No.

For example, if you take Telephone Effectiveness and apply it toward achieving The Charter Oak Certificate for Professional Excellence, you cannot apply that same class toward The Gilded Dome Certificate for Capitol Enrichment.

Instead, you should choose another topic in the Personal Development Skill Set classes to apply it toward the completion of The Gilded Dome Certificate for Capitol Enrichment.

The certificates can be taken in a progressive order, starting with The Charter Oak Certificate for Professional Excellence and working your way up to The Genius of Connecticut Certificate for Leadership Mastery, but it is not required to accomplish them in this manner.

The only required progression is that one must receive The Nathan Hale Certificate for Leadership Development before qualifying to receive The Genius of Connecticut Certificate for Leadership Mastery.

If you decide you want to achieve a certificate, you should choose the path that best fits your job, experience and desires.

The most challenging task most participants face when they take a training class is returning to the workplace and actually applying the skills they have acquired.

The Application Conversation helps support the transfer of learning by encouraging participants to hold a conversation with their immediate supervisor (or equivalent) about the content of the class they are most interested in applying to their daily lives.

The more that we talk about our goals and intentions with those who can support us in reaching them, the more likely we are to achieve them.

An application conversation is only needed for one class per certificate, but you are encouraged to hold these conversations on any and all classes that you firmly intend to apply.

For your convenience, the Application Conversation may be completed online. (See Application Conversation for more details.)

A “Hot Topic Discussion” is a one-hour participant led meeting around a topic that falls under one of the six Skill Set categories. Those who want to achieve The Nathan Hale Certificate for Leadership Development may choose to attend one Hot Topic Discussion. Those who wish to achieve The Genius of Connecticut Certificate for Leadership Mastery may choose two Hot Topic Discussions to attend and must lead one Hot Topic Discussion of their own selection. Class size for the discussions will be limited to 12 participants.

Topic matter and execution of the Hot Topic is extremely flexible. Some ideas for leaders to choose from may include:

• A conversation around an article of the leader’s choice
• A further discussion about a training topic that inspired the leader
• A discussion around a TED Talk that motivated the leader (www.TED.com)
• A concept from a particular book that the leader chooses
• Sharing of information around a specialized skill related to the legislative process

Before leading a Hot Topic Discussion, the leader will meet with the Training & Staff Development Coordinator to:

• Consult about the topic
• Strategize about how to lead a productive and positive conversation
• Set up a time, date and meeting room
• Decide on how to publicize the Hot Topic Discussion
• Make all the arrangements for creating a comfortable and supportive environment for your discussion

Yes!

CGA legislators and staff are welcome to participate in any of the training topics that interest them.

You do not have to achieve a certificate.

Many people use the certificate tracks to guide them toward the right classes but you are welcome to attend training without the goal to achieve a certificate.

There may be some classes that build off one another, and in that case, you must attend them progressively (such as Presentation Skills) but otherwise, you are encouraged to participate in the classes that best suit your development needs.

Absolutely!

Call x0106 or email Molly.McAllister@cga.ct.gov and let’s set up an appointment.