Effectively Managing Technical Teams

While managers are often promoted because they are good individual contributors with excellent technical skills, they also need management skills. In this course, learn how to:

• Set a vision for your team and get buy in for the goals and ground rules
• Create a team business plan aligned to the strategic direction of the organization
• Manage the whole team, including suppliers and contractors, and external influencers
• Create team success in a matrix-managed organization
• Execute through well-designed control and reporting
• Delegate effectively
• Approach crisis management
• Radically improve your time management by focusing on priority issues
• Get the most out of team meetings

This course will benefit anyone whose work output is dependent on other people:

• Newly appointed managers or team leaders directing technical professionals.
• Experienced managers, who are looking for ways to be more effective and efficient.
• Engineers and other technical professionals aspiring to management and leadership positions.

Purchase of the "Help! What's the Secret to Leading Engineers" book is strongly recommended. The book can be purchased here. 

This course is part of the Technical Leadership Certificate. Course may be taken individually as well.

Earn 1.7 CEUs, 17 PDHs with this course.

Introduction to Management

• Historical perspective of management theory
• Company lifecycle and its impact on management styles
• Managing skilled people in the 21st century
• From engineer to manager
• The skills and functions of management 

Strategic Planning

• Forming the team and getting alignment to a common vision
• Understanding the company vision, mission, and strategy
• Defining your team purpose with roles for all team members, including contractors and other parties in a matrix organization
• The power of Backwards From Perfect (BFP) visionary thinking

Operational Planning

• Creating and getting buy-in to a team business plan
• Meaningful performance metrics
• Budgeting and cost control
• Practical goal setting
• Objectives that work in the real world
• Handling change

 Planning Workshop

• Creating a team plan with meaningful objectives and metrics

 Team Goal Setting

• People management exercise: an interactive team activity to demonstrate the principles of good team leadership and teamwork

 People – Are They Just Another Resource?

• Understanding people and team dynamics to get the best out of them

 Recruiting the Best People

• Defining team composition and role clarity
• What to look for in resumes and how to filter for the best candidates
• Selection and interviewing techniques

 Managing People

• Staff performance reviews that motivate
• Handling top performers
• Dealing with poor performers
• Staff retention

 Operational Efficiency

• Getting the team organized and performing well
• Reviewing process – effective reporting
• Radical time management and prioritization techniques to get results

 How to Turn Meetings from Time Wasters into Powerful Execution Tools Time Management and Decision-Making   Workshop

• A real-life “inbox” exercise to demonstrate the principles of good prioritization and time management

Communication Skills

• Effective delegation and escalation techniques
• How to communicate effectively with your team
• Avoiding the pitfalls of poor communication resulting from email use
• Helping your team improve their communication skills

 Communication Skills Exercise

• A fun team event demonstrating the dynamics of team interaction and communication

 Managing Your Career

• How to manage your boss
• Managing your image
• Secrets of a successful career

"Great use of real world experiences… Would highly recommend."

Robert Kolar, DuPage County, Illinois DOT

"The best management course I’ve attended. Materials and examples were excellent."

Martin Beranek, MSA Professional Services, Inc.

Trevor Manning

Trevor Manning runs his own training and consulting business (TMC Global) that specializes in the training and development of technical people who have transitioned into management.  He is also the Director of Operations (COO) for Vertel - Australia’s largest privately-owned wireless carrier.  Mr. Manning also serves on the company’s advisory board. 

Prior to this, he had global responsibility for sales and engineering at Actix Ltd, a privately-owned international software optimization company, specializing in the mobile/wireless telecommunication field. During Mr. Manning’s tenure as Chief Operating Officer, Actix won the London Sunday Times award for "Top 100 Fastest-Growing IT Companies" for five years in succession. He was also technical director for Aviat, a US-based microwave radio supplier, and chief engineer of Eskom, a large South African electric utility, running the radio telecommunications department. 

With a 30-year career in the IT and telecommunications sectors, Mr. Manning has had personal experience as a design engineer, a middle manager, as well as board-level executive responsibilities. His global experience includes managing people in mature, stable environments with fixed structures and processes, as well as in the chaotic startup phase of a new business. Mr. Manning also has experience managing people in fast-growing environments with the challenges of recruiting and developing teams and in organizations downsizing during lean years.

Mr. Manning authored the classic best-seller ‘Microwave Radio Transmission Design Guide’ published by Artech House (second revision 2009) and more recently he has self-published ‘Microwave Radio Handy Reference Guide’ (2019).  He has also authored two management books ‘’Help! What’s the Secret to Leading Engineers?’ (2017) and ‘Help! I Need to Master Critical Conversations’ (2018), available from Amazon.