Your hard work has paid off and you are in a management-level position. Suddenly, your duties extend beyond being an individual contributor. You have to provide direction and leadership to drive an entire team’s success.
Whether you are new to your role or a seasoned veteran, you may find yourself in a common predicament: You want to embrace opportunities and make impactful changes, but wonder, do you have the tools to make it happen?
This was precisely the message that Ericka Smith, vice president, human resource and chief people officer, heard when she embarked on a listening tour upon her arrival to UNLV in March 2019. She asked colleagues across campus what resources they needed to support their success, and she consistently heard one thing: “more development opportunities.”
So, Smith enlisted the expertise of Director of Organizational Development Erin Collier to create the Management Training Academy (MTA). The eight-week training series promotes effective management and behaviors that foster a positive work environment.
“Highly skilled management directly impacts work quality, productivity, morale, and engagement,” Collier notes, “so investing in their development ultimately contributes to the university’s ability to achieve its Top Tier 2.0 vision and goals.”
In each MTA session, UNLV or community professionals with relevant expertise teach skills that focus on four competencies:
- Active communication and listening
- Holding yourself and others accountable
- Resolving conflict
- Conducting performance management
All material is presented through a blended learning approach to appeal to diverse learning styles. This includes live in-person and virtual seminars, interactive exercises, educational videos, and online coursework. After completing the program, managers and supervisors gain a solid foundation on which they can build success with their teams.
“During one MTA session, the trainer led us through an exercise that made us feel the negative effects that a lack of sharing information up, down, and across an organization can have on our work and relationships. The engaging and active way in which this lesson was presented had a profound impact on me. I immediately shared it with my colleagues and incorporated new communication practices into my daily routine,” said Kyle Kaalberg, Ph.D., executive director of strategy and strategic initiatives for the office of the president.
The program launched in 2020 and since then, more than 350 employees have graduated from seven cohorts. Registration for the spring 2023 cohort is now open. All managers and supervisors are welcome to register.
“I strongly encourage all eligible employees to take advantage of this development opportunity,” says Smith. “As management, we have a responsibility to provide our teams with a solid foundation for success. After participating in MTA, you will have the tools needed to do so.”
For more information, visit the Management Training Academy webpage or email mta@unlv.edu.
