Leadership & Planning

We are all managers, whether of ourselves or other people

The art of getting your message across effectively is a vital part of being a successful manager. Whether you want to make presentations with confidence or to negotiate problems with ease, we can support you.

Why do we refer to clergy and church leaders as managers? Well, quite simply, because they are! We often first learn to manage ourselves and then learn the skills to manage other people, situations and the world around us. Sometimes these skills are difficult to grasp, which is why we provide support in these areas. Our Operations Manager has extensive experience working in this field of Retail, Customer Service, Audit and Operations Management - his practical experience can help coach and encourage you on your path to becoming an effective manager.

For details of particular modules or how we can support your leadership development, call, email or complete an online contact form today.

How to be an effective manager

Effective management can seem like an almost impossible task. No matter what you try and do to maintain the smooth operation of your church and leadership, something often goes wrong. At management training courses throughout the UK delegates are often told to "expect the unexpected" and no one really seems to provide the solution on just how to do that. With our background in staff and management training, we are able to provide you with the tools to pave your way towards becoming an effective manager. Whether you would like to nominate a member of your team to undertake our training modules or you yourself could benefit from covering areas that you feel you could benefit from, we are here to provide the support you need. We offer a 'pick-and-mix' approach to Leadership and Planning training, allowing you to build the best possible training solution based on your unique needs. Please continue below and review the areas that we can provide support.

Managing Teams

Working with teams or groups of people, whether as a leader of a single team or of several, is an essential part of a manager's remit. Team working is rapidly becoming the preferred practice in many businesses and organisations as traditional hierarchies give way to flat, multiskilled working methods. The great advantage of church communities is the wide range of skills, experience and interest that exists in a congregation. Establishing effective relationships with such a diverse range of individuals can be challenging and very rewarding. We provide modules in the following areas:

• Understanding How Teams Work
• Balancing Skills within a  Team
• Setting Up a Team
• Setting Goals
• Providing Support for a Team
• Creating a Self-Managed Team
• Improving Team Efficiency
• Analysing Team Dynamics
• Running Team Meetings
• Thinking Creatively
• Dealing with Problems
• Working for the Future
• Training a Team
• Rewarding Performance
• Adapting to Change
• Planning Future Goals for a Team

Managing Change

Change is the single most important element of successful management today. To remain operationally viable and supportive of your main goals, teams have to adopt a positive attitude to change. Ignoring or trivialising a change trend can be costly; we can therefore help managers to be one step ahead, set trends and lead change in order to continue forward. We can provide techniques for planning and implementing change to help you maximise potential gain. Practical advice can be given on how to achieve the best from your team members by using their strengths and involving them at all stages. We can even provide you with a self-assessment that allows you to evaluate and improve your change-management skills. We can provide support in the following areas:

• Why Change?
• Understanding the Causes of Change
• Recognising Sources of Change
• Focusing on Goals
• Identifying the Demand for Change
• Selecting Essential Changes
• Choosing a Timescale
• Making an Action Plan
• Anticipating Effects
• Anticipating Resistance to Change
• Communicating Change
• Assigning Responsibility
• Developing Commitment
• Changing Culture
• Limiting Resistance
• Monitoring Progress
• Maintaining Momentum
• Building on Change
• Assessing your Change-Management Skills

Presenting Successfully

Whether you are a seasoned orator or a novice speaker, you can improve your presentation skills and enhance your standing through planning, preparation, and practice. We can provide modules to support you through every aspect of public speaking, from the researching and writing of your material to overcoming tension and dealing with questions from an audience. Practical advice, for example on choosing the best audio-visual aids, will furnish you with confidence to handle real-life situations professionally and help you to develop and perfect your skills. We can guide you in the development of your presentation skills in the following areas:

• Preparing a Presentation
• Defining your Purpose
• King your Audience
• Clarifying Objectives
• Finding Material
• Structuring Material
• Writing a Presentation
• Using Audi-Visual Aids
• Believing in Yourself
• Enhancing Body Image
• Speaking Confidently
• Judging the Mood
• Dealing with Questions
• Coping with Hostility
• Assessing Your Abilities

Managing Meetings

Meetings are a crucial element of any community: many billions are held worldwide every day. Whether you are attending as a participant or as the chairperson, you can improve your handling of meetings so that they run more efficiently and effectively. We can offer practical advice on all aspects of holding meetings, both formal and informal. Essential information is included on planning and preparing an agenda, choosing a venue and arranging seating, keeping on schedule and closing a meeting. You can choose from any of the following modules:

• Do You Need a Meeting?
• Knowing your Aims
• Meeting Informally
• Meeting Formally
• Revolutionising Communications
• Choosing the Right Type of Meeting
• Keeping on Track
• Preparing for a Meeting
• Preparing the Agenda
• Seating Participants
• Preparing Practicalities
• Taking an Active Role
• Being Seen and Heard
• Listening to Others
• Handling Problems
• Taking Minutes
• Evaluating Your Skill as a Participant
• Chairing a Meeting:
• Understanding the Role of Chairperson
• Researching Attendees
• Pacing a Meeting
• Controlling a Meeting
• Keeping Order
• Closing a Meeting
• Using Formal Procedure
• Solving Problems in Formal Meetings
• Evaluating Your Skills as a Chairperson

Motivating People

Motivating team members can be one of the most challenging aspects of team management. Learning how to motivate others has become an essential skill for managers. We can help show you how best to put effective motivational theories into practice to create and sustain a positive environment. The modules below will provide practical advice, including all of the most important motivational techniques - from analysing the needs of individual team members, to offering incentives, and using multiskilling and training to increase satisfaction. A self assessment test at the end of the module will help evaluate your motivational skills, helping you to raise levels of performance and get the most from both yourself and your team. We provide modules in the following areas:

• What is Motivation
• Recognising Needs
• Understanding Behaviour
• Assessing your Attitude
• Being a Good Manager
• Improving Communication
• Creating a No-Blame Culture
• Winning Co-operation
• Encouraging Initiative
• Motivating Individuals
• Motivating Groups
• Preventing Demotivation
• Dealing with Demotivated People
• Appraising Effectively
• Enriching Job Roles
• Empowering Team Members
• Recognising Excellence
• Motivating Through Change
• Rewarding Exceptional Performance
• Keep Motivation High
• Are You a Good Motivator?