Playing a crucial role within the pandemic, Neeshan Ramdin, Laboratory Manager of the National Health Laboratory Services at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, undertook the USB Executive DevelopmentSenior Management Development Programme (SMDP) in the midst of the global pandemic.
He shares exclusively with USB-ED that he was not in the most energetic state at the start of the course: “I remember the anxiety I felt when I was considering enrolling on the USB-EDSMDP program due to the exhaustion and burnout suffered from the COVID-19 1st wave. I was not sure that I would cope with the responsibilities of work, personal life and studying.” In such a crucial role within the current atmosphere of the global pandemic, this is a valid point to be taken into account. However, the skills and tools learnt on the programme became even more valuable to Neeshan at this time, as they are designed to be immediately implemented in managerial-level positions within the rapidly changing environment that organisations are being exposed to at the moment.
“As I reflect now after successfully completing the program, I have a much clearer and deeper understanding of “zooming in and zooming out” and the importance of that,” he shares. Within the programme itself, the curriculum encompasses all aspects of management, from assessing and reporting on financial viability, right through to formulating strategies for customer value creation using design thinking, and developing foresight to navigate shifts in organisational forms. Neeshan shares about the most valuable parts of the syllabus for him: “The lessons learned in the modules on Strategy and Innovative & Design Thinking not only enabled me to implement fruitful changes at work but also changes in my day-to-day life which allowed me to also juggle responsibilities successfully during the program duration.”
These take-aways from the course fructified into tangible successes for Neeshan. He shares that “Re-inventing myself as a strategic and innovative leader to my team and organisation has yielded successful results – based on how my department navigated through the COVID-19 testing during the second and third waves when compared to the shortfalls in systems in place during the first wave. I can say with confidence that tools learned from the SMDP theory and practical’s have played a vital role in my work area and will continue to do so in my future ventures.”Best suited for senior managers from any industry, the USB Executive DevelopmentSenior Management Development Programme (SMDP) is especially for those in management positions who are interested in developing a strategic leadership mindset and acquiring the ability to sense and respond to new business models. In a rapidly changing environment, organisations are being exposed to a completely new way of working. Over the course of 6 months, the training within the SMDP empowers participants with a range of skills.
She shares that she was given the opportunity to do the course by her organisation. “As part of my career progression, our management identified me as an individual that they’d like to develop in terms of talent and they pushed me forward for the MDP course. When I was approached about this, I felt honoured by the fact that I had been identified as a leader. Instead of hiding away from it, I could see that they were wanting to equip me with the skill-set to effectively lead the space – especially in e-commerce. This arena is quite a big deal – it’s where the world is going at the moment. So I needed to be able to manage an entire team, understand them better, and utilise their skillset and place them accordingly.”
Going into the programme, she understood that she was looking to deepen her understanding of leadership and working with others. She shares, “ I felt like I needed to better understand people. I also needed to learn how to utilize and optimise their individual skill-sets. I am obviously on track to become a manager and a future leader, so what I needed to take out of the programme was how to work with direct reports, and how to effectively work alongside people from other organisations. One of my development areas is that I have a tendency to take charge too much. I needed to learn to take a step back and to allow others to do the work. I learned that this is, at the core of it, a trust issue. The MDP really gave me the insight that I needed to understand how to allow others to do their jobs and contribute in more effective and encouraging ways. I needed to learn how to let go more and actually hand over more to give others their opportunities to shine!”
The benefits of the course became evident to her quickly. “MDP has not only added value to my role, it has also increased my growth and development in our business and organisation, and how to manage direct reports. I completed MDP last November. In January I had a growing team of direct reports – and I had to manage them. I found I was immediately putting to use all the skills that I had obtained in the MDP, especially the ones I had had the opportunity to hone in on in the Business Driven Action Learning (BDAL) project. That project one was a big one – we had to run with it on our own, with our team members. Within that project, we had to put in place a whole bunch of spreadsheets with macro calculations and how to effectively manage time and progress overall. Since the completion of the course, I’ve utilised all the models – especially the leadership modules in how to effectively drive results in the retail e-commerce space. And the results have been very evident! The skills I’ve acquired have already been used in both my professional and personal life – which if you’d told me that before, I’d have said it’s crazy. It has overflowed into all aspects of my life, especially being a working female and mother (and added to that with the current schooling methods – a teacher from home!)”
