Relevant Programmes

• Active Listening Skills 
• ADKAR in action - the practical application of change management tools
• An Introduction to Change Management for Line Managers 
• Email Communication
• Emotional Intelligence 
• Exploring approaches to personal resilience and wellbeing 
• Knowing Yourself and How You Work (MBTI) 
• Managing work expectations of ourselves and others 
• Mentoring 
• Mid-Career Financial Planning 
• Minute Taking
• Orientation 
• Recruitment and Selection Committee Training 
• Retirement Planning: Financial Aspects
• Retirement Planning: Lifestyle, Wellbeing & Legal Aspects
• Unconscious Bias Awareness Training
• Understanding conflict and where it comes from 
• Using DISC to understand your style and others
• Writing for different forms of media

Active Listening Skills

Facilitator: George Nagle, Student Counselling & Development

Overview

This 1.5 hour interactive workshop will look at different aspects of how we listen & communicate. Participants will explore the different techniques & traits of how we listen, why we listen & how we can all improve our listening & communication styles.

The workshop will bring attendees up to speed with & help to develop their undertsanding of: 

• Listening
• Active Listening
• Empathic Listening
• Body Language
• Open Questions
• Closed Questions

Feedback from past particpants includes:

I found the course to be concise and very effective using practical examples to demonstrate points

Very good course - makes you think about how you reallyy listen to people

ADKAR in Action

Participant Group: Staff who have completed the Introduction to Change Management workshop or are currently working as project managers.

Date: Semester 1

Facilitator: Michelle Nelson, Office of the Deputy President & Registrar

This programme is targeted at staff members who have completed the Introduction to Change Management workshop or are currently working as project managers. Each attendee will be asked to focus on a practical change project (no matter how small!) they are currently implementing and that they are willing to discuss with the group. The workshop will be highly interactive and aims to enable staff to learn from one another’s experience of managing change in UCC. 

By the end of the workshop participants will be able to: 

• Apply theProsciADKAR® Model to facilitate change within a project they are current managing 
• Present their change using a ‘Project on a Page’
• Utilise a stakeholder management framework for bringing others through change 

Participants on this workshop will also be able to avail of a follow-on one-to-one coaching session to help to discuss any potential barriers to change and develop a plan to mitigate resistance with the project. 

An Introduction to Change Management for Line Managers

Participant Group: Line Managers

Date: Semester 1

Facilitator: Michelle Nelson, Office of the Deputy President and Registrar 

This change management workshop aims to help managers proactively lead colleagues through change and is of particular relevance as we face into an uncertain semester one. In this interactive online session, you will learn how to define and accept your role in change and gain practical frameworks for becoming an effective change leader within UCC. 

By the end of this workshop participants will be able to 

• Define roles and responsibilities in change projects they are involved in
• Apply theProsciADKAR® Model of Individual Change to a personal situation 
• Utilise a framework for communicating change 

Email Communication

Participant Group: All UCC Staff

Facilitator: Sarah Marriott, Plain English

Overview

On completion of this workshop, you will:

• Be able to write emails with greater speed, confidence and effectiveness
• Have the skills to plan and write emails that
• Respond to the needs of recipients and achieve objectives
• Use an appropriately professional tone of voice
• Are clear, concise, well-structured and readable
• Understand how to use plain English in external communications (in preparation for the Government’s planned plain language legislation)

Take 90 minutes... to learn more about Emotional Intelligence

Participant Group: All Staff

Date: Semester 1,2020

Facilitator: Mary Horgan

Learning Outcomes 

By the end of this short course you will be able to: 

• Define emotional intelligence 
• Understand why it is worth developing 
• Reflect on the Growth mindset v the Fixed Mindset 
• Examine different areas of EQ-i 

Take 60 minutes... to explore approaches to personal resilience and wellbeing

Participant Group: All Staff

Location: Remotely

Date: Semester 1,2020

Facilitator: Dr Anne Gannon

Learning Outcomes 

By the end of this short course you will be able to: 

• Identify the five essential elements that should be in place to experience wellbeing  
• Reflect on what we need to do to be fulfilled and to enhance our personal wellbeing 

Take 90 minutes.... to know yourself & how you work (MBTI)

Participant Group: All Staff

Date: Semester 1,2020

Facilitator: Mary Horgan

Learning Outcomes 

By the end of this workshop you will be able to: 

• Consider individual differences & their impact in the workplace 
• Learn how your personality influences the way in which you work 
• Explore how to appreciate and leverage on our differences for improved team working 
• Reflect on strategies for better engagement with team colleagues 

The option to do an online MBTI questionnaire and discuss one to one with a qualified practitioner will be available to all participants on completion of the workshop. 

Staff feedback

Excellent training session which I know will benefit me & my team!

Became more self aware & conscious of others differences & similarities.

Will definitely recommend this workshop to my colleagues.

Got a really good understanding that there is no 'right' or 'wrong' and how different types can be very beneficial for a team/project.

