collage of a diverse group of professionals

Applied Leadership Program

Industry Project Partner for Spring 2024: 

This unique leadership training & development program provides a learning opportunity like no other. In just eight, half-day modules, learners will be coached by industry experts across a variety of disciplines, in real-time, to gain practical experience and develop an individual leadership philosophy and style.

Our Industry Project Partner will provide students in the Applied Leadership Program with experience addressing potential real-world challenges.

Participants will be challenged to inspire action in others by practicing hands-on tactics and acquiring the necessary skills to lead resilient teams to successful outcomes, culminating in an industry sponsored capstone project.

The Applied Leadership Program is developed specifically for individuals interested in:

  • Developing communication strategies and leadership plans in support of organizational strategy.
  • Recognizing the project lifecycle and best practices in change management for teams.
  • Incorporating leadership tactics to manage teams, conflict, coach others and meet goals.
  • Building the foundations of a personal leadership mantra and understand the tools to implement.
  • Developing a growth mindset and an appreciation for lifelong learning.

Why you should take this program:

  • Career advancement - leadership and soft skills are among the most in-demand skills across all industries and sectors. 
  • Applied learning - this program is not about textbooks and lectures, but rather taking the knowledge you will learn and the skills you will build to solve real-world leadership problems.
  • Networking & professional connections - connect and work with like-minded individuals from a cross section of backgrounds, industries and varied experiences. 
  • Minimal time commitment - in only a few hours per week, you will be exposed to the key principles and practices of professional, successful leaders.
  • Incredible instructors - a selection of industry professionals who work in the field, conduct research and maintain outstanding credentials. 

Who should attend?

  • Individuals interested in progressing into, or are currently in, a supervisory or leadership role
  • Newly appointed team leaders or supervisors
  • Organizations invested in succession planning and /or developing current supervisors

In order to successfully complete the program, learners must attend live virtual instructional sessions, submit an action planning workbook and complete the capstone project presentation requirements.


Industry partner will present a real life leadership dilemma facing their organization.

Date: April 18, 2024
Time: 5:00pm - 8:30pm
Instructor: Diana Sarkis

Date: April 25, 2024
Time: 5:00pm - 8:30pm
Instructor: Francine Durivage

Topics include:

  • Phases of a Project Framework
  • Successful Project Criteria
  • Triple Constraints
  • Developing a Project Charter and Schedule
  • Risk Management Identification
  • Managing Costs, Schedule and Scope
  • Closing the Project

Date: May 2, 2024
Time: 5:00pm - 8:30pm
Instructor: Dr. Amir Talaei

Topics include:

  • Communication Frameworks
  • Ways Communications Can Fail
  • Improving Listening Skills
  • Virtual Communication
  • Cultural Communication
  • Communication with Difficult People

 

Date: May 9, 2024
Time: 5:00pm - 8:30pm
Instructor: Dr. Amir Talaei

Topics include:

  • Three Main Phases of Change
  • 5-stage ADKAR Change Management Model
  • Tactics and Best Practices of Going Through Change
  • Resistance to Change and How to Overcome It
  • The Change Conversation

 

Date: May 16, 2024
Time: 5:00pm - 8:30pm
Instructor: Diana Sarkis

Topics include:

  • Defining Leadership
  • Self-Reflection on Your Leadership Skills
  • Growth Mindset
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Qualities of a Good Leader
  • Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership
  • Understanding Your Followers and Adapting Your Leadership Style
  • Determining Your Leadership Philosophy
  • Creating a Leadership Development Plan

 

Date: May 23, 2024
Time: 5:00pm - 8:30pm
Instructor: Diana Sarkis

Topics include:

  • Role of a Supervisor
  • Supervisor vs. Coach
  • Delegation
  • Handling Complaints
  • Coaching Guidelines
  • Managing Performance
  • Setting performance objectives
  • Conducting performance reviews
  • Giving constructive feedback
  • Begin to develop a coaching plan for an individual

 

Date: May 30, 2024
Time: 5:45pm - 9:15pm
Instructor: Kyle Brykman

Topics include:

  • Why Good Teamwork Matters
  • Defining a Team vs. Group
  • 6 Keys to a Resilient Team
  • How to Build a Resilient Team
  • Pros and Cons of Team Conflict
  • Stages of Teamwork and When Conflict Happens
  • Using Various Conflict Management Styles
  • Setting S.M.A.R.T. goals
  • Begin Your Plan to Build a Resilient Team

 

Date: June 6, 2024
Time: 5:00pm - 8:30pm
Instructor: Diana Sarkis 

Your industry guided capstone project allows you to practice communication, leadership, teamwork and planning skills learned throughout the program.  Working with a small team, you will strategize and develop a solution to a common leadership challenge.

 

IN-PERSON SESSION: Starts April 18, 2024

Schedule: Thursdays, April 18 - June 6, 2024 | 5:00pm to 8:30pm
Format for Spring 2024: In-Person at Windsor Hall, University of Windsor Continuing Education

Fees: $1,200 + HST

  • UWindsor Alumni, staff, students and Hire UWindsor Partners are eligible for discounts on enrolment. Contact continue@uwindsor.ca to receive the discount code. 
  • Payment plan available: Pay in full now or pay $25.00 deposit now and remaining fees due 7 days before start of class

Interested in sending a member from your organization? You may be eligible for the Canada-Ontario Job Grant as a way to off-set the cost.

