ĢƵ

Essential Skills for ĢƵ Supervisors

Organizational Development will be launching a pilot program uniting new and seasoned administrative supervisors in a shared learning experience for all in Winter 2026 called the Essential Skills for ĢƵ Supervisors Program. This dynamic program aims to build and support the managerial capacity and network of ĢƵ’s new and seasoned Supervisors. Through a mix of structured and experiential learning activities, Supervisors will engage in collective learning and exchange. 

We know that real learning occurs primarily through experience rather than in formal learning environments, so it is from this vantage point that we are providing an effective hybrid model (Structured Learning Sessions and Learning Circles) for our supervisory training needs.For more information on this program, please emailod.hr [at] mcgill.ca.

If you are interested in this program, please complete theregistration formby TBD.

Essential Skills for ĢƵ Supervisors Program - Winter 2026cohortCalendar (TENTATIVE)

Dates

Time

Launch Session (in-person):

  • Overview of Program -Building a Healthy Learning Community

Workshop 1: Building your Coaching Skills 

February 4, 2026

9:00 - 5:00

Learning Circle 1 (combined with workshop) February 4, 2026
2. Managing, Leading and Delegating February 24, 2026

2:00 - 4:00

Learning Circle 2 March 10, 2026 2:00 - 3:30
3. Talent Management and Succession Planning March 18, 2026

10:00 - 12:00

Learning Circle 3 April 1, 2026 10:00 - 11:30

4. Managing Differences in Times of Change (in-person)

April 16, 2026 9:00-5:00
Learning Circle 4(combined with workshop) April 16, 2026
5. Planning Strategies and Actions - Measuring Success April 28, 2026 9:30 - 12:00
Learning Circle 5 May 7, 2026 10:00 - 11:30
Program Wrap-up Session (in-person) May 12, 2026 9:00 – 12:00

*Note that attendance in either ĢƵ’s Performance Dialogue Process or Managing in a Unionized Environment is required by May 2026 for new supervisors in the program. Attendance at either workshop in previous years will count towards the completion of the program.


Description of the Workshops & the Learning Circles

Launch

Hot Air Balloons taking offIn order to encourage a sense of belonging and connection to ĢƵ's Supervisors’ network, our Essential Skills launch will be "in person". This 3-hour mandatory session will include an overview of the program, important dates and descriptions of the sessions. In addition, participants will be exploring what it means, as a supervisor to support a healthy hybrid and inclusive workplace.

Workshop 1: Building your Coaching Skills

Two individuals having a conversation on a bench outside.In these times of change, a supervisor’s coaching skills are more vital than ever to maintain employee engagement, productivity, and accountability. This workshop will assist you in identifying and preparing for coaching opportunities to help your employees develop their technical and behavioral competencies that will in turn maximize their contribution.

Workshop 2: Managing, Leading, and Delegating

Group of individuals hiking on a mountain.The Situational Leadership Model serves as a valuable frame of reference to ensure that supervisors are meeting their employees and teams “where they are”. An important piece of the puzzle involves understanding your supervisory role in the context of change – sometimes integrating new employees, and at other times inviting seasoned employees to do new things. Providing the optimal amount of direction and relational involvement is both an art and a science. Building on the Situational Leadership model, we will engage you in exploring the likely leadership needs of those you supervise as they move towards increasing levels of autonomy (e.g. clarity around expectations, roles and responsibilities, timely information and recognition, knowledge documentation/transfer, delegation, feedback loops, etc.).

Workshop 3: Talent Management and Succession Planning

Feeling the crunch of budgetary constraints? Concerned for team morale and employee retention? Wondering how you will manage further change? A focus on talent management and succession planning matters more than ever.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Understand the key principles of talent management and succession planning, and why they are important today.
  • Identify critical roles as well as valuable sources of organizational memory that may warrant attention (EG flight risk).
  • Recognize current bench strength and identify emerging skill/competency gaps defined by the needs of a changing environment.
  • Develop meaningful and cost-effective strategies to retain, engage and develop talent.
  • Apply workforce planning tools and principles.
  • Build simple succession plans suited to a resource-limited environment in times of rapid change.

Workshop 4: Managing Differences in Times of Change

People shaking hands in agreement

Conflicts and collaboration need not be opposites. In times of rapid change and uncertainty, more than ever, we need to create a workplace culture that actively values differences and psychological safety in order to remain engaged, collaborative and productive. As stress mounts, withdrawal, unhealthy conflict and competition can become commonplace, overshadowing empathy and mutual respect. As supervisors, we are required to manage conflicts constructively, with an awareness of the impacts of constant change, stress and fear on us all.

It takes courage to move into healthy conflict and to strive to transform conflict into greater mutual understanding and growth. In this interactive workshop, supervisors will explore their own relationship with stress and differences in times of change. Through various interactive exercises, participants will build the skills needed to effectively manage various types of conflicts with sensitivity to diversity, mental health, and organizational context. Participants will be prepared to enter into various types of <difficult conversations> and have an opportunity to practice relevant scenarios, within the safety of their learning circles.

Workshop 5: Planning Strategies and Actions - Measuring Success

Someone playing chessAn important aspect of a supervisor’s role is to prioritize work according to objectives, to organize and distribute tasks effectively, and to ensure tasks are completed within a defined timeframe and according to certain standards. Structure and follow-up, when properly adapted to the needs at hand, are critical components of employee engagement and effectiveness. This workshop will introduce you to simple and effective management tools that you can implement in your operations to maintain and increase overall team performance.

The Learning Circles

Colored pencil placed in a circular fashionTo fully harness the power of experiential learning we need to create opportunities for supervisors to make work a continuous learning experience. Between structured training sessions, groups will engage in Learning Circles to discuss and integrate their shared learning. Your facilitator will help guide the process, serve as a resource person, and connect the group to outside resources.

Workshops: Managing in a Unionized Environment OR Performance Dialogue

A handshakeManaging in a Unionized Environment: In this session, supervisors will gain an overview of the different employee groups and collective agreements at ĢƵ, and the implications for managing effectively in this unionized environment. We will highlight key considerations, explore potential myths and misconceptions, and discover ways in which you can engage your unionized staff, building on tried and true initiatives at ĢƵ. You will participate in scenarios familiar to our ĢƵ environment and explore ways of managing them most effectively.

Two people having a conversationPerformance Dialogue:This session provides an opportunity for supervisors to explore how the Performance Dialogue process works. Learning the process of enabling employees to receive valuable feedback on their overall performance as well as actively help them manage their professional development and career pursuits. By developing an in-depth understanding of this process, you will be able to maximize its value not only for your own professional pursuits but for those of your unit as well.

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