| Managerial Self-Readiness Analysis
Erica Harbin Dr. McLaughlin Management 5 8 March 2005 Managerial Readiness Analysis
Leaders grow; they are not made. —The Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management
Managers are leaders: they lead by directing others, modeling values, and making decisions for the team, among many other duties. The notion that leaders are not born, but rather that people become leaders through growth is a common understanding, although it often seems contrary to intuition. How can someone lead if they are not born with the personality to do so? The answer is that an inborn “leader” personality—which often takes the form of natural charisma—is only a predisposition for being in the spotlight. Individuals who wish to become leaders, whether they are blessed with a natural charisma or not, must acquire a vast array of skills to achieve the necessary readiness for being a leader. The necessary skills a manager must possess fall into six areas: Communication, Teamwork, Leadership, Conceptual Skills, Self-Management, and Professionalism.
Communication · Strengths I consider myself an effective written communicator. My high school teachers and college professors in English and the Humanities often praised me for my skill in writing. My ability likely grew from my passion for writing. I find language fascinating—though I may be biased, I am especially amazed with the English language and its tendency to have a plethora of words with generally the same meaning, though with intricacies that set each word apart and allow for the communicator to express exactly what he or she means with the use of one carefully selected word. I use this feature while giving written feedback to express myself as precisely as possible. When it comes to technology, the Microsoft Office course I took in high school helped give me the tools to clarify my ideas even further. I often rely on technology to assist my oral communication whenever possible, and my proficiency in using Word, Excel, and PowerPoint allows me to easily use these tools to efficiently communicate my ideas. I also consider myself a good listener. I pay attention to the content and body language of the speaker and, in turn, communicate nonverbally with nods and the like in order to achieve a more efficient and comprehensive conversation. I nod occasionally to let the speaker know that I understand and/or agree with what he or she is saying. I am cognizant of my expressions, using them to show confusion so that it is not necessary to interrupt the speaker, who can instead realize that I am not following his or her reasoning and can approach the topic from a different angle to help me understand. · Weaknesses However, my impromptu oral communication skills are definitely not up to the level expected of a manager. I prefer to prepare in advance the message I wish to express, especially when addressing a group; this is a luxury managers almost never have. The few formal oral presentations I have given were carefully planned ahead of time, in many cases down to the exact wording I would use. In these situations, I have also received praise from teachers and peers. However, I find it difficult to “think on my feet.” Even when I “spontaneously” choose to share an idea with a group or superior, I spend as much time as possible formulating what I want to say before I begin. If I am put on the spot to give oral feedback, the result is usually not as clear as I would like it to be, and I almost always find it necessary to clarify after I have a chance to reorganize my thoughts and do some simple planning of my words.
Teamwork · Strengths Several years ago, my English teacher divided the class into groups for a project involving writing mock newspapers. I believed I was the most qualified member of the group to be the “editor;” however, another member also wanted the job and won it by a simple round of “rock-paper-scissors.” I felt that since I was capable of being the editor, I was also capable of reviewing my own submissions for the newspaper and therefore neglected the editor’s internal deadlines for submitting the articles to her. However, it turned out that by the time I gave her the articles, there was not enough time to work out logistics, and our group grade suffered because of my lapse in judgment. I have since learned the importance of working as a member of the group, and instead of putting myself above the system (even when qualified) I focus on the success of the group. In addition to concerning myself with the group’s achievement, I have also learned to work well with teammates—sharing ideas carefully evaluating each one, finally choosing those best suited to the goal rather than supporting my own above the others. As a result of these things I have learned, I now expect the same of my teammates. I realize that the best way to achieve a group goal is by everyone contributing their best (relatively equally), instead of one or two members bearing the majority of the burden. When it seems like the load becomes unevenly distributed, I work with the individuals involved to resolve the inequity. By working together for the success of the team, rather than the success of each of the members, a better job can be done. I applied these principles to the group effort in which I finally got the opportunity to lead. Having first learned the advantages of equal teamwork helped immensely with that first leadership opportunity. My motivation for getting everyone to contribute in order to achieve the greatest group product possible spread to my team members, who actively contributed at first. Halfway through the project, however, a couple of the members lost sight of the group goal and wanted their own work to outshine the other members’. I settled this dispute with an entire group meeting in which everyone was able to contribute, and the “rogue” team members eventually saw the effectiveness of teamwork again. · Weaknesses After evaluating that performance as leader, I realized that in my drive to achieve a great group product, I had inadvertently taken too much of the load upon myself, and I should have assigned certain extra tasks of mine throughout the group. This would not only have allowed me to focus more on leading and coordinating, as was my job, but would have allowed for greater diversity in the process and possible an even better product.
