Organizational Development, Equity, and Health

Creative thinking is not just for inventors and artists, thinking creatively is about challenging assumptions, and making connections - a synthesis of ideas that often leads to something new. In a recent half-day Pathways session entitled Creativity and Critical Thinking , participants were introduced to a number of activities to help them practice creative and critical thinking. One of the activities included a challenge to the participants to come up with a strategy to advance one of the four cornerstones presented in Dare to Discover: A Vision for a Great University. Each table group selected two random objects from “Jim & Dale’s Box of Goodies”. The challenge was to use the objects as a catalyst for discussions, and to identify a target audience for their strategy on the assigned D2D theme. And what a lively discussion it was! It was a fun and challenging exercise that encouraged people to stretch their thinking boundaries. Tools introduced earlier in the session, suc

Excuse me, but is that your inner radical showing? This is not a question that you are likely to run into every day and probably not a good conversation starter at a party. But it is one that we might want to ask ourselves from time to time. When I first heard the challenge from the University of Alberta President, Dr. Samarasekera, to unleash our inner radical, I assumed she was speaking to a handful of brilliant, thought-provoking, world-class ideators, who are capable of uncovering the secret to success for the next decade or so. My first thought was “this is ridiculous!” I seldom have a good idea, never mind a radical one that is so powerful it can reshape the life of our students or those around us at work. To help me understand what relevance this challenge might have for me and why I should care, I searched for a definition that would resonate more closely with something I am capable of. It turns out that radicals are wildly popular. The term is used in several science

“At a University, success is measured in decades, not years.”    - University of Alberta President, Indira Samarasekera   Did you know that in ten years the number of registrations for OLE programs has surpassed 12,231?!!  Dale Reesor on goals and strategies Last Friday the OLE team had the opportunity to showcase our teachings and talents among each other, as part of our team retreat entitled ‘OLE Next’. Being primarily facilitators ourselves, we sure know how to create excitement around goal setting and accountabilities. Within a couple of hours, we had participated in ice breakers, brainstorming sessions, and a mini world café designed to lay the groundwork for the future of OLE over the next ten years. What can we say, we take strategic planning seriously! Emerging from the world café were three beacons of guidance for the OLE team to work towards over the next 10 years along with several possible strategies about how to achieve them.   Jody McLucas, Cara Jone

Pro tip: Don’t lick the frost on the swing set, it doesn’t taste like candy. If you are anything like OLE Program Advisor, Dale Reesor, you may have been that child back in grade school who deliberately pushed the boundaries of authority figures, testing limitations and doing the exact opposite of what was suggested… you may have licked the frost off of the cold swing set pole. Sadly, yet effectively, this was a pain not soon forgotten and never again repeated. What happened in that playground was likely part of an internalization of learning that encompasses many themes included in what Daniel Goleman calls Emotional Intelligence . Emotional Intelligence in the workplace (and any context, for that matter) includes five important elements: Self Awareness, Self Regulation,  Motivation,  Empathy, and  Social Skill.    For two days last month the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry: Academic Leadership cohort, met in ECHA to engage in the discovery surrounding these five the

Have you heard about the Employment Equity Program here on campus? OLE and the University of Alberta are collaborating with EmployAbilities and On Site Placement Services to create voluntary opportunities for persons with disabilities to gain meaningful work experience. Not only will this program enable University employees to support and engage in community outreach with the broader Edmonton community, it will enhance their own individual diversity awareness and skills and help them to complete special projects that have been relegated to the "wish list." Through the Professionals with Disabilities and the Junior Office Assistant Work Exposure Programs, UofA faculty and staff will be introduced to: inclusive interviewing techniques  implementing work-place accommodations  welcoming newcomers to the workplace  enhancing supervisory skills, and  gaining experience working with individuals with differing abilities  To learn more about these programs, visit

OLE is pleased to congratulate and promote the Research Services Office (RSO) for their commitment to transformation and change! On Tuesday October 16th, more than seventy RSO staff participated in an ‘All-In event’ designed to rollout their 2013–2015 strategic plan. The event involved strategic planning team members presenting on the background of the planning process. This was followed up with a strategy marketplace, also known as the 'creative' part of the event. This included seven uniquely personalized booths. Each presenting group used innovative designs to describe the objectives of the plan to their fellow colleagues. The booths used fun and experiential learning activities to demonstrate how the objectives of the strategic plan: align to the University’s Academic Plan, are driven by clients, are enabled by the RSO internal processes, and are powered by the RSO people. One participant commented: “It was a fun and engaging event creating understandin

