Self-Reflection in Effective Managerial Competencies - Book Report/Review Example

?SELF REFLECTIVE REPORT Introduction Undoubtedly, reflection is an integral part of our everyday endeavour, especially of people who aspire for achieving greatness and success. This is because through reflection, there is “a process of self-examination and self-evaluation that effective educators regularly engage in to improve their professional practices” (On-Site Staff Development, 2002). This is a self reflective report in relation to the competencies managers required to be effective. This report is therefore going to a personal review of my level of competency and readiness to take up challenging managerial tasks and handle them with expertise. As a reflective report, the write-up is going to base both on my past experiences, level of training, level of preparedness and level of aspirations for the future. The report is going to be presented in such as way that it shall critically analyze six (6) key managerial competencies as exist in literature. After a careful scrutiny and analysis of the managerial competencies have been done, a personal reflective entry is going to be taken on how well I have fitted, how well I fit and how well I can fit for future challenges. Next to the personal reflective entry, an action plan on how I can maximize myself for each of the six (6) managerial competencies discussed is then going to be drawn before a conclusion of the entire report is going to be drawn. Reflection on Key Managerial Competences There are several managerial competencies advocated by scholars, educationists, managers and other authorities in management studies. To these proponents, adhering to these managerial competencies makes a person not just a good manager but also an excellent leader. The Business 2 Business Journal (2003) therefore posits that “effective leadership requires the ability to think analytically without getting bogged down in the details, making timely decisions without reacting impulsively, building consensus without compromising results, and getting people to want to do what you want them to do” and all these, are as a matter of fact, attributes of a good manager with the right competencies. It is therefore not surprising that out of this description of what makes an effective leader, The Asset Transfer Unit, ATU (2009) define managerial competence as “the ability for managers and leaders to direct work streams and define outcomes clearly. Competence refers to both the ability (technical/certified) and the inferred ability (acceptance by those who are managed).” This definition certainly suggests that there are different aspects of managerial competencies. Six (6) of such prevailing competencies are integrity, ethics (Super Solutions, 2011), planning, making changes, risk management and team development (Brodie, 2011). Cohen (1999) explains that “integrity means adherence to a set of values which incorporates honesty and freedom from deception.” He is however quick to differentiate integrity from honesty saying “it is more than honesty. It means doing the right thing regardless of circumstances or benefits to the leader of the organization.” Integrity is an inner respect for justice against one’s own self. Such inner justice and honesty that does not need to be triggered by the presence of onlookers! Integrity is needed as a managerial competence if leaders are to win back the trust of their subordinates. To this effect, Cohen concludes that “maintaining absolute integrity is the bottom line rule for any leader if they want their subordinates to follow them during all conditions.” As a person, I believe so much in self respect and the need to be committed to whatever I am doing even without any external influence. This attitude is can be built upon to develop my integrity as a manager. I must therefore eschew any forms of expecting glorification for things I do because integrity has to do with “doing the right thing no matter the benefit” as asserted by Cohen. One typical moment in my life where I displayed integrity was I was undertaking a high school final exam and the supervisor had to excuse himself for some long hours in order to attend to an emergency. The emergency was spontaneous and so there was not a replacement for him till up to about 20 minutes. In his absence, a lot of the students took advantage to break simple examination rules to help them pass the paper with good marks. I however stayed put and resisted from breaking any exam rule though I had the freedom to. Such acts of integrity can e continued. Barberman (2007) spots ethics as one of the most fundamental element needed by a manager to win competition in today’s era when there is massive competition in almost every working field. He notes that “in order to keep pace and stay ahead, possession of several key work ethics is a plus for achieving a successful career.” Ethics has to do with the treatment mangers and other employees give to their customers. As a matter of fact, it is managers and leaders who have the humility to do everything possible to make the customer feel that he or she is the most important assert to the company are managers who will get their customers coming again. To a very high extent, colleagues around complain I am highly ethical. I put other people first and respect the interest of other people. It is therefore very difficult for me to be involved in common unethical behaviour like talking rudely to customers and subordinates, refusing to respond to greeting, keeping people waiting for excessively too long when I am