Course Catalogue A-Z

Below you will find an A-Z of the programme catalogue for the 2023-2024 Academic Year.

To view training courses you have booked or attended previously go to UCD Connect:

InfoHub>Human Resources>My Details>My Learning & Development>My Bookings

Please note booking information, including name and email address will be provided to the facilitator (this includes facilitators external to UCD), to enable the facilitator to share joining instructions. Your booking record and attendance may be shared with your Line Manager. For more information, please see HR Privacy Statement.

A

Who is this course for?

This course is for all staff who would like to sharpen their communication skills by identifying barriers to communication. Participants will explore strategies for overcoming these barriers and develop skills to build influence and impact.

By the end of this workshop participants will:

Have reviewed their current communication skills and impact and developed a practical plan to enhance this
Understood their own and others communication styles and how to have the greatest impact in different settings and contexts
Enhanced their own communication skills

How long is this course?

The course duration is 3.5 hours, followed by a 30-minute action learning set, 2 months following the programme.

What topics will be covered?

The communication process and how it can go wrong
How our brains process what we hear – the filters we use
Key rules of effective communication
Understanding your own communication style and that of others
Using that understanding in everyday communications at work
Focused listening and skilled questioning
Getting yourself heard in different situations
Online communication – the minefield of our new virtual world and getting the best from it
The assertive communicator
Reviewing your communication and action planning to enhance your skills

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

Pre work will include:

A self-analysis questionnaire
Two articles – HBR on Getting to Yes and a second article on virtual communications
View video on taking control of non-verbal communications
Think about your purpose for attending. What would be a positive take-away for you?
The tasks will take no more than 40 minutes to complete

Post course work will include:

Completing actions committed to in personal action plan
Participants are encouraged to:
- a. Maintain a reflective journal for 6 weeks, detailing critical interactions and learning points.
- b. Read the articles provided on getting feedback and actively solicit feedback from colleagues in a face to face meeting
- c. Participants may wish to complete a Thomas International Personal profile analysis to further build self-awareness and enhance their communication style and receive expert 1:1 feedback

Updating of actions and impact on digital whiteboard before action learning set
A 30 minute, online, action learning set, facilitated by Invisio, 2 months after the programme to share experiences and learnings with one another and problem solve as needed.

Participants on this programme will have access to our online whiteboard and document repository for up to 3 months after completing the programme and all resources will continue to be available to them over this time. The materials can also be downloaded locally.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

This development programme is specifically for Assistant Professors appointed since June 2018.

For further information, see the dedicated Newly Appointed Assistant Professors Development Programme page.

Aurora is a leadership development programme for those who identify as female. It was developed by the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education in the UK. You can read more about the programme at Aurora | Advance HE

The programme is designed to introduce key leadership topics and skills through four online one-day workshops, complemented by online networking, action learning sets and resources. Advance HE also host an in-person networking event as part of the programme.

The UCD HR People and Organisation Development Unit support the UCD Aurora cohort by hosting several local in-person events such as the UCD programme launch and closing events, mentee training and a mid-programme review event. On-going support is ensured through institutional mentoring.

Aurora is supported in UCD both by an overall Institution Champion, Professor Regina Uí Chollatáin, and an Aurora Coordinator in HR People and Organisation Development.

Making an application

The closing date for receipt of applications for the 2023-24 Aurora Programme was 7 September 2023.

Participants

The programme was established in 2013 and has run in a number of venues in the UK and Ireland, including London; Manchester; Bristol and Glasgow and Dublin. UCD has supported over 185 women to participate in the programme since 2015, demonstrating the University's commitment to leadership development and gender equality.

Mentors

Aurora requires that the University puts systems in place to help support and develop participants on their Aurora experience. This includes having mentors in place to work with participants. Although the development days are run over 5 months, the mentoring arrangement is for the duration of one year to help participants maximise the benefit of the programme.

Guidance on choosing a mentor is available below:

Aurora Guidance in Choosing a Mentor

Should you have any queries in relation to Aurora in UCD, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie.

If you have questions relating to other leadership or management development please discuss this with your Line Manager or Head of School/Unit at your annual P4G conversation.

B

Who is this course for?

This course is for all staff members who wish to equip themselves with the tools and techniques needed to better manage their time, work smarter not harder and increase individual and team productivity.

The course will focus on how to prioritise your workload and avoid distractions to reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed. We will look at techniques to help learners make sure all their day-to-day tasks are complete and nothing is overlooked.

By the end of the course each learner will be able to:

Identify and avoid their own personal time stealers
Understand the importance of creating time to plan
Apply a robust decision making process that works
Know when and how to say ‘NO' assertively
Reduce stress and improve their well-being by being more in control of their workload

How long is this course?

The course duration is 3.5 hours.

What topics will be covered?

Your role responsibilities and priorities
Identifying your personal time stealers
Dealing with common distractions - Interruptions/emails/phone calls
Techniques so all day to day tasks are complete and nothing is overlooked
Planning tools and techniques - tasks; to do lists; daily plans
Prioritising tools and techniques - urgent versus important
Decision Making processes

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

To gain the maximum benefit from the course each learner will be asked to complete a weeks’ worth of time sheets to see if they are productively planning their time and getting the most out of their work day.

Before the course begins each learner will also receive a 3-2-1 Personal Action Plan template.

Post-training, participants will be led through a short reflective activity which will allow each learner to use this template to record:

Three things they learned/were reminded about during training
Two things they want to action based on the session
One thing they are going to action this week.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?

This course is for all staff who would like to learn how to design and deliver a presentation that is clear, concise and complete. The aim of the session is to enhance participants’ confidence and capability to design and deliver a presentation with ease and conviction.

How long is this course?

The course duration is 3 hours.

What topics will be covered?

Understanding your audience
Structuring the presentation
Having a clear beginning, middle and end
Use of visual aids
Non-verbal signals (body language)
How to manage questions

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

Participants will be asked to prepare a 3-5 minute presentation on a topic and deliver this without Powerpoint. Following the session participants will be asked to actively seek out opportunity to make a presentation to put into practice their new skillset.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?

This course is for all staff who would like to re-evaluate their work habits and explore how they can build their resilience practice, enabling them to minimise the barriers of resilience and maximise the enablers of resilience.

