Want to know what other North Dakota local governments learned about this past December? Check out the December top 5 most frequently completed LocalGovU courses below:

*Course names and descriptions by LocalGovU (accessed Jan. 9, 2024, from www.LocalGovU.com/NDIRF).

1. Handling Difficult Customers for Local Government (tied for first)

When residents have problems with municipal services, they call city hall. More often than not, these calls are negative in nature rather than positive, and handling these customers is a skill in and of itself. Local governments cannot function effectively if the relationship between the government and its residents is fraught with tension. By taking this course, you will learn the necessary skills for representing your municipality and strengthening its relationship with citizens.

1. Understanding Behavior, Burnout, and Depression (tied for first)

In our fast-paced world, many people are tired, overworked, and stressed. Between the constant flow of e-mails, being tethered to a smartphone, and other social, family, and work responsibilities, finding your ‘normal’ can be challenging. Not surprisingly, some people seem to have more issues with stress than others. We know that some stress is healthy, but constant levels of stress can become problematic to the point of burnout and depression. To truly understand the human condition, we need to define what is normal vs. abnormal behavior. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of stress, burnout, and depression will help you to pinpoint warning signs in yourself and others.

2. Workplace Bullying

When we think of bullying, we immediately associate it with the school yard, certainly not something we face as an adult. Unfortunately, bullying in the workplace occurs more often than you think. In fact, there are various forms of bullying, from overt forms to those which are quite passive. Workplace bullying may have significant consequences for those involved, for yourself as an employee as well as your employer. A thorough understanding of workplace bullying will help promote awareness and ultimately prevention.

3. Ethical Behavior for Local Government

In this course, we will define ethical behavior, provide examples of work situations where a thorough understanding of workplace ethics may be applied, and ways in which you can determine if your decisions and behavior are meeting the appropriate standards.

4. Advanced Defensive Driving Techniques (tied for fourth)

This course concentrates primarily on advanced defensive driving techniques. You will be given instruction on how to drive defensively in adverse conditions including heavy rain, snow, and ice. We will further discuss how to share the roadways with other motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians.

4. Developing Effective Communication Skills (tied for fourth)

Communicating with coworkers, clients, and management is a core activity for most positions. If you communicate effectively, you are more likely to achieve success in your career and personal life. Being a good listener and knowing how to write effective documents will also ensure your success as a communicator. This course will provide you with tools and suggestions on how to accomplish this goal.

4. Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) (tied for fourth)

In previous eras, people often became caught in an “either/or” situation because employers were not always cooperative when individuals needed time for personal matters. Employees ran the risk of losing their jobs and benefits if they made the choice of putting their family first. Fortunately, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) entitles eligible employees to take the time they need to handle life events. We will go over the FMLA in detail to help you understand the basic provisions and how the FMLA can benefit you.

5. Dealing with Angry Employees (tied for fifth)

In this course, the learner will gain understanding regarding the importance of communication in dealing with employee anger, acquire knowledge regarding productive methods for dealing with employee anger, and finally learn to recognize the behavioral indicators preceding episodes of anger.

5. Defensive Driving Basics (tied for fifth)

This is a general education course, and the Academy is not responsible for continuing education credits that are rejected in any way. Given the variation in the approval and acceptance of continuing education credits state to state, it is advised that you confirm recertification and training requirements, including accepted courses, with your administrator and check the accreditation page on our site that corresponds with your state.

5. Discipline and Termination (tied for fifth)

In every organization, employees are let go for various reasons. The decision to discipline or even terminate an employee is not one that should be taken lightly, and there is a right and wrong way to approach the situation. In this course, learners will explore ways to appropriately address issues before termination is necessary, be able to terminate employees confidently if discipline fails, and for employees to understand the need for a disciplinary process and the rules and expectations that inform them.

5. Emotional Intelligence for Leaders (tied for fifth)

There are many traits and characteristics of a good leader, but recent research has discovered the impact emotional intelligence plays in a leaders success. This course will instruct and provide leaders with techniques to grow and develop in their emotional intelligence and become better leaders.

5. Performance Management (tied for fifth)

Managing employee performance through standards, observation and feedback may sound easy, but doing it well is another story. Many managers and supervisors see the appraisal process as a single day event on the employee’s anniversary date, which is not the case. The performance appraisal process is an ongoing activity that takes effort throughout the year, not just at the time of the appraisal.

