Student Employment Forum Series:
Being a Student Mentor

Held October 22, 2020, online

Being a student’s supervisor and mentor is no easy task. It is a process that takes time, trust, and a high level of support to develop. However, mentoring relationships are crucial to student success, enhancing a student’s sense of belonging in the workplace. Please join other individuals who supervise students from across campus as we discuss challenges, successes, and ideas for being a positive student mentor.

Peer Learning Collective:
 Promoting and Embracing Autonomy in Remote Work

Held October 14, 2020, online

As supervisors, many of us transitioned to leading remote teams due to the pandemic. How do you promote autonomy and empower staff to be productive when you are not together in the office? In this small group discussion, we talked about embracing autonomy with remote workers in this discussion with your peers. We tapped into Daniel Pink’s ideas of autonomy from the book DRIVE, including ROWE and the Four T’s of Autonomy. Check out this great book for more on this topic!

Student Employment Forum Series:
Supervising with Empathy

Held September 23, 2020, online

These past 6 months are unlike anything most of us have experienced in our professional journeys. Supervisors’ roles, perhaps more than ever before, will require emotional intelligence skills. Basic Needs Assistants Marie Nofodji and Erin Long discussed the importance of supervising with empathy when interacting with students and other colleagues in the workplace. The slideshow will be shared at a later date.

Peer Learning Collective:
 Leading Hybrid Teams, Remote and On Campus

Held August 26, 2020, online / follow-up meeting September 23, 2020, online

This was a self-directed discussion group led by Christopher East, Organizational Career Development Specialist for Learning and Talent Development.  Timely discussion topics impacting leaders will be brought forward by the collective. A safe place for sharing and listening will be established with learning outcomes expected in developing professional competencies, sharing best practices, building networks, and offering personal and professional challenges in the workplace.  Monthly discussions will be approximately one hour and attendance is completely voluntary.  This month’s topic was “Leading hybrid teams: remote and on campus.” A few members of the group met again in late September to talk about any improvements or updates since August, and discuss other ideas the Peer Learning Collective can tackle.

Peer Learning Collective:
 Ways to Keep Your Teams Engaged

Held June 30, 2020, online / follow-up meeting July 29, 2020 online

This was a self-directed discussion group led by Christopher East, Organizational Career Development Specialist for Learning and Talent Development.  The first kick-off topic was “Ways to keep your teams engaged during COVID19 and beyond.”  Some people from the group connected again in late July to check in on each other and see if progress was made on some of the challenges discussed.

Student Employment Forum Series

Held April 16, 2020, online

Kristina Rittel and Justin Mumford led the last Student Employment Forum Series, to dive deeper into the area of student management on campus. This session focused on providing engaging and meaningful work environments for workers, with professional development and a trusting relationship with management being key.

Student Employment Forum Series

Held March 10, 2020, at Gordon Commons

The first of three sessions focusing on student employment was held on January 16th. Kristina Rittel and Justin Mumford are now leading a Student Employment Forum Series, to dive deeper into the area of student management on campus, and focused on hiring, recruitment, and onboarding for the first meeting. This second session focused on accountability and discipline and talked about the important role you as a supervisor have in communicating clear expectations to your student employees.

Campus Supervisors Open Networking

Held March 3, 2020, at Union South

Network with your peers! Attendees effectively used this opportunity to build their network with supervisors from different units. This is the place to pose questions and seek input from the group or talk about successes and struggles you are having in your leadership journey.

Student Employment Forum Series

Held January 16, 2020, at Gordon Commons

The first of three sessions focusing on student employment was held on January 16th. Kristina Rittel and Justin Mumford are now leading a Student Employment Forum Series, to dive deeper into the area of student management on campus, and focused on hiring, recruitment, and onboarding for the first meeting. They covered important ideas, such as avoiding unnecessary barriers in the process, giving concise and detailed descriptions of the actual job duties, and how your onboarding process affects the staying power of employees in these recruitments.

