Manager's Master Course (2-day)

Management has undergone a sea change recently. Are you prepared to sink or swim?

Management isn't the same as it was even just a few years ago — changes in our country's economic profile have required managers to rethink their priorities, their management style and their role within their organizations.

Today's managers are expected to be superheroes: flexible enough to embrace change and uncertainty, creative enough to excel with limited resources and reduced manpower, and powerful enough to survive and thrive in a business world rocked by crises, upheavals and economic strife.

Now more than ever, your success depends on your team's performance and your ability to lead, motivate and inspire them to reach their personal best. Leading by example, coaching, counseling, mentoring, delegation tactics, conflict resolution, interviewing and hiring techniques — if you don't excel in every single one of these areas, your ability to manage others effectively could be in jeopardy.

Discover how effective managers deal with change and uncertainty … offer support and encouragement … and bring out the best in their people on a daily basis.

Manager's Master Course focuses on hands-on, practical skills and current best practices for becoming a more resourceful, successful manager — all in just two empowering days of focused and intensive training. A must-attend event for recently promoted and experienced managers alike, this program offers an exciting blend of real-world strategies, proven management techniques and innovative ideas for surviving and thriving in today's chaotic business environment. You'll learn how to:

• Stimulate innovative thinking and risk-taking in your employees Successful managers create an environment that allows employees to spread their wings, think outside the box, explore creative ideas, and take risks — without worrying that they will be chastised if their ideas don't "fly" the first time. We'll show you ways to give your employees more freedom to think creatively, as well as how to provide them with constructive criticism and positive feedback.
• Encourage behaviors that lead to performance improvement When your employees are successful, high-performing team players, everyone wins (Especially you, their manager!). Discover new tools and techniques for turning around less-than-satisfactory performance, ways to motivate and reward that garner exceptional results every time, and methods for helping employees persevere through difficult situations brought on by workplace change.
• Lead by example True leaders model the behaviors they desire in others. We'll show you the mentoring and coaching skills that will encourage your employees to perform their best for you. You'll learn how to communicate goals and expectations clearly, earn (rather than demand) others' trust and respect, and become the type of manager who inspires others to go the extra mile for you.
• Deal with troublesome employees and difficult situations As a manager, it's up to you to step in when bad attitudes, uncooperative behavior or employee conflicts crop up. What you learn here will help you lessen the effects "toxic" employees have on the rest of your team, help mediate conflicts when necessary, and support a more harmonious work environment for all involved.

If you are serious about gaining a competitive edge by honing your management and leadership skills, this is one course you shouldn't miss.

Day 1

The pace of the leader is the pace of the pack — how to set the pace that's right for your pack

• Own your role as leader — how to believe in yourself and your abilities
• Self-Assessment: take stock of your management skills versus your experience and find out where you can improve
• Managing former peers: how to gracefully transition into a leadership role
• Friendship in the workplace: "just enough" versus "crossing the line"
• 10 truths every new manager must know to achieve success as a leader
• Tools and techniques to help you build trust and establish credibility

Style does matter! — defining, understanding and applying the different management styles

• Autocratic
• Paternalistic
• Democratic
• Laissez-faire
• MBWA (Managing By Walking Around)

Managing projects, deadlines and people — how to keep everything (and everyone!) on track and moving forward

• Successful self-management: great managers practice these habits daily!
• Effective organizational skills every manager needs to have in their toolbox
• Managing the dreaded "three P's": Procrastination; Poor Planning; Personal Disorganization
• How to prioritize when everything's a priority: management secrets for deciding what takes precedence
• How to handle impossible deadlines with tact, calm and professionalism

You can't do it all yourself … how to harness the power of delegation and get more done in less time

• Nine steps to successful delegation
• How to let go without losing control
• What makes a good delegator? Skills and strategies for enlisting others' help
• What you should delegate and — more importantly — what you shouldn't
• Using delegation as an effective tool for empowering employees
• Common problems that crop up during delegation and how to avoid them

Day 2

Recruiting and interviewing techniques guaranteed to sift out top candidates every time

• How to conduct a winning interview
• Q&A: knowing what interview questions to ask to snag the perfect candidate
• The legal side of interviews: what you can ask, and what you can't
• Matching people to jobs — follow these tips for getting it right

Managing through motivation — techniques to inspire exceptional performance in your team

• Coaching versus managing — how they differ, when it's appropriate to use one over the other
• How to lead by example and become a positive change agent for your organization
• The benefits of cross-training — how it can refresh stale attitudes and motivate bored or burned-out employees
• Low-cost and no-cost motivational techniques and rewards to boost on-the-job enthusiasm
• When employees seem stuck in a rut: how to energize, challenge and encourage them to get back on track
• What to say — and what not to — when praising your employees for a job well done
• Inspirational communication techniques every manager should be aware of
• How to tap into your team's unique talents, both as a group and individually
• What do your employees want and need from you? How to give effective feedback that gets positive results

Keeping the peace: dealing with conflicts and difficult people

• It takes two to create a conflict — how to stay objective, see both sides of an issue and act fairly and rationally
• Tips, tools and techniques for reaching mutually agreeable conflict resolutions
• How to deal effectively with absenteeism and tardiness
• Strategies for keeping your cool during any situation, no matter how stressed you may feel inwardly
• Performance problems: how to address them using a measurable performance plan

The future is in your hands

• Motivating the motivator: how to keep your energy up, your outlook positive and your own performance high
• The importance of achieving balance between your professional and your personal life
• Best Practices: take a look at these five fascinating examples of great managers/leaders
• How to achieve continued growth, forward momentum and success throughout your management career
• Attitude is everything!