COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

There are 7 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction and Organisational Structures

• Types of Organisations
  
• Legal Status
  
• Liability for Staff Actions
  
• Basic Contract Law
  
• Role of a Manager
  
• Management Objectives
  
• Management Processes
  
• Mission Statements
  
• Types of Managers
  
• Levels of Management
  
• Organisational Structures; formal and informal
  
• Division of Responsibilities
  
• Understanding the Workplace
  
• Unions
  
• Committees
  
• Scope of Office Work
• Report Writing

2. Management Theories and Procedures

• Motivating Employees
• Classic School of Management Theory
• Behavioural School of Management Theory
• Management Science School of Management Theory
• Other Management Theorists and their Ideas; Weber, Barnard, Follett, Maslow, Herzberg
• Contingency Planning
• Introducing Change
• Giving Orders
• Types of Orders

3. Problem Solving and Decision Making

• Decision Making
  
• Problem Solving Technique
  
• Types of Managers
  
• Group Decision Making and Problem Solving
  
• Conflict Resolution Techniques
  
• The Planning Process
  
• Implementing a Plan
  
• Time Management
  
• Planning for Your Organisation
  
• The Importance of Planning
  
• Developing a Business Plan
• Lateral Thinking

4. Management Styles and External Influences

• Management Styles
  
• Target Oriented Management
  
• Process Oriented Management
  
• Interactive Oriented Management
  
• Management as Leaders
  
• Perception
  
• Perceptual Barriers
  
• Perceptual Change
• Motivating Employees to Change their Perception
• Other Factors affecting Managers Effectiveness; Stress, Self Esteem, Career Management, Security etc.

5. Employing People and Interview Skills

• Advertising for New Staff
  
• Anti Discrimination
  
• Interviewing
  
• Communication at an Interview
  
• Common Communication Barriers
  
• Induction
  
• Staff Training
  
• Training Programs
• Conversation with Trainees

6. Staff Management

• Scope and Nature
• Learn to Plan
  
• Steps for Successful Goal Achievement
  
• Managing Staff Levels
  
• Importance of Clear Procedures
  
• Writing Procedures
  
• Quality Assurance
  
• Job Satisfaction
  
• Professional Supervision
  
• Mentoring
  
• Dealing with Grievances
  
• Productivity
• Workplace Health and Safety

7. Ethics and Equity

• Code of Conduct
  
• Interpreting Code of Conduct
  
• Refund Policy
  
• Honesty and Fairness
  
• Respect
  
• Intellectual Property Rights
  
• Privacy

Assessment:  There is an assignment at the end of each lesson, that you submit to your tutor for marking.  You can also contact your tutor with any queries throughout the course.   

AIMS

• Understand the role of managers in an organization and the kinds of organizations in which they function.
• Identify the processes and procedures that are associated with the effective management of staff in the workplace.
• Describe the use of motivation in the workplace and the effects this can have on staff performance.
• Describe how to recruit and interview a new staff member for a specific job in an organisation.
• Discuss workgroup project preparation, costing, performance analysis and goal completion from a managerial perspective.
• Describe the principles of Occupational Health and Safety policies, and their application in the learner's proposed industry sector.

• Describe a range of different management structures used in different organisations and why they suit that organisation.
• Compare the use of differing management styles in a variety of businesses.
• Define common management terms.
• Identify the primary role of the different levels of management in an organisation.
• Discuss the relationships that exist between managers, company employees and board members in both small and large corporations.
• Discuss the importance of trust and confidence in an organisation and its staff, and why are managers so crucial to this process.
• Discuss the use of motivation in attaining goals and improving work performance.
• Describe the most common motivating factors for employees.
• Compare and contrast different methods of motivation.
• Describe when and why different motivation techniques should be used in a workplace situation.
• Explain what is meant by a chain of command and how it is affected by communication style.
• Explain how to assess the need for a new employee.
• Write a position profile for a specific job.
• Analyse employment advertisements in the local paper and list their strengths and weaknesses.
• Explain what information can be determined from a application and a resume.
• Write an interview guide and conduct a mock job interview.
• Discuss the anti-discrimination/equal opportunity laws in your state.
• List what information should be sought in a telephone reference check.
• Describe what is involved in the induction of a new employee.
• Explain the concept of workgroups in the workplace, and the advantages and disadvantages of their use to achieving company goals.
• Prepare a mock workgroup project incorporating examples of efficient use of an enterprise’s financial, plant/equipment and personnel resources.
• Discuss communication issues that might affect the effectiveness of a workgroup project.
• Discuss ways in which membership diversity can benefit workgroup performance.
• Discuss the criteria and considerations to be made when forming a workgroup.
• Develop guidelines for assessing workgroup performance.
• Prepare a timeline that might apply to a workplace project to be carried out within a specified business.
• Summarise the major points of the learner's state workplace health and safety legislation.
• Define health and safety responsibilities of the employer in the learner's state.
• List steps to take to ensure a business meets health and safety requirements in the learner's state.
• Discuss procedures to be taken when handling dangerous goods in the learner's state.
• Explain the proper procedure for manual lifting of goods.
• Discuss possible safety dangers in a business office.

