ILM Level 3

Certificate in First Line Management

Aims

This course, which leads to a nationally recognised qualification, aims to give practising and potential managers the foundation for their formal development by assisting delegates to obtain both the knowledge and skills required at a First Line management level. Participants will derive most benefit from the programme if they have some prior experience of management – usually at a First line management level.

Please see below for downloadable flyer.

Programme Structure

DAY	TOPIC	SUMMARISED CONTENT	Dates
1	Induction + Study Skills	ILM Induction Assessment methods, expectations from learners Student handbook and quiz Study Skills and research methods Learning Styles ILM Induction and welcome to the course	Tuesday 5th October 2010
2	Developing yourself as a first line manager	Use of job description, matching to own CV Personal SWOT analysis Organisation’s objectives and development plans and significance for own development Obtaining feedback on performance from line managers and colleagues Simple training needs analysis – using outcomes of SWOT and PESTLE analyses The importance of taking responsibility for own personal development Identification of potential development opportunities Barriers to learning, and methods to overcome them	Tuesday 19th October 2010
3	Workplace Communications	The stages in communication in action and how to make it effective at work Possible barriers to communication and methods to overcome them Ways to ensure effective communication in the workplace Exploring options for communication including oral, written, visual and electronic Techniques of face to face and indirect communication and when each is appropriate How to use feedback to check effectiveness of communication Understanding the five senses and active listening skills Observation and perception and is effects on the interpretation of data Significance of non-verbal communication and body language	Wednesday 3rd November 2010
4	Influencing at work	Networking: Nature, purpose and value of networking Identification of relevant networks Effective networking practices and skills Network and contact creation Methods to establish and maintain effective professional relationships at various levels Negotiation: Formal and informal negotiation Negotiation strategy, tactics and behaviour Non-verbal communication and social skills Techniques for influencing others Value systems and other barriers to acceptance Conflict and its resolution to achieve a win-win situation Levels of power and authority, and the impact on negotiation	Wednesday 17th November 2010
5 & 6	Presentation skills & Team briefings Assessed Presentations + Tutorial	Selection of relevant information content How to plan and prepare effectively for briefings (account for Purpose; Audience; Content; Form) Formal and informal presentation skills including platform techniques and visual aids How to evaluate briefings/presentations Use of feedback to check understanding Reporting back to management after briefing The value of various methods of data presentation – tables, graphs, charts, diagrams, Gantt charts, etc Evaluation of alternative methods to select the most appropriate for a given situation How to construct a range of data presentation methods The use of spreadsheets for the creation of graphs, charts and diagrams How to interpret information contained in charts and diagrams, and explain this to others Supervised practice or simulation to develop the ability to apply knowledge and skills	Wednesday 1st December 2010 and Wednesday 15th December 2010
7 & 8	Problem Solving & decision making & Tutorial	Simple ways to recognise, investigate and analyse problems Objective setting in relation to problem Brainstorming and creative thinking techniques Difference between data and information How to calculate and use simple averages and basic summary statistics How to prepare and use grouped data and tables Interpretation of charts and diagrams Methods of indexing, referencing and structuring qualitative information How to evaluate options The importance of adequate and relevant information for effective decision-making Identification of what information is relevant to specific decisions Simple decision making techniques Effective presentation of a case – ie, providing facts and evidence, not just opinion Monitoring and review techniques to evaluate outcomes of problem solving activities Tutorial time to discuss Problem solving assignment	Wednesday 12th January 2011 Wednesday 25th January 2011
9 & 10	Leading & Motivating Others High Performance Teams	Recognise the difference between leadership and management Identify alternative leadership styles and qualities  Know when and how to apply a particular leadership style in the workplace Assess the effects of differing leadership styles on group activities Knowing your own leadership style and how to make this work in your team Motivation – the concept of internal drivers Creating the empowering environment to encourage self-motivation Analysing your team and practical suggestions to increase motivation levels. Setting SMART objectives for both individuals and teams What’s in it for them? – Creating the want as well as the need Characteristics of groups and teams – the differences, examples within the workplace Forming, storming, norming, performing (and mourning) How to identify team roles eg Belbin - and the uses and implications for managers Building a balanced team to achieve objectives How to build and maintain Trust in the workplace	Wednesday 9th February 2011 Wednesday 23rd February 2011