CSN Summer Book Club Follow-up Meeting on Intrinsic Motivation

Held January 8, 2020, at Memorial Union

It had been four months since we parted ways from the CSN Summer Book Club, where we learned about the concepts of Dan Pink’s book DRIVE. Participants at this gathering discussed:
• How we’ve implemented the ideas from DRIVE into our workplaces
• How we are promoting autonomy, mastery, and purpose with staff
• Successes in our work units, and heard from others on campus

Campus Supervisors and PSM Graduates Open Networking

Held December 3, 2019, at Union South

Network with your peers! Some CSN members used this opportunity to build their network with supervisors from different units. We discussed autonomy, the Leadership@UW framework, hiring practices, workplace conflict, motivating student workers with purpose, and much more in this open networking session. It was an intimate group all willing to share their experiences and learn from each other.

What challenges are you currently facing as a supervisor?

LMD Conference

What Really Drives Employees: Learn about Intrinsic Motivation
A Summary of the book Drive by Dan Pink

Held November 13, 2019, at Union South

At the Learning and Management Development (LMD) conference, CSN chair Rich Gassen presented a summary of the book Drive by Dan Pink, focusing on autonomy, mastery, and purpose. This was CSN’s summer book club feature, and CSN had a lot of resources and links to share regarding this subject for managers to take back to their units and put into practice.

Managing Student Workers Discussion

Held November 6, 2019, at Memorial Union

Do you manage students as part of your staff? Campus Supervisors Network got 50 people together to collect information from supervisors who lead student workers so we can help develop resources and share success stories with all of you. In small groups, we brainstormed ideas, asked where you struggle in this area, and talked about possible options to implement and resources on campus. We ended with a panel discussion to answer even more questions from the group.

CSN was at the Wellness Symposium

Held October 23, 2019, at Union South

CSN members Carol Hulland and Shelly Vils Havel greeted visitors to the Wellness Symposium at the CSN booth. Our message was about how CSN aligns with the Dimensions of Wellness: Health, Meaning, Safety, Connection, Achievement, Growth, and Resiliency.

Manager TTC Information Sessions

Held October 17 and November 8 at Microbial Sciences

Campus Supervisors Network has teamed up with the TTC Communications group to share information about the TTC rollout that is specific to supervisors. We hosted a Title & Total Compensation Project Manager/Supervisor Focus Group on October 17 and November 8 at Microbial Sciences. During these sessions, attendees were able to:

• Learn more about the TTC Project, especially about your role as a manager
• Preview and provide feedback on manager training and resources
• Ask questions about the project

Employee Benefits and Resource Fair

Held October 8, 2019, at Union South

CSN members Rich Gassen, Carol Hulland, David Kuester, and Heidi Udelhoven greeted visitors at the 2019 UW-Madison Employee Benefits and Resource Fair.  We were able to talk about the benefits of getting involved in networking with other managers on campus to improve your skills and be better in your role as a leader. One particular conversation was with a supervisor from Extension, who works in Green Lake. We talked about the challenges of managing from afar, and discussed future plans to cater to this demographic with some of our sessions.

Campus Supervisors and PSM Graduates Open Networking

Held October 3, 2019, at WARF

Network with your peers! Use this opportunity to build your network with recent Principles of Supervision and Management (PSM) graduates as well as other supervisors from all over campus.

This group discussed the current state of TTC for managers regarding the upcoming SJD rollout and conversations managers will have with staff. We talked about concerns in each specific area we work in, and some members had advice for others on how to proceed. We also discussed future events coming to managers for more training and Q&A with TTC reps.

Overcoming Distractions

Held September 24, 2019, ar Carson Gulley

A follow-up session to our recent Managing Priorities presentation
A follow-up to CSN’s recent Managing Priorities presentation with Jenny Faust from OSC—this session focused on the many distractions that confront us as contemporary professionals managing multiple priorities and utilizing numerous technological tools. Based on current neuroscience research, Jenny reviewed both the challenges to sustained focus and strategies for mitigating those challenges. The session was interactive and activity-based as we looked both to research and to each other for new approaches to this universal struggle.

Summer Book Club featuring Drive by Dan Pink

Held June 25, July 16 and August 6, 2019, at SoHE

Much of what we know about motivation is wrong. Tasks are either: (1) Algorithmic—you pretty much do the same thing over and over in a certain way, or (2) Heuristic—you have to come up with something new every time because there are no set instructions to follow. The carrot and stick approach to motivation is flawed.

