A UWF leadership development program
Are you interested in growing your professional, personal, and practical leadership skills? Are you looking for opportunities to enhance those skills in a cohort of your colleagues?
Stepping Stones is designed to help front-line UWF employees build a toolkit with a variety of leadership skills that will aid them in achieving personal and professional goals. Graduates of this program will receive 6 months of supervisory credit from UW-HR to help them reach minimum eligibility for supervisory roles.
Program overview
The Stepping Stones program lasts 9 months and consists of three phases: Leadership Theory & Interpersonal Skills, Practical Leadership & Leader Shadow, and Capstone Project & Reflection.
Leadership theory & interpersonal skills
This phase consists of 12 weeks of classroom learning at the Training Center, and covers topics ranging from empathy to conflict management.
Practical leadership & leader shadow
Ths phase consists of 12-16 weeks of courses taught by subject matter experts covering practical skills such as ordering supplies, managing work orders with AiM, understanding Human Resources at the UW, or leading with Safety. Topics are flexed to match your department and the lenght of this phase may differ.
You will also shadow UWF leaders and experience the real, hands on work that leaders perform every day. Depending on department, you may shadow one or multiple leaders.
Capstone project & reflection
The last phase asks you to reflect and apply what you have learned in a variety of ways. Working with Training Center specialists, you will update your resume to reflect your new skills and knowledge, and then conduct a mock interview for a supervisor position in order to improve your skill at communicating your knowledge, experiences, and skillsets. You will also identify and conduct a capstone project that allows you to apply what you have learned. Finally, you will be asked to present your capstone project to your peers and leaders.
How to apply
Applications for the 2023 Building Services and M&C/CEUO cohorts are now available.
Applications need to be submitted to your supervisor and/or manager by December 17 and selections for the 2023 cohorts will be made in early January.
Employees accepted into the program will be expected to attend and participate in weekly classroom sessions (2 hours each Wednesday), complete a minimum of 40 hours of leader shadowing, and present on a capstone project. The 2023 cohort has an anticipated start date of February 1, 2023 and will run through mid-November 2023.
For questions or inquiries about Stepping Stones, please reach out to Sarah Lewis-Assink at steppingstones@uw.edu or 206.221.6110.