Raeesa goes on to share that while her existing skills did assist her, the major highlight for her was honing in on learning more about implementing people skills. “I’m already in marketing, and I’m also in finance. So the marketing module and the finance module – the stuff that I’d previously been exposed to – was quite a strong point for me already. I could bring that as a strength to our BDAL team, which was a highlight for me. But my big take-away from the programme was the leadership and people skills: mostly how best to work with people, and how to implement soft-skills more effectively… With every type of team there are going to be strong links and weak links and struggling links and challenging links. And having the right skill-set, in terms of people-skills, to effectively manage every single person in that team. I learnt so much from MDP in just those 6 months, it was really good learning for me! What happens some of the time is that you are given the skill-set, but then it’s the implementation of that skill-set that is equally more important.”
As a message to those who may be interested in doing the MDP, she shares that, “This course has the ability to incorporate all types of models to achieve being a leader, as well as grow future leaders. It is an exceptionally beneficial course and I would highly recommend it, simply because you have the ability to become a leader yourself and the opportunity to grow future leaders. That’s really been my focus point. Because stuff like marketing, finance and project management, those type of things you can go and study for and you can learn that. Those are very theory-based and you have on-the-job training. But leadership is different. Anybody can be a manager. But not everyone can be a leader. For me, the MDP has really given me the skill set and the tools to become a leader and to also grow future leaders. That for me was the biggest take-out.” It is with this crucial skill that we are able not only to do things ourselves, but also to ensure that we are able to make an impact beyond ourselves – to empower others and to grow them to also realise their own potential too.” Her biggest take away was the skillset to be able to inspire and activate the essence of leadership in other people, and indeed equip them to become leaders in their own right. “It really gave me so many useful insights and tactics. It’s been an investment into the person that I am becoming.”
Samuel Jacobs recently completed the USB Executive Development Senior Management Development Programme. He mentions that, “I joined the SMDP programme to increase my dexterity as a leader, more specifically around the quality of my participation in the boardroom. The prospects of being exposed to the calibre of the participants, lecturers, and content, promised an expanse for thoughtful exploration on leadership, economics, strategy, innovation, and business performance.”
From this, his highlights were multiple. Among the notable ones, he shares, “The programme yielded several rewarding moments, like the refreshing reminder of the indelible relationship economics has with the social and political environment. The impact household savings, investments (portfolio and direct), and foreign reserves have on how a currency – especially of a developing country – is expressed against the US dollar.”
He shares that he found the content highly engaging. “The modules were incredibly insightful; however, it was within the development of a strategic project through business-driven action learning that the scaffolding of our learnings was meaningfully put to the test. Getting to know the leadership team, and the staff of the NGO we partnered with and together discovering the possibilities for a much more sustainable future for them, remains the flagship of my experience in the programme.”
“The programme is laced with little encounters that force you to go on short bursts of self-discovery,” Samuel shares. “Herein resides significant value, dare I say, beyond the ever-studious nature of the literature and modules. The course illuminated some underlying biases that were impacting the quality of my decision-making. Being equipped to think about my thinking has enabled within me a hemisphere of awareness – one that seeks what is valid and efficacious for a particular decision instead of settling for what “seems” right; a decision-making meritocracy if you will. Having this awareness has led me to understand what triggers my biases and what situations may strengthen them, allowing me to slow down and create time to explore the uncomfortable alternative.”
To prospective participants, he states, “If you yield to the subtle promptings to read broadly, participate in syndicate groups, stay engaged and open-minded, you will soon craft the ability to find the appropriate expressions for your thoughts while holding multiple views in tension with sufficient insight to meaningfully contribute to complex problem-solving.”
For further information about upcoming USB Executive Development Senior Management Development Programmes, click here.
