Unit 3 - Managing People I

In the previous two units we discussed the context of HR Management as well as your role as a manager. By now you are probably wondering whether we will ever get to discussing the management of people.

Well by now you will hopefully have a good understanding of how HR Management fits into and is shaped by the history, policies, politics and the context of an organisation. The reflection on your own role as a manager and the complexities of people management will furthermore hopefully help you to manage others with compassion and insight.

As we said before, HR Management in South Africa, and probably most of Africa, presently takes place in a very unstable environment. Health sector reform, public service transformation, brain drain and HIV/AIDS all lead to tremendous pressures on staff. Handling changes of structures and organisations, watching colleagues leave or die, and seeing users of services become more demanding and sicker creates tremendous challenges. While some may thrive on such challenges, others may feel overburdened and frustrated. Under such circumstances, burnout, stress and conflict become prominent features of the human resource scenario in an organisation, and central to the work of an HR manager.

In this unit, we will try to understand the causes, effects and possible solution to some of these challenges. Don't expect ready-made answers! There aren't any! The challenges at hand are enormously complex and not at all easy to solve. What you can expect is to better understand where the challenges come from and how we can begin to build organisations and relationships among people which allow us to handle complex situations.

As you know, we discussed stress in the previous unit. Before we discuss issues of teamwork, motivation and conflict, however, we will lead with a study session on leadership. More and more experts and role players in health management agree that particularly in times of change and uncertainty, leadership is a crucial ingredient to successful transformation and good HR Management.

So, this unit consists of four study sessions

Unit 3 - Session 1 - The Role of Leadership

Unit 3 - Session 2 - Working in Groups and Teams in Groups and Teams

Study Session 3: Understanding Motivation

Study Session 4: Managing Conflict

In Session 1 will reflect on what leadership is, what role it plays in the running of organisations and how leaders behave.

Session 2 will look at how groups and teams function, the differences between them, and how groups can be formed into teams. 

Session 3, will discuss what motivation is, how it works and what can be done to improve it. Particularly in times of uncertainty at the workplace, when many staff members may become frustrated and morale may be low, motivation becomes a crucial part of the job of those who are responsible for others.

Session 4 will focus on conflict and conflict management: it includes the symptoms and causes of conflict, and how it can be managed in ways that are constructive for individuals and the organisation.

Intended learning outcomes of Unit 3

To go to the next page in the course click here: The Role of Leadership