  Skillsoft: Online tools to enhance your skills! In January 2012, OLE launched an online learning resource through Skillsoft Canada, and since the launch, over 5000 staff and faculty members have been given access to the resource. Just-In-Time Training Think your schedule is just too busy to do anything outside of your existing workload? Keeping your skills and knowledge up-to-date through training and development is something you need to truly invest in and maintain. Stretch and improve your skills so you can be more efficient and effective. Skillsoft allows you to take training when you are able, instead of waiting for a course to be offered. Learning assets are broken into smaller modules, where one module may take you only 20 or 30 minutes and the bookmarking features make it easy to come back to where you left off. Think you already have a baseline knowledge? Don’t want to take the entire course? Take a course test and skip over sections of content that you alrea

As a team of educators and facilitators, we are passionate about the learning of others, and by extension are always looking to learn ourselves. The third week in September offered a couple of our team member’s opportunities to do just that. During the first part of the week, PeopleSoft User Training Program Co-ordinator, Kim MacLock, attended a three day session offered through the CACE (Certificate in Adult and Continuing Education) program at the Faculty of Extension. The course was about understanding learning styles and learning preferences, as well as the best ways to work with those as an educator/facilitator. Kim learned about learners with preferences for reflection, questioning, planning and action. In addition it was discussed how some learners learn best from visuals, some from all things ‘audio’ and others who are kinesthetic. In OLE, we work to ensure that all preferences are accommodated in our sessions. This is one of the reasons they are so engaging and of inte

FoMD Academic Leadership GOLD Program pilot orientation After more than a year in planning, the Office of the Provost in partnership with the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry (FoMD) and Organizational Learning and Effectiveness, launched the FoMD Academic Leadership Development Pilot program with more than forty in attendance. Over a year ago, Dr. Verna Yiu (Acting Dean, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry), Dr. Stewart Hamilton (Director, Faculty Professionalism and Leadership, FoMD) and Victor Shewchuk (Senior Advisor, Organizational Learning and Effectiveness), identified a need to provide academic leaders with opportunities to enhance their leadership skills. After setting a Gold Standard for quality and excellence, the Academic Leadership Development GOLD program was initiated. The Orientation session was attended by a learning cohort of twenty Physicians, Chairs, and Department Heads from the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. Also in attendance and bringing openi

OLE employees: Karen Hackenbrook & Kim MacLock “We’re ready to WOW you.” Week of Welcome (WOW) runs for the first week of the new school year and is put on by the Students‘ Union. This week, OLE PeopleSoft Training Coordinator, Kim MacLock and Program Assistant, Karen Hackenbrook had an especially exciting week volunteering for the Office of the Dean of Students for the Welcome to the U event. Decked out in UofA aprons and baskets full of prizes, Kim and Karen wandered through Quad challenging students’ minds in exchange for school supplies and UofA merch. “What is the tallest building on campus? What is the name of the radio station on campus? Who do you call to walk you home late at night?” These are just some of the questions students were encouraged to answer during the Welcome to the U event. The Students Union also hosted a pancake breakfast, various music concerts, BBQs, and of course, Beer Gardens. Visit http://www.su.ualberta.ca/ for more information on student ev

  Edmonton Clinic Building The School of Dentistry is gearing up for a new start in the brand new Edmonton clinic building for September 2012. As part of the transition process, OLE Senior Advisor, Alan Day has been working with the School of Dentistry, introducing and applying change and transformation in preparation for the new academic year. On Monday August 20th, the School of Dentistry conducted a two day orientation for staff. The orientation is part of the readiness strategy adopted by the school. The purpose was to learn what’s new and what’s the same, share feedback, and to create new habits. Alan Day, OLE Senior Advisor A key element of the orientation was the patient simulation where seven patient scenarios were carried out from tooth extraction to X-rays. It reinforced what procedures worked well and exposed areas of improvement. The outcome is to drive continuous improvement. OLE Senior Advisor, Cara Jones, took on the role of an orthodontic surgery patie

Organizational Learning and Effectiveness (OLE) is pleased to welcome the newest member of our team, Training and Development Specialist – Jim Boyes. Jim worked at the University of Alberta within the Faculty of Extension between 2001 and 2008. His first role was within Academic Technologies for Learning (ATL), then moved on to the role of Facilities and IT Manager, and finally worked directing the efforts of a group responsible for curriculum development and instructor support. Most recently Jim managed one of Canada's largest timeshare resorts located in Fairmont Hot Springs, B.C. His role was largely responsible for guest services and communications to an ownership group of approximately 12,000 lease holders. Sounds like pretty nice digs, so why come back to the U of A? We talked to Jim to find out more: OLE : What made you decide to come to/return to the university? JIM : I missed the academic environment with all its complexities and challenges. I also missed family and fri

The Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) provides eligible support staff with funding for professional development courses. Oversight of the Fund is carried out by the Learning and Development Committee (HRDF Committee). The goal of the HRDF Committee is to increase access to learning and development opportunities and maximize the use of the Fund. To this end, the committee made recommendations to redirect additional dollars towards job enhancement opportunities. Negotiations resulted in agreements that altered several articles about HRDF. The full $400,000 fund remains available to eligible staff at a maximum individual reimbursement level of $750/fiscal year. Two changes made to the administrative processes of HRDF were: Funding allocation The wellness portion of the HRDF has been detached, enabling an additional $50,000 to be used towards job enhancement learning activities. The Lifestyle & Wellness Account for benefited employees on January 1, 2013, will provide acces

The purpose of Workplace Learning (WL) is to provide faculty and staff members with learning opportunities to enhance their skills and perform their work effectively. The Workplace Learning Workshops consist of courses and events that are open to all Support Staff, Faculty, and other Academics. Workplace Learning workshops are typically: short, free, diverse, tailored to U of A environment, and provide employees with the opportunity to network with other U of A Employees. On July 17 OLE ran two sessions on Generational Differences in the workplace . The sessions were well attended by a diverse group of 40 participants.   Quotes from the evaluations included: “It was nice to participate in a class offered by the University for staff.   Bill and Cynthia put "a face" to the fact that the University cares about me as a staff member, and wants to equip me to not just to know about generational challenges, but learn to engage all of those around me, not just those who are mo

OWN THE EXPERIENCE! – Exceptional Communities, Engaging work, Extraordinary Performance The Experience -> This aspect of OLE’s work explores the elements that lead to highly successful work teams, those who demonstrate extraordinary performance, apply positive engaging practices, and create exceptional workplace communities.  Our work is a highly consultative process that supports individuals, leaders and teams to grow. Philosophy -> The Faculty and Staff Experience is about People… -     engaging in the spirit of our community -     promoting our community where everyone fits and all contributions are respected -     providing orientations to our community that are immediately welcoming and inclusive -     valuing the gifts that diversity brings us -     fostering meaningful relationships and building a web of connections among the citizens of our community -     living our service mind-set -     discovering that opportunities abound when we bring our w

On December 7, 2012 , OLE is proud to be co-hosting the inaugural Pathways GALA celebration of learning. Taking place in the atrium at Enterprise Square, we look forward to meeting the trail blazers of the Pathways Learning Series. This event will include a short recognition ceremony, several unique displays, music, tapas, and some surprises for participants.  Hope to see you there!!  

The PeopleSoft User Training program is managed by OLE and helps University staff hone their PeopleSoft skills and business knowledge in order to work effectively and efficiently in their roles. A variety of instructor-led and online courses have been developed and continue to be developed for all three PeopleSoft applications: Campus Solutions (CS), Financials, and Human Capital Management (HCM). The courses combine content focused on how to use the PeopleSoft applications with University business processes and have been designed for all levels of staff involved in using PeopleSoft including support staff, supervisors, managers and APOs. If you would like to learn more about the types of courses offered by PeopleSoft User Training please browse the Courses page of our website which contains a list of courses offered, a course description as well as access to the training guides, summaries or online version of the courses where applicable. We regula

The APO (Administrative Professional Officer) Committee is excited to launch the APO Connect site, the network for 500+ APOs to share and find APOs' expertise across University of Alberta Campuses. APO Connect is a password-protected internal networking tool that allows members of the APO community to create a more extended personal profile than their Find-a-Person entry, including detailing specific skillsets based on their experiences managing various functions at the U of A, ability to share profiles via email and social media, adding APO colleagues as connections, and seeing other APOs you may know based on your connections. APO Connect was created based on feedback over the past three years from APOs across the U of A asking for a better way to privately network with other APOs and to provide informal mentorship and guidance to new APOs. Please visit APO Connect at: http://apoconnect.ualberta.ca Feedback welcome at: http://apoconnect.webapps.ualberta.ca

  OLE is proud to offer new assessment guides for staff and supervisors that will enable us to see how Pathways participants are "living their learning." Our hopes for the Pathways Assessment Guides : Learners may use these tools as a self-check to consider their strengths and areas for growth Supervisors may use these tools as a conversation and coaching guide for clarifying expectations and establishing developmental possibilities with both individuals and teams Learners are encouraged to submit completed guides to OLE for recognition and encouragement on personal and professional development UAlberta employees will be inspired to reflect on professional development and to celebrate learning! Please note: the assessment guides are available for all staff to complete without having participated in any of the Pathways Learning Series courses.   For more information about the Pathways Learning Series, please visit: www.hrs.ualberta.ca/en/Learning/Pro

At the end of April, the University of Alberta became the first university in Canada to join the Aboriginal Human Resource Council (AHRC) Leadership Circle. As a Leadership Circle partner, the University of Alberta will have access to high quality inclusion products, education, and services. If you would like to learn more about our partnership contact Catherine Anley , Employment Equity Advisor Advancing Employment Equity - Opening Doors and Making a Difference