Poverty. Gangsterism. Substance abuse. These are daily issues facing residents of Helenvale, a township just outside of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
Historically developed as a suburb to accommodate 6,000 forcibly removed inhabitants in the Apartheid Era, Helenvale is now home to over 20,000 residents. Almost 70% of its population is below the age of 35 and almost half of its residents are unemployed – according to 2011 data from StatsSA. All of these factors amalgamate into a myriad of socio-political and economic complexities – and mainstream media coverage of shootings, protests and gang activities give Helenvale a rather grim name.
As part of their BDAL project, SMDP syndicate group named ‘The Avengers’, approached and partnered with Helenvale Centre of Hope, an NPO based in the Helenvale township. The team members in this group included Zen Chetty (Volkswagen), Walter Stevens (Tenneco), Owen Puley (Namzinc), Pamela Manyaka (Tshipi e Ntle Manganese Mining), Junior Lechaba (Volkswagen) and David Cuff (Woolworths).
SMDP syndicate group ‘The Avengers’ on Zoom
Within USB-ED’s Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP) participants are provided with the tools required to operate efficiently on a strategic level. One such mechanism for facilitating this learning process is the Business Driven Action Learning (BDAL) project: a practical assignment focused on achieving leadership development and true organizational transformation, using a results-focused orientation. When the BDAL groups are formed at the beginning of the programme, the group members collectively decide on which NGO/NPO/SMME they would like to approach to request a partnership with. An investment on behalf of the NGO/NPO, this journey speaks to meetings, calls, and laying their business models and operations bare for scrutiny by the group. Such is the case that very often, the BDAL groups remain on to support the NGO/NPO well after the SMDP project is over – as it is a space in which close bonds are formed, with the group’s support bearing fruit for the NGO/NPO in many ways.
Established in 2016, the Helenvale Centre of Hope is an after-school drop-in-centre providing programs for youth living in the township. With a vision to meet the basic needs of children between the ages of 4- and 18-years-old, the centre aims to provide hope and empowerment through educational, social and emotional support. Overseen by a management committee of youth in Helenvale, the staff body consists of three child- and youth-care workers who are supported by high school learners, educators and older adult volunteers. This team provides healthy role-model relationships and counsel to the children who attend the centre.
‘The Avengers’ BDAL group noted that the main issue that they identified the Helenvale Centre of Hope could improve was being able to optimise how much of a difference it could make, while bringing value to the community. This was being influenced by a number of factors, some completely unavoidable – such as volunteers balancing day jobs with their part-time management of the organisation. Following detailed research and analysis, the BDAL group was able to assist by identifying possible solutions that would serve in a sustainable way for the Helenvale Centre of Hope team. These included initiatives that would provide the management team with the strategic capability to ensure a more sustainable income for the Centre, while optimising the intensity of the Centre’s impact within the community.
As a result, Helenvale Centre of Hope has managed to open a fully fledged store selling personalised goods, and a resource center equipped with a donation of 15 complete desktops and 5 laptops, as well as securing a financial donation. The team continues to work closely with the centre, meeting on a monthly basis, even though the BDAL project is over.
Sharing exclusively about his personal experience of the project with USB-ED, Walter Stevens mentioned, “It gave me a new perspective and enormous amount of insight into management principles and practices. I also met new friends and a large network of acquaintances and professionals.”
Similar sentiments were shared by David Cuff, as he reflected, “I thoroughly enjoyed the SMDP program and made the most of this amazing opportunity. I went into the program with an extremely positive frame of mind open to learning, building new networks and passing on my knowledge. The highlight was our BDAL project group and our learning facilitator, Thys, who always pushed us to do better and was direct with his feedback. The pinnacle was working in partnership with our NPO, Helenvale Centre of Hope. They are amazing, and to see how they grew and adapted the learnings from our project into their organisation was – and continues to be – extremely satisfying!” He went on to share, “The course pushes you out of your comfort zone and provides you with tools that you will be able to use throughout your career. It does require additional time and effort over and above your day job and your family life, but it is so worth it.”
