More generally, excuse me for moaning but may I insist acronyms should be used sparingly, and explained for the benefit of stupid foreigners like myself?
Jan, it was already spelled out several times in the thread. CRM stands for both Crew Resource Management, and also Cockpit Resource Management, as previously described.
I am not aware of any formal "CRM" courses which are designed for single pilot GA operations, so my reply does not consider this possibilty.
It should. Such courses are certainly available, and are presently under discussion (hence the thread).
Simuflite and Flight Safety also emphasize this training in their courses, including single pilot aircraft such as the King Air (arguably a light, general aviation airplane).
As for "willy waving," what you'll find from a quick review of the thread (discounting the posts which have apparently been deleted) is one poster who decried and dismissed the value of CRM training, and numerous other posters who told him he is wrong.
I suppose the main cockpit resource is sufficient drink for the duration of flight (plus legal reserves, of course) and a recipient for its remains?
Management consists of far more than fuel. Chart placement is important. This may seem like a minor thing. The year before last when I had an explosive depressurization in a Cessna 421, the new-hire in the right seat, to whom I was giving training, had placed his checklists on the glareshield. A big bang, and moments later the glareshield was in front of the cockpit along with some of the cockpit, waving around in the slipstream, and the checklist was well on it's way downhill in the dark to a cotton field somewhere below.
Managing radios is a simple thing that can greatly improve efficiency. Having a frequency tuned in advance, or alternating between radios, and never tuning over an old frequency until the next one is established and working, is good practice. It's no big deal until one loses communications or blots out a frequency by installing a new one, and the new one is wrong or not working.
An example of frequency management might be the loss of the B744 UPS 6 in Dubai, just last year. Smoke filled the cockpit, and there was no way to tune radios. Having a plan in mind with a pretuned 121.5 or other solution gives options.
One prepares for an IFR departure, intent on getting to the enroute section and reducing one's workload; do you have the approach tuned up in case an immediate return is required, and are the charts available? This is certainly resource management.
Climbing out into ice, do you have the electrical power to manage everything, or must some load be shed? Electrical power is resource management.
During an approach, during a stall recovery, or during a go-around, it's all about energy management.
The much vaunted process of balancing one act against another based on potential outcome is sometimes referred to as "risk management," but is another aspect of resource management.
Flying VFR with a constant source of forced landing sites beneath, whether it's following a road or keeping open fields in sight, is resource management.
The use of a kneeboard or clipboard can be resource management.
I used to juggle an oceanic chart, a plotting chart, the flight release/flightlog/flight plan, two clipboards, and a form used for making enroute position reports and weather reports, when doing the pilot-not-flying portion of long class II navigation segments (such as the North Atlantic). Each checkpoint became a busy time.
An old hand watched me do it one day and suggested it do everything on one form; the same form I was using to record my position reports. Then transfer it at my leisure. I did, and it simplified everything. Why didn't I do it that way from the start? I had my system, and it worked, but it was more time consuming, more complicated, and shuffled too much paperwork. He showed me his system, putting the three main items on the same clipboard. All I had to do was lift one to jot down my times on the next and the whole job was done. Simple. Resource management at work.
You fly with Aunt Edna for a weekend flight to see the leaves turn shades of red. A dozen other flyers are of the same mind, each doing the same thing. You enlist Aunt Edna's help in spotting other traffic. You tell her to let you know if she sees anything at all, no matter how minor, that she thinks might need to be brought to your attention. You tell her that if she doesn't get your attention right away, then point and she will have your undivided attention. Aunt Edna spots an airplane for you and points. You've just successfully used CRM.
A gentleman years ago attempted to remove his jacket while ferrying back from spraying a field (crop dusting). He slipped the jacket off his shoulders, but didn't have the zipper completely undone. it pinned his elbows and arms behind him, and he crashed, a victim of his own wardrobe. Resource management. Simple things, but it's not just fuel. It's not just other crew members. It's not just working with ATC.
On board a flight that experienced an engine problem, we shut down an overtemp'd engine that had a compressor stall and a reported fire. Crash Fire Rescue arrived. We elected to motor the engine and do a re-start, per the checklist. While I motored, another crewmember thoughtfully called the CFR (that's Crash Fire Rescue again, Jan) to let them know to expect a puff of smoke, and explain what we were doing. We had no specific requirement to let them know, but keeping everyone in the loop was CRM; he included the CFR guys by giving them the big picture, and managing that resource. CRM works on many levels.
CRM is used in the way one addresses a problem.
CRM is used in the way one uses a checklist.
CRM is used in the way one does one's flows.
CRM is used in the way one respects "hot spots" during ground operations.
CRM is used in the way one flight plans for weight, balance, fuel, weather, cruise altitude, etc.
CRM is used in decision making, diverting, going around, landing, taking off, cruising, emergencies, routine and normal operations, abnormal operations, and in filling out paperwork.
CRM is used in conjunction with systems knowledge to get the most out of the aircraft.
CRM has nearly unlimited applications in nearly every single aspect of every flight you conduct, in any aircraft ranging from an ultralight to a 747. Take your pick.