Managing Employees

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The following topics are described in this section

1.      Adaptive Leadership – Introduction and Advanced

2.      Empowerment and Motivation – Introduction and Advanced

3.      Goal Setting and Feedback – Introduction and Advanced

4.      Managing Those Difficult Situations – Introduction and Advanced

5.      Avoiding Micro-Management

6.      Managing Change

Course Description

Adaptive Leadership

Overview:

Have you ever noticed that some employees seem to need more of your time than others do? You're always helping them when it's busy or solving a customer complaint for them or fixing a mistake they made, etc, etc,. You should expect new employees to need some help but as time goes by they too should be able to work on their own. If they're still not as productive as you'd like them to be what can you do?

Managers can use Adaptive Leadership to make their employees more productive and to provide a more satisfying work environment. At the same time, managers who effectively apply this technique will find they have more time to attend to their own priorities. It's a win-win for the employee, the manager and the company.

Number of Modules:

This topic has two modules (tutorials) – Adaptive Leadership – Introduction and Adaptive Leadership- Advanced

Objectives 

Upon completion of these modules, participants will be able to:

• describe the concept of Adaptive Leadership and the ADAPT model

• identify simple guidelines to apply Adaptive Leadership

• explain how managers can apply Adaptive Leadership to help employees become more productive

•  use worksheets for managers and supervisors to assess the Personal Autonomy of their staff and for delegating work to the most appropriate employees

•  describe how managers and supervisors can assess an employee's level of supervisory need based on their proficiency and determination

•  explain how managers and supervisors should "adapt" their approach to assist employees

• complete a series of mini-case studies and exercises that will demonstrate their understanding of Adaptive Leadership and help apply the concepts on-the-job.

Topics

What’s Your Style, Personal Autonomy, Applying the Appropriate Management Style, Delegating: How Managers get thins done, Differences in Management Style: Theory X & Theory Y, Adaptive Leadership, Four Levels of Personal Autonomy, Manager’s Style for Levels of Personal Autonomy

Duration:

Approximately 1.45 hours to 2 hours for both modules

Course Description:

Empowerment and Motivation

Overview:

As a manager or supervisor one of your most challenging responsibilities is to keep your employees motivated to do the best job they can. Truth is, motivating an employee is very difficult. In fact, if you can just get through the day without saying or doing something to de-motivate them - you're doing great. The challenge is, each person is motivated by different incentives. For some it's responsibility, the sense of accomplishment. For others, helping others is their reward. Some just want money. Offer someone the wrong motivator and you'll probably be disappointed in the results.

An employee who comes to work each day motivated to do the best job he/she can is an invaluable asset. These are the employees who require little supervision, who look for ways to satisfy your customers and opportunities to improve your business. On the other hand, an employee with low motivation requires extra supervision and is prone to mistakes and poor service. The key for managers is the ability to assess motivational levels and to understand what he/she can do to motivate–or at least avoid de-motivating an employee.

Number of Modules:

This topic has two modules (tutorials) – Employee Motivation – Introduction and Empowerment and Motivation- Advanced

Objectives 

Upon completion of these modules, participants will be able to:

• explain the impact of motivation on an employee's performance.

• describe some of the factors under a manager's control that can influence an employee's motivation.

• describe the impact low motivation can have on an employee's performance and what it can cost your business.

• apply a simple model for motivating employees

• use a survey for assessing morale in their organization

• describe actions/behaviors that typically motivate/de-motivate employees

• develop specific initiatives a company/manager can use to motivate employees

• complete a case study of how one organization implemented a program designed to improve motivation/morale.

• complete an application exercise to apply these concepts on-the-job.

Topics

The Impact of Low Motivation, What Can a Manager or Supervisor Do?, Motivating and De-Motivating Employees, Motivating Employees- A Model, Establishing a Motivational Baseline, What Motivates Your Employees?, What Motivators Does Your Environment Lack?, Filling in the Gaps, Communicating Your Plan to Staff, Evaluating Staff and Environment Periodically

Duration:

Approximately 1.45 hours to 2 hours for both modules 

Course Description:

Goal Setting and Feedback

Overview:

Goal setting and feedback provide the basis for performance management and developing the skills and abilities of your employees. Whether you're managing individual performance or deploying your strategic plan, setting goals and monitoring is the cornerstone of effective management. If you don't use goal setting to focus your efforts and improve performance you'll find yourself reacting to the same situations over and over.

Goal Setting and Feedback are the building blocks of effective management. Just about everything you do in your company has some goal attached to it, i.e., increasing sales, improving service, getting control of your finances, coaching an employee, completing a business expansion, etc. Without clearly defined goals you will waste significant money, time, and energy.

