Management of People

Module 1 - Managing the Individual Employee

How to manage performance and energise your employees

The inner game of managing employees

The phrase the 'inner game' is a term borrowed from sports psychology. It is a reference to the fact that what is going on inside a person's head (their state of mind) is crucial to good performance. Here we consider the role perception, attitudes and beliefs of expert people managers.

Developing emotional intelligence

Taking an in-depth look at emotional intelligence and why it is important in effective management, including looking at the risks of poor emotional intelligence and 'rational Vs irrational' thinking.

Communications toolkit

Providing managers with a toolkit of 15 communication techniques so that they have the influencing skills to deal with a whole range of one-to-one meetings, interviews and interactions. The tools are in four sections;

• Self control - Being able to acquire and maintain a calm, rational state of mind.
• Outcome based communication - Putting your point of view across in a firm, clear and polite manner.
• Gaining acceptance - Making it easy for the other person to listen to you and accept your point of view.
• Testing for understanding - Questioning and listening skills for checking that you have fully understood the other person's point of view and that they have understood you.

Module 1 - Managing the Individual Employee (cont)

Recruiting high calibre employees

A good team is made of good individuals, so if we hire a high-potential candidate in the first instance it makes hitting targets that much easier and more enjoyable for all concerned. The use of competency profiles to profile and hire employees makes the recruitment process efficient, fair, and consistent.

On the job training

It is important to ensure that new employees are properly trained so that they (a) feel valued and (b) can quickly make a positive contribution to the work of their department. In this part of the course we review training options and examine how knowledge of 'learning styles' can improve the way that training is delivered.

Effective delegation

Effective managers develop their people and create space for themselves to focus on high-level work by asking employees to take on assignments and projects on their behalf.

Module 1 - Managing the Individual Employee (cont)

Goal setting (setting SMART objectives)

People work well when they have clear goals and objectives that they can focus on achieving. Here we consider the importance of target setting in motivating employees.

Appraisal interviews & managing performance

Appraisals are about taking the time to sit down with employees in order to discuss (a) how they are getting on, (b) to identify what help they need to improve their performance and (c) organise for them to get any help they might need. It is an integral part of the process of managing people. By evaluating performance in a participative manner, managers are able to communicate with their people on how they are doing and what is expected of them in the future. They can give praise and encouragement for things done well and they can work on developing skills in areas where the employee needs support.

Module 1 - Managing the Individual Employee (cont)

Counselling & coaching interviews

Counselling interviews need to take place when (i) performance is below standard, (ii) there is a sudden change in behaviour or (iii) tensions between team members become evident. The initial aim of counselling interviews is to identify the reason why a 'problem' is occurring and then to offer help and support so the individual concerned can address it.

Disciplinary interviews

Disciplinary interviews need to take place when (i) performance is below standard and there has been no improvement as a result of earlier counselling action or (ii) the employee has engaged in some unacceptable behaviour e.g. rudeness to colleagues or customers.

Module 2 - Managing the Team

How to build a high performance team.

The inner game of managing a team

The role perception and beliefs of expert managers of teams and understanding how their 'mind set' allows them to handle groups in a calm, confident manner.

Creating a Vision

The first aspect of managing a team is to make sure that they have a clear sense of purpose and direction by developing a compelling ‘Vision Statement’.

Setting clear goals

Keep the team 'on track' by setting and publicising clear and compelling objectives based on identifying Key Success Factors (KSF's) and Developing 'Performance Dashboards'.

Module 2 - Managing the Team (cont)

Developing team values and culture

Every work group operates in accordance with a set of values or 'house rules'.These values, which can be implicit or explicit, specify ‘how we do things around here’. Expert managers make sure that the code of conduct that the team operates to is explicit, agreed and that people consciously behave in line with its requirements.

Training Matrix - Developing capability

A Training Matrix (or skills matrix) is a chart that lists the people in the department down the left-hand side of a table and the key tasks of the department across the top. A series of 'codes' are then used to identify which people are trained in which tasks. This means that it is obvious where there are skills shortages.

Management by walking about

'Management by walking about' (MBWA) simply means wandering around the work area and listening to and watching what is going on. In this way the manager can get a sense of the morale of the team, their work rate, relationships with customers and so on.

Module 2 - Managing the Team (cont)

Meetings planning process - the three types of meeting

The principal method for managing a team, as a team, is to bring them together as a group and discuss issues that are of importance to them. One of the most important aspects of planning is to realise that there are three distinct reasons for having a meeting and that each type needs a different format for the agenda if it is to run well.

Running meetings

Once a meeting starts the manager must control the flow of the meeting. He/she must make sure that the agenda is kept to and that any particular individual does not dominate the discussion. This means that they need to agree the outcome; ensure active participation; summarise effectively and write good minutes.

Controlling meetings

Whenever the manager brings his/her people together in a meeting forum he/she must ensure that the focus stays on the topic on the agenda and that the group does not digress e.g. on to another subject or personal observations. To do this the manager must make use of 'control techniques' such as: Relevancy challenge, Time challenge and Car parking.

Communication Meetings

Communication meetings are about transmitting a clear message to the team. The most frequently run communication meet is the Team Briefing session; this is a structured approach to communication within a company and/or a department. It is a drill, whereby the manager brings his/her team together and briefs them on the key things that are happening in the company and their department. This activity helps to (a) confirm the teams’ sense of shared identity and (b) gives everyone a common understanding of how the team is doing and what the priorities are.

Module 2 - Managing the Team (cont)

Information gathering meetings

The purpose of running an information gathering meeting is to get people's views on some aspect of a problem or issue. Sometimes we may want to simply gather data, on other occasions we may want their views on the root cause of a problem or on possible solutions to an issue. Doing this well involves using specific tools, such as: CEDAC diagrams, Brainstorming and Metaphor Analysis.

Problem solving meetings

Problem solving meetings are about (i) analysing data to identify a root cause of a problem or issue, (ii) generating a number of solutions to ensure that a choice about how to move forward is created, (iii) choosing a solution based on an assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of each option, and finally, (iv) implementing the solution and reviewing the results achieved. Here we cover the general principles and specific techniques of good quality decision-making and problem-solving that outstanding managers use to inspire their teams.

Effective facilitation

Appreciating how to run a meeting, and especially a problem-solving meeting, in a highly participative manner that fully engages all those present. This requires the use of such methods as: ‘Rounds’, ‘Bringing In’, ‘Probing’ and ‘Building’.