Campus & Community

Empowering Supervisors Through Communication and Leadership Skills: Crucial Conversations and Crucial Influence Return This Fall

Monday, September 15, 2025, By News Staff

This fall, the Office of Human Resources is once again offering two transformative professional development programs designed specifically for supervisors and managers: Crucial Conversations and Crucial Influence. These workshops equip leaders with the tools to navigate high-stakes discussions and drive meaningful behavior change within their teams.

Crucial Conversations: Mastering High-Stakes Dialogue

4-week in-person series | Mondays, Oct. 6-27 | 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | North Campus

Whether addressing performance concerns, resolving conflict or navigating sensitive topics, Crucial Conversations helps participants recognize when a conversation becomes “crucial.” Over four weeks, learn how to work through disagreement to achieve better results in an honest and respectful way with confidence. You’ll develop skills through instruction, application, practice, group discussion and self-reflection—not just theory—for lasting improvement.

Learning Outcomes:
• Identify problems contributing to poor results and broken relationships.
• Keep composure when sensing emotionally charged conversations.
• Identify any assumptions you may be bringing to a crucial conversation.
• Take steps to rebuild safety and return to dialogue.
• Find and cultivate mutual purpose with those who hold opposing viewpoints.
• Turn each “Crucial Conversation” into a course of action that leads to results.

Register now for Crucial Conversations. Interested but these dates don’t work? Join the waitlist for a future session.

Crucial Influence: Leading Lasting Change

3-week in-person series | Fridays, Oct. 31, Nov. 7 and Nov. 13 | 9 a.m.-12:15 p.m. | North Campus

Crucial Influence empowers leaders and supervisors to create sustainable change by understanding the psychology of behavior and motivation. Through hands-on practice and real-world application, participants will learn how to influence others effectively.

Learning Outcomes:
• Identify key behaviors that drive results.
• Diagnose challenges using six sources of influence.
• Engage multiple sources of influence to overcome persistent and resistant behaviors.

Register now for Crucial Influence or join the waitlist for a future session.

What Past Participants Are Saying

  • “This training will make me more capable of dealing with hard conversations.” — Crucial Conversations participant
  • “I thought the program was excellent … It opened up an entirely new way of thinking for me.” — Crucial Influence participant
  • “I think all managers should be required to take this course.” — Crucial Conversations participant
  • “The program facilitation, content and materials all served as phenomenal aids in learning how to influence for lasting change. The goals were clear, communication from the facilitator was appropriately managed for the audience and everything went quite flawlessly.” — Crucial Influence participant

Additional Information About Crucial Conversations and Crucial Influence

  • Full attendance is required for all sessions.
  • Crucial Influence is open to supervisors and managers only. Crucial Conversations is open to all employees (but geared toward those who supervise others).
  • Cost is $350 per participant (departmental approval required).
  • Space is limited—early registration is encouraged.

Email Pam Gavenda, associate director of organizational development and training and Crucial Conversations/Crucial Influence certified trainer, if you have questions about either program.