Core Skills in Management and Supervision

You don't have to follow links out of the following sections:

- - - Problem Solving and Decision Making
- - - Planning
- - - Delegation
- - - Basics of Internal Communications
- - - Meeting Management
- - - Managing Yourself

Optional Readings -- Broad Context of

Management
Management (an Introduction) -- particularly the sections:
- - - Basics -- Definitions (and Misinterpretations) in Management
- - - "Leading" Versus "Managing" (read at least 6 articles)
- - - Very Brief History of Management in U.S. (scientific, bureaucratic and human
relations)
- - - Current Theories in Management (read contingency, systems and chaos theories)
- - - Various Styles of Management (read XYZ, east and west styles, and life cycles)
- - - New Paradigm in Management (driving forces and traits of new paradigm)

Optional Readings -- Broad Context of

Leadership
Leadership (an Introduction) -- particularly the sections:
- - - Gaining Broad Perspective on Leadership
- - - - - - One Definition of Leadership
- - - - - - Leadership Theories
- - - - - - Leadership Styles
- - - - - - Emerging Trends in Leadership
- - - Is Leading Different than Managing? (pros and cons of this debate)
- - - Suggested Competencies for Effective Leadership in Organizations
- - - - - - Leading Yourself
- - - - - - Core Competencies for Leading Others
- - - - - - Leading People -- Other Individuals
- - - - - - Leading People -- In Groups
- - - - - - Leading People -- Organization-Wide

SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR REFLECTION AND

DISCUSSION
• Learners are strongly encouraged to discuss the following questions with
peers, board members, management and employees, as appropriate.

Problem Solving and Decision Making

 For assistance in answering the following questions, see Problem Solving and
Decision Making.

1. What are the seven steps to problem solving and decision making (as presented in
your materials for review)? Describe what occurs in each step.

2. How do you typically solve problems? Do you have a standardized way of solving
problems, that is, a method that you use? How do you know that your approach is
effective?

3. Think of several major problems that you faced over the past three months. Where
did you struggle when solving the problem?

4. As your business grows, the types of problems that you'll face will become more
demanding and complex. What can you do to be more careful about how you will
solve problems and make decisions?

5. What problems might you foresee in applying the seven steps presented in your
materials for review?

Basics of Planning
• For assistance in answering the following questions, see Planning.

1. Describe each of the following terms: Goals. Objectives. Strategies. Resources.

Budgets.

2. What are the eight steps in the typical, basic planning process (as presented in your
materials for review?

3. Who should be involved in planning a particular effort?

4. What does the acronym "SMARTER" stand for, that is, what does each letter
represent?

5. How can you build in accountability to your planning processes?

6. What should be evaluated when evaluating a planning process?

7. Where is the "real treasure" during planning? HINT: Fill in the blank "the real
treasure of planning is the planning _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ".

8. What is the frequently missing step in the planning process?

Delegation
• For assistance in answering the following questions, see Delegation.

1. What is delegation?
2. What are some benefits of delegation?

3. Why is it sometimes difficult for managers to learn to delegate?

4. What are the nine steps to delegation (as listed in your materials for review)?

5. What might you foresee as your biggest challenge to learning how to delegate?
Delegation is a critical skill in the effective management of organizations. What can
you do to start overcoming these challenge(s)?

Basics of Internal Communications

• For assistance in answering the following questions, see Basics of Internal
Communications.

1. What should be included in status reports (according to the materials for review)?
How often should status reports be shared and with whom? Your wishes may disagree
with those asserted in the materials for review. That's fine -- just be able to specify
your own terms for status reports, including what's in them, what's in them, how often
they are shared with with whom.

2. What might you include in regular monthly meetings with all of your employees in
attendance? Do you agree that you should have regular meetings with all employees
in attendance? If not, then how will you really ensure that employees are aware of
activities in the organization? Do they know now? Are you really sure? Seriously
consider holding regular meetings. These meetings can go a long way toward building
a strong sense of community and ensuring effective communications throughout the
organization.

3. How do you ensure that all key employees are aware of important information and
activities in the organization? As noted in the materials for review, new managers and
supervisors often assume that everyone else knows what they know. This is a mistake.
Seriously consider holding regular meetings with key staff. Don't just rely on good
intentions to communicate or "working harder to communicate". Actually make some
changes in policies and procedures to ensure effective communications.

Meeting Management
• For assistance in answering the following questions, see Meeting
Management.

1. How can you ensure that the right people are included in your meetings?

2. What's the best way to design an agenda (according to the materials for review)?

3. What kinds of activities should be included in the opening of a meeting?

4. What is the purpose of groundrules for a meeting. How can they be developed?
5. What are some ideas to ensure that meeting time is managed as effectively as
possible?

6. How can you evaluate the meeting process? How can you evaluate results of the
overall meeting process?

7. What activities are including when closing a meeting?

8. What challenges do you see in implementing the meeting-management

recommendations in the materials for review? What do you dislike about meetings?
What do you like? What are you hearing from others about the quality of the meetings
in your organization? What can you do to make your meetings more effective?