Leadership · Strengths Although it is not my preferred role in some cases, collecting and coordinating other members’ work is relatively painless for me— since I normally keep myself as organized as possible, organizing others is not just a task but a desire towards orderliness on my part. Since the projects I have led in the past were predominantly academic, “strategizing” as businesspeople understand it has not been an issue, and therefore I have had little experience in “traditional” strategic thinking. However, I have done some strategizing in academic projects. For example, choosing the right balance of content and style for an oral presentation that includes technical media is a type of strategizing I have encountered often in my academic career. In order to make the group or individual project stand out, I try to give the project as much flair (to a reasonable extent) without sacrificing substance. My past experience in this area has been successful, though I have not had a chance to engage in business-type strategy. However, the brief exposure I have had to the concept of strategizing in this class has aroused my interest in it, and I am eager to learn more and eventually try my hand at it. · Weaknesses The conclusion of the evaluation of my first leadership opportunity was correct: I needed to spend less effort in contributing as a team member and more effort on coordinating the team efforts. I had previously learned to function as a team member so well that it became difficult to relinquish some of that effort to others and instead focus on organizing everyone else’s work. I still have a lot to learn—it seems that since leadership encompasses communication, professionalism, and more, all the weaknesses from those categories are transmitted into the leadership category and are counted again! For example, I can organize through email more than adequately, but when it comes down to meeting with a group member or calling someone up for last-minute logistics, my impromptu difficulties resurface and prevent effective leadership. Keeping others on task is another matter: I dislike confrontation and being told to keep on task, so trying to keep team members in check is relatively difficult for me. My resolve may falter, preventing a professional appearance and losing some of the influence that is sometimes so necessary for proper management. Global awareness is also one of my weaknesses. I do not keep up with the news as much as I should, and I have not had very much exposure to outside cultures, so my understanding of both is not nearly enough for what is required of a global manager. However, I do find foreign cultures fascinating, and though I may not be able to completely understand the perspective of a foreign team member, I am always eager to have that infusion of diversity into the situation in order to cultivate creativity and reach a broader audience. I anticipate learning much more about foreign cultures as time progresses, so until then I will continue to employ the cultural difference to the best of my ability.
Conceptual Skills· Strengths In regard to problem solving, I have found myself to be far more adept in finding solutions to real-life problems I encounter. For problems more closely associated with my day-to-day activities, I tend to have a greater grasp on the important issues than for academic problems. When I add my creativity to the mix, I find it much easier to find an adequate solution, or perhaps even several solutions from which to choose, than in academic problems that are more constrained within the boundaries of the material. I enjoy lateral thinking puzzles, which helps to inspire my creativity in problem solving. People have often noticed my creativity in various situations, which is why I was surprised to achieve a low score on my self-assessment quiz on creativity. Perhaps this is related to my difficulty with academic problems: an inadequate understanding of the important issues in business (having had very little experience with it) hinders my ability to generate creative solutions. As I enter the world of business and gain a broader understanding of it, I anticipate my problem-solving ability to increase dramatically. · Weaknesses My past experience with academic problem solving and critical/analytical thinking has impressed upon me the need for practice in this area and honing of my skills. The most significant deterrent to my ability to solve problems has been a lack of adequate information. Academically, an insufficient understanding of the material hinders my ability to find solutions to problems with which I am presented. However, on those occasions when I have a strong grasp on the material, I tend to enjoy problem solving. Decision-making is another area with which I experience difficulty. I use a combination of instinct and logical processes to arrive at a decision; however, I tend to shy away from commitment for fear that my decision was inadequate or incorrect. I attribute this tendency to my limited experience in this area. My first major decision was to choose which university I wanted to attend. Even today, almost two years after making that decision, I am not wholly confident that it was the right choice (though part of this uncertainty is due to my desire to evaluate my decision for better future decision-making). I have since had few other relatively major decisions to make, so my self-confidence in my ability has not been developed adequately. However, as I progress in my education and finally enter the workforce, I expect to encounter more decisions; and upon evaluating these, I can build my confidence in my skill in making correct decisions.
Self-Management· Strengths The concept of self-management encompasses many aspects of good management: self-confidence, conscientiousness, understanding of ethical issues, tolerance for ambiguity, and work ethic among many others. I require development in all of these areas. However, I have made a commitment to progress in managerial readiness, and I intend to fulfill my commitment; this is a strength in itself. Of the above areas, my most prominent strength seems to be my work ethic. I consider my work ethic to be in line with what is necessary in a business setting: I believe that hard work and diligence are mandatory duties rather than a level most people only aspire to; they should be expected of all members of the organization, not merely rewarded by those who practice them. Though I do hold this work ethic, I sometime fail to achieve my own standards, which alerts me to a need for development.
