Right Management Consultants, a worldwide consulting firm with an office in West Des Moines, will join the Greater Des Moines Partnership to present the first in a series of “Emerging Leader” management training courses this fall. The six-session series is designed to provide managers the opportunity to develop competence in core areas of managerial practice, including performance management, conflict management, building collaboration and a high-performance team, and leading company change. The classes will be held every other Wednesday from Sept. 10 to Nov. 19 in the Arthur Davis Conference Center at the Partnership Building, 700 Locust St., Suite 100 in downtown Des Moines. The first session will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. and the remaining five sessions will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Class size is limited to 20-25 people per session. Participants must register by calling 286-4934. The Business Record spoke with Sue Twit, vice president of client services for Right Management Consultants, who will lead the sessions. She said the curriculum includes online skill assessments to help managers understand their own style and strengths. The assessment findings, she added, will be utilized throughout the series of classes, providing personalized, hands-on training.

Q: Can anyone participate?

A: Yes. It’s designed to provide basics of management training for potential managers as well as experienced managers who may need a refresher course or those who were promoted to management positions due to their technical abilities, but were never exposed to any kind of management training.

Q: Tell me about the sessions.

A: We always start with an assessment. That’s the first step, to determine the style of a person’s leadership. Then we quickly get into ideas on how to most effectively collaborate with employees and how to be a more effective manager by learning how to listen and solve problems. The second session deals with performance management and how to set expectations for workers and hold them accountable, as well as counseling and coaching. The third session is conflict management and how to mediate conflict. The fourth session is leading a high-performance team and how a leader can become more effective. The fifth session deals with growing as a manager and how to create a development plan to improve your management skills. The last session addresses change and how to lead it. We look at how to deal with employee resistance and how to communicate changes. Each one of these sessions has a lot of hands-on exercises. You’re not just sitting in class; you’re practicing techniques.

Q: Why is management training important?

A: Effective managers affect the bottom line. It also helps recruit and retain talented people. We know talented people want to be developed and grow their skills.

Q: Is there a lot of homework?

A: There’s always an assignment that needs to be practiced. But the classes are spread out so you have enough time to practice them.