30 Minute Manager

Description

Learning Objectives: ■ the key attributes of effective managers and supervisors ■ what new managers need to know about their role ■ to appreciate the concept of the 'whole' manager ■ to reflect on participants’ own strengths and weaknesses ■ to pinpoint areas for performance improvement More about the activity: In just 30-60 minutes teams define the 'perfect' manager. Each team is given a set of 62 Cards. On each is a description of a personal attribute or trait. For example, first in and last out, honest and trustworthy, or confident with difficult conversations. Each could pertain to a manager or supervisor - some are desirable traits, some less desirable, some irrelevant. Teams first sort the cards into four types: Personal, Organisational, Interpersonal - and Irrelevant. Having discarded the Irrelevant pile, teams now reduce the number of remaining cards to just 30. These are the cards that, in their view, best profile the perfect manager. The act of sorting and eliminating the statements generates valuable discussion about manager attributes and as the process moves towards the final 30 cards, it clarifies ideas about what are the essential traits. Teams complete a Profile Form and score their profile against the Definitive Profile supplied in the pack. How well do teams score? Is there a balance across the three kinds of traits (Personal, Organisational & Interpersonal)? How do profiles compare across the teams? It all makes for a good debate. At the end ask how participants' main traits match up to the definitive profile. What are their strengths and weaknesses? What areas can they work on to become well-rounded managers?