· Weaknesses My self-confidence declined significantly when I entered college. I was used to being at the top of my class in high school and suddenly found myself surrounded by others at the same level. I simultaneously reached a “burn-out” stage after so many years of hard work and lost my drive to study diligently. As grades a couple steps down from my usual level began to surface, I found my self-confidence dwindling even further. As this year began, however, I felt a renewed determination to bring up my grades and return to my previous level of scholarship. The conscientiousness that was such an integral part of my character in high school has only recently begun to re-develop. In retrospect, I have found that it is almost exponentially harder to regain a high level of studiousness than it is to maintain it; however, I am committed to succeed in this endeavor. Not surprisingly, this renewed determination has been accompanied by a slowly but steadily rising level of self-confidence. Elements of self-management more closely related to the business arena, such as ethics and tolerance for ambiguity, are also areas in need of personal development. As for ethics in the sense of moral decisions and such, I was surprised to learn from my self-assessment that my ethics are below the national average. However, I also learned from this course that this is often the case with college students versus those in the workforce, so I anticipate overcoming those ethical beliefs that are inconsistent with the reality of the business world and better understanding the integral role of ethics in management in the future. My tolerance for ambiguity is the element of self-management that I am most in need of growth. According to my self-assessments and self-knowledge, this element should rather be called “intolerance for ambiguity” in my case. I almost invariably prefer a more structured and regimented assignment or work setting to one characterized by variation and uncertainty. I would rather choose an occupation that will provide security than one that I may be more passionate about but is less assuring of a stable future. And, most unfortunately in regards to management, I tend to resist change. “Intro to Management” has most impressed upon me the need for tolerating and even embracing change; therefore, I realize I will have to make major changes to my attitudes toward ambiguity and stability in order to be an effective manager. This is definitely one of the largest obstacles I must overcome, since I have spent a lifetime resisting change.
Professionalism · Strengths Professionalism is another area in which I require much development. Again, my greatest strength in this are lies in the fact that I am so dedicated to improving myself. A key, unique feature of my personal presence is how I convey my trustworthiness and care for others in conversations, which are definitely traits required of an effective manager. Stories of highly successful individuals often seem to include hidden incidents of exploitation of others in the individual’s voyage to the top. Though I also strive toward success, sacrificing others’ needs inequitably is a situation that I will not accept. As people meet me and understand more about me, they see this quality and respect it, which helps me gain some necessary managerial influence. Other personality traits must still be built upon, as noted below. · Weaknesses Professionalism is a key aspect of being a manager; those who do not make an impression upon their subordinates as a person of authority lose influence and efficacy as a manager. Personal presence is definitely one aspect of professionalism that I must work on. Unless put into the role of a leader in a situation where the authority has been given to me, I tend to play the role of the subordinate with people I am unfamiliar with speaking to. I realize that this tends to slightly lower their respect for me, so I am quite determined to learn to act as more of an equal. However, this habit is dying hard, and I expect it will require the duration of my education to achieve a desirable personal presence. My creativity in problem solving is sometimes hindered by my lack of initiative. I prefer to be authorized to implement a change instead of applying my ingenuity without the approval of my superior. However, as I gain the trust of my superiors in business relationships, I feel more free to make the change myself. My career self-management has seen this growth; as my parents, who have traditionally played a large role in academic and career decision-making, began to trust my judgment, I began to make career decisions on my own. I made the decision to work towards the Genetics major, rather than remaining in the Biomedical Engineering: Premedical major that did not fit my interests, and I have taken the necessary steps to shift my curriculum in order to achieve that objective. I have done preliminary research into possible careers and intend to explore one or more this summer through internships.
The results of my self-analyses, coupled with the information I have learned this quarter, point to a conclusion that did not surprise me: I am not currently ready to be a manager. My skills and knowledge are not broad enough to accomplish the necessary tasks managers are responsible for. However, individuals are not born leaders but become such by learning; armed with this knowledge and the opportunities available to me during the remainder of my education, I can make great strides toward achieving that level of readiness. I can improve my oral communication by practicing giving oral presentations and attending more extracurricular activities in order to meet new people. I can practice leadership by earning an office in a club, or volunteering to coordinate academic group projects. College is rich with cultural diversity, and I gain more global exposure just by associating with people of other cultures on a day-to-day basis. As I complete internships, I will gain experience in business culture and ethics. And simply by being conscientious in my studies, I can simultaneously acquire the knowledge needed for better problem solving, adhere more closely to my work ethic, and gain the self-confidence needed for presenting a stronger personal presence. With the wealth of opportunities available to help me progress toward managerial readiness, I have no doubts that I will soon accomplish that goal. I will be a prime example that “Leaders grow; they are not made.”
Last updated 7 March 2005 |