Strategic Management in Organizations: Preparation and Personal Development

Task 1: Analyze and Assess Your Leadership and Strategic Management Skills

You have been a senior manager for a number of years and have decided that your next career move should be to or take responsibility for an aspect of strategic management in an organisation.

Some interesting posts have been advertised recently and you have registered with a recruitment agency Harris Hall, which specialises in senior positions. 

Task 1

Harris Hall has sent you a guidance pack titled ‘Preparation for Application and Interviews’, which includes some tasks for you to complete.

This will provide the foundations for the applications you will make.

You are required to produce a file of information. In section 1 you must:

• Analyse the knowledge and skills in leadership and strategic management which are required to support the creation and achievement of organisational vision and strategy.

• Assess the contribution that factors other than skills and knowledge in leadership and strategic management make to the achievement of organisational vision and strategy.

• Review theories of leadership and management and assess the implications for your personal development. 

Extension activities: 

To gain a merit grade you should also add a further section which:

• Provides a justified ranking of the leadership and management knowledge and skills required to successfully create and achieve organisational strategy.
 
To gain a distinction grade you must produce an additional section which:

• Evaluates the leadership and management knowledge and skills required for the successful achievement of organisational operations versus the creation and achievement of organisational strategy.

Task 2

The second part of the file enables you to manage the development of your own personal knowledge and skills in leadership and strategic management. This will support achievement of personal and organisational vision and strategy.

This audit must be done in the context of an organisation where you are employed, where you work in a voluntary capacity, where you wish to gain employment or where you are studying.

You must:

• Carry out an audit of your own personal leadership and management knowledge and skills. The knowledge and skills identified must facilitate the creation and achievement of organisational vision.

• Set objectives to meet your personal development needs in the context of strategic organisational needs

• Prepare a personal development plan to develop own leadership and management skills to support the creation of organisational vision and strategy

To gain a merit grade:

• Justify how objectives and the plan selected for personal development support achievement of organisational vision and strategy. 

To gain a distinction grade you must:

• Carry out appropriate personal development activities to develop knowledge and skills identified in the audit,

Task 3

Harris Hall has sent you an email about an interesting post which is advertised in Management Today and you have decided to apply. As part of the application the organisation wants you to send a CV and a paper on ‘Developing and Communicating Organisational Vision’. The SHR Department in the organisation will use this information in the shortlisting of applicants, who will then be invited to interview.

• Analyses the factors which impact on the creation of organisational vision.

• Assesses the different approaches to developing vision.

• Evaluates the key factors which impact on the communication of vision to external stakeholders.

To gain a merit grade you must write additional section in the paper which:

• Evaluates the key factors needed to gain the commitment of internal stakeholders when communicating vision.

Task 4

Congratulations you have been shortlisted for the post and been invited to interview. You are required to prepare a presentation which: 

• Assesses the benefits of review and explains when this tool can be used in the achievement of personal and organisational strategy.

You are required to produce a paper which:

• Evaluates the sources of information needed to review progress with achieving personal development plans.

Task 5

In the guidance pack Preparation for Application and Interviews Harris Hall have asked you to review progress to date with your personal development plan. You understand the importance of review in supporting individual and organisational progress.

• Produce a report which reviews your progress against the outcomes stated in your personal development plan.