Event Profile

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Who Should Attend:

Employees in administrative or service-oriented roles.

Webinar Overview:

Optimizing Performance in Challenging Times and Situations is made up of three two-part webinars which provide utility-specific information directed toward administrative assistants and executive secretaries who want to become more effective in managing their tasks and in communicating with others.

Positive Assertiveness in the Workplace, April 23 and 24, 2024

Administrative professionals are in a position to communicate on behalf of their bosses and to communicate information to their bosses that is necessary for good decision making. This course will reiterate that there is a right and a wrong way for you to state your case. The right way is in a forthright, positively assertive manner. You will gain insight into how to avoid pitfalls that get in the way of positive communication and how to operate with more confidence. A section on confidently making decisions will also be covered. The result will be enhanced communication and decision-making skills.

Managing Time, Change, and Stress, April 25 and 30, 2024

In today’s workplace, employees are experiencing tremendous challenges that pull them in many directions all at once. There are tremendous changes underway in organizational strategies and priorities. Without strategies for better organization, dealing with constant change, and managing stressors and the resulting stress, you cannot maintain the productivity and quality demanded of yourself. This two-part course will focus on the important personal skills of flexibility, self-control, self-determination, and stress mitigation. Specific subjects covered will include analyzing how time is spent, controlling time-wasters (such as interruptions and procrastination), and identifying major changes and their response in the past and going forward.

Resolving Conflict in the Workplace, May 1 and 2, 2024

Collaboration among coworkers to meet the organization’s goals has never been more important. Organizations are expecting employees at all levels to work together--often across functions--to solve problems and make decisions that were once the exclusive responsibility of management. This new way of working also creates new opportunities for conflict making. Resolving conflict is a necessary skill for all workers. This two-part course provides you with the skills to turn conflict into opportunities to achieve positive results. You will explore your past experiences and habits in dealing with conflicts, learn new ways of thinking about conflict, understand choices you have in conflict, as well as analyzing your individual level of emotional intelligence. You will leave with tips and techniques to keep your emotions in check, to help others go from unreasonable to reasonable, and to have difficult but necessary conversations.

Webinar Recordings:

Webinar recordings can be made available to registrants who are unable to attend live.

Webinar Instructor:

Debra Ballard, The Ballard Group

Webinar Schedule:

All webinars in this series will be held from 2-4 p.m. Pacific Time. Attendees will be admitted 10 minutes before the webinar begins.

How to Participate:

Instructions will be emailed to attendees within 12 hours of the webinar and we recommend that you test the link to the meeting as soon as you get the instructions. The webinar is best viewed using Chrome as your browser. We recommend that you use a landline for both your phone and your internet connections.

This registration is for one person to attend. We manage our webinars on an honor-system basis; if more than one person from a utility wishes to attend, each is to register separately.

Series Fees:

Cancellation Policies:

For webinars, virtual classes, and section meetings: cancellation at least five days prior to the event, full refund; within 1-4 days or no show, 100% of the registration fee.
For in-person events: cancellation at least 30 days prior to the event, full refund; within 15-29 days, $100 fee; and within 1-14 days or no show, 100% of the registration fee.

If canceling because the attendee is showing COVID-19 symptoms any time before the event, a full refund will be issued; if leaving during the event for COVID-19 reasons, a prorated refund will be issued.

When possible, please send a substitute instead of canceling; NWPPA does not charge a fee for substitutions. To request a refund, please contact us at registration@nwppa.org or (360) 816-1457. 

Continuing Hours:

This course qualifies for 12 continuing hours. Certificates will be available online upon full completion of the course.