Management Skills for an IT Environment

The Challenge of IT Management

Setting the context for successful IT management

• Defining relevant success factors based on customer requirements
• Adopting best practices for an IT environment

Performing stakeholder analysis

• Drawing the stakeholder map
• Identifying interdependencies and expectations

Developing Management Excellence

A new management identity

• Transitioning from a technical expert to a manager
• Balancing leadership and administration
• Managing technical specialists

Personalizing your management style

• Applying the Mintzberg action-based model
• Aligning your management approach to the model
• The top 10 management roles

Emotional Intelligence (EI) in Action

Incorporating EI into your management approach

• Recognizing three key skills to understand yourself
• Interpreting behaviours and interacting more constructively with others

Engaging and controlling your emotions

• Changing your behaviour to suit the situation
• Leading by example

Motivating Technical Workers

Exploring key motivators

• What technical people want from work
• Increasing staff retention
• Avoiding motivational pitfalls

Tailoring the approach to your team

• The impact of generational differences
• Assessing strengths to increase levels of engagement
• Putting theory into practice

Delegating for Empowerment

Cultivating commitment and accountability

• Inspiring collaborative partnerships
• Working with the strengths of your staff

Following a proven step-by-step process for delegation

• Planning your delegation and defining the task
• Assigning the task to individuals or teams
• Determining tracking and follow-up
• Achieving accountability through collaboration

Facilitating Success for IT Teams

Organizing and developing effective teamwork

• Negotiating shared expectations
• Setting ground rules within your team
• Cutting across organizational units, time zones and geographic boundaries
• Overcoming the hidden overhead of separation

Leveraging team synergy

• Creating a team state of mind
• Facilitating team-building activities

Enhancing team communication

• Applying a three-level model for team building
• Harnessing the power of dynamic and diverse teams

Reinforcing and Redirecting Performance through Coaching

Managing day-to-day performance

• Selecting suitable performance measures that work in a technical environment
• The benefits of a continuous appraisal approach
• Strengthening performance by integrating coaching and appraisal techniques

Minimizing disruptions in the workplace

• Recognizing and addressing ineffective performance that falls short of expectations
• Employing constructive feedback as a means of focusing positive behaviours

Implementing Your Managerial Vision

Defining desired outcomes

• Vision as a practical management tool
• Framing a vision for you and your team using a step-by-step approach

Focusing team efforts through a common vision

• Actively pursuing your personal vision
• Supporting your organizational goals