Management Skills 

Finding 100 Extra Minutes a Day

Course description:  Can we manage time? Can we buy more time?  No! We can only manage ourselves in relation to time. In this session we evaluate current time usage through a daily time log system.  We will focus on setting and achieving priorities, maximizing personal energy cycles, understanding procrastination and how to overcome it, improve organizational skills and discuss tips for effective delegation.

Vendor:  ATW Training & Consulting, Inc.
Length:  ½ day
Minimum/Maximum participants: 15/30

Objectives:  By participating in this session participants should be able to:

• Identify time wasters in their lives
• Use an effective time management system
• Be familiar with the importance of prioritizing
• Avoid procrastinating
• Be familiar with ways to improve their organization skills
• Utilize team members through delegating horizontally as well as vertically.

Head On Collision:  Generation in the Workplace

Course description:  Our organizations are ever changing. Our workforce is ever changing. What is important to one employee may not be to another. What motivates one may not motivate another. We are all different. One way the differences show themselves is through the four different generations that make up our workforce and what each generation expects from their co-workers, let alone their organization. In this session we will review each generation's unique characteristics and how to handle any misunderstandings that may impact productivity.

Vendor:  ATW Training & Consulting, Inc.
Length:  ½ day
Minimum/Maximum participants: 15/30

Objectives:  After participating in this session participants should be able to:

• Identify the characteristics of the four generations.
• Discuss where stress or tension may occur because of generational differences.
• Review a model for creating dialogue to move from disagreement to collaboration.

Juggling Priorities

Course description:  One of our most valuable assets is time. Wasting time wastes opportunities; opportunities that could help you and your organization grow. Failing to prioritize, spending time cultivating low-priority relationships, and neglecting to effectively shift priorities are all examples of where time can be wasted.  In this session we look at prioritizing and the skills you need to make sure you are saying "no" to things you shouldn't be doing so you can say "yes" to the things you should be doing.

Vendor:  ATW Training & Consulting, Inc.
Length:  ½ day
Minimum/Maximum participants: 15/30

Objectives:  After participating in this session participants should be able to:

• Recognize and reconfirm the value of time in your success as a leader.
• Determine specific ways to better prioritize your time.
• Deal with shifting priorities.
• Identify key relationships worthy of your time.

Taking Action: A Proactive Approach to Change

Course description:  Change is inevitable whether we thrive on it or hide from it.  Despite your personal feelings about change, your role is to help team members embrace change and maximize its benefits. We will help you understand the impact of change on your team members, review the positive and negative impacts of change, and formulate a plan to communicate change in your organization to reduce resistance and gain commitment.

Vendor:  ATW Training & Consulting, Inc.
Length:  ½ day
Minimum/Maximum participants: 15/30

Objectives:  After participating in this session participants should be able to:

• Identify the changes we are facing in our work groups.
• Discuss our natural reactions to change and how to deal with them.
• Learn how to take ACTION in order to take advantage of change opportunities.
• Develop specific things they can do in the near future to help their teams deal with change.

Employee Development

Course description:  Training tends to bring to mind specific task knowledge.... the focus of this training experience is not how to train someone on an individual task, but how to enable leadership to assist their people in learning.  Select one or both of the following topics.

Born To Learn – The Secret of Mastering Concepts:   There is a natural way that everyone approaches and incorporates new information into existing information.   Using that natural learning process makes training easier for both the trainer and the trainee.

Adventures in Memory - The Multi-sensory Information Highway Supervisors and trainers tend to use techniques that correspond to their own sensory preferences.  The best supervisors and trainers vary strategies to reach all employees sensory preferences.

Vendor:  INNOVATIONS
Length:  Lunch and Learn (1 topic per session)
                ½ day for both topic
Minimum/Maximum participants: 15/30

Objectives:  After participating in this session participants should be able to:

• Explain how the brain basically processes information
• Describe inferential thinking
• List the five steps necessary for concept learning

Mobbing as Subplot:  Caught in the Crossfire of Change

Course description:  This workshop reviews the mobbing process and then explores some of the organizational dynamics that set the stage for mobbing behavior, specifically during times of change, utilizing the storyline from a classic film. The factors, actions, reactions, impersonal representations that become personal, and the impact on the individual are discussed in detail with concrete examples.

Vendor:  INNOVATIONS
Length:  ½ day
Minimum/Maximum participants: 15/30 

Objectives:  After participating in this session participants should be able to:

• Identify factors in the work environment that enable a mobbing process to begin
• Explain how an individual becomes a target during times of change
• Offer recommendations for prevention

Mobbing Survival Skills:  To Be or Not To Be

Course description:  People who are targets of a mobbing process have been thrown from what they believed was an orderly world into a state of chaos in which many points of reference are no longer valid.  This confusion is going to prompt them to question all points of reference, including the ones deep inside of them.  Their sense of personal dignity can be compromised unless they take steps to protect and preserve that which they value most.   Though many people have been hurt and destroyed by mobbing, many have not. There are steps that both organizations and individuals can take to heal from a mobbing process.  Rebuilding trust is a key issue.

