Professional & Personal Development Programs

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

Coaching Skills for Managers; 11/6; 9 a.m. -noon; $75. This course is designed to help managers encourage individual performance as a means for increasing engagement productivity. Workshop participants learn the key elements of building a successful coaching relationship and how to best implement them using a step-by-step coaching process as well as strategies for overcoming common coaching challenges.

TED Talk Tuesday: What’s the Secret to Great Opportunities?; 11/13; 12:30-1:30 p.m. What’s the secret to great opportunities? The person you haven’t met yet. We often find ourselves stuck in narrow social circles with similar people. What habits confine us, and how can we break them? Organizational psychologist Tanya Menon considers how we can be more intentional about expanding our social universes—and how it can lead to new ideas and opportunities.

Work-life Workshops and Events

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

Success in School: Preparing Kids for the Classroom; 11/1; noon-1 p.m. Entry into the American school system can be challenging for children and their parents. Join Kristen Coe, an education policy fellow from the Penn Child Research Center, in a conversation about how to prepare kids for success in the classroom using an evidenced-based skill building approach.

Guided Meditation; 11/6 and 11/30; 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.

Managing Stress in the Workplace; 11/6; 1-2 p.m. We all encounter some form of stress every day—commuting to work, difficult bosses, caring for our children and parents and all those emails in our inbox! When stress is not managed properly, it can cause physical and emotional harm to our bodies and souls. Balancing work and caregiving can be particularly stressful. Learn the difference between positive and negative stress, the warning signs of stress overload and strategies to stay calm, present and balanced when the going gets tough.

Conflict Resolution; 11/7; 12:30-1:30 p.m. We all know there’s no such thing as a conflict-free office. And as uncomfortable and draining as conflict can be, conflict in and of itself isn’t really the problem. It’s how we handle it that matters.  In our time together, we will learn the different types of conflict, learn to use several tools to help us address conflict in healthy and productive ways, learn how to reap the benefits of conflict and finally how to mitigate its risks. We’ll also practice using these tools together so that we can all become more confident in handling disagreements within our team and in our personal lives.

Investing 101 Workshop; 11/12; noon-1p.m. Join Albert Corrato, Jr., certified financial planner professional from Creative Financial Group, MassMutual, for this financial wellness learning opportunity. This workshop, sponsored by MetLife, will include a basic overview of investing that explains the difference between saving and investing, asset classes and investment styles, stocks and bonds and types of mutual funds. Be sure to sign the attendance list to earn your Be in the Know 10 Bonus Action points for an On-Campus Financial Wellness Event.

Mindfulness; 11/14; 12:30-1:30 p.m. Mindfulness is “paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally,” according to Jon Kabat-Zinn, who created mindfulness-based stress reduction. This 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.

Flexible Work Options; 11/15; 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.

Being an Effective Team Member; 11/27; 12:30-1:30 p.m. This interactive seminar focuses on the individual responsibility of each team member and their effectiveness. The facilitator will define the purpose and characteristics of teams, discuss individual behaviors that contribute or detract from team success, and discuss specific tips and techniques to be a more effective team member.

Vanguard Live Webinar: Vanguard’s Principles of Investing; 11/28; noon-1 p.m. and 6-7 p.m.; and 11/29; 3-4 p.m. If you have a basic level of comfort in saving in the retirement plan and wish to increase your investment acumen, take your investing knowledge to the next level and gain a stronger understanding of Vanguard’s investment philosophy … in four steadfast principles.

Vanguard Live Webinar–Financial Freedom: Strategies for Reducing Debt and Saving More; 11/28; 3-4 p.m.; 11/29; noon-1 p.m. and 11/29; 6-7 p.m. Are you unsure if you’re headed in the right direction financially? Learn the basic rules of thumb that can help you improve your financial life.

Penn Healthy You Workshops and Programs

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

Gentle Yoga; 11/6 and 11/20; 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.

Spinning; 11/9; 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Pedal your way to a fantastic workout indoors! With the use of stationary cycles, each class is led on a “virtual” outdoor road, complete with a variety of exercises. This class will give you an energizing, calorie-burning, fun workout and it is great for all fitness levels because you will always ride at a self-directed pace.

Zumba; 11/30; 11 a.m.-noon. Perfect for everybody and every body! Each Zumba® class is designed to bring people together to sweat it on. 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

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. Advance registration required: www.hr.upenn.edu/registration Screenings will be held on the following dates; times subject to availability:

11/2; 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Hill Pavilion, Vet

11/5; 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Levy Conference Center, Law School

11/7; 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Hall of Flags, Houston Hall

11/8; 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Hill Pavilion, Vet

11/9; 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; FRES, Left Bank

11/12; 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Raisler Lounge, SEAS

11/13; 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Fagin Hall, Nursing

11/14; 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Hoover Lounge, Vance Hall, Wharton

11/19; 8 a.m.-1 p.m.; Smilow Commons, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine

11/20; 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Biomedical Research Building Lobby, PSOM

11/27; 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Hall of Flags, Houston Hall

11/28; 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Hall of Flags, Houston Hall

11/29; 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Biomedical Research Building Lobby, PSOM

11/30; 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Morris Arboretum

Flu Vaccine Clinic; The Penn community is encouraged to get a flu vaccine this season! All full-time and part-time benefits-eligible faculty and staff can attend one of these free flu vaccine clinics; advance registration required.

11/7; 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Hall of Flags, Houston Hall

11/27; 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Hall of Flags, Houston Hall

11/30; 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Morris Arboretum

November Wellness Walk: A Season of Thanks; 11/16; noon-1 p.m. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we are dedicating this walk to all those who are less fortunate. Please bring any of the non-perishable food items listed below:

Canned Fruits, Vegetables, Meat, Soup, Whole Grain Pasta, Brown Rice, Dried Beans, Cereal, Peanut Butter, Fruit Cups, Juice Boxes, Granola Bars, Crackers, Popcorn, Sugar-Free Pudding Cups

The Penn Wellness Partnership team will be donating the goods to a local shelter here in Philadelphia. Your food donation will provide a variety of nutritious, quality products for which the recipients are grateful, so we thank you in advance for your generosity.

Meet the Center for Public Health Initiatives staff in front of College Hall by the Ben Franklin statue, and walk a one-mile or two-mile route around Penn’s campus, returning to College Hall. Bring your water bottle and don’t forget your sneakers!

—Division of Human Resources