LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT: SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

Transcription

1 Leadership and Management Development - 1 The University of Waikato Leadership and Management Development Programme LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT: SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES Professional Development Unit Human Resource Managment April 2009

2 2 Leadership and Management Development Introduction In 2008 the Vice-Chancellor s Committee (VCC) endorsed a proposal for a Leadership Development Programme. It was agreed that following consultation with the University community the Head of Human Resources (Anna Bounds) would bring a programme proposal and funding submission back to the VCC for consideration. Recognising current budget constraints the proposal has been designed to work with minimal additional resources and relies heavily on reorienting the activities of existing staff toward delivering the programme. The success of the programme is dependent on reinforcement of the following commitments which align with the strategic plan: 1. Implement a Leadership Development Programme, 2. Undertake a staff satisfaction survey, 3. Reinforce the programme through Professional Goal Setting, rewards and recognition mechanisms and 4. Ensure visible support from, and role modelling by, senior managers (VC, DVC, PVCs, Heads, Deans and Directors). The Importance of Leadership and Management Development Effective leadership and management are essential for the achievement of excellence, distinctiveness and international connectedness as outlined in the Strategic Plan A Leadership and Management Development Programme is one mechanism that will enable the University to achieve its strategic objectives, specifically: 1.1 Enhance teaching and learning through the development of an organisational culture that builds staff capability and academic leadership. 5.1 Develop and enhance administrative leadership in a way that empowers staff in their research and teaching. 6.3 Facilitate the University s success through decisive, well-informed leadership by staff in the Vice-Chancellor s Offi ce, Deans, Directors and other executive leaders. 6.5 Through impetus and example in all leadership roles, foster and project a culture of energy, optimism, unity of purpose, shared pride and shared accountability at all levels of the University. Moreover in our strategic Distinctiveness 1 document we identify leadership as one of the key components which supports the concept of The University of Waikato as New Zealand s university for the world. A Leadership Development Programme needs to ensure a clear, holistic and systematic approach 1 The University of Waikato Distinctiveness (University of Waikato Council, 8 August 2007)

3 Leadership and Management Development - 3 to achieving these objectives and it must recognise and be consistent with the other distinctiveness themes of Māori and Sustainability. In addition, in 2009, consistent with the strategic plan we will undertake an organisational climate or staff satisfaction survey and, more specifi cally, a leadership and management development questionnaire. This assessment will provide a snapshot of current performance so that we can monitor improvement in future years arising from leadership and management development and enhance the impact of these initiatives. This approach to benchmarking and evaluation is consistent with the University s commitment to continuous improvement and quality enhancement. A Values Model of Leadership and Management Development Since the VCC endorsed the Programme in June 2008 we have spoken with around 250 staff in face to face meetings; have made the leadership development proposal document available to all staff through iwaikato; and sought feedback concerning models of leadership which might best suit The University of Waikato environment, both now and in the future. Feedback has provided strong support for a values based approach to leadership and the concept of collective leadership - ie that leadership is a responsibility shared between leaders and followers. Leadership literature indicates that effective leadership is based on sound moral principles and values and that followers react to and are infl uenced by their constructions of the leader s personality 2. Staff support was given for underpinning and interfacing our leadership programme with our commitment to Māori, so the process Figure 1: Ihi, wehi, wana and mana of leadership and management development is characterised by the concepts of ihi, wehi, wana and mana which explain the leader/follower relationship and interaction. 2 Meindl, J. R. (1995). The romance of leadership as a follower-centric theory: a social constructionist approach. Leadership Quarterly,

4 4 Leadership and Management Development There was also strong support for nine core values (adapted from traditional Māori values) which support leaders and leadership development - aroha, kaitiakitanga, rangatiratanga, wairuatanga, whanaungatanga, tautokotanga, kotahitanga, manaakitanga and tautikatanga. Figure 2: Niho taniwha model Other Factors Affecting Programme Design In May 2008 the University of Western Sydney (UWS) and the Australian Centre for Educational Research (ACER) published a report titled Learning Leaders in Times of Change: Academic Leadership Capabilities for Australian Universities based on a leadership survey undertaken by 513 academic leaders and workshops attended by 600 senior university staff who also reviewed the results of the survey and the implications of those results.

