Management Training – Page 40 – STL

How we help organisations improve team performance

As part of our portfolio of management training courses, STL offers a Team Performance Management Course to a wide range of organisations, from IT and Banking to Sporting Facilities and TV Stations.

Their HR/Learning and Development departments select this course because they have identified a clear need within their organisation for managers to be able to manage the performance of teams successfully.

A truly effective performance management system supports the alignment of organisational goals/objectives with those of its respective functions, departments, teams and individual employees.

The course is suitable for those with a responsibility for managing the performance of teams and those aiming to transition into a people management position.

Lastly, for those interested in understanding how a performance management system can work to build the effectiveness and productivity of teams.

At the end of this one day workshop, delegates will have gained the skills necessary to positively resolve performance issues and to use those skills to build further managerial credibility.

team performance management — Assertiveness course can help team performance and dynamics

Benefits

They want their managers to employ techniques and strategies to:

Understand the purpose and benefits of a team performance management system within an organisation
Discover what motivates performance (individual and team motivation techniques)
Be familiar with the range of both formal and informal conversations (annual appraisal, performance review, one to ones) which may need to be in place
Know to how to agree practical and meaningful objectives for teams which are aligned to those of the organisation and, from which, effective individual objectives can be developed.
Identify development opportunities
Provide clear and confident feedback
Determine the causes of under-performance in teams
Resolve team disagreements constructively using an assertive approach
Improve their listening and negotiation skills

Learning Deliverables for Managers

This Team Performance Management course blends theory and practice to great effect, so the learning is embedded. People learn in different ways, so once a topic has been introduced there will be time for group discussion, where ideas, experiences and real-life situations can be shared. Following this, there is always a practical exercise when delegates get to work together and apply the skills, techniques and top tips provided in a safe environment.

One of the biggest benefits of the course is that we have several delegates from a wide range of different industries all openly sharing their hopes, experiences and challenges around the world of performance management.

It’s very reassuring to know that other people, no matter where they work, face the same sort of issues that you do in this area. So, let’s share our ideas and experiences for everyone’s benefit.

The areas of the course which frequently provide the most ‘light bulb’ moments are:

The realisation that every organisation needs to have a performance management framework in place
The importance of effective teams to the overall success of an organisation and the value a performance management system can bring to help achieve this.
The need to ensure team objectives are aligned to those of the organisation and to the individual ones each employee strives to complete.
If done correctly, performance management can be an incredibly beneficial process for all concerned, not just a ‘box ticking’ or ‘paper shuffling’ exercise that needs to happen once a year to annoy everyone when they are really busy
It’s everybody or nobody – everyone needs to have their performance managed!
The importance of agreeing meaningful objectives – give people something to achieve (stretch ‘em but don’t stress ‘em)!
How to give people effective feedback whilst keeping emotions out of the conversation
The ability to address areas of under-performance positively, constructively and respectfully whilst avoiding the perception of blame or accusation in the mind of the recipient
Adopting a more assertive approach to all interactions when managing performance, particularly when someone does not agree with what you are telling them

Trainer Comments

As a trainer, facilitating a Performance Management course is always an enjoyable experience. With 80% focused on practical exercises and discussions, delegates emerge with a newfound confidence in their performance management skills and often form lasting connections with peers from whom they will have learnt to see their activities and challenges through a new lens.

Delegate Comments

“Excellent. Good to review practice and develop new techniques..”

“Very live and interactive session. Trainer responded well to ‘work experience’ and relating this to using the material on course to ‘solve’ the problem. Very solution focused, honest and kept expectations at the right level. Have already used session on LAMA at work this week.”

Finally…

As a trainer, I have delivered many workshops covering this topic and over the years, I have found that most organisations (but not all) do have a performance management system in place.

The complexities and technical aspects of performance management processes can vary greatly from industry to industry and company to company, but one thing that will never change is the people skills required to make it work.

At the end of the course, when delegates are shaking my hand and thanking me for a great day, I like to think that once again, I’ve helped them all to be more effective and productive in this area.

Sadly, in some companies, the culture of the workplace means that performance management is perceived by some as a once a year, waste of time box ticking ordeal, but for me they are missing the point entirely.

Good team performance management has one simple goal: to help teams to be the best they can be!

As one of the UK’s leading soft skills training providers, we offer a wide range of management training solutions and management training programs to help managers achieve their performance goals.

New Managers need to learn and develop certain skills if they are to be successful when leading others and to ensure they help nurture improved productivity, efficiency and performance from their team.

Attending an Introduction to Management training course (part of our management training courses London) would be a useful method to up-skill new Managers and give them more confidence to do their job more effectively.

This article will explore three essential skills that are key for new Managers:

Delegation

New Managers sometimes feel like they need to do everything and struggle to delegate tasks. They might also feel that it will take longer to explain to someone else how to complete a task so it is quicker to do it themselves. This can sometimes be true but the art of delegation is an essential skill that all new Managers need to master.

Just like in sports Managers should try to get the right players in the right positions. When delegating a task try to learn the strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes of your team members and where possible allocate tasks to team members that match their strengths and preferences.

When delegating it is also key to give clear instructions and double check the other person understands what is expected of them. Therefore new Managers should ensure that they use good listening skills to check understanding.

How to give and receive feedback

The ability to create an open feedback culture in your team and be able to give and receive feedback in a clear and professional manner is of upmost importance to new Managers but also for Professionals of any level. As the saying goes “Feedback is a gift and not an attack!”

There are two main types of feedback – constructive (negative) and reinforcing (positive). Some Managers are too worried to give their staff feedback so they only do it once each year in their annual appraisal. Feedback should be constant. Some Managers also only give constructive or negative feedback as opposed to reinforcing (positive) feedback. This is definitely a great way to demotivate your staff!

Feedback should be timely – meaning that if a Manager notices an opportunity to give feedback to their team on performance it should preferably happen within 24 hours and clearly face-to-face communication is the best method. New Managers should also give a healthy balance of both constructive and reinforcing feedback.

To be a great Manager it is also important to be open to feedback not only from your Manager but also from the staff that work for you. Instead of seeing feedback as criticism you should be hungry to get it from others to help you improve your skills and become a better Manager. This requires a high level of Emotional Intelligence – to learn more about the wide field of EI and how it links to feedback take a look at our Emotional Intelligence training London.

Organisational Skills

Strong organisation skills are important for new Managers so they are able to manage their own time effectively but also to ensure that they spend enough face-to-face time with their team. It is very common for new Managers to feel overwhelmed due to having to both manage their own workload and find time to manage their subordinates.

Time Management techniques such as having clear goals, writing a regular things-to-do-list, reducing distractions and staying focused are useful for new Managers to optimise their time through strong organisational skills.

You might wish to attend a training course to improve your organisational skills. Many books on Management and Leadership say that in order to be a good Manager or Leader the first step is self-management – meaning having strong self-awareness and being able to manage your own time and emotions effectively.