Leadership Skills Development Program

The program is adapted and adjusted according to the needs of a specific company!

Before starting the program, we recommend that managers be assessed using the 360-degree method, receiving individual feedback on strengths and areas for development.

Goals

• to gain knowledge and understanding of the role and responsibility of a manager, work challenges, and the most effective management tools;

• to develop and strengthen the competencies necessary for ensuring the operational activities of managers;

• to increase the ability to communicate effectively and lead a team by company goals;

• to increase personal effectiveness in the context of time planning and emotion management;

• to strengthen self-confidence and help to realize one's strengths.

Working method

The program is designed as a set of practical and theoretical insights. It consists of interactive mini-lectures, analytical discussions, illustrative tasks, role-playing games, and practical exercises. It is recommended to plan a 1.5-2 week interval between sessions. At the end of each session, participants receive homework, which gives them the opportunity and time to apply the acquired knowledge in their daily work life and evaluate the changes. Each subsequent session begins with feedback on homework (what worked, what didn’t), an exchange of experience with colleagues, feedback from the instructor and recommendations.

Target audience

Managers of all levels, and specialists who need to develop and strengthen leadership and team management competencies.

Program

Session 1: The role, responsibility and challenges of a manager

• Managing people in the past and today: how has the understanding of employee management changed over time?

• The role of a manager in a structural unit and company: What does the company expect from a manager? What do employees expect?

• Management styles. The image of a manager and its importance in the eyes of employees;

• Manager-specialist: main differences in thinking and skills;

• Mutual perception, expectations and concerns of managers and subordinates;

• A manager as an example for his employees;

• Important skills and competencies for a manager.

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Session 2: Communication and interaction in a manager's daily work

• The importance of manager's communication in working with subordinates;

• The manager's responsibility for communication with employees;

• The manager as a positive example in a communication culture;

• The importance of regular communication;

• Rational and emotional communication;

• Verbal and non-verbal communication tools;

• Word choice for effective communication;

• The most typical mistakes in a manager's communication.

Session 3: Work planning, delegation, control

• The role of a manager in managing the work process: planning, delegation, control;

• The importance of planning in human productivity and work results;

• Goal-setting - formulating one's own and subordinates' work tasks;

• Prioritization. Priority matrix;

• The simplest type of planning and its impact on human productivity;

• The main principles of operational efficiency. Rule 20/80. When to perform unpleasant tasks? How far ahead should you plan? How many hours of the working day can be planned?

• Time thieves' top;

• Long-term and short-term planning;

• Delegation and empowerment - how to make the most of an employee's abilities;

• Monitoring and controlling work performance;

• Performance evaluation - has the planned result been achieved?

Session 4: Team building

• A team as a set of different personalities;

• The importance of trust in team cooperation;

• Team cooperation models and role distribution;

• The importance of manager's communication and responsibility in working with subordinates;

• A manager as a positive example in communication culture and promoting cooperation;

• The importance of regular communication;

• The structure of an effective 1:1 meeting with an employee;

• Various aspects and tools of communication - rational and emotional, verbal and non-verbal. Impact on the quality of mutual communication;

• Word choice for effective communication and building team spirit;

• The most typical mistakes in manager communication.

Session 5: Feedback in work performance

• The essence and importance of feedback in achieving results, building relationships and developing employees;

• Feedback as a daily tool for a manager;

• Golden rules for giving and receiving feedback;

• The proportion of feedback - praising and criticizing;

• Praise as a motivator;

• Giving criticism. How to give negative feedback in a way that motivates an employee to work better;

• Receiving feedback from employees.

Session 6: Motivating employees

• The concept and essence of motivation, the importance of motivation in a manager's everyday life;

• Traditional and modern motivation theories;

• Motivation and motivation: what motivates employees to work;

• What motivates employees to work the way the company wants;

• Basic and growth employee needs;

• Material and non-material motivation;

• Tools/means available to a manager to promote employee motivation;

• Money as a motivator. Truth and Myths;

• The Impact of Generational Differences on Motivation.

Session 7: Managing Emotions at work

• The importance of emotions in life and professional life;

• Basic emotions, and their importance in human life. Diversity of emotions;

• The impact of emotions on productivity, decision-making and relationships;

• Emotional intelligence - understanding one's own and other's emotions;

• Objective self-assessment and emotional stability;

• 3 strategies in emotionally stressful situations;

• How to manage fear, anger and grief - practical recommendations and techniques;

• 5 situations when you should not control emotions;

• Consciously increasing positive emotions.

Session 8: Conflict resolution

• Causes and typology of conflicts, conflict resolution, constructive and destructive conflict;

• What to do with emotions in conflict situations?

• Difficult communication partners - who are they and what to do with them?

• Emotional intelligence in conflict prevention and resolution;

• Tools for successful conflict resolution;

• Understanding needs and strategies and choosing actions;

• Personal resources and challenges in resolving conflicts;

• How to work with an aggressive person. Methods and approaches.

Session 9: Employee selection, building working relationships

• Selection process. Best practice in organizing selection. Differences in person and offline;

• The role and responsibility of the manager in the selection process and decision-making;

• Types of selection interviews - introductory interview, biographical interview, competency-based interview;

• Selection interview training. Open questions, interview structure, qualitative questions about the competencies of a potential employee;

• The process of introducing new employees to work, the manager's responsibility in it:

  - Introduction

  - Work planning, goal setting

  - Establishing communication

  - Teamwork

Session 10: Annual development discussions

• The meaning and potential benefits of the annual discussion process;

• Organizational goals and cascading goals;

• Strategic, tactical and operational goals;

• Structure of the annual negotiation;

• What determines the effectiveness of the annual negotiation;

• Working with positive and negative employee assessments;

• The most common problem situations during the annual negotiation, how to deal with them and how to continue the negotiation;

• Defining development needs and discussing them.

Session 11: Personal effectiveness. Stress management

• Assessing life priorities. Life balance;

• Observing life priorities in the planning process;

• Life balance. What is more important - life or work?

• Stress at work;

• Strategies in stressful situations;

• Methods of coping with and preventing stress;

• Emotions at work - what I feel and what I want to feel;

• Methods of increasing positive emotions at work and in life.

Session 12: Change Management

• Change Management - New Theories

• Why is change so challenging? What does change require of us as leaders;

• The role and responsibility of a leader in managing and implementing change;

• Leader tools and behaviors that support effective change implementation;

• How to help employees understand and accept change;

• How to work with employee resistance and misunderstanding?

• Leader communication during change implementation.