As a project within the Senior Management Development Programme, the BDAL is about dealing with a real business challenge. This learning experience is enhanced as the results of metrics such as increased revenue, optimised processes, and the value of partnerships fructify – and create a direct impact on the partner organisation. It is through involvement in collaborative initiatives such as the Helenvale Centre of Hope that USB-ED celebrates our graduates contributing not only to the development of economies, but also to the societies within Africa. As a true embodiment of the spirit of “Ubuntu,” we can achieve so much more when we come together for the greater good. As Junior Lechaba shared, one of the most notable outcomes of the project for him was the knowing that it is never too late to contribute to the good of the society at a professional level.
Encouraged by her place of work, Wedu Keakile, Operational Risk Analyst at the Bank of Gaborone, was nominated by the leadership of the bank to attend the Africa Management Development Programme. She shares exclusively with USB Executive Development that, “I walked in with the approach of ‘expect nothing to gain everything’, and truly I did. My management skills and outlook is completely different from before the course.”
The highlight of this strategic management course for her was that, “It gave me insight to a holistic perspective of addressing the challenges and opportunities that we come across on a day-to-day basis. Specifically, I enjoyed the Systems Thinking module as it looked into this in greater detail. Performance coaching using the GROW model was also particularly interesting in getting information and results from those being coached.”
Furthermore more, she mentioned, “I got the opportunity to coach, and see things in the eyes of another without influencing as a manager. I learned that truly every voice counts, and that’s how we build powerful teams! The unity amongst diversity resonated strongly within the MDP programme from a personal and professional perspective. As a mother of two toddlers and a manager during the pandemic, the programme also taught me the art of time management and balance. And I was ecstatic to come 2nd in the MDP Africa Intake 3 class – irrespective of the situations around.”
Her message to those looking into doing the Management Development Programme is ““Anchora Imparo,” the Italian phrase meaning “Still I learn”. Indeed, it is courses like this that embody that art. They show us that at whatever age we are, and whatever stage of life, we are all still learning. As a manager, your perspective and outlook towards the opportunities and value systems in the various business systems will surely expand.”
Designed to take management to great heights, the Africa Management Development Programme (MDP) is packed with material focusing on broadening managers’ self-awareness, leadership attributes and management skills required in the ever-changing business environment. It aims to equip managers with the insights needed for sound business integration, best management practices and how to apply strategic thinking in every decision that is made.
Targeted at managers from any industry, who are responsible for managing various business units and ready to dive deep into management development, this course empowers managers to reinforce their managerial skill set and business acumen. This programme facilitates integration across various business units.
– Translate business acumen and entrepreneurial thinking into improved organisational performance
Explain the basic operations of an economy and discuss key economic concepts used in everyday economic reports
Read, understand and interpret financial statements to determine the financial health of an organisation
Prepare and manage a budget for a department or organisation
Utilise an understanding of market segmentation to best position a product offering to the customer
Translate digital marketing and social media insights into effective customer service management practices
Demonstrate leadership competence through a heightened sense of curiosity and a willingness to drive a culture of innovation, learning, and continuous improvement
Promote diversity and employee engagement through an improved understanding of leadership and human resources management practices
For upcoming course dates, or further information about this programme, see here.
Enrolling for USB-ED’s Executive Development Programme (EDP), Founder and Managing Director at Circular Management Consulting, Mpho Mohajane shared exclusively that he took interest in the programme due to the variety within its syllabus. “It offers a study opportunity with a wide range of interesting themes and modules that are relevant to the new world of business in which we are operating. Even though the leadership module was a key part of the programme, there is also interconnectedness with all other modules.”
When navigating the programme within the relevant COVID-19 protocols, he found the transition to be professional and well-conducted, ensuring that he was well-equipped with the needed tools to optimise his studies. “The programme was initially designed to be conducted with face-to-face interaction, and as a result of COVID-19, this was converted into remote learning using Zoom. I had to quickly learn how to navigate this application and its various functionalities, nuances, and etiquette – together with the necessary techniques to prevent “Zoom fatigue”. This tool enabled us to participate and have conversations with everyone in class or privately converse with individuals or syndicate/sub-groups.”
