Professional Development for Strategic Managers

Assignment Task

Task 1

To achieve strategic goals, managers need to require certain skills to be effective. You are required to use proven tools or process to identify some of those required skills and justify they are critical to job performance and specific strategic goals. How would you investigate and assess the present level of skills which a manager possesses in relation to achieving strategic goals?

Task 2

(a) Conduct a skills audit to evaluate your current level of strategic managerial skills required for achieving strategic goals supported by justification. Refer to the skills audit template on the module resource page.

(b) There are several methods, models and assessment tools which can be used to identify own preferred learning style. Research learning styles theories and identify your preferred learning style.

Task 3

To demonstrate skills development over the course of the programme you are required to

(a) Construct a personal development plan (PDP). Based on your skills audit, pinpoint the skills you need to develop, formulate activities to skills enhancement and identify appropriate resources and methods you will use to develop each skill. You should take into consideration of your preferred learning style at the time you design your developmental activities. A suggested format for your PDP is attached on the module resource page.

(b) Produce a summary of your learning log showing progress in skills development to achieve strategic goals and leadership including the new levels of skills attained. To underpin the new skill levels attained you should include, where possible, third party evidence e.g. internal appraisals, attendances at internal or external development activities etc.

(c) Critically evaluate your skills development in the context of progress towards the achievement of strategic goals. You should apply a theoretical evaluation model e.g. Gibb's cycle, to reflect on your overall experience of undergoing the generic experience of skills development or apply the learning style concept to evaluate whether the resources selected for skills development actually matched your preferred learning style.