There are many theories and models of leadership, and leadership styles, including Action Centred Leadership which focuses on Achieving the Task, Developing the Team and Developing Individuals. We will study the Action Centred Leadership model. How do managers motivate staff? Classic management theories include an important piece of work for any student of management –…

Leaders and managers need to be able to influence others, rather than just issue orders. They need to be able to carry the workforce with them by the force of their personality. We look at how to get your ideas accepted by colleagues and managers. Plan and implement your campaign using Robert Cialdini’s Six Principles…

In previous lessons we have considered the importance of staff recruitment and retention. We have learnt how to use appraisals as an effective performance management tool, studied some theories of leadership, motivation and teamwork, and considered the art of delegation. Then we briefly touched on coaching and succession planning, and mentioned the importance of keeping…

This is a difficult thing to do for any manager. It is tough to confront someone and tell them you no longer require their services. Most managers will have feelings of guilt, concern about the staff member and their family, worry that they recruited the wrong person, did not manage them properly, could have avoided…

The workplace can be a very emotional place. When there are competitive, professional, driven people, all focused on being noticed, performing well, achieving, and effectively competing with one another for results and attention, there are bound to be animosities and incidents between co-workers. Add to the mix that some managers seem to feel that “management…

We offer tools and techniques for understanding and addressing conflict in the workplace, including the different personality types you may have to contend with, and how they might react under pressure. We will offer advice and guidance on conflict management strategies, and look at the theory behind transactional analysis. Tools and techniques for addressing conflict…

Sometimes you just have to face up to the person who is causing the conflict and tackle them head on. But first you must arm yourself with solid evidence and develop an action plan to defuse the conflict. Whether you are dealing with a difficult staff member, colleague, or manager, our advice will be helpful…

Leading and managing a virtual team presents its own challenges, as team members usually don’t meet face to face, but interact remotely with their manager or leader. It is becoming more common for some team members to work remotely. It has been estimated that around 70% of managers have responsibility for a virtual team member,…

In a traditional setting, managers can communicate and team build informally by chatting to staff they encounter during the day, at their desks, before and after meetings, in the staff restaurant. They can observe their staffs’ habits, skills, strengths and weaknesses. They can engage with them socially after hours, and organise team building events. They…

This quiz is designed to test your knowledge of these modules of the “Managing People” lessons in the Management Skills Courses, specifically;- Minimising conflict in the workplace Tools and techniques for handling conflict in the workplace Tackling conflict in the workplace Developing Employees Leading Virtual team Leading Virtual team part 2 Persuading others-influencing skills Dismissing…