Off-the-shelf Library
Melon, Inc. are thrilled to announce their new partnership with
Worldwide Center for Organizational Development (WCOD). WCOD has been in the business of developing and deploying world-class learning and assessment products and services for over 15 years. Specializing in Leadership and Management development and skills, WCOD’s products and services have been utilized by leading companies around the world.
WCOD’s 2020MDS Leadership Academy courseware is among the best online course offerings today in the leadership domain and we make them available through
Melon LMS.
2020MDS offer the following courses:
Coaching and getting the best out of others 1 & 2
How effective you are in your management role will depend not only on the results which you produce but also on the way in which you achieve these results through others. In your role, the way in which you manage and develop people is crucially important. Your ability to get things done through others will be dependent on how effectively you communicate, and more particularly, how motivated you make other people feel.
The first module of these two focuses on getting the best out of others through simple coaching processes. It therefore seeks to help individuals to explore different strategies for building and maintaining effective relationships. The second module of the two goes much further in looking more deeply at coaching as a subject area and in offering a range of approaches and techniques that can be deployed by people in their future efforts.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Directional clarity
- Giving clear information
- Getting unbiased information
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
- Coaching Effectiveness Profile
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Corporate Strategy
This module looks at the process of a strategic approach to management from the wider strategic level to the operational level within the organization. Starting with “Strategic Planning is a process by which we can envision the future and develop the necessary procedures and operations to influence and achieve that future” in this first section of the module, we look at several ideas on what overall contribution corporate strategy should be making to the organisation and its medium to long term success. It then goes on to explore several different models of strategic planning. This includes Issue-Based (or Goal-Based) Planning, Alignment, Scenario Planning and Organic” (or Self-Organizing) Planning. In addition, because strategic management is a combination of three main processes namely; 1) strategy formulation 2) strategy implementation and 3) strategy evaluation, the module spends a considerable amount of time in explaining the processes for an organization determining where it is now, determining where it want to go, and then determines how to get there. Specific strategy formulation tactics and methods that can be utilised on a practical basis are summarised in the process.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Contextual thinking
- Directional clarity
- Thinking clearly and analytically
- Making decisions and weighing risk
- Setting goals and standards
- Change orchestration
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
Creativity and Innovation
Human creativity or innovation is a very large and complex subject area with a considerable amount of debate about what it is, and how it is practiced. To be creative or innovative can be said to be about being original, imaginative, expressive, ground breaking, inventive and idea generative. But, how do we build these kind of skills and how can we make innovation work for us in the way that we would like it to?
This workshop looks at the whole subject of creativity and innovation from both an individual and an organizational perspective. In the first module of the two, we look at what it takes to be creative and what unique of different skills people need to have to be deemed to be “original”. In the second module, our focuses switches to the innovation side of the equation and how the enterprise can bring about an innovative culture that fits well with current organisational strategy.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Contextual thinking
- Creative assimilation
- Planning and scheduling work
- Reciprocal communication
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
- Creativity Effectiveness Profile
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Customer Focus
This supplier/customer chain is central to the ability of any organization to delight its customers, survive and grow. As with any chain, the supplier/customer chain is as good as its weakest link, and if any link is not meeting its internal customers’ needs the external customer has no chance of being satisfied, let alone delighted.
This module focuses on the identification of those internal and external customer needs and how you can plan to meet them. It will therefore take individuals through the stages of analyzing information and preparing plans which match departmental or organizational operations to what customers need and want. Individuals will also look at what service really means as a philosophy, as well as a range of techniques that can be used to improve service efficiency and effectiveness. Throughout this module individuals will see clear emphasis on the essential recognition that customer needs are what drive effective and profitable organizations.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Reciprocal communication
- Listening organizing
- People enablement
- Identifying and solving problems
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
- Customer Commitment Profile
Developing Teams 1 & 2
Teamwork is an essential aspect of social existence. Whether we choose to be or not, we are members of many groups. We have to consider and co-operate with a wide variety of other people in the course of our daily lives. The social contracts we have with, for example, colleagues at work, family members and friends, are in some instances successful and pleasurable and in others not.
The first module in this series focuses on what constitutes a “high performance” team and how this evolves in stages.
The second module describes some of the factors managers need to bear in mind when leading teams of all kinds, including the now commonplace self-directed and remote workplace team.
The third module describes how managers can take a proactive role in analyzing group development needs and implementing programs which will help people to aspire to higher levels of cooperative excellence.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Directional clarity
- Giving clear information
- Planning and scheduling work
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
- Teambuilding Effectiveness Profile
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Effective Communication 1 & 2
Communication plays a crucial part in organizational success. Without effective communication systems and practices no organization will flourish and develop. At both the individual and the corporate level, there are complex issues to be explored.