Start With Good Staff

Without good staff, management is always going to be difficult; but so many people make the mistake of not taking the time to find, properly screen, select, and train staff to be the best staff they possibly can be. If a manager does do this though; every other aspect of their job has the potential to become easier.

Attracting Staff
You may think this is easy to attract staff, particularly in times of economic recession, but this is not always the case. You may advertise a specific job and have hundreds, maybe even thousands of people apply, but that does not mean that they could do the job or you would want them if they can.  So it is also important to think about how you advertise and where.  

You might advertise in your local paper in the hope of getting someone local. You might advertise on a website throughout the world and country in the hope of getting the best candidate. You may advertise on social media. You may use recruitment agencies to weed out unsuitable people.  Recruitment staff will need to be well briefed in exactly what you are looking for so they can thin out the applicants for you, otherwise with little or no brief you will be relying on their depth of experience to sort and it may be limited unless you are prepared to pay for top companies.  Again, the method you use to attract staff will depend on what you are looking for.

Case Study

LS Accountants has found that when they advertise for part-qualified accountants, they get hundreds of people apply. Some may have some qualifications in accountancy or book keeping or maths, but are not the right qualifications they require. They think their advert is not specific enough, so state very clearly exactly what qualification they require, but still they get lots of people apply who are not suitable for the role. Eventually they begin to use a recruitment consultant who can then weed out people who are unsuitable and send suitable applicants to them. This saves the accountants’ time as they do not have to spend their time weeding through unsuitable applicants prior to interviews.

Preparing For Job Interviewing

• Develop a plan: don’t just wing it.  Make the time you spend worthwhile and productive.  Choose a time of day that suits you, that fits in with your productivity and schedules and the time of day your mind is most alert.
• Write down key questions you might ask – with a reason or goal behind asking each one. Start with some informal comfortable comments to set the scene and mood of the interview and this will help to provide an atmosphere where the applicant is comfortable. Pay attention to heating / cooling drafts, seating positions, provide a glass of fresh water for you and the applicants, make sure you are not interrupted by other staff or activities from the office so you can be fully focussed.
• Where there are several staff on the interview panel, be sure you have coordinated beforehand what questions each is to ask and in what order or theme, for example someone may concentrate on the personal and personality aspects, another interviewer may concentrate on the qualifications and experience of the applicant and a third interviewer may be coordinated to ask the questions that are lateral or based on examples the applicant can give on their previous performance.
• Work out a time frame beforehand to allow sufficient time for questions and answers. Make sure you keep to the timeframe with each applicant so it all runs smoothly and each gets the same questions and time available to answer them. Designate one of the interview panel as the time keeper or keep a close eye on the time yourself if you are the sole interviewer. You aim is to bring out the best in the candidate so they can really show you what they have to offer, not see how they squirm and get out of difficult situations when the pressure is on- unless that will be their future job!
• Use open questions (i.e. questions that draws out different information from different applicants… you can learn about the applicant by how they choose to answer as well as by what they choose to say)
• Bring to the interview any information or literature you may want to give to or show the applicant.
• Read through your job advertisement again, read through the applicants job application and anticipate questions the person might ask - write them down beforehand so they are at hand when you need them.
• Take the time to write notes and conclusions after each interview. In a well-structured formal interview a score sheet is developed beforehand and used for each applicant.  Each interviewer has in hand the questions each of them will ask, the order of questions and a notation of the time for each, as well as a template score sheet worked out with a points and / or comment system, so they have a chance to fill these in as the interview progresses. Usually panel members confer briefly after each applicant has left the room, to discuss briefly results and complete these forms before the next person enters. At the end of all the interviews the panel discuss scores and comments together on each applicant. It may then be decided to make out a short list for a second interview, or make an offer to who is agreed to be the best applicant for the position.
• Do not just talk – spend at least 60% of the interview listening to the job applicant.
• Another point to consider is also whether a new person will fit in well with the current workforce – in respect of talents, but also age, background, personality (points that cannot be deemed judgement or qualifying points in an interview). Whilst this is hard to determine prior to them starting work, it is also something to consider if possible.

So ... Why should I take this course?

• Improve your own business with better management.
• Jump-start your career progression - show your management potential.
• Become a better manager - develop problem solving and decision making skills, motivate your staff - improve your performance, your staff's performance and the performance of your team or business.

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