1

Recommended for REC board members

Tuesday, Dec. 2—Mandan

Directors face a new world in which power-supply decisions are more complex, involve greater risks, and have greater cost consequences for consumers. This Board Leadership course, designed for all directors, explains why this new environment developed; why decision making is more complex; and how utilities can implement prudent risk assessment tools to limit their exposure to the inherent volatility in power supply.

Key topics

  • Key concepts associated with power generation and transmission
  • How the nation’s power generation and transmission systems are changing in response to technological, legislative, regulatory and market forces
  • Why some new cost drivers are having significant impact on electric rates
  • Why cooperative concepts and principles are significant in dealing with these new market forces
  • Why Enterprise Risk Management evolved as an effective management tool for mitigating risk

Instructor: Mike Core

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