Prerequisites:

While there are no formal prerequisites for this offering, it is expected that learners will have:

  • Basic computer skills
  • English language proficiency
  • 3-5 years of work experience

Once you register you will be prompted to activate your UWinID. Your UWinID and password are needed to access Brightspace. If you have any issues, please contact continue@uwindsor.ca.

Watch aspiring leader, Shanna talk about her experience in the Applied Leadership Program:

Members of the Stellantis Windsor Assembly Plant team discuss the importance of developing leaders within the community.

Please note, the above videos were filmed during the 2023 spring in-person session.


Doctor Amir Talaei

Dr. Amir Talaei holds a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and has completed three Post-Doctoral Fellowships in the fields of leadership and organizational psychology focusing on leader counterproductive work behaviours, managing high conflict personalities in the workplace, and motivational processes in underperforming employees. He also holds certificates in Effective Workplace Communication, Supervision, Customer Service Management, Coaching, and Human Resources Management from the Universities of Waterloo, Toronto, and Calgary. Amir is currently a Partner and the Director of Applied Research at E.M. Vokes, Ph.D. & Associates, an organization development and change management consulting firm, based in Windsor, Ontario. He and his research team have been involved in the development and advancement of applied theories that have been used in training and coaching of organizational leaders at different levels in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. Amir’s passion is identifying and countermanding management pseudo-science, and translating the cutting-edge psychological science into practical solutions for organizational challenges leaders routinely face. He has presented his work at several national and international conferences across the globe in countries such as Canada, USA, Japan, France, Italy, and Czech Republic.


Diana Sarkis

Diana Sarkis currently works as a Sessional Instructor at the Odette School of Business at the University of Windsor. She teaches courses at the Master of Business (MBA) and the undergraduate program in the Management and Labour areas. Diana operates as an HR Consultant, where she partners with organizations throughout Canada to provide expertise in compensation, training and development, recruitment and outplacement services. She previously worked in the field of human resources in a full-time capacity in various sectors, including manufacturing, professional services and the broader public sector. Through her employment experience, Diana has gained extensive experience in labour relations, recruitment, training and development and strategic human resources practices. Diana completed a Master of Industrial Relations (MIR), a specialized advanced degree in human resources and labour relations, at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. She completed a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the Odette School of Business at the University of Windsor. Diana also holds a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designation through the Human Resources Professional Association. She has served the HR community as the Chair of the Human Resources Professional Association of Windsor


Francine Durivage helps individuals, groups and industry leaders handle the often challenging landscape of Project Management in a practical and impactful way. She works with private and not for profit businesses domestically and internationally as well as all levels of government to create or enhance their project frameworks, project management offices and to upskill the project team’s abilities and execution.

In addition to providing a broad set of in-demand courses, Francine has created two university accredited certifications in the areas of Project Management and Business Process Improvement. For Francine it is the ability to positively impact results, make the project a more enjoyable experience and remove impediments by providing user friendly tools, techniques, tips, troubleshooting and tutorials that fuel her passion for project management.

A fluently bilingual instructor (English, French), Francine is the Founder and President of Durivage Management Solutions Limited where she and her team have worked in more than a dozen countries on three continents. She is a speaker, trainer, consultant, author and project manager. Francine holds a Master of Project Management (MPM), a Masters Certificate in Organizational Development (MCOD), and a B(Psychology), as well as having multiple industry credentials including certifications as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and PRINCE2 Practitioner (P2P) and has been using Agile project methods for the past 20 years.


Kyle Brykman is an Assistant Professor of Management at Odette School of Business at the University of Windsor. Kyle's research focuses on employee voice and interpersonal team dynamics, including team resilience and conflict. Kyle's mission is to help employees speak up with higher quality ideas and to assist leaders with creating and sustaining effective teamwork, such as by building their teams’ resilient capabilities and improving their conflict-experiences. As part of his research, Kyle has worked with large and small companies to diagnose and improve their human capital challenges. Kyle's research has been published in various prestigious academic journals, including the Journal of Organizational Behavior and Small Group Research, and presented at various international conferences, including the Academy of Management and Society of Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Kyle holds a PhD in Management (Organizational Behaviour) from Smith School of Business at Queen's University, an MSc in Management (Organizational Behaviour & Human Resource Management) from Wilfrid Laurier University, and an HBA from Ivey School of Business.   

  • This program is eligible for the OSAP Micro-credential application (OSAPMC).
  • Participants must be registered into the program prior to applying for OSAPMC.
  • You now have the option to place a deposit during registration to secure your spot, which will provide documentation for you to submit an OSAPMC application.
    • Please note: Full payment must be made 1 week prior to the course start date regardless of OSAPMC approval.
  • In the event that OSAPMC is not approved, please email us at continue@uwindsor.ca at least one 1 week prior to the course start date to request a refund.
  • Register for this program accordingly to allow ample time for your application to be processed. It takes approximately 10-15 business days for the OSAPMC application to be processed.

 

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Listen to the AM800 Interview with guest host Kyle Horen, Continuing Education Executive Director, Jennie Atkins and Master Plan Manager, Jamie Marshall from Stellantis Windsor Assembly Plant.

 

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