Managing People for Peak Performance

“Professional Dialogues that Challenge and Reframe” or  “Perceptions on the Role of the Manager”

Professionals from varied industries and numerous locations attended a Complete Management Courses, in sunny Barcelona; sponsored by AZTech Training & Consultancy.  It was fitting that as we were ever increasingly immersed in global activity and diversity that we should see so many cultures represented. Delegates traveled in from Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Senegal, Pakistan and Angola to learn key techniques for effective management. Some were new to management whilst others attended merely to rejuvenate their thinking and reflect on their experience and current practice.

Central to this programme was the notion that you cannot succeed in management without first managing yourself. Consequently, a good deal of time was devoted to examining personality and management style preferences and how these behaviours impacts the performance of others.

Traditionally, management functions have been seen through four key dimensions, Planning, Controlling, Directing and Organisation and these are given due consideration throughout the week. However, researchers now argue that in the turbulent times of the 21^st century, we need to redefine the role of manager to fit with the necessity of the current economic environment.

Firstly, it is argued, that managers must seek to capture the “hearts and minds” of their people to truly engage them in their role.  An “engaged” employee is defined as one who is fully absorbed by and enthusiastic about their work and so takes positive action to further the organization’s reputation and interests.  This is a key concern for all who supervise and especially those new to the role. Managers of great experience can employ tactics from their repertoire of tacit wisdom, but for newly appointed and aspiring managers it is a real challenge to contemplate. It is therefore fortunate to witness the varied background and cultures of the current delegates and the delicate interplay of their ideas in discussions.

A second argument currently debated at a theoretical and pragmatic level, is that we should no longer split the terms leadership and management, since both are interdependent. The modern managers, manages and leads, so the “Complete Manager” is one who practises “managerial leader”. It is a term that delegates can explore and relate to their own work challenges.

Good management is the foundation that underpins successful organisations and this programme does not ignore the traditional skills associated in building this outcome. However, it does seek to promote “managerial leaders”, who will build relationships, develop human potential and foster collaborative practice. Only through such measures can employees be truly engaged with their employer.

The intention of the week-long programme is to both educate and entertain the delegates, but throughout there is a constant focus on the pragmatic application of the learning. A variety of themes are discussed and explored in depth including:

• Evaluating self and management style through psychometric assessment
• Respecting diversity and its positive outcomes and managing people as individual
• Relationship Awareness techniques. to prevent and manage conflict
• Diagnostic tools to appraise performance
• Creating a culture of creative problem solving and continuous improvement
• Accentuating the positive to eliminate the negative

Paramount to the programme closure is the development of a powerful “action plan” agenda to transform the professional practice of the delegate. If this sounds of interest to you check out AZTech Training; a leading international provider of training courses, training seminars, workshops, programs, conferences, and in-house training. 

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