MAN6304 Sample Assignment 2 This is a good assignment in showing learning from the unit ideas and materials and having good personalization to the writer’s work and life goals. I note some qualifications: Project Leadership – the references here show good reading but are more than needed for a pass or CR mark. Keep the focus on you more than on theories and references. Skills – has also mentioned these elsewhere so this section is short. Review and Plan –could be longer (this is an earlier version of the assignment). Summary - could be a bit more specific about the leadership styles and skills to be focused on. In some places there is room to be more specific. If you are yet to work as a project (or other) manager, you will have to make some sections about what skills etc you will need to use or develop. Most importantly, the assignment should be personalized - there are other ways to approach both the format and content. This is just an example. Introduction Leadership is fundamental to organisational success and recognising the importance of personal leadership is the first step towards developing this skill. Developing leadership competence requires reflection and self-analysis, leading to a program of self-development activities (Fritz, Brown, Lunde & Banset, 2005) focused on the challenges within one’s professional and personal lives (Reichard & Johnson, 2010). This self-development plan offers an opportunity to contemplate and clarify my professional goals and the strategies to achieve these. My immediate career objective is to achieve a position of leadership within an organisation that makes a positive contribution and has values matching my own, where I can feel pride in the achievements of the organisation and its people. This assignment identifies specific strategies I will use to improve my leadership capabilities and long-term career goals. The Leadership Self-Audit (Assignment 1) identified a number of attributes and skills that I can develop to become a more effective leader, including better people skills to build morale, a more open communication style, and better listening and delegating skills. I aim to develop these skills in becoming a more authentic leader (Luthans & Avolio 2005). For example, they will help me work with the political relationships in my organisation, using impression management strategies but balancing this with my desire to build relationships based on trust and personal integrity. Self-identity Self-perception and identity has a significant influence on feelings, actions, perceptions, personal goals and aspirations (Knippenberg, Knippenberg, Cremer & Hogg, 2004). Self-identity develops in early childhood and changes with maturity and life experiences; upheaval and adjustments can alter and test self-concepts (La Guardia, 2009). The ability to effectively negotiate such change, and yet remain true to fundamental ideals and values, deeply affects personal well being and sense of worth (Ryan & Deci, 2003 as cited in La Guardia, 2009). I come from a large extended family and spent considerable time with my many similar-aged cousins where I learned to share, be a team player and look out for the younger ones. My grandfather was always patient in teaching me and role-modeling such skills, and I learned that making mistakes was part of the process. Similarly, my mother encouraged me to be self-sufficient, and when I showed interest taught me many skills for dealing with both younger and older people when I was young. Interestingly, I model this behaviour when working with individuals who are genuinely trying, but can become impatient if independence and effort are not displayed. I see myself as determined and driven to achieve a position with security and quality of work life balance, which I believe is fundamental to happiness. Since leaving school I have had several careers - some false starts as success by itself has never been my main motivation. While I enjoyed these jobs, my career lacked focus, and in recent years health problems have caused me to realise that I need to take control of my career, leading me to undertake the Masters of Project Management. Assessing my strengths and development needs is therefore a very important goal at present. Previously I was more interested in friendships, travel and playing music (a passion of mine), but now I now seek roles that offer problem-solving challenges and enjoy working with cohesive teams on new ideas or projects. My aspiration is to find work in an environment where employees are genuinely valued and encouraged to contribute, where I can have a healthy work-life balance and sufficient financial security, and where I can do work of which I can feel proud. Project Leadership Effective leadership is critical to project management success, but projects also depend on team performance and good management, including clear directions and goals (Ahmed, Azmi, & Masood, 2013). On one hand, the everchanging nature of projects requires flexibility and a situational leadership approach, but without clear direction, confusion can undermine confidence in leaders (Kinicki, Scott-Ladd, Perry & Williams, 2015). On the other hand, leaders must engage psychologically with team-members - transformational leaders achieve this by acting as role models, inspiring and motivating followers, showing consideration and care, and intellectually stimulating them. Such leaders should also have a philosophy of behaving authentically as much as possible, to instill trust and respect, even if this does not always bring agreement from others (Kendrick, 2011). Admitting mistakes and showing vulnerability makes such leaders genuine people, not management caricatures. I plan to develop the skills behind these leadership styles – situational, transformational and authentic. Such skills are in addition to the traditional management skills of planning, organizing, directing and staffing a project: in my experience, project managers may be good at these but use a transactional give and take, reward and punishment approach, where transformational leaders can increase group members’ motivation, sense of self and commitment to group outcomes. Effective project leaders also use coaching and affiliative leadership styles. Coaching guides and encourages team members towards solutions so they learn in positive manner, and an affiliative style (Bernhut, 2002) promotes harmony to build meaningful and connected teams. These approaches are both goal-focused and team-orientated, helping to build robust, cohesive teams. More than mere technical expertise, successful