Things that need to be considered when deciding whether to take the Certificate IV or Diploma course:
* What experience and knowledge do I already have?
* What are the job roles that I wish to pursue?
Certificate IV in Frontline Management is the qualification required for individuals who wish to take the first line of management. You will gain the necessary skills, knowledge and recognition required for a supervisory type role across a range of organisational and industry contexts.
At this level, you would provide leadership and guidance to others and take responsibility for the effective functioning and performance of a team and work outcomes. Typically, you would report to a manager.
Diploma of Management is the qualification required for people who are engaged to manage the work of others and add value to or review management practices in any industry or organisational setting.
At this level, individuals will have considerable experience in their respective industries and have an in-depth perspective of the specific work requirements for their managerial approach. Typically, you would be planning, carrying out and evaluating your own work and the work of a team.
What’s the best tool for setting goals for a team?
One of the most popular and effective tools for goal setting is the SMART system.
SMART is an anagram of:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic and
Timeframe defined
If your goal meets each of these criteria, it can be considered a SMART goal and is therefore more likely to be achieved.
Here’s an example:
Goal: ‘I will be manager of a laboratory of at least 20 people in the food manufacturing industry by the time I am 24 years old.’
Let’s put it through the SMART test:
Is it Specific?
It defines what the person wants. It could be more specific by saying what type of laboratory in what type of food industry.
Is it Measurable?
Another way to ask this question is “How will I know if I achieve it?”. For example, ‘I want to be happy’ is not a SMART goal.
Is it Achievable?
Maybe this question should be ‘ is it relevant?’ This one probably is. There are no immediately obvious reasons for it to be completely impossible.
Is it Realistic?
For most of us, a goal like ‘I want to be a supermodel’ probably isn’t, but then there is no telling what determination can achieve! Some of the most successful people in the world started off with unrealistic goals. Who would have thought a B-grade movie actor could become president of the USA or a nun could save thousands of poor people from disease and starvation?
Is the Time frame defined?
A goal is only a dream unless it has a due date. Planning for an achievement `one day’ or `tomorrow’ usually means `tomorrow never comes’.
How will I be assessed for competency?
There are various assessment requirements throughout both courses dependent upon the context of each unit. In most cases you will be required to submit assignments that demonstrate your knowledge and competency. The assignments may consist of essays and question and answers or they may require you to complete workplace projects.
The Certificate IV in Frontline Management has a continuous improvement project as the main piece of assessment. There are also assessment pieces for most Units. We cannot issue the qualification until you have completed the project and all the assessments attached to the Unit
The Diploma of Management assessment is done on a unit by unit basis. Each unit has its own assessment piece. As these courses are offered online, there are many occasions where you will have to obtain third party verification of your skills obtained. In each of these cases, we provide the form that is required to be completed and signed by a Manager or Supervisor in your workplace.
If you are ever unsure of the volume of work with your essays or projects, simply send what you have done to your trainer. The trainer will provide guidance if more is required.
Reputation
An important function of the leader is to foster, develop and protect the reputation of their organisation. When a leader represents a team of people they are really representing the organisation. Every action that they take as a leader will affect the way in which the organisation is perceived by others – especially customers.
To find out what reputation is and why it is important in management click here
Vision
Effective leaders have a vision of what they must accomplish. That vision becomes the energy behind every effort and the force that pushes through all problems.
How do I get a vision?
Read more about vision in management.
Supporting and guiding an innovative team
Frontline managers need to provide support to their employees and guide them when necessary if they are going to succeed.
Here are some ways to develop and maintain a supportive work environment.
Types of workplace conflict
In the workplace (and almost any setting) you are likely to find two forms of conflict.
The first is conflict about decisions, ideas, directions and actions. We will call this ‘substantive conflict’ since it deals with disagreements about the substance of issues.
The second form, ‘personalised conflict’ is often called a personality conflict. In this form, the two parties simply ‘don’t like each other much’.
Read more about types of workplace conflict.
Useful Management Websites
Some great websites and blogs related to management topics can be found here. These are useful for students completing either the Cert IV or Diploma of Management or for people working in the Management field.
