Enhance Your Supervision and Management (EYSM)

Course format

EYSM courses are highly interactive, including small breakout rooms. Participants will work together to explore techniques, share best practices, and foster a collaborative environment to thrive as leaders.
Topics will evolve with each offering of the series. Check this webpage for current offerings. You are welcome to attend one, some, or all of the courses in the series. It is not a sequential curriculum or associated with a certificate. 

EYSM is limited to participants who are people managers.

Who should attend?

UW–Madison supervisors or managers of staff, who:

• Conduct performance conversations
• Oversee the work of others
• Hire new employees
• Onboard new employees
• Make decisions about the time and work of others
• Encourage professional development of others

Upcoming sessions

Each course of the series will be held virtually on Zoom. Select a course title to submit an interest form. To access the interest form, you must be logged into Google with your campus NetID.

• EYSM: Leading Through Change  
  October 30, 2025, 1-3 p.m.

  Change is a constant in any organization. Effective leaders can recognize the phases of transition and the stressors individuals may face during organizational change. Many factors that influence how people will react to change and what tools they need to accept and succeed. This course provides participants with the skills and tools to be an effective initiator, agent, and manager of change.

• EYSM: Navigating Difficult Conversations
  November 6, 2025, 1-3 p.m.

  In today’s workplace, one crucial skill that can positively impact work culture and relationships is the ability to navigate difficult conversations effectively. This session will provide clarity on what differentiates these conversations and offer techniques for approaching them in a healthy, well-prepared manner, rather than avoiding them. A framework for planning conversations will be provided, with an opportunity to practice.

• EYSM: Managing Performance with Purpose
  November 13, 2025, 1-2:30 p.m.

  Managing performance involves more than just required tasks. It can be a powerful tool for building strong, motivated teams. This session will focus on the role of the manager or supervisor to transform required documentation into a structure that develops individual strengths, boosts performance, and reduces turnover. Explore conversation frameworks and practices you can use right away.

• EYSM: Tailoring Career Development Paths for Every Team Member
  November 20, 2025, 1-2:30 p.m.

  In today’s dynamic workplace, one-size-fits-all development strategies fall short. This session equips managers with the tools and mindset to personalize career and skill development for each team member, no matter their role, experience level, or aspirations. Managers will learn how to assess individual motivation, identify skill strengths and gaps, and co-create actionable growth plans that drive engagement and accountability.

• EYSM: Creating Psychological Safety
  December 4, 2025, 1-2:30 p.m.

  Psychological safety provides a critical foundation for high-performing, engaged teams. In this 90-minute professional development session, participants will explore what psychological safety truly means, why it matters, and how their leadership behaviors directly influence it.

• EYSM: Stress Management for Managers
  December 11, 1 – 2:30 p.m.

  This session offers a holistic approach to stress management designed specifically for supervisors and managers. We’ll begin by exploring what stress actually is, how it shows up in the brain, body, and daily experiences of leadership. Building on practices like mindfulness and breathwork, we’ll explore additional tools rooted in an understanding of how people process stress differently-whether mentally, physically, or through their senses. We’ll look at how individuals regulate stress in unique ways, and how to personalize stress relief in ways that truly work for you. Presented in partnership with UW Madison, Office of Human Resources, Employee Assistance Office (EAO).