Professional Development Suites

SUNY Oswego Metro Center offers many programs geared toward the supporting workforce. Classes which have recently been offered at the Metro Center are listed below. We run these programs periodically throughout the year. If you would like to be notified of upcoming programs, sign up for an email notification. We can also offer customized versions of these programs onsite or at the Metro Center for your employees. Contact us for more information.

Holiday Survival Package

This two-class 'package' offers practical solutions for managing your time more effectively and teaches techniques to improve your focus and reduce stress. 

Time Management
Do you find yourself saying, "There aren't enough hours in the day?" If so, maybe you're not managing your time effectively.When time is managed poorly, oerload can result. this class will help you develop the skills necessary to mroe effectively manage your time and decrease your stress.

Mindfulness
Got too many things on your plate? Want to multi-task better? Learn how mindfulness can improve your focus and reduce stress, while at the same time enhancing your communication, teamwork, and creativity. this class will discuss the practive and its benefits and help you start to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life.

Office Manager Suite

This suite introduces office managers and aspiring office managers to some of the tools, techniques and knowledge necessary to effectively manage people and projects in a variety of office settings.

Notary Public Training
In order to become a notary public in the State of New York, you will need to fill out an application and pass a short examination in law and procedure. This workshop prepares participants for the New York State test and provides a comprehensive view of the notary public office.  "How to Take and Pass the NYS Notary Examination," a reference guide/textbook, is included in the registration fee.
 
Negotiation Skills for Any Situation
In negotiation, people give something to others in order to get something they want.  It is a critical skill for effective managers.  It is also important in sales, salary negotiations and many other aspects of our business and personal lives.  This workshop will present tools and techniques to make you a more skillful negotiator and help you get more out of life.
 
I'm So Stressed Out! Managing Stress at Work
All people experience stress from time-to-time, often without significant effects. When the stress is too great or prolonged, it can create health problems, cause injury or reduce performance at work.  Luckily, there are things you can do to reduce the negative effects of workplace stress.  We'll teach tools for coping with stress as well as ways to make the work environment less stressful.
 
Get to the Point:  Business Writing Basics
In this age of email, text and tweets, written communication is more important than ever in the workplace. Writing effectively is necessary to insure supervisors, colleagues, and customers receive your intended messages and respond appropriately. This class will provide tips, tools and techniques to help you produce emails, memos and letters that get desired results.
 
Office Budgeting and Accounting
Few office rituals cause more angst than preparing the annual budget.  This is unfortunate because a good budget can help a manager be more aware of business costs, evaluate performance and make better decisions.  This class will introduce the fundamentals of budget preparation and management as well as tips to simplify the budgeting process.
 
Beating the Clock:  Time Management Strategies
Do you find yourself saying, "There aren't enough hours in a day?"  If so, maybe you're not managing your time effectively.  Productive employees organize and prioritize tasks correctly.  When time is managed poorly, work overload can result.  This class will help you develop the personal insight and skills necessary to more effectively manage your time and decrease your stress.

Customer Service Suite

Developing and maintaining excellent customer service skills is crucial for business profitability and success.  If you interact with customers on the job, the information and tools presented in this suite will not only produce more satisfied, loyal customers but also create a friendlier, less stressful workplace.
 
Customer Service Basics
Customer service involves the things we do to satisfy and delight customers.   In today's tough economy, keeping customers happy is more important than ever before.  As we all know, it's not always easy.  In fact, research shows that U.S. customer satisfaction took a big drop this year.  This class will provide practices and tools that will help you to not only meet, but to exceed customer expectations, and keep the customers coming back.
 
Building an Effective Team
Sometimes a whole team is required in order to meet customers'' needs. But effective teamwork requires more than assembling a collection of talented individuals; the team members need to work together to achieve common goals. This class will provide you with insight into your own team leadership style and offer practical methods to improve your effectiveness and the effectiveness of your team.
 
I'm So Stressed Out! Managing Stress in the Workplace
All people experience stress from time-to-time, often without significant effects. When the stress is too great or prolonged, it can create health problems, cause injury or reduce performance at work.  Luckily, there are things you can do to reduce the negative effects of workplace stress.  We'll teach tools for coping with stress as well as ways to make the work environment less stressful.
 
Dealing with Difficult People
At some point during your career you're likely to encounter a hostile, indecisive or otherwise "impossible" co-worker, boss or customer. If you need to work with others to complete your tasks, avoiding difficult people might not be an option and may even fuel the problem. Changing a difficult person's personality is unlikely to happen, especially in the short-run. There's no need to throw in the towel -- we'll provide you with techniques to deal with difficult people.
 
Confirming Satisfaction
We all know satisfying customers is important.  When they're dissatisfied, they buy less and may defect to competitors. Did you know most dissatisfied customers don't complain directly or right away, and they often tell friends and others about their dissatisfaction? With the reach of social media, the impact of a negative experience can be immense. Confirming satisfaction before a transaction ends is vitally important. This class will help you hear, evaluate and use feedback to create more satisfying experiences and loyal customers.
 
