Core Management Skills

This is about half of the slides from the Learning Cogs Core Management Skills Programme

which you can purchase at Learningcogs.net

Overall objective

Enable participants to improve their

leadership skills and

achieve more effective

results as a

Manager.

Experiential Learning Cycle Experience

Reflection &

reaction

General-isation &

Conclusions

Action/ New

Behaviour

Something happens:- An interaction/ A work goal/ I don’t get a result I want etc.

I reflect on the experience – How do I feel/ Why did I react that way?

I draw conclusions:-What conclusions can I draw from that? What rules/beliefs/assumptions does it challenge about me, others, the world?

I experiment with new behaviour:- What do I need to change/do differently or continue doing etc.

EI : 2 Basic principles

BROADEN & BUILD THE POSITIVE

CONTAIN & REDUCE THE NEGATIVE

+_

Build trustEncourage & enable othersPraiseDevelop strengthsAttend to right behavioursDemonstrate warmthActively create positive experiences

Reduce psychological threatsAvoid disempowermentKeep criticism to a minimumContain/Manage weaknessesContain or ignore wrong behavioursHave a process for managing the negative

Some examples

Flourishing mode, exploring, learning, creating, rational, mature self

Low road

Emotional brain

High road

Fight/ flight mode, Fight, flight, freeze, flock

2 Brain modes

Emotional Self

Awareness

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Literacy

Emotional Control

Empathy & Social

Awareness

Emotional Self

Expression

Social Influence

DominanceDirectness

Decisive

InfluenceInteractiveIdea driven

SteadinessStabilitySecurity

Conscientious

ComplianceCautious

D I

SC

Prefers a fast pace

Prefers a slower, steady pace

Tends to focus on people & relationships

Tends to focus on

data & tasks

Direct, decisive, dominant

D types are typically

Want results now Seeks to be in authority or control Are driven & ambitious Can think their way is best May be insensitive to others May sometimes be too forceful or impatient Focuses on tasks Assertive and may be aggressive

Ideas, Influence, Inspiration

I types are typically

• Intuitive and creative

• Sensitive to others feelings

• Inspiring and innovative

• Amusing and fun to be with

• Good at selling and influencing

• Willing to help others

• A bit disorganised

• Quite talkative

Stability, steadiness, security

S types are typically ,

• Steady and reliable • Supportive• Pragmatic• Harmony seeking• Warm and empathetic• Can be too easy going• Reactive rather than

proactive• Loyal and trusting • May be slow to adapt to

change

Compliant, Conscientious, Cautious

C types are typically

• Quality driven• Risk avoiding• Task oriented• Perfectionistic• Logical and analytical• Prefer to work to standards• Can be very detail oriented• May be overly critical and • evaluating

Planning & Time Management

1.

Clarify Your

Priorities

2.

Set Clear Goals

3.

Chunk Goals into

Tasks

4. Schedule

Tasks

5.

Use Task Lists

6.

Focus & Execute

Decide what your priorities are and how much time you'll spend on

them. If you don't, someone else

will.

Brainstorm: What are the top 5 or 6 priorities or key result areas of your role for the next 6 months to a

year?

1. Priority2. Priority3. Priority4. Priority5. Priority6. Priority

Control the F.L.A.B.

Information/PaperEmailEtc.

File

List

Action

Bin

Task list

Daily/Monthly

Planner/Organiser/ Filing system

Do it or delegate it

Delete, bin, recycle

• Ensure you have the right resources allocated – time, people, planning tools etc.

• Construct your daily task list• Prioritise the list – A, B, C• Focus on one thing at a time• One task at a time• One conversation at a time• Tick off as you complete• Carry forward any tasks undone• Deal with interruptions• Continuously draw your

attention back to the highest priority

Stay focused

5 step planning process

1. Where are we now?

2. Where do we need to get to & by what time?

3. How will we get there?

4. What resources will we need?

5. How will we know when we have arrived?

Communication Skills

The Interpersonal Trust Account

Investments build trust

Withdrawals lower trust

When trust is high things work faster, problems get solved easier.

T+T-

T+T-

T+T-

T+T-

T+T-

T+T-

Thinking about the trust account and the investments and withdrawals you have made. How healthy is your balance with your team or key stakeholders?Score it from – 10 to + 10Put the initials of a person beside each circle and then score where you think your trust account balance is with them.

Pick one person.What investments or deposits do you need to make with them?

What do you need to avoid doing?

