Starting situation
The client, an international industrial group with various locations across Germany and Europe, wished for selected junior managers to be prepared for their management tasks and for them to develop a personal understanding of their role as managers.
The starting point is a development center for an ad hoc analysis of personal strengths and development fields. A subsequent training program – lasting 18 months and consisting of four modules – conveyed to participants the basics of management. A day of practical implementation between each of the modules allowed them to transfer this know-how.
The four modules
The content structure of the four modules – “Motivating and mentoring”, “Organizing and decision-making”, “Controlling and coordinating” and “Conflict management and change management” – is geared towards different management roles from which specific requirements and tasks are derived.
Module 1: Motivating and mentoring:
Motivation models, bases of active communication, interaction techniques (active listening, open-ended questions, feedback, non-directive discussions), management style and approach, reflection on personal understanding of management. Deriving a personal management agenda with objectives for the new management position.
Module 2: Organizing and decision-making:
Time management, target system and target agreement, target formulation (SMART formula), personal decision-making abilities, recognizing and dealing with employee expectations. Practical exercises with challenging targets for individual employee types.
Module 3: Controlling and coordinating:
Basic elements of delegation, “the employee appraisal”, constructive criticism, management through securing results and modulating targets, monitoring targets, disciplinary measures. Case examples: Managing productive team meetings, conducting employee appraisals.
Module 4: Conflict management and change management
Causes of conflicts in organizations, viewing conflict as an opportunity, the Harvard concept, mediation, dealing with resistance, 4-room model, stages of a change process, the learning organization. Collecting information on real-life conflict situations in advance with a view to preparing case examples.