The most important skill in business is the ability to manage people – important to the organisation, so that its objectives are achieved, and important to the individual, so that they maximize their productivity and career progression opportunities. For those who have had little or no formal management training – or who require a refresher – this course is the ideal starting point.

You have likely experienced some form of Office Politics. Working with different personalities, opinions, backgrounds, and values is a challenge in any environment. It is an inevitable fact that when people are working together personalities can and will clash. No one is an island, so working together as a team is incredibly important for the organization and every employee.

Office Politics is about creating and maintaining better relationships. It is about communicating and working with your peers and colleagues in a way that is mutually beneficial. Employees who understand the positive aspects of Office Politics are better team members and end up being more successful and productive.

Training objectives

By the end of the course participants will be better able to:

• Motivate teams and individuals.
• Communicate goals and objectives.
• Delegate effectively
• Develop their teams.
• Deal with poor performance issues
• Define your role and responsibilities and assess how your personal style impacts on individuals.
• Project a more self-confident and professional managerial image.
• Build a cohesive team that works together to achieve objectives.
• Recognize and work with the diversity in your team.
• Delegate tasks to the benefit of individuals.
• Communicate confidently and positively with team members and senior colleagues.
• Deal with people problems quickly, confidently, and professionally.

Participants will leave the course having had an opportunity to practice all these skills and with their own personal action plan to build on. They will return to work with a clearer view of their role and responsibilities, eager to use it as the basis for improving performance and achieving better results.

Course Outline

The keys to effective motivation

• Factors that motivate people
• Key management theories explained
• Minimizing de-motivators
• Using reward and recognition

The keys to effective communication

• ‘Walking the talk’
• Does the organisation’s Mission Statement work?
• Dealing with dissent
• Delivering vision
• Communication case study

• Keys to effective performance management
• Dealing with poor performance
• Standards, objectives, targets, etc
• Delivering difficult messages
• Developing individuals
• Supporting the team
• People Management, Team Development and Delegation
• Leading a team to perform
• Recognizing and appreciating the diversity of work relationships
• Re-assessing the strengths and development areas of the team
• Review of essential delegation skills
• Creative Problem Solving and Managing Difficult People
• Tools for generating and choosing the right solutions to tricky problems
• Conflict situations - how to resolve them
• Strategies for dealing with difficult people
• About Interacting and Influencing
• Dealing with Different Personalities
• Build a Culture of Collaboration
• Be Nice to Everyone (Not Just Those That Can Help You)
• Be a Team Player

    Case Study

    Module Three: Review Questions

    Office Personalities and Politics (I)

• Complainer
• Gossiper
• Bully
• Negative Ned/Nancy
• Case Study
• Review Questions

    Office Personalities and Politics (II)

• Information Keeper
• Know-it-All
• The Apple-Polisher
• Nosey Neighbour

    Case Study

     Review Questions

• Getting Support for Your Projects
• Gain Trust Through Honesty
• Be Assertive
• Blow Your Own Horn
• Make Allies
• Case Study

     Review Questions

• Conflict Resolution
• The Importance of Forgiveness
• Neutralizing Emotions
• The Benefits of a Resolution
• The Agreement Frame