Professional and Personal Development Programs

Open to faculty and staff. 

Register at http://knowledgelink.upenn.edu/

Leading With Emotional Intelligence; 2/4; 9 a.m.-noon.; $75. Learn how emotional intelligence factors in at work and discover concrete techniques for raising your own emotional quotient (EQ). This includes perceiving yourself accurately, exercising emotional self-control, practicing resilience and developing empathy. Then turn those lessons around to build your awareness of others and learn to inspire helpful communication and manage conflict.

Challenging Negative Attitudes; 2/4; 12:30-1:30 p.m. By challenging negative attitudes, we have the power to take control of pessimistic perspectives and stressful situations. During this course, participants will learn to manage the impact of negative situations, deal with their own negative thoughts more effectively and learn coping tools for dealing with change.

Tools for Career Assessment and Development; 2/12; 12:30-1:30 p.m. In today’s work environment, complex tasks and projects are more common than ever. By utilizing strategic planning skills, you’ll be able to set yourself and/or your team up for success. Participants of this course will learn to identify the foundation for creating a strategic team, discover strategic values, participate in strategic planning efforts and avoid common pitfalls that derail strategic plans.

Getting Work Done; 2/18; 12:30-1:30 p.m. Throughout a normal workday, there are multiple distractions that can get many of us off task and behind on our to-do lists.  In this course, we’ll review tactics to help you stay on target with the many moving pieces of your role.  You’ll identify your biggest time sponges and ways to manage them, create priority lists, understand ways to delegate when not in a position of authority and learn ways to achieve an acceptable work-life balance.

Work-life Workshops

Open to faculty and staff. 

Register at www.hr.upenn.edu/registration

Faculty and Staff Family Days with Penn Basketball—Men’s Basketball vs. Dartmouth; 2/1; 7 p.m. $6.50. The Division of Human Resources and Penn Athletics invite benefits-eligible faculty and staff to cheer on the Penn men’s basketball team at the Palestra. Faculty and staff tickets include a discounted game ticket, compliments of Penn Athletics and a $5 concession coupon redeemable for food and beverage, compliments of the Division of Human Resources. Tickets are required for the game. The maximum number of discounted tickets each eligible employee can purchase is four tickets. Order tickets online and enter the code FAMILY or in person at the Penn Athletics Ticket Office in Weightman Hall, located at 235 S. 33rd Street, between Walnut and Spruce Streets.

Planning for the Financial and Legal Aspects of Long-Term Care Webinar; 2/4; 1-2 p.m. Our population is aging at an unprecedented pace. While many older adults will remain hale and hearty into their 80s and beyond, 70% will need some type of long-term care in their lifetime. Planning ahead is the key to making good choices about long-term care and securing your financial future. Yet all too often people wait until a crisis occurs and have limited options. Join us to hear from two leading experts about how you can plan ahead for the financial and legal aspects of long- term care including the various options for care, different payers and resources, how to financially prepare for long-term care and essential documents everyone over 55 needs.

Posture Strengthening in Your Workspace; 2/5; 12:30-1:30 p.m. Did you know your posture affects your mind, mood and emotional well-being? Join Chloe Cole, assistant director of fitness & wellness at Penn Campus Recreation, for this experiential workshop where she will share tips and exercises to loosen up muscles, increase body awareness and strengthen your core to support a healthy posture in your workspace. The workshop will conclude with a short chair yoga session with a yoga instructor.

Flexible Work Options; 2/10; 12:30-1:30 p.m. This presentation will provide an overview of Flexible Work Options and provide guidelines for proposing and implementing a flex request including: understanding the applicable HR guidelines and policies, assessing the fit between position and job responsibilities, reviewing a sample proposal, documenting the flexible work option request and implementing the request.

Guided Mindful Meditation; 2/12; 12:30-1:30 p.m. This workshop is offered twice a month for participants to practice present moment awareness with kindness and compassion. The guided meditation will focus on the breath and being in the body. Self-applied massage and gentle mindful movements that promote rest and relaxation and reduce stress may also be included in the workshop. No experience necessary. All are warmly welcome.

Mindfulness and Anxiety; 2/17; 12:30-1:30 p.m. Anxiety motivates us to get things done but it can interfere with what we want to do at home and at work and how we interact with people and circumstances. In this experiential workshop, you’ll see, feel and practice how mindfulness can help you to improve your ability to reduce anxiety. Participants will learn: how to be intentional, stay present, observe our thoughts and manage our feelings. Participants will enjoy learning how to let go of negative emotion in favor of more positive emotions like courageousness, acceptance and peace. No prior meditation or mindfulness experience necessary. Bring a journal and pen.

Admissions Brown Bag: Undecided About Program of Study? And the Liberal Arts?; 2/18; noon-1 p.m. Faculty and staff with college-age dependents are invited to join Penn’s undergraduate admissions office to hear from several admissions officers about the liberal arts, their experiences, advising and the breadth of possibilities.

Retirement Planning: An Emotional Perspective; 2/25; 12:30-1:30 p.m. This workshop reviews the six phases of retirement from a social perspective: everything from pre-retirement planning, to the honeymoon phase and ultimately to reorientation and development of a new lifestyle. For many people, a major concern is how they will handle the emotional stages of retirement and how will they create a new identity. This workshop reviews all of these stages, from the imagination stage to the reconciliation stage.

Guided Mindful Meditation; 2/26; 12:30-1:30 p.m.; free. See 2/12 listing for program description.

Penn Healthy You Workshops

Open to faculty and staff. 

Register at www.hr.upenn.edu/registration

Gentle Yoga; 2/6; 11 a.m.-noon. Let your body reward itself with movement! Join us for this Gentle Yoga session and explore the natural movements of the spine with slow and fluid moving bends and soft twists. During this session, you will flow into modified sun salutations that loosen those tightened muscles and joints of the lower back, neck, shoulders and wrists. And as an added bonus, you’ll get a workout in the process. Mats and props will be provided.

Oral Health 101—All You Want to Know About Your Teeth and More; 2/11; 12:30-1:30 p.m. Healthy mouth, healthy body: The link between them may surprise you. Taking care of your teeth isn’t just about having a nice smile and pleasant breath. The condition of your mouth is closely tied to your overall health. Find out how oral health is linked to diabetes, heart disease, cancer and more at this interactive seminar with experts from Penn Dental Medicine. 

Chair Yoga; 2/19; noon-1 p.m. Interested in trying yoga but don’t know where to start? Join us for a wonderful class of chair yoga. You get the same benefits of a regular yoga workout (like increased strength, flexibility and balance) but don’t have to master complex poses. Chair yoga can even better your breathing and teach you how to relax your mind and improve your wellbeing.

February Indoor Wellness Walk; 2/21; noon-1 p.m. February is American Heart Month, an appropriate time to pay attention to one of the most important organs in your body. On February 21, meet the Center for Public Health Initiatives Staff inside the Palestra for some heart-healthy exercise. As the center of your circulatory system, your heart is vitally responsible for just about everything that gives your body life. In keeping with this month’s Valentine’s Day and heart-health theme, participants are encouraged to wear red for this 1- to 2-mile walk. Bring your water bottle and don’t forget your sneakers!

Gentle Yoga; 2/27; 11 a.m.-noon. Please see 2/6 listing for program description

—Division of Human Resources