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.

For more information about our training services please call us on 0800 072 9844 or email us.