Foundations of Management

This five session program is a highly participative, interactive approach to exploring the challenges of management.  This program is currently offered in collaboration with other Colleges and Universities in RI and is generally held on the Bryant Campus.

Audience: Managers/Supervisors

Program Content

Session 1:  Managerial Responsibilities/Communication and Motivation

This session explores the roles a manager plays, effective and ineffective managerial behaviors, and the common denominators of successful managers.  The role of communication and listening is examined through a series of participative exercises, as is the link between motivation and communication, and the manager’s role and responsibility in harnessing staff motivators.

Session 2:  The Effective Team

Topics include group dynamics, team building and the role of the team leader.  Effective and ineffective styles of team leadership are discussed.  Through an in-class team exercise, participants will have an opportunity to explore the strengths and weaknesses of their team performance and the utilization of key team leader behaviors.

Session 3:  Management Tools

This session focuses on three critical areas: delegation, time management and planning.  Participants will learn the five phases of delegation, and the benefits of and obstacles to delegation are examined through a series of exercises.  A time management assessment helps participants pinpoint individual areas of concern, and solutions to common time problems are presented.  A simple approach to planning is discussed, focusing on key questions managers can utilize in the planning process.

Session 4:  Communicating Criticism and Problem Employees

This session explores the role of productive criticism in the workplace, and the characteristics of effective and ineffective criticism.  Skill assessments help participants pinpoint areas for development.  Participants learn and practice a model for communicating criticism.  Suggestions for communicating with “problem” team members are outlined and discussed.

Session 5:  Effective Goal Setting

This session explores the benefits of goal setting from the perspective of the manager and employee, outlines the role of the manager in the goal setting process, and presents thirteen components of effective goal setting.  An in-class exercise helps participants to develop effective goal statements, creating behavioral, measurable, achievable and results-oriented goals.

Enrollment Process

Human Resources will provide details of the registration process in advance of the program.  Prior to registering, employees should inform their manager or supervisor of their interest in this program and obtain approval to register. This program includes colleagues from other RI Colleges and Universities so seats are limited.

Schedule

This program is typically offered twice during the academic year.