Officials with Missouri State University-West Plains and the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) invite area residents to join them for their fall series of professional development workshops at the Greater Ozarks Center for Advanced Technology (GOCAT).

The workshops are designed to reinforce essential skills for the workplace, organizers said. Anyone who wishes to improve or develop personal and professional skills should consider attending, they added.

Four workshops are scheduled. They include:

• • Communication and Professionalism, Aug. 28, taught by Sherry Harper, per course communications faculty member at Missouri State-West Plains and reporter/photographer at the West Plains Daily Quill;
• • Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, Sept. 19, taught by Garland Barton, senior director of human resources at DRS;
• • Critical Thinking and Planning, Oct. 10, taught by Dennis Lancaster, dean of academic affairs at Missouri State-West Plains;
• • Business Ethics and Integrity, Nov. 7, taught by Dasha Russell, assistant professor of accounting at Missouri State West Plains.

What you’ll learn

The Communication and Professionalism workshop focuses on strategies to communicate more effectively in the workplace. Attendees will learn the best ways to communicate verbally, non-verbally and through written communication.

The Negotiation and Conflict Resolution workshop centers on the importance of negotiation in business, as well as in one’s personal life. Attendees will learn how to blend their persuasive, analytical and interpersonal skills in order to be successful in their future interactions.

The Critical Thinking and Planning workshop will teach strategies that blend creative thinking and critical thinking to solve problems and plan effectively. It is a necessary skill to have, organizers said, pointing out there is great need for people that can be objective, consider facts and make a judgement. 

The Business Ethics and Integrity workshop will provide an understanding of ethics in the workplace, as well as the importance of practicing ethical behavior in general. It is easy to fall into unethical behavior if one is not careful, organizers said, adding this workshop will help identify unethical behavior in the workplace and what to do when it occurs.

The workshops are set for 1 to 5 p.m. at the GOCAT facility, 395 Jackie D. Garrett Avenue. Cost for each workshop is $75 per person.

For more information about the workshops or to enroll, contact Sheila Barton, project manager at GOCAT, at 417-255-7784 or sheilabarton@missouristate.edu.

For more information about Missouri State-West Plains and its academic programs, call the admissions office at 417-255-7955.