BETTER BUSINESS: Management Basics

Key Takeaways:

– Identifying the common pitfalls of management
– Learning techniques to improve the results given by your team
– Observing ways to designate tasks and goals so that stress is reduced
– Identifying ways to deliver assignments and when to choose each way

Course Description

The aim of this course is to provide skills and strategies that make management easier. There are countless ways that management can be an issue. Perhaps you have been called a micro-manager, have been frequently criticized, have not seen the results you want, struggle to motivate your team, or maybe you find that your entire day is spent in meetings and dealing with others, while your work piles up. In any case, this course will focus on techniques designed to make everyday easier, such as ones for goal setting, assigning tasks, giving feedback, and monitoring work. Management is not a set checklist of tasks to ensure success, which is why it can be helpful to have some guidance.

We will first distinguish management from leadership, as those two terms are often grouped or confused. Both need each other to provide overall success, but reliance on one can be fatal. As you will see, there are pros and cons to leadership and management, but when used together in the right ways they prove to be miraculous. For instance, the attributes of leadership identified in this course play a significant role in setting goals. Goals can be the biggest motivation or do absolutely nothing, which is why we will focus on what makes goals SMART.

From there, we will proceed to discuss strategies to ensure that there is no drama when you give out assignments. It is clear that there is no one-size-fits-all form of management. Rather, you will learn about and when to use the four general categories of management: directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating. Often, there are micro-managers and seagull managers (accurately named for swooping in, dumping on everyone, and swooping out), and both lose motivation and productivity fast. This is why we will also discuss ways to avoid becoming and overcome these management types. Lastly, we will offer guidance on the more personal sides of management, being feedback, priorities, and monitoring. It’s not easy to be someone’s boss, do your own work, and ensure the work given to you is high quality. Likely, this is the hardest part of the job. Our hope with this course is to supply you with the skills to overcome these hurdles in your path. By implementing animated videos, quizzes, and takeaway resources, we have designed this course to help you become the best manager that you can be.