P3 Developing Management Skills
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This course develops your managerial skills. It is designed to coach you in the basic skills that will be useful to you when planning projects or undertaking leadership responsibilities. 2 cr.hr. Dr. Nirmala Draksha Note: This course runs for seven weeks.
Why take this course?
I have designed this course in order to show you how you can strengthen your management skills and become an effective leader. The course is one way of preparing yourself for making significant changes in your family, your workplace, in your community, and in your world. We all stand on the shoulders of giants in order to see far. In this course, you will discover how to climb onto the shoulders of giants.
This course is divided into seven lessons. Each includes examining a case study and interacting with other participants for the purpose of helping you integrate the values and skills presented in each lesson.
When you register for this course and complete the exercises for each of the five lessons and write a final assessment paper, you will receive a certificate from our Virtual College.
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What is a methodical way of analyzing a problem and finding the best solution for it? |
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How to make sure that you are aware of the risks and prospects of the work you are doing? |
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When organizing events, how to plan complex activities efficiently? |
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How to make decisions that take into account a variety of uncertain future developments? |
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What are the factors that make or break the public image our organization projects? |
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Why do we still need to meet people face to face in spite of other tools of communication? |
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How to conduct meetings that are fruitful and productive? |
Have an adventure in learning!
Nirmala Draksha
Computer Assisted Learning
In some of the lessons in this course, there are some short videos that will be viewed. Accordingly, those taking this course will want to test their internet access speed and their computer settings to assure themselves that they can enjoy a clear reception of audio and video files. If you are working on a computer in a public space, you will want to have your earphones handy. To test your computer system, double-click on the image below. [Note: It takes about ten seconds before the sound track begins. At the end, use your browser's reverse button to return to this page. If you have technical difficulties, click here.]
Learning Style
Preparation: The course presumes no special previous training; however, it helps greatly if you have and will be active in doing some planning (alone or with others) during the time of this class.
Types of feedback called for: personal reflection on your own experiences and on the case studies described in the lessons.
Cross-cultural component = +4 Based on a scale +1 to +10. This rating indicates the degree to which the presentation of this course includes an examination of (a) the rich diversity of cultures existing today and (b) the transformations that a given culture experiences over a span of time.
Interactivity: Besides offering one's own thoughts for comment, each participant normally spends twenty minutes each week reflecting upon and offering feedback regarding the reflections of others in the class. Guidelines for offering feedback are presented and implemented in such a way as to assure respect for the individuality of each participant and to provide a safe atmonsphere for free and open exchanges.
Chatroom activity: There is no designated time each week for chatroom activity. Participants, however, have access to a live chatroom for informal exchanges set up by the tutor or by the participants themselves.
Tutor availability: A tutor will be overseeing each session. You may contact your tutor via email anytime (and, in some instances, via phone during limited hours). You will receive regular feedback, encouragement, and challenges from your tutor each week.
Textbook: none. All readings are supplied online.
Time required each week: 3 to 4 hours at times convenient to yourself.
Graduation Certificate: Participants who wish to merit a Graduation Certificate are asked to complete a research project that requires five to ten hours of research and writing beyond the seven lessons of the course. Practice shows that the choice of topic is best left open until the final weeks of the course when further details will be available.
Introduction
1.1 When do we need problem solving?
Introduction Some people display a remarkable capability in dealing with problems. Natural talents and experience have made them good decision-makers. Their inborn gift of imagination and the initiatives they have previously undertaken have given them that genuine creativity and versatility of mind needed to solve problems effectively.
It is also possible that problems remain with us, that we feel incapable to face up to them or to find suitable solutions. It may be that we are searching in vain for ways and means to rid of ourselves of a difficulty without knowing precisely how to tackle the question. It is here that one spontaneously feels the need of some systematic approach to problem solving.
- How can we clear our minds regarding the first steps we should take?
- What is the best way to arrive at a responsible solution?
- What is the quickest and safest method to deal with problems that ask for an immediate decision or entail great future consequences?
The business world has developed certain guidelines for problem-solving that can be helpful to us in this matter. It is worthwhile looking at some examples. . . .
Lifelong Learning
This course will equip you with the skills to discover the rich layer of presuppositions and implied social conditioning that operates whenever one decides to improve the decision making and planning in one private or public life. With these basic skills, you will become a more capable leader and be able to help others understand how decisions are effectively made when it comes to collaborative planning and execution.
What participants in the pioneering trial were saying
The opening sessions increased by interest because I am personally interested in problem solving. I had just been working on a long term project and was fascinated by the critical path, and had just been doing reading on strategy. The course fit in with my current interests.
The level of instruction was just about right for me. I had some familiarity but still lots of questions and blanks in my knowledge. I had most difficulty with the strategy and critical path sessions because they were the most unfamiliar.
I thought the sessions were quite balanced. I loved the links to on-line resources especially since I had trouble finding the recommended books in and through my local library. Videos were great illustrations. I would suggest that there be more on-line resources.
Loved the probative questions that made me reflect on my own life experience--very illuminating and easier for the lesson to be learned.
In each session there was a moment when I saw how this applied to my life and work right now. These were great moments and I thanked God that I had stumbled upon this course.
Overall I loved this course! Thank you so much and I apologize for letting my outside commitments get in the way. This course has been a blessing for me in so many ways. Thank you!
I greatly appreciated the exercise of listing five people who have supervised me and then evaluating their communications with me and then their effectiveness as supervisors. Very illuminating. I loved all the exercises. They made me think about my skills in a non-judgmental way.
I found the five rules of image making illuminating and useful in evaluating an image's effectiveness. I can use this in my work. The video of black children and the doll test was especially chilling and drove home the power of image to skew people's sense of self worth.
I liked how you set the stage for our learning circle. Made me feel like I was in a classroom / discussion group.
This was important to me personally because I see so many places in my life that I stepped through blindly instead of taking the time to gain the information necessary that would have made the process smoother, easier and more fun.
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