As part of Unitec’s Renewal Strategy, Manaakitia te Rito, we are offering workshops to focus on lifting manager and staff capability. At the heart of the workshops is Rangatiratanga – Rangahia te pūkenga, rangahia te wānanga, rangahia te tirahou – Weaving skills, weaving knowledge, weaving people capabilities.
The suite of free, on-campus workshops are available now. Whether you’re a people manager, aspiring people manager or team member, there’s something for everyone. Through the People Development Workshops, you’ll develop your communication and relationship building skills and learn valuable team management strategies.
The workshops have been developed by the Human Resources and Learning & Development teams. On offer are a range of bite-sized, interactive workshops, where the facilitators blend best practice with the values of Te Noho Kotahitanga and Unitec’s policies and procedures.
The workshops will aid capability development across all of Unitec’s leadership competencies, with a particular focus on:
- Ensures Accountability – holding self & others accountable to meet commitments
- Builds Trust – gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity and authenticity
- Develops Self-Awareness and Reflective Practice – using a combination of feedback and reflection to gain productive insight into personal strengths and weaknesses
- Engages with Difference – harnessing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to Unitec
The suite of workshops will be added to over time and will include more dates and sessions at both campuses so please keep checking in.
We ask that prior to registering you discuss your development needs with your manager and have their support to attend. Remember to record your plans and participation in your ADEP meetings. Your participation will be registered by the Learning & Development team and logged against your learning record in PeopleSoft.
To organise a workshop for a group outside of the dates advertised, please contact peopleworkshops@unitec.ac.nz or your HR Business Partner.
If you have any questions please contact peopleworkshops@unitec.ac.nz
Register for People Development workshops here
Performance Partnering & ADEP Planning – Practical Session for People Managers
Breaking it down and making it simple
Performance Partnering is Unitec’s process for planning and reviewing performance. Performance Partnering provides the tools to set individual goals for the year ahead, regular check-ins to measure progress and allows for changes to the plan if required. Approximately every 90 days, People Managers at Unitec need to engage in this partnering process with each direct report. It’s critical that our People Managers are familiar with what is expected; know how to partner effectively; and are confident to conduct the performance partnering conversations.
We’ll cover off:
- The elements of the Performance Partnering cycle including the ADEP Planning & Review process
- Strategies to aid individual planning, development & review conversations
- How to write/critique meaningful SMARTA goals
- How individual effort and goals can should cascade up to support you as People Manager with your own goals and areas of accountability, the team’s Takitahi and Action Plans
- Know how to attribute relevant ratings at Review stage
Target audience: People Leaders and Staff in Discipline Lead roles or who are leading the performance partnering process.
Prerequisites: Please bring your own ADEP Individual Plan, pen and paper
Register for this workshop here
Guidelines for Academic Career (Salary) Progression – Practical Session for Academic Managers/Staff
A practical overview of how to progress in your academic career
This workshop will enable People Managers of academic staff to guide their team members on how to progress during their academic careers.
Academic staff will be guided on what the Unitec policies and procedures are for salary progression dependant on which employment agreement they have.
It is essential that both our People Managers of academic staff and academic staff are familiar with what is expected and know how to partner and develop effectively going forward.
We’ll cover off:
- The Unitec policies and procedures process of Academic Career (Salary) Progression for academic staff on both ‘collective employment agreements’ and ‘individual employment agreements’
- Provide guidance to managers of academic staff to ensure the staff members professional development has the appropriate goals to ensure progress and meet the requirements for progression
- Provide guidance to academic staff to aid individual planning and development
Target audience: Heads of School, Academic Programme Managers, Programme Coordinators/Discipline Leads, People Managers of Academic staff, Academic Staff
Prerequisites: Please bring your laptop or pen and paper
Register for this workshop here
Speak Up: Supporting & Enabling our Code of Conduct Workshops
Tools and knowledge to confidently ‘Speak Up’ when experiencing challenging behaviour
Our Unitec Code of Conduct: Ngā Tikanga Whakahaere makes explicit our commitment to creating and sustaining an environment free from bullying, harassment, discrimination and other poor behaviours. Key to living this commitment is creating a safe environment where people can confidently ‘Speak up’ about any concerns knowing they will be treated respectfully and fairly.