project leadership relies on the effective leadership of people (Bartol, Martin, Tein & Matthews, 1998). Transitioning from project manager to effective project leader therefore involves good communication and conflict resolution skills, along with a clear understanding of others and self. Self-awareness encompasses improving selfperception and introspection; questioning one’s beliefs and assumptions are important steps towards emotional growth. Emotional intelligence (EI) results from emotional growth and helps leaders manage their own emotions and understanding the emotional implications of decisions on others (Ljungholm, 2014). Through increased empathy such leaders develop more mature decision-making processes and greater social-awareness to manage conflict and political situations more effectively. Emotional intelligence and integrity are fundamental in leadership and longterm success, and I have seen leaders so dominated by the need for power or control, or driven by money, that they lose sight of other important values. I have known a number of people who have successfully built large personal fortunes from business start-ups, but only one was an inspiring leader to me, neither a miser nor focused on continually amassing further wealth. Geoff Lumen built a company worth over $300m but throughout his career his personal attitudes never changed - he was always an approachable, down-toearth person, genuinely interested in those who worked for him and concerned that buyers of his tools had the highest levels of satisfaction and safety. He spent the last 15 years operating a not-for-profit organisation mentoring young inventors. Career Path I have given considerable thought to the type of organisation and work that would align with my ‘outlook’ and provide long-term career and life satisfaction. My experience has been mostly in construction, but the strong task-focus and “bullish” nature of previous jobs (based on aggressive price undercutting) has lead me to question working within this sector. While the industry offers a sense of pace, excitement and achievement, I hope to find these positive elements in other areas of project management. Changing industries or careers can be difficult as it involves changing employer’s expectations: in the short term I will stay in the construction industry to gain further experience and leverage myself into a parallel industry when I find an opportunity. My main aim is to find an organisation with values similar to my own, where hard work is valued but does not impinge on quality of life. In five years time I plan to be working within an organisation that shares these ideals, where opportunities are available for an interesting work life and career progression, participating in work that interests me and makes me proud. Skills From my self-audit I learned I have strengths in project management skills such as planning, scheduling resources and time-management. I am also good with the technical and practical problems faced regularly in the construction industry, in which I have a wide background. However, to prepare for a project management career outside this sector I will need to develop the soft skills of leadership. I am good at task-focused communication, but the results of my 360 evaluation suggest a need to develop relationship-focused communication skills such as active listening, developing trust and resolving conflict with collaborative and compromising styles. I will also need to improve my selfawareness and EI. How I plan to develop these areas is outlined in the table below. Leadership Mission My mission is to be an honest, trustworthy and open leader, whose integrity and behaviours allow for the development of mutual trust through genuine communication and equitable treatment of all. I wish to be part of an organisation that values people, encourages growth, and balances the needs of individuals with those of the organisation. My career aim is to lead interesting and innovative projects that are beneficial to the community. To create this type of leadership I need to work hard, learn to enjoy life, have a healthier approach to work and learn to swim with the tide. Key Work Relationships Key work relationships in my current role include my manager, the three senior members of my team, other team members and some other employees on this construction site. My professional relationship with my manager is important because she oversees my performance review and controls my workload and responsibilities. If I can develop a more trusting and open relationship with my manager then my job will be easier and more rewarding. Although this relationship is currently sound, I could improve it by requesting honest constructive feedback and expressing a willingness to learn higher-level skills, for example those of dealing with conflict and politics. The relationship is currently very formal but I will try to engage my boss more as a mentor. I will also develop greater rapport with my three most senior team-members. Again, I believe I have good task-focused communication with them but each has individual nuances that make them different. I plan to learn more about my colleagues and develop skills of self-disclosure at the different levels we studied in Week 8 (Fritz et al., 2009). We are a team of varied backgrounds, but rarely have time to get to know each other. As a result of studying this unit, I have created a regular Friday afternoon ‘sundowner’ event and it has helped us develop rapport. I have found to my surprise one of my colleagues has a wealth of experience in dealing with politics and bureaucracy that I can learn from. Conversely, I am able to offer them support and fresh ideas, looking beyond how things are currently done to “what is the most efficient way to get this done?” These relationships are less formal than that with my manager, but this does not make them any less important to my career development. Indeed, much of my learning may be gleaned from knowledge developed in their backgrounds outside the construction industry. I also have a wide range of relationships with other team leaders, suppliers and clients in which I will aim to develop greater authenticity and transformational leadership skills. While communication with these personnel is often short-term and infrequent, I see each interaction as key to the project and my professional reputation. I will therefore put more time and personal touch into these encounters, for example by developing EI, active listening and conflict resolution skills. I will use regular phone and