If you are on your way to becoming a new manager or would like to learn the fundamentals of how to become a better manager then this will be the ideal course for you. This course will focus on the essential requirements needed to execute managing for the first time if you are a newly qualified manager and will also allow you to gain knowledge of the skills needed for leading a new team effectively if you are a newly promoted manager.

Total Success is well renowned for our management training courses as we cater to all levels of management. We are able to design courses for specific needs, whether it be improving management skills or providing management refresher training.

Why should your staff work from home?

In any business proposition the relative benefits must outweigh the risks. Yes, there will be changes to your organisations current methods of working but a realistic assessment of the benefits may cancel out the fear of change. Remember the words of Thomas Edison:

‘Opportunity is missed by most people because
it is dressed in overalls and looks like work’

1. In a recent survey commissioned by Lloyds TSB found that 7 out of 10 respondents acknowledged that they would be more motivated if their employer offered flexible working.
2. Lower/no paper costs
3. You could employ less support staff
4. Managers become better people managers
5. Lower capital costs e.g. vehicle, office space, power, equipment
6. People are easier to manage if basic principles are set in place and followed through
7. Your staff will be able to manage their own time better and be far more effective
8. No commuting
9. Staff morale is higher
10. More able people e.g. women will have access to the market place than ever before

Distance Management – Managing home-based staff

One of the biggest problems for the home based manager is the fact that they cannot physically see what is going on around them. Many managers have grown up with the comfort zone of having all of their workers laid out in front of them to be inspected and questioned if problems occur. These types of manager felt in control because they ruled all which lay before them, when in reality they were in no greater control than the home-based manager because staff can always find ways of doing what they want whether you’re there or not.

One of the basic needs of any worker is to know that they are in full control of the situation, but many home-based managers find themselves in situations of having many more staff than previously and it would be unrealistic for them to think that they must know what each of them is doing 24 hours a day. You must now look to a situation of trusting your staff to do the jobs they are paid to do whilst you still train, motivate and develop them. To do this effectively means you must have an effective reporting procedure that both sides feel comfortable with.

Many managers are concerned about the unknown aspects of managing a team of home workers. A loss of control over daily tasks is a fear expressed by new managers to the role. Many fall into the role by looking for things to control. They feel in control if all their staff are visibly placed in front of them and will rely on formal and informal communication to gather the information they feel they need. This flow of information can compensate for large gaps in good management practises. They are either incapable or unwilling to implement workable structures and procedures to ensure the work is done correctly.

Managing staff at a distance

It is important to recognise the most suitable characteristics which managers should be recruited for or possess before entering this type of role. The first requisite is the willingness to contribute to the scheme and make it work. A job function as distance management carries with it many unknowns and it is essential to have a leader/ champion of the project to give it an upward stability and momentum: the main characteristics which managers should possess are:

• An ability to make the right decisions
• Trust in their staff
• Ability to set clear goals and objectives
• A willingness to delegate responsibility and follow it through
• Project management/planning skills; for scheduling and time tabling work
• Good communication skills
• Good at motivating staff and encouraging independence/initiative
• Flexibility about time use-even under conventional office structures
• Assessing performance and giving constructive feedback
• Results orientated rather than control orientated

The relationship between manger and home worker is different to the conventional office based worker. The manager here must initiate a higher level of trust between themselves and their team members for it to work successfully, a lack of trust even when staff are highly experienced and qualified can lead to resentment and de-motivation. This means acquiring new skills and becoming a better manager of people than of processes.

The setting of objectives becomes much more important and people must think very carefully of what they want their staff to do, how they deliver the information and what the implications are of any course directives given.

Managers may have to act as a vital link between members of the new workforce and also the bridge between them and the core organisation. The manager has also to give more support than previously offered in an office environment.

The new processes can quickly show up a manager’s deficiencies and weakness which is why they need a support programme as the workers themselves.

For the process to work it is essential that manager undergo training to develop the skills needed on a regular basis to reinforce the best practices.

An element of the training should include a training needs analysis so benchmarks can be set and progress regularly monitored. This will help in the evaluation of the scheme and the right practises for future training and focus.

The New Manager 2 Day Course

The course consists of a series of six modules which are taught over the two days. After each session delegates will be given work assignments and post-course action plans which reinforce the skills and techniques taught on each session. Each assignment is designed to be reviewed after one month with the delegate’s line manager so the knowledge gained is assessed and analysed.

Each module comes with its own set of notes and follow up exercises and builds into a portfolio of management skills.

Course Dates

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Who will benefit from the course?

This training programme equips delegates with the necessary skills and techniques to manage their team and perform to the best of their abilities.

• It allows delegates, in a risk free environment, to understand the essential processes of good communication.
• It enables delegates to fully understand the key processes of effective delegation and motivation.
• It gives the tools necessary to be able to take responsibility in a number of situations, ranging from simple to very complex.
• This allows delegates to see the benefits of informed decision making and taking action versus procrastination and indecision.

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