Introduction to the Leadership and Management Portfolio

INTRODUCTION TO THE LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO

UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT: PROGRAM PORTFOLIO

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION TO THE LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO

3 THE UNIVERSITY CONTEXT: AN INTRODUCTION

6 UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

13

UNIVERSITY CULTURES AND ORGANISATIONAL MANAGEMENT

STRATEGIC PLANNING

MANAGING PEOPLE

MANAGING RESOURCES

INTRODUCTION TO THE LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO

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INTRODUCTION TO THE LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO

What is the University Leadership and Management portfolio?

Welcome to the leadership and management portfolio. This document accompanies the University Leadership and Managementprogram.

What is the University Leadership and Management portfolio?

This portfolio is intended to supplement and enhance your learning as you progress through the University Leadership and Managementprogram in the following ways:

The portfolio draws together all of the documents and supplemental materials available to download throughout the main course, so that they are easily accessible from a single location.

Throughout the main course, you will be invited to undertake various reflective and optional activities (often accompanied by the portfolio icon, above). The portfolio provides a space for you to record your thoughts for each of these activities. You may like to return to these notes and extend or refine them as you progress through the course.

Your portfolio should continue to prove an invaluable tool once you have completed the University Leadership and Managementprogram, with summary sheets, templates, and your own notes and reflections providing a useful reference manual for the durationof your management position.

Your leadership and management portfolio: How to use this document

How do I use my portfolio?

Save a copy of this document on your computer.

Keep the portfolio open as you work through the University Leadership and Managementprogram.

Each time you undertake an optional activity or reflective exercise, or are asked to keep a note of the results of an in-course activity, you will find a corresponding page in this document for you to complete. (See ‘How do I navigate my portfolio?’ below for more details.)

Refer to, or complete, each portfolio document as instructed in the corresponding section of the main course.

How do I navigate my portfolio?

To navigate your portfolio easily, ensure that you have the ‘Document Map’ feature in Microsoft Word enabled. To do this, go to ‘View’ and check ‘Document Map’.

On the left-hand side of your screen you will see each University Leadership and Management course listed, followed by its accompanying portfolio documents, in order of appearance in the program.

The titles in the ‘Document Map’ correspond with the course page titles to enable you to easily locate the desired document. The course and module are also shown in each portfolio document for ease of use.

Click on a course title or a document name to jump to that section of the portfolio.

Where a section in the main course has more than one portfolio document associated with it, the documents are numbered in brackets in order of appearance in the corresponding section of the main course.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO

THE UNIVERSITY CONTEXT: AN INTRODUCTION

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Some guiding principles

Reflection on the four guiding principles of effective leadership and management

Consider and make some notes on a complex problem recently faced by your department that caused some disruption to your community.

How did your approach facilitate this decision?

What happened, and how did it make you and others feel?

How well did you follow the four guiding principles outlined in this section of the course?

Would you do something differently next time?

These types of reflections are an important element of being a good leader and manager. The University Leadership and Managementprogram will offer you some useful tools to help you manage these challenges.

Estimated duration: 10 minutes

Write your notes here:

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The role of universities

Reflection on the role of your institution and its leaders and managers

Write a paragraph answering each of the following questions:

What are the main functions your university aims to fulfill?

Has this influenced the approach it is taking toward its activities?

What do you see as the role of university managers and leaders in promoting and facilitating your university's aims?

Estimated duration: 30 minutes

Write your notes here:

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Trends within higher education

Your university and globalization

How has globalization affected your university? This document contains an activity providing you with a framework guide to help you consider your answer to this question.

Estimated duration: 60 minutes

Consider the changes that are evident in your university due to globalization. Complete each of the cells in the table below.

Global factor / Your university
about five years ago / Your university now / What has changed? What impact has this had? / What further changes do you expect over the next five years?
Student profile
Curriculum
Institutional locations
Networks to which the university belongs
Research profile
Research collaborations
Staffing profile
Professional services
Technological focus
Benchmarking with other institutions
Governance arrangements
Collaboration with other institutions
Competition from other institutions

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Learning to be an effective leader and manager (1)

Creating support structures

If you don't yet have a mentor, consider finding one. Look for someone who has perhaps trodden a similar path to the one you are following, and has demonstrated success in doing so. You can talk to them about all the areas covered in the University Leadership and Management program.

