鶹Ƶ

Skip to main content
  • Home
  • 鶹Ƶ
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • 鶹ƵUniversity Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • 鶹ƵUniversity Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Home
  • 鶹Ƶ
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community

Crucial Conversations/Crucial Influence Programs to Be Offered This Summer

Friday, May 17, 2024, By News Staff
Share
human resources

Crucial Conversations, a popular professional development workshop series for faculty and staff, will be offered in person beginning later this month. Crucial Influence, an offering for leaders, supervisors and managers from the creators of Crucial Conversations, is also being held again this summer.

Crucial Conversations Program

Crucial conversations take place in organizations every day. They include:

  • Conversations where stakes are high, emotions are strong and opinions differ;
  • Conversations around work quality, time management, productivity, performance, customer satisfaction, sensitive issues, conflict or a strained relationship; and
  • Conversations that are often avoided and/or not handled well, leading to poor outcomes.

Workshop participants will learn how to spot when conversations become crucial, avoid repeating the same conversation, separate facts from stories and emotions, and make clearer decisions and commitments, among other skills.

Four-Week In-Person Crucial Conversations Program

  • Fridays, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
  • May 31 to June 21
  • North Campus location to be announced

Crucial Influence Program

Learn how to lead behavior change in your team or organization with hands-on instruction, practice and application.

In this course, supervisors, managers and leaders will learn how to:

  • Influence other’s behavior to make big and small changes inevitable
  • Identify the behaviors that will generate desired results
  • Use the six sources of influence to diagnose problem behaviors and identify why people struggle to change
  • Motivate by tapping into personal values
  • Help others learn new skills
  • Harness the power of social influence
  • Correctly incentivize behaviors

Crucial Influence will also be offered in person for faculty and staff leaders this summer.

  • Tuesdays, 9 a.m.-noon
  • July 9-23
  • North Campus location to be announced

Important Things to Note for Both Programs

  • Participants must be available for all sessions as the skills taught each week build upon skills and concepts identified in previous sessions. If your schedule doesn’t allow for 100% participation, you can for a future offering.
  • Managers and supervisors are highly encouraged to attend, as the program teaches skills that are especially applicable to those managing others.
  • The program provides experiential learning through exercises, practice with real issues and group discussions.
  • Because there is a cost of $350 per person to cover program materials, departmental approval is necessary. The fee will be charged to participants’ budget centers and approval from your supervisor and budget manager is required.
  • Space is limited and registration is required.

Both programs have earned high praise from those who have participated in them.

“It is excellent training for managers and supervisors,” says one participant in the Crucial Conversations program. “Success happens when opportunities are met by preparations. Crucial Conversations are crucial to relationship preservation, built on a foundation where there’s healthy trust, conflict, commitment and accountability; the four main elements that produce results.”

A participant in the Crucial Influence program says “In a very short amount of time, I learned and espoused several ‘concrete’ methods for taking the guesswork out of what is motivating folks around me. In what is clearly a formulaic approach, I can now tailor my influence.”

Email Pam Gavenda, associate director of organizational development and training and Crucial Conversations/Crucial Influence certified trainer, if you have questions about either program.

  • Author

News Staff

  • Recent
  • Protecting the Grid: Engineering in Action
    Tuesday, September 23, 2025, By Dan Bernardi
  • 鶹ƵViews Fall 2025
    Monday, September 22, 2025, By News Staff
  • VPA Film Alumna Nominated for American Society of Cinematographers Student Award
    Monday, September 22, 2025, By Erica Blust
  • Libraries to Host Annual Qualtrics Workshop Series
    Monday, September 22, 2025, By Cristina Hatem
  • Applications Open for 2025 ’Cuse Tank Competition
    Thursday, September 18, 2025, By News Staff

More In Campus & Community

College of Visual and Performing Arts Welcomes New Full-Time Faculty

Nine new full-time faculty joined the College of Visual and Performing Arts for the 2025-26 academic year. One of the faculty members is the college’s new chair of the Department of Drama. The new full-time faculty members are: Adrienne Dagg…

Libraries to Host Annual Qualtrics Workshop Series

鶹ƵUniversity Libraries is hosting its annual Qualtrics online workshops on Thursdays from 3 to 4 p.m. from Oct. 9 through Nov. 20. The seven workshops will be held virtually using Zoom. Participants must register in advance for any one…

Applications Open for 2025 ’Cuse Tank Competition

Applications are open until Monday, Sept. 22, for the Blackstone LaunchPad’s ’Cuse Tank competition. This year’s annual ’Cuse Tank, a featured event kicking off Family Weekend, will take place Friday, Sept. 26 at 2 p.m. in Bird Library’s Peter Graham…

Brynt Parmeter Joins Maxwell School as Phanstiel Chair in Leadership

The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs’ new Phanstiel Chair in Leadership brings expertise from top roles in the military, government and private sectors. He also brings enthusiasm for technology that’s rapidly transforming the workforce. Brynt Parmeter served as…

Chancellor Syverud Updates Senate on University Finances, Enrollment, Leaders and Shared Governance

Good afternoon. Welcome to a new year of University Senate. This is my last “first” senate meeting of the year as chancellor. I had to miss the last Senate meeting of this past year, which I regret. I have now…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

For the Media

Find an Expert
© 2025 鶹ƵUniversity News. All Rights Reserved.