Thanks to all who participated in the three webinars hosted by the Work Environment and Performance Office June 27, 28 and July 1. The purpose was to share an overview of the goals and activities the Forest Service is undertaking to improve the work experiences and shift the culture of our organization.  It was great to see the number of participants and the interest and questions in the chat pod during the event. We will provide a summary of the questions and comments received on the WEPO website.

The National Survey on Work Environment launched on July 8, 2019. All employees will receive an email with instructions on taking the survey. Seasonal or temporary employees without a FS email address will be receiving a postcard mailed to their duty station with a website where they can access the survey. Your participation is confidential. The survey will be available through mid-August. Please take the time to complete the survey. Your voice matters, and we want to hear from as many employees as possible.

Mark your calendar: The Forest Service is participating in USDA Diversity Month Activities by hosting a Women in Fire panel on Monday, July 29, 2019, at 10:00 eastern. The panel will be livestreamed and more information on specifics of how to participate will be available soon and will be posted on the WEPO website.

July Training and Engagements for All Employees

Forest Service Experienced Supervisor Training 2019 Assigned
The Forest Service Experienced Supervisor Training (EST) was assigned to experienced supervisors’ AgLearn profiles on June 18.  The EST is comprised of the new “Checking Employment References – Best Practice for Forest Service Hiring Officials” course is due July 31.  An additional course to be selected by each supervisor from these three options is due December 30:

1. Preventing Bullying and Violence (18 min.)
Course Objectives:

• Identify situations and behaviors that would be considered workplace violence
• Recognize early warning signs of the potential for violent behavior
• Identify how to respond appropriately when confronted by an aggressor in the workplace
• Identify how to recognize, respond to, and prevent violence in the workplace

2. Handling Team Conflict (30 min.)
Course Objectives:

• Match causes of conflict with examples of the effect each has on a team
• Recognize examples of resolving conflict through improved communication
• Match conflict resolution techniques with circumstances in which they would be used
• Identify which collaborative conflict resolution technique should be used in a given scenario
• Recognize examples of the rules of principled negotiation
• Recall techniques for resolving trust issues in a team meeting
• Identify the recommended contents of a guideline for maintaining trust on a team
• Use techniques to resolve conflict among members of your team

3. Taking Action to Empower Employees (17 min.)
Course Objectives:

• Identify steps for empowering employees in ways that benefit them, your organization, and its customers
• Recognize how learning can empower employees
• Recognize ways to empower employees through knowledge sharing
• Distinguish between language that empowers employees and language that’s disempowering

Please note that supervisors and AgLearn administrators may need to manually enroll in AgLearn courses. AgLearn provides supervisors and administrators the ability to preview courses, which means that AgLearn does not track completion and courses do not become a part of their Record of Learning. Because of the ability to preview, supervisors and administrators may need to manually enroll in a course for AgLearn to track status and completion. A Job Aid that shows how to enroll in a course will be posted to the WEPO website but currently the is found on this link from the HRM T&ED webpage.

Supervisors who need assistance with the EST courses may send a message to FS-Supervisor Development.

Mindfulness & Resiliency July Monthly Webinar/Work Empathy and Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace
**For information on how to join any of these events follow this link for login information [Internal Link]

Date: Thursday, July 11, 2019
           9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Alaska (AKDT)
           10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Pacific (PDT)
           11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Mountain (MDT)
           12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Central (CDT)
           1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Eastern (EDT) & Atlantic Standard (AST)
Type of Session: Webinar/Adobe Connect Meeting
Hosted By: Michelle Reugebrink, Work Environment & Performance Office NBHWC, IHCP, ICF-PCC, ACE CPT, MBSR (Certified) Mindfulness & Resiliency Program Manager/Professional Coach
Synopsis: Learn research-based skills to strengthen empathy and trust, improve collaboration and create more innovative, productive, and satisfying experiences at work.

Broadcasting Happiness: The Science of Igniting and Sustaining Positive Change
Date: Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Alaska (AKDT)
           10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Pacific (PDT)
           11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Mountain (MDT)
           12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Central (CDT)
           1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Eastern (EDT) & Atlantic Standard (AST)
Type of Session: Webinar
Hosted By: Linda Burroughs-Glover, Alternative Dispute Resolution Specialist, Conflict Management and Prevention Center Manager for the WO, LEI and ENT
Synopsis: This presentation is based on the book, Broadcasting Happiness: The Science of Igniting and Sustaining Positive Change written by Michelle Gielan. New research from the field of positive psychology and neuroscience shows that small shifts in the way we communicate can create big ripple effects on business and educational outcomes.

Weekly Guided Mindfulness Meditations
Date: Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Alaska (AKDT)
           9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Pacific (PDT)
           10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Mountain (MDT)
           11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Central (CDT)
           12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Eastern (EDT) & Atlantic Standard (AST)

Date: Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Alaska (AKDT)
           9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Pacific (PDT)
           10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Mountain (MDT)
           11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Central (CDT)
           12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Eastern (EDT) & Atlantic Standard (AST)

Date: Thursday, August 1, 2019
Time: 7:00 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. Alaska (AKDT)
           8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. Pacific
           9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Mountain (MDT)
           10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Central (CDT)
           11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Eastern (EDT) & Atlantic Standard (AST)

Type of Session: Conference Call
How to join: Follow this link for login information [Internal Link]

Hosted By: Michelle Reugebrink, Work Environment & Performance Office NBHWC, IHCP, ICF-PCC, ACE-CPT, MBSR (Certified) Mindfulness & Resiliency Program Manager/Professional Coach

Synopsis: Meditation is becoming more and more popular as people search for ways to relax, de-stress, accelerate their development, and enhance their quality of life. It's really no surprise that meditation is becoming so common nowadays, as it has so many positive benefits to offer. One of the easiest ways to experience the overall benefits of meditation is to listen to a guided meditation. Michelle Reugebrink will guide you in 20 to 30 minutes of mindfulness meditation.