This 2 day course is ideal for Team Leaders and Managers who have had little or no training in the role where they have to lead a team and take on management responsibilities. It will give them confidence and the skills to take decisions and get the best performance from their team.

The most popular of our management training courses, the First Line Management course is specifically for people who are new to a management position or who are about to undertake a management position and have had no formal management training. Anyone who is new to a management or supervisory position will benefit from this course.

Run over two days, the syllabus of the First Line Management course will cover a wide range of topics to give new or inexperienced managers a firm understanding of the foundations needed to begin their journey as a manager. It includes units on effective communication, managing your team, managing yourself, delegating, setting objectives, effective planning and personal development.

Course Syllabus

Module One

Role Assessment and Personal Development Planning

Understanding roles and responsibilities
Outline framework of management
Taking the step into management
Identifying personal development needs and planning

Module Two

Effective Communication Skills

Communicating to be effective - how and what to communicate
Designing effective questioning techniques and listening actively
Non-verbal communication
Dealing with, and responding to, differing communication styles

Module Three

Managing Yourself

Use of planning tools and techniques
Dealing with time stealers and interruptions
Learn how to delegate effectively

Module Four

Managing Your Team

Understanding different management styles and how to use them
Recognising performance management
Setting expectations and clearly defining roles and responsibilities
Pinpointing performance and motivating your team/individuals
Learning the management actions required to maintain team effectiveness
Team dynamics and looking at individual behaviour within teams

First Line Management Course

Management is the efficient, effective and economic use of resources to achieve results with and through the efforts of other people.

Leadership – a definition Inspiring others to follow your lead by creating a compelling vision of the future, whereby targets are not merely achieved, but are surpassed .

Leadership – a definition Inspiring others to follow your lead by creating a compelling vision of the future, whereby targets are not merely achieved, but are surpassed .

The Role of the First Line Manager as ‘Leader'.

First Line Managers have Leadership responsibilities – this is often the biggest challenge for Team Leaders and Supervisors who have to adapt from performing a task to motivating a team. At the beginning of the 21st century, the most powerful sources of growth, employment and wealth creation are found in innovation-driven industries. As a result, organisational leaders face a whole new set of challenges. They have to change and will increasingly need to rely on the knowledge, skills, experience and judgement of all their people. Organisational leaders will need to place less emphasis on traditional structures and control, and concentrate on five key priorities: .

Five Key Priorities .

using strategic vision to motivate and inspire
empowering employees at all levels
accumulating and sharing internal knowledge
gathering and integrating external information
challenging the status quo and enabling creativity

Using Strategic Vision.

Effective leaders will develop a strategic vision that is clear and compelling, and communicate it in a way that gives a real sense of purpose and direction. A powerful vision is clear about direction and objectives, proactive in its approach, but allows room for flexibility about the means of achievement. A powerful vision is important because it is one way of linking the present to a desirable future. The role of strategic planning is then to map out a path to achieve that vision. However, visionary thinking should not be the exclusive province of the organisation's top executives. Successful leaders will encourage participation in the formulation of a strategic vision that offers different perspectives and encourages commitment. It is also important to empower employees with the responsibility and authority to implement the vision. .

Empowering Employees.

Some people have proposed the view that the great leader is a great servant [2]. Certainly, many organisations believe that an environment based on trust will produce better results than one of rules, regulation and hierarchy. This means that leaders will increasingly have to respond to their employees' needs and take on some unaccustomed roles, such as coach, teacher, information provider, facilitator, listener or supporter. But for empowerment to work, organisations will have to share information and knowledge far more than they have done in the past. This will certainly include First Line Managers .

Challenging the status quo and enabling creativity.

There are a number of ways in which effective First Line Managers can challenge the status quo and enable creativity: .

Facilitate ‘constructive dissent', i.e. encourage people to question openly a manager's perspective without fear of retaliation. An interesting example of this is at Motorola, where employees can file a ‘minority report' and lodge a different point of view to their immediate First Line Manager on a business issue.

Foster a culture that encourages risk-taking.

Create a sense of urgency by producing a compelling picture of the risks of not changing.

To summarise, successful First Line Managers will be those that are proactive both in facilitating organisational learning and encouraging positive adaptation to external changes. .

A 2 day First Line Manager Course will accelerate the process for Team Leaders and Supervisors to reach a high level of competence and confidence in the Leadership role they have .

Sample Exercises

Our range of bespoke First Line Manager modules works wonders!

The course outlines may look as you'd expect - but the content, approach and effect is very much greater than expectations.

We have a very large library of innovative exercises that are highly effective in capturing and embedding the learning points in a practical way.

Following each exercise - that may be aligned to a 'Financial Theme' - they are debriefed fully and related to how the learning can to be applied back in the work-place. They are also really great fun!!

Here are some template modules and sample exercises designed to embed the learning in a motivational and memorable way:-

Sample 'ice-breaker' Exercise - Number Crunch

The team must be effectively led and motivated to work as one to reach their objective of visiting each location in a short period of time.

Debrief - Leadership and co-ordination, strategy and planning, adapting approach, decision making & control

Sample Exercise - Through the Hoop

Taking the full team through the 'hoop' within the 'stretching' time limit is likely to exceed the group's own self-limitations.

