OVERVIEW

The transition from an individual contributor to a manager has never been easy. But organizations are discovering that new managers - when provided with the right competencies and skills - can create high performance groups that achieve business results. Today's managers need more than good ideas about management behaviour, they need strategies, processes and tools to help maximise their team's performance. The course, developed for new managers, is based on recent research and best practices. It will acquaint participants with the necessary skills and knowledge that helps them support the achievement of their results, identify and address training needs, motivate and develop people, and build team relationships. The course also helps participants view conflict as an opportunity instead of an obstacle and introduces methods that help them diagnose and resolve various levels of conflict. In the course, new managers will have a chance to experience the day-in-the-life of a manager within a learning environment, through the use of a computer based simulation (Experiential Learning). This helps to reduce the time taken for building skills as well as forms a basis for valid, reliable, and integrated assessment (Practical Performance). Through the simulation they participants will have a hands-on experience in a risk-free environment to experience managing a team, encourage people and support the achievement of results. Handling a virtual simulated team they will handle people problems, identify and address training needs, resolve conflicts, set goals, make plans and manage team performance.

Computer simulation provides participants the opportunity to apply new skills in a realistic environment before returning to the job. Participants experience four rounds of a computer simulation, each extending 30-60 minutes, in which they make decisions modelled upon real business situations.

To reinforce skills and competencies, the simulation provides ongoing feedback on decisions made, plus qualitative and quantitative feedback following the simulation. A balanced scorecard report will be provided which analyzes and weights the participants' decisions against the specific competencies that the simulation is focused on. A detailed written feedback report will be printed for each participant based on all their decisions, and will form the basis for debrief and assessment following the simulation experience.

The Essentials of Business Leadership^TM simulation gives participants an opportunity to experience the role of managing before they learn content and best practices. In teams, participants face a series of simulated events, and make a variety of decisions. Through these decisions, teams explore management issues, which are used as examples and discussion points throughout the course.

Participants assume the role of a manager of Fun Time Toys, a mid-sized manufacturer of toys for retail stores and promotional campaigns. As a new first-level manager in a Research and Development Team at FunTime Toys, teams face a series of challenging decisions as they balance the responsibilities of their department, various projects, and the needs of the organization. Participants must use essential leadership skills to build relationship with their team members, encourage team members to focus on the group and corporate goals and successfully meet new management's business goals, while at the same time motivating their teams. Participants receive feedback on their decisions at the end of the simulation in the form of a "performance review" from their boss, as well as a Balanced Scorecard that focuses on both leadership effectiveness and business results.

Participants undergo a complex decision-tree of events, which are modeled on actual business situations. The simulation includes an introductory 30-minute round, followed by three one-hour rounds. To reinforce new skills and competencies, each round provides participants with instant results of their actions through written and quantitative feedback. A balanced scorecard includes the following measures:

Trust

Team Productivity

Team Satisfaction

Organizational Value Added

Customer Satisfaction

Shareholder Value

How It Works This initial simulation round allows participants to learn the navigation of the simulation, and to familiarize themselves with the characters and the office environment. As a result, there are only a few decisions to be made during this round. Some initial confusion about what is going on with the simulation characters is expected and considered to be positive because it will inspire the participants to think about issues related to being a manager. The simulation itself provides instruction about how to navigate, and simulation reference cards will be available for each participant noting navigational and character information.

Throughout round 2 of the simulation, the FunTime preliminary design team is asked to take on more and more responsibility. There are indications that the team is under pressure and not altogether happy with some of the decisions that have been made. In addition to issues related to unclear goals and motivation, issues related to balancing needs and expectations and setting priorities are present in this round.

Throughout the 3rd round of the simulation, the FunTime preliminary design team is under increasing pressure and as a result, several performance issues surface. Events occur which require the manager to give feedback to individuals on the team. Issues related to delegation and situational leadership, as well balancing needs and expectations are also present in this round.

This final round of the simulation has been designed to bring up issues related to all of the topics that have been discussed over the two days, creating a kind of "soup" that the participants will have to filter through in the course of making decisions. Issues related to addressing performance problems, decision making, balancing needs & expectations, motivation, feedback & goal setting are all present in this round. In addition to giving participants the opportunity to assess situations and act on them, this round also provides the opportunity to apply some of the skills learned in the workshop.

