If you have recently been promoted to a supervisory or management position or want to learn how to become a more effective manager, this course will help you master the basics of business by learning the language of management.
You will learn how to make a successful transition from employee to manager and you will learn how to manage your time so that you can deal with the constant demands of a managerial job.
You will learn the skills required to delegate responsibility and motivate your employees. A large part of a manager's job involves getting things done through other people, and this course will help you understand how to influence and direct other people's performance.
Finally, you will learn how to solve problems and resolve conflicts so you can accomplish your job more effectively.
Patricia Addesso has worked for over 20 years in retail, academic and telecommunications organizations. She has a doctorate in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and well-grounded in the theory of human behavior at work. In addition, she has held management positions in three companies, and thus "speaks the language" of upper management. This blend of the theoretical and the practical is the hallmark of her consulting style. Dr. Addesso's specialty is organization development and team building. She has been involved in managing mergers, acquisitions, and other large-scale organizational changes, and is currently involved in projects such as strategic planning and personality assessments.
The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.
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Lesson 1
How has management theory evolved over the last 100 years? In this lesson, we'll take a fascinating glimpse back into the days of assembly lines and scientific management. Why did we need managers in the first place? We'll look at the ways organizations are structured and describe managerial jobs in terms of the technical and managerial tasks that are performed.
Lesson 2
Let's see if we can identify the characteristics of a typical supervisor's day, as well as ways that we can handle the challenges that day. We'll talk about ways to make the supervisor's path smoother, such as empowerment and communication. We'll also go over some helpful hints on managing your image as a supervisor in your organization. How does one begin to think, act, and look like a manager?
Lesson 3
Is leadership distinct from management? Do you have what it takes to be a leader, or are you cut out to be just a manager? In this lesson, we'll look at the evolution of leadership research and begin to discuss the fascinating field of motivation. Believe it or not, a good leader can build motivation right into the design of a job.
Lesson 4
In this lesson, we'll look at the ways a supervisor can handle the challenges of delegation, performance management, and time management. Once we understand the challenges of the typical day, we can certainly understand the importance of time management to a supervisor! In this lesson, we'll identify time-wasters and time-savers.
Lesson 5
Time to really dig into the topic dear to many managers' hearts-motivation! In this lesson, we'll clarify what managers need to understand about human motivation, and help you to understand the links between motivation and productivity.
Lesson 6
Motivational theories are great as long as they truly help you to manage people at work every day. We'll look closely at four theories that pass that test in this lesson: Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Herzberg's two-factor theory of motivation, the three levels of human need in Alderfer's theory, and the three needs outlined by McClelland.
Lesson 7
Do you believe that people naturally want to do a good job? Or are people lazy by nature and need to be watched? In this lesson, find out if you're a Theory X or a Theory Y-type of manager. There self-fulfilling prophecies to each of those beliefs, and we'll go over both in this lesson. We'll also discuss goal-setting theory, management by objectives, and the various types of conflict you may meet when motivating people.
Lesson 8
In this lesson, we'll define two more very practical and influential motivational theories; Equity theory and expectancy theory. Then we'll wrap up our theoretical discussion by making sure we understand the importance of creating a motivational environment.
Lesson 9
Now comes the hard part-when real life doesn't work out they way the theories told us it should. What happens when conflict arises? We're going to talk about conflict and conflict resolution in this lesson. We'll include specific techniques of negotiation, a particular type of conflict management.
Lesson 10
We'll broaden our thinking a bit in this lesson: We've been looking a lot at individuals, but what about conflict and problem-solving in work groups? In this lesson, we'll identify means of solving conflict between groups. We'll also learn a problem-solving model that is useful in work and in life!
Lesson 11
In this lesson, we'll continue to explore the problem-solving model introduced in Lesson 10 by talking about the importance of establishing objectives, generating alternatives, and choosing a solution.
Lesson 12
Lesson 12 concludes the problem-solving model by explaining the importance of having a plan of action, and giving you the tools you need to carry the plan through to completion. We'll conclude by taking a final look at the conflict that can arise while solving problems and completing action plans, and the appropriate use of power to solve some conflict.
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