The Interpersonal Trust Account

Getting a good

balance

Other

Self

Directing, Suggesting,

Talking, Advocating,

Offering opinions &

ways forward, Advising

Listening, Inquiring, Clarifying understanding, Questioning, Encouraging

The three mind warps

• Deletion• Distortion• Generalization

"When two people have the same stimulus, why don't they have the same response?" the answer is: because we delete, distort, and generalize the information from the outside in different ways.

Oncein a

a lifetime

Parisin the

the spring

A bird in thethe hand

Deletion

How We Communicate

7%

Words We Use

38%

How We Say Words, Tone

55%

Nonverbals,Body Language

What does any of this mean?

Listening happens as much through the eyes

as the ears

Listening Skills• What kind of

mindset do you need to have in order to listen effectively?

• What are the skills and behaviours involved in effective listening?

• What is the difference between passive and active listening?

Active Questioning – general examples

• How do you mean?

• Could you give me a sense of what is important…..?

• Can you walk me through the problem

• How specifically…….? What tells you that?

• Can you help me to get a better understanding….?

• Is there anything else?

• What things are not being said that need to be?

Delivering your message

Delivering your message - PROSE

• Purpose

• Rapport

• Ownership

• Sensitivity/Strength

• Enthusiasm

Purpose

Why are you there? What is your end in mind for this communication? Be clear about your intent Reasons and results Understand yours and theirs

Rapport

What tells you you have good rapport

with another person?

Rapport at many levels

• Physical presence

• Physical action Gestures, Posture, activity, breathing.

• Tone of voice, Pace of talk, Volume.

• Language used

• Mental processing Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic

• Feelings sensed

• Personality

• Values/Beliefs/Likes/Dislikes

• Sense of what matters

• Sense of what matters most

Balance Strength with sensitivity

Low

High

Strength

High

Sen

sit

ivit

y

Low

YOU LOSE THEY WIN

YOU WIN THEY WIN

YOU LOSE THEY LOSE

YOU WIN THEY LOSE

Sensitivity/Strength

How do you deliver a strong message while making it safe?

Safe to challenge?

Safe to give feedback?

Safe to appear a bit silly?

Safe to be creative?

Enthusiasm/Energy

Your Enthusias

m

Your energy

Their enthusias

m & energy

P.R.O.S.E. – Inspiring messages

• Purpose• Rapport• Ownership• Sensitivity/Strength• Enthusiasm/Energy

Sensory feedback model• What I saw/heard, see/hear (in

terms of behaviour or output)• My interpretation of the impact• How I feel about that• My expectation• (What do you think?)

Giving feedback

My need

s

Your need

sAss

ert

ive

Aggressive Passive

Positive Assertion

1. Empathy/validation: Say something that demonstrates your understanding of the other person’s feelings and/or point of view.

Example: I understand the traffic is really bad in the City

Part 2: Statement of problem

•describe your difficulty /dissatisfaction, say why you need something to change.•For example: “I have a problem with you turning up to meetings late all the time.”

Part 3: Statement of need

• What I need is…..• I wish you

would………• I would like it if

you……• I prefer……

DominanceDirectness

Decisive

InfluenceInteractiveIdea driven

SteadinessStabilitySecurity

Conscientious

ComplianceCautious

D I

SC

Influence and innovate

Get results now

Promote harmonyGet quality

results

How might these intents create conflict with one another?

Pause & think

Take a step back

Take a breath

Act don’t react

Dealing with conflict

Pause & think

Win/win thinking

• Think in terms of mutual gain

• Try to have an enabling mindset

• Believe that you need to understand the other person

• Realise that a better solution can be achieved through understanding and negotiation

Pause & think

Win/win thinking

Listen actively

Set aside your own agenda

Try to understand the other person’s frame of reference

“So, from your point of view…..”

“So, as you see it……..”

Listen so as to understand not so as to reply

Rephrase and reflect

Acknowledge the feeling

Listen actively

Seek first to understand……………

Pause & think

Win/win thinking

Listen actively

Describe the issue

Describe using evidence and impact

what you see and hear

If possible write it down on a flipchart in order to brainstorm solutions

Any general issues or challenges should be

chunked down into the specific behaviours or

actions that can be pinpointed and

addressed.

Pause & think

Win/win thinking

Listen actively

Describe the issue

Chunk down from general to

specific

ListenQuestio

nClarif

yPin

point

Pause & think

Win/win thinking

Listen actively

Describe the issue

Chunk down from general to

specific

Use joint problem solving

Use joint problem solving.

How can we influence this?

Let’s see if we can brainstorm and come up with some solutions

How do you think we will solve this?

