Academy Programs

Having (and Documenting!) Difficult Conversations

Every manager encounters challenging conversations—whether with subordinates, peers, or superiors. In this interactive seminar, participants will gain the essential skills to approach these conversations with confidence. Learn how to effectively prepare, navigate the dialogue, and, most importantly, document the outcome to ensure clarity and accountability. Leave equipped with practical tools and techniques to transform dreaded discussions into productive outcomes.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn how to strategically prepare for a difficult conversation so you can converse with confidence.
2. Learn how to communicate effectively with clear language, active listening, and emotional intelligence.
3. Recognize the value of documentation for clarity and accountability.
4. Understand how to document accurately by capturing key points, agreements, and next steps.

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $50 non-member. $30 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Lynne Richardson is a retired four-time business school dean (her first assignment was at Ball State in 2001-2007). She holds a PhD in Marketing from the University of Alabama and has worked with numerous colleagues who had to be coached to both HAVE and DOCUMENT difficult conversations. While in Muncie, she was active in United Way and the Fredericksburg Rotary Club, and served on several nonprofit boards and as a Girl Scout Leader. Since retirement in June 2023 she’s been doing executive coaching for academics and accreditation consulting. 

In today’s fast-paced work environment, building a stress-resilient workplace is essential for employee well-being and productivity. In this 90 min interactive workshop, “NeuroResilience: Building a Stress-Resilient Workplace,” participants will explore the neuroscience of stress and learn practical strategies to foster resilience. Through discussions and hands-on activities, they’ll gain tools to enhance personal resilience and contribute to a supportive workplace culture. 

Learning Objectives

1. Understand how stress affects employee performance and well-being from a neuroscience perspective.
2. Identify key elements of a stress-resilient workplace culture.
3. Learn practical strategies to support mental well-being and resilience.
4. Apply practical techniques for personal stress management and resilience in the workplace.

About Our Facilitator

Vivi Tean is a leadership coach with 15 years of experience in leadership development and transformation management. As the Founder and Lead Executive Coach at Neuro-Integration Coaching & Consulting, she collaborates with mid-size & global companies across various industries, including technology, healthcare, manufacturing, consumer goods, and fashion & beauty, in North America, Europe, and Asia to elevate leadership capabilities and organizational performance. Her work focuses on executive coaching, leadership development, resilience, and fostering inclusive, psychologically safe cultures. Driven by a passion for helping leaders make conscious decisions for a healthier world, she applies neuroscience-based strategies to create thriving, high-performing teams. Her programs consistently enhance leadership effectiveness, employee engagement, and organizational resilience.

Beyond the Surface: Leveraging Authentic Storytelling for Connection and Impact

VIrtual 2-Part Series

Session #1: 
Wednesday, January 22nd
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Session #2: 
Thursday, January 23rd
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

In this interactive two-part virtual workshop, you will learn how to effectively share your unique story and make a lasting impression, regardless of your role or industry. As author Brené Brown reminds us, “Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we’ll ever do.” This workshop will empower you to share your unique voice and foster meaningful connections confidently. Whether you’re looking to enhance your professional presence, strengthen your brand, or simply connect more meaningfully with those around you, this workshop will equip you with the tools to do so.

Learning Objectives

1. Discover the power of authentic storytelling and how it can help you advocate for yourself, build connections, and showcase your identity.
2. Explore practical techniques for crafting compelling narratives that resonate with your audience, drawing inspiration from examples beyond social media.
3. Participate in interactive activities and breakout discussions to practice storytelling skills and receive personalized feedback.

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $250 non-member. $200 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Sanovia Garrett is a versatile Music and Movement Artist from Muncie, Indiana, based in Philadelphia. She blends gospel, hip-hop, R&B, soul, and neo-soul, drawing inspiration from artists like Lauryn Hill and Jill Scott. A Ball State University graduate with a B.A. in Communication Studies and a Leadership minor, she later earned an M.A. in Urban Studies (Community Arts) from Eastern University. In 2019, she joined the Indiana Arts Commission’s On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator, enhancing her entrepreneurial and community engagement skills. From 2021 to 2024, she served as Social Media and Communications Manager at Palmer Theological Seminary and Program Director for Girls Rock Philly. In 2023, she graduated from the Power Up Your Business Program at Community College of Philadelphia. Her initiative, “Come Move with Me,” offers inclusive, judgment-free movement sessions on a “Pay What You Wish” basis, promoting accessibility and self-expression for all. Sanovia’s discography includes the EP You Have Everything You Need (2020) and singles like “Sway” (2020) and “I Really Love You” (2024). In 2023, she received the John Lewis Award from Color of Change PAC Philadelphia for her contributions to the arts and community.Her mission is to inspire joy, self-discovery, and creativity through music, movement, and communication.

