Learn Strategies for Balancing Work/Life Demands at Feb. 15 Workshops

Feb. 9, 2007 -- The Women's Center, the Women's Leadership Council and the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement are devoting a day to work/life balance in a series of three workshops for faculty, administrators and staff on Feb. 15. Susan Robison, a psychologist, consultant, professor and author of numerous publications on work/life balance and leadership will conduct the sessions.

The first workshop, geared toward academic faculty, is “Staying Sane in Insane Places: Living Well While Doing Good,” to be held from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Harrison Institute/Small Special Collections Library Auditorium. This workshop focuses on developing a plan and skills for a productive academic career and satisfying personal life. Practical suggestions and exercises on well-being, peak performance, work engagement and positive psychology will be applied to the top three challenges to living a balanced life in the academy.

The second workshop, “Staying Sane While Playing Well with Others: Work-Life Balance and Communication Skills for Peer Leaders,” will be held from noon to 2 p.m. in the Commonwealth Room at Newcomb Hall. This workshop focuses on motivating and engaging faculty members; containing, managing and resolving conflicts, and resilience to stress; setting limits, creating healthy boundaries and saying "No" without burning bridges. Format will include both didactic and practice elements.

The third session, “Staying Sane in Insane Places: Maintaining Work-Life Balance While Helping Faculty and Employees Maintain Theirs,” will be held from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Harrison Institute/Small Special Collections Library Auditorium. For administrators, faculty and classified staff, this workshop focuses on developing a customized plan for improving work/life balance while helping other employees do the same. The emphasis will be on individual empowerment to live a balanced life in the midst of organizational upheaval and change. Participants will assess key work/life challenges, prioritize performance strategies and action plans for early, middle, and late career stages. Practical suggestions and exercises derived from the research on wellness, peak performance and positive psychology will be applied.

For more information, call Dawn Anderson at 982-2648 or visit www.womenscenter.virginia.edu/.

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