Say What you Mean - Improve Your Communication Skills
If you work for an organization, most likely communication is part of your job.  But good communication is less common.  And poor communication is the root of many costly errors and other problems.  No business can completely eliminate miscommunication but it can be minimized.  This workshop will help you improve your communication skills and make you more effective in your job.

Workplace Challenges Suite

The classes in this suite help participants build knowledge, skills and behaviors exhibited by successful leaders.  If you want to advance into a leadership position or become a more effective leader in your current position, this suite is for you!
 
Coaching Employees
Ever wonder if you could use athletic coaches' techniques to help develop and motivate employees?  Participants will learn the foundations of coaching individuals based on the basic principles of the legendary coach, John Wooden.  This interactive workshop will help individuals learn how to observe and target mutually agreed upon goals, learn the best methods for feedback, and learn how coaching instruction works.
 
Building an Effective Team
Sometimes a whole team is required in order to meet customer's needs. Effective teamwork requires more than assembling a group of talented individuals; team members need to work together to achieve common goals. This class will give you insight into your own team leadership style and provide practical methods to improve your effectiveness and the effectiveness of your team.
 
Maintaining Life-Work Balance
Do you find yourself having to choose between your work, family and personal lives?  If this happens regularly, you might be experiencing life-work imbalance.  If balance is not restored, dissatisfaction, stress and turnover are likely to occur.  This class will help you take ownership of how you spend your time to improve your effectiveness at work and at home.
 
Empowering Change
Employees on the "front lines" are often the first to see the need for change.  But once a problem is identified, what can you do to be part of the solution?  This class will help participants to understand how to articulate the change that they envision.
 
Motivating Yourself and Others
If you want to get things done, you'll need to motivate both yourself and others. Motivation influences not only the goals we pursue, but also how much effort we exert and how long we sustain the effort in pursuing the goals. This class will help you identify your goals and share specific strategies and techniques to move you, and others, toward achieving desired outcomes.
 
Transitioning from Peer to Supervisor
You got the promotion!  And now the people you've worked with for years - your friends and peers - report to you.  And some of these same people may have even applied for the position that you have just accepted.  Your first few months in the new role can be uncomfortable and confusing.  How can you smooth the transition?  This class will introduce participants to some of the challenges faced by new managers and teach skills and techniques to make this important transition a positive and productive experience.

Healthy Minds, Bodies and Relationships Suite

Ready, Set, Go!
You've made up your mind - you're going to adopt a "healthier lifestyle".  Good for you!  Healthy eating and more active living are strongly promoted by the CDC.  Yet in New York State between 20% and 29% of people are obese and up to 43% of Americans report no physical activity or exercise at all other than at their regular jobs.  Furthermore, 98% of people who start diets fail to lose weight.   Clearly, starting and sticking to a wellness program is not as easy as some may think.  Where should you start?  Which changes fit your life and your objectives?   What steps should you take to be healthier in the long term?  These questions and others will be answered in this course.  Students will work with the instructor to identify their own priorities and develop a plan of action that will help them realize the objectives they desire.

Motivating Yourself and Others
If you want to get things done, you'll need to motivate both yourself and others. Motivation influences not only the goals we pursue, but also how much effort we exert and how long we sustain the effort in pursuing the goals. This class will help you identify your goals and share specific strategies and techniques to move you, and others, toward achieving desired outcomes. 

Introduction to Mindfulness & Health
Mindfulness is the practice of becoming more fully aware of the present moment, completely and non-judgmentally.  It has been shown to help with depression, relationship issues, sleep problems, eating disorders and stress reduction.  Although the practice has its roots in Eastern philosophy and Buddhism, today people of all beliefs enjoy its health benefits.  This class will discuss the practice and its benefits and show you how you can start to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life.  

Exercise for Anyone and Anywhere
How many times have you thought, "I'm too busy to exercise" or quit exercising because you set your sights too high?  If so, you're not alone.  It is estimated that 50 million Americans live sedentary lives.  And a high percentage of people stop exercising within six months.  This lack of physical activity is linked to numerous health problems including obesity, diabetes and heart disease.  Fortunately, even small amounts of physical activity can be beneficial.  This class will help you to identify barriers to exercising and create strategies to make physical activity a part of your daily life.   

Diet Fads, Facts & Fiction
The foods you eat can have a major impact on your health.  But choosing a diet can be difficult.  Whether you're trying to lose weight or simply "eat right," the options are endless.  And of the 5 million Americans who go on a diet each year, 95 percent gain the weight they lost.  This class will help you be among the 5% who succeed.  It will help you differentiate the helpful diets from the unhealthy and even harmful ones.  And it will help you develop strategies to stick to the choices you make.

Assertiveness Training
Being assertive is an important communication skill that can improve your relationships at home and at work.  Assertive people express themselves directly and honestly without violating the needs of others. Being assertive can improve your confidence, help you feel more in control of your world, earn others' respect and reduce stress. Some people are naturally assertive.  If you find it difficult to "say no," to express your opinions or to ask for help, this class will teach you how to become more assertive.

SUNY Oswego Metro Center
Phone 315.399.4100 | Fax 315.399.4107 | metro@oswego.edu
The Atrium, 2 Clinton Square | Syracuse, New York 13202