Practical Management Skills

This high value 4-day course provides an effective way to quickly develop or improve the key skills needed to deal with the responsibilities demanded by today¡¦s flatter, more flexible and constantly changing management structures. The programme develops management ability in a practical down-to-earth manner and is equally suitable for new managers, supervisors or those who need to review their practice because of changes in responsibility or structure.

Course membership is limited to encourage active participation with personal feedback and discussion. Delegates benefit from inputs on a range of topics followed by exercises in small groups to ensure that the theory is reinforced by practice. Case studies, videos and informal discussion with participants from other companies also provide a valuable opportunity to learn from a wider pool of experience.

Course Content

DAY 1
Breaking the Ice
- A brief practice in interviewing & presentations
Learning to Become a Better Manager
- Approaches to learning & feedback
Practical teamworking
- An initial look at how small teams function
Self Development Plans
- Setting personal learning targets
Team Roles
- The impact of different team member types on team performance
Practical Leadership
- Opportunities for each delegate to lead a team and receive feedback on their leadership performance, plus a review of team dynamics and leadership
Effective Communication in Teams
- Impact of functional and dysfunctional communication behaviour
Motivation & Discipline
- Getting the best from others using realistic approaches and methods

DAY 2
Coaching & Delegation
- The need, and a structure, for coaching and delegation, goal setting, reviewing current situation, identifying options
- Ensuring commitment to action
Developing Teams
- Different stages of team development & how to deal with them, accelerating the journey to high performance and dealing with leavers and joiners
Leading & Managing Change
- The dynamics & reactions to change
- The impact of change on performance and implementing change successfully
- Communication behaviour, giving and receiving feedback
Improving Presentations
- Tips and techniques for formal (and less formal) communications

DAY 3
Effective Interviewing
- Techniques to get the best from one-to-one interviews
- Interview types; delegation, appraisal, counselling, grievance and discipline
Practical Interviewing
- Opportunities for each delegate to conduct one of a range of typical interviews with video and feedback
Presentation Practise
- Delegates present a real problem with video and peer feedback
- Techniques for remaining in control, organising material and knowing your audience
Practical Problem Solving
- Creative problem solving process/model, convergent and divergent phases

DAY 4
Managing Concise & Effective Meetings
- Preparing to chair or take part in meetings
- Keeping on track and dealing assertively with difficult people in meetings
- The impact of non-effective meetings and characteristics of effective meetings
Practical Meeting Exercise
- Delegates conduct an observed problem solving meeting followed by a revieew of effectiveness
Inter-Team Working
- A challenging task will be given and worked on within and across different teams
- Tight time planning and construction deadlines will be observed
Personal Action Plans
- An opportunity for personal reflection and peer group feedback aimed at supporting the integration of course learning back in the workplace