Too many leaders allow damaged trust to fester within their teams, hoping it will eventually get resolved or fade away. Instead, they find themselves pulled into mediating conflicts, see their teams work around each other, and experience a lack of open communication and minimal innovation. These are predictable and avoidable issues. Christin Nevins will help you understand the three parts of trust, how trust gets damaged, what behaviors to watch for on your team to know something is off, and what to do to help your team repair damaged trust. With proven frameworks, practical tools, and over a decade of experience equipping leaders, you’ll leave with solid tools that will serve you and others for the rest of your career.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn the three parts of trust and how trust gets damaged.
2. Discover the signs that indicate trust needs to be repaired, and the three conflict styles.
3. Understand how to use a trust repair template and how to facilitate a trust repair process.

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $50 non-member. $30 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Christin Nevins has been with Kairos Consulting for eight years as an Executive Coach and Leadership Consultant. She and her team help CEOs build elite executive teams through executive leadership coaching and guiding executive teams through conflict. Christin has used DISC, Birkman, and the Enneagram to support leaders in increasing their leadership influence and effectiveness. She worked for Spiritual Leadership, Inc for 11 years as a Lead Coach for teams in challenging contexts. She served on the Senior Leadership Team, Faculty of the Coach Training Team, and contributed to the Leadership Academy developed in partnership with the Beeson Center. Christin and her husband of 25 years raised their three children in central Indiana. She loves being outdoors, watercolor painting, and walking their two crazy rescue dogs.

Collaboration Unlocked: Navigating Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is designed to bring people together, making it easier to communicate and collaborate, no matter where you are. Whether you’re new to Teams or looking to deepen your understanding, we’re excited to explore this powerful collaboration tool with you. Topics include a general Microsoft 365 intro, Teams elements, navigation options, communication tools, and collaboration opportunities.

Learning Objectives

1. Gain awareness of the features and benefits of Microsoft 365
2. Be familiar with the Teams environment
3. Understand Team settings and Channels
4. Recognize Communication and Collaboration Tools

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $50 non-member. $30 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Nancy Kruschke is a productivity consultant, coach, speaker, and trainer. With over 30 years of experience assisting solopreneurs, executives, and business of all sized. large corporations. Partnering with them to assess, design, and implement customized solutions to calm the environment, control information overload, increase productivity, and reduce stress. Nancy didn’t plan on becoming a technology expert but starting with her first career in the financial industry, she quickly became the go-to-person for any computer, printer, or software question. Since then, her technology skills and expertise have grown exponentially. Since 1999, she has trained individuals and companies on how to utilize the Microsoft Suite of tools to be more productive and collaborative. Nancy is a Microsoft Office Specialist in Outlook and OneNote and has become an expert on Microsoft Teams. Nancy is a member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) and has co-authored four books

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Taking a nod from author Anne Lamott’s story, and book by the same name, “Bird by Bird” is a reminder to break down our large to-do lists, our overwhelming projects, our yearly KPIs, and anything else that has us stuck. This workshop will discuss how we take our tasks, and our lives, one thing at a time.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will learn the meaning behind “bird by bird”
2. Participants will explore the things that have them overwhelmed, and therefore stuck.
3. Participants will learn strategies for breaking down their daily tasks “bird by bird”.

About Our Facilitator

Erika Petrelli Bayh stands at the helm of “The Extraordinary In You,” an organization that provides vibrant partnerships and facilitated experiences designed to ignite and unleash the extraordinary in individuals, teams, and projects. A master facilitator, inspirational coach, growth trainer, curriculum designer, and strategic partner with over thirty years of expertise in igniting the personal and professional growth in individuals and organizations, Erika recently left her decades-long stead with the NYC-based Leadership Program, where she was responsible for overseeing the programmatic growth of one of the city’s largest afterschool programs, designed ongoing professional development trainings for staff of the NYC DOE as well as educators around the country, and spearheaded the creation of leadership curricula honored by CASEL, OJJDP, SAMHSA, and more.