The course is designed to provide participants with the opportunity to reflect on their current work practices, provide a framework that can enable them to prioritise their energy, maintain their wellbeing and focus on achieving high levels of performance.

By the end of the workshop participants will:

Have raised their awareness of their current work practices and how they are contributing to their existing levels of resilience
Have defined what is meant by "resilience"
Have explored the barriers that can result in lower levels of well-being and productivity at work
Have developed an understanding of how they can resource themselves by investing in habits and enablers of resilience
Have learned practical tips that can be incorporated into weekly planning to maximise productivity
Have created an action plan to enhance individual resilience

How long is this course?

This course is 3.5 hours in duration.

What topics will be covered?

This workshop will focus on the work and research of The Resilience Dynamic® including the key enablers and barriers to building our personal resilience. Participants will learn how to incorporate simple techniques into their weekly and daily work to enable them to balance well-being and productivity. Participants will share ideas and challenges and will generate a practical personal action plan aimed at building their resilience habits.

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

Participants will be invited to consider the following in advance:

How they are defining resilience currently
Complete an “energy tracker” in advance of their work for one week prior to attending the training and track their energy levels

On completion of the workshop participants will be sent a LinkedIn Learning pathway of relevant available videos

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?

This course is for all staff who would like to improve their self-confidence in regard to their career.

Attendees will leave this session with a deeper understanding of self-confidence and how it can impact people during their career, as well as self-awareness in regard to any confidence triggers they have.

How long is this course?

This course is 2 hours long.

What topics will be covered?

This course focuses on improving self-confidence regarding our careers. Many people experience imposter feelings or a lack of confidence at different times in their careers. This course will equip the attendees with a deeper understanding of how confidence affects people. Participants will receive practical evidence-backed tips from positive psychology and cognitive behavioural therapy which can boost confidence in the short and long term. The session will focus on self-reflection to allow the attendees to develop self-awareness.

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

Attendees will be given time to reflect at the end of the session to set a goal with one action they plan to take to boost their confidence.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Building Resilience (Online Learning)

C

Who is this course for?

This course is for all staff who would like to be able to speak with clarity and increased confidence; compose more effective communication; control aspects of personal communication style and engage their audience with a memorable presentation.

The means by which we communicate ideas and challenges to an engaged audience is often as important as the message itself. Using our interacting communication skills to engage a wide variety of audiences is critical in effective and memorable communication. Authentic presentation is achieved through consideration of many aspects of voice, including tone, colour and pace. Coupled with this is an awareness and control over our body language, our posture and movement during presentation, which can help reinforce or distract from the core message.

How long is this course?

The course duration is 3 hours.

What topics will be covered?

Speaking with clarity using voice
Unlocking colourful, authentic and memorable voice communication
Communicating openly using body language;
Personalising communication with storytelling.

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

No advance preparation is required.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?

This course is for all staff who wish to improve their critical thinking and logical reasoning for better analysis, evaluation and communication in workplace situations. The programme develops the critical and analytical thinking skills needed to correctly decipher information to influence and activate competent thinking into practical application.

By the end of this course, learners will:

Understand critical thinking, its purpose and presentation
Be very clear on the difference between good logic and bad reasoning
Avoid derailment in meetings and discussions
Use Socratic questioning to understand the core and scope of any situation
Understand bias and heuristic thinking and how they affect all aspects of implementing thinking in communication, problem solving and decision making

How long is this course?

This course is 3 hours in duration.

What topics will be covered?

Using Clear Reasoning: Making sense of goals
Use the ‘Tree Diagram’ technique to produce clear, structured arguments
Learn different styles and structure of argument to produce powerful rational persuasion
Overcoming False Reasoning: Using cool logic in hot situations Learning to deal with false reasoning in meetings and discussions. Understanding ten tricks of manipulation that derail clear communication
Introduction to Biases
Heuristics: shortcut thinking
Introduction to Socratic Questioning

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

No pre-course work is required. Following the session participants are directed to further reading and research on the practice of Critical Thinking in the workplace.

Booking:
For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?

This course is for all staff who would like to develop the skills and confidence to have the conversation they most dread – online or face to face.

At the end of this programme, participants will be able to:

Actively participate and speak up in critical conversations in a confident and assertive way (on the phone, in small or large groups, in formal or informal settings, face to face or online)
Assess other parties better in a conversation and present their case in a way that is more likely to appeal to them
Know when to speak up and when to keep quiet
Gain the confidence to prepare and make their case in the presence of more senior people and with those who challenge them with difficult questions
Know when and how to “Say No!”

How long is this course?

The course duration is 7 hours (2 x 3 hour workshops over 2 weeks plus 1 hour Action Learning Set, online, 1 month later)

What topics will be covered?

Critical Conversations - what are they and what makes them critical?
Our reactions to critical conversations
Controlling yourself
Stages of a conversation
What makes an effective conversation?
Dynamics and politics
Controlling your input and your material - preparation and the 4Fs Model
Structure of your point, your demonstration, your presentation
Handling those challenging situations and dealing with questions
Getting yourself heard and controlling the discussion
Saying “No”
Having the conversation online
Putting it into practice with scripted role plays – your own real-life situations

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

Pre work will include:

Complete the response to conflict questionnaire
Complete the assertiveness questionnaire
Read the articles provided on managing conflict

Post course work will include:

Completing actions committed to in personal action plan
Participants can if they wish request the support of a trusted ‘accountability buddy’ to support them in the execution of their action plan
We advise participants to complete a reflective learning journal following the workshop, focusing on conflict situations, what they learned from the experience and actions for the future.
Updating of actions and impact on digital whiteboard before action learning set
A one-hour, online, action learning set will be facilitated two months after the programme to share experiences and learnings with one another and problem solve as needed.

Participants on this programme will have access to an online whiteboard and document repository for up to 3 months after completing the programme and all resources will continue to be available to them over this time. The materials can also be downloaded locally.

Booking:

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses. The 2021/22 training course catalogue will be launched and available to book from the start of the next Academic Year

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

D

Developing Resourcefulness

E

Who is this course for?

This course is for all staff members who wish to equip themselves with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively identify, engage, and manage stakeholders in a project. On completion of the course, learners will have the skills to: conduct a stakeholder analysis, develop a stakeholder map, and influence and persuade stakeholders.