The first module of the three in this subject area starts with an exploration of what effective communication is and what happens when communication goes wrong. It also focuses on the critical communication skill of listening.
The second module looks at how the communication process works at a broader level and in particular focuses on the message sending side of things. Finally, the third communication module looks at some of the specific methods and techniques we can use to improve our skills in this critical area, including how we can go about “style flexing”.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Listening and organizing
- Giving clear information
- Getting unbiased information
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
- Listening Effectiveness Profile
- Communication Effectiveness Profile
- Communication Style Assessment
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Effective Leadership 1 & 2
Leadership in organizations is about setting goals and inspiring people who work in the organization to give a commitment to achieve those goals. There will obviously be different levels of leadership from those who lead thousands, those who lead hundreds and those who lead smaller teams, but they will still share the same function - to get people to do ‘the job’. How they do that will depend on their attitudes, their perceptions of what motivates people and the prevailing culture of the organization.
In order to make that choice you need to understand the differences between the various leadership styles and their strengths and weaknesses so that you can effectively lead the organization or department. The first module in this series introduces individuals to a holistic leadership competency model. The second module looks at leadership styles in detail. Finally, the third module considers in depth the “Situational” leadership model.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Contextual thinking
- Change orchestration
- Reciprocal communication
- People enablement
- Creative assimilation
- Driving persistence
- Emotional intelligence
- Directional clarity
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
- Leadership Effectiveness
- The Values Indicator
Effective Meetings
In any review that asks managers to list the major time-wasters in their working day, meetings virtually always come towards the top of the list. When a few more questions are asked to find out why this is, responses come back that most meetings are unnecessary, boring and achieve very little in action terms.
One piece of recent research show the scale of the problem. It indicates that managers spend up to 60% of their time in meetings of one sort or another and if you work out the financial cost of the salaries alone, you get an idea of the importance of making them more effective.
A few meetings are helpful, seem to run on time and have an atmosphere of constructive communication. This module looks at how we can bring these outcomes about more of the time.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Directional clarity
- Giving clear information
- Planning and scheduling work
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
- Meeting Effectiveness Inventory
Emotional Intelligence
Although there is some dispute about what constitutes human intelligence or human emotion (and how it might be successfully measured) this module suggests that the term emotional intelligence draws on two simple concepts. To be ‘intelligent’ or what we will term “applying knowledge appropriately” and to be ‘emotionally astute’ or ‘tuned in’, or what we will term “applying feelings appropriately”. Emotional intelligence is driven by two major factors. These are people’s basic drive or motivation and the relative structure or flexibility of their thinking about themselves and others.
Grounded in the work of modern day psychology and neuro- science, this workshop will introduce four emotional intelligence styles that people are likely to adopt in varying degrees in dealing with life in general and other people in particular. By learning what contribution each of these style types makes, we can start to recognize that style versatility is likely to lead to the most beneficial outcome in most cases.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Contextual thinking
- Emotional intelligence
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
- Emotional Intelligence Style Profile
Handling Poor Performance 1 & 2
It would be an ideal world (and a naive expectation of managers) to have all employees arrive at work on time every day, with a positive attitude, a strong willingness to work, and a commitment to earn their keep.
Unfortunately, in the real world, there are always employees (even if they are in the minority) who are undisciplined, incompetent or committed to getting the most and giving the least. This happens despite our best efforts in selecting and training employees.
Hence, it is sometimes necessary for a manager to intervene when performance standards have not been met. The first of these two modules deals with how to counsel and coach individual short of formal discipline. The second focuses on how we can use more formal approaches to deal with underperformance of all kinds.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Directional clarity
- Giving clear information
- Getting unbiased information
- Counselling and disciplining
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
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Improving financial performance 1 & 2
How well is your organization performing? How can its performance be improved? Why is turnover up and yet profits are down? How effectively are you using resources? What can be done to improve the cash flow of the organization? How is your organization viewed by ‘outsiders’ and indeed do you assess other organizations? Questions such as these are constantly being asked and a mass of accounting information is often given in an attempt to provide the answers. Many managers, however, fail to make effective use of the available information, simply because there is so much of it. In order to get the best out of such information managers must understand the jargon used by accountants and be able to use some of the ‘tools’ or techniques which are available to analyze financial information.
The first of these 2 modules examines the terminology that individuals typically encounter in ‘internal’ accounting information produced specifically for managers. In the second module, several financial concepts are explained in greater depth and the techniques of ratio analysis are also examined in terms of how they offer a practical technique for using the financial, accounting information, including the ‘external’ financial statements, to improve financial performance.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Thinking clearly and analytically
- Setting goals and standards
- Planning and scheduling work
- Getting unbiased information
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
- Financial Acumen Inventory
Managing and Understanding Yourself
This module has two sections. The first section explores the whole area of personal style and temperament and suggest that we can be more effective by recognizing that people can think and act in ways that are often quite different to our own.
