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REGISTER one of three ways:
- Send an e-mail to Pamela Clark-Stein
- Print the registration form and fax it to 701.663-3745
- Print the registration form and mail it to:
NDAREC
PO BOX 727
Mandan, ND 58554
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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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