MMA launches Extra Credit, a professional development webinar series

The MMA is launching a professional development webinar series this fall called Extra Credit, which is designed to complement the MMA’s popular free webinars by providing additional opportunities for training.

Because the Extra Credit webinars go deeper than a typical MMA webinar and are led by a professional trainer, there is a small fee to participate.

The first round of Extra Credit webinars is designed to help municipal staff navigate workplace pressure, communication, and burnout. They will be led by Cally Ritter, principal of Positive Ripple Training and Consulting, who has more than 25 years of experience as a leadership development facilitator, speaker and EAP consultant.

The three Extra Credit sessions are:

Cool, Calm and Effective: Managing Reactions at Work
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 1-2:30 p.m.
This dynamic webinar will equip municipal employees with essential skills to navigate the unique challenge of serving a public that may be frustrated, angry or confrontational — often due to circumstances beyond any single employee’s control. Participants will explore how emotional intelligence serves as the foundation for remaining calm and professional under pressure, and will learn a practical, three-step technique to de-escalate tense interactions before they spiral.

Key takeaways:
• Critical strategies for when and how to end abusive conversations while maintaining dignity for all parties
• Techniques for supporting colleagues who face public friction
• The power of deep listening as a de-escalation tool

Navigating Difficult Conversations
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 1-2:30 p.m.
It’s human nature to want to avoid conflict, since we’re wired to avoid pain and seek pleasure. But conflict is inevitable whenever people work together, and when it’s habitually avoided, small tensions build into bigger problems that strain relationships and make daily collaboration harder. Building stronger communication and conflict resolution skills, by contrast, boosts confidence, reduces avoidance, and improves both working relationships and team performance.

Through discussion and role-play, participants will build the skills to handle conflict with confidence and leave with practical tools for turning disagreements into opportunities for collaboration and understanding.

Key takeaways:
• Strategies for giving constructive feedback so conversations stay productive and respectful
• Practical techniques for saying “no” with confidence and setting boundaries without damaging relationships
• Techniques to approach conflict with tact and sensitivity to build stronger team performance

Pacing Yourself: Preventing Burnout, Sustaining Performance
Wednesday, Nov. 18, 1-2:30 p.m.
Over the past several years, we’ve faced one challenge after another — a global health crisis, funding cuts, mounting public demands — and many of us are running on empty. Our nervous systems have been under sustained strain, and the exhaustion is real. This session will explore evidence-based approaches to interrupting burnout before it takes hold.

Key takeaways:
• A clear definition of burnout and an examination of the individual and workplace factors that drive it
• Evidence-based approaches to interrupting burnout before it takes hold
• Micro-practices for shifting your relationship with work toward something more sustainable and positive

Registration details
MMA members may register online for the Extra Credit webinars. The registration fee is $45 per webinar or $120 for the series of three.

Attendees will be sent the Zoom information once registration closes at noon the day before each webinar. Any cancellation requests must be received by email at least one week in advance to receive a refund.

The registration fee also provides access to the webinar recording on MMA On-Demand, a sortable and searchable library with a collection of archived webinars. In On-Demand, members can save relevant training content for later viewing, browse “101” bundles, and purchase premium content.

The first Extra Credit series is made possible by support from MIIA Wellness.