On a flipchart in groups of 3/4

•What typical conflicts will you come across

as a manager?•How should you respond to these

conflicts?•What should you

avoid doing?

Negotiating

Competitive negotiation

Competitive negotiation or confrontational negotiation is often seen as a zero sum game in which there is a limited amount be won. Once a competitive negotiator wins the other party is often likely to walk away feeling dissatisfied. When might this be useful?

Collaborative negotiation

Collaborative or cooperative negotiation sees negotiation as a way to create value for all. The collaborative negotiator understands the importance of long term mutually beneficial relationships. When will this be useful?

Prepare

• Know your interests & options, objectives & priorities

• Know how to start

Initiate

•provide structure

•Build rapport•Listen actively•be professional

Propose

•Know when you will offer

•Be clear about what you will and will not accept

Negotiate

•Use objective criteria

•Focus on interests and needs

•Remain open and objective

•Ask questions

Close

•Know your BATNA

•Summarize what has been agreed

•Set clear parameters

Negotiation Process

Managing individuals

Pair up with someone. 1. Reflect back on the last

ten to twenty years. Identify two people who have

encouraged your development, coached or

mentored you. Discuss what it was they did for you.

2. Imagine you are fifteen years from now and tuning in (unnoticed) to a conversation between two of your current

team members who have moved on. What would you like them to be saying about you and your coaching skills.

I am unaware of what I don’t know or can’t do.Because I have never tried it, I don’t know what it takes to do it or to learn how. Ignorance is bliss therefore if I am interested I am enthusiastic.

Unconscious Incompeten

ce

I am now aware of what I don’t know or can’t do.Because I have now tried it, I now know how much it will take to do it or to learn how. The complexity of the challenge creates disillusionment.

Conscious Incompeten

ce

I am now able to do the task if I think about it.I have learned how but I am not yet adept. Because of this I need to practise to become expert.

Conscious competenc

e

I am now adept at doing the task. I can manage it on my own.

Unconscious

competence

Management StylesHigh Control, Risk

Low Control, Risk

Teach & tell Observ

e & Coach

Facilitate & Encourage

Release & Give

Autonomy

Low initiative, creativity

High initiative, creativity

4 stages of managing performance

• Discuss and decide the style of management

• Provide appropriate feedback

• Define, discuss and delegate goals

• Clarify why and articulate why the goals are important

Why What

HowNow

10 steps

Delegating

Look at the 10 steps in your notes, which

steps do you do and which ones do you not do?

5 Essential coaching skills

Goal setting

Active Listening

Active Questioning

Confronting and challenging

Praising and providing feedback

What

• Do they know what they should do?• If not tell them

Why

• Do they know why it is important?• If not tell them.

How

• Do they know how to do the task?• Train them or get training for them

Reward

• Is there a consequence to poor performance?• What should the consequence be?

Reward

• Is there a greater reward for not doing the task or doing it poorly?

• Identify and eliminate

Resources

• Do they have the tools and resources do perform effectively?• If not get them

Other

issues

• What other issues have you come across? • Discuss in groups of three

Passionately

engagedEngaged & committed

Cooperative

Compliant

Unconscious saboteurs

Conscious saboteurs

How engaged are your team?

Disengaged

How can we create conditions where teams will thrive

and flourish?

Key ratio in teams

• Observed behaviour in high performing teams

• Ratio of positive to negative emotions expressions

3:1 or greaterBased on research by Losada & Frederickson

Self Other

AdvocacyInquiry

NegativePositive

More effective teams show a good balance between these

More effective teams show a 3:1 bias towards the positive

Remember: 2 Basic principles

BROADEN & BUILD THE POSITIVE

CONTAIN & REDUCE THE NEGATIVE

+_

Understand your role

and context

Engage the team

structure, systems & processes

Build an enabling culture

Coaching & feedback Balance

Management & Leadership

Planning & Organising

Where are your strengths and weaknesses?

What kind of structures, processes and leadership behaviours facilitate

a group moving through these stages effectively?

Forming

Storming

Norming

Dysfunctional Norms

If storming is mismanaged

Performing

What is your typical reaction to change in the work place?

• Identify a recent change you have experienced.

• Discuss what changed physically, culturally, mentally and emotionally?

• What was your immediate response and your longer term response?

Change

Transition

The events that take place

Outcome and results focused

Context dependent

Usually physical and environmental

Usually fairly quick

How you experience the changing circumstance

Emotional, mental, social, cultural

Tends to be slower

Harder to predict and control

William Bridges Model of Transition & change

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