Focus Areas
Organization & Professional Development features training opportunities as part of a focused curriculum organized into four focus areas. Each focus area is designed to enhance essential workplace skills, knowledge, and professional development for employees by providing diverse, well-rounded programs.
Classes listed offer a starting point for exploring a particular skill set, as well as giving employees deeper or more specialized education. Enrollment in these focus areas is not required. These groups of classes are offered as suggested curricula for employees to concentrate their learning in a given area.
You can begin enrolling in courses at any time via Carolina Talent. After logging into Carolina Talent with your UNC Onyen and password, choose “My Learning.”
Please note that courses may be subject to changes.
The Communication Skills Focus Area is designed for those individuals who would like to increase awareness and understanding of different communication styles. Individuals will learn how to optimize effective communications and to develop and hone existing skills to increase effectiveness as communicators. Participants in this group will explore personal communication preferences, learn how to build rapport with others and communicate in both personal and group positions, gain strategies for difficult discussions, and acquire conflict resolution skills. Courses marked with an * require completion of a prerequisite.
Courses
Courses may be taken in any order. All courses are offered annually, but they may not be offered on every course catalog.
- Communication Essentials
- Business Writing Essentials
- Conflict Management Skills for the Workplace
- Coaching Skills
- It Takes All Types: Introduction to MBTI
- Customer Service Skills
- MBTI & Stress: Webinar
- Valuable Presentation Skills
- *Train the Trainer
The Leadership Focus Area is for University employees who are interested in sharpening their leadership skills, as well as learning to identify and take advantage of opportunities to lead. Participants in this group will gain a clear understanding of the differences between leadership and management, learn how to gain enthusiastic followers, clarify expectations, influence people, make decisions effectively, build and maintain relationships, and trust and communicate across differences. Courses marked with an * require completion of a prerequisite.
Courses
Courses may be taken in any order. All courses are offered annually, but they may not be offered on every course catalog.
- It Takes All Types: Introduction to MBTI
- Coaching Skills
- Conflict Management Skills for the Workplace
- Foundations of High-Performing Teams
- Stress Management
- Change Management
- Effective Decision Making
- Ethics in the Workplace
- Introduction to Situational Leadership®
- Making the Workplace More Sustainable
The Project Management Focus Area is designed to provide the core skills needed to successfully manage and lead projects and project teams. Participants will gain the knowledge, skills, and tools to demonstrate effectiveness as a project manager, focusing on either basic or advanced project management skills. They also will learn to effectively build teams, influence others, and sharpen meeting and facilitation skills. Courses marked with * require completion of a prerequisite.
Courses
Courses may be taken in any order. All courses are offered annually, but they may not be offered on every course catalog.
- Time Management
- Running Effective Meetings
- Records Management 101
- Managing Projects Successfully
- Foundations of High-Performing Teams
- Diversity in the Workplace
- Valuable Presentation Skills
The Supervisory/Management Focus Area is designed for managers and supervisors who desire to gain a clear understanding of University operations and resources, learn how to apply the University’s policies and procedures, create a team-oriented culture among their staff members, acquire the skills to motivate and coach employees, increase self-awareness, and gain an understanding of one’s management and supervisory style. Courses marked with an * require completion of a prerequisite.
Courses
Courses may be taken in any order. All courses are offered annually, but they may not be offered on every course catalog.
- Blueprint for Engaged Supervisor Training (BEST)**
- Moving from Peer to Manager
- Diversity in the Workplace
- Foundations of High-Performing Teams
- Performance Management of SHRA Employees
- Introduction to Situational Leadership®
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Change Management
- Coaching Skills
- Effective Decision Making
- Ethics in the Workplace
- Managing Interactions with Your Employees
- Running Effective Meetings