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 Development Senior 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-ED SMDP 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 Development Senior 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. 

For further information about upcoming USB Executive Development Senior Management Development Programmes (SMDP), please click here.