Back pain is one of the most common—and preventable—injuries in the workplace. In local government, where employees lift, bend, reach, and sit for long periods, the risk of strain and injury can be especially high. But with the right awareness and habits, you can protect your back and stay strong on and off the job. This course will guide you through practical strategies to prevent back injuries before they happen. You’ll learn how to recognize risk factors, use proper lifting and movement techniques, and make small adjustments that have a big impact on long-term health and safety.

Getting along with colleagues isn’t always easy. This is all the more true in local government, where teams often balance competing priorities, tight budgets, and public expectations. But navigating conflict effectively is possible—and it can even strengthen your workplace relationships. This course will guide you through strategies to address and resolve conflict in constructive ways. You’ll explore why disagreement isn’t always negative, how to have productive conversations about tough issues, and when to seek support—particularly if progress stalls or a situation becomes unhealthy.

What do most effective municipal teams have in common? Clear, confident communication. Whether you’re responding to a resident, collaborating across departments, or presenting to your governing body, strong communication skills are the foundation of professional success in local government. In this course, you’ll learn why effective communication matters in a municipal setting, explore common barriers to understanding, and practice strategies to strengthen how you listen, speak, and write—building trust and teamwork across your organization.

Giving feedback can feel uncomfortable—especially when the message is tough to deliver. But in leadership, avoiding feedback only makes challenges grow. The ability to offer timely, honest, and constructive feedback is one of the most powerful tools a manager has to build trust, strengthen performance, and support professional growth. In this course, you’ll learn how to prepare for and conduct productive feedback conversations that promote learning, accountability, and engagement. You’ll also explore strategies for handling difficult reactions and keeping the dialogue positive and forward-focused—even when emotions run high.

Performance management is people management. An ongoing process to align individual and municipal goals, performance management helps make both the individual employee and the municipality as a whole more successful.   Performance management is a cycle. It begins with planning and goal setting, then moves to tracking and monitoring, and ends with reviewing results and modifying as needed.  In this course, you’ll learn to give feedback effectively and continually. You’ll cover how to improve poor performance, challenge top performers, and meaningfully engage managers. You’ll also take away tips to continually improve performance and results for management, team, and municipality.

In this brief microlearning module, learners will explore how to facilitate a performance management conversation and provide feedback to direct reports.

A brief introduction to developing a Performance Improvement Plan

In this brief microlearning, explore how to spot phishing emails and avoid cybersecurity issues.

This article outlines best practices for managing employee medical leaves, including FMLA requirements and reasonable accommodations. It provides legal guidance for municipal employers. June 2025

Pamela Ploor discusses a federal court ruling that struck down new salary thresholds for exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act and provides an update on litigation challenging the constitutionality of Wisconsin's Act 10. Municipal employers are advised to monitor developments closely. February 2025.