The second section of this module looks at the whole area of personal time and pressure management. Some experts suggest that many managers escape from the pressures of job induced anxiety by adopting a number of unproductive mechanisms that they call ‘busyness’. They escape into time consuming activities that they find less threatening, though much less productive, than the tough aspects of their jobs. Of course, once this time has passed you cannot get it back; time is one of the aspects of our lives that many of us value only once it has slipped away.
If you adopt the techniques described in this module and to better understanding yourself and others and organizing your time as suggested, you will find that you are getting more done in a calmer and more efficient manner.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Directional clarity
- Setting goals and standards
- Managing and prioritizing time
- Managing and scheduling work
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
- Psychological Type Indicator
- Time Management Effectiveness Profile
- Stress/Pressure Management Effectiveness Profile
Managing Change
Managing change is something that each and every one of us has to do, not only for ourselves but also to assist our colleagues around us when it is significant at a personal or team level or particularly difficult to handle. But change can take many forms and be both incremental as well as dramatic in its scale. As a result, we need a range of skills to help deal with all kinds of change, wherever it arises and these two modules aim to help us to do this.
The first module focuses on it what areas change typically arises and how individuals can respond or start to address the many issues that need to be tackled. The second module then looks at a number of specific chang situations and at several approaches that have been successfully used to handle the transitions in an effective way - allowing individuals to learn from the examples.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Change orchestration
- Thinking clearly and analytically
- Appraising people and performance
- Making decisions and weighing risk
- Reciprocal communication
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
- Change management effectiveness profile
Managing in Context
The key purpose of management, as defined by the UK Management Charter Initiative is:
“To achieve the organization’s objectives and continuously improve its performance.”
If you accept this definition, there is no escaping your responsibilities to know what these objectives are and how the organization sees your role in helping to meet them - even if this does involve persistence, effort or even a role in helping to define them!
The first of the two modules in this series lays a foundation of management theory and principles to help you take a wider view of the knowledge and the skills that individuals need to develop to manage within the organisation as effectively and efficiently as possible. The second module goes on to look at four modern theories about organisations and how they operate and aims to give individuals new perspectives on the general management approach that they may take in the future.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Contextual thinking
- Change orchestration
- Making decisions and weighing risks
- Appraising people and performance
- Driving persistence
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
- Management Effectiveness Profile
- Management Style Questionnaire
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Managing Information and Systems
Even as little as 20 years ago, it would have been rare to see a module or course devoted entirely to managing data or information or about information systems in general. However, in the modern world the computer is a commonplace tool on every manager’s desk and the Internet as an enormous information infrastructure is dramatically changing the way that work is performed and decisions are made. As a consequence, practically every individual in enterprises of all kinds now needs to know how key information can be gathered via systems and how it can be acted upon in effective ways.
This module looks at modern day data systems at a broad but relatively non-technical level. As such, the aim is to give individuals a conceptual appreciation of the topic and to help ensure that a number of key information resource components are reasonably well-understood.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Thinking clearly and analytically
- Listening and organizing
- Reciprocal communication
- Getting unbiased information
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
Managing Risk
Given the high stakes in today’s business world, it’s easy to see why risk management has become the key buzzword in recent times. Risk includes human, market, financial risk and operational risk. The Managing Risk module provides a comprehensive description and analysis of modern risk management, including regulatory aspects, organizational issues, potential problem areas, and tools to control and manage the many different kinds of risks. It also discusses: structuring and managing an effective risk management system.
This module provides participants with a sound understanding of the whole subject of risk and how to manage it more effectively at all levels, including strategic, program, project and operational risks. The module also enables participants to describe what risk management is about and to be able to talk confidently about risk management issues with colleagues as well as understand how to communicate and report risk related information.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Making decisions and weighing risk
- Contextual thinking
- Getting unbiased information
- Appraising people and performance
- Thinking clearly and analytically
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
Operations management
This module looks at principles and techniques which apply equally well to the effective running of service and operational manufacturing companies, to commercial enterprises and to public sector organizations. In this module, individuals will examine what it means to be fully in charge of an organized and planned work environment. As you go through the module you will see clearly the inter- relationship between a range of management activities and responsibilities, such as the need to meet the requirements of internal and external customers, marketing research and communications. The module also looks in summary at quality management, just-in-time methods, resource scheduling, waste and rework management and the use of six sigma techniques.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Making decisions and weighing risk
- Setting goals and standards
- Planning and scheduling work
- Reciprocal communication
- Getting unbiased information
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
Personal Development 1 & 2
Continuous professional development (CPD) is becoming more widespread in the last 10 years than at any time in the last 50, and will continue to do so in the new millennium thanks to a number of related movements:
- The growing support for attempts to create ‘learning organizations’, reflected in initiatives such as “Investors in People”
- The decision of the majority of professional bodies which requires evidence of continuous professional development before members are upgraded
- The growth of new technology which makes self directed learning more feasible. Compact disk technology and the Internet has increased the opportunities already offered by computer, video and text based self-study packages.