How long is this course?

The course duration is 3.5 hours.

What topics will be covered?

Introduction to stakeholder management and its importance
Types of stakeholders and their roles - stakeholder analysis process
Strategies for effective stakeholder engagement
Techniques for clear stakeholder communication
Managing and resolving stakeholder conflicts - negotiation and problem-solving skills
Measuring stakeholder satisfaction and success

This course is highly practical and interactive and includes discussions and activities based on real world scenarios. The trainer will also encourage learners to bring in their own experience and discuss practical, local examples where relevant.

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

To gain the maximum benefit from the course each learner will be asked to answer a Reflective Questionnaire. The questions will encourage them to think about their past experiences with stakeholders, challenges they have faced, and areas where they would like to improve.

Before the course begins each learner will also receive a 3-2-1 Personal Action Plan template. Post-training, participants will be led through a short reflective activity which will allow each learner to use this template to record:

Three things they learned/were reminded about during training
Two things they want to action based on the session
One thing they are going to action this week.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?
This course is for all staff members interested in developing their coaching skills. The aim of the course is to facilitate the development of the skills and mindset required to hold quality, focused and productive coaching conversations that result in greater clarity and direction for others. The mindset and skills can be used one to one, in a group, with colleagues, reports and stakeholders alike.

By the end of this one-day programme you will leave with a practical tool, which you have practiced and are confident in using, which:

Gives laser sharp focus to your team
Significantly accelerates their performance
Saves time for you…over time
Empowers your team to problem solve themselves
Grows the next level of managers and leaders

In addition, you will have built:

The capacity to deliver quicker, better and more impactful results through your team and your colleagues at work
An understanding of the value & impact of coaching
The motivation, confidence and skills to have impactful coaching conversations at work
The ability to identify where coaching can be used to improve performance in your team
The ability to use practical coaching skills with your team in a variety of situations including feedback sessions, development conversations, team and individual meetings and in any situation where you are aiming to increase performance and results.

How long is this course?

The total course duration is 7 hours. This will be delivered over 2 x 3 hour workshops over 2 weeks plus 1 hour Action Learning Set, online, approx. 1 month later

What topics will be covered?

The specific skills focused on in the programme are:

Questioning
Listening
Empathy
Directness
Being non judgmental
Patience
Presence
Coaching – what it is and what it is not
Key elements of the coaching relationship

Pre work will include:

Watch a custom designed short video introducing the programme
Learn about the difference between coaching, mentoring, training, and managing as well as what coaching is and what it is not
Set your own objectives for attending the programme and enhancing your mindset and skills as a people manager

Post course work will include:

Completing actions committed to in personal action plan
Participants to arrange 2 peer coaching sessions over the following 3 months focused on their development as a people manager and specifically the development of their coaching skills and practice
Updating of actions and impact on digital whiteboard before action learning set
A one-hour, online, action learning set, facilitated by Invisio, 1 month after the programme to share experiences and learnings with one another and problem solve as needed.

Participants on this programme will have access to an online whiteboard and document repository for up to 3 months after completing the programme and all resources will continue to be available to them over this time. The materials can also be downloaded locally

Booking:
For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?

This training course is for all staff who wish to equip themselves with the skills to communicate professionally with all customers (internal and external).

On successful completion of the course, learners will be able to:

Be motivated to make the most of each interaction with each customer
Identify the features of excellent customer service
Have a better understanding of why excellent service is critical
Understand what customers expect and what they can deliver on
Identify their own communication style and areas for improvement
Have a step-by-step approach to handling difficult customers

How long is this course?

The course duration is 3.5 hours.

What topics will be covered?

What are the features of excellent customer service?
Defining your responsibilities to internal and external customers
How to present a professional image - our appearance, attitude and behaviour
Self-assessment of your existing customer service skills - the associated strengths and weaknesses
Professional communication skills
Handling difficult customers with confidence
Measuring client satisfaction

This course is highly practical and interactive and includes discussions and activities based on real world scenarios. Our trainers will also encourage learners to bring in their own experience and discuss practical, local examples where relevant.

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

To gain the maximum benefit from the course each learner will be asked to complete a Customer Service Quiz to assess how good their current customer service skills are. This will help learners to set the context for the course and allow them to focus on areas they need to improve on.

Before the course begins each learner will also receive a 3-2-1 Personal Action Plan template.

Post-training, participants will be led through a short reflective activity which will allow each learner to use this template to record:

Three things they learned/were reminded about during training
Two things they want to action based on the session
One thing they are going to action this week.

Booking:

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

In the meantime you may wish to access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

F

Who should attend?
This two-hour workshop is aimed at Faculty intending on applying for promotion in the near future.

Description: These workshops provide advice on the process to potential candidates who are considering applying for promotion. The session includes guidance on understanding the Faculty Promotions Process, the Development Framework for Faculty and the online application process. Faculty who are considering applying for promotion are encouraged to attend a workshop in advance of submitting their application.

Candidates for promotion may apply for promotion through the following pathways:

Lecturer/Assistant Professor → Associate Professor

Associate Professor → Professor

Professor → Full Professor

Course Notes: Faculty attending this workshop are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the Faculty Promotions Policy, Development Framework for Faculty and other associated documents available on the Promotions website

Booking:
For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

G

H

I

Who is this course for?

This programme is for all staff who would like to develop their strategic influencing skills.

At the end of this programme, participants will be able to:

Develop a more strategic approach to leading without authority and influencing as well as demonstrate practical techniques to build influence and impact
Understand the essential elements of trust as the foundation of influence & impact, and develop strategies for building trust with others
Build their influence & impact through identifying and responding appropriately to stakeholder needs
Understand differences in others and how to adapt to their communication style
Recognise their own style when persuading / influencing others, and demonstrate the right style for the right situation Use techniques to manage in a matrix, with conflicting priorities

How long is this course?

The course duration is 7 hours.

What topics will be covered?

