Monroe County Community College’s Office of Workforce Development and the Monroe County Business Development Corporation have partnered to offer an online, noncredit training series titled “Working and Managing Remotely” to local businesses and other organizations.
The sessions will cover topics such as managing remote teams, holding employees accountable in remote situations, providing feedback to remote employees, managing conflict on virtual teams, meeting effectively with remote teams and managing interruptions while working remotely.
Each session will be 1.5-2 hours in length. The cost is $20 per employee per session or the entire series for $100.
In light of economic constraints businesses are facing due to COVID-19, MCCC and the BDC are offering this training for about one-third of the regular price.
A free, 30-minute webinar that will provide an overview of the series will be held Tuesday, May 12 at 9 a.m. Presenters will include Barry Kinsey, director of workforce development at MCCC; Matt Vanisacker, vice president, business development at the Monroe County BDC, and Shelia Blair, the lead instructor for the series. Those interested in attending the introductory webinar can do so via the Zoom link below or by emailing Barry Kinsey, director of workforce development at MCCC, for an invite at bkinsey@monroeccc.edu.
“Working remotely has become the new normal for a variety of companies, which is why we are excited to offer these training sessions at a discounted rate to Monroe County companies,” said Tim Lake, president and CEO of the Monroe County BDC. “This is an opportunity to provide a greater number of Monroe County companies with adequate training to meet the changing needs and demands of their current working situation.”
Below is the full schedule of online training sessions in the “Working and Managing Remotely” series.
May 19, 9-10:30 a.m., Managing Remote Teams. During this time of “social distancing” and cost savings on overhead, more and more organizations are promoting the idea of working from home. The problem managers face, however, is figuring out how to maintain high production levels and open communication with work-from-home employees. Bringing team members together through a virtual environment can be a challenging task. This session will provide tips and tools to help leaders better manage their remote workforce.
May 26, 9-11 a.m., Accountability – How to Hold Your Remote Employees Accountable. Accountability means helping people to take responsibility for their obligations. It is up to managers to make sure their teams know what they are supposed to do and have what they need to get the job done. This session introduces managers to tools they need to hold employees accountable – even in remote work situations – and helps them to meet their goals.
June 2, 9-11 a.m., Feedback and Communication – How to Give Feedback to Remote Employees. Letting remote employees know expectations and goals - yours, their own and the organization’s – is essential. This session will focus on ways managers can be much more specific, factual and constructive with feedback.
June 9, 9-11 a.m., Managing Conflict on Virtual Teams. Managing conflicts efficiently is a skill everyone must have, and it is becoming important to also be able to resolve conflict in an online setting. This session will explore a variety of styles used in managing conflicts in order to resolve them peacefully, fairly and decisively while staying emotionally balanced and remaining on good terms with those involved.
June 16, 9-11 a.m., Effective Team Meetings – How to Hold Meetings with Remote Employees. Online meetings may be a normal part of a team’s workflow, but making them highly efficient when all employees are remote can be daunting. This session will provide attendees with facilitation strategies to allow remote employees to have more involvement in meetings.
June 23, 9-11 a.m., Strategies for Managing (and Minimizing) Interruptions When Working Remotely. When handling a wide variety of tasks at the office or worksite, employees often have limited time to complete work due to frequent interruptions. This becomes magnified when working from home. This session will demonstrate how to effectively handle interruptions to refocus more quickly and be more productive.
Five of the six sessions in the series will be taught by Sheila Blair, a highly experienced trainer with expertise in areas such as audit compliance, data analysis, project management, budget management, efficiency, strategic planning, change management, expert training, website design, continuous improvement, marketing, workforce development, curriculum development and organizational compliance.
She holds a master of science degree in industrial and organizational psychology from Baker College, a bachelor of arts in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis on business and psychology from the University of Toledo, and an associate of arts degree in communications from Wayne County Community College. Blair is a member of the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychologists, Project Management Institute, National Association for Professional Women, and Business and Professional Women’s Foundation.
To register for the series or any of the individual sessions, contact Barry Kinsey via email at bkinsey@monroeccc.edu.
About Monroe County Community College
Founded in 1964, Monroe County Community College is a public, two-year institution supported by tax monies from Monroe County, educational funds from the State of Michigan and student tuition. The college’s mission is to enrich lives in our community by providing opportunity through student-focused, affordable, quality higher education and other learning experiences. The Main Campus is located at 1555 South Raisinville Road, Monroe, Mich., 48161, with easy access to Toledo and Detroit. The Whitman Center is located in Temperance, Mich., 48182, near the Ohio-Michigan Border. Detailed information about MCCC is available at www.monroeccc.edu.
About Monroe County Business Development Corporation
Monroe County Business Development Corporation is Monroe County’s local economic development organization. The BDC is dedicated to attracting new businesses, retaining and expanding existing businesses and serving as a catalyst for capital investment and quality job growth in Monroe County. Formed in 1982, Monroe County BDC is led by President and CEO Tim Lake and a 17-member Board of Directors consisting of some of the area's top leaders, including representatives from manufacturing, banking, utilities and local government.