The UCSB SkillsMap Program is comprised of three different institutes: The Leadership SkillsMap Institute (LSM), the Management SkillsMap Institute (MSM) and the Workplace Success Series (WSS). Each institute is offered in partnership with the Professional Development Center at Santa Barbara City College and serves to provide focused, fast-track learning opportunities, address key topics and fine-tune specific skills. Additionally, each SkillsMap course is taught by SBCC faculty and most will carry 0.5 units of community college credit.
SkillsMap Course Descriptions
7110 – Project Management
7116 – Leading Teams
7119 – Relating to Others at Work
7121 – Coaching Skills for Improved Employee Performance
7129 – Strategic Planning
7135 – Strategic Communication
7137 – Mentoring Techniques
7140 – Managing Priorities
7142 – Transitioning to Management
7150 – Dealing with Stress
7160 – Rethinking Leadership: Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
7163 – Covey’s 7 Habits for Managers
7104 – Interpersonal Communications (WSS; 0.5 units)
Participants gain understanding of effective speaking and listening skills and analyze non-verbal communication cues while understanding barriers that prevent effective communication.
Course Objectives:
- Apply active listening skills in the workplace
- Describe at least three personal strategies to overcome barriers to effective communication
- Demonstrate through exercises the ability to express oneself clearly and concisely
- Demonstrate through exercises nonverbal communication styles
- Identify one’s personal communication style and apply a positive attitude to it
- Complete an action plan to improve interpersonal communication skills in the workplace
- Describe in writing the importance of feedback in interpersonal communication
- Identify and describe how to properly use informal lines of communication
7110 – Project Management (LSM, .5 unit)
Participants learn to apply the basic building blocks of project planning, scheduling, and control. Participants work in groups to gain hands-on experience.
7116 – Leading Teams (LSM; 0.5 units)
Participants interested in building and maintaining effective teams learn how to use teams to encourage innovation, communication, and increase employee involvement.Course Objectives:
- Apply principles of quality leadership on the job
- Demonstrate through exercises team facilitation skills
- Apply the process on the job of determining the appropriate people to participate in a team
- Demonstrate through exercises how to conduct an effective team meeting
- List the stages of team development
- Deliver a group report on the roles of team members
7119 – Relating to Others at Work (LSM/WSS; 0.3 units)
During this course, participants will explore their own behaviors and personality styles, while learning to adapt one's behavior to be effective with other personality styles in a variety of work situations.Course Objectives:
- Demonstrate through exercises personal behavior to meet the needs of other people and organizational situations
- Apply on the job one's personality traits to maximize personal work productivity and enjoyment
- Demonstrate through exercises and apply on the job the strengths of one's personality type to build relationships and influence decisions in the workplace
7121 – Coaching Skills for Improved Employee Performance (MSM; 0.5 units)
What is a coach? How can I play a more effective coaching role? How do I eliminate “Victim Mentality”? Participants in this course will answer these questions and others through class discussion and hands-on practice.
Course Objectives:
- Define "What Is Coaching?”
- Dispel the myths....."What Coaching is NOT."
- Delineate the differences between coaching & mentoring
- Understand the characteristics of an effective coach
- Practice countering defensive behavior, eliminating "Victim Mentality," and helping others make wise choices
- Practice strategies for giving constructive feedback
- Understand the steps to effective coaching (Skill vs. Will, etc.)
- Understand how motivation and coaching go hand-in-hand
- Practice techniques of effective coaching
7129 – Strategic Planning (MSM; 0.5 units)
Strategic Planning is a structured process addressing three key questions: Where are we today? Where do we want to be in the future (and when)? How do we get there? This course guides the participant through the process of strategic planning using techniques such as environmental analysis and SWOT analysis to determine strengths, weaknesses and opportunities, and then assists attendees in developing an overriding strategy to best capitalize on these factors, a mission statement and objectives to guide this strategy, and then tactics and implementation plan to achieve this goal.
Topics covered include:
- SWOT Analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats)
- Competitive advantage
- Competitive analysis (if applicable)
- Political aspects of strategic planning
- Step-by-step guide through the strategic planning process
- Managing the strategic planning process
- Developing goals and implementing your plan
- How this process can benefit any division, area or team of workers
7135- Strategic Communication (LSM; 0.5 units)
Participants will learn techniques for effective communication in e-mail, the hallway, impromptu speaking, and other workplace situations.
Course Objectives:
- Effectively present in public in an impromptu situation
- Describe the most effective mode of communication for a particular situation
- Demonstrate an effective hallway conversation
- Analyze the communication network in his or her workplace
- Develop, in writing, an e-mail message using techniques describe in class
- Describe strategies for good upward and downward communication in an organization
7137 - Mentoring Techniques (LSM; 0.5 units)
With the need for succession planning, this course builds on both personal and career growth. Learn to properly mentor others for success and the importance of maintaining relationships throughout your career.Course Objectives:
- Define mentoring, what they do, and characteristics/qualities of mentors
- Described how to apply coaching, mentoring and supervision in the workplace
- Demonstrate skills for effective mentoring, active listening and trust building
- Assess how to cope with pitfalls, problems and dilemmas facing mentors
7140 – Managing Priorities (WSS; 0.5 units)
Too much to do and not enough time or resources? Participants will learn to avoid crises, procrastination, missed deadlines, over-meeting, and unnecessary interruptions.
Course Objectives:
- Describe how one’s position contributes to the organization’s mission
- State top priorities on the job and consequences of not performing
- Explain the key features of effective delegation
- Identify at least one personal source of procrastination and a suggested method for overcoming it
- List three actions that can be taken within the next three days to better manage priorities on the job
7142 – Transitioning to Management (MSM; 0.5 units)/p> Participants will learn about the change in role from “technical expert” and “individual contributor” to a manager who influences people.
Course Objectives:
- Develop short- and long-term goals and a mission statement for the workplace unit
- Describe standards for a productive and emotionally balanced work environment
- Demonstrate strategies for effective coordination between departments
- Demonstrate techniques for working with employees
7150 – Dealing with Stress (WSS; 0.5 units)
Participants will learn how to identify the sources, symptoms and solutions to stress as it relates to both relationships and the workplace.
Course Objectives:
- Stress defined
- Stress symptoms
- Fight or flight & the relaxation response
- Stress comes from four main sources
- Stress personalities
- Sure fire ways to reduce stress
- Relationship stress
- Workplace stress
7160 - Rethinking Leadership: Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (LSM; 1.0 unit)
Participants will focus on applying principles of effectiveness to empower individuals, groups, and organization leaders to meet daily challenges.
Course Objectives:
- List and describe each of the 7 Habits
- Describe a personal time management plan
- Identify and demonstrate through group exercise the ability to better balance the pressures of work and family
- Describe in writing how to lead in a culture characterized by change, flexibility, and continuous improvement while maintaining a sense of stability and security
7163 – Covey’s 7 Habits for Managers (MSM; 1.0 unit)
Using the management applications of Covey’s 7 Habits, the course provides managers with tools to take initiative, resolve conflicts and unleash the talents of their teams.
Course Objectives:
- List and describe each of the 7 Habits for Managers
- Write a department mission statement
- Create a team time management plan listing priorities
- Use specific tools for managing meetings, giving presentations, and gaining buy-in from employees
- Write an action plan for implementing the 7 Habits for Managers
- Identify and demonstrate through group exercise the ability to set priorities using a time matrix differentiating what is urgent and what is important to better balance the pressures of work and deadlines
- Analyze a project and be able to break it down into the various components necessary for delegation
- Describe in writing how to lead in a culture characterized by change, flexibility, and continuous improvement while maintaining a sense of stability and security