Time Management

Sample Exercise - Cones

This task requires the team to take a numbered tower of 5 cones from point 'A' to 'B' in a specific order; this will have to meet the criteria outlined in the brief. The option of 'C' is vital to achieve the results.

Debrief:

Stepping back for overview
Planning disciplines
Time-budgeting
Skills audit for delegation

Handling Conflict

Sample Exercise - Cave Rescue

Requires that the group make some difficult choices and then hold a press conference to justify their decisions while under scrutiny and criticism. This also displayed some required leadership learning; notably that a unified leadership team is crucial to gain commitment and confidence and also how vital it is to plan for any communication that will involve some sort of conflict.
Handling Conflict and maintaining control in a professional manner are key debriefing points from this exercise.

Communication, Negotiation & Influence

Sample Exercise - Red & White

There is a specific time managed agenda and itinerary, which puts the group under pressure.

The key challenge is for the sub-groups to maximise the commercial value from the task, however there is always a great danger that the individuals attempt to gain financial progress at the expense of the other group!

Debriefing Points:

Engaging the other group to 'buy-in' to collaboration
Commercial consequences when collaboration is lacking or difficult
Effective communication and influence across barriers

Global Thinking & Business Mind-set

Sample Exercise - Dragon's Den

The delegation is split into 2 -3 groups - each with a specific product or service to win the Dragons' investment. (A specialised Toy; A unique Team Building Training programme; An eBook Library; An innovative soft-ware package for the Retail Industry Sector.

They have to also present to the Dragon's Den their business case for feedback and negotiate with the Dragons to gain either an 'I'm in' or an 'I'm out' reply.

Debrief:

Global business potential
Supply Chain appreciation
Commercial framework

Performance Management

Sample Exercise - Juggling

The group will be asked to set their own team target of how many 'issues' (balls) they can manage at one time. This involves devising a sequence between the group to achieve maximum results without making any mistakes. We introduce different balls which represent different degrees of complexity, challenging the group's preparation and approach to a variety 'team members' needs.

Debrief:

How to maintain focus when pressure is applied
Ensuring effective communication
Clarifying the approach for dealing with the unexpected
Setting expectations and reviewing delivery
Treating every team member as an individual

Prioritisation & Organisation

Sample Exercise - Labyrinth

This activity requires the group to solve a number of tasks through verbal communication only, but they will be forbidden to write any information down or make any gestures using their hands. They will each be provided with a great deal of different pieces of data that has to be assimilated within an increasingly pressurised time-scale. The material also contains distracting and misleading 'red-herrings'. The task requires delegates to keep focussed on the 'critical path' and be very organised in order to meet the dead-line.

Debrief:

Rigour of planning - SMART
Prioritising through ambiguity
Time budgeting
Assigning roles & responsibilities to break down volume of material
The value of keeping accurate records

In-House & Classroom Courses Available Online

We have developed an alternative to traditional face-to-face training that continues to provide a full learning experience, and allows delegates to learn effectively whilst self-isolating from home.

This is how it looks:

Delegates booked on Classroom and In-House courses will continue to have access to their trainer online throughout the days that the course is booked to run.

Prior to a delegate's course start date, they will be enrolled on our e-learning platform (in partnership with BCF Group) for the course they are booked on to. They will also be given contact information for their trainer, and details of how to access the online workshops.

Delegates will not require any special IT equipment. A desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or a mobile phone with internet and audio capability is all that is required.

Delegates taking ILM Qualifications will then proceed to the book review, video review and work based assignments with 12 months tutor support as appropriate, and in line with our previous arrangements. We hope you agree that this blended learning experience represents the safest way to continue supporting our clients and delegates during the Coronavirus disruption.

In-House Courses

This is our own management training course which has been developed and refined over the many years we have been providing it to delegates from organisations in virtually every industry.

This means that the course syllabus is flexible and can be tailored to the specific requirements of a new first line manager or managers, making it ideal for companies or organisations who require an in-house first line management training course which is attended by a number of current or potential managers.

Scheduled Courses

A one day version of this First Line Management course is available as an Open Course delivered at our partner, the BCF's Training suites in Nottingham and Reading from the following scheduled dates...

Classroom Course - Nottingham (NG12 4DG)

Classroom training courses enable you to benefit from having the tutor and other delegates right there in the room with you. Face-to-face training sessions are one of the best ways to learn, as it is easy to ask questions and have group discussions.

Cost: £595 + vat

16 October 2023
09 January 2024
11 March 2024

Classroom Course - Reading (RG41 5QS)

Classroom training courses enable you to benefit from having the tutor and other delegates right there in the room with you. Face-to-face training sessions are one of the best ways to learn, as it is easy to ask questions and have group discussions.

Cost: £595 + vat

07 December 2023
15 February 2024
14 May 2024

Zoom™ Course

Attending a course via Zoom videoconferencing gives you all of the benefits of classroom training without the need to leave your home or office. You still benefit from a real tutor facilitating the programme, and the content is exactly the same.

Cost: £495 + vat

11 September 2023
04 December 2023
13 March 2024

Dickson Training Ltd

Founded in 1985 in Yorkshire, we have built an impressive and loyal client base. Our partnerships are built by consistently delivering outstanding development solutions and working in close collaboration with our clients, resulting in us becoming a leading UK and international training provider.

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