What’s the goal – are we clear on what we want to achieve?
Understanding the heuristics of how we think and why we think in a particular way
The What and the Why and the Who and the How
Self-awareness – a strategic approach
How people respond – positively and negatively to influence tactics
Overcoming barriers
Reading the situation
Key interpersonal skills, including strategic listening; questioning techniques; words, tone and body language
Using storytelling in communications
Styles of influencing
Respecting each other’s value
Strengths and areas for development
Skills practice and personal action plans

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

Pre work will include:

Watch a custom designed short video introducing the programme
Complete an ‘Influencing Styles; questionnaire and bring the results with you to the programme
Come with a current situation important to you where you have to influence and impact without authority. Complete this exercise using the template provided
Article: Read the HBR Article: Exerting Influence Without Authority
Watch the Robert Cialdini video on influencing tactics

Post course work will include:

Completing actions committed to in personal action plan
Participants are asked to keep a reflective journal detailing situations in which they needed to influence
Updating of actions and impact on digital whiteboard before action learning set
A one-hour, online, action learning set, facilitated by Invisio, 1 month after the programme to share experiences and learnings with one another and problem solve as needed.

Participants on this programme will have access to an online whiteboard and document repository for up to 3 months after completing the programme and all resources will continue to be available to them over this time. The materials can also be downloaded locally.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who should attend? This training is only for UCD employees who are, or are likely to be, members of an interview panel. The first part of this course focuses on those who manage and administer the Resourcing Process in UCD. The second part of this course is to assist Hiring Managers to recruit the correct candidates for the role

Description: The first part of this course will assist managers to write a Job Description, use UCD Infohub and provide an introduction to Job Families. The second part of this course will provide guidance on planning the interview and the structure a formal interview should take, how to deal effectively with difficult situations and how to provide constructive feedback.

Scheduling Notes: 3.5 hour workshop - including a 15-minute break.

Booking:

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

L

This Leadership programme has been created to support the delivery of the UCD Strategy 2020-2024, 'Rising to the Future'. As per our strategy, we commit to rising to meet the global challenges of the future through the excellence and impact of our research, scholarship and innovation, while ensuring every member of our community is enabled to achieve their full potential.

Our new strategy places a strong and defined emphasis on the pivotal role that developing our faculty and staff will have in the achievement of the four strategic themes. This programme will enhance the quality of leadership and management within the University by supporting our leaders in the development of the skills, knowledge, and behaviours necessary to live and work successfully in the constantly evolving VUCA world (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity).

This new programme, in conjunction with our external training partner Flow Group, has been designed to bring together the Leadership and Management populations of UCD to reflect and plan their individual and collective approaches to navigating the complex landscape.

In order to continue to deliver on UCDs ambitious strategy we need to create a collaborative, agile approach to leadership and management that will foster a culture and environment which actively empowers people to thrive and do their best work.

Booking:

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the UCD RISE Leadership and People Management Booking Centre. Book Here

Please note only eligible participants will have access to book on the UCD RISE Leadership and People Management Programme.

If you have any queries relating to this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie

Leading at a Distance

Leading Virtual Meetings

UCD’s new e-learning resource LinkedIn Learning is available here.

M

Who is this course for?

This course is for all staff members who are considering using mentoring/or have already signed up to engage in a mentoring partnership, as a tool for professional development.

This course will cover a wide range of issues related to setting up and maintaining a positive, productive mentoring partnership. The aim of the session is to ensure that all mentees know exactly how to maximise the potential that engaging in a mentoring partnership offers.

During the session, learners will look at the role of both the mentee and mentor, explore the key elements of a successful partnership, identify what they are looking for in a mentor, understand how to approach the mentor and effectively lead the partnership.

At the end of the training learners will feel more confident in moving forward into their mentoring partnerships

What topics will be covered?

Identify what you want from this partnership
The role of the mentor
Choosing a mentor
The responsibilities of the mentee
Benefits of mentoring partnership
The mentoring agreement
Essential communication skills

How long is this course?

This is a 3.5 hour workshop.

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

PRE COURSE WORK:

To gain the maximum benefit from the course each learner should have considered what exactly they are looking for from a mentoring partnership. This will help the mentees be more focussed during the session and make sure they can maximise what they can gain from participating in the workshop.

Learners should also familiarise themselves with the Mentoring at UCD initiative on our Mentoring webpage.

POST COURSE WORK:

Before the course begins each learner will also receive a 3-2-1 Personal Action Plan template.

At the end of the course, the trainer will facilitate a short reflective activity which will allow each learner to use this template to record:

Three things they learned/were reminded about during training
Two things they want to action based on the session
One thing they are going to action this week

Learners will be encouraged to share their entire plan with their supervisor, manager or a co-worker in order to have accountability. We will also provide a guide for UCD managers/supervisors about what was covered during the session, recommended reading list and how the 3-2-1 Action Plans should be used.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses. The 2021/22 training course catalogue will be launched and available to book from the start of the next Academic Year

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?

This course is for all staff members who have agreed to be a mentor to a colleague within UCD.

This course will cover a wide range of issues related to setting up and maintaining a positive, productive mentoring partnership. The aim of this session is to ensure that learners know exactly what their role is as a mentor and what is required to ensure that both mentee and mentor maximise the potential that engaging in the mentoring partnership offers.

During the sessions, learners will be clear on exactly what they are aiming for in their own partnerships and be able to identify ways to evaluate their own partnerships once they have set them up. The mentors will know their role in the mentoring agreement in maintaining this type of partnership.

What topics will be covered?

The role of the mentor
The responsibilities of the mentee
Benefits of mentoring partnership
The mentoring agreement
Active listening and questioning techniques
Mentoring styles-which one is right for you?

How long is this course?

This is a 3.5 hour workshop.

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

PRE COURSE WORK

To gain the maximum benefit from the course each learner should have considered the reason they have agreed to be a Mentor, and what potentially they feel they may gain personally from a mentoring partnership.

Learners should also familiarise themselves with the Mentoring at UCD initiative on our Mentoring webpage.

POST COURSE WORK

Before the course begins each learner will also receive a 3-2-1 Personal Action Plan template.

At the end of the course, the trainer will facilitate a short reflective activity which will allow each learner to use this template to record:

Three things they learned/were reminded about during training
Two things they want to action based on the session
One thing they are going to action this week

Learners will be encouraged to share their entire plan with their supervisor, manager or a co-worker in order to have accountability. We will also provide a guide for UCD managers/supervisors about what was covered during the session, recommended reading list and how the 3-2-1 Action Plans should be used.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?