Vendor:  INNOVATIONS
Length:  ½ day
Minimum/Maximum participants: 15/30

Objectives:  After participating in this session participants should be able to:

• Recognize the warning signs of mobbing
• Explain the difference between subjective and objective documentation
• Determine what policies apply to this type of situation
• Identify available resources
• Develop a plan of action

Mobbing:  Risk Mgmt "Double Whammy"

Course description:  Experiencing high turnover, low morale, decreased productivity, high absenteeism?  Mobbing seriously damages people, destroys teamwork and trust, negatively impacts organizational effectiveness, contributes to violence and can leave an organization open to costly compensation claims.  Mobbing is group bullying.  The term may be new to you but you will quickly recognize the behavior.  Mobbing is a syndrome with a specific pattern.   It is a ganging up by one or more individuals to force someone out of the workplace through rumor, innuendo, intimidation, discrediting, humiliation, and wrongly portrays the targeted person as being at fault.        This subtle and status-blind form of harassment puts everyone at risk.  Awareness is the key to prevention. 

Vendor:  INNOVATIONS
Length:  Lunch and Learn or ½ day
Minimum/Maximum participants: 15/30

Objectives:  After participating in this session participants should be able to:

• Define what mobbing is and how it happens
• Explain the impact on the individual and the organization
• Identify strategies to intercept this behavior

We Have a Situation - Disciplinary Action or Mentoring Opportunity

Course description:  Of all the definitions for the word 'discipline' only one of them includes the word 'punishment.'  Most employees don't intentionally violate policies and procedures.  No one looks forward to dealing with this type of situation but sometimes it is unavoidable.  Check the policy and then check your own attitude.  Can a potentially uncomfortable meeting turn into a mentoring opportunity?  A dignity and respect approach might make the difference.

Vendor:  INNOVATIONS
Length:  Lunch and Learn
Minimum/Maximum participants: 15/30 

Objectives:  After participating in this session participants should be able to:

• Separate the true purpose of disciplinary action from personal issues
• Explain the connection between discipline and mentoring
• Apply a situational process to disciplinary situations

Being an Emotionally Intelligent Leader

Course description:  Some managers have great ideas but fail to implement them.  Research shows this can be linked to Emotional Intelligence (EI).  EI is social intelligence involving the ability to monitor one's own and others' emotions, differentiate among them, and use the information to guide one's thinking and actions.

Vendor:  ATW Training & Consulting, Inc.
Length:  ½ day or full day
Minimum/Maximum participants: 15/30

Objectives:  After participating in this session participants should be able to:

• Understand emotional intelligence and why it is important to personal and professional success.
• Recognize five competencies you can work on to increase your level of emotional intelligence.
• Listen to and employ emotions for better decision making.

Getting Results with SMART Goals

Course description:  Successful managers begin the planning process with the organizations vision and goals, and end up with specific plans to achieve those visions and goals.  SMART goals are critical as well as:  specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. This session will allow participants to review their goal setting skills so they can identify specific action steps, accountabilities and time lines for their department as well as personal goals. We will then drive those goals home further through the skill of delegation.

Vendor:  ATW Training & Consulting, Inc.
Length:  ½ day or full day
Minimum/Maximum participants: 15/30

Objectives:  After participating in this session participants should be able to:

• Identify the key characteristics of effective goal setting.
• Utilize the SMART approach in setting goals.
• Strategize how to help employees set personal goals.
• Review the delegation model to help you and your employees achieve results.

Helping Your Team More Move from Good to Great

Course description:  In his best-selling book, Good to Great, Jim Collins talks about what differentiates good companies from great companies. In this session we will review those principles and apply them to your organization and more specifically the teams being led. In this interactive, thought-provoking session, participants will have an opportunity to review their current status and determine what actions they can take to move from good to great.

Vendor:  ATW Training & Consulting, Inc.
Length:  ½ day or full day
Minimum/Maximum participants: 15/30

Objectives:  During this session we will:

• Discuss the difference between good companies and leaders and great companies and leaders.
• Review five key principles to help any team move from good to great.
• Take time to develop specific initiatives to immediately implement and begin the journey from good to great.

Hiring the Best:  Interviewing

Course description:   Matching the right person with the right job should be more than a guess or hunch, and should involve more than a casual discussion about similar interests. Interviewing is a key role of managers as they build a successful team. This session, based on the award winning video and book, "More Than a Gut Feeling," introduces the concept of behavior-based interviewing and the belief that the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Participants will learn the behavioral approach to interviewing, which will help them identify the right candidate for the job.

Vendor:  ATW Training & Consulting, Inc.
Length:  ½ day or full day
Minimum/Maximum participants: 15/30

Objectives:  After participating in this session, participants will understand:

• How to plan a logical, structured interview that includes pre-planned interview questions
• How to recognize the importance of developing an interview plan based on thorough knowledge of the job
• How to understand that a behavioral example is a specific life-history event that can be used to determine the presence or absence of a skill
• How to use interviewing techniques that allow for interviewer control
• How to explain why it is important to make selection decisions based on facts and information, not on a gut feeling
• How to explain why the concept of "the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior" is so important in the behavioral-based interview process
• How to recognize why some questions cannot be legally asked in the interview process

Managing Different Behavioral Styles

Course description:  Whether you have the official title of manager or not, you probably find yourself managing the efforts of others in several different ways just to get your own work done. Building on what we know about the four DiSC behavioral styles, in this session we will look at how we manage others based on their behavioral style.  Communicating, developing, motivating, and more are the skills we use to manage, but how do we "flex" them based on the style of the person we are managing?