All this means that it has become particularly important that managers be concerned about self development. This module guides you through a process of identifying needs, planning, implementing, reviewing and evaluating your personal development in 2 parts understanding your learning preferences and then setting clear goals and targets.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Directional clarity
- Emotional intelligence
- Setting goals and standards
- Identifying and solving problems
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
- Learning Styles Profile
- Goal Setting Effectiveness Profile
Presenting to groups
We spend most of our lives speaking to one another; it is our natural communication channel. However, something strange happens to many people when asked to do the same thing in front of a group. A mere mention of delivering a presentation brings the nervous system into full operation. So why does this happen? Presentation fear is a mixture of things. It is fear of:
- falling flat on your face
- drying up
- losing your train of thought (midstream)
- being boring.
As you progress through this module, individuals learn how to prepare, plan and execute a presentation to a high standard. Many of the hints, tips and techniques described can be applied in a number of different circumstances, including, advising and informing others, sharing ideas/information, taking a proposal to another team and making a presentation to people outside the organization.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Thinking clearly and analytically
- Giving clear information
- Creative assimilation
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
- Presentation Style Assessment
Problem solving and decision-making
Everyone regularly has to spend some of their time in solving a variety of problems and make many different kinds of decisions. Some are major problems or decisions, with a fundamental impact on the organization, while others are about the day-to-day matters that are part of working life.
In this module you will explore the different approaches you can take when looking to either solve problems or make decisions so that you are confident that you are taking the best approach decision in any given set of circumstances. This module therefore explores the general process of problem solving and decision-making and then offers a summary of some of the more popular tools that can assist us or that we can use in the right circumstances.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Identifying and solving problems
- Creative assimilation
- Getting unbiased information
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
- Problem Solving Effectiveness Profile
Recognizing and Valuing Differences
This module has been designed to help managers working in all types of organizations to reflect on their knowledge and practical skills in the area of equal opportunities and the benefit of greater diversity appreciation.
The module aims to help you to give meaning to effective equal opportunities policies and will act as a background for the discussion of cultural diversity issues. The module will also help you to explore the benefits of interacting with people without bias and insensitivity. This is done by outlining a six-step model that can be readily applied in any workplace situation.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Getting unbiased information
- Listening and organizing
- Reciprocal communication
- Emotional intelligence
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
- Diversity and Cultural Awareness Profile
Selection and placement
People are the most important resource in any organization, but the role of human resources in different organizations varies widely.
In order to manage and maintain your human resources effectively it is important that overall staffing levels, the relevant skill and people mix are regularly reviewed against the requirements of the whole organization or department, before any efforts are made to recruit or redeploy people. This requires a systematic approach if it is to be successful.
This majority of this module is designed to support the manager who may be contributing towards staffing decisions and provide confidence to the manager who is responsible for specifying, interviewing, assessing and selecting candidates against team and organizational requirements.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Listening and organizing
- Giving clear information
- Getting unbiased information
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
- Interviewing Style Assessment
Win/win negotiation
Negotiating is an activity we perform on many more occasions than we may think. We negotiate to:
- Bargain on the price of a produce or a service.
- Settle differences in a dispute situation.
- Agree on a goal or an outcome.
- Arrive at comfortable terms so we can work together or co-operate.
- Reach a compromise of some sort.
This module explores how to use negotiating skills effectively in all of the above situations and more and offers individuals a range of different approaches and techniques to become more adept at this important work and life skill. This module has been produced to arm you with the skills to negotiate for ‘Win-Win’ outcomes in many different situations that as a manager you will encounter every single day.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Directional clarity
- Giving clear information
- Getting unbiased information
- Listening and organizing
Linked Assessments (where applicable):
- Negotiating Style Profile
Working successfully with others
This module is designed to help you to review and develop your relationships with the people with which you work, whether these are members of your team, more senior managers or other colleagues. You will be looking at the interpersonal skills which can help to promote good communication and more productive working relationships.
The first two sections of the module focus on some techniques for establishing constructive relationships with other people, including assertiveness and communication skills. It then explores how effective feedback can help you to create a healthy climate of communication. This can help individuals to learn about themselves, the effect their behaviour has on other people and how others perceive them. The final three sections examine some of the approaches that you may want to use if you have to deal with poor performance, conflict or other problems.
Underpinning Competencies:
- Listening and organizing
- Getting unbiased information
- Giving clear information
Linked Assessments (where applicable):