Course description
The primary responsibility for first-line managers is overseeing a department or a team of employees – they ensure that their staff fulfils the daily and overarching goals of the company. But, as we know, it’s much more complicated than that; today’s first-line managers must wear many different hats and have the knowledge, skills and attributes to help them and their team to achieve personal, team and business objectives.
This course is designed to help your people better understand the importance of their roles and provide them with the tools, skills, and knowledge to become better at what they do. It aims to reinforce what they already know, provide them with new tools and approaches, and boost their confidence in what they do. We will also talk about behaviours and the importance of culture.
It’s not death by PowerPoint – it’s about learning from one another and discussing how to make things easier and better. The course is centred around practical learning activities that the delegates will engage in and enjoy.
Because they’re manufacturers or operations professionals, we’ve also included key modules to help the delegates to better understand lean, the wastes, value-added and the importance of problem solving and continuous improvement. There’s also a factory visit for the delegates to see and experience manufacturing best practice.
Suitability - Who should attend?
This programme is specifically targeted at first-line leaders or anyone new to a management position who wants to improve their leadership and management skills.
Ideal for those who would benefit from a unique chance to visit a site to observe and experience manufacturing best practice and specific behaviours, as well as participate in a Q&A session with the host site’s senior leadership team.
Outcome / Qualification etc.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe and recognise ‘old’ and ‘new’ cultures and management styles
- Improve self-management and leadership
- Communication and influencing skill development
- Understanding of employment law, along with lean manufacturing concepts and techniques
- Ability to set SMART goals and measure and manage performance
- Structured and effective problem-solving and process improvement
- Deliver presentations and briefings
Benefits to the Organisation
- Additional capability and confidence in leading and creating high-performing work teams
- Increase employee engagment and reduce staff turnover
- Nurture future leaders
- Improve corporate culture
- Effectively manage change
- Enable better decision-making
Training Course Content
Day 1: Course Introductions & Culture
This first module sets the tone and objectives for the course. Delegates will be introduced to one another and to us, building empathy and trust. Core topics will be discussed, too, including leadership and performance management. Plus, delegates will gain a better understanding of the themes of the course and how acquiring knowledge around these will help them to become better leaders. They’ll also uncover why their development is essential to both them and the company and will lead to enhanced business performance.
Day 2: Active Leadership & Teamwork
Learners will begin this module by discovering what makes a good leader. They’ll find out how their role can positively influence behaviour and performance. We’ll also take a deep dive into leadership's meaning, including a review of flexing our leadership styles. This will involve looking into the literature of Tannenbaum and Schmidt and learning why SMART goal setting is so important. We’ll then close the day by looking at how good teams function and work together, which will incorporate the Belbin exercise.
Day 3: Communication & Influencing, & Presenting to a Team
Delegates will learn all the key attributes of a successful communicator by looking at the RACI model, amongst other exercises. They’ll be able to pick the right influencing approach for the situation in question and be assertive when required. In addition, they’ll learn why feedback is so important and the benefits of listening and communicating. We’ll then spend some time developing their skills around this to allow them to become an effective listener, before turning our attention to effective presentations and briefings.
Day 4: Performance & Time Management
Delegates will understand the definition of performance management beyond appraisals and their importance in manufacturing. They’ll learn the key principles and different learning styles and how to deal with conflict and successfully recognise and manage stress. As part of this course, they’ll set SMART objectives and discover how to measure these. There will also be time to explore key manufacturing theories – including Parkinson’s Law, effective time management, and TAB – which delegates can then put into practice.
Day 5: HR Awareness
Our leading HR specialist will educate delegates on core subject matters in employment law. This includes unfair dismissal, disciplinary and grievance procedures, and the UK’s anti-discrimination law. They’ll learn what counts as ‘reasonable employer’ behaviour and what potential employment law problems they could face. In addition, they’ll be given an analysis of legal employment contracts and methods for lawfully tackling any issues.
Day 6: Lean Manufacturing
We’ll give an overview of what lean and lean culture is, with delegates obtaining knowledge around many key topics in this area. For instance, they’ll discover best practices and find out more about ‘the 8 wastes’ of lean manufacturing, and 5S and workplace organisation. They’ll also learn about the importance of value-added (VA) and non-value added (NVA) activities, along with the PDCA cycle when reviewing processes.
Day 7: Best-Practice Factory Visit
As part of this module, delegates will get a unique chance to observe and experience manufacturing best practice and specific behaviours, as well as participate in a Q&A session with the host site’s senior leadership team.
Day 8: Lean Manufacturing & Problem-Solving Techniques
The core learning areas of this module centre around structured process improvement and the need to measure and review in order to drive effective behaviour. Delegates will learn how to plan for and attack bottlenecks, which will cover the use of SOPs. They’ll also explore the different approaches to problem-solving (PDCA, DMAIC and 8D). As a result, they’ll possess the relevant problem-solving tools and lean toolkit to improve processes and tackle a range of manufacturing challenges successfully.
Day 9: Bringing it Together
The core learning areas of this module centre around structured process improvement and the need to measure and review in order to drive effective behaviour. Delegates will learn how to plan for and attack bottlenecks, which will cover the use of SOPs. They’ll also explore the different approaches to problem-solving (PDCA, DMAIC and 8D). As a result, they’ll possess the relevant problem-solving tools and lean toolkit to improve processes and tackle a range of manufacturing challenges successfully.
Course delivery details
- Nine days of classroom-based learning over nine weeks
We deliver the programme through workshop-style classroom sessions that blend teaching, discussion, interactive exercises, and practice application of methods and tools.
Meet your course leader:
Hugh is a Director, Consultant and Mentor with almost 40 years of experience leading business strategy, operational improvement and leadership development in the manufacturing and M&E industries. He qualified with a BSc in Chemical Engineering and gained a postgraduate diploma in Business Administration before going on to lead production, expansion and acquisitions for apparel, electronic and medical technology corporations. In 2005 he set up his own business, supporting start-ups and SMEs in the Northwest of England through the government’s Manufacturing Advisory Services contract, and providing consultancy, coaching and training for leading businesses including BAE Systems, GSK, Alstom, Unipart, Coveris and Crown Packaging. He now leads the design and delivery of Manufacturer’s Network’s flagship leadership development programmes, embedding learning through face-to-face workshops, practical exercises and site visits grounded in the latest research. A certified business mentor, Hugh holds several NED roles and has been involved with both the Business Enterprise Fund and the Association of British Mentors for over 15 years.
Why choose Manufacturers Network
90% would recommend to a friend or colleague
4.7/5 feel our education programmes are relevant to their needs
Almost 100% agree our practitioners are knowledgeable and experienced
Reviews
Average rating 5
I wish I'd done this earlier, really helped me day-to-day
The mixture of management training and lean thinking was perfect
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Manufacturers Network
Manufacturers Network is an industry-leading education provider delivering courses across the globe to develop your people and give your organisation a competitive advantage. With a proven track record of helping manufacturers of all sectors and sizes make significant progress, their...
Well structured, lots of useful discussion within the group