This course is for all staff who wish to develop the skills to plan, execute and follow up on meetings -both face to face and online.

At the end of this programme, participants will be able to:

examine existing practices and mindsets in meetings, to proactively recognise opportunities to grow and develop meeting facilitation skills.
identify the roles and responsibilities of everyone attending meetings of any kind
demonstrate the ‘Rules of Engagement’ for conducting effective meetings and the standards required before, during and after all meetings.
deal with the challenges of meetings online

How long is this course?

This course is 3 hours in duration.

What topics will be covered?

This is an experiential learning experience – the workshop will be run as a meeting, with participants fulfilling designated roles. As they do so, they will practice good meeting skills and learn from one another and at the same time learn how to deal with challenging situations and people.

Meeting Agenda:

The need for better meetings
Key learning points from the rules of engagement, book summary and the video
The role of the meeting facilitator / chair, action recorder, gate / timekeeper and active participant
Handling challenging people and situations that arise in meetings
Making online meetings more effective
The ABC technique and practical exercise
Summary of learning and actions arising from this meeting.

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

Pre work will include:

As with all effective meetings, participants need to be very well prepared and are required to:

Study the agenda for the workshop and prepare accordingly
Be prepared to discuss the need for more effective meetings
Read a set of articles, watch a video and complete a quiz – all of which will be discussed during the meeting

Post course work will include:

Conduct a survey of meeting attendees for meetings they chair
Take the learning points from this workshop and developing a plan for implementation
Reviewing progress with their meeting attendees to embed best practice

Participants on this programme will have access to an online whiteboard and document repository for up to 3 months after completing the programme and all resources will continue to be available to them over this time. The materials can also be downloaded locally.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who should attend?
This one hour workshop is aimed at staff wishing to learn more about the below topics.

What is a research account?
Proposal support, Grant Registration, Research Finance Office - comparison of roles
Research Finance Office sections
How-to: procure, hire staff, procure equipment/services, charge costs to the project, check your balance, etc.
Guidelines re account management
Post-award financial support
Financial claims (cost statements)
Audit
Key financial controls
Contract Completion/Account Closure

Provider: UCD Research Finance

Booking:

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Managing Virtual Teams

Who is this course for?

This course is for all staff who would like to improve their business writing skills. The aim of this course is to help participants to develop their writing so that it is clear, concise, complete and correct.

Beginning with an activity highlighting how bias and ambiguity in written communication are communicated, the training course will take participants through the three steps to effective business writing: Prepare, Write, Edit. Typical errors with punctuation and homophones are highlighted. A confidence-building and time-saving report template is also explored.

How long is this course?

The course duration is 3 hours.

What topics will be covered?

Learn how to write correspondence that is clear, complete, concise and correct.
Pinpoint the purpose of the correspondence
Learn an effective three stage approach to writing emails
Identify, examine, and apply the key principles of business writing
Organise, structure and evaluate materials

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

To prepare for the workshop participants are asked to:

Choose a piece of your own writing (email or report) that represents your writing style. Keep this at hand during the workshop.
Watch a four minute video - (video link will be provided with the course joining instructions).

Resources on business writing and video from LinkedIn Learning are provided following the workshop.

Booking:
For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

O

Below are some online learning options available to UCD Staff.

To support you at this time, an Orientation session is available for new or recently joined employees. The aim is to provide information on the UCD strategy, structure and some key services which will help to settle you into working life in UCD. For more information on what is covered at the session please see the outline from a previous date - UCD Orientation Programme Agenda 2023 - 2024

Some resources to help you settle into UCD, including the UCD Values, can be found here on LinkedIn Learning. Another fun and interesting way to get to know the UCD campus is through this Virtual Tour.

Booking

The next Orientation Programme Event will take place on 26 & 27 September 2023. This Hybrid Orientation Programme comprises of a 2.5 hour in person session on Day 1 followed by a 1 hour online session on Day 2 (Note: It will place over 2 consecutive days). Please book via the - New Staff Orientation link.

If you have any queries regarding the orientation webinar, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext. 4919.

Who is this course for?

This course is for all staff members who wish to equip themselves with the organisational and time management tools and techniques needed to better manage their time and the time of others.

On successful completion of the course, learners will be able to:

Identify strategies to reduce time spent on activities which are unimportant
Develop a plan for spending time on important roles, relationships and activities
Reduce stress and improve their well-being by being more in control of their workload
Apply 5S to organise their workspace
Establish daily, weekly, monthly routines to help organise their time
Have confidence to professionally say ‘No’ when needed and have a strategy to handle day-to-say distractions

How long is this course?

The course duration is 3.5 hours.

What topics will be covered?

This is a practical course, which shows learners how and where their time is lost and what impact that has on themselves and others. The course looks at how staff can better organise their tasks and control their stress levels during busy periods, how to avoid distractions to reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed and how to identify their personal ‘time-stealers'. We will also look at techniques to help learners make sure all their day-to-day tasks are complete and nothing is overlooked.

Topics covered:

What do we mean by Time Management?
Tips to avoid procrastination
Defining your role and responsibilities
Identifying your personal time stealers
Organising your time – daily, weekly, monthly routines
Organising your workspace with 5S
Dealing with common distractions and how to say ‘No’
Habit forming techniques - taking time to assess your day-to-day tasks, what was complete, what wasn't and why

This course is highly interactive and includes discussion, exercises and activities based on real world scenarios. The trainer will also encourage learners to bring in their own experience and discuss practical, local examples where relevant.

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

To gain the maximum benefit from the course each learner will be required to complete an Organisation & Time Management Quiz. This will help learners to set the context for the course and allow them to focus on areas they need to improve on.

Before the course begins each learner will also receive a 3-2-1 Personal Action Plan template. Post-training, participants will be led through a short reflective activity which will allow each learner to use this template to record:

Three things they learned/were reminded about during training
Two things they want to action based on the session
One thing they are going to action this week.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

P

This one hour seminar is aimed at all employees who have commenced work in UCD within the last few months and who are members of the Single Public Service Scheme. In general, members of the Single Scheme are new entrants to public service on or after 1 January 2013.