11	Achieving objectives through time management & Effective Delegation	How to set SMART objectives Setting priorities to achieve objectives Urgency v. importance when prioritising Negotiating techniques Time logs Constraining or limiting factors Application of simple planning and monitoring techniques Methods to measure achievement of objectives Effective Delegation Definitions of authority and power; responsibility and accountability Concepts of delegation and empowerment Process of delegation including barriers and support mechanisms Techniques to monitor outcomes of delegation Feedback, recognition and reward techniques	Tuesday 8th March 2011
12	Managing the Employment relationship + Managing Conflict	Definition of diversity and its impact on the organisation and its activities Legislation as it affects employment – sex, age, ethnicity, disability, etc Own organisation’s policies and procedures Significance of diversity in the market place The consequences of non-compliance for own work area and the organisation Organisational employment policies, (eg relating to time-keeping, absenteeism, conduct, level of performance, attitude and behaviour, gross misconduct) Records and other means to support and monitor the disciplinary process Legal aspects of disciplinary processes Interpersonal behaviour and support skills to maintain discipline at work Corrective Actions – the importance of the pre-disciplinary process Giving Feedback in the right way Formulating and Agreeing Improvement Plans Possible causes of internal conflict, eg personal versus business objectives/values Causes of interpersonal friction at work, including bullying and harassment The effects of conflict on performance and the individual at work Stages in the development of conflict The manager’s responsibility in minimising and resolving conflict, and techniques to achieve this Ways to create harmony at work and engender a positive atmosphere	Wednesday 23rd March 2011
13	Activity Day	Team & Leadership – bringing it to life. Activity held in the grounds at Challenge Training & Conference Centre	Wednesday 6th April 2011
14	Planning to work efficiently	Links between organisational and team objectives Target setting and performance indicators Planning techniques appropriate to job activity (eg task/work/production schedules, timetables, Rotas, Kanban systems, Just In Time and Takt time, etc, as appropriate) Importance of supply chain in delivering results and meeting customer requirements Monitoring and control techniques and records Use of results to “close the loop”, so ensuring that objectives are achieved Definitions of effectiveness and efficiency, and the difference between them The need to achieve results and meet objectives The importance to the organisation of operating efficiently Potential for conflict between efficiency and effectiveness, and ways to resolve this	Wednesday 13th April 2011
15	Managing Costs & Budgets	The nature and purpose of budgets, and the advantages of budgetary control Methods to monitor variance of actual performance against budget Causes of variance, their significance and ways of reducing adverse effects How to gather information for use in determining and/or revising budgets Definition of fixed and variable costs; concept of break even, especially in relation to own organisation The purpose and nature of basic cost statements; use of standard costs Role of the manager in cost control Mechanisms to maintain control of costs, and how to select the optimum method	Tuesday 3rd May 2011
16	Managing Customer Service	How to identify the internal customer chain, external customers and potential customers Techniques for identifying customer needs Methods of establishing relevant customer care standards and procedures Use of appropriate planning and quality systems to monitor and fulfill customer care standards Methods to establish and maintain effective relationships with customers at all stages The legal rights of customers (law of contract, sale of goods & services; trade descriptions etc) Organisational commitments to customers (contract terms, warranties and guarantees, service standards etc) Methods of identifying customer requirements and expectations Standards and benchmarks Manager’s responsibilities and authority in relation to customer service	Wednesday 18th May 2011
17	Tutorial Support	Individual support for students	Wednesday 1st June 2011
18 & 19	Understanding & Planning Change	Concepts of creativity and innovation and their significance for organisational success and change management Barriers to change and innovation – how to identify them and other difficulties in implementing change Methods to monitor and control progress of change against plan, including use of Gantt charts, network planning Ways to organise and co-ordinate resources within the change process Direct and indirect aspects of change – human and financial effects upon other people, departments and organisations Revisiting PESTLE & SWOT analysis The principles of change management • Methods of planning for change - basics of system theory and process design Use of Gantt charts, network planning as tools for planning change The importance of communication and involving people to facilitate effective change The importance of quality awareness and the need to strive for continuous improvement. Quality circles, benchmarking, Kaizen + service standards Ways to involve people in quality and continuous improvement, including suggestion schemes/role models	Wednesday 15th June 2011 Tuesday 28th June 2011
20	Tutorial Support	Individual support for students	Wed 13/7/2011
21	Presentations Day	Course review and individual reflective presentation	TBC