Number of Modules:

This topic has two modules (tutorials) – Goal Setting and Feedback – Introduction and Goal Setting and Feedback – Advanced

Objectives 

Upon completion of these modules, participants will be able to:

• explain the critical steps for effective Goal Setting

• describe the best way to provide positive feedback

• outline an approach for providing other's with negative, or constructive feedback.

• set effective goals for their employees

• provide effective and timely feedback to their employees

• complete a case study describing goal setting at multiple levels in a company.

• complete an application exercise to apply these concepts on-the-job.

Topics

What to Consider, Effective Goal Setting (part 1 & Part 2), Providing Effective Feedback -positive and negative (Part 1 and Part 2), Getting Employee Feedback (Part 1 & Part 2), What Interferes With Goal Setting & Feedback, Goal Setting & Feedback – A Case Study

Duration:

Approximately 1.30 hours to 1.50 hours for both modules

Goal Setting and Feedback is critical if you are to constantly improve your personal performance, your employees' performance and the performance of your company overall. Goal Setting keeps you focused forward towards constant improvement.

Course Description:

Managing Those Difficult Situations

Overview:

How much time have you wasted dealing with an employee who's constantly tardy, an employee who makes the same mistakes over and over, a group of employees who are fighting due to personality differences? The list goes on. Let's face it–if your company only employed one person–you, then there would never be any problems, right? But that's not the case. Managers avoid dealing with these situations for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they go away, more often they just get worse. It may not be obvious but those little problems are costing you money, service and customers.

As a manager or supervisor you are going to run into countless scenarios where you have to pull some magic out of your hat (or at least be good with smoke and mirrors). You've got to deal with individual problems, mass mutinies, as well as your own problems. When those challenging situations arise, you can't react haphazardly. You need to approach the situation with a logical way of diagnosing the problem and coming up with a plan to change an individual or group's behavior. Not an easy task.

Number of Modules:

This topic has two modules (tutorials) – Managing Those Difficult Situations – Introduction and Managing Those Difficult Situations - Advanced

Objectives 

Upon completion of these modules, participants will be able to:

• identify typical difficult situations

• explain why people are usually reluctant to address difficult situations

• identify the impact problem situations can have if not dealt with quickly and effectively

• describe a method for managers and supervisors to use when dealing with employee or workplace problems

• apply a process for diagnosing and responding to employee problems

• describe (in case study format) 15 common employee problems with recommendations on how a manager should respond

•  complete an application exercise to apply these concepts on-the-job.

Topics

What is a Difficult Situation, Why We Avoid Difficult Situations, What’s The Impact of These Situations?, What Can a Manager or Supervisor Do?, Difficult Situation Framework, Difficult Employee Case Studies (15) 

Duration:

Approximately 1.45 hours to 2 hours for both modules

Course Description:

Avoiding Micro-Management

Overview:

In conducting our seminars and workshops we sometimes ask participating managers to administer a survey to their staff prior to class. Surveys are returned directly to our consultants to ensure anonymity and confidentiality. The survey asks questions about the work environment and the working relationship the employee has with his/her manager. In reviewing a sample of data from over 600 respondents a common theme kept surfacing.  Stop micro-managing me!!

One of the most common criticisms of management is that employees feel their manager spends too much time policing their work, asking questions, following up, interrupting etc. Basically micro-managing. As a manager you're in a no win situation. An employee's need for direction and supervision fluctuates based on the task at hand, the employee's stage of development and motivation and their confidence. Of course you're expected to know exactly the right amount of "management" to provide every time!

Number of Modules:

This topic has one module (tutorial) – Get Off My Back!!-Is Your Manager a Micro-Manager?

Objectives 

Upon completion of these modules, participants will be able to:

• identify specific examples of micro-management to watch out for

• explain why some managers are micro-managers

• explain the powerful relationship between Adaptive Leadership and micro-management

• identify ways a manager can avoid unnecessary micro-management

• discuss the concept of "managerial power".

Topics

What is Micro-Management, Examples of Micro-Management, Micro-Management and Adaptive Leadership, Avoiding the Micro-Management Trap, Managerial Power – A Case Study

Duration:

Approximately 30 minutes to 45 minutes

Course Description:

Managing Change

Overview:

Look at the business section in today's newspaper and you're likely to read about a few of the ways companies are "positioning themselves in their competitive market:" Down-sizing, mergers, restructuring, making incredible leaps with technology - whatever the motive or means what it all boils down to is change.

