The Manager's Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Managing People at Work

Seize the savings! Get 40% off 3 months of Coursera Plus and full access to thousands of courses.

The Manager's Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Managing People at Work

Instructor: Dr Chris Dewberry

202,464 already enrolled

Included with

Learn more

5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

4,339 reviews

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

4,339 reviews

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

26 assignments

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

logos of Petrobras, TATA, Danone, Capgemini, P&G and L'Oreal

There are 5 modules in this course

The aim of this course is to give you a practical guide to managing people at work. It does not matter whether you are a first time manager in a shop or a middle manager in an office environment; the same skills apply to every work place. In the course you will engage with some HR theories and then see how they translate into every day working life.

The first resources this week offer an opportunity for some preparatory reading, giving you a broad overview of the subject before we dive into the topic of interviews. We'll then explore the purpose of interviews, how to conduct them effectively, and consider alternative selection methods, ultimately discussing whether interviews are the most effective way to choose new staff members.

What's included

7 videos4 readings4 assignments

7 videos Total 51 minutes

Course introduction - part 1 8 minutes
Course introduction - part 2 8 minutes
Introduction to interviews 7 minutes
The structured interview 8 minutes
The unstructured interview 9 minutes
Tests and assessment centres 6 minutes
Panels, boards, telephone and virtual interviews 7 minutes

4 readings Total 60 minutes

Course structure and navigation 5 minutes
Learn effectively this course 5 minutes
From Fayol's mechanistic to today's organic functions of management 25 minutes
The psychological processes underlying selection 25 minutes

4 assignments Total 45 minutes

Introduction to interviews 5 minutes
The structured interview 5 minutes
The unstructured interview 5 minutes
Week 1 assessment 30 minutes

This week we are looking at the role of the leader in the organization and how we can improve our to improve our decision making.

What's included

6 videos3 readings5 assignments

6 videos Total 48 minutes

What is a leader, and what do we mean by leadership? 6 minutes
What style does the leader show in this structuring activity? 8 minutes
The components of choice 9 minutes
Expected utility theory 7 minutes
How we actually make choices 8 minutes
How to improve decision making 9 minutes

3 readings Total 75 minutes

A review of leadership theory 25 minutes
Leadership competency frameworks 25 minutes
How can decision making be improved? 25 minutes

5 assignments Total 60 minutes

Autocratic vs democratic leader 10 minutes
The components of choice 5 minutes
Expected utility theory 5 minutes
How we actually make choices 10 minutes
Week 2 assessment 30 minutes

This week we are looking at how a well designed performance management system can help both the employee and the organization.

What's included

5 videos3 readings5 assignments

5 videos Total 37 minutes

An introduction to performance management 9 minutes
The performance management cycle 8 minutes
Performance appraisal 7 minutes
Ways to evaluate individual performance 9 minutes
Designing a performance management system 4 minutes

3 readings Total 70 minutes

Appraisal of performance and potential 25 minutes
Performance management and appraisal 25 minutes
Activity: Setting SMART goals 20 minutes

5 assignments Total 50 minutes

Performance management 5 minutes
Performance appraisal 5 minutes
Ways to evaluate individual performance 5 minutes
Designing a performance management system 5 minutes
Week 3 assessment 30 minutes

This week we are looking at how important pay is as a motivator and the implications of this. Could it be that it may actually achieve the opposite?

What's included

6 videos1 reading7 assignments

6 videos Total 27 minutes

Pay as motivation 4 minutes
Just how important is pay as a motivator 5 minutes
Pay for performance 4 minutes
Pay: Attraction and retention 4 minutes
How individual and situational factors influence the motivational impact of pay 4 minutes
Can pay demotivate employees? 5 minutes

1 reading Total 25 minutes

Pay as motivation 25 minutes

7 assignments Total 60 minutes

Pay as motivation 5 minutes
Just how important is pay as a motivator? 5 minutes
Paying for performance 5 minutes
Pay to attract and pay to retain 5 minutes
How individual and situational factors influence the motivational impact of pay 5 minutes
Can pay demotivate employees? 5 minutes
Week 4 assessment 30 minutes

Is conflict always bad? This week we are looking at the causes of conflict and how to manage it for a positive outcome.

What's included

4 videos2 readings5 assignments

4 videos Total 33 minutes

The nature and causes of conflict in organisations 12 minutes
Introduction to managing conflicts at work 6 minutes
Organisational culture and knowledge 6 minutes
Team level and the Individual level 9 minutes

2 readings Total 50 minutes

Understanding and managing conflicts at work 25 minutes
Dealing with discrimination and bullying 25 minutes

5 assignments Total 50 minutes

Nature and causes of conflict at work 5 minutes
Introduction to managing conflicts at work 5 minutes
Organisational culture and knowledge 5 minutes
Team level and the individual level 5 minutes
Week 5 assessment 30 minutes

Instructor

Instructor ratings

(1,459 ratings)

Dr Chris Dewberry

University of London

1 Course 202,464 learners

Offered by

University of London

Birkbeck, University of London

Explore more from Leadership and Management

Status: Preview
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Managing Professional Work Teams
Course
Status: Free Trial
University of Minnesota
Preparing to Manage Human Resources
Course
Status: Free Trial
IESE Business School
Organizational Behavior: How to Manage People
Course
Status: Preview
SkillUp
Employment Law for Managers
Course

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Learner since 2018

"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."

Jennifer J.

Learner since 2020

"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."

Larry W.

Learner since 2021

"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."

Chaitanya A.

"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

Learner reviews

5 stars
73.60%
4 stars
20.98%
3 stars
3.84%
2 stars
0.73%
1 star
0.82%

Showing 3 of 4339

Reviewed on Apr 11, 2020

The whole programme has been inspiring and resourceful. I plan to implement every bit of it in the discharge of my daily assignment. Thank you so much for this opportunity.Omobowale Odofib

Reviewed on Oct 1, 2019

Good content but not always very well conveyed. At times I had the feeling the support material was a little bit "unprofessional" or rushed in its preparation. All in all still a good course anyway.

Reviewed on Aug 15, 2021

I found it useful, I have come from engineering and management doesn't always come naturally so this is a good course to go through if you find yourself having to manage people as well as tech!

View more reviews

Open new doors with Coursera Plus

Unlimited access to 10,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription

Learn more

Advance your career with an online degree

Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online

Explore degrees

Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business

Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy

Learn more

Frequently asked questions

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.