Sasha Sadilova

Our objective is to be competent, right?  Companies pay a lot of attention to “management competencies”. The list of possible competencies is so long that it would take you a lifetime to learn them—leaving no time to manage! The objective of this one session is obviously not to master all of them. Rather, it will help you deepen your understanding of management competencies and reflect on how you use them.

You may have heard of “consciousness raising”. Here we are concerned with what might be called “competency raising”: raising your consciousness about competencies. You will be more aware of how you practice the key competencies by sharing your own experiences of what works well for you, and listening to what works well for other managers. In doing so, you will enhance your overall competence to practice management.

The objectives for this topic are to:

• Increase awareness of the range of competencies used in managing.
• Become conscious about how you practice some of these management competencies.
• Expose yourself to alternate ways of practicing competencies.

Management is a practice where art, craft, and science meet. Most managers tend to tilt one way or another: toward creative art, practical craft, or organized science. The trouble is that when you tilt too far, your managing can go out of  balance. This session asks you to consider your managerial style: how do you see it and how do your colleagues see it? How might you want to adjust it and how can you get there?

The objectives for this topic are to:

• Learn about some basic styles of managing.
• Understand your style and those of your colleagues.
• Consider modifying your style.