As well as having regular meetings with a mentor, it can also be valuable to set up a series of meetings with particular individuals whose qualities you admire. You can talk to them about how they see their role and how they have succeeded. Hearing their stories can be empowering and inspirational – and they will often become part of your support network as a result.

Using this portfolio document may help you to plan your activities in this area.

Estimated duration: 120 minutes

Use the space below to log your ideas for potential mentors and ‘inspirational’ meetings. Keep track of your progress in contacting them in the right-hand column.

Potential mentors

Name / Contact details / What makes them suitable as a mentor? / Progress

Potential meetings with other colleagues

Name / Contact details / What do I admire/want to discuss/find out more about, etc.? / Progress

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Learning to be an effective leader and manager (2)

The leadership and management learning cycle

Consider the themes and questions in the table below. Complete the table, answering each question as honestly as possible. Make a note of the date on which you answer the questions.

Come back to these responses a little later – you will find it interesting to see how your perceptions and expectations have shifted as a result of your interaction with this program.

Estimated duration: 60 minutes

My current position / [e.g. What is your main role? What are the key responsibilities you fulfill? How long have you been in this role?]
My leadership and management background and context / [e.g. Why were you chosen for this role? What experience do you bring to your position? What strengths and attributes make you a good choice for this role?]
My achievements so far / [i.e. What have you achieved since assuming your role?]
My community / [e.g. What are the main constituent groups for whom you are responsible (e.g. academics, professional staff)? What are the characteristics of each one? How do you support them through your role?]
My main challenges/issues that need to be addressed / [These may relate to the broader context in which you are working (e.g. finances, student recruitment, curriculum reform, service delivery), may be more specifically focused on particular management issues that you are encountering (e.g. difficult staff members, poor performance, staff motivation), or aspects of your own skill set that need to be developed further. In many cases, the issues you identify may span all three areas.]
My learning goals / [i.e. What areas would you like to improve or develop more fully? Try to identify goals that are specific, measurable and actionable (e.g. “Improve my chairing of meetings so that they are effective, efficient and on task”). Keep reviewing this list as you work through the program.

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THE UNIVERSITY CONTEXT: Course summary

The university context: Course summary

The following is a summary of ten key points from ‘The university context: An introduction’.Use this summary as a regular point of reference to guide you in your leadership and management role.

Make sure you have a clear sense of the role you should be filling. Talk regularly with your supervisor/line manager.

Keep the balance across your full portfolio. You may need to learn a lot about the various university policies and activities in order to make informed decisions.

Build your network of expert friends, so that you know who to contact when you need guidance and support.

Keep abreast of the ongoing trends – both internal and external to your organization – that have an impact on the activities of your department.

Be prepared to take decisions – using the best information you have to hand. Take the time to look at the evidence and canvass different points of view before making complex decisions. And accept that not everyone is going to like the outcome.

Your reputation is your most precious asset. Ensure every action you take shows your integrity and ethical stance.

Recognize that the role of head/manager is an ongoing learning journey. You will need to invest time and effort in acquiring new knowledge, capabilities and insights that will enhance your performance.

Seek feedback on your performance and listen to what is being conveyed. Don’t be defensive.

Understand that no one is perfect. We all make mistakes. Learn from them and grow. And forgive yourself.

Stay healthy. You need to make time for yourself, your family and your other life interests. To do so, keep watch on how much time you spend focusing on your role and how much time you are giving to the other important elements of your world. Be a good role model and encourage others to maintain a good balance too.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT: Understanding university cultures

UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

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Making decisions in a university

Decision making in your institution

In this section of the main course, you are invited to consider and make some notes on a series of questions regarding decision-making structures in your institution.

Copy and paste the questions and your answers from the activity in this section of the main course into this portfolio document. This will act as a record of your work and will enable you to reflect further on decision making in your institution.

