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Managing People

Page updated 5 September 2023

Managing people is the ability to align the right work with the right people, delegating tasks according to people's strengths and interests, ensuring people have the skills and reasonable resources to get things done. This will support the creation of a strong team where individuals are treated fairly and consistently and share accountability.

Managing people includes providing regular and meaningful feedback that supports individuals to be successful. Managers should effectively support performance challenges and actively support individuals progressing their careers and achieving their potential.

RISE Leadership and People Management Programme

The RISE programme is designed for all Senior Leaders and People Managers across UCD.

This Leadership programme has been created to support the delivery of the UCD Strategy 2020-2024, '(opens in a new window)Rising to the Future'. As per our strategy, we commit to rising to meet the global challenges of the future through the excellence and impact of our research, scholarship and innovation, while ensuring every member of our community is enabled to achieve their full potential.  

RISE is delivered by our strategic partners Flow Group. The modules are designed to facilitate participants coming together to reflect and plan their individual and collective approaches to navigating an ever-changing and complex landscape, and each session includes personal reflection, action planning, small group conversation, idea generation and discussion.

Booking your place on RISE
To book your place on any of the RISE offerings please visit the dedicated RISE Booking Portal available to People Managers and Senior Leaders.

Please note only eligible participants will have access to book on the UCD RISE Leadership and People Management Programme.

RISE Programme Overview

This high impact programme is designed as a learning journey which consists of a number of modules which must be completed in sequence. Senior Leaders and People Managers will attend the Core Module together to share experiences and work to create common approaches and language. Each cohort will then attend their Essentials 1 and Essentials 2 modules in sequence.

RISE Insights
The programme also offers RISE Insights Sessions on HR, Finance and Research Finance. These optional 90-minute offerings delivered by our UCD colleagues provide specialist advice and guidance. Insights Sessions can be attended at any time once you have completed your Core module.

RISE Peer Connect
These one-hour self-contained sessions allow for the continuation of learning and sharing among our diverse community of people managers and leaders. The purpose of these facilitated sessions is to connect peers in small groups of three, with each person talking through a challenge, idea or insight, sharing experiences and using the group as a confidential sounding board.

These sessions can be attended at any time throughout your RISE journey.

RISE Together was hosted by the programme sponsors, UCD President, Prof Orla Feely and Tristan Aitken, Chief People Officer on 10 October 2023. The event was an opportunity for colleagues who had commenced their RISE journey to come together and share the learning and insights they developed through their participation in the RISE leadership programme.

Who is this course for? 
This course is for all staff members interested in developing their coaching skills. The aim of the course is to facilitate the development of the skills and mindset required to hold quality, focused and productive coaching conversations that result in greater clarity and direction for others. The mindset and skills can be used one to one, in a group, with colleagues, reports and stakeholders alike.

By the end of this one-day programme you will leave with a practical tool, which you have practiced and are confident in using, which:

  • Gives laser sharp focus to your team
  • Significantly accelerates their performance
  • Saves time for you…over time
  • Empowers your team to problem solve themselves
  • Grows the next level of managers and leaders

In addition, you will have built:

  • The capacity to deliver quicker, better and more impactful results through your team and your colleagues at work
  • An understanding of the value & impact of coaching
  • The motivation, confidence and skills to have impactful coaching conversations at work
  • The ability to identify where coaching can be used to improve performance in your team
  • The ability to use practical coaching skills with your team in a variety of situations including feedback sessions, development conversations, team and individual meetings and in any situation where you are aiming to increase performance and results.

How long is this course?

The total course duration is 7 hours. This will be delivered over 2 x 3 hour workshops over 2 weeks plus 1 hour Action Learning Set, online, approx. 1 month later

What topics will be covered?

The specific skills focused on in the programme are: 

  • Questioning
  • Listening
  • Empathy
  • Directness
  • Being non judgmental
  • Patience
  • Presence
  • Coaching – what it is and what it is not
  • Key elements of the coaching relationship

Pre work will include: 

  1. Watch a custom designed short video introducing the programme
  2. Learn about the difference between coaching, mentoring, training, and managing as well as what coaching is and what it is not 
  3. Set your own objectives for attending the programme and enhancing your mindset and skills as a people manager

Post course work will include: 

  1. Completing actions committed to in personal action plan 
  2. Participants to arrange 2 peer coaching sessions over the following 3 months focused on their development as a people manager and specifically the development of their coaching skills and practice 
  3. Updating of actions and impact on digital whiteboard before action learning set 
  4. A one-hour, online, action learning set, facilitated by Invisio, 1 month after the programme to share experiences and learnings with one another and problem solve as needed.

Participants on this programme will have access to an online whiteboard and document repository for up to 3 months after completing the programme and all resources will continue to be available to them over this time. The materials can also be downloaded locally

Booking:
For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the (opens in a new window)HR - Professional Development booking centre  If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses. 

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact (opens in a new window)peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

The "THRIVE - Leadership in Research" 2024 Programme is a joint initiative between UCD People and Organisation Development and UCD Research in consultation with our training partner 64 Million Artists. This important programme will contribute to the development of our UCD Faculty members at Lecturer/Assistant Professor or Associate Professor level and supports the delivery of UCD’s strategic plans.

The programme equips participants with the skills, knowledge, behaviours and confidence needed to realise their ambitions in UCD. Utilising a holistic approach, it provides a significant opportunity for Assistant Professors/Lecturers and Associate Professors across all disciplines to develop leadership and innovation skills in a group environment with peer-to-peer collaboration and networking.

Find out more about "THRIVE - Leadership in Research" and submit your application on our dedicated webpage.

Aurora is a leadership development programme for those who identify as female. It was developed by the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education in the UK. You can read more about the programme at (opens in a new window)Aurora | Advance HE

The programme is designed to introduce key leadership topics and skills through four online one-day workshops, complemented by online networking, action learning sets and resources.  Advance HE also host an in-person networking event as part of the programme.

The UCD HR People and Organisation Development Unit support the UCD Aurora cohort by hosting several local in-person events such as the UCD programme launch and closing events, mentee training and a mid-programme review event. On-going support is ensured through institutional mentoring.

Aurora is supported in UCD both by an overall Institution Champion, Professor Regina Uí Chollatáin, and an Aurora Coordinator in HR People and Organisation Development. 

Making an application

The closing date for receipt of applications for the 2023-24 Aurora Programme was 7 September 2023.  

Participants

The programme was established in 2013 and has run in a number of venues in the UK and Ireland, including London; Manchester; Bristol and Glasgow and Dublin. UCD has supported over 185 women to participate in the programme since 2015,  demonstrating the University's commitment to leadership development and gender equality.

Mentors

Aurora requires that the University puts systems in place to help support and develop participants on their Aurora experience. This includes having mentors in place to work with participants. Although the development days are run over 5 months, the mentoring arrangement is for the duration of one year to help participants maximise the benefit of the programme.

Guidance on choosing a mentor is available below:

Aurora Guidance in Choosing a Mentor

Should you have any queries in relation to Aurora in UCD, please contact (opens in a new window)peopledevelopment@ucd.ie.

If you have questions relating to other leadership or management development please discuss this with your Line Manager or Head of School/Unit at your annual P4G conversation.

UCD People & Organisation Development

Roebuck Offices, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
T: +353 1 716 4919 | E: peopledevelopment@ucd.ie