Growing Your Mind
Welcome to The G.Y.M. for Growing Your Mind
Become your personal best in a professional world.
This series, called Growing Your Mind, provides opportunities to explore in-demand power skills and boost critical competencies. Flex your muscles with these concise, 2-hour classes targeted to build your own skillset with real life application. Our team of trainers are the best in the business and you are sure to come out of each session energized and ready to meet your goals.
Jump start your journey into professional development and join The G.Y.M.!
When: Our first session kicks off on March 21, 2023. View the Training Session schedule below for more details.
Where: All sessions are in-person and will meet at the Kirkwood Linn County Regional Center, 1770 Boyson Rd., Hiawatha, IA.
Who: The G.Y.M. is perfect for driven professionals, individual contributors, informal leaders, pipeline leaders, and current leaders.
How Much: Each 2-hour session is $129, filled with incredible training and value.
How to Register: Choose the class or classes that are the right fit for you! Register online using the links found in the Training Session schedule below or call 319-398-1022.
Training Sessions
Balance and strength start from the core. This self-reflective journey will help you uncover your personal strength and what you bring to the world. When you put the work in, you are destined for success. Join your personal trainer Jackie Pelland as she helps you realize that the work you do matters.
Have you said or heard others mention things like, “They need to toughen up” or “They’re too sensitive”? The human experience is awash in emotions and most of our work experiences elicit a mix of positive and negative emotions. Join your personal trainer, Terry Whitson, to learn about how we manage ourselves and our relationships at work. We will explore emotional intelligence and its link to better working relationships, well-being, cohesiveness, creativity, and work satisfaction.
No one wants it, and everyone avoids it, but conflict is present in our everyday life. Unless we can learn how to engage and have productive conversations, conflict will continue to consume our teams, culture, and everyday life. Learn how to approach it head on with your personal trainer Steve Schick for a lively discussion that will activate your skillset to help diffuse conflict and move toward productive conversations.
Uncover your superpowers and transform your effectiveness in every area of your life and career. It's a bold statement, but coaching can do that for you! It's really that good. Join your personal trainer, Jackie Pelland, as she shares insight into what makes a good coach, and how this skill can foster a positive work culture, and create a sense of ownership and accountability among team members. This skill transfers to your personal life too!
Without followers there are no leaders. Have you ever wondered who would follow you? Whether you lead a team in business or in your personal life, it's important to be mindful of what you do — or don’t do — in earning followership. Join your personal trainer Steve Schick as you explore the thought process of individuals and why they choose to follow or not follow leaders. This insightful course will help you identify behaviors of good leadership and how they are instrumental in retaining a team.
Accountability is a mindset — a way to think about taking responsibility for your actions and ownership of your decisions. Productivity slows when others point fingers, pass blame, deny actions, and/or make excuses. In this insightful course, your personal trainer, Terry Whitson, will help you dig deep and shape your own behaviors to look at how you can to change your mindset and commit to take action and be accountable to yourself and others.
Who would win over a team - the manager or leadership style approach? There is a time and place for each style and in this course you will explore the different approaches and philosophies of management and leadership, and how they impact team dynamics and performance. Your personal trainer, Jeff Zahrt, will help you learn how to effectively balance the often conflicting demands of management and leadership, and how to navigate the gray area between the two. You will reflect on your own management and leadership style and develop a plan to lead and manage teams in a way that promotes success and growth for all members.
Are you ready to build a culture that truly reflects your company's values and goals? Join your personal trainer, Arial Montag, for Culture by Design. Learn how to create a positive and engaging workplace culture that attracts top talent and drives business success. Through interactive exercises and real-world examples, you'll learn how to define your company's culture, communicate it effectively, and embed it into every aspect of your business. Whether you're a leader looking to create a stronger organization culture or a team member wanting to understand and contribute to your company's culture, this class is for you!
We face decisions every day, whether it's about a new project, how to move forward with an idea, or what you should do in life. There is a process you can put in place to help make it easier and decide which one is right for you? Join your personal trainer, Jeff Zahrt, as he guides you through the decision-making process as you gain the confidence needed in your making your own decisions.
Be the "it" place to work! Join your personal trainer, Arial Montag, as she shares best practices on how to attract and retain top talent in today's competitive job market and amidst the great resignation. We'll cover topics like how to write effective job postings, conduct successful interviews, and best onboarding techniques to ensure success in their new roles. We'll also discuss the importance of employee engagement and how to handle the inevitable employee turnover that comes with any successful business. This class is essential for HR professionals, leaders, and business owners looking to build a strong and successful team.
Jackie Pelland is a founding partner of the organizational design company Slingshot25 where she designs and delivers leadership learning programs and provides executive leadership coaching. For 25 years before starting her own company, Jackie held various frontline and strategic learning and development roles in large telecom and aerospace companies. This means she is no stranger to complicated work environments that are controlled by bureaucracy and office politics.
Jackie’s mission is to bring humanity and joy to the heart of the employee experience. Her message is consistent and singular: she believes every single employee deserves a great place to work. It’s this belief that drives Jackie’s insightful, fun, and welcoming approach to leadership development and makes her the designer of unique leadership programs that focus on the essential and often-forgotten truth of leading people.
Terry Whitson is an independent training and development consultant with over 25 years’ experience in corporate training. She earned a Masters in Training and Development from Drake University and an undergraduate degree in business with a marketing emphasis from the University of Iowa.
Terry has been an adjunct faculty member at Kirkwood Community College since 1988 and Mt. Mercy University since 2010. She has worked as a training manager and corporate trainer for several large companies. She also gained valuable insight into customer communications from her early work experience as a customer service manager.
Steve Schick has had the privilege of working for some of the country’s greatest companies over the past 40 years including, Deere & Co, Boeing, Rockwell International, Collins Aerospace, ATI Physical Therapy, Kemin Industries, Slingshot 25, and Fidelity & Guaranty.
Steve is a master storyteller who has collected many stories through the years that will delight and educate audiences of all industries that are seeking to improve the way they lead. His casual, discussion-based style of facilitation engages the hearts and minds of his participants. Attend a session with Steve and be rewarded with engaging conversations, thought provoking concepts, and challenging goals to take back with you as you grow in your own professional personal development.
Jeff Zahrt is an accomplished business owner and Project Management leader at the University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics, known for his strategic thinking, process improvement skills, and project management abilities. He has a reputation for innovative problem-solving and has helped many organizations achieve their business goals through strategic planning and projects. With a background in organizational development and training, Jeff has held various leadership roles and has guided leadership and managerial teams involved in multi-million dollar projects focused on infrastructure and operations.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies from the University of Northern Iowa, as well as a PMP certification. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Jeff is an accomplished storyteller who was recognized with the Outstanding Industry Partner Award for his work on the award-winning wine documentary “Wine Diamonds.”
Arial Montag has established a reputation for driving strategic Talent Acquisition efforts at GreatAmerica Financial Services. With a strong background in employment branding, position advertising, candidate sourcing, and college relations, Arial has developed a comprehensive understanding of the recruitment process. She is a certified Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) through the Society for Human Resource Management, as well as a certified AVA Analyst and Predictive Index Master.
In 2018, Arial was recognized as an industry “Difference Maker” by ENX Magazine and an industry “Young Influencer” by The Cannata Report. Arial holds a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Sciences and Psychology from Coe College and a Master of Organizational Leadership from St. Ambrose University. In 2022, she was awarded the Young Alum Award by her alma mater for her career achievements and commitment to her community.