At the end of this course, the participants will be able to:

• Understand the evolving role of a manager
• Understand how to interpret and implement plans; set SMART goals and align them with organizational vision
• Understand short and long term results of decisions and impact on the individual, team and organization
• Apply the appropriate leadership style to manage the individual and the team.
• Enhance networking and interpersonal communication skills
• Understand & recognise personality types, and learn style flex to enhance networking
• Understand how to build high performance teams and create an environment motivating for the team
• Understand team developmental stages and how to build trust and cohesiveness in teams
• Understand sources of conflicts and how to manage them; view conflict as an opportunity rather than an obstacle
• Manage the performance management process and effectively provide feedback; communicate the right message in performance management sessions
• Support the specific and objective assessment of skills gaps and identify specific areas for professional development; identify training and development needs
• Practice the use of a coaching framework and approach to employee development
• Build action plans to facilitate personal effectiveness

KEY TOPICS

• The Changing Business Environment o Understand the relationship between leadership and business results o Factors that influence organizational success o Balancing the creating of value: Resources, shareholders and customers o Understand how the need to increase organisation efficiency and effectiveness has guided the evolution of management theory o Understand how managers need to adapt in order to motivate individuals & teams

• Role of a Manager o Understand the myths, behaviours, assumptions and perceptions of the manager's role and how a manager's values and beliefs can affect management behaviours. o Understand characteristics and behaviours that exemplify leadership characteristics o Understand the functional relationship between the manager and the team.

• Building Effective Teams o Understand the attributes of effective and high performing teams o Tips to building trust and cohesiveness o Stages of team development; team structures o Virtual teams: success factors o Profile team development phase o Cross-functional teams

• Team Development & Leadership o Discuss the different leadership styles and how they can be leverages in different stages of team development o Understand the context of directing, coaching and delegating

• Effective Team Communications o Understand communication networks in organisations o Understanding the communication model o Verbal and non-verbal communication o Communication in practice: Positive body language; active listening; responding and building rapport • Leveraging Profiling in Communications o Introduce and debrief profiler. o Understand the implication of the styles. o Analyse the style of others to facilitate interpersonal effectiveness.

• Managing Conflict in Teams: Understand the signs and sources of conflict, View conflict as an opportunity rather than an obstacle, Three levels of conflict: diagnose the level of a conflict as resource-based, objective-based, or identity-based, Use the ARIA process as a tool for conflict engagement, analysis, and resolution, Conflict Clinic

• Planning and Goal Setting o The strategic planning process o Using a structured process to set goals and S.M.A.R.T objectives o Aligning goals with organizational mission and vision

• Essentials of Business Leadership Simulation o Participants will play the role of managers of a team within a computer-based simulation. Over four rounds, participants will be provided with best practice feedback, serving as quantitative assessment. o Debrief sessions will include Assessments (Oral Questioning).

• Decision Making o Understand the nature of the decision-making process and how managers make and take decisions o Introduce a consistent approach to decision making o Understand the different approaches that can be adopted to make team decisions and the use of different decision tools o Focus on consequences of decision to the individual, team and the organization

• Performance Management and Feedback o Understand the importance and benefits of performance management process o Understand the root cause of performance problems, techniques for addressing performance problems o Establishing the different stages of performance management and how to use these stages to best effect, Techniques for giving positive feedback and feedback for improvement, Support the specific and objective assessment of skills gaps and identify specific areas for professional development. Identify and address training and development outcomes. Provide a basis for a more objective dialogue about performance, development and career related issues. • Motivating People o Identify factors that motivate individuals o Technique for considering the costs and risks and expected value from performance for each individual o Value Based Interests

• Managing People: Coaching o Understand the coaching process and the challenges to being an effective coach o The Coaching Tree and GROW model for coaching o The basis of a trust relationship; the essential attributes of trust o Active Listening: The ASAP Model o Gain the commitment of each individual he or she manages by communicating the significance of the individual's contribution. o Help develop and maximize competence by determining appropriate opportunities for each individual he or she manages. o "Coaching Dilemmas" Video and Debrief

• Clinics: Role Plays to demonstrate learning's.

METHODOLOGY Theory and Application, discussions, individual exercises, team exercises; computer-based simulation; presentations and action planning.

ASSESSMENTS Practical Performance, Oral Questioning and Role Plays.

DURATION 3 Days (21 hours)