 Erika is also an adjunct professor, currently instructing students at Ball State University in Indiana on an undergraduate course she created, “An Introduction to Youth Work,” designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to the diverse realm of youth work. She is the author of the interactive personal growth journal, “On Wings & Whimsy: Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary,” as well as the deck of cards, “52 Ways to Connect,” designed for leaders to strengthen their team time. Both are available on Amazon.

In-Person 3 Hour Session

Learning Objectives

1. 1. Deep Self-Understanding: Discover why certain tasks energize you while others drain you.
   2. Enhanced Team Dynamics: Learn to communicate better, avoid misunderstandings, and leverage the diverse strengths of your team members.
   3. Improved Productivity: Make strategic adjustments to roles and responsibilities to optimize performance and efficiency.
   4. Relief from Guilt and Misjudgments: Understand and accept struggles with specific types of work, leading to a more positive and supportive team environment.

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $250 non-member. $200 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Amy Neal is a catalyst for innovation that seeks to connect people with their purpose. After serving for more than 20 years as an educator and instructional coach, Amy expanded her impact by co-founding Aspen Root Collective and cultivating leadership across Northeast Indiana. An avid reader and podcast listener, Amy is always learning about a diverse area of topics and finding unlikely connections across a broad spectrum of sectors. As a certified CliftonStrengths and Working Genius Coach, Personal Development has been transformative in Amy’s career and life, and she is empowered to spark this progress in the life of others!

The Secret Sauce for Motivating Teams

Virtual 2-Part Series

Session #1: 
Wednesday, February 26th
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Session #2: 
Thursday, February 27th
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Let’s journey into the land of human behavior and team motivation, where we will unveil the Secret Sauce of exceptional leadership – a concoction of psychology, communication mastery, a sprinkle of humility and a dash of mindfulness to inspire teams to greatness. This workshop is less about buzzwords and more about digging into the quirks of human behavior and nuances of interpersonal communication – the building blocks of individual motivation and effectiveness.

Think of it as a mix of science, art, and group therapy, served with a side of humor. By the end of the workshop, you’ll be fortified with immediately applicable techniques to motivate even the most reluctant teammate.

Learning Objectives

1. Develop robust self-awareness, heightened humility, and increased social awareness and empathy.
2. Expand your confidence to handle any team drama like a pro—or at least not make it worse.
3. Cultivate a new appreciation for humanity’s quirks (and your own patience).
4. Foster your ability to sprinkle just the right amount of Secret Sauce to motivate your team to actually enjoy working together.

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $250 non-member. $200 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Emily Morash — A multi-disciplined, ever-curious professional, Emily cut her teeth in the nonprofit world, creating and launching organizations and strengthening existing operations.

With a robust sense of purpose and an irrepressible sense of humor, she embraced the vast nonprofit sector with grace and fervor.

After two successful decades in the nonprofit field, Emily shifted her focus to leadership and team development consulting, with a heavy focus on empathy and mindfulness, founding Hampton Morash, LLC, while also sharing her entrepreneurial and nonprofit management knowledge through teaching at the collegiate level.

Emily teaches graduate courses for Johnson and Wales University and is a lead instructor for the Accelerated Training Center for Workforce Development at Columbus State Community College. She has also instructed workforce development and leadership development classes for Community College of Rhode Island and Bryant University.

Emily received a double B.A. in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Tennessee and earned her M.S. in Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University.

She is a certified mediator, mindfulness and REBT coach, Everything DiSC® certified partner, Five Behaviors™ certified partner, and the creator of The Mindful Leader Practice™.

Sporting a robust portfolio, Emily is a professional facilitator, public speaker, and business consultant.

Microsoft Word: What You Don’t Know But Should

Format Painter, Quick Access toolbar, Paragraph Spacing. If any of those features are unfamiliar to you then you’ll want to attend this session! In addition to those topics, we cover tips and tricks for line spacing, alignment, bulleted & numbered lists, and my favorite keyboard shortcuts. If you’ve ever experienced headaches with how Word functions, chances are this session will be the remedy.

Learning Objectives

1. Know how to modify their Quick Access Toolbar
2. Learn tips to make formatting easier
3. Understand the difference between line and paragraph spacing and how to set each
4. Fix common issues with Bullets & Numbering
5. Be familiar with best practices in document creation

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $50 non-member. $30 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Janet Jackson is passionate about three things: her faith, her family, and helping others find time to pursue their passions, professionally and personally. She started Organization Solutions, LLC, in 2001, because she loves people and hates inefficiency.

