Assessment of Management Skills - Essay Example

As evaluated, the areas of greatest strengths are: developing self-awareness; communicating supportively; motivating others; managing conflict (especially in the areas of responding and mediating); as well as in building effective teams, and teamwork; and leading positive change. The only identified areas where improvements are needed are in the areas of managing stress (eliminating stressors and developing resiliency); rational problem-solving; and delegating.

Compare the scores you gave yourself with the scores your associates gave you by using the scoring key on page 42 (Whetten and Cameron 42).

            The score given by one’s associates generated 400 which likewise categorizes me also under the second quartile. This confirms my initial reaction that I was viewed by colleagues and associates to have the same management skills as I perceived. The small variance could be rationalized by one’s greater understanding of personal skills; as opposed to the understanding of others. Upon comparison, associates provided marginally lesser scores in the areas of stress management and leading teams. Further, some questions regarding the ability to motivate others generated variance in terms of identifying personal ability to address other people’s needs and drives.

What areas showed the greatest variance between how you assess your management skills and how?  Do others see you? What do you attribute these differences to?

            The marginal variance was noted in the area of stress management: I rated myself with a score of 28 as opposed to an associate’s rating of 23. It could be explained that the variance was due to one’s perception that managing stress was differently viewed by others. When faced with stressful or time-pressured situations, I tend to give the best possible way of coping and adjusting to the situations. However, those who know me well acknowledge that although I fair well and have manifested more than above average in addressing and managing stressful scenarios, I believe I still am the one who would determine the accuracy in assessing coping with stressful or time-pressured situations.

            In the area of leading teams, my assessment generated a score of 21 while my associate’s score was 18. The variance could be due to their perceptions as team members and group mates and how I faired leading in group activities; especially when the outcomes revealed successful overall performance. The PAMS provided ample and appropriate opportunity for assessment of one’s management skills and how others view one’s skills in terms of leading and working within a team. It enabled me to discover strengths and weaknesses and thereby, would provide the much-needed guidelines on which areas I should focus on to improve identified skills and to ensure that I would be a more effective manager in the future.