Grow as a Leader with Supervisor Essentials
The Washburn Supervisor Essentials Program is a series of workshops which address topics considered essential to any employee in a supervisory role, regardless of area or level. This series is designed for Washburn University supervisors to acquire the knowledge necessary to effectively administer the policies, procedures and guidelines relative to their department or unit. This program will also address the supervisor's role and responsibilities in the development of their teams as individual contributors to the future of Washburn University.
Scheduled classes are to be held in Morgan Hall, room 202.
2026-2027 Supervisor Essentials Sessions
Setting Student Employees up to Perform Their Role Successfully
September 16, 2026 3:30-5:00 p.m.
What do student employees need to perform their role successfully as part of your team, and what is your part in guiding that performance?
What We'll Explore:- What it means to set clear expectations-and how those expectations impact successful performance
- How to show student employees what expectations mean
- How to immediately apply these strategies with your student employees
Leading with Emotional Control and Awareness
October 21, 2026 3:30-5:00 p.m.
When emotional pressure rises, how can you navigate your reactions to help the situation move forward?
What We'll Explore:- What emotions are telling us
- What patterns shape our reactions under pressure
- How to use strategies to pause and respond intentionally in challenging moments
- Why naming emotions more specifically leads to more intentional responses
Creating Team Stability in Times of Stress
November 18, 2026 3:30-5:00 p.m.
In times of high stress and uncertainty, how can you provide the stability your team needs most?
What We'll Explore:- What patterns emerge in team behavior under sustained pressure
- What unmet needs often drive those patterns
- How leaders can respond to create greater stability
Feedback That Supports People and Performance
December 1, 2026 3:30-5:00 p.m.
How can you turn feedback into a powerful tool to help employees grow while strengthening trust and connection?
What We'll Explore:- What makes feedback effective and meaningful
- How to use feedback to support employees' value, growth, and performance
- How to plan a feedback conversation grounded in a real situation
How to Propel Your Growth as a Leader: A Leadership Seminar Inspired by John C. Maxwell's The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth
January 20, 2027 3:30-5:00 p.m.
Where is your greatest opportunity to grow as a leader right now?
Is it self-awareness? Leading others in their growth? This seminar invites you to explore the leadership growth question that matters most to you. Through guided reflection before the session and collaborative discussion during the seminar, you'll identify practical ways to propel your growth as a leader. Each question is inspired by John C. Maxwell's The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth. Reading the book is optional but not required.
Step 1: Choose the leadership growth question you'd most like to explore:
- How can you know yourself to grow yourself?
- How can you make growth intentional?
- How can you turn growth into daily practice?
- How can you move beyond growth barriers?
- How can you grow with and through others?
Step 2: Register for the session to receive your reflection questions, then complete those questions prior to the session.
Step 3: Attend the session to discuss your reflections with others, learn key ideas and insights from every growth question, identify your next opportunity for growth, and develop a personal action plan to set growth in motion.
(Christa Beemer, Talent Engagement and Development Partner)
How to Live and Lead with Meaning: A Leadership Seminar Inspired by Arthur Brooks's The Meaning of Your Life and the LinkedIn Learning Course How to Find Meaning in Your Work
February 17, 2027 3:30-5:00 p.m.
How can we create meaning in our work and lead others toward meaningful contributions?
What We'll Explore:- What creates a meaningful life-and why meaning matters for how we approach our work and relationships
- How coherence, purpose, and significance shape our understanding of our own contributions
- How intentional reflection, attention, and connection help us engage more fully with what matters
- How leaders can create conditions where others experience purpose, value, and connection in their work
Please Note: This session includes reflection questions to complete prior to the session. These questions are inspired by Arthur Brooks's book The Meaning of Your Life and his LinkedIn Learning course How to Find Meaning in Your Work, but reading the book or completing the course is optional, not required.
During the session, we'll discuss our reflections with others, explore connections between meaning and leadership, and identify ways to bring greater purpose, connection, and intentionality into our daily leadership practices.
(Christa Beemer, Talent Engagement and Development Partner)
Building a Positive Team Culture
April 21, 2027 3:30-5:00 p.m.
You have a vision for a team where everyone can learn, work, and thrive together. How do you make that vision a reality?
What We'll Explore:
- How team culture is shaped by the behaviors you notice, the expectations you communicate, and the actions you consistently support
- How to turn organizational values into everyday actions
- How to begin building the team culture you want your team to experience
(Christa Beemer, Talent Engagement and Development Partner)
Keeping the Door OPEN to Encourage Confident Contribution
May 25, 2027 3:30-5:00 p.m.
How do you create a team environment where employees know their voices matter and feel confident speaking up?
What We'll Explore:- How leadership responses influence trust, openness, and employees' willingness to share ideas, concerns, and mistakes
- How to recognize instinctive reactions that can close the door to future communication
- How to turn instinctive reactions into intentional responses that keep communication OPEN
(Christa Beemer, Talent Engagement and Development Partner)
Staying Anchored When Emotions Rise in Conversations
June 16, 2027 3:30-5:00 p.m.
When conversations become emotional, how do you keep yourself and the conversation focused?
What We'll Explore:- How emotional escalation affects conversations
- How to slow conversations down and maintain focus
- How to respond with greater intention to move conversations forward productively
Leading with Curiosity, Clarity, and Courage in Challenging Moments
July 21, 2027 3:30-5:00 p.m.
When it feels like your authority is being challenged, how do you stay curious enough to understand, clear enough to respond, and courageous enough to act?
What We'll Explore:- Why challenging moments aren't always what they first appear to be
- How curiosity creates greater clarity before we respond
- How courage helps us set clear boundaries and reinforce respect without escalating conflict
GET IN TOUCH WITH Human Resources
Human Resources
Morgan Hall, Room 118
1700 SW College Ave.
Topeka, KS 66621
Phone & Email
785.670.1538
hr@washburn.edu
