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Strengthen Your Core (SYC)
The Strengthen Your Core (SYC) program delves into the behavioral factors from the HEAR plan. These courses are designed to provide you with more in-depth training on these factors. Specifically, you will learn how these factors are defined but also how to further develop expertise in these areas. The courses may be taken in any order based on your interests and opportunities for growth.
Steps to Strengthen Your Core

Plan
Review your HEAR plan and identify areas that you would like to grow in and develop.

Participate
Register for a course and come prepared to engage and learn from others.

Reflect
At the end of each course, identify steps you can take to apply lessons to your current role.
There are two development tracks currently offered, one for Employees and one for Supervisors. Upon completion of the required courses for the each development track, you will then receive a certificate indicating that you have successfully completed the program.
Find more information about SYC certification process HERE.
How To Register
Click on your corresponding development track below to review classes available to you:

Employee Courses
Click on course name to see available dates in TMS, then click on the left column (as shown) to register.

Adaptability
Learn different ways to navigate and embrace change.
Conflict Resolution
Identify the types of workspace conflict and a 5-step model to deal with it.
Customer Focus
Build effective relationships through empathy, active listening, and positive language.
Effective Communication
Workplace communication, resolve misunderstandings, and how to improve one's communication.
Judgment
Understand the role of ethics, emotions, and values while improving your decision-making.
Problem Solving
Learn a 5 step model for solving multi-faceted problems at work and learn how to break them down.
Teamwork
Discover what makes a team successful and execute an interactive teambuilding exercise.
Project Management
Learn the basic components, key terms, review major phases of project management and create a project plan.
Time Management
Identify time wasting traps, develop strategies to maximize productivity, and implement tools to better organize and prioritize your tasks.
Excellence (Goal Setting)
Identify what motivates you, create SMART goals for your career, and develop skills needed for those goals.
To receive a certificate,
you must complete all 11 courses and
submit the certification application found HERE.

Supervisor Courses
Click on course name to see available dates in TMS, then click on the left column (as shown) to register.

Adaptability
Learn different ways to navigate and embrace change.
Conflict Resolution (For Supervisors)
Strategies for dealing with peer conflict and resolving conflict among employees.
Customer Focus
Build effective relationships through empathy, active listening, and positive language.
Effective Communication
Workplace communication, resolve misunderstandings, and how to improve one's communication.
Judgment
Understand the role of ethics, emotions, and values while improving your decision-making.
Problem Solving
Learn a 5 step model for solving multi-faceted problems at work and learn how to break them down.
Teamwork
Discover what makes a team successful and execute an interactive teambuilding exercise.
Project Management
Learn the basic components, key terms, review major phases of project management and create a project plan.
Time Management
Identify time wasting traps, develop strategies to maximize productivity, and implement tools to better organize and prioritize your tasks.
Excellence (Goal Setting)
Identify what motivates you, create SMART goals for your career, and develop skills needed for those goals.
Coaching (For Supervisors)
Learn the difference between coaching and performance improvement, and acquire a model for how to coach employees.
Delegation (For Supervisors)
Barriers and benefits of delegation, it also provides a worksheet to help you effectively delegate tasks.
To receive a certificate,
you must complete all 13 courses and
submit the certification application found HERE.
View all SYC available courses in the Browse Catalog in TMS HERE
Certification Process
To mark this achievement milestone in your learning journey, apply for a certificate by following the steps below:
• Complete all courses available for your SYC developing track (11 courses for employees / 13 courses for supervisors).
• Click the corresponding link to submit a Certification Application:
Employees
Supervisors
• Please allow 7 to 10 days for processing. Then you will receive instructions to collect your certificate.
Have Questions?
For information about
this program, contact:
HR-OTOD_Training@houstontx.gov