Take 60 minutes... to manage work expectations of ourselves and others

Participant Group: All Staff

Location: Remotely

Date: Semester 1, 2020

Facilitator: Dr Anne Gannon 

Learning Outcomes  

By the end of this short course you will be able to:  

• Create more effective structures around your work 
• Have more effective conversations around work priorities and goals 
• Reflect on what you need to do to effectively manage your expectations of both yourself and others 

Minute Taking

Participant Group: All UCC Staff

Facilitator: Sarah Marriott, Plain English

Overview

On completion of this workshop, you’ll be able to:

• Understand the role and responsibilities of the minute-taker
• Work in partnership with the Chair
• Create an effective agenda
• Create minutes that are a clear, concise, accurate record of salient points
• Listen more effectively and take shorter notes
• Use simple techniques to write clearly and concisely
• Take effective minutes of remote meetings

Recruitment & Selection Committee Training

Participant Group: UCC Staff Members appointed to Selection Committees 

Facilitator: UCC Human Resources

Objectives 

This workshop will enable UCC Selection Committe members to:

• Understand legal & organisational framework surrounding UCC recruitment process
• Understand and exercise your role & responsibilities as a selection committee member
• Recognise the impact of implicit bias
• Develop skills in ensuring a fair and confidential recruitment and selection process and to understand the shared responsibility of the selection committee membership

Take 60 minutes... to understand conflict and where it comes from

Participant Group: All Staff

Location: Remotely

Date: Semester 1, 2020

Facilitator: Dr Anne Gannon

Learning Outcomes 

By the end of this short course, you will be able to:  

• Identify the sources of conflict and why conflict arises 
• Understand the iceberg of conflict and its relevance to conflict situations 
• Reflect on the relevance of identity and values to understanding conflict 

Unconscious Bias Awareness

Participant Group: All UCC Staff

Facilitators: Anne Gannon & Mary Horgan, Human Resources 

Currently we offer two types of training: a) a shorter ‘Take 90 minutes…’ introduction to Unconscious Bias, and b) a more comprehensive 2.5 hour workshop.

Unconscious biases play a role in our day to day decision making, even though we are often completely unaware of their influence. Our biases are often informed by our own backgrounds, experiences, & cultural environments. This Unconscious Bias Awareness workshop looks at: 

• Diversity & Inclusion
• The nature of unconscious bias
• How it works including affinity, confirmation bias & group think
• The impact of unconscious bias 
• Strategies & tips for managing unconscious bias

Feedback from previous participants:

Very interesting and engaging

Excellent Session

Very enjoyable workshop

Very good and thought provoking

Take 60 minutes .... to learn how to use DISC to understand your style and others

Participant Group: All Staff

Location: Remotely

Date: Semester 1, 2020

Facilitator: Dr Anne Gannon

Learning Outcomes 

By the end of this short course, you will be able to: 

• Identify behavioural styles and preferred ways of approaching work
• Get to know what makes yourself and others "tick," and learn how to get the most from yourself and team colleagues
• Reflect on how to tailor your own approach when working with others 

Retirement Planning: Financial Aspects

Note: Booking will only take place once the programme has been advertised to all staff.

Participant Group: Staff within 3 years of retirement.

Date: TBC [Semester 1 - 2020]

Venue: Remotely

Facilitator: Cornmarket

Cornmarket (Ireland’s largest financial services brokerage serving the Public Sector) will host a half day seminar examining the following financial aspects of retirement. 

• UCC Pension Scheme (delivered by UCC pensions advisor)
• Options for increasing your retirement benefits
• Planning your finances in retirement
• Personal Taxation
• Budgeting & money saving tips

Please note: UCC does not endorse any one financial services broker.

Retirement Planning: Lifestyle, Wellbeing & Legal Aspects

Note: Booking will only take place once the programme has been advertised to all staff.

Participant Group: Staff within 2 years of retirement.

Facilitator: Retirement Life

Overview

The programme will take place over two half days (mornings) & will examine retirement under the following headings:

• Retirement Issues and You - Issues surrounding the transition to retirement
• Social Welfare Entitlements 
• Personal Checklist & Recommended Reading 
• A Healthy Lifestyle in Retirement
• Time to Plan for the Future                     

Staff will be provided with a handbook in advance & asked to print out.

Updated: October 2020

Mid-Career Financial Planning

NOTE: Booking for programmes will only take place once advertised to all staff.

Participant Group:  All UCC staff

Date: TBC [Semester 1  -2020]

Venue: Remotely

Facilitator: Cornmarket 

Overview:

This half-day session will cover all of the key aspects of financial planning & organising for public sector employees, including taxation & pensions. With over 40 years' experience, Cornmarket is the largest financial services brokerage serving the Public Sector in Ireland.

Topics Covered: 

• How the UCC pension works - Marie Murphy UCC pensions manager
• Personal Tax simply explained
• The importance of the UCC income continuance plan
• Life cover explained
• Options to supplement your pension if short service on retirement

Please note: UCC does not endorse any one financial services broker.

Writing for different forms of media

Participant Group: All UCC Staff

Facilitator: Sarah Marriott, Plain English

Overview

On successful completion of this workshop, you’ll be able to:

• Feel confident you can create strong, readable, polished documents
• Write with clarity, simplicity and brevity
• Plan and write effectively – by focusing on target audiences and objectives
• Identify and avoid common errors of grammar
• Edit more efficiently
• See how to use plain English in external communications (in preparation for the Government’s planned plain language legislation)