Professional Development and Empower Hour
The Professional Development Program is responsible for:
- Promoting organizational and professional development opportunities to foster the growth and development of our staff by enhancing staff expertise and competencies.
- Host ongoing staff development or empowerment topics talk, which allow staff to gain valuable knowledge and skills and connect in a supportive ad collaborative environment.
- Connect with organizations across ASU to promote professional development opportunities to staff.
Program Leads: Heather Kivatinos and Raquel Harris
As part of the Staff Council's mission to promote organizational and professional development, we host Empower Hours on staff development or empowerment topics.
These talks allow staff to gain valuable knowledge and skills and connect in a supportive and collaborative environment. They are another way that the ASU Staff Council shows its dedication to fostering the growth and development of our staff. Sessions are scheduled for an hour.
Empower Hour | Summer 2025
Topic + Presenter | Date | Time | Summary | Registration + Recording Links |
| Calming Our Inner Critic: Translating Judgment into Compassionate Understanding by Jessica Cinco | Thursday, June 12, 2025 | 3:00 pm | Do you feel annoyed when your colleague talks too loud in the office? Or deeply embarrassed if you forget about a meeting? If so, this session is for you! We will explore Dr. Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication (NVC) practice of self-empathy. | Register HERE |
| Building Your Leadership Philosophy by Dena Messer-Herrera | Monday, June 23, 2025 | 11:00 am | In this transformative session, we will explore the importance of developing a personal leadership philosophy as a guiding light for making high-stakes decisions and shaping your legacy. By examining the "why" behind your leadership purpose, understanding your core values, and enhancing self-awareness, you will gain the tools to craft a leadership philosophy that inspires and guides you. Through real-life examples and practical exercises, you will begin to articulate and refine your own leadership philosophy, setting the foundation for authentic and effective leadership that leaves a lasting impact. | Register HERE |
Smoothing your journey through workplace change by Sharon Grant
| Thursday, July 17, 2025 | 11:00 am | This presentation will guide employees through the process of managing the changes they experience at work and personally. We will use the Workday project as an example of change. The presentation will cover how to identify resistance (your own), understand the stages of change, and provide strategies for navigating and embracing these changes. The focus is on supporting you through your journey, ensuring you feel heard, valued, and equipped to handle transitions effectively. | Register HERE |
| Controlling Your Controllables | Tuesday, July 29, 2025 | 11:00 am | When life feels uncertain or overwhelming, the most powerful step we can take is to focus on what’s within our control. This session draws on the Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) to help attendees understand how to maintain a motivated mindset by focusing on the three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Participants will explore how to reframe their goals and environment in ways that satisfy these needs—both for themselves and those they lead—to unlock adaptive, more sustainable motivation. We’ll then shift focus inward, learning practical tools to take control of internal self-talk and regulate emotional responses. From recognizing unhelpful thought patterns to using emotion management techniques rooted in cognitive and behavioral science, attendees will leave with a toolkit to stay grounded, focused, and resilient in the face of external chaos. | Register HERE |
Empower Hour | Spring 2025
Topic + Presenter | Date | Time | Summary | Registration + Recording Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI Tools for Staff | Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025 | 2:00 pm | This workshop is focused on the AI tools available at ASU and their practical applications in academic and professional contexts. This session will provide a comprehensive overview of how these tools can be leveraged to improve efficiency, enhance creativity, and support research, teaching, and project management.
| Recording available HERE and Presentation |
| Elevate Your Professional Brand on LinkedIn | Wednesday, February 19, 2025 | 2:00 pm | Gain invaluable insights on maximizing your professional identity and learn tips and tricks to expand your network on the business world’s top social media platform, plus dive into some advanced LinkedIn functionality. About Perri Collins In her position at Arizona State University, Perri Collins lends her social media expertise to the W. P. Carey School of Business. She teaches a course on social media strategy at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
| Recording available HERE and Presentation |
| Desert Financial Wills and Trust | Thursday, March 6, 2025 | 11:00 am | Join us for an informative webinar on the essentials of wills and trusts, hosted by Matt Osborn, Wills and Trusts Director at Desert Financial. Learn how these important tools can help protect your assets, provide for your loved ones, and enhance your overall financial well-being. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and plan for the future with confidence! | Recording available HERE and Presentation |
| ASU Sunlite Coaching Program | Wednesday, March 12, 2025 | 11:00 am | This presentation will introduce you to the ASU SUNlite Coaching Program, where employees can embark on a journey of self-discovery, uncover new possibilities, and nurture ongoing growth. You’ll learn about the application process and what it’s like to become a SUNlite Coach, as well as how to request coaching services to support your own personal and professional development. Presenter: Shanesha Brooks | Recording available HERE and Presentation. Coach Interest Form. Request a Coach. |
| Assertiveness with Challenging People with Leonard Nasca | Wednesday, April 30, 2025 | 2:00 pm | Boundaries with others can be difficult to manage, this may be especially true when dealing with others that have unique and specific responses to interpersonal conflict. When and how do you stand up for your personal boundaries? Are you someone who avoids conflict at the cost of being acknowledged and are looking for an effective way to change this about yourself? This class will give you practical tools and examples of how to be assertive with challenging people in interpersonal situations. | Recording available until June 5, 2025 HERE Passcode: QNk@0g?4 Materials provided upon request. |
| Introversion in the Workplace with Katie Jensen | Tuesday, May 13, 2025 | 11:00 am | Explore the natural skills and strengths of introverted personality types, and learn to leverage your introvert superpowers in leadership and higher education. Extroverts among us can learn how they can benefit from and work more efficiently with their introverted colleagues, and we can all learn how different personality types can support each other. Katie is the Director of Curriculum Development in the Office of the University Provost. She has a Master of Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne, Australia. She is passionate about authenticity at work and play, and though introverted, is always willing to talk about higher education, music and the Sonoran Desert. | Recording available HERE. Passcode: Y?MY+n35 The Hidden Powers of INTROVERTS Presentation |
| The Art of Storytelling with Tanaya Dempsey | Thursday, May 29, 2025 | 2:00 pm | Storytelling has been used for centuries to share knowledge, keep cultures alive, and ensure traditions are passed down from generation to generation. With the increasing need for facts and figures, the power of storytelling has started to fade into the background of the workplace. When asked, many professionals and practitioners would say they aren’t very strong storytellers, but I’m here to share that we do this on a regular basis, without even thinking about it. All of us have the ability to use the power of storytelling and this session will provide opportunities for hands on practice, utilizing tools designed by David Hutchens the Story Telling Leader, that will leave attendees with techniques they can take back to their department/unit. Tanaya is a forward-thinking leader dedicated to leveraging her expertise in project management, collaboration facilitation, and strategic direction to drive impactful outcomes. She excels in harnessing the collective strengths of team members, partners, and diverse stakeholders to streamline processes and enhance business practices. Committed to fostering connection and teamwork, Tanaya firmly believes in the transformative power of collaborative efforts to achieve strategic objectives effectively. | Recording available HERE. Presentation and handout. |