Prior to booking please confirm that you are a member of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme. You can check this on your online pensions record through ESS.

Booking
Dates for this course will be advertised soon. For details of upcoming events or to book your place, please visit the HR Pensions & Retirement booking centre.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Additional Resources:

UCD Pensions

This one hour seminar is aimed at employees who are in the pre existing UCD Pension Schemes having joined the Public Sector pre 1^st January 2013. It will provide an overview of the two options available for those interested in voluntarily augmenting their UCD Pension Benefits: Additional Voluntary Contributions and Notional Service Purchase. Please note the Notional Service Option is only available to employees who have a potential of 9 years service in UCD and who joined the Public Sector pre 1^st January 2013.

Note: Prior to booking please confirm that you are not a member of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme. You can check this on your online pensions record through ESS

Booking For details of upcoming events or to book your place, please visit the HR Pensions & Retirement booking centre

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?

This training is for all staff who would like to improve their presentation skills. The course is highly practical, with participants delivering presentations during the session which are recorded by the trainer for comments and feedback. There are also several opportunities throughout the training to work in small groups to deliver presentations and receive / give feedback.

What topics will be covered?

On this course, you will learn how to:

Analyse your audience so that you pitch your material at the right level (‘start where the audience is’)
Crystallize achievable objectives which drive content and contribute to the achievement of the overall vision of your School or Unit
Select one of six presentation structures that suits your material
Colour your content for impact and memorability
Use PowerPoint appropriately and creatively
Have online impact
Make impactful ‘on the spot’ presentations
Present with impact, whether in person or online

How long is this course?

The total course duration is 7 hours and is delivered over two 3.5 hour sessions.

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

Pre work will include:

Participants receive a copy of the Performance Matters presentation skills workbook in advance - this allows them to read much of the course content so that they can focus on application and practice.

Participants are asked to prepare a 3-minute introductory presentation.

Participants are asked to identify a presentation that they can work on (design/improve) during the workshop.

In between the two sessions:

Using a supplied template, participants reflect on any presentations that they made and/or attend
Participants prepare a 5-minute presentation for presentation/feedback at Session 2
Further links to good presentation examples are shared

Post course work:

Links to online resources, including good presentation examples will be shared with participants.

Booking:
For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?

This one-day course is for all staff who wish to develop an understanding of project management. Specifically, this PM² Essentials course will cover the key concepts of the PM² methodology, including the what, when, who and how of the PM² life cycle. The training will also outline governance, mindsets, key templates, and processes as they relate to the PM² methodology.

PM² Project Management Methodology

The purpose of PM² is to enable project managers to deliver solutions and benefits to their organisations by effectively managing the lifecycle of their projects. You can read more about PM² methodology here.

PM² is being adopted as the project management methodology across UCD. This approach intends to standardise a project management methodology across the university, so that, at an enterprise level, we have a defined, consistent way of working on projects. The process of adopting this methodology is being supported by UCD Agile.

How long is this course?
This course is 7 hours in duration.

What topics will be covered?

Introduction to projects, programs, portfolios and PM methodologies

The PM² focus on outputs, outcomes and business implementation
The PM² Governance model and its roles & responsibilities
The PM² Mindsets
The PM² Project lifecycle - Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitor & Control, Closing
PM² management processes, key tools, core techniques
Key PM² templates
The four PM² Logs and the Stakeholder Matrix
PM² Essentials Certification - tips and tricks. Examples of exam questions are presented, and answers discussed.

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?
There are no formal prerequisites to booking or attending PM² Essentials training.

Participants are however strongly advised to undertake the ‘PM² Essentials, Project Management Methodology' e-learning module prior to their attendance at the in-person PM² training session. This module,which takes about 90 minutes to complete, is available on the EU Academy e-learning platform. You can access the e-learning module here: PM C1 - PM² Essentials, Project Management Methodology (registration required).

Those who complete the PM² Essentials training course should note that, following their attendance at the training, their name will be shared with the UCD Project Management Community of Practice (PM CoP). This group is for project managers, programme managers and other interested people who play a role in managing projects in UCD. The purpose of the CoP is to tap into the experience of project managers across the university to build and share knowledge, skills, tools, and ways of working, as well as to develop an informal network of like-minded individuals.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

R

RISE Leadership and People Management Programme

The RISE programme is designed for all Senior Leaders and People Managers across UCD.

This Leadership programme has been created to support the delivery of the UCD Strategy 2020-2024, 'Rising to the Future'. As per our strategy, we commit to rising to meet the global challenges of the future through the excellence and impact of our research, scholarship and innovation, while ensuring every member of our community is enabled to achieve their full potential.

RISE is delivered by our strategic partners Flow Group. The modules are designed to facilitate participants coming together to reflect and plan their individual and collective approaches to navigating an ever-changing and complex landscape, and each session includes personal reflection, action planning, small group conversation, idea generation and discussion.

This high impact programme is designed as a learning journey which consists of a number of modules which must be completed in sequence. Senior Leaders and People Managers will attend the Core Module together to share experiences and work to create common approaches and language. Each cohort will then attend their Essentials 1 and Essentials 2 modules in sequence.

RISE Insights
The programme also offers RISE Insights Sessions on HR, Finance and Research Finance. These optional 90-minute offerings delivered by our UCD colleagues provide specialist advice and guidance. Insights Sessions can be attended at any time once you have completed your Core module.

RISE Peer Connect
These one-hour self-contained sessions allow for the continuation of learning and sharing among our diverse community of people managers and leaders. The purpose of these facilitated sessions is to connect peers in small groups of three, with each person talking through a challenge, idea or insight, sharing experiences and using the group as a confidential sounding board.

These sessions can be attended at any time throughout your RISE journey.

This two-minute video explains more about Peer Connect.

Booking your place on RISE
To book your place on any of the RISE offerings please visit the dedicated RISE Booking Portal available to People Managers and Senior Leaders.

Please note only eligible participants will have access to book on the UCD RISE Leadership and People Management Programme.

Who is this course for?

This training is suitable for learners who want to create and develop their leader potential and mindset, and set SMART goals.

On successful completion of the course, learners will be able to:

Have more confidence in their leadership potential
List the benefits to themselves and the organisation that a Leadership mindset can bring
Describe the four aspects of being a leader that every employee can develop
Effectively use feedback to support their own continued professional development

How long is this course?

