Manager Acceleration Programme (MAP) – Massey University

MAP provides a solid foundation for a business's new and middle managers to build strong management careers.

The MAP programme is designed for cohorts of managers from a single company. We customise the content to the industry and environment of the company, and provide a full 360-degree analysis and written report on each candidate.

Designed around your business's specific needs, the MAP programme is is run in-house for companies and the content is adjusted to meet your business circumstances. The programme is run for groups of managers and is not an individual programme.

The selection and content of the modules is negotiated with you and the format and frequency of the delivery is agreed with you. The course can be delivered at your business location or at one of our venues across New Zealand.

Outcomes of MAP

Identify your key customers and learn how to engage them.
Convert customers into advocates.
Understand how to interpret the company’s “story” through its accounts.
Identify business problems by studying the balance sheet.
Communicate clearly and effectively to a range of audiences.
Learn how to initiate, plan, deliver and complete projects effectively.
Map, analyse and find ways to improve the business processes in your company.
Master the operations management of your company and identify problem areas.
Learn to understand yourself and other people use your knowledge to build a strong team.
Understand what leadership means and how to motivate a team.

Management Acceleration Programme (MAP) modules

From leadership skills and customer engagement to effective communication and improving business processes the Management Acceleration Programme modules will give you the management knowledge and skills to activate your career.

Module options include:

Leading self and leading your team

Gain an appreciation of the need to understand your people.
Use knowledge of individual strengths and challenges for the benefit of a high performing workplace.
Appreciate that self-awareness is key to effective interactions with staff.
Identify the drivers that motivate individuals.
Build a cohesive and high-performing team.
Learn how to utilise their your individual strengths to manage people.

Customer engagement

Understand that customer engagement is a critical success factor for maintaining and growing revenue at branch level.
Identify strategies to create stronger engagement.
Apply these strategies at branch level.
Identify factors which could lead to customer disengagement, dissatisfaction and the loss of business.
Learn how to use the tools which help identify customer needs.
Apply techniques which help build customer relationships.
Understand how to convert customer relations into customer loyalty.

Managing branch finances

Understand how to interpret the company’s “story” through its accounts.
Interpret the profit and loss account and the balance sheet.
Be familiar with the basics of practical management accounting.
Identify the key drivers that impact on branch performance measures.
Understand the budgeting and performance reporting measures in the business.

Managing through effective communication

Identify and use various tools and techniques to improve oral presentation and written communication.
Identify personal communications styles.
Devise techniques to overcome communication barriers and problems.
Be able to structure a written document to ensure effective communication.
Learn how to use templates for effective writing and speaking.

Managing projects

Understand the project management process.
Learn how to initiate, plan, deliver and complete projects effectively.
Be familiar with all PM aspects including project scope, time management, quality and cost, communication, integration, and human resources.
Be able to apply these principles to a specific project in the workplace.

Improving Business Processes

Understand the tools and techniques of business process mapping.
Understand the current processes in the workplace.
Identify, systematically, operating efficiency improvements.
Be able to apply process mapping and continuous improvement methodologies to the individual’s workplace.

Operations Management

Identify operations priorities and areas requiring attention.
Identify which areas will deliver on operational goals and objectives.
Understand the essence of forecasting and inventory control.
Be able to match staff to workflow needs – resource allocation.
Apply root cause analysis for real-time problem solving.

Managing under pressure

Understand your own responses to pressure and have the right ones.
Learn to be calmer and more effective.
Learn how to have difficult conversations successfully.
Learn to respond to pressure more effectively.
Learn to look after your own mental health.

Design Thinking and Innovation

Learn how design thinking can help you innovate (design thinking process).
Approach creative problem solving and innovation in a systematic way.
Learn design thinking methods, including: ideation, evaluation and human-centred innovation.
Apply design thinking – a hands-on exercise.
Showcase and discussions of examples.

Executive Coaching

Introduction to coaching.
The manager as coach.
Situational Leadership model.
The GROW model of coaching.
What to look out for when coaching.
How to introduce and sustain a coaching culture.

Integrating Technology Transformation into Strategy

Introduction to Digital Transformation (DX): What it is and what it is not.
DX Strategy: Defining a Digital Transformation Strategy that works for all levels.
Building DX Capability: Introduction to Capability Models.
People competencies, services innovation, software development and technology capability models.
DX Metrics and Models: Introduction to international benchmarks, models and metrics that support the Digital Transformation Journey.

Data Analysis and Application

What is data and how can it be used.
Introduction to data harvesting and processing.
Key principles in data analysis.
Extract useful information from big data.
Making informed and effective organisational decisions.
Outline of data security and privacy.

Applied Business Strategy

Frameworks for selecting and implementing corporate strategy.
SWOT/TOWS.
PESTEL.
Five Forces.
Examples of strategy failures and successes (case studies).
Other factors: ethics, changing technology, governance.
Toolkit for implementing strategy.

Understanding and Implementing the Agile Approach

Introduction to Agile concepts: comparisons and selecting the right approach.
Understanding the principles and values of Agile in the workplace.
What’s good and bad about agile (case studies).
Examples of different Agile delivery methods.
Planning and implementing a programme (case study and practice).
How to explain Agile and motivating others to participate.

Case study: Waste Management takes the lead in manager development

Waste Management, a leader in waste technology, is also setting the pace when it comes to developing its managers.

For the last four years, the company’s most talented managers have been selected for the Management Activation Programme (MAP) developed for Waste Management by Massey’s Business School. The programme is delivered by Massey in cohort format on various Waste Management sites across the country.

Participants in the year-long programme are given workplace-specific modules which cover finance, leadership, communication, design thinking and project management among others. The outcomes for the business have been significant.

“Managers who have attended our customised MAP programme have found it invaluable. They have appreciated the quality and the calibre of the lecturers and the relevance of the material to their roles,” says Sharon Scott, National Corporate Services and HR manager for Waste management.

The MAP programme is offered as an in-house option and has a very wide range of modules from which a company can choose. These modules are further customised to the industry and the particular processes or problems faced by the company.

One participant stated, “I thoroughly enjoyed the programme content, objectives and learning outcomes. The course helped practically solve some real issues throughout the year."