The application of the concepts that were taught was something that Mpho appreciated. “Consolidating the work-experience with the academic background that I already had in this way enabled me to integrate the learnings while putting into practice the transforming key-aspects of my work-based experience.”
Speaking on the specifics of what he learnt, he shares, “I have learned that responsible leadership, ethics and the application of good corporate governance play a critical role in driving businesses forward – particularly within the recent impact of the global pandemic. It is imperative that leaders think in future-focused, holistic ways, lead with purpose, and take into consideration the people being led, the environment, and global economic trends.
“As a leader, self-awareness is particularly important. As we lead, we inspire those we work with. It is therefore imperative that we check and challenge beliefs that we have had – especially those formed due to our background. It is the people, not the framework that makes a business succeed, and hence it is important that our people are taken care of.”
Another aspect of the programme that he highlighted was the emphasis on enhancing each individual’s unique skill sets. “The programme encourages individuals to develop their own career plans and as such a Modified Career Path Appreciation (MCPA) assessment is conducted for each candidate – if there was not one done in the last few years.”
He also emphasised the value of being supported, and guided by those who have more experience than you. “I have learned that it is essential to have a personal mentoring team. This collective, which has one’s best interests at heart, has to be selected carefully. A mentoring team offers a diversity of thoughts, perspectives, skills, and social capital. The more diverse one’s team, the greater the reach and potential. One must think globally and do not limit themself to one industry or organization. Think globally. To truly get a wide array of outlooks, make sure your mentoring team does not all look like you.”
Overall, Mpho is very encouraging to anyone thinking about doing the programme, stating, “This executive development programme offers comprehensive knowledge, considering the fast-paced, ever-changing and challenging global business environment. I therefore highly recommend it to leaders who are looking to consolidate their learnings with their business, and take their careers to the next level.”
For further information about the programme, you can read more here.
Tom Murray, Technical Manager at Woolworths, recently completed USB-ED’s Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP). Keeping it real, Tom shared exclusively with USB-ED that he initially did not want to do the programme at all. Encouraged into it by his boss, he shares that he avoided all mention of it before the programme began – even waiting until the last minute to complete the necessary paperwork!
He shares that, “I’d hesitate a guess that my initial motivation may be slightly unexpected… I didn’t want to do this programme, and had avoided any questions around it at work when it was mentioned. It was my boss who decided that I would do it, and she wouldn’t accept my protestations about senior management development not being an interest of mine. I continued my silent protest by waiting until the last minute to sign the paperwork on my way to the campus on the Monday morning. And I possibly even went as far as to answer that ‘I didn’t want to be here’ when introducing ourselves to the class… But, just two days into it, by the Wednesday, all of my initial resistance was gone.”
Even though much of the content included subjects that he was being exposed to for the first time, he shared that his programme highlights were numerous. Tom mentioned that it incorporated a broad spectrum of knowledge, which was further complimented by the lecturers and their own subject understanding.
He noted that while it may not be a quintessential highlight, he really enjoyed being thrown into the deep-end of things and experiencing those ‘ah-ha’ moments – be it with an individual assignment, or working in group settings. “For me,” he shares, “The BDAL was the greatest highlight and a great practical application of not only the programme content but also the ability to work with what were five strangers initially.” The BDAL (Business Driven Action Learning) is about taking the academic models you learn and applying them in practice.
“Overall,” he says, “My main takeaway was that people, be it our teams or immediate colleagues, are the ones that drive our success.” This was further emphasized by two phrases that were mentioned during the programme that really struck home – one being that ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast’, and ‘What got us here, won’t get us there’. For prospective SMDP delegates, Tom shared that he would thoroughly recommend doing the programme – a complete change of heart for an initial senior management development sceptic!
