Management Principles

Learning Outcome

By completing this module, you should be able to demonstrate an understanding of key principles and practices which lead to effective management and direction of your organization or work unit.

Instruction

To complete this learning module, please view the introductory video, read the featured article, and read at least one other article found on the “additional resources” page. Afterwards, please complete the “Practice” activity and answer the “Reflection” questions.

Management and supervisory skills are essential to the performance of a team. When poor results from a team are received, it is almost always due to poor management and supervision of resources. Although there are many factors to effective management, communication is vital to success.

Featured Article

"Can you be a manager and not a leader? Yes, and every organization needs great managers. Managers run things. But leaders create the things they run. If you lack management skills, you can surround yourself with strong managers and still be successful. Does the principle work in reverse? Can you put a great manager at the helm, surround him or her with great leaders and pull it off? Never. Leaders can compensate for their management deficiencies. Managers cannot compensate for their leadership deficiencies." (read more)

Additional resources on managing others can be found here.

Practice

Your assignment is to use a detailed plan to coordinate a project or event where you will be managing at least 3 other people. The detailed plan should include the following:

• Your event/project purpose
• Important events leading up to the event/project
• People who are key to the success of the event/project and why
• Milestones needed to keep the event/project on schedule

After completing the project/event answer the following questions:

• How did you motivate those you supervised to stay on task with the original plan?
• How did the event/project turn out? Why?
• How could you have made the event/project gone better?

Reflection (Completed)

Identify a time where you contributed to part of a project and respond to the following questions:

• What was the overall goal of the project?
• What was your role in assisting the group to achieve the goal?
• Did your group accomplish the goal? How?