Professional and Personal Development Programs

Open to faculty and staff. Register at http://knowledgelink.upenn.edu/

Challenging Negative Attitudes; 2/6; 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 negative people more effectively and learn coping tools for dealing with change.

Adapting your Leadership Style; 2/7; 12:30-1:30 p.m. Leadership styles can vary based on working environment, personal background, or industry. Knowing how to effectively channel the right leadership style given a specific audience or setting is key to being an effective leader. In this course, we will uncover the qualities it takes to be a leader, recognize style differences, understand how to conduct one-on-ones and develop motivation approaches for employees.

Behavioral Interviews; 2/14; 12:30-1:30 p.m. This interview approach to hiring can make all the difference when looking for the right candidate for your department. A bad hire can contribute to several negative consequences including: lost productivity, time required to hire and train another person, decreased department morale and legal issues. Give this method a try while interviewing for your department’s next open role.

Taking Control of Conflict; 2/19; 9 a.m.-noon; $75. Conflict can be an obstacle to organizational success and personal job satisfaction. Although you may not eliminate conflict entirely, you can take control of it by creating a positive work environment in which conflict is dealt with maturely and collaboratively. By identifying the source of conflict and implementing resolution strategies, you’ll learn how to handle conflict and prevent unnecessary conflict before it becomes an issue. Your department will be charged for this workshop.

Work-life Workshops

Open to faculty and staff. Register at www.hr.upenn.edu/registration

Guided Meditation; 2/8; 12:30-1:30 p.m. Practice mindful breathing that focuses your attention on the present moment with kindness, compassion and awareness. Self-massage and gentle mindful movements that promote relaxation and reduce stress may also be included in the workshop. No experience necessary.    

Financial Footsteps, Part 2; 2/12; noon-1 p.m. This session builds on the lessons shared in Financial Footsteps, Part 1 on January 29. You’ve got a lot going on—starting a job, paying taxes, getting married, buying a home and more. Join our speaker, Albert Corrato, Jr., certified financial planner professional from Creative Financial Group, MassMutual, and learn how to navigate life events. Mr. Corrato will discuss:

• Developing good savings habits and creating a budget that works for you.
• Managing student loans and other debt.
• Understanding credit reports and scores—what they are, why they matter and how to improve them.
• Learning investment basics, including retirement plans, the impact of taxes, and the power of compounding and asset allocation.

Admissions Brown Bag: Navigating the Curricular Waters; 2/13; noon-1 p.m. Join Penn’s undergraduate admission office to discuss the role of the high school transcript and course selection in the holistic admission review. This may be particularly timely for parents of high school freshman, sophomores and juniors as course selection will be happening in the winter of 2019.

Mindfulness; 2/15; 12:30-1:30 p.m. Mindfulness is “paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally,” according to Jon Kabat-Zinn. Mindfulness practice develops awareness of your present thoughts and feelings to help you manage different situations. In this once-a-month experiential workshop, you’ll see how mindfulness can help you become more engaged and effective both at home and in the workplace. No prior meditation experience necessary.    

Guided Meditation; 2/26; 12:30-1:30 p.m.; Please refer to 2/8 listing for details.

Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning; 2/28; 12:30-1:30 p.m. Join Marcie L. H. Merz, executive director of Planned Giving and associate general counsel at the University of Pennsylvania, to learn about the importance of estate planning, managing your estate during life and disposing of your estate at your death through the use of trusts, wills, beneficiary designation forms and other planning documents.

Penn Healthy You Workshops

Open to faculty and staff. Register at www.hr.upenn.edu/registration

Indoor February Wellness Walk; 2/1; noon-1 p.m. A special someone may hold the key to your heart, but taking care of yourself by eating well and being physically active can be the key to a healthier heart! Meet the Center for Public Health Initiatives Staff inside the Palestra for some heart-healthy exercise. February is American Heart Month and an appropriate time to pay attention to one of the most important organs in your body. In keeping with this month’s Valentine’s Day and Heart Health theme, participants are encouraged to wear red for this 1-2 mile walk. Bring your water bottle and don’t forget your sneakers!

Chair Yoga; 2/6; 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.

Gentle Yoga; 2/7; noon-1 p.m.; 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.

Zumba; 2/14; noon-1 p.m. Perfect for everybody and every body! Each Zumba class is designed to bring people together to burn calories. We take the “work” out of workout, by mixing low-intensity and high-intensity moves for an interval-style, calorie-burning dance fitness party. Once the Latin and World rhythms take over, you’ll see why Zumba Fitness classes are often called exercise in disguise.

Be in the Know Biometric Screenings; 2/19; 9 a.m.–1 p.m.; Hall of Flags, Houston Hall. Start this year’s Be in the Know campaign and sign up for a free and confidential biometric screening, which measures your blood pressure, blood sugar (glucose), and non-fasting total and high-density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol. You may also choose to fast to include low-density cholesterol (LDL) and triglyceride results. Get started today and earn up to $300 this campaign year!

—Division of Human Resources