The Coach Is In provides a welcoming space for staff to come together and learn from their colleagues.  Guests bring their authentic selves and their stories, sharing how they have gotten to this point in their careers and the lessons they have learned.  The format is a conversation to enrich the Michigan Engineering staff experience and inspire the community through storytelling of our shared experiences. 

Join us as we welcome Emily Dickman, the Senior Event Manager known for orchestrating some of the most high-profile events at the College of Engineering.  Emily and her team know all about managing high-pressure situations and working with some pretty influential folks. Her job isn't just about keeping things organized; it's about gracefully handling big personalities and avoiding potential disasters, which makes her a pro at diplomacy and quick thinking. 

In our conversation, Emily will share strategies she and her team use for staying cool under pressure and turning potential setbacks into smooth successes. She'll talk about lessons learned from past events and the creative pivots that have helped keep things on track when the unexpected happens. This session will feature valuable takeaways on crisis management, adaptability, and how effective communication plays a key role in executing flawless events.

We're excited to have Greg McGuire, Managing Director of Mcity as our guest.  Greg’s journey is packed with unique learning experiences. From his startup days at Zipcar to leading Mcity–the University of Michigan’s autonomous mobility test ground–Greg has tackled plenty of challenges. He’ll chat about his adventures scaling Zipcar with his college roommate, diving into start-ups, and embracing failure. Greg’s philosophies of taking risks and breaking things to figure out what works have been key to his success.

Join Dr. Heidi Sherick and Greg McGuire for a deep dive into the concept that failure is always an option. They'll explore how an entrepreneurial mindset can open up a world of possibilities and highlight why teaching and learning from failure is so important. Get ready to shift your focus from avoiding failure to seeking it out as you learn and grow in your career.

By popular demand, we will hear from a distinguished member of the Michigan Engineering community renowned for the high quality of her work across a diverse set of projects. Nikki's journey offers a unique learning opportunity as she shares her people-focused approach to problem-solving. Hear about Nikki's personal evolution from a UM college student to her current role. Gain insights into her initial challenges, including being a woman in a predominantly male field and overcoming self-doubt. Learn how converting technical jargon to everyday language became a foundational skill that propelled her career.

Join Dr. Heidi Sherick and Nikki Heffernan, Director of Web Services in CAEN, as they discuss the breadth of possibilities that emerge when you shift focus from predetermined solutions to truly understanding how people’s needs drive the problems they try to solve. Bring your curiosity and be prepared to engage with insightful analogies!

Versatility is key, so it’s easy to see why Lisa Armstrong has been described as The Swiss Army Knife of Administrative Leaders.  In addition to passionately inspiring staff members through staff development and engagement activities, Lisa also ensures that the department's culture and climate are being improved even during times of staff shortages and crisis situations.  We invite you to join us as Lisa shares her journey and lessons learned with Dr. Heidi Sherick in The Coach Is In. 

Have you ever been so focused on your work that you look up one day and go "Woah! I've missed something big here!"? If so, you might be stuck inside a bottle of your own making without the ability to read the label. In this conversation with Kimberly Burton, Executive Director of Culture, Community and Equity, we'll talk about how to climb outside the bottle and why we all end up there in the first place. Join Kimberly and Heidi as they discuss Kimberly's wide-ranging career in philanthropy, non-profits, and, now, higher education, and how the simplest re-framing can create transformative results. 

Just like the weather, navigating supervision is a regular part of our day. Whether you are on the giving or receiving end (or both!), it takes time and energy. However, it can sometimes feel difficult to talk about openly, especially when we consider power dynamics. Join Dr. Heidi Sherick and Jon Merrill as they have an honest conversation regarding all things supervision. Jon is Computer Science and Engineering's DEI Project Manager and is especially passionate about how we can approach supervision in a way that centers identity and acknowledges power differentials. 

Come one, come all! Listen and learn from not one but two contributing and leading staff members of Michigan Engineering: Michael and Melissa Lee. What makes them unique? Their partnership, dedication to serve, and critical positions within the college. Melissa serves in a student-facing support role and Michael serves in a facility support role; roles in high demand with high pressure! Join us as we discover how they navigate and continually rise to the occasion in the face of adversity and uncertain times. 

Join Dr. Heidi Sherick for a conversation with Jeanne Pearl Murabito, Executive Director for Student Affairs.

Jeanne will share her personal and professional story and who and what helped shape her. 

As the title of her workshops suggests by invoking U.S. Representative John Lewis's famous quote, Dr. Debby Covington will share her thoughts on how staff can start to think about bystander intervention using an anti-racist approach.

Dr. Carmeda Stokes will join Dr. Heidi Sherick to share her tips on practical ways participants can enjoy the lifelong learning process and the benefits of investing in your personal and professional development through micro-mentoring and micro-coaching experiences. Registration is required.   

A discussion with Dr. Kelcey Stratton

Join Dr. Heidi Sherick for an interactive forum with clinical psychologist and Michigan Medicine's Program Manager for Resiliency and Well-Being Services, Kelcey Stratton, about holding supportive conversations in these trying times. 

The forum will address how to have emotional discussions, recognize signs of stress in yourself, and understand the ways stress impacts you. 

Following the Unlocking Resources for Recovery, Renewal, and Resilience webinar, presented by the Center for Positive Organizations at the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business and the Managerial and Organization Cognition (MOC) Division of the Academy of Management, we'll discuss the impact of concurrent national crises and how to continue investing in your work during uncertainty. 

You'll need to register separately for the Unlocking Resources for Recovery, Renewal, and Resilience event. Click on the Ross School image to sign up for the free webinar on Mon., July 20 from 10-11:30 a.m.