Management Seminar Newsletter

November brings a natural reminder to pause and appreciate the good in our lives. But gratitude isn't always easy when our days are filled with responsibilities, challenges, and seemingly endless to-do lists.

Being thankful doesn't mean everything is going well. Sometimes it's simply recognizing the small things we might otherwise overlook—a coworker who lends a hand, a problem that gets resolved, or a moment of laughter during a busy day.

As we move through this season, perhaps we can be a little more intentional about noticing those moments and letting others know they're appreciated.

Who or what are you especially thankful for this month, and have you taken a moment to acknowledge it?

- Vanessa Hoffman

It's not as simple as just explaining what's happening. To help your team overcome challenges and chart a new path, use these tactics. Join me virtually to discuss this article from Franklin Covey.

Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Time: 8:00 am - 10:00 am

Facilitator: Vanessa Hoffman, Professional Development Coordinator

Registration LINK

Master Generative AI to streamline daily workflows and turn departmental operational hurdles into actionable strategies. This hands-on session equips team members with practical prompting techniques for Gemini while teaching a structured, 5-step framework to address real-world business challenges. Use Gemini to to help you stretch your thinking about a problem, brainstorm potential solutions, and create an implementation plan.

Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026

Time: 10:00 am - Noon

Facilitator: Mark Blair, CTO & Rick Kendall, Director of School Technology

Registration LINK

Trust is a leader's most valuable currency, directly impacting team speed and cost. This interactive 90-minute session teaches leaders how to eliminate "trust taxes"—low-trust behaviors that hinder productivity—and generate "trust dividends" to propel their teams further, faster. Participants will learn to spot the five critical warning signs of team dysfunction and leave with concrete management tools to rebuild transparency, accountability, and high performance.

Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2026

Positioned for leaders transitioning into the end-of-year and holiday season, this article highlights research showing that employees with high psychological safety (built through consistent recognition) are 27% to 40% more aligned with company strategy. It provides a roadmap for turning seasonal gratitude into daily habits rather than a once-a-year November check-in.

Read the full article from Workhuman HERE

Korn Ferry CEO Gary Burnison explains why leaders won’t do much if they don’t believe in their people or themselves.

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Read the full article from Korn Ferry HERE

Don’t want AI to rot your brain and erode your core skills? According to new research, making this simple shift in how you prompt AI turns it from a crutch into a cognitive booster.

Read the full article from Inc. HERE

After six decades and roughly ten thousand mistakes, Daniel Pink collected a few shortcuts for working and living better.

In his newest YouTube video, he shares 30 life cheat codes I wish I’d known 30 years ago, including:

• Why an ordinary Tuesday should guide your biggest decisions.

• What a rotisserie chicken can teach you about unnecessary suffering.

• Why “Let’s get together sometime” can be a goodbye in slow motion.

The World Happiness Report points to three practical behaviors that strengthen connection and are closely associated with greater life satisfaction.

Read the full post from the Inc. HERE

I have a new item for the raffle this year. Each month, I will raffle a Management Seminar Water Bottle (see image).

To enter the raffle, click HERE. The raffle winner will be drawn on November 11th and will notified by email, and the water bottle will be sent by interoffice mail.

Theresa Carpenter was the November winner of the Management Seminar water bottle. Congratulations, Theresa!

Email: vlhoffman@dcsdk12.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/dcsdk12.org/professional-development-support-staff/management-seminar
Phone: 303-387-7958