Manager Course

Lesson 1 • Management Styles and Situational Awareness

Surveys directive, coaching, supportive, and delegating styles and when each is appropriate. Builds self-awareness as a prerequisite for adaptive leadership.

Lesson 2 • Core Management Functions

Introduces planning, organizing, directing, and controlling as the four pillars of management practice. Connects each function to daily managerial decisions.

Lesson 3 • Building Your Personal Management Philosophy

Guides managers in articulating their values, principles, and behavioral commitments. Creates a personal framework that anchors decisions throughout the course.

Lesson 1 • Nonverbal Communication and Presence

Examines body language, tone, and physical presence as tools for reinforcing verbal messages. Completes the communication toolkit before feedback skills are introduced.

Lesson 2 • Clear and Concise Verbal Communication

Covers structuring spoken messages for clarity, brevity, and impact in meetings and one-on-ones. Reinforces the directing function from Chapter 1.

Lesson 3 • Communicating Across Organizational Levels

Addresses how to tailor messages for senior leaders, peers, and direct reports effectively. Builds on style awareness from Chapter 1 and listening skills from this chapter.

Lesson 4 • Written Communication for Managers

Builds skills in writing emails, reports, and memos that are professional, purposeful, and action-oriented. Connects to planning and organizing functions from Chapter 1.

Lesson 1 • Tracking Progress and Adjusting Plans

Covers check-in cadences, progress metrics, and how to course-correct when goals drift off track. Connects to the controlling function introduced in Chapter 1.

Lesson 2 • Creating Individual Performance Plans

Guides managers in co-creating performance plans with each direct report, including milestones and success metrics. Applies communication skills from Chapter 2.

Lesson 3 • Aligning Team Goals with Organizational Strategy

Shows how to cascade organizational priorities into team-level objectives that remain meaningful. Builds on upward communication skills from Chapter 2.

Lesson 1 • Creating Employee Development Plans

Guides managers in identifying skill gaps and building structured development plans tied to career goals. Extends performance planning from Chapter 3 into long-term growth.

Lesson 2 • Recognizing and Reinforcing Strong Performance

Covers recognition strategies that reinforce desired behaviors and sustain high performance. Completes the feedback loop alongside corrective feedback skills.

Lesson 3 • Delivering Difficult Feedback

Provides structured approaches for addressing underperformance, attitude issues, and sensitive topics. Applies goal and performance plan context from Chapter 3.

Lesson 4 • Principles of Constructive Feedback

Establishes what makes feedback effective, timely, and behavior-focused rather than personal. Builds directly on communication skills from Chapter 2.

Lesson 1 • Fostering Collaboration and Team Norms

Guides managers in establishing shared norms, roles, and collaboration practices that reduce friction. Applies goal alignment skills from Chapter 3.

Lesson 2 • Building Psychological Safety and Trust

Defines psychological safety and provides concrete practices for creating it within teams. Reinforces empathetic communication from Chapter 2 and feedback safety from Chapter 4.

Lesson 3 • Understanding What Motivates People

Surveys motivation theories and translates them into practical managerial actions. Builds on the coaching and recognition skills developed in Chapter 4.

Lesson 4 • Stages of Team Development

Introduces team development models and the manager's role at each stage. Connects to situational management styles from Chapter 1.

Lesson 1 • Structuring Difficult Conversations

Provides a step-by-step framework for planning and conducting high-stakes conversations. Applies feedback and communication skills from Chapters 2 and 4.

Lesson 2 • Conflict Resolution Styles and Strategies

Introduces five conflict-handling modes and when each is appropriate for managers. Connects to situational style awareness from Chapter 1.

Lesson 3 • Preventing Recurring Conflict

Focuses on systemic changes managers can make to reduce the conditions that breed conflict. Connects to team norms and psychological safety from Chapter 5.

Lesson 4 • Mediating Conflicts Between Team Members

Teaches a structured mediation process managers can use when two employees are in conflict. Extends conflict resolution skills to a facilitation role.

Lesson 1 • Frameworks for Managerial Decision Making

Introduces rational, intuitive, and collaborative decision-making models and their trade-offs. Grounds decision making in the planning and controlling functions from Chapter 1.

Lesson 2 • Defining and Diagnosing Problems

Teaches root cause analysis and problem framing before jumping to solutions. Builds on goal-tracking and early warning skills from Chapter 3.

Lesson 3 • Communicating and Implementing Decisions

Addresses how to announce decisions, gain buy-in, and manage implementation effectively. Applies communication and goal-setting skills from Chapters 2 and 3.

Lesson 1 • Leading Organizational Change

Introduces change management principles and the manager's role in guiding teams through transitions. Applies conflict, communication, and motivation skills from prior chapters.

Lesson 2 • Developing Future Leaders

Guides managers in identifying and growing the next generation of leaders within their teams. Extends coaching and development skills from Chapter 4 to a succession mindset.

Lesson 3 • Prioritization and Resource Allocation

Teaches managers to allocate limited time, budget, and people to highest-impact activities. Builds on decision-making frameworks from Chapter 7.

Lesson 4 • Building Influence Without Authority

Develops skills for influencing peers, senior leaders, and cross-functional partners without direct authority. Extends communication and conflict skills from Chapters 2 and 6.