Vendor:  ATW Training & Consulting, Inc.
Length:  ½ or full day
Minimum/Maximum participants: 15/30

Objectives:  After participating in this session participants should be able to:

• Review a people reading process to identify others' behavioral styles.
• Evaluate different strategies for managing different styles.
• Practice the strategies through case studies.

Performance Appraisals: Not Just Another Meeting

Course description:  Managers are expected to multi-task, which often leaves little time for offering employees quality feedback on their performance. However, today's employees want to know if they are meeting expectations through timely, straightforward feedback on a regular basis. In this session we will evaluate performance standards to use with each employee, discover how to prepare for on-going performance discussions, and learn to apply a feedback model for positive and constructive feedback.

Vendor:  ATW Training & Consulting, Inc.
Length:  ½ day or full day
Minimum/Maximum participants: 15/30

Objectives:  After participating in this session participants should be able to:

• Prepare for a positive and constructive performance appraisal
• Eliminate personal bias
• Be specific and candid
• Build on the employee's strengths to improve performance
• Revise the job description to meet the organization's and the employee's needs
• Evaluate your own performance as a manager

Role of the Manager

Course description:  What skills do you rely on to be a successful manager? What obstacles are you encountering that are keeping you from reaching your potential as a top-notch manager? In this session we will discuss what the role of the manger necessitates, determine how participants fit into the organization's big picture, and learn how to establish credibility with their team as their manager.

Vendor:  ATW Training & Consulting, Inc.
Length:  ½ or full day
Minimum/Maximum participants: 15/30

Objectives:  After participating in this session participants should be able to:

• Understand the issues involved in moving from "Buddy to Boss"
• Know the difference between management and leadership
• Determine when to be a supportive manager and when to be a directive leader
• Utilize the 5 principles for becoming a successful manager.

Coaching for Improved Work Performance

Content:  Are you effectively coaching your team members? Do you encourage them to accomplish more than they ever imagined possible? As a manager, you have numerous daily opportunities to help your team members learn tasks, develop skills, acquire knowledge, and much more. In this session we will determine what motivates people to learn, discover how to create a learning environment that encourages growth, and understand how to provide honest, accurate, and timely feedback to employees.

Vendor:  ATW Training & Consulting, Inc.
Length:  ½ day, full day or two day session
Minimum/Maximum participants: 15/30

Objectives:  After participating in this session participants should be able to:

• Identify the benefits of successful coaching for leaders, employees and others.
• Learn the 5 Step COACHing Process.
• Practice using the COACHing Process through real-life coaching situations.
• Take a Coaching Effectiveness Profile to determine current coaching effectiveness.
• Utilize the 7 critical skills needed to be an effective coach.

Identifying the Leader Within You

Course description:  There is a specific model to lead people that results in the highest levels of commitment. We call this model the Five Levels of Leadership^TM. The Five Levels of Leadership^TM provides a path that demonstrates which leadership behaviors need to be focused on and when. Most leaders spend exorbitant amounts of time leading efforts and initiatives, but do not have the full commitment from those they are leading. The reason behind this dilemma, and what you can do about it, is captured in the Five Levels of Leadership^TM.

Vendor:  ATW Training & Consulting, Inc.
Length:  ½, full day and two day
Minimum/Maximum participants: 15/30

Objectives:  After participating in this session participants should be able to:

• Gain commitment from everyone they work with regardless of their title.
• Lead with integrity and earn the respect of co-workers while getting the job done.
• Evaluate workplace relationships for maximum productivity.
• Develop others on their team to become leaders.

Situational Leadership II an Introduction

Course description:  Ken Blanchard's Situational Leadership® II is the most comprehensive, up-to-date, and practical method of effectively managing and developing people, time, and resources in the world. SLII® is a proven model and a set of tools for opening up communication and helping others develop self-reliance.  The program is designed to increase the frequency and quality of conversations about performance and development between managers and the people they work with so competence is developed, commitment is gained, and talented individuals are retained. An Introduction to SLII® will get you started on the path of becoming a Situational Leader who can effectively deal with challenges.  The Introduction focuses on the first two (of three) skills of a Situational Leader: Diagnosis and Flexibility.

Vendor:  ATW Training & Consulting, Inc.
Length:  ½ day, full day and two day
Minimum/Maximum participants: 15/30

Objectives:  After participating in this session participants should be able to:

• Diagnose others' development levels and choose the appropriate leadership style for the situation.
• Understand the negative impact of over supervision and under supervision on performance and morale.
• Utilize a common language for coaching and developing others.

  
To inquire about the vendor services, please call 515-294-4800 or email us at hrslandd@iastate.edu.