UpDate - Vol. 11, No. 13, Page D1
December 5, 1991
Employee Development and Training; Enthusiastic employees train their
   colleagues

     Understanding and Utilizing Monthly Account Statements" is one
of the most popular programs offered by the Employee Development
unit. The program includes instruction on how to read the monthly
account statements, interpretation of the various account codes,
and information on the accounting department's operation.
     The instructors are: Denise L. Schneider, assistant
controller; Cheryl Lynn Granville, senior accountant; and Karen L.
D'Amato, senior administrative assistant.
     Each of these women is dedicated to "career care" activities,
however, none was actually seeking to broaden her presentation and
training skills when this particular opportunity came along. Yet
all have reaped  important benefits personally, professionally, and
in their jobs as a result of their involvement in this career
development opportunity.
     Schneider has been an instructor in this program for four
years and had some prior experience training before coming to the
University.
     She said teaching the workshop has helped reinforce the
information and, most beneficial, are the questions from the
participants.
     Granville and D'Amato agreed  that they've grown more familiar
with the content information and, as a result, have become more
confident about their abilities to resolve accounting discrepancies
and answer questions.
     The instructors continued speaking about the advantages of
their career enhancement efforts, citing other benefits as an
opportunity to learn about how the University community views the
accounting function and to share the "language" of their business.
Granville indicated she also appreciates discovering the
University's needs through the interaction between the instructors
and the participants in the  classroom. The instructors said they
feel that though this training opportunity does not have a direct
impact on their chosen career paths, the opportunity has refined
their presentation skills, improved their communication skills and
boosted their content knowledge.
     This development, they said, has enhanced their professional
skill base and provides new challenges for them. When asked what
advice they would give to others who may be searching for career
enhancement or development opportunities, the instructors agreed
that vital to the success of career development efforts is the
support of the supervisor. In particular, that is negotiating the
time and resources in order to activate a plan and create a
positive environment for professional growth.