Delivering effective management training

In a decade of partnership with a major utilities company we have developed programmes that produce well-rounded managers

The brief

We have been a contracted provider of services to a major utilities company since 1999.

The challenges

Over the last decade we have been called on to deliver a range of programmes, from personal skills training to culture change initiatives.The People Managers’ Toolkit grew out of the ‘Ucan’ culture change initiative.

The solution

The People Managers’ Toolkit has evolved over the last 10 years,and today it is a modular programme with three modules that each last two days. Between them they cover the key skills and behaviours required of managers.

The execution

This day is the introduction to the programme. Participants come together to understand the aim and objectives of the programme; explore the Learning Cycle and how adults learn; examine their own preferred learning style.

Module 1 –Team Leadership

This module explores the behaviours required of leaders within the organisation. Participants learn about team roles, motivation, delegation and setting SMART objectives.

Module 2 –Effective Communication

This focuses on the generic communication skills required of leaders; how to handle emotion in the workplace, and practical case studies using professional actors in the role of the employee.

Module 3 –Moving Forward

This module builds on the previous ones but focuses on managing change, influencing and negotiation and handling conflict.

A Policy and Procedures Day

This day, run by the client, informs participants of the key HR policies and procedures and the manager’s role and responsibilities in these areas. This day precedes Module 2 where the case studies require the managers to deal with some issues around these procedures during the case study exercise.

The verdict

The verdict Working together with the client in this way has produced a rounded programme that gives participants the key skills and knowledge required for them to manage their staff effectively.

• The use of professional actors has added value to the programmes and to the delegate’s learning by bringing an element of realism into the practice sessions
• Delegates clearly take the practice more seriously, and therefore work much harder on the preparation and application of the case study because they are going to be interviewing a “real” person
• The actors are trained to respond to the delegates according to how they manage the interview. They demonstrate emotion better than any delegate because of their professional expertise
• This has proven to be valuable experience for the delegates, who say it feels like a real situation
• One of the training programmes we designed –the Manager’s Role in Reducing Stress –resulted in the client receiving a National ‘Excellence in Training’ Award (large company category) from the Energy & Utility Sector Skills Council