This workshop acknowledges that speaking up takes courage and is not always an easy thing to do and has been designed to provide the knowledge, tools and confidence to identify and address any inappropriate behaviour you may experience or witness.
By the end of this workshop you will;
- Understand the importance and impact of Speaking up
- Be aware of the Unitec Speak Up process and how to access and use the Speak Up Resource
- Know when to Speak up: how to identify and clarify inappropriate behaviour
- Know how to Speak up: your options for speaking up – including raising it directly, informal resolutions and formal complaints
- Know who can support you and what to expect
- Understand your role in creating and sustaining a positive and safe work environment
Target audience: All staff
Register for this workshop here
Employment Fundamentals
Know the difference between contractors and employees and how the T&Cs differ for each
This workshop will assist People Managers to understand the different options available to them for engaging people into their team. Participants will discover the different nuances between employment contract types, contracts for service (Independent Contractors) and what type to use when. Also, we will explain the risks and obligations for both parties in these various scenarios. This is a very practical session designed for managers to quickly and confidently move through the process of employing casual, fixed term or permanent staff or when engaging a contractor.
Learning outcomes include:
- Understand the different types of contracts offered at Unitec
- Learn how to manage different types of engagements for your team
- Know who to contact to commence the engagement process
- Mitigate the potential risks of engaging with the wrong contract type
Target audience: This workshop is intended for People Managers or those engaging people to do work for Unitec
Prerequisites: Please bring your laptop or a pen and paper
Register for this workshop here
Managing Leave and Absences
Balancing leave requirements with resourcing, budgets and well-being
This workshop will enable People Managers to manage tangible and non-tangible risks associated with leave management. From managing leave liability and making sure your staff are getting their rest and recreation annual leave breaks, to balancing productivity and staff engagement by managing excessive leave usage, this workshop will provide the tools to make sure you’re having the right conversations at the right time, and working with your staff to put appropriate plans in place.
You’ll be given an insight to the legislation, policies and agreements that will guide you in how you manage leave requests, as well as practical tips for conversations with your staff to support best outcomes for the individual, your team and the organisation.
Target audience: This workshop is intended for People Leaders, or those aspiring to move into a people management role
Prerequisites: Please bring your laptops (to generate leave reports)
Register for this workshop here
Managing Performance
Setting your people up for success
People Managers need to clarify goals, set expectations and organise training or support activities to ensure success. This workshop outlines the simple actions successful managers adopt. The facilitators will also explore what happens when staff are not performing to the requirements of position and how to manage any performance issues. We look at some causes of poor performance; how to use performance support plans and holding informal counselling conversations to enable employee reset.
Learning outcomes include:
- How to provide effective support & coaching using essential management behaviours
- Know how to have Informal Counselling conversations and craft Performance Support Plans
- Understand how our policies, values and NZ legislation fits with the process
- Know when enough is enough before escalating to a formal process
Target audience: People Leaders or those aspiring to move into a people management role
Register for this workshop here
Disciplinary Investigations
Brush up your formal investigation know-how
This workshop will provide guidelines around how to conduct an effective and robust workplace investigation, along with tips regarding interview and report writing best practice. We’ll look at how to ascertain facts and obtain accurate information whilst ensuring the investigation is conducted in an impartial and unbiased manner which invites participation from all involved parties.
At the end of this workshop you will;
- Understand the principles around Good Faith, Fair Process and Good Reason
- Understand the importance of a fair workplace investigation
- Have the tools and skills to successfully manage a workplace investigation
Target audience: This workshop is intended for People Leaders
Prerequisite: We recommend attending the Managing Performance workshop first
Register for this workshop here
Managing Difficult Conversations
Finding agreement or common ground to move forward
A difficult conversation might ensue when the needs, opinions or perceptions of people differ. Usually, at least one person has high emotions about the situation and one or both can feel apprehensive about the consequences of the situation. It creates a tension that may feel like conflict.
