Management development programme: Advanced

Programme provides a comprehensive insight into the challenges facing senior managers and the tools and techniques to meet these exciting challenges.

Level

Programme is aimed at learners at intermediate and advanced levels.

Objectives

  • To share experiences in management
  • To identify key challenges for senior managers
  • To increase awareness of key management styles and practices
  • To enable greater strategic thinking
  • To build increased awareness of self and others
  • To enable relationship building in complex political environments
  • To develop confidence through practical exercises and simulations

Process

Management Experience – Facilitated discussion around best experiences / worst experiences in management, what it feels like to be a manager / team member. Identify key insights / practical actions.

Challenge of Senior Management – Taking strategic perspectives. Wider sphere of influence – international / cross-cultural. Influencing through others. Dealing with partial information. Building a positive culture – balancing support / challenge.

Manager as Leader – Learners to draw a picture representing their understanding of leadership. Feedback and discussion. Map themes on mind-map. Definitions of leadership. Leadership vs. management. Leaders building leaders.

Management Practices – Five practices – model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act and encourage the heart (Kouzes & Posner). Application in practice.

Leadership Styles  – Six styles of leadership – directive, visionary, affiliative, collaborative, pace setting and coaching. Self-assess personal styles. Implications. Resonant and dissonant styles. Use of style by time / place.

Personal Drivers – Awareness of personal drivers. 5 TA drivers – be strong, hurry up, be perfect, try hard and please people. Self-assessment. Implications.

Emotional Intelligence – Understanding EI. Effect on self and others. Awareness of emotional states. Competencies in EI. Managing self and others.

Strategic Thinking – Strategy vs. tactics. Traditional vs. emerging paradigms. Creative thinking – convergent vs. divergent thinking. Thinking styles – 6 thinking hats (de Bono) – factual, emotional, pessimistic, optimistic, growth, blue-sky. Systems thinking. Mintzberg’s strategic thinking model. Scenario planning.

Experiential Exercise – Working in small groups – groups to choose a real strategic issue and practice the various thinking styles to more fully understand and expand on the strategic issue.

Team Strategy – Strategy for working together / achieving as a team. Building the team – Tuckman & Douglas. High performance teams. Succession planning.

Power & Politics – Networking and relationship building. Johari Window – building trust and credibility. Political quadrants model. Influencing vs. manipulation. Political alliances vs. game playing. Sources of power. Empowering others.

Leading Change – Understanding change. People and change. DREC change curve – denial, resistance, exploration, exit. Influencing people through change. Support and communication. Eight change steps (Kotter).

Options

1 or 2 day programme for approx. 8 to 10 learners, with 1 or 2 facilitators, with the possibility of using professional role players.