Developing A Successful You
Professional Development Newsletter
November 2021
Welcome to Developing A Successful You, our professional development monthly newsletter.
November at a Glance
Use your AU credentials to register for featured training and courses.
Collaborating and Community
As we strive for excellence, how we do things is as important as what we accomplish. We call these competencies, or the skills and behaviors we need to do our jobs. One of the critical competencies at AU is collaboration, now more than ever in our hybrid work environment.

Learning new ways to collaborate within your team or across departments creatively can help us problem solve, support productivity, and increase our collective potential for change.

In this month’s Developing A Successful You newsletter, we’re highlighting a few resources to enhance collaboration and build skills using the technology that we use every day.
Boost Your Hybrid Collaboration Skills with OIT and LinkedIn Learning
man watching online class
Improv! Creative Collaboration
LinkedIn Learning
1 hour 25 minutes

Recognize and remove personal creative blocks, connect and communicate with others, combine ideas using play, and construct a collaborative environment to tap into a group’s creative brilliance. With these techniques and exercises, you’ll be able to embrace and leverage a diverse range of ideas and create better together.
Advanced Microsoft Teams Workshop with OIT
Wednesday, November 10
10:00am – 12:00pm

Microsoft Teams is a hub in Office 365, designed for teamwork and flexibility. Join AU's Office of Information Technology (OIT) for a workshop highlighting Microsoft Teams' new features to create better interactive meetings and webinars. Learn how to get the most out of Microsoft Teams using the mobile app.
mother and and young daughter having a conversation with someone on a laptop
Zoom Security Best Practices Workshop with OIT
Wednesday, November 17
10:00am – 12:00pm

Zoom allows you to set up virtual video and audio conferencing, webinars, live chats, screen-sharing, and other collaborative capabilities. Join AU's Office of Information Technology (OIT) to learn best practices and security tools to help you and your guests get the most out of your Zoom experience.
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Team Collaboration in Office 365
LinkedIn Learning
1 hour 6 minutes

The apps in Microsoft 365—Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and more—are designed with collaboration in mind. Learn tips for maximizing team productivity including communicating more efficiently using Groups, using file libraries in SharePoint, sharing notes and files via OneDrive, creating shared tasks and projects in Planner, and more.
Supporting a Diverse and Inclusive Community
American University campus
Earn a Certificate in Our DEI Learning Pathway

The DEI Learning Pathway addresses the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to create an inclusive workplace through a collection of short, easy-to-digest e-learning courses.

Open to all staff and faculty, this DEI Learning Pathway is a certificate program. Complete any two modules in each category in the pathway and receive a certificate of completion. Learn more about the DEI Learning Pathway certificate program.
Featured Course

Inclusive Mindset for Committed Allies
LinkedIn Learning
23 minutes

Understand the diversity and inclusion concepts underlying an inclusive mindset and conduct a self-inventory to identify the motivations driving your allyship actions. Practice humble allyship that puts marginalized voices first, learn how to continue your journey by dedicating yourself to education and practice allyship in real-world situations.
Strengthening Your Supervisor Skills
A Guide to Leave Management
Monday, November 8
10:00am – 12:00pm
Discover the leave benefits available to staff, identify the procedures governing leave, and understand your role and responsibilities in leave administration.
Setting Expectations Workshops
If you missed the previous Setting Expectations Workshop, we’re offering two more sessions for staff and supervisors through the end of the year. Learn how you can have productive status discussions and sign-up for an upcoming workshop!


Performance Management information and support tools are available on the AsuccessfulU landing page on the myAU Portal.
Ongoing Conversations Workshops
1 hour 30 minutes
Live monthly sessions until May 2022
Ongoing conversations provide opportunities for staff and supervisors to discuss progress on goals and identify barriers to success. This course will enable supervisors to:

  • Identify why feedback is important to help staff choose which action(s) to take
  • Identify three models for providing feedback
  • Develop an action plan for having a real-world performance conversation

Upon following the registration link, click "Register Now" and select the date/time of the workshop that best fits your schedule.
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If you have suggestions for training to offer or things you’d like to see in this newsletter, write them in to AsuccessfulU@american.edu. We’d love to hear from you!