Lessons in People Management PM08.90A

People are all different and managing people requires a diverse set of skills. Most people managers do not have an opportunity to attend formal training in these people skills. Managers usually learn through successes and failures that they personally experience.

This class is a chance to learn people management skills in a collaborative group environment. This course presents situational scenarios based on the Lessons in People Management book co-authored by Tom and Jeff Mochal. There are 50 people management topics available. You can pick up to 16 lessons for a typical two-day class. The topics range from conflict resolution and sexual harassment to delegation and creating high performance teams. For each topic, a story is introduced that highlights the topic in a real-world scenario. Each scenario is read and discussed by student teams of 4-5 people. The teams then compare notes as a group to come up with a consensus on the best way (or ways) to respond to each situation. This leads to a great collaborative solution that each attendee can apply in a similar situation in the future.

Prerequisites

  • None

General Topics (Detailed topics are below)

The class agenda will be determined by the selection of 16 topics from a list of 50 available situational scenarios. Specific scenarios are detailed on the next two pages in the following categories.

  • Understand Conflicts, root cause (s) and conflict resolution techniques

  • Utilize techniques to Motivate individuals and teams

  • Exercise effective Communication techniques

  • Apply Leadership skills to influence team behavior

  • Coach and Mentor your staff for improved Performance

  • Successfully implement Organization changes

  • Address sensitive Ethical and moral issues

Who Should Attend

  • People managers

  • Senior professionals

  • Individuals seeking knowledge on how to manage people

Course Outline (For each topic)

  • Read a story that describes each scenario

  • Formulate response within each team

  • Create a general consensus and recommended approach

Class Length

  • Two days (16 PDUs)

Category

Lesson

Conflict Resolution

  • Resolve a Conflict by First Understanding the Cause

  • Understand the Cause of a Conflict First, Then Look for Conflict Resolution Techniques

  • Act Quickly When Personal Problems Turn Into Performance Problems

  • Deal with Sexual Harassment Issues Sensitively but Swiftly

Motivation

  • Encourage Staff to Take on New Challenges to Get Ahead

  • Don’t Ignore Morale Problems – Turn Them Around

  • Strive to Create High-Performance Teams

  • Use a Multi-Faceted Approach to Implement Culture Change

  • Be Very Savvy When Implementing At-Risk Compensation Plans

  • Respond Carefully to Significant Morale Problems

Communication

  • Utilize Active Listening as the Key to Effective Communication

  • Encourage and Embrace Process Improvement Suggestions

Leadership

  • Deal With Babies in the Team in a Professional Manner

  • Don’t Allow Team Members to Isolate Themselves

  • Identify, Mentor and Grow New Leaders

  • Expand Your Ability to Get Things Done Through Responsible Delegation

  • Hire a Diverse Workforce Without Compromising on the Best Candidates

  • Lead Your Staff. – Don’t Just Manage Them

  • Understand That Your Attitude Rubs Off On the Entire Team – For Good or Bad

  • Proactively Resolve the Personality Problems of a Dysfunctional Team

  • Understand Your Technical Staff and Manage Them Accordingly

  • Be Sensitive to Differences When Managing a Diverse Staff

  • Make Sure People Know You and Your Expectations When You are New to an Organization

  • Recognize the Difference Between Logical and Emotional Feedback

  • Proactively Manage to the Strengths and Risks of a Virtual Distributed Team

  • Use Self-Manages Teams to Empower Staff (But Don’t Leave Them Totally Alone)

Coaching/Mentoring/

Performance

  • Give Fact-based Performance Feedback Routinely, Not Just During Formal Reviews

  • Use 360-Degree Reviews to Get a Thorough Understanding of Employee Performance

  • Encourage Your Staff to Take Responsibility for Their Personal and Professional Development

  • Set and Manage Expectations at Both a Group and Personal Level

  • Learn to Influence Others Without Moving to the “Dark Side” of Office Politics

  • Coach Your Staff So That They Can Mature and Grow

  • Take Credit for Your Successes

  • Provide Clear Performance Feedback on a Timely Basis

  • Escalate a Performance Problem with a Formal Plan

  • Minimize the Inherent Weaknesses of Multi-Tasking

  • Teach Your Staff How to Resolve Problems

Organization

  • Use Facts to Assess the Viability and Effectiveness of Teleworking

  • Ensure Flextime is Good for the Business as Well as the Individual

  • Push Your Organization to Practice What it Preaches

  • Have a Transition Plan Today to Handle Turnover Tomorrow

  • Be Open and Fair with Poor Performers – Including Parting Ways if Necessary

  • Manage Contractors Effectively, But Differently, Than Your Employee Staff

  • Increase Your Effectiveness With Strong Time Management Skills

  • Unleash the Power of an Aligned Organization

  • Make Sure Your Organization Can Survive a Staff Reduction

  • Look at Processes, Not People, to Solve Quality Problems

  • Use Portfolio Management Techniques to Ensure People are Allocated to the Right Work

Ethics

  • Maintain Your Personal Ethics

  • Be Honest and Upfront When Dealing with a Mistake