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This is the second of two articles which describe the use of management learning contracts (MLC) for an MBA degree. Part 1 looked at setting up the contract. This article reports on the activities and assessment of learning.
MAIN CONCEPTS EXPLORED
The main concepts which I explored relate to: influence and power stemming from the organization and individual; behavioural aspects; whether effective leaders should involve themselves in developing others; the relevance of different development techniques.
My main theoretical sources were: (influence and power) Gary Yukl 1!; (behavioural aspects) Peter Honey 2!, Bernard Rosenbaum 3!, Michael Argyle 4!, Charles Handy S!, Dave Barker 6!; (involving leaders) Ronnie Lessem 7!, Bernard Redshaw and Michael Stevens 8!, Richard Boyatzis 9!; (developmental techniques) Honey and Mumford 1O!, George Boak 11!.
REPORT ON ACTIVITIES
My first action was to gain the support of my subordinate and his line manager. Rather than use unilateral power, I sold the mutual benefits, adopting the "I'm OK--You're OK" attitude 12!. Issues included:
* whether to proceed with total quality;
* if not, how objectives might otherwise be achieved;
* my subordinate's role and how, in a fairly hierarchical organization, he could be empowered;
* his role in my MLC and willingness to accept his weaknesses.
Positive strokes were deployed, covering his technical expertise; temporary promotion; enhanced status; my support for the project and; a strong fallback position so that he would not feel threatened by a decision not to proceed. There were two important personal issues. Did he accept the need to become more assertive and, if so, did he want me to be his mentor? He responded positively.
A review of our proposed total quality initiative was arranged for senior management. I made clear the power vested in my subordinate and asked him to lead the meeting. He handled set discussions (opening and closing) well, but did not exercise adequate control during the meeting; acting mainly unassertively but with one aggressive response. Colleagues expressed their concerns about TQ and BS 5750 but supported the initia tive. At the feedback session with thl learner I invited his views and focused on specific examples of behaviour and drew on Stubbs 13! with some descriptions of non-assertive body language which mirrored the learner's, to reaffirm...