Effectively Managing and Leading People

Course overview

Modern organisations currently face many challenges which impact people at all levels. Investing in the improvement of management and leadership skills is an essential way to ensure that the organisation receives a high level of return in the form of productivity and results. Added benefits include a highly motivated workforce who are better equipped to deal with the current demanding climate where change is constant and staff have to do 'more with less'.

This two-day programme provides you with a unique opportunity to accelerate the development of your skills, whether you are focusing on managing the impact of change or transition, building a high performance team, or developing the trust, enthusiasm and mutual support of your employees.

Working with a range of practical tools, frameworks and techniques, along with the benefit of the combined experience of the expert trainer and fellow course delegates, this event is guaranteed to improve your management and leadership styles.

Why this programme is essential development for you

Designed as a fast-track approach to understanding people management issues and skills, this programme will equip you with a strong platform to develop your people management practices. Packed with insightful and practical guides the programme will help you:
1. Examine your own leadership and management style and understand what your preferences are
2. Develop your skills as a leader and driver of the business
3. Understand your colleagues and what motivates them
4. Manage people performance problems pro-actively and with confidence
5. Understand what defines and drives high-performance teams
6. Take the opportunity to fast-track your performance in the people management arena

Who should attend

• Established managers who need to enhance their people and team management skills, as well as gain a greater understanding of interpersonal skills
• Executives, managers and directors who have not recently been exposed to 'people management' training and wish to develop and upgrade their competencies and skills in this area
• Specialist technical and functional managers who need to achieve a better balance between their technical expertise and their people management capabilities

Programme - Day 1

Management challenges for 2012

• Challenges facing organisations and setting the context for people management
• New forms of organisational structure
• Retaining 'good' people
• Dealing with the effects of economic downturn

Identifying the skills and competencies for managing and motivating people

• Motivational strategies for different types of people
• Managing highly qualified individuals
• Encouraging accountability and responsibility within the team

Assessing your own organisation's culture

• Aligning people skills with organisational culture
• Exploring the vision and values of different organisations and how this compares with one's own organisation
• Factors that affect organisational change
• National and regional differences
• Diversity in the workplace
• Working with people from different cultures

Understanding empowerment and what it means for you and your people

• How to encourage a climate of inclusion and trust
• Behavioural strategies that encourage involvement and participation
• Promoting task 'ownership and accountability'

Understanding your motivational drivers

• Understanding your key drivers and recognising their impact on others
• How to influence other people by recognising their drivers and motivations
• Exploring different mindsets

Structuring and presenting messages in a way that influences other people

• My boss
• Peers
• Customers/clients
• Team members

Developing self awareness and awareness of others

• Situational leadership and management approaches
• Assessing, evaluating and understanding those we work with
• Developing 'assessment profiles' for key people/interfaces
• Developing communication strategies for different styles of bosses, staff, colleagues and clients
• Avoiding the pitfalls in dealing with the different styles

Programme - Day 2

Reviewing your own management and leadership style

• Getting to know yourself
• Anchoring the balance between task, team and individuals
• Understanding the different management and leadership styles
• Developing your strengths

Identifying the consequences of your leadership style – understanding flexible leadership

• Identifying your own preferences
• Management styles and their impact on others – from autocrat to abdicrat
• What followers expect from leaders
• How to modify your behaviour to suit the needs of different people (individuals and teams)

Learning how to manage your above average and below-average performers

• Exploring competencies for coaching, counselling and mentoring
• Measuring and monitoring performance
• Spotting the signals – a proactive approach to performance management
• 'Herding cats' – practical ways of dealing with individualistic styles and personalities

Improving your communication skills

• Recognising your communication style and how it compares with others
• Listening and reflecting v giving advice and prescribing
• Developing strategies for coping with difficult communication styles

Managing the impact of change and transition

• The human response to change
  • Denial
  • Inflated expectations
  • Despair
  • Acceptance
  • Adaptation

Managing difficult/problem people: the clientcentred approach – process and skills

• Creating an environment which is conductive to solving difficult people problems
• Understanding the key elements in counselling
• Practicing the skills involved in dealing with problem people
• 'Live' problem analysis
• The Human 'bioclock' chart – understanding daily work patterns and the optimum times for handling people challenges

Learning to be assertive and not aggressive

• Identifying the difference between assertive, aggressive and passive behaviour
• Learning to:
  • Say no
  • Make requests
  • Start, maintain and end conversation
  • Handling and receiving criticism
  • Expressing feeling
• Identifying the emotional triggers used by others
• Exploring the weapons and defence strategies you can use to deal with non-assertive behaviour

How to build a high-performance team and develop trust, enthusiasm and mutual support

• Exploring the 9 factors that make teams effective
• Identifying your own team player style
• Keeping teams on track