This heightened sense of tension can be between employees in different departments; staff working on a project but who have differing views on actions required; or between an employee and manager. This workshop helps you to respond appropriately when you find yourself in the midst of a difficult conversation.
We’ll cover off:
- How the values of Te Noho Kotahitanga and the Code of Conduct should be at the heart of every conversation
- What your own natural style is when under stress
- What makes for a Difficult Conversation
- Guidelines for a Difficult Conversation & pitfalls of avoiding one
- Reframing your thinking
- What you should do if a Difficult Conversation doesn’t work
Target audience: All staff
Register for this workshop here
Giving & Receiving Feedback
Aroha mai, Aroha atu
Not all feedback is easy to hear but is made easier when it comes from the right place. While this workshop is most suited to those in positions required to lead, motivate, engage, coach or mentor others, all staff are welcome to attend. We focus on the importance of effective feedback on individual performance, development and achievement. The facilitator’s will share simple frameworks for delivering feedback. We know from experience these frameworks result in an increased sense of confidence when delivering constructive or critical feedback. The session also explores the best ways to ‘receive’ feedback when it’s provided to you.
Target audience: All staff – especially People Leaders and Staff in Discipline Lead roles or who are required to coach/mentor others
Register for this workshop here
Learn how to optimise your profile, connect with peers and join industry groups
LinkedIn is New Zealand’s most popular professional networking site with over a million Kiwi LinkedIn users and 660 million members worldwide – people making connections with peers, prospective talent and opportunities.
The Internet has transformed how information is created and accessed, and how people connect and collaborate. We live in a global world now and its becoming increasingly important to keep connected.
Have you:
- Put off creating a profile (or abandoned one a while ago)?
- Wanted to develop your personal brand?
- Wondered how to build your network in 2022?
We’ll show you how to optimise your profile, connect with peers and join industry groups.
Target audience: All staff
Register for this workshop here
Recruitment and Selection
Getting the right people in the right place at the right time
Join the recruitment team for an interactive workshop designed to give you the tools to make the best hiring decisions.
We’ll cover off:
- The candidate experience
- How to best predict potential job performance
- How to assess soft and hard skills
- The basics of interviewing
- Providing feedback to candidates
- Our Unitec process & Guiding Principles
We want to support you to bring the best talent into your team, and have all of your job applicants left feeling good about their recruitment experience, regardless of whether they get the job or not.
Target audience: People Leaders or those aspiring to move into a people management role
Register for this workshop here
Understanding stress and anxiety in ourselves and others
Become better equipped to deal with it
As part of group discussions, highlighting diverse cultural perspectives we will develop an understanding of the physical and mental effects of stress on ourselves and others. This workshop covers the A,B,C,D’s of stress literacy, including:
- how stress relates to emotions, mental distress and our wider health
- the differences between good, bad and chronic stress
- daily practices that help address and balance effects of chronic stress
Target audience: This workshop is intended for all staff
Register for this workshop here
Managing Risks to Mental Health
A structured framework for psychosocial safety in the workplace
In order to foster the organisational culture that contributes to staff engagement and wellbeing, this workshop will:
- help you understand the three key categories of hazards to mental health
- give you the time to explore the potential risks and corresponding controls
- highlight what tools and support is available
We will look at case studies of different organisational cultures, including the actual legal cases of mental health injuries caused at work. By the end of the workshop, you will be familiar with language increasingly used by H&S practitioners. This will be useful when contributing to H&S risk audits at Unitec that include both physical and mental health components.
Target audience: This workshop is intended for People Managers or those engaging people to do work for Unitec.
Prerequisites: Basic understanding of stress and mental health
Register for this workshop here