Getting the most out of ManagementDirect: A guide for users What Is ManagementDirect? ManagementDirect is the comprehensive online management and leadership toolkit designed to support managers at all stages of their careers. ManagementDirect is an entire reference library of video interviews; business articles; company and industry profiles; business definitions; book chapters; checklists; e-learning modules and much more. This means that you can access exactly the type of information you need, exactly when you need it and all at the click of a mouse! Helps you fulfil your potential ManagementDirect is the first port of call for anything you might need to know about management and leadership, delivered on a just in time basis. Resources can be found based on the time available to you as a user. As you are now a CMI Affiliate member, you also benefit from a comprehensive range of products and services including access to CMI s leading publication, Professional Manager, plus services such as the Ask a Researcher and our free legal helpline that will provide you with the tools to carry out your job more effectively. Furthermore, you will benefit from being part of a community that addresses today s management issues in face-toface and online networking events. Using ManagementDirect ManagementDirect is a tool to help you become more expert in your job and in doing so help you drive up your levels of performance. Whether you need a guide on how to manage a meeting; resources to help you communicate more effectively with others; access to research about a company before a client meeting or simply access to the latest trade and industry press, then you ll find it all here. Searching in ManagementDirect There are several different ways to search for the content you need in ManagementDirect. First, type a word or phrase into the freetext search box. As soon as you start typing you will see a drop down box of suggested terms drawn from over 700 of the mostly frequently selected keywords that we use to catalogue our content. You can select any of these terms or continue to type any word or phrase of your choice. However, words not shown in the dropdown list will return fewer content items than those that are. The second approach is to use the wordcloud - this shows the 36 most frequently searched terms. Finally, you will also find resources organised under the Competencies. Each competency area of the National Occupational Skills for Management and Leadership* has been mapped against relevant content from ManagementDirect to support your development in this area. Once you have selected a search term via any of the above methods your results will appear in a list that is categorised into three groupings (5 minute, 20 minute and extended briefing) to help you understand how long it will take for you to digest the resources available. Reporting In order to save you time we will automatically capture details of the resources accessed, wherever possible, so as to pre-populate your CPD record, enabling you to spend more time reflecting on the outcomes of your activities and their impact on your work. Our online CPD system is designed to provide you with a fast and efficient way of recording and reporting on your CPD activities and objectives. 1
ManagementDirect Content The site contains a lot of very useful information and resources as listed and explained below. As with any comprehensive resource, such as this, not all the material will be relevant to all of us, all of the time. The key to maximising your use of the tool is to ensure you search the site quickly and accurately following the earlier guidelines. The content types are briefly introduced below: Definitions This provides succinct definitions and more extended descriptions of numerous business terms. Models Similar to the definitions, this section describes over 60 famous business and management models so if you needed to know about the Boston Consulting Group matrix, what stakeholder analysis is and how to do it or perhaps the meaning of a Situational Leadership, then this is the place. Thinkers Again, similar to the definitions and models section for instance, if you needed to quickly find out who Michael Porter is and what he says about strategy then you ll find it here! Creative tools Over 100 practical tools to promote creative thinking Self assessments Self diagnostic questionnaires to help assess your personal strengths and training needs. These provide instant feedback and suggest resources to help you develop your own skills Leader Videos This resource has over 130 video clips of key global leaders describing formative experiences in their careers and sharing these lessons with you. Pearls of Wisdom Eleisha s Pearls of Wisdom are 3-4 minute sharp, engaging video insights into management and leadership models, tools and techniques to improve personal productivity or performance. They are easily understood and applied to develop key skills and understanding for managers at all levels. e-modules Stand alone e-learning modules that cover a range of business and management topics. The e-modules are suitable for middle and senior managers whilst our e-learning basics are targeted at the needs of new and aspiring managers. Scenarios Suite of 15 interactive scenarios that allow managers to explore real-life simulations and make outcomeaffecting decisions based on their own evaluations. Each scenario is set in a specific organisational context with a particular manager to be shadowed Web Links Over 700 links to third party websites that cover the topic in question Learning Journeys A selection of Structured Learning Journeys created by CMI covering generic management topics Learning journeys created by your organisation will appear at the top of the list Checklists Access to over 200 different checklists / guidance notes on topics as diverse as accounting ratios at one end of the spectrum, through to performing a SWOT analysis Document Templates These templates provide a great alternative to starting with a blank screen when you start to prepare any of these common types of management documents. They provide suggested topic headings within the document and indicate the sort of things you may need to include under these heading. They download as MS Word documents so that you can edit and amend as you see fit. e-books Over 400 e-books with new additions on a regular basis e-journals This is a very useful section. It gives access to the Business Source Corporate service from EBSCO, a leading service provider of e-resource management tools. This database contains full text from nearly 3,000 quality magazines and journals The collection of titles also includes the top management journals such as Harvard Business Review, California Management Review and Academy of Management Executive. Book Chapters This section provides on-line access to chapters and sections from key books that deal specifically with a range of business and management issues. This ranges from advice on topics such as how to run a good meeting, how to interpret financial accounts, and effectively organise a project through to issues such as handling conflict and techniques such resource planning and management. Professional Manager Articles Articles published in the CMI s own magazine, Professional Manager CMI Research 2
