Module dates and descriptions:

Mondays & Wednesdays
12 p.m. - 2 p.m. PST

Module 1 - Assess Yourself: How well do you know the 7 responsibilitties of a people manager?

Wednesday, April 30th, 2025 at 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. PST

In this workshop, participants identify the skills they have, and those they need to develop, to effectively manage the productivity of their mentee/employee. First, you will take a baseline of your own strengths and growth areas in executing the 7 fundamental people management responsibilities: setting expectations, teaching/training and delegating, the three types of feedback, rewarding achievement, addressing performance issues, managing the inevitable conflict inherent in even the most functional teams, and providing appropriate protection and support. Second, we’ll dissect the specific strategies individuals with research mentoring and/or managing responsibilities can use to equitably balance decisions in fulfilling their roles as a scientific mentor and/or a manager. Finally, participants consider ways to receive support and further develop their skills and abilities in these areas.

Module 2 - Effectively supervising people who aren't you: Managing different workstyles

Monday, May 5th, 2025 at 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. PST

In this module, participants consider how individual differences in values, approaches and relationship to work can impact productivity, morale and retention of team members. We also discuss tangible steps that managers can take to intentionally cultivate inclusive environments. We consider several factors that may make up our individual ‘operating systems’ when we engage in work, including how we prefer to communicate, make decisions, feel organized, and manage change/conflict. Participants will also have the opportunity to assess some facets of their own work style preferences, as well as develop the vocabulary to discuss others’ preferences without pathologizing their approach to work. Finally, we discuss and brainstorm tactics that team leaders can use to inclusively manage multiple work style differences and reap the benefits of working in diverse teams.

Module 3 - Assess Yourself: Do you have strategies to support everyone on your team?

Wednesday, May 7th, 2025 at 12:00 -2:00 p.m. PST

Many scientists with mentoring/managing responsibilities have the best of intentions, but lack clarity about which specific decisions and actions result in everyone on their team feeling a sense of belonging and invested in the overall success of the lab/team. In this session, you will learn a framework to benchmark which decisions, behaviors and actions support an effective workplace ecosystem. Secondly, we will outline 5 overarching strategies that can improve the productivity, morale and well-being of everyone on your team. Finally, you will practice applying these strategies to your own work life, by intentionally building them into a common work responsibility (a 1:1 or lab meeting).

Module 4 - How to transparently set (performance and conduct) expectations

Monday, May 12th, 2025 at 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. PST

Gallup’s national State of the American Worker poll notes that half of all workers do not know what is expected of them. We discuss the challenges – the impossibility, actually – of setting all performance and behavioral expectations at the beginning of someone’s tenure, and the strategies that successful research mentors/managers use to set and manage those expectations over time. Participants will 1) identify which key expectations need to be set immediately to preserve their own productivity, 2) define and articulate expectations to team members, 3) overcome common challenges in setting expectations, including when mentoring/supervising individuals who are more experienced than themselves or have a strongly held ‘operating system’/way of doing things, and 4) consider criteria to determine if they’ve set an expectation effectively.

Module 5 - Teach/train and delegate: Using best practices to train your diverse team

Wednesday, May 14th, 2025 at 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. PST

Using effective training practices is important in any organization, but it is particularly important in research organizations. In biotechnology companies, the constant evolution of knowledge requires a solid training process to stay up to speed on innovative technology and knowledge. In this module, we discuss common training issues that can result in loss of productivity for individuals and their teams, and can put team members from some underrepresented groups at a disadvantage. We propose evidence-based approaches to avoid, detect and correct these training issues.

Module 6 - Communicating inclusively: developing your own feedback strategy and style

Monday, May 19th, 2025 at 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. PST

Do you feel most comfortable offering positive (or kudos) feedback? Do you tend to avoid or sugarcoat corrective feedback? Not sure what ‘evaluative’ feedback is? Then this is the session for you. In this module, we begin by dissecting the three types of feedback that everyone (including you) needs to be productive: kudos, corrective and evaluative feedback. Participants will practice giving feedback using a protocol that works for both kudos and corrective feedback Next, participants will modify the protocol as they consider their style (including their personal values, approach and language). We’ll discuss strategies to both gain buy-in/determine how the recipient can best hear and act on that feedback, and how to engage when the recipient has a strong reaction to feedback.

Module 7 - When someone isn't meeting your expectations: Strategies and resources to manage performance issues effectively

Wednesday, May 21st, 2025 at 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. PST

When someone repeatedly fails to meet performance or conduct expectations, many research mentors/managers frequently under- or over-correct and mistakenly attempt to handle the situation alone (rather than reaching out for support). In this session, participants will learn tactics to determine how their particular organization expects them to manage performance or conduct issues, how to access organizational resources to help them navigate the situation (including HR, Learning and Development, etc.), and common mistakes and approaches (including building a circle of support/self care) to manage one of the most challenging responsibilities for any mentor/manager.

Module 8 - How to skillfully hire the best people for your team: Which strategies will you use?

Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 at 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. PST

In this workshop, participants will learn evidence-based strategies to assess and select the best candidate for their team. Participants will learn how to transparently structure the overall hiring process, begin to develop their own questions/rubrics to assess for their priority qualifications, consider steps to prepare and manage a hiring committee, and discover tactics to mitigate others - and their own - unconscious biases to ensure that the best candidate isn't overlooked.

1.What is the cost for non-UCSF participants?

2. What are the participation and cancellation policies?

• Only one participant can attend per registration. Failure to comply with this requirement will lead to ending of a registrant’s participation in the training with no reimbursement of funds
• Registrants can receive a full refund, minus Eventbrite's fees, should they request a refund 7 days before the training starts (any of the module)
• Registrants cannot receive a refund if they cancel less than 7 days before a training module
• Space permitting, participants can request the opportunity to attend a missed module at the next Fall/Spring series

3. Is this training recorded?

• No, this training is not recorded.

4. Who should I reach out to if I have questions about registering for the training? 

• Please reach out to our event planner, Patricia McGrath at [email protected]