Management and Leadership are two
very different concepts requiring very different skill-sets. Management is
characterised by such activities and responsibilities as planning &
budgeting, organising & staffing, and controlling & problem-solving. In
executing these responsibilities, effective managers attempt to produce a
degree of predictability and a sense of order. Leadership on the other hand is characterised
by such activities as the establishment of organisational direction, aligning
people with vision and strategy, and motivating & inspiring. In many
respects it is these bigger picture issues that underscore organisational
change. Indeed, much has been written in management and organisational
literature connecting leadership styles to stages of organisational change.
One clear certainty is that successful
organisations require leaders and managers to display the combined attributes mentioned
above, irrespective of the extent of change or indeed the level of continuity
being experienced at any time during the life of an organisation.
Underpinning this discussion of
leadership, are the wide range of interpersonal skills that enable individuals
within an organisation to effectively work with others. These skills include:
-
Self awareness which comes from a clear and realistic
understanding of your own strengths, weaknesses, ambitions, and needs;
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Self regulation which comes from an understanding of how you
control your actions and reactions and take charge of your emotions in the
process;
-
Motivation which comes from understanding the mechanisms that
drive you to achieve and to exude a passion and enthusiasm for your work and
for the success of your teams, departments, divisions and organisation as a
whole;
-
Empathy which comes from displaying a clear understanding of your
fellow staff and being able to weigh the ability to consider and acknowledge
others with the more global needs of the organisation’s mission and vision ,
and
-
Social skill which, whilst associated with empathy, comes from
your ability to relate to, and work effectively, with other people.
Action Learning recognises the
important link between leadership and success in the challenging environments
that organisations now face, and will continue to face over the coming years.
Management literature identifies a number of roles that leaders must increase
their abilities in to underpin this success. These include:
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the ability to think in systems terms
-
the ability to act as change agent
-
the ability to constantly innovate
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the ability to act as servant-leader
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the ability to take on a wide range of concurrent tasks
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the ability to be both teacher and mentor, and
-
the ability to be visionary and to communicate that vision
In the context of the leadership
skills identified earlier and the abilities discussed above, Action Learning
has emerged as one of the most effective and powerful tools in developing the
necessary competencies and experiences to support the leadership roles of the
modern organisation. Through the Action Learning approach of working with real
problems, a reflective inquiry process, a commitment to action and the focus on
learning within the organisation, Action Learning contributes to the critical
leadership skills that are one of the key enablers of organisational change.
OPTIMUM NFP launches its
inaugural “Action Learning as a Change Management Strategy in the
Not-for-Profit Sector” Workshops on 14th May 2013. OPTIMUM NFP has been applying Action
Learning to organisations in the NFP sector as a means of addressing the
various challenges of initiating and working with organisational change.
Currently, this sector faces many challenging times and must respond to these
in a timely yet effective manner. Change in these organisations is ongoing and
will continue to be into the future.
This Workshop is based on research
papers submitted to the Academy of Management (America) and the British Academy
of Management for their 2013 conferences as case studies in the application of
Action Learning in the NSW NFP Sector. The Workshop will provide both the
theory of Action Learning as well as its practical application. Participants
will be involved in designing and participating in Action Learning programs,
the aims of which will be to enable participants to lay the foundations in their
own organisations for future Action Learning activities.
Action Learning is an effective
approach in directly assisting organisations in this sector to not only deal
with change, but to develop capacity and capability, ensuring organisations
become more ‘change-ready’. As Principal of OPTIMUM NFP, David Rosenbaum’s consulting work in this field is
further supported by his research pursuits in change management where he is
currently undertaking PhD research in the management of change in the
Not-for-Profit sector via a longitudinal qualitative study at a major Sydney
not-for-profit hospital.
For those interested in gaining
further insights into Action Learning and how it can be applied in your own
organisation, visit the following link to download the Workshop Information as
well as the Workshop Registration Form. http://www.optimumnfp.com.au/news-letter/34-the-role-of-leadership-in-organisational-change-an-action-learning-approach.html
Given the practical nature of the
workshop, numbers are strictly limited to a maximum of 18 participants.
For any further queries regarding
Action Learning, contact David Rosenbaum at OPTIMUM NFP.
