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, MBA | Director of Learning & Talent Development
bushe@montclair.edu
Nyima Moss, MS, SHRM-CP | Associate of Learning & Talent Development
mossny@montclair.edu
Brianna Kondratiuk, MAOP | Performance Management Specialist
kondratiukb@montclair.edu
Managing @ Montclair
Managing@Montclair is a dynamic professional development program designed for supervisors/managers of Montclair State University with one or more direct report(s). 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 Asst. Directors and above who oversee a team of two or more full-time/non-student employees at Montclair State University. As the next step following Managing @ Montclair, 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