In a rapidly changing environment, organisations are being exposed to a completely new way of working. Over the course of 6 months, this senior management training empowers participants with the tools to:
Develop leadership thinking
Explore strategic concepts and integrative strategy
Evaluate new frameworks and tools to support sustainable business
Interpret the challenges of globalisation and its effect on business
Assess and report on the financial viability of organisations
Develop foresight and navigate shifts in organisational forms
Determine the importance of changing business models
Formulate strategies for customer value creation using design thinking
Apply project management tools and techniques to plan and execute projects efficiently and effectively
Interpret and demonstrate the relationship between various strategic, operational and leadership themes
Tebogo TT Ojeng, Senior Account Executive (Public Sector) at Dell EMC South Africa, embarked on the Senior Management Development Programme in 2020 to learn about strategy, vision and to prepare herself for an already-nominated journey into leadership. She shared, “It became very clear at the beginning that I would need to adopt quicker winning tactics to balance both the programme as well as my demanding job by stretching myself beyond my comfort zone.”
Tebogo dove into the programme, as she relays, “Being open to new ideas and able to take advantage of opportunities is what is most important to me. The most extraordinary times in my life have come because of moments when I’ve seized opportunities presented to me directly, by accident, hard work or sheer luck. This has been evident in my academic excellence, educational life, my travels around the world and my professional career, no matter the huddles or delays I encountered in life.”
Drawing on her innate passions, her inquisitive nature, her chosen career field and her vision of an uplifted Africa motivated her with this programme. She says, “My passion for learning, imparting, and sharing knowledge with others originates from my curiosity and love for learning. Working in the ever changing and evolving Technology space (ICT) all my life and work experiences have stimulated my curiosity and desire to learn more about the ever changing world around me. How does Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, 4IR affect the world? As part of management or organizational leadership, how will that affect decision making for the organization I work for while positively impacting the world and people at large? How does technology, socio-economic and political changes affect individuals, families, community, and the world at large? My questions never stop. I continuously want to be an impactful leader, and it feels very satisfying to apply my knowledge. Distinct concepts that bring solutions together to form a coherent picture truly attracts me to keep learning more, especially to help bring or contribute to solutions to citizens of my country, South Africa, and Africa as a struggling continent.”
She sees that being a better leader and manager is a melting pot of many factors, as she shares, “Management is also about positive leadership—applying compassion, empathy to people’s feelings, struggles and concerns while you help them grow. Humans are not pre-programmed robots that all face the same problems or struggles. Humans deserve leaders who are knowledgeable and who are infinitely curious, constantly questioning new advancements and the status quo. They deserve someone who loves the challenge of problem solving and coming up with innovative individualized solutions. I want to be that leader. I want to be able to approach each case as a unique entity and incorporate my strengths into providing personalized care for my people.”
This was something that she felt that the programme did for her. She says, “The structure and course content of the Senior Management Development Programme was very relevant to my ever-changing IT industry and as a result equipped me with the knowledge to adapt to change while remaining relevant and competitive in the fast-evolving emerging markets. A great deal of learning for me must be the ability to deal with diversity, collaborate efforts based on grounded theory and critical thinking within group dynamics. I completed it with a broader understanding of the value of the development of human capital, design thinking, leadership styles and the value of personal branding.”
Upon completing the programme she shared, “I am grateful to have been part of a business school that is renowned for producing high performing individuals and leading innovators that can provide thought-leadership in the African continent. I look forward to continuous personal development and further learning through the University of Lincoln as introduced to me by USB Executive Development. My passion for continuous learning, personal development, and desire for being a good leader has been reignited.”
The opportunity to enrol in the USB-ED’s Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP) Programme was first suggested to Estelle Thirion as part of her career development with the aim to become more equipped with strategic building blocks to use within the workplace and her (still growing) department.
She shares that “As a Food Scientist, working in a major FMCG business, the goal of developing, regulating and maintaining products is fulfilling, detailed and focused, but to build a team around it, managing people and responsibilities, building processes and procedures, career paths and objectives, I realised that most of my growth to date was still very operational driven; I needed better strategic understanding. I needed tools behind my decision-makings; names and structure to the things I might have already been doing in some way and adding confidence and strategy to leading my department.”