21 Day Programme + Tutorials which may be by appointment. Dates spaced at one day every 2 weeks.

VENUE : Challenge Consulting, Nottingham Road, Woodborough, Nottingham NG14 6EH

COST : £1650 + VAT per delegate fully inclusive

 

Click the image to download the flyer.

Certificate in First Line Management Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What is the ILM?

The Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) is Europe’s largest independent leadership and management awarding body with more than 85,000 candidate registrations each year. It works in partnership with around 2,000 centres in the UK, Ireland & across the world to provide high quality development opportunities for leaders & managers at all levels in public, private & voluntary organisations from every employment sector. ILM is also a leading professional membership body with a growing membership of more than 22,000 practising managers

What is the Certificate in First Line Management?

The Certificate in First Line Management aims to give practising or potential first line managers the foundation for their formal development in this role. The qualification does this by developing basic management skills and assisting participants in gaining the basic knowledge required by a manager. The Certificate is a Level 3 qualification on the Qualifications & Credit Framework (see www.qcda.gov.uk for further information about nationally recognised qualifications).

What are the entry requirements?

There are no formal entry requirements, but participants will normally be either practising or aspiring first line managers with the opportunity to meet the assessment demands and have a background that will enable them to benefit from the programme

How will I be assessed?

Achievement of the Certificate will be dependent upon the successful completion of 6 Work Based Assignments (each will be either a written piece, a presentation, interview or combination), plus 1 X Change Report. Participants are also required to undertake an Individual Reflective Presentation on the final day, which is mandatory but not assessed.

How will I study?

The programme has been structured into fortnightly-taught sessions to be held at Challenge Consulting, Nottingham. Participants are also required to undertake some independent study as required. A wide variety of teaching and learning methods are used on the programme. These include group led discussions, simulations, case studies and exercises.

Study Support

Tutorial support & guidance is available for the duration of the programme to all participants. One to ones can be arranged with tutors (by appointment only) where required. All participants also gain free studying membership of ILM for one year. This provides access to a wide range of online resources including reading lists, study guides, suggested websites for further research & other tailored resources to help participants complete their programme successfully.

What are the opportunities for progression?

This programme leads to a nationally recognised qualification at Level 3, broadly equivalent to A level. Successful completion of a Level 3 qualification provides eligibility for a minimum grade of Associate Membership (AMInstLM) of the Institute of Leadership & Management. Visit www.i-l-m.com for further information

How long is the programme?

21 days, normally every fortnight.

Where is the programme held?

Challenge Consulting Training and Conference Centre, Woodborough, Nottingham. Situated in a rural location, offering exceptional views of the Trent Valley towards the Belvoir Hills. Only 10 minutes away from Nottingham City Centre and within easy reach of the M1 and A1. For more details of the venue visit www.challengeconsulting.co.uk

How do I apply?

Interested? For further details about the next available programme please contact us.

Easy to print versions of the above

Course Outline

Frequently Asked Questions