Getting Things Done | Leadership Framework

A set of learning exercises for leaders and managers

Consider your approach to designing and implementing plans and change.

How well do you delegate and allocate resources? How effective are you at continually improving your area of work?

Where and when do you manage risk and reputation?

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Strategic thinking requires a manager to learn about the wider system in which they work, as well as the broad developments (Political, Economic, Sociological, Technological, Legal and Environmental) that may impact on their work, and to look ahead to see what different scenarios, challenges or opportunities may emerge.

Managers need to consider the implications of their decisions and plans beyond their immediate effect and how they contribute to the bigger picture, e,g. how does your team or department impact other parts of the University and how do changes and plans elsewhere relate to your area of responsibility. What’s the effect now, later and in the future?

Exercises

Please now complete one or two exercises to further your skills and confidence and find ideas for reflecting on and building your practice in the selected area. 

Strategic Thinking Exercise A
Aligning to the University Strategic Plan Exercise B
 

 

Devises plans to achieve agreed goals, considering task, process and people.

Predicting pinch points, responding to changing priorities, readiness for change (self and team), planning realistically, not becoming too attached to specific approaches.

Planning for the now, next and future scenarios. Deploying your team strategically, identifying and selecting options without getting lost in the details and resisting the temptation to do it all yourself. 

Exercises

Please now complete one or two exercises to further your skills and confidence and find ideas for reflecting on and building your practice in the selected area. 

Purpose and Vision Exercise A
Values work Exercise B
 

 

A stakeholder is someone who impacts your work or whose work is impacted by yours.

An in-depth understanding of your stakeholders’ contexts, needs, values, preferences and goals will help you achieve change goals. Be able to put yourself in their shoes to predict support and resistance, and use the language and approaches that suit their context. Develop an understanding of the wider system inside and outside of the University to inform your work.

Exercises

Please now complete one or two exercises to further your skills and confidence and find ideas for reflecting on and building your practice in the selected area. 

Making decisions Exercise A
Decision-making - a process Exercise B
 

 

Values every team member for their strengths and their potential.

Thinks about the team as a whole and sees every task as a learning opportunity for somebody. Investment in people now reaps dividends later. Understands that a team member who grows beyond their role is a success story.

Exercises

Please now complete one or two exercises to further your skills and confidence and find ideas for reflecting on and building your practice in the selected area. 

Self-awareness Exercise A
Leadership - