KUTC

Kansas Road Scholar Program Level II: Advanced Road Scholar Supervisory Skills Program

Goal

To develop supervisory skills for persons engaged in public works maintenance and construction activities.

Objective

To provide comprehensive supervisory skills training and recognition for participation in that training.

Recognition

Advanced Road Scholar recognition will be awarded to individuals who have achieved Road Scholar status and completed all of the below courses within a six-year period.

Courses:                                    Supervisory Skills -Level II Events calendar

Fundamentals of Supervision
Legal Aspects of Supervision
Communication Skills for Effective Supervision
Managing Employee Performance
Coaching and Positive Discipline
Providing for Employee Safety
Enhancing Cooperative Work Relationships
Problem Solving for Effective Supervision
Road and Bridge Operations I and II

Monitoring Agency:

Kansas Association of Counties
300 SW 8th, 3rd Floor
Topeka, Kansas 66603

Contact Person

Sarah Meyer
Kansas Association of Counties
Phone: 785-272-2585
Email: meyer@kansascounties.org

Workshop Format/Schedule

Each required workshop is offered at multiple regional locations generally in a five-contact-hour format, from 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Participants are required to purchase a copy of Effective Supervisory Practices, 3rd edition, published by ICMA. Relevant chapters of the book will be assigned as reading in advance of each workshop. In order to maximize interactive learning, enrollment will be limited to 30 participants per workshop on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Eligibility for Participation

Participation is open to any person who works for a Kansas county and holds a position that has responsibility for directing the work of others or anticipates being appointed to a supervisory position in the near future. Participants may opt to register for individual workshops on an as-needed basis or may choose to work toward the certificate.

Level II: Supervisory Skills Program Course Listing

Fundamentals of Supervision
Length: A minimum of five hours of instruction.

• Examine the roles, responsibilities and tasks of the supervisor’s job.
• Learn strengths and needed areas of improvement through a self-assessment of supervisory skills.
• Distinguish between supervisor as boss and supervisor as team leader.
• Learn the most common mistakes made by a supervisor and how to correct them.
• Identify how the county government environment impacts the supervisor’s job.
• Learn and apply local government ethical standards to real-life situations.

Instructor:  Kansas Association of Counties.

Presentation Frequency: This class will be presented in 2006, 2008, etc.

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Legal Aspects of Supervision

Length:A minimum of five hours of instruction.

Objectives:

• Review the concept of equal employment opportunity and its application in interviewing, supervision, promotion and termination.
• Understand the most current definitions of sexual harassment, and what to do if it is reported or suspected.
• Learn how to conduct a legally-compliant performance appraisal.
• Increase awareness of legal issues associated with electronic communication.
• Learn when to seek assistance from legal or human resource management specialists.

Instructor: Lee Parker, KAC partner. Mr. Parker has served as an attorney for several different cities all across Kansas.

Presentation Frequency: This class will be presented in 2006, 2008, etc.

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Communication Skills for Effective Supervision

Length:A minimum of five hours of instruction.

Objectives:

• Expand awareness of communication styles using Myers/Briggs Type Indicator.
• Learn when, what and how effective supervisors communicate.
• Acquire practical skills for becoming a better listener.
• Practice skills in soliciting and giving feedback.
• Learn communication practices that contribute to positive work relationships.

Instructor: Beth Tatarko, KAC partner, Vice President of Austin Peters Group, an organization that provides services in human resource development, organizational development and employee training.

Presentation Frequency: This class will be offered in 2007, 2009, etc.

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Managing Employee Performance
Length:A minimum of five hours of instruction.

Objectives:

• Learn factors in human motivation and how supervisors influence employees’ motivation to perform.
• Study the key opportunities in the performance management cycle for influencing employee performance.
• Practice writing effective employee performance goals.
• Examine techniques that promote employee development and capacity to perform at higher levels.
• Learn why, when and how to conduct performance evaluation (even if the county doesn’t require them).

Instructor: Jamie Chism, Sedgwick County Training Director.

Presentation Frequency: This class will be offered in 2007, 2009, etc.

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Coaching and Positive Discipline
Length: A minimum of five hours of instruction.

Objectives:

• Learn coaching and discipline practices that contribute to a positive work environment and excellent performance.
• Consider how to coach different types of employees.
• Understand causes of and strategies for responding to poor performance.
• Learn the application of the positive and progressive models of discipline for performance problems.
• Practice techniques for documenting disciplinary action.
• Expand skills using case studies that require application of disciplinary techniques.

Instructor: Jamie Chism, Sedgwick County Training Director.

Presentation Frequency: This class will be offered in 2007, 2009, etc.

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Providing for Employee Safety
Length: A minimum of five hours of instruction.

Objectives:

• Outline the key components of a comprehensive program to protect the health and safety of public works employees.
• Learn how to conduct a risk assessment and target and implement initiative to minimize risks and prevent worker accidents and injury.
• Identify successful strategies for ongoing workplace safety education and enforcement.
• Expand skills in investigating and documenting workplace accidents.

Instructor: The Kansas Association of Counties.

Presentation Frequency: This class will be offered in 2007, 2009, etc.

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Enhancing Cooperative Work Relationships
Length: A minimum of five hours of instruction.

Objectives:

• Examine interpersonal behaviors that can detract from or contribute to cooperative relationships
• Consider the strengths and limitations of your interpersonal style and how others might perceive your style.
• Learn how to reduce the effects of organizational or structural barriers to cooperation.
• Learn how to help employees resolve conflicts in ways that preserve group cohesiveness.
• Practice skills in facilitating cooperative behaviors that lead to an empowered work group.

Instructor: Tim Norton, KAC Partner and Sedgwick County Commissioner. Mr. Norton has nearly 20 years of experience in management, organizational development and corporate training in the private sector.

Presentation Frequency: This class will be presented in 2006, 2008, etc.

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Problem Solving for Effective Supervision
Length: A minimum of five hours of instruction.

Objectives:

• Learn how to prioritize workplace problems that need your attention.
• Review techniques that can enhance powers of concentration.
• Examine a seven-step approach to problem solving.
• Consider the most common mistakes supervisors make that can create or exacerbate problems.
• Solve specific supervisory problems that participants bring to the workshop.

Instructor: The Kansas Association of Counties.

Presentation Frequency: This class will be presented in 2006, 2008, etc.

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Road and Bridge Operations I and II
Length: A minimum of 12 hours of instruction. Currently this is a 15 hour class.

Objectives: Topics to include

• resource management
• emergency management
• job costing
• county budgeting
• dealing with the media
• organizing, deploying and tracking labor
• identifying road and bridge safety deficiencies
• participant “hot topics”
• operation and maintenance practices
• environmental protection

Instructor: KDOT; Kansas county engineers, road supervisors and budget management staff; Kansas emergency management staff, KDHE and KDWP staff; and LTAP staff from Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa.

Presentation Frequency: This course will be offered in 2006, 2008, etc.

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Brochures and Applications

Master Calendar