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On-line Professional Development

AFOA 2 - Aboriginal Management Practices I

Developed for managers and aspiring managers in Aboriginal organizations, this course offers the opportunity to learn about current management practices and activities that support high performance. The course examines how to work with others, how to manage change, leadership, problem-solving and decision-making, meeting management, organization, communications, negotiation and dispute resolution, continuous improvement, and self management. It also provides insight into some better practices and lessons learned.

The cost for this course is:

Members: $535 (plus GST)

Non-members: $645 (plus GST)

For course start dates and to register, click on Register for courses.

Course Description

This course has been developed by AFOA for managers and aspiring managers in Aboriginal organizations. It offers Aboriginal managers the opportunity to learn about current practices and activities that support high performance. It provides managers with insight into the requirements to function effectively as a manager. Note that throughout the course, the terms program manager, band manager, and executive director are often used interchangeably. Pick the title that is most relevant to you.

Aboriginal organizations are now, more than ever, assuming more self-government responsibilities and pursuing new opportunities. With increased responsibility comes the need for increased management capacity to ensure that the organizations will grow and flourish. This course focuses on your role as a manager and provides some tools you can use to provide leadership and accountability for your organization.

This course examines how to work with others, how to manage change, leadership, problem-solving and decision-making, meeting management, organization, communications, negotiation and dispute resolution, continuous improvement, and self management. It also provides insight into cases that identify some better practices and lessons learned.

Course Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the course, you will be able to:

Lesson 1: Working with Change

  • recognize the types of change
  • recognize stages within the change process
  • appreciate the importance of flexibility and a willingness to negotiate when dealing with change
  • identify why attempts to change fail
  • discuss resistance and possible responses
  • assess your change style and its impact on how you manage change

Lesson 2: Working with Others

  • understand team-building techniques and the importance of group dynamics
  • understand how to be a team leader or member of a multi-function team
  • appreciate the value of diversity
  • discuss how to improve a situation by increasing involvement and commitment
  • explain how a team approach can be effective
  • understand your role and your relationships with your staff, Council members, volunteers, colleagues and consultants
  • assess your current efforts at working with others

Lesson 3: Leadership

  • recognize the difference between leadership and management
  • discuss different leadership styles
  • discuss the changing role of the leader
  • understand key leadership characteristics
  • recognize ethical responsibilities and dilemmas
  • assess your performance as a leader

Lesson 4: Problem Solving and Decision Making

  • understand the basic steps in decision-making and problem-solving
  • know how to achieve group decisions
  • understand how to measure criteria used in decision-making
  • know how to identify and evaluate options/alternatives
  • know how to use scenario planning as decision-making criteria
  • understand risk and its importance in decision-making
  • assess your own ability to make decisions and solve problems

Lesson 5: Meeting Management

  • understand how proper preparation contributes to a successful meeting
  • appreciate the importance of attending to logistical details
  • understand the roles and rights of the Chair of the meeting
  • recognize the role of participants in enhancing the quality of meetings
  • understand techniques that keep meetings focused and moving
  • know what minutes are and how they should be properly recorded
  • understand the importance of follow-up to a meeting
  • assess your own success in managing or participating in meetings

Lesson 6: Personal Organization and Knowledge Management

  • understand basic time management techniques
  • develop policies for information retention and preservation of information
  • develop filing systems for both paper and electronic documents
  • understand the concept of knowledge management and how it can improve an organizational
  • know what to consider when establishing knowledge management systems

Lesson 7: Communications

  • identify the key elements of an effective communications strategy
  • understand the barriers to effective communication
  • develop an awareness of various tools for communication
  • understand that different audiences (e.g. band members, staff, colleagues, volunteers, council members, consultants, the general public) may require different approaches to communication
  • develop a communications plan for your program
  • assess your own abilities to communicate effectively with different audiences

Lesson 8: Negotiations and Dispute Resolution

  • understand the concept of conflict resolution
  • understand the difference between mediation and arbitration
  • identify areas within your community that would benefit from the implementation of a conflict resolution system
  • understand how to implement a conflict resolution system in your community
  • develop conflict resolution policies, practices, and tools

Lesson 9: Continuous Improvement

  • understand what it means to operate in a culture of continuous improvement
  • understand the role of innovation and creativity in continuous improvement
  • understand tools and techniques that support continuous improvement
  • be able to use continuous improvement tools to define solutions
  • seek out innovative approaches and adapt them for use in your organization
  • evaluate established services and programs in the context of continuous improvement

Lesson 10: Self-Management

  • recognize the importance of setting personal goals to achieve success
  • identify and expand your personal network of support
  • understand the importance of continuous learning for yourself and others
  • discuss the value of mentoring and how to make it work
  • appreciate the rewards and responsibility that come with self-management
  • assess your efforts to date toward self-management and develop goals for the future
Course Completion and grading

The course material is broken down into ten lessons. Within each lesson, specific objectives are listed and instructions for completion are provided. Directions are provided to guide students through the readings, other references, and work to be completed.

This course has ten lessons that run over a 13-week period. Although a suggested schedule is provided, students are urged to make their own schedule, paying close attention to exact assignment due dates. These will be confirmed at the start of the course. It is recommended that students try to complete one lesson per week.

Week Lesson Topic Assignments
1 Introductions and Course Orientation
2 1 Working with Change
3 2 Working with Others
4 3 Leadership
5 4 Decision Making & Problem Solving
6 Due: Assignment #1
7 5 Meetings Management
8 6 Organization
9 7 Communications
10 8 Negotiations & Dispute Resolution
11 9 Continuous Improvement
12 10 Self Management
13 Due: Assignment #2
14
Course Assignments and Grading

Students will be evaluated in this course as follow:

Participation 20%

Assignment 1 30%

Assignment 2 50%

Participation

It is 20% of the student’s course grade, and has two elements.

  • Group Discussion. For each lesson, you are required to share information with others via the group discussion area. Each lesson has a specific group discussion activity. Your instructor/facilitator will monitor the discussion contributions to determine a participation grade, and provide support where required. While frequency of your contribution to the discussion is a factor in the assessment, the quality of the interaction is more important. For each lesson, strive to contribute three (3) substantive postings (i.e. try to include responses to other student postings as well)
  • Web searches. You are required to complete web searches. These are to be posted in the discussion activity database, and are described within the lessons.
  • Post a Practice. You are required to share a relevant practice to the lesson topic. These are to be posted in the “course discussion area”.