Soar to Excellence with Us!
Our team is committed to serving the needs of Montclair State University employees by offering a variety of leadership and professional development opportunities to promote a practical approach to managing work and career.
We create learning plans, facilitate online & in-person courses and build a positive learning environment to remove barriers, while fostering success!
~ Erika Bush, MBA | Director, Learning & Talent Development
Erika Bush, M.B.A. | Director of Learning & Talent Development
bushe@montclair.edu
Nyima Moss, M.S. | Associate of Learning & Talent Development
mossny@montclair.edu
Managing@Montclair
Managing@Montclair is a dynamic professional development program designed for current and aspiring supervisors/managers of Montclair State University. As a prerequisite for Leadership University, this program aims to motivate, inspire, and empower managers by building core leadership skills and fostering a culture of inclusive and effective management.
Program Overview:
The program is structured into six months of hybrid learning experiences, combining self-paced modules, interactive workshops, and in-person discussions, all led by seasoned facilitators.
Key Components:
- The Manager Toolbox Series (Months 1–3)
- Format: Self-paced modules (via Canvas) + in-person discussions + a stretch assignment
- Topics Covered:
- Leadership competencies
- Legal aspects of management
- Delivering feedback and coaching
- Employee engagement
- Direction – Alignment – Commitment (DAC)™ Workshop (Month 4)
- Framework: Center for Creative Leadership’s DAC model
- Focus: Leadership as a social process to achieve:
- Direction
- Alignment
- Commitment
- Listen to Understand™ Workshop (Month 5)
- Focus: Mastering active listening for stronger communication
- Skills Developed:
- Identifying and overcoming listening barriers
- Building empathy and trust
- Preventing miscommunication
- Navigating Difficult Conversations™ Workshop (Month 6)
- Focus: Turning workplace tension into productive dialogue
- Skills Developed:
- Managing emotional responses
- Conducting respectful, impactful conversations
- Enhancing team collaboration and trust
Interested? Please contact Erika Bush – Director of Learning & Talent Development
Leadership University 1.0
Program Overview
Leadership University 1.0 is a high-impact multi-week professional development program tailored for Assistant Directors and above at Montclair State University. As the next step following Managing@Montclair (a required prerequisite), this program is designed to further develop the skills, confidence, and strategic insight leaders need to thrive in their careers and contribute meaningfully to the university’s mission.
Program Modules:
Module One: Know Yourself
Focus: Personal leadership and trust-building
- Kick-off and full-day Working at the Speed of Trust™ workshop
- Explore how self-awareness and credibility influence leadership
- Learn the 13 Behaviors of High Trust
- Create a Trust Action Plan and strengthen communication skills
Module Two: Know How to Lead
Focus: Adaptive leadership using the Situational Leadership® model
- Four-part series on applying leadership styles based on performance readiness
- Develop the ability to assess task-specific needs and adapt accordingly
- Gain tools to align leadership behavior with evolving team dynamics
- Blend of self-paced learning and interactive campus workshops
Module Three: Know How to Manage
Focus: Performance, bias awareness, and conflict management in a union environment
- Unconscious Bias: Understanding Bias to Unleash Potential™
- Learn to recognize and address bias in decision-making
- Promote inclusion, respect, and belonging
- Management Best Practices in Montclair’s Union Environment
- Understand employee and labor relations
- Navigate contracts, documentation, and progressive discipline
Key Outcomes:
By the end of Leadership University 1.0, participants will:
- Enhance their self-awareness and leadership presence
- Adapt their leadership style to meet team needs
- Manage effectively within Montclair’s unionized environment
- Lead with empathy, equity, and purpose
Interested? Please contact Erika Bush – Director of Learning & Talent Development
Project Management 101 Learning Series
PM 101 Learning Series is offered monthly from September to July. Each 2-hr. session will teach you about the essentials of Project Management at Montclair State University and will strengthen your ability to plan and implement projects. In addition to the real-time workshops, the lectures are prerecorded in Canvas Learning Management System and adopted from MGMT436 Strategic Project Management.
Each of the workshops in this series focuses on a selective area of project management. The only exception is the first workshop, Introduction; this is offered twice per year. Collectively between the workshops and the Canvas eLearning modules, this series provides a rich coverage of the most important concepts, processes, concepts, tools, and techniques in project management.
Location: In-Person
Target Audience: Faculty, Managers and Staff who want to use time and energy more effectively. By the end of this workshop and the course recording in Canvas, participants will:
- Understand and articulate selective principles, knowledge domains, processes, life cycle phases, tools, and techniques of project management.
- Apply selective project management tools and techniques, addressing or tackling certain challenges in project management.
- (Stretched goal) Tailor the project management processes, tools, and techniques to better accommodate your specific situation and needs.
The courses / workshop in this series are as follows:
– Introduction to Project Management (including project life cycle)
– Stakeholder Management
– Scope Management
– Schedule Management
– Resource and Cost Management
– (Repeat) Introduction to Project Management
– Communication Management
– Risk, Issue, and Change Management
– Project Leadership and Working with People
– Agile Project Management
Tools for Success at Montclair
Workday Hiring Process – Temporary Employees, Student Workers, and Adjuncts – May 2023
Objectives:
- Review the process for hiring adjunct faculty
- Review the process for hiring a temporary employee
- Review the process for hiring a student worker
Create a Position in Workday – June 2023
Objectives:
- Understand the create position task within Workday
- Review the process to create a new position within Workday
Workday Search and Hire Process – September 2023
Objectives:
- Review the process for viewing the candidate pipeline for a specific job requisition or check
the status of a job requisition - Review the steps to move candidates through the search process
- Review the process for providing interview feedback and making the interview decision
- Review the reference check process
Understanding the Reappointment Process – February 2024
Objectives:
- Understand the reappointment cycle
- Understand the role of Annual Performance Reviews in the reappointment process
- Examine key considerations for reappointment and non-reappointment
Understanding Performance Assessment Reviews (PARs) and Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) – April 2024
Objectives:
- Understand the Performance Review cycle for AFT professional staff and the PAR cycle for those employees covered by civil service titles
- Understand the value of a performance improvement plan as a tool for advancement and correction
- Examine key considerations for developing the PAR and PIP
Workday Search and Hire Process – September 2024
Objectives:
- Review the process for viewing the candidate pipeline for a specific job requisition or check
the status of a job requisition - Review the steps to move candidates through the search process
- Review the process for providing interview feedback and making the interview decision