Estelle says that she quickly realised that, “SMDP was more than just a Senior Management Programme. Starting our programme in the middle of the hard lockdown, months after our business was bought over and in a major merger process, the SMDP modules gave me tools and strategic thinking ability to use actual work-related issues and strategically find solutions for it. In a work environment where practical work is critical, remote working challenges urgently needed a re-think within our department, but also within the bigger side of our business to ensure agile-ness and solutions. Taking some of my assignments “in-house” and taking the time to practice it on my team, supported us with actual feedback and solutions for real-life business issues.”
She found the SMPD to be a fulfilling journey. She said it is a programme in which you learn more about yourself, your leadership skills and how to equip yourself to manage through implementing different supportive behaviours (such as coaching, directing, delegating and supporting). “The strategic tools taught in SMDP are easily implementable in different work environments and will show great outcomes.”
For prospective SMDP participants, she says to “Embrace the opportunity and learn as much as you can. Doing SMDP on top of a full day’s work and family will be tough, but knowingly, push through the amazing five months marathon and it will support you for years to come.”
In today’s rapidly changing environment, organisations are being exposed to a completely new way of working. Towards this, management and leaders need to be taking things to the next level. Over the course of 6 months, this senior management training empowers participants with invaluable tools to:
Develop leadership thinking
Explore strategic concepts and integrative strategy
Evaluate new frameworks and tools to support sustainable business
Interpret the challenges of globalisation and its effect on business
Assess and report on the financial viability of organisations
Develop foresight and navigate shifts in organisational forms
Determine the importance of changing business models
Formulate strategies for customer value creation using design thinking
Apply project management tools and techniques to plan and execute projects efficiently and effectively
Interpret and demonstrate the relationship between various strategic, operational and leadership themes
“As an MDP alumnus I now comprehend the theoretical frameworks for team formation and various business models such as BMC, SPEEC, and VIRO. These models are relevant to my career which involves strategy formulation, implementation and management.
In addition to business models I can now employ various leadership models such as the Johari Window to be more self-aware, GROW when coaching individuals or teams, Leadership Diamond when addressing employees or crafting key institutional messages, and Stop-Start-Continue to reflect and prioritise issues at individual and organisation level.
I also learned that leadership meetings should be driven by passion and interest (not titles). In order to understand personalities, I will rely on MBTI assessments. But to be a successful leader, and while basing my conversations on data, quite often I will practice contextual or situational leadership style.
Moreover, I learned how to gather, analyse and utilise economic data to inform strategies and make effective decisions. I grasp the significance of studying trends on fluctuations of major currencies to project rates at which NSFAF can sustainably fund its foreign-based beneficiaries.
Furthermore, it has become clearer to me why it is necessary to align the budget to strategic objectives. In other words, we ought to develop an integrated strategic business plan prior to budgeting. I am encouraged to apply mixed budgeting methods and to separate variables from fixed items. Both the strategy and the budget must be reviewed more often (monthly or quarterly). Departments should consult each other to negotiate the budget in good faith, other than departments presenting to Finance in isolation, doing so will eliminate duplication of efforts and ensure synergy.
Additionally, to improve the image and reputation of NSFAF, it is critical to unpack its Marketing Mix’s 7 Ps. We should consistently educate internal and external customers about NSFAF products and services. But for the employees to give their all, it is imperative to win direct reports’ heads and hearts.
Lastly, I learned to apply sport management and coaching techniques to manage performance. In essence, we should get back to basics; planning, practicing, feedbacking and rewarding. Henceforth, behaviours should be aligned to attainment of strategic objectives (not necessarily key performance areas).”
The Africa Management Development Programme (MDP) is a strategic management programme packed with material focusing on broadening managers’ self-awareness, leadership attributes and management skills required in the ever-changing business environment. It does this by equipping managers with the insights needed for sound business integration, best management practices and how to apply strategic thinking in every decision that is made.”
Open to managers from any industry, this programme is ideal for those who are responsible for managing various business units and ready to dive deep into management development. This programme will empower managers to reinforce their managerial skill set and business acumen.
For further information and upcoming programme dates, please see here.