In his 2009 book, “Drive,” Daniel Pink proposes a new motivational model that he believes is a better fit for today’s creative and innovative workplaces. Pink’s model focuses on enabling people to become intrinsically motivated – that is, using internal drives as a source of motivation. “Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives.”

The Campus Supervisors Network had its 3rd annual Summer Book Club, where we explored Pink’s ideas of intrinsic motivation. We met throughout the summer, and talked about sections of the book Drive. Registrants received a complimentary copy of the book as well as study materials and supporting articles around the concept of intrinsic motivation.

PSM Grads Networking Session

Held July 24, 2019, at Microbial Sciences

CSN facilitated a networking session for recent Principles of Supervision and Management graduates to get together, discuss the issues they are facing as a supervisor, and use each other as a resource to solve tricky problems. This session was held at Microbial Sciences. Watch for future networking events like this one!

PSM Grads Networking Session

Held May 23, 2019, at Lowell Center

CSN facilitated its first networking session for recent Principles of Supervision and Management graduates to get together, discuss the issues they are facing as a supervisor, and use each other as a resource to solve tricky problems. The group talked about different issues that were current hot items, like how to correctly plan a retirement gathering for a long-time staff member and also how to do succession planning for work tasks being handed off to others. Join us for future meetings to crowdsource answers to your questions.

Managing Priorities

Held May 14, 2019, at Union South

Do you find that you often have more on your “to-do” list at the end of a day than at the beginning? Are you interrupted so often that you don’t have time to focus on what is important? Do you have trouble finding time for your family and friends? All busy leaders struggle with these issues, but they can be especially challenging for those of us who became managers without any formal training. In this interactive, case-based workshop, presenter Jenny Faust focused on strategies for managing this common set of problems that we all face. Attendees left with practical solutions and resources that they can begin to apply immediately. Topics included: setting realistic goals, putting project time on your calendar, strategies to ensure that you get (uninterrupted) work time daily, developing “yes criteria,” and overcoming common distractions at work.

Leadership @ UW Spring Open House

Held May 2, 2019, at Pyle Center

CSN members Rich Gassen and Kate Skogen greeted visitors at the Leadership @ UW Spring Open House. At this wonderful event, groups were awarded for the ways the Leadership Framework was used in their environments for positive change, and groups like the Campus Supervisors Network were on hand to talk with visitors about how they promote leadership on the UW campus. Kate and Rich were able to discuss the upcoming book club, current CSN events, and network with some of their peers in this relaxed atmosphere.

CSN was once again at Showcase!

Held April 17, 2019, at Union South

The Office of Strategic Consulting celebrated 20 years of Showcase—an opportunity for colleagues from across the UW-Madison campus to connect with each other, share best practices, and learn from each other’s successes. The free event featured poster exhibits, breakout sessions, and a keynote presentation, in addition to the popular poster flash talks.

CSN planning committee members met many nice people at this popular event. We discussed CSN’s mission of serving campus supervisors and talked about how networking and employee development are critical to your success in leadership roles.

Universal Design – Application for Supervisors

Held April 3, 2019, at Union South

This presentation highlighted elements of universal design that serve as a useful application for supervisors managing diverse teams. Universal design is the design of buildings, products, environments, or instruction to be accessible to all people, regardless of age, disability, or other factors. Attendees learned about the history of universal design, its principles, current best practices within the classroom that are applicable to the workplace, and how universal design principles serve as a useful framework for supervision focused on developing staff strengths and promoting inclusion.

CSN was at Construct Your Career Day!

Held March 7, 2019, at Union South

Members of CSN were at the Construct Your Career Conference. Many people stopped by and visited with us, to learn more about the Campus Supervisors Network and the sessions we offer.

Attendees were able to choose from a variety of workshops on topics such as job change, the role of values, leadership development, career transitions, returning to school, and integrating soft skills into employee training programs. There was also a great session on networking.

Fostering a Culture of Employee Appreciation and Recognition

Held January 9, 2019, at Middleton Building

CSN once again offered this session with Rich Gassen as facilitator. Through his research, Rich offered a variety of resources from online influencers on this important subject and shared his findings with participants.

Attendees came prepared to discuss current workplace practices for recognition and employee engagement; learned some stats, proven success stories on our campus, and ideas for a more appreciative work experience. Handouts and materials were provided, along with some tools to immediately employ in work areas.