Extended summaries of over 40 different research projects commissioned and completed by the CMI. This covers a broad range of topics such as Management Futures: the World in 2018, Generation Y: Unlocking the Talent of Young Managers and Leadership in the Low carbon Economy. Company Reports A comprehensive database of company reports British Library Portal The British Library's Management & Business Studies Portal complements CMI's Information Service by providing access to the British Library's vast collection of material about management and business, which grows by over 7,000 items a week Ideas for Leaders Thought leadership ideas distilled from the latest research from 50 of the world s top business schools. Competencies This takes you to the competency framework and allows you to access resources under the different competency areas. Get In Touch Can t find the answer you need? Ask our professional information researchers to help you locate the content resources to meet your specific needs CMI Library Online catalogue makes it easier for you to search for books and articles from our extensive library CMI Mentoring CMI s mentoring programme provides practical support to managers at all levels of their career. Business HR Up to date best practice advice and downloadable templates for HR documents Senior Manager Resources Supporting resources for users studying CMI Level 7 qualifications CMI Qualifications Supporting resources, where available, for users studying any CMI qualifications Study Skills Provides key study guides from Managing Stress to Note taking to refresh your knowledge or assist you with studying towards a Tarmac qualification. CMI Book Club The Management and Consulting Book Club where you can share your thoughts and opinions on management books What s new? New additions/updates to ManagementDirect 3
ManagementDirect explained.. Homepage Search options Freetext search Type a word or phrase into the freetext search box. As soon as you start typing you will see a drop down box of suggested terms drawn from over 700 of the mostly frequently selected keywords that we use to catalogue our content. You can select any of these terms or continue to type any word or phrase of your choice. However, words not shown in the dropdown list will return fewer content items than those that are. Word cloud Shows the 36 most frequently searched terms, click on subject heading to view available resources. New to ManagementDirect? Information on searching and learning journeys My recently viewed items Top 5 most viewed pages by user What other people are viewing Top 5 most viewed pages by all users ManagementDirect can be accessed 24/7 however Internet access is required ManagementDirect can be accessed via mobile devices but without a Flash player users will not be able to access videos, e-learning modules or learning journeys 4
What s new in ManagementDirect Click on the link to view the latest additions to ManagementDirect About ManagementDirect This area provides further information on the resources available to you Latest Research Keep up with the latest research from CMI. 5
Multimedia bar Provides categorised search areas and access to your profile and much more Concepts Definitions Brief explanations of key management terms Models One page summaries of key management models Thinkers Summaries of the life and work of major thinkers in the field of management Creative tools Over 100 practical tool to promote creative thinking Multimedia Self-assessments Assess your development needs against key management competencies Leader Videos World class leaders share their learning experience Pearls of Wisdom - 3-4 minute sharp, engaging video insights into management and leadership models, tools and techniques to improve personal productivity or performance e-modules Interactive e-learning modules covering key management issues 6
Scenarios Interactive e-learning scenarios to enable application of learning Weblinks Over 400 links to relevant websites Learning Journeys Selection of CMI Structured Learning Journeys covering generic management topics including a learning journey on an Introduction to key resources to use within the portal. Any learning journeys created by an organisation will appear at the top of the list under a heading of Organisational Learning Journeys. NOTE: The CMI or your Organisation s Learning Journeys can be previewed by clicking on Preview alternatively to track your progress click on Add to My Learning Journeys which adds them to My Learning / My Learning Journeys where you will be able to complete the journeys when time allows. Best Practice Checklists Over 200 practical guides to deal with key management issues Document Templates Templates for creating common management documents 7
Books and Articles e-books e-books from CMI s library collection e-journals A comprehensive database of thousands of journals, plus access to company, country and industry reports Book chapters Selected chapters from CMI publications CMI Research Summaries of CMI research reports Professional Manager Articles from CMI s magazine Company Reports A comprehensive database of company reports British Library Portal Access the British Library Management and Business Studies Portal Ideas for Leaders - Thought leadership ideas distilled from the latest research from 50 of the world s top business schools 8
Competencies Access content relevant to the functional areas covered by the National Occupational Standards for Management and Leadership The National Occupations Standards (NOS) have been developed by the Management Standards Centre (MSC) the Government recognised standards-setting body for management and leadership. Each section of the diagram opens up the competency area associated with each function. All the competency areas have been cross-referenced against relevant content from ManagementDirect 9
My Learning Self-assessment Access your development needs against key management competencies CPD Record and track development activities and objectives My Learning Journeys Learning journeys users have selected and created see separate instructions for creating learning journeys NOTE: If you clicked on Add to My Learning Journeys for any of the CMI or Organisational Learning Journeys in Multimedia / Learning Journeys they will appear in the list under My Learning / My Learning Journeys. Click on Play to complete the journey and to track your progress. CPD ManagementDirect will automatically update - Users will have the option to edit details on CPD record to ensure all information is relevant and useful. - Users are able to add external information to their CPD record - Good tool to demonstrate Self-directed learning My Learning Journeys This is where you can create customised structured learning journeys, personalised to your own specific needs. This icon will directly link the content item to the learning journey - All learning journeys can include a personalised introduction and conclusion - Has the ability to track learning progress ( % complete) 10
More.. Get in Touch Can t find the answers you need? Ask CMI s professional information researchers CMI library Access to the full library collection for full advanced searches and book loans CMI Mentoring Access to and Information on CMI s mentoring programme Business HR Up to date best practice advice and downloadable templates for HR documents Senior Manager Resources Supporting resources for users studying Level 7 qualifications CMI Qualifications Supporting resources where available for users studying any CMI qualification Study Skills - CMI Book Club - where you can share your thoughts and opinions on management books What s New New additions to ManagementDirect NOTES Content Helpline - Members can receive help from a well-informed researcher who has gained expert knowledge by digesting and summarising our management library. - ask@managers.org.uk - 01536 207400 CMI Library Automatically directs membership to CMI library www.managers.org.uk/library Business HR Directs user to CMI website giving information on Business HR website www.managers.org.uk/businesshr 11