Prior to starting Organization Solutions, Janet spent six years with Honda of America Manufacturing where she served as the Purchasing Lead on a corporate-wide software implementation, ensuring business and system processes were efficient and effective. She left Honda in 2000 to start Organization Solutions and to have more time for her biggest priority, being a mom.

Janet attended Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, where she double majored in Business Administration and Psychology. She graduated with honors in 1993. While at Taylor, she continued to grow her desire and ability to serve as a leader, which was cultivated initially by her ten-year involvement with Indiana 4-H. With Indiana roots, Janet and family are currently planted in Ohio. She speaks regionally and nationally to bring increased organization, productivity, and efficiency to businesses and individuals.

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In-person Lunch & Learn

Individuals committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging often find themselves deciding between “calling someone in” versus “calling someone out.” This session will facilitate a dialogue about the most impactful and supportive use of these strategies within a variety of contexts. Attendees will leave the session with sample phrases and strategies that will help them navigate “calling” conversations.

Learning Objectives

1. Be able to distinguish between what is meant by “calling in” versus “calling out” in the DEIAB context.
2. Recognize the dynamics that impact decisions around “calling in” versus “calling out.”
3. Identify times and topics that might influence our personal decision to “call in” versus “call out.”
4. Practice using various phrases and strategies to help navigate conversations.

About Our Facilitator

Melinda Messineo, PhD is a professor of Sociology and the Distinguished Faculty Fellow for Inclusive Excellence and Community Engagement at Ball State University. She is a nationally recognized award winning teacher and workshop facilitator. Her research explores representations of individuals in the media and the impact that all media forms have on our understanding of people different from ourselves.

Are you ready to transform your negotiation game?

Virtual 2-Part Series

Session #1: 
Wednesday, March 19th
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Session #2: 
Thursday, March 20th
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Negotiation doesn’t have to be a daunting task! This interactive and fun training session is designed to transform negotiation from a challenge into an opportunity. Get ready to discover and unleash your innate negotiation prowess, turning every interaction into a win-win scenario. Participants will leave this training equipped with practical tools, newfound confidence, and a personalized negotiation toolkit ready for immediate implementation in their professional lives.

Learning Objectives

1. Uncover Your Negotiation Style: Gain insights into different negotiation and conflict styles through real-world scenarios to understand how you can best approach negotiations.
2. Set Clear Objectives with Confidence: Learn how to clarify your priorities and define specific goals that align with your vision for successful outcomes.
3. Harness the Power of Persuasion: Discover the “What’s In It For Me” (WIIFM) concept to effectively influence and persuade others.
4. Build Consensus and Create Value: Develop practical communication techniques that foster relationships and create value during negotiations.
5. Navigate Pushback with Ease: Equip yourself with strategies to handle resistance and make informed trade-offs for win-win solutions.

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $250 non-member. $200 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Leah Stallone is an experienced Career Strategist, Leadership Coach, and Trainer with roots in Human Resources. 15+ years of talent management, professional development, and learning & development experience in industries such as litigation consulting, finance, technology, and healthcare influences her hands-on approach. Leah’s experience spans leading global learning & development practice at Charles River Associates to running performance management at William Blair & Company. She currently facilitates corporate training, runs a coaching practice, and teaches management at the University of Denver. As a lifelong “career junkie,” Leah uses an intuitive approach to build customized programs to educate clients on communications, performance management, and leadership. She prides herself in helping clients demystify the complicated. Leah shares the power of storytelling to help clients communicate their meaningful career moments. Professional certifications include BetterUp Coaching, ATD Facilitation, Purpose-driven Leader, and SPHR certification

Read a book. Lead with inspiration.

SLA in partnership with Muncie Public Library is offering a unique quarterly gathering, highlighting important take-aways from inspirational leadership books. At each event, facilitators will share key leadership development lessons from leadership-focused books. This is not a book club, rather a guided discussion around the key takeaways from each book.

Prior reading of the book is not required but we encourage participants to share about what they learned and check-out one of the books from Muncie Public Library. All participants attending will be entered in a raffle to win a digital copy of one of the books discussed.

All sessions are FREE and open to the public. Registration is required.

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