No matter what size or type of company you manage at some point you will be managing change. It may be small, almost imperceptible or it may be a complete overhaul of your business. Obviously the larger the company and the larger the change the more complicated the process becomes for managing the change effectively. But in either case, you will waste significant time and money as well as jeopardize the quality of your products and services if you don't address resistance to change.

To understand what you as a manager or supervisor can do to manage lead change effectively, you must first understand two important facets of change - dynamics and mechanics. Dynamics of change deals with the human reaction to change. The mechanics of change focus on designing processes that ensure changes occur effectively within an organization

Number of Modules:

1

Objectives 

Upon completion of these modules, participants will be able to:

• describe common reasons why employees resist changes

• follow a process for planning, communicating, and implementing changes

• complete a case study of one company's process and tool for communicating changes that impact other departments, computer systems, policies & procedures

Topics

Dynamics- What Causes Resistance to Change, Managing Change and Reducing Resistance, General Points About Managing Change, Mechanics of Change Management, Change Management Process, Designing a Change Management Process/System

Duration:

Approximately 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes.

Human Resource Practices

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The following topics are described in this section

1. Conducting Performance Evaluations – Introduction and Advanced
2. Effective Interviewing – Introduction and Advanced
3. HR Legal Issues (Canada)
4. HR Legal Issues (USA)
5. Conducting Career Discussions
6. Conducting a Job Analysis
7. Effective Orientation
8. Reward and Recognition Programs

Course Description:

 Conducting Performance Evaluations

Overview:

The performance evaluation process is an important component in managing the performance of your employees. If you don't tell employees how they're doing they'll be left wondering or assuming everything is okay. They'll go about work as usual, making the same mistakes as usual. Everyone appreciates feedback on his or her performance. Studies show employees would rather have negative (but constructive) feedback than no feedback at all! For managers, the formal process of performance evaluations forces them to think critically and constructively about their employees' performance. It's a chance to step back from day-to-day management issues and focus long term. You owe it to your employee and yourself to sharpen your performance management skills.

Number of Modules:

This topic has two modules (tutorials)- Conducting Performance Evaluations (Introduction and Advanced)

Objectives 

Upon completion of these modules, participants will be able to:

• describe the concepts of performance management vs. performance evaluations

• describe the purpose and benefits of conducting performance evaluations

• use a sample performance evaluation tool

• analyse a performance evaluation case scenario

• describe the purpose and benefits of conducting performance evaluations

• apply a guideline to prepare for, conduct, and follow-up on performance evaluations

• describe some of the common mistakes managers make when evaluating employee performance

• adapt  a sample performance evaluation for their own use

Topics

Performance Management vs. Performance Evaluation, The Performance Evaluation, A Performance Evaluation Template, Performance Evaluation – A Case Study, Performance Evaluations – What’s the Purpose, Performance Evaluations and Legal Issues, The Performance Evaluation Process, Conducting a Performance Evaluation, Performance Evaluation Sample, Common Mistakes, Important Questions to Consider – Ask Yourself

Duration:

Approximately 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete both tutorials

Course Description:

Effective Interviewing

Overview:

Interviewing is one management skill that's often taken for granted. The assumption seems to be; "I know my business and I know how to talk – therefore I can interview". Interviewing is arguably one of the most important skills for a manager. Think about it. You're about to choose someone to join your company. What happens if he/she doesn't really possess the skills needed? What happens if the candidate finds out the job isn't exactly what they thought and then quits. What happens if you unintentionally discriminate against someone and you wind up in court? In today's marketplace we're often so happy just to get an applicant we figure "check for a pulse and hire them." The wrong decision will cost you time, money and productivity. None of which you want to waste. In today's market estimates place the average cost of filling an administrative position at about $5-7K. For managers it can be 10 times that amount. A bad decision can be costly.

Interviewing is not only the skill of choosing the right candidate for a job – it's avoiding the wrong one! There are some key points to interviewing that every manager must know. This module provides an introduction to those key points.

Number of Modules:

This topic has two modules (tutorials)- Effective (Introduction and Advanced)

Objectives 

Upon completion of these modules, participants will be able to:

• identify how to link job requirements to the interview

• describe a step by step process for preparing and conducting interviews

• use an interviewing matrix for comparing candidates in a standard format

• describe a process for preparing and conducting interviews

• use and adapt sample tools for comparing interview candidates

• follow the SOAR method for interviewing candidates

• complete a self assessment to assess their interview skills

Topics

The Wrong Person for the Job, Know the Job Requirements, Encouraging Trust and Open Communication, Gathering Information, Making the Best Selection, Points to Remember, An Interviewing Model, Interview Selection Tools, Applying the SOAR Method, A Personal Interview Assessment, Interviewing Management Candidates

Duration:

Approximately 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete both tutorials