5 Leadership and Management Development - 5 The capability scales identified by the study have been reordered to fi t the University of Waikato distinctiveness model. There is a strong correlation with the values identified in the Niho Taniwha model (Figure 2). The following capabilities are seen as highly desirable for leaders and managers at Waikato who are encouraged to to aspire to attaining these and the University aims to support their achievement. Leadership and Management Capabilities Strength of Character Rangatiratanga/Authority SELF Self Awareness/Management Deferring judgment and not jumping in too quickly to resolve a problem Understanding personal strengths and limitations Admitting to and learning from errors Bouncing back from adversity Maintaining a good work/life balance and keeping things in perspective Remaining calm under pressure or when things take an unexpected turn Decisiveness Being willing to take a hard decision Being confident to take calculated risks Tolerating ambiguity and uncertainty Being true to one s personal values and ethics Commitment Having energy, passion and enthusiasm for learning and teaching Wanting to achieve the best outcome possible Taking responsibility for programme activities and outcomes Persevering when things are not working out as anticipated Pitching in and undertaking menial tasks when needed POSITION Learning and Teaching Understanding how to develop an effective higher education learning programme Having a high level of up-to-date knowledge of what engages university students in productive learning Understanding how to design and conduct an evaluation of a higher edu-

6 6 Leadership and Management Development cation learning programme Understanding how to implement successfully a new higher education programme Being on top of current developments in learning and teaching Knowing how to identify and disseminate good learning and management practice across the unit or university University Operations Understanding the role of risk management and litigation in my work Understanding how universities operate Understanding of industrial relations issues and processes as they apply to higher education Being able to help my staff learn how to deliver necessary changes effectively An ability to chair meetings effectively Having sound administrative and resource management skills Self-organisation Skills Being able to manage my own ongoing professional learning and development Being able to use IT effectively to communicate and perform key work functions Being able to organise my work and manage time effectively Being able to make effective presentations to a range of different groups Relationship Building Aroha/Concern Influencing Influencing people s behaviour and decisions in effective ways Understanding how the different groups that make up the university operate and infl uence different situations Working with very senior people within and beyond the university without being intimidated Motivating others to achieve positive outcomes Working constructively with people who are resistors or are over-enthusiastic Developing and using networks of colleagues to solve key workplace problems Giving and receiving constructive feedback to/from work colleagues and others

7 Leadership and Management Development - 7 Empathising Empathising and working productively with students/clients from a wide range of backgrounds Listening to different points of view before coming to a decision Empathising and working productively with staff and other key players from a wide range of backgrounds Developing and contributing positively to team-based programmes Being transparent and honest in dealings with others Making Connections Leading and developing effective teams and teamwork Engaging in collaborative and co-operative initiatives with other leaders, teams and units Enabling others to work toward the best interests of the university Sense of Duty to Future Generations Kaitiakitanga/Stewardship Diagnosis and Analysis Diagnosing the underlying causes of a problem and taking appropriate action to address it Recognising how seemingly unconnected activities are linked Recognising patterns in a complex situation Identifying from a mass of information the core issue or opportunity in any situation Strategy and Action Seeing and then acting on an opportunity for a new direction Tracing out and assessing the likely consequences of alternative courses of action Using previous experience to fi gure out what s going on when a current situation takes an unexpected turn Thinking creatively and laterally Having a clear, justified and achievable direction in my area of responsibility Seeing the best way to respond to a perplexing situation Setting and justifying priorities for my daily work Flexibility and Responsiveness Adjusting a plan of action in response to problems that are identifi ed during its implementation Making sense of and learning from experience

8 8 Leadership and Management Development Knowing that there is never a fi xed set of steps for solving workplace problems 2009 Programme The programme aims to develop leadership at all levels including: Leaders (Executive/Deans/Directors/CODs/Managers) Leadership (throughout institution) Leading Practice (mentoring and recognition) Leading Organisation (throughout institution) The approaches which will be taken include: Forums (leaders cohort development) Networks (leading practice) Workshops (leadership development) Qualifications (individual development) Events For further information about any aspects of the Leadership and Management Development Programme contact: Mike Bell Human Resource Development Advisor Professional Development Unit Human Resource Management mikebell@waikato.co.nz Extension: 8894 Room: B.3.08