Who Should Attend:
Employees in administrative or service-oriented roles.
Overview:
Optimizing Performance in Challenging Times and Situations is made up of three two-part webinars that provide utility-specific information directed toward administrative assistants and executive secretaries who want to become more effective in managing their tasks and communicating with others.
Positive Assertiveness in the Workplace, April 29 and 30, 2025
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, May 1 and 6, 2025
In today’s workplace, employees are experiencing 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 7 and 8, 2025
Collaboration among co-workers 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 creating conflict. 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, and analyze your individual level of emotional intelligence. You will leave with tips and techniques to keep your emotions in check; help others go from unreasonable to reasonable; and have difficult, but necessary, conversations.
Recordings:
Webinar recordings can be made available to registrants who are unable to attend live.
Instructor:
Debra Ballard, The Ballard Group
Schedule:
All webinars will be held from 2-4 p.m. Pacific Time each day. Attendees will be admitted 15 minutes before each webinar begins.
How to Participate:
Instructions will be emailed to attendees within 24 hours of each webinar, and we recommend that you test the link to the meeting as soon as you get the instructions. The webinars are 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.
Fees:
Utility Member Rate: $600
Associate Member Rate: $900
Non-Member Rate: $1,200
Note: Organizations that register a group of employees will receive every fifth registration for free. For example, if you register five employees, you only pay for four; register 10 employees, you only pay for eight; and so on. There is nothing additional you need to do to receive this discount.
Cancellation Policy:
For webinars, virtual classes, and section meetings: cancellation at least five days prior to the event will receive a full refund; within 1-4 days or no show, the charge will be 100% of the registration fee.
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) 254-0109.
Continuing Hours:
This course qualifies for 12 continuing hours. Certificates will be available online upon full completion of the course.