email communication as well as face-to-face meetings to build rapport. I will also reflect on these relationships as part of a regular proactive reflection. I have been writing in a reflective diary at least once a week. Review of Strengths and Development Needs Strengths Development Needs Character I take action when required and remain accountable but... ...need to also consider the longer-term implications of my decisions. I feel I need to maintain control but... ...would like to be more tolerant of others and their ideas. I am assertive, not aggressive, work well with others but.... ...would like to develop more political awareness & beneficial alliances. I believe dysfunctional political tactics are inappropriate but... ...recognize they occur and I need to develop strategies to better manage/ avoid political miss-steps. I have a strong relationship focus and communicate effectively but... ...would like to develop advanced active-listening skills and greater patience to understand both logic and emotions. Experience I have 21 years construction experience but... ...would like to broaden my horizons and transition out of construction. I have moved from junior to senior management over the last 7 years but... ...would like to establish stronger and more effective leadership skills that build better working relations. I have worked for a number of large organisations and have considerable construction and trade experience but... ...need to develop more experience in a parallel sector that offers better quality work-life and work-life balance. Mindsets I am good at the hard skills of scheduling, forecasting resources ...would like to develop more soft or interpersonal skills, such as and operational planning and managing but... communication, impression management, and morale building. I am good at working with people who I feel are committed and focused although but... ...would like to focus more on developing individuals’ potential, rather than past performance. I am knowledgeable and competent in my role but... ...need to develop and become more comfortable with selfpromotion. I generally have a positive attitude to life and work but... ...would like to maintain positive internal dialogue, be less emotionally reactive, deal better with conflict, and create work-life balance Skills I have advanced trade skills but... ...would like to develop broader interpersonal leadership skills. I switch focus between task and people but ... ..would like to develop better interpersonal skills, so I can focus more on people as well as tasks when under pressure. I have considerable project and contract management skills although... ...would like to further develop more confidence in dealing with politics, conflict and negotiation. Leadership Development Plan TOPIC GOAL METHODS TIMEFRAME Leadership Study respected leaders – eg TED talks or utube videos. Learn from dynamic and respected leaders. eg Ricardo Semler (SEMCO), Andrew Livaris (Dow), Sheik Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum (UAE), Tony Hsieh (Zappos). Weekly Read about leadership – eg Harvard Business Review interviews. To learn about leadership approaches and styles from eg Prof. John Boudreau (USC Marshall School of Business), Prof. Warren Bennis. Monthly Read biographies of respected leaders. Develop insights into effective leadership. e.g. Ricardo Semler (SEMCO), Steve Jobs (Apple). Bi-annually Self-awareness Learn about specific skills, eg scenario planning, EI, conflict resolution. Books, short courses at AIPM and internet sources. Ongoing Develop better self-awareness and interpersonal responses. Practice learnings from Fritz et al (2011), eg focus more on empathy, separating content and emotion, active listening. Monitor self-talk for change and improvement. Ongoing Emotional Intelligence Develop EI skills. Reflect on how learning about emotional intelligence, using a reflective diary and discussions with peers. Attend training Weekly course on EI. Positive reinforcement of self. Reduce negative perception of external events (don’t stress the small stuff). Interpersonal Skills Focus on relationship development through open, authentic dialogue. Learn positive, empathetic communication, greater understanding, establishing trust and genuine communication – readings, short courses and experimentation. Seek mentoring or develop a group of peer-mentors. Ongoing Personal Relations Build relationships with managers and colleagues Regular contact, with an appropriate social side. Showing interest – remembering birthdays, life events etc. Ongoing Mentoring Seek out a leadership mentor. Gain from the personal experiences of a leader I respect. 3 Months Politics Learn to deal with politics and maintain authenticity Read about Machiavellian/psychopathic behaviours and impression management, learn positive ways of building alliances. Within Next 3 Months Conflict Develop and improve conflict resolution skills. Deal more effectively with political behaviours and conflict in work and personal life. Ongoing Focus on collaborative and win- win outcomes. Define conflict & common ground to achieve outcomes of mutual benefit; builds trust and increases morale. Ongoing Stress Develop effective strategies for minimizing stress. Set regular exercise schedule and limit work within a healthy lifestyle to boost vitality and maintain a positive attitude. Ongoing Summary This leadership self-development plan and the self-analysis which preceded it have been extremely useful exercises in helping me to develop insight regarding my skills, development needs and expectations. This year has been one of transition for me and this exercise has helped me formulate a clearer vision of my objectives and goals. Undertaking the personality and leadership tests during the self-analysis component, plus insights about how my background and experiences have shaped my personality and attitudes, has allowed me to take stock and reflect on what capacities I need to develop and build upon. The leadership development plan provides clear strategies I can use to strengthen my performance and build my confidence as an authentic and transformational leader. The really useful component of this exercise has been identifying the qualities and values that I want from an employer, which extends beyond just getting a leadership position. Reconciling the need for quality of life and work-life balance means that the most important element is not just the job role or target skills, but being satisfied with the terrain you find yourself in both professionally and personally. References !