The course duration is 3.5 hours

What topics will be covered?

The course content explores how each learner can realise their leadership potential by setting an example, taking initiative, taking ownership, being accountable, finding solutions to problems, influencing others and by supporting your colleagues.

Each learner will leave the course with the knowledge that every employee has the potential to lead.

What is a mindset and how can we change it?
Adopting a Leadership Mindset - why bother?
Leadership characteristics to develop - Responsibility; Empowerment; Accountability; Continuous Improvement; Inclusivity, Diversity
Hearing and making effective use of feedback received
Setting SMART goals for yourself that align with UCD core values and your P4G

This course is highly practical and interactive and includes discussions and activities based on real world scenarios. Our trainers will also encourage learners to bring in their own experience and discuss practical, local examples where relevant.

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

To gain the maximum benefit from the course we recommend learners watch this LinkedIn learning session on Leadership Mindset https://www.linkedin.com/learning/leadership-mindsets/how-mindsets-trigger-leadership-styles

Before the course begins each learner will also receive a 3-2-1 Personal Action Plan template.

Post-training, participants will be led through a short reflective activity which will allow each learner to use this template to record:

Three things they learned/were reminded about during training
Two things they want to action based on the session
One thing they are going to action this week.

Booking:

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who should attend? This course is aimed at staff members whose role involves any form of communication with students .

Description: The aim of this workshop is to equip staff with the knowledge and practical skills to identify and effectively respond to Distressed and/ or at Risk Students. This will facilitate early intervention and increase the likelihood of students being linked with support services which is crucial to their mental health.

Scheduling Notes: The course which is divided into two parts - Responding to Distressed Students and Responding to At Risk Students is delivered over 1 full day when delivered in a classroom setting and over two half day workshops when delivered using the online platform Zoom. This bespoke training presentation designed for 3rd Level Institutions includes audio- visual scenarios, group and experiential work.

Course Notes: Participants will be sent case scenarios via email ahead of the course which will be used for the group work segment of the training.

Provider: UCD Student Counselling Service

Booking:

Please note we are awaiting confirmation of 2023-2024 dates. As soon as these dates are finalised this workshop will be available to book on our booking centre.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?

This two-day programme is an essential preparation for those staff who are considering retirement in the near future. The objective of the two-day programme is to provide participants with an overview of the wide-ranging changes associated with retirement, as well as guidance regarding personal retirement planning.

How long is this course?

This is a two-day course held on consecutive days.

What topics will be covered?

Planning for retirement
Health & Lifestyle
Psychological Preparation / Social Engagement
State Pension and Social Welfare
Finance / Money
Legal
Taxation

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

The “Your Retirement Workbook” is designed to support the information and the other materials course participants receive as part of their retirement planning course. The exercises within this workbook are structured to help participants collect their thoughts about retirement, reflect on their own personal circumstances and to stimulate different ways of thinking and generate new ideas. Participants are asked to work through the content of this workbook to help them design a meaningful plan for making the most of their time in retirement.

Booking

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

S

Who is this course for?

This course is aimed at all staff members. The aim of this workshop is to assist in developing high performance through people.

Successful leaders know how to drive high performance behaviours with:

Clear Focus
By asking the Right Questions
Changing Negative Thinking into Positive Action
Communicating ideas in a way that makes sense to others

This course develops these thinking skills in a step-by-step approach that is easy to apply.

How long is this course?

The course duration is 3.5 hours.

What topics will be covered?

Gaining Clear Focus
Lead with Innovative Thinking
Get Connected to the Thinking of Others

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

Participants will be asked to consider and bring leadership situations they would like to reflect on and improve.

Following the session, course participants agree to use at least one of the learning tools they have used on the course within the next month

Booking:
For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?

This course is for all staff members interested in developing their communication skills. The aim of the programme is to improve the effectiveness of participants as communicators and to provide some techniques and approaches to enable assertive communication.

On completion of this programme, participants will be able to:

Adapt and modify their communication style and skills when dealing with others, to get their message across
Understand their own style when influencing others
Recognise assertive, aggressive and passive behaviour in self and others
Have the knowledge to enhance own assertiveness
Know how to communicate across different mediums especially in the new world online environment

How long is this course?

The course duration is 3.5 hours, followed by a 30-minute action learning set, 1 month following the programme.

What topics will be covered?

Self-Awareness – the 5 dimensions
Communications Skills (Barriers to Effective Communication; Key interpersonal skills; Communication across different mediums including online video conference)
Communication styles – understanding yours and that of others
Strategies for communication in difficult situations (Assertive communication; Getting your message across)
Personal action plan

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

Pre work will include:

Complete the online communication style questionnaire
Read two short articles: a. How to have difficult conversation b. How to Handle 3 Types of Difficult Conversations
Watch the short video on nonverbal communication
Optional – but valuable - Think about a situation that you are happy to share with others in small group discussions, where you feel you need to be more effective at getting your message across or be more assertive.

Post course work will include:

Completing actions committed to in personal action plan
Maintain a reflective journal for 6 weeks, detailing critical interactions and learning points.
Gain feedback from others on their communication skills using a simple online feedback form
Updating of actions and impact on digital whiteboard before action learning set
A 30 minute, online, action learning set, facilitated by Invisio, 1 month after the programme to share experiences and learnings with one another and problem solve as needed.

Participants on this programme will have access to our online whiteboard and document repository for up to 3 months after completing the programme and all resources will continue to be available to them over this time. The materials can also be downloaded locally.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who should attend?
This one hour workshop is aimed at staff wishing to learn more about the below topics.

What is a research account?
Proposal support, Grant Registration, Research Finance Office - comparison of roles
Research Finance Office sections
How-to: procure, hire staff, procure equipment/services, charge costs to the project, check your balance, etc.
Guidelines re account management
Post-award financial support
Financial claims (cost statements)
Audit
Key financial controls
Contract Completion/Account Closure

Provider: UCD Research Finance

Booking:

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Stress Management for Positive Change (Online Learning)

T

Time Management- Remote Working

Who is this course for?

