Self-Awareness in Competence Development - Essay Example

Exercising change management in my internship has been a challenging experience. Resistance to change, though expected in management scope, has been the most challenging because of the involved moral and legal implications. Some of the people with whom I have been working are older and I often feel a moral obligation to respect their opinions and values. Introducing a change, contrary to practices that the people have been accustomed to has generated conflict, sometimes with strong resistance from old people. Explanations on the need for such changes and helping employees to adapt to change have helped in managing resistance, but there have been isolated cases when some employees have accused me of undermining their competence and experience and dictating on them.

I conducted a literature review to understand change management skills and measures for evaluating competence in the skills. Being goal-oriented and ability to motivate people towards desired goals are some of the competencies of an effective change manager (Silva, 2013, p. 63). Possible short-term benefits are some of the motivational factors and effective change management should incorporate plans for the gains, communicate the plans, and implement the plans. Effective change management, according to Shalini (2009, p. 201, 202, 226- 229), also requires communication skills and cultural competence. The ability to learn, make decisions and solve problems, manage self, manage people, and manage projects are also necessary competencies for effective project management (Pugh, 2012, p. 203). Technical skills on the desired change and knowledge of the organization in which change is to be implemented are also necessary for effective change management (Vukotich, 2011, p. 36).

The following checklist identifies competencies evaluation of personal competence in change management:
- Goal oriented.
- Ability to motivate others.
- Communication skills.
- Ability to manage cultural diversity.
- Ability to learn.
- Decision-making capacity.
- Problem-solving potential.
- Project management competence.
- Technical skills in restaurant management.
- Knowledge of the restaurant.

Self-assessment results identify my competence in setting realistic but challenging goals and my ability to motivate people towards the goals, through empowerment and rewards. My score in verbal communication is commendable but I need improvement in not verbal communication, especially in managing eye contact and in the movement of body parts for reinforcing my verbal communication. My competence in the restaurant and its operations, decision-making, and problem-solving are also outstanding. I however still struggle to adjust to cultural diversity demands and I am a slow learner. Improvements in cultural competence, non-verbal communication, and the ability to learn new things are therefore necessary.