Estimated duration: 5 minutes

Paste your answers here:

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Four ways to read a university – and yourself

Organization in your institution

In this section of the main course, the ‘Optional activity’ introduces you to Cohen and March’s (1974) idea of higher education institutions as ‘organized anarchies’ (more fully explained in the main course).

Consider whether Cohen and March's analysis sometimes applies to your university, and write a paragraph or two outlining your answer and rationale.

Estimated duration: 30 minutes

Make a note of your thoughts here:

To be or not to be: Weighing the costs and benefits

The pros and cons of becoming a department head

As you consider accepting an appointment as a head, go in with your eyes open. Think of present or past department heads at your university whom you would consider modal, failed, or exemplary. Select three, one from each category, and informally interview them (there is no need to mention the reason you selected them!).

Ask them:

What they found the most positive and the most negative aspects of the job

What they thought they had accomplished

Whether they would accept appointment as a head in the future.

Based on what they tell you, make a list of the pros and cons and use their comments as a reality check of your own views.

Estimated duration: 60 minutes

Pros of being a department head / Cons of being a department head

Managing the departmental meeting

Managing a group meeting: Assessment

How do you rate yourself in terms of the good practice exemplified in the first activity in this section of the main course?

Next time you find yourself chairing a meeting, give a colleague the following list of points and ask her or him to rate you on each item. Based on this, make some plans for improvement.

Estimated duration: 90 minutes

Please assess my performance on a scale of 1–10, where 1 is weakest and 10 is strongest.
Element / Rating (1 – 10)
Before the meeting
Sent a reminder to members of time and place
Distributed written agenda and attachments in advance
Provided important background information in advance
Separated information items (not requiring discussion) from action items
During the meeting
Started meeting on time
Asked for approval of minutes, and provided opportunity for questions
Stated the purpose of the meeting
Set deadlines for when reports were due
Ended meeting promptly so others could plan their activities
Gave members chance to participate
Gave members opportunities to lead
Kept discussion on track to maintain focus
At the end of the meeting
Reviewed who was to do what and when
Asked group to submit future agenda items
Reminded members of next meeting and its purpose
Promised to distribute minutes so that past discussions don’t have to be repeated
Promised to use email to circulate incoming materials that don’t require discussion
Other comments

Management made simple

Tips on managing

In the activity in this section of the main course, you are asked to consider a list of tips on managerial good practice for academic heads, re-ordering the list so that the practices you already follow are at the top, and those that you need to work on are at the bottom.

Make a note of the practices you put toward the bottom of the list as a reminder to help you to improve your efforts in those areas. Review your progress and update your portfolio at regular intervals.

Estimated duration: 10 minutes

Managerial practices I need to work on

How departments select their leaders

Do you meet the criteria?

Consider whether you meet the three criteria to become a leader by identifying what you think are your department's expectations, and considering whether you meet them.

You may wish to use the following table to record your reflections.

Estimated duration: 30 minutes

Criteria / What are my department’s expectations and values in relation to this criterion? / Do I meet these expectations/values?
If not, how might I modify my behavior to change this?
Legitimate selection
Commitment to group values
Relevant expertise

Leadership made (relatively) simple

Self-assessment of your leadership behavior

In the activity in this section of the main course, you are asked to categorize ten guiding principles for leaders according to whether you usually, sometimes or seldom follow them.

Make a note of the principles you seldom put into practice as a reminder to help you to improve your efforts in those areas. Review your progress and update your portfolio at regular intervals.

Estimated duration: 5 minutes

Leadership principles I need to follow more often

Avoiding cognitive bias

Your reflections

Consider the seven types of cognitive bias outlined in this section of the main course and:

Write a few sentences describing an occasion on which you may have been affected by each one of the seven biases

Then write down an example of an occasion on which your colleagues may have exhibited each of the seven biases

Compare the two lists and don't be surprised if it is easier to think of examples of your colleagues' biases than of your own. It is difficult to think of your own biases, isn't it?

Based on your reflections and the tips in this section of the main course, make a list of five steps you will take to help moderate the effects of cognitive bias in the future.

You may wish to use the following table to help you to consolidate your thoughts.