Back to Basics: The ABC’s of Management

Background Situation

A manufacturing company wanted to revisit management fundamentals at a leadership retreat. The 10 senior level managers had excellent technical experience but limited management training. The HR Department had been receiving complaints concerning unresolved issues, unfair treatment, lack of respect, insufficient follow-up and inconsistent communications. Managers tended to communicate by email rather than staying visible and tacking issues personally and directly. The organization had put a focus on communications with initiatives of town hall meetings, safety circles, and production meetings, all supporting 5-S and kaizen strategies.

Learning Objectives and Content

With this focus on open-door communications, the President wanted to improve the communication “basics”: managing performance, interpersonal communications, problem solving, conflict resolution, listening and increasing buy-in and commitment. The goal was to create short interactive learning opportunities of pithy, punched refreshers with ideas to help them solve immediate problems. Six two-hour modules addressed:

• Marching through change
• Managing performance
• Communication as a process
• Interpersonal communication
• Managing conflict
• Time management

Length

2 days