This training is for those new to a people management role in UCD. This practical workshop will provide an opportunity to consider how best to support and motivate others and to build the performance of those who report to you through feedback and effective workload management.

By the end of the workshop participants will:

Understand how they can shift their mindset to ensure success in their new management role
Feel more confident in their management skills
Have learned a practical approach to delegating to their team
Understand how to support and motivate others
Have had the opportunity to practice giving and receiving feedback
Have created a personal action plan and objectives for the next 6 months

How long is this course?

The course is 1 day in duration.

What topics will be covered?

Embarking on a new team lead or management role can mean a significant shift in approach, relationships and responsibility. This one-day workshop will support you to gain clarity and purpose as you move into your new role. Developing an understanding of the core mindset and skills necessary for success as you manage those around you. This workshop will focus on 3 key management skills:

Delegation/workload management
Supporting and motivating others
Receiving and providing feedback.

This workshop will be interactive, including experiential activities, individual work and group work and scenario-based practice to bring learning to life. Participants will be asked to reflect on their experiences, explore approaches and ideas, and create practical action plans that will address their individual work needs.

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

Participants will be provided with a short questionnaire to complete in advance of the session which will encourage them to develop an understanding of their current approach to navigating challenging interactions.

Post-work:

Participants will be provided with suggested reading and further resources, as well as a LinkedIn Learning Pathway of curated content to support their ongoing development
Participants will write a “letter to self” outlining their ambitions in their new role. This will be posted to them six months later as a reminder.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

W

Who is this course for?
This course is for all members of staff who would like to improve the effectiveness of their written communication.

What topics will be covered?

This course will focus on developing the following skills which relate to communicating effectively in written documentation:

How to produce a clear writing plan
Overcome the 3 common flaws in business writing: Grammar Gaffs, Crazy Words & Daft Logic
Develop structure & format in written communication
Produce clear, persuasive arguments
Make writing documents attractive to readers

How long is this course?
The course duration is 3 hours.

Do I need to prepare anything before or after the session?

It is imperative that all course participants bring a sample of their work with them. Pre course work includes choosing a sample that is relevant to their needs.

To ensure that the training techniques can be successfully transferred to the workplace, all participants agree to use at least one of the training exercises on real work documentation within the following month.

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the HR - Professional Development booking centre If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses.

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Aurora is a leadership development programme for those who identify as female. It was developed by the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education in the UK. You can read more about the programme at Aurora | Advance HE

The programme is designed to introduce key leadership topics and skills through four online one-day workshops, complemented by online networking, action learning sets and resources. Advance HE also host an in-person networking event as part of the programme.

The UCD HR People and Organisation Development Unit support the UCD Aurora cohort by hosting several local in-person events such as the UCD programme launch and closing events, mentee training and a mid-programme review event. On-going support is ensured through institutional mentoring.

Aurora is supported in UCD both by an overall Institution Champion, Professor Regina Uí Chollatáin, and an Aurora Coordinator in HR People and Organisation Development.

Making an application

The closing date for receipt of applications for the 2023-24 Aurora Programme was 7 September 2023.

Participants

The programme was established in 2013 and has run in a number of venues in the UK and Ireland, including London; Manchester; Bristol and Glasgow and Dublin. UCD has supported over 185 women to participate in the programme since 2015, demonstrating the University's commitment to leadership development and gender equality.

Mentors

Aurora requires that the University puts systems in place to help support and develop participants on their Aurora experience. This includes having mentors in place to work with participants. Although the development days are run over 5 months, the mentoring arrangement is for the duration of one year to help participants maximise the benefit of the programme.

Guidance on choosing a mentor is available below:

Aurora Guidance in Choosing a Mentor

Should you have any queries in relation to Aurora in UCD, please contact peopledevelopment@ucd.ie.

If you have questions relating to other leadership or management development please discuss this with your Line Manager or Head of School/Unit at your annual P4G conversation.

UCD People & Organisation Development

Roebuck Offices, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.

T: +353 1 716 4919 | E: peopledevelopment@ucd.ie

Explore UCD

About UCD

Students

Research & Innovation

Colleges

Engage

Key Services

Below you will find an A-Z of the programme catalogue for the 2023-2024 Academic Year.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

L

M

O

P

R

RISE Leadership and People Management Programme

S

T

W

UCD People & Organisation Development

Explore UCD

About UCD

Students

Research & Innovation

Colleges

Engage

Key Services

Course Catalogue A-Z

Below you will find an A-Z of the programme catalogue for the 2023-2024 Academic Year.

A

Advanced Communication Skills

Assistant Professor Programme (Newly Appointed)

Aurora Leadership Development Programme

B

Boosting Productivity

Building and Delivering a Presentation

Building a Resilience Habit

Building Career Confidence

Building Resilience (Online Learning)

C

Communicate with Authenticity and Confidence

Critical Thinking: Everyday Skills

Critical Conversations

D

Developing Resourcefulness (Online Learning)

E

Effective Stakeholder Management

Essential Coaching Skills

Essential Skills for Outstanding Service Delivery

F

Faculty Promotion Workshop

G

H

I

Influencing Skills

Interview Panel Training

L

UCD RISE Leadership and People Management Programme

Leading at a Distance (Online Learning)

Leading Virtual Meetings (Online Learning)

LinkedIn Learning

M

Essential Mentoring Skills - for MENTEES

Essential Skills for Mentoring - for MENTORS

Managing Meetings

Managing Research Accounts - Research Finance

Managing Virtual Teams (Online Learning)

Mastering Professional Writing - Emails and Reports

O

Online Learning

Orientation for new staff

Organisation and Time Management

P

Pensions: New Starters Seminar

Pensions: Notional Service & Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs)

Presenting for Maximum Impact

PM2 Essentials

R

UCD RISE Leadership and People Management Programme

RISE Leadership and People Management Programme

Realising Your Leadership Potential

Responding to Distressed Students

Planning for Retirement in the coming years

S

Sharp Thinking for Successful Leadership

Skills for Excellent Communication

Managing Research Accounts: Research Finance

Stress Management for Positive Change (Online Learning)

T

Time Management - Remote Working (Online Learning)

Transition to Manager Mindset/Skillset

W

Writing with Clarity and Engaging your Reader

Aurora Leadership Development Programme

UCD People & Organisation Development