5. Sexual Harassment for Managers (tied for fifth)

Sexual harassment in the workplace can happen to anyone, male or female, regardless of sexual orientation. Recognizing what sexual harassment is a leader, both the subtle cues as well as the overt advances, will help you to identify potential warning signs and take the necessary steps to prevent sexual harassment. There are a number of preventive measures that can be employed as well as recommendations of what to do if you or one of your employees have been or are the victim of sexual harassment.

Register Today!

If your entity is interested in learning how the NDIRF’s LocalGovU online training platform can support employee training initiatives, reach out to our Director of Member Services Corey Olson at Corey.Olson@ndirf.com. LocalGovU is offered free to NDIRF members.

Register today to start your LocalGovU professional development journey at www.NDIRF.com>Member Benefits>Online Training.

Want to know what other North Dakota local governments learned about this past October? Check out the October top 5 most frequently completed LocalGovU courses below:

*Course names and descriptions by LocalGovU (accessed Nov. 12, 2024, from www.LocalGovU.com/NDIRF)

1. Anti-Bias Training For Law Enforcement (1 hour)

The face of America continues to evolve, and our nation is more diverse than ever before. People in cities, suburbs, and towns served by law enforcement are a rich tapestry of races, ethnicities, religions, and cultures. This diverse group of individuals deserves to be treated with kindness, compassion, and respect. Unfortunately, tragedies can result when there is an adversarial relationship or misunderstanding between law enforcement and the community. Recognizing the diversity and types of bias when serving the community will reduce misunderstandings, confusion, and stereotypes while promoting knowledge and awareness for the officer. In this one-hour course, we will explore many effective strategies to help you to connect with the community along with recommendations you can use immediately.

2. Airborne and Bloodborne Pathogens

Humans are walking sources of air and fluid, and the air and fluid of others are potential sources of infections for first responders. This 1-hour course will review the airborne and bloodborne pathogens first responders commonly encounter in serving their communities, as well as the equipment and preventative measures that protect first responders from infectious pathogens.

3. Time Management Skills

Time can feel like a fleeting object. With only so many minutes in the day to accomplish all of the tasks you set out to do, its important to be able to manage your time wisely and effectively. In this course, learners will explore the ways they can manage their time, defeat procrastination, and accomplish their goals not only in the workplace but also their personal lives.

4. Emotional Intelligence for Leaders (Tied for fourth)

There are many traits and characteristics of a good leader, but recent research has discovered the impact emotional intelligence plays in a leaders success. This course will instruct and provide leaders with techniques to grow and develop in their emotional intelligence and become better leaders.

4. Interviewing Skills for Managers: Conducting an Interview (Tied for fourth)

This course is designed to provide managers with the knowledge and skills to recruit and onboard the right talent. Behavioral interviewing is a proven hiring technique that will allow you to hire candidates who have the necessary skills to perform at the highest level on a job. This technique has a higher percentage than traditional interviewing processes for predicting the future of job candidates.

4. Understanding Behavior, Burnout, and Depression (Tied for fourth)

In our fast-paced world, many people are tired, overworked, and stressed. Between the constant flow of e-mails, being tethered to a smartphone, and other social, family, and work responsibilities, finding your ‘normal’ can be challenging. Not surprisingly, some people seem to have more issues with stress than others. We know that some stress is healthy, but constant levels of stress can become problematic to the point of burnout and depression. To truly understand the human condition, we need to define what is normal vs. abnormal behavior. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of stress, burnout, and depression will help you to pinpoint warning signs in yourself and others.

5. Successful Customer Interactions (Tied for fifth)

There is a strong correlation between customer satisfaction and the success of a business or department. Welcoming customers means working to create satisfied customers from the inside-out. When local government creates satisfied customers, we create empowered and informed citizens. In this course, learners will discover how to interact as co-workers and service providers. We will also cover understanding the customer goal and how to create goals that will lead to successful customer interactions.

5. Workplace Bullying (Tied for fifth)

When we think of bullying, we immediately associate it with the school yard, certainly not something we face as an adult. Unfortunately, bullying in the workplace occurs more often than you think. In fact, there are various forms of bullying, from overt forms to those which are quite passive. Workplace bullying may have significant consequences for those involved, for yourself as an employee as well as your employer. A thorough understanding of workplace bullying will help promote awareness and ultimately prevention.

Register Today!

If your entity is interested in learning how the NDIRF’s LocalGovU online training platform can support employee training initiatives, reach out to our Director of Member Services Corey Olson at Corey.Olson@ndirf.com. LocalGovU is offered free to NDIRF members.

Register today to start your LocalGovU professional development journey at www.NDIRF.com>Member Benefits>Online Training.