not really busy, cheating a customer or giving inferior product or service to a customer. These are all traits that I possess that can be built on to ensure managerial competencies in the area of ethics. By maintaining such high ethics, I am likely to benefit from advantages stated by Barberman suggesting good ethics lead to customer and client retention. In the view of Brodie (2011), one reason why managers must possess competency in planning is the fact that “Managers do not have the luxury of just having one thing to do” (Brodie, 2011). It is when people are presented with options that the need for planning arises most. Judging therefore from the fact that managers are leaders and care givers to several workers, “money, people, processes, projects, customer relationships and themselves, it requires them to be able to plan effectively so that they get the best results possible.” (Brobie, 2011). There is more I can do as far as planning is concerned. This assertion is taken from my school-day experiences. Although I am known to be a very good student academically, I have always taken a reflection at myself after examinations and felt that I could do better if I planned my time well from the beginning of the term or semester. Most often than not, I do not go through the academic term with any planned personal time table. I therefore go through the term as events present themselves to me. This is not a positive development in my life. More to this, I am mostly late to events because I hardly plan my time. This development should not be continued if I am to possess a competent managerial skill on planning. What is more, managers must be people who have the courage to make difficult and in some cases, controversial changes when the need be. In fact, leaders and managers who cannot boldly undertake useful changes hardly grow. Once a manager cannot effect tough changes that may have initial demerits but future abundance of merits is likely to have his or her outfit ruled by others. It is therefore not surprising that Brobie (2011) states that one importance of effecting change is the fact that it “requires them to overcome the obstacles that without doubt will appear as they try to make change.” The question of having the courage to take difficult decisions for myself is not something that I have a problem with. Rather, my weakness comes when I am to take decisions against people; even though the decisions would lead to a positive outcome. I seem to be over protective of what people would think about me when I take reasonable but forlorn decisions against them. This review has drawn my attention to the urgency to change from such an act and development the boldness to be a manager of change; no matter how hard others have to suffer to ensure a positive change. On risk management, Tatum (2011) explains that “Risk management is a logical process or approach that seeks to eliminate or at least minimize the level of risk associated with a business operation.” This is no doubt a managerial competence that demands boldness to in the face place, face risk. It does not mean however that good managers wait for risks to start. Managing risk basically deals with identifying unborn risks and curtailing it before it explodes. Tatum (2011) closes the discussion on risk management by stating that “at the core of effective risk management strategies is the desire to find ways to manage the degree of uncertainty that exists within any business enterprise.” Frankly speaking, my lack of planning leaves me disadvantaged when it comes to risk management. Risk management has to do with planning because as discussed by Tatum, the manager must have a forecasted sense of the risk and prevent its occurrence. Without planning however, it is very difficult to locate a risk, let alone to manage it. I however have good mastery over risk and hard times once they come. For instance though I do not plan for my semesters, I am able to contain pressures of academic work and score very good marks. This trait, when combined with planning would make me an excellent manager. Finally, a competent manager must be a team builder. This is particularly necessary because without a team, there cannot be a leader or manager. The New York Times’ About.Com laments that “people in every workplace talk about team building, working as a team, and my team, but few understand how to create the experience of team building or how to develop an effective team”. In this direction, Smith (2011) suggests that there are five keen states that can be put in place to promote team building. According to her, these are forming, storming, norming, performing and transforming. I do not seem to have lot of weakness with team building. This is because I am a people’s person and I am highly concerned with satisfying the needs of other people. To this end, I always look for opportunities to better my lot with team work. As a student, I felt more comfortable working in a team than working alone. I believe in the concept of learning from each other and leaning on a colleague in times of needs. These traits are clearly a direction of ensuring that I become a good team leader. Action Plan Life is undoubtedly a learning process. This means that as humans and for that matter as managers, it is possible to develop managerial competencies that we do not possess and develop strategies on improving competencies we have already (Godlove, 2010). To this effect, the following action plans have been built on equipping myself to fully fit into the managerial competencies discussed. In the first place, I resolve to continue harbouring behaviours that set the pace for integrity. Some of these behaviours are honesty and self respect. However, there is one more thing I resolve to actively take steps towards. There is an African proverb that states that the path maker does not know whether the path he is making behind him is crocked or strait. This is to say that it is important to seek for feedback from people. Even though integrity is in-built, it is applied in our relationship with other people. To this effect, quoting Henry Cloud, Meierhoefer (2008) states that "If you want to know your comfort level in this matter, think of going to the people you work with or are in close personal relationships with and give them 100 percent permission to be totally honest with you in answering the question: `What is it like to be on the other end of me?'" (Pages 116-117). I shall therefore undertake this survey to find from others close to me, how they think my integrity level is. Based on their judgment, I can have a better view of myself and continue from there. With regards to working ethics, I resolve to upload to my prevailing characteristics discussed above. But even more to this, I shall take the approach suggested by Anderson (2005). Anderson notes that “by using a pre-written template or manual, many companies have found it easier to develop their business ethics program.” This means that as far as my duty as a manger is concerned, there should be a documented program on ethics. This documentation would ensure that not only does the manager practice ethics but then other subordinates follow the ethics program religiously. The ethics program would best be created if various code of ethics and mode of doing business of many companies and industries are studied to make the document comprehensive and detailed. It would also work well if the content of customers is sort in its preparation. According to the Task Management Guide (2004), as a starter for a person like me who have had some difficulty with planning, developing a planning action plan should be highly flexible. The Guide state that “You should develop flexible system of moving the tasks from long-term schedule to a short-term one. For example, all long-term tasks may be assigned to task group "Year", short-term tasks may be kept in "Week" task group.” I shall therefore start right away by developing a weekly program plan and have two long term plans, one of which shall be for my family life and the other for my career life. Both long term plans shall be 5-year plan and I shall do that TODAY without postponing because procrastination is of course the thief of planning. As an action plan for exhibiting bold changes when the need applies, I shall adhere to the London School of Business’s (2011) approach on taking difficult decisions that affect people. According to the School, difficult decisions “must also be backed up by the wider culture and reward system.” To this effect, the school advises that “there must be collective responsibility for the outcome, to prevent a culture of blame, and similarly shared rewards for its successful implementation, with the proposer credited accordingly.” I shall therefore involve people who will be involved in any changes so that there shall be detailed explanation to them as to why such decisions are important. On risk management, Markgraf (2005), suggests a structured approaching saying that “a structured approach means taking decisions apart and looking at the components individually, understanding completely what is being decided and what the implications are.” This means that I should put in place integrated strategies that will end up ensuring risk management. To this effect, I shall master my planning skills so that through planning, I shall be able to identify potential risks. Risk management shall be done in collaboration with colleagues and experts as a beginner. Finally, I resolve to continue upload my team work practices. To make this better, Mind Tools (2011) suggest that people must be the focus of the manager and this is exactly what I shall continue to do. According to the Tools, my action plan should ensure that I “might excel at motivating people, helping resolve disagreement, or researching hard-to-find information” in other to aid me work better with people. Conclusion Management is an important part of businesses and the corporate world. Good corporate bodies are therefore driven by good managers. However, to make a good manager, one should possess certain competencies. As a person, it is not all these competencies discussed in the report that I have. I have therefore strategized my way out by putting in place workable action plan. With adherence, these action plans would lead to making me a great manager. 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Accessed April 1, 2011 Mind Tools 2011, How to Be a Good Team Player: Maximizing Your Contribution, accessed March 31, 2011 New York Times, Team Building Creates Successful Teams, accessed March 22, 2011 On-Site Staff Development, 2002, What is reflection? Accessed March 30, 2011 Reitzug U. C. and Burrello L. C. How Principals Can Build Self-Renewing Schools. Educational Leadership, Vol. 52, No. 7, April 1995, pp. 48-50. Smith N, 2011, The Five Stages of Team Development, accessed March 28, 2011 Super Solutions, 2011, Pre Employment, Sales, and Leadership Assessment Tests, accessed March 31, 2011 Task Management Guide, 2004, Develop your Planning Skills, accessed March 29, 2011 Tatum M, 2011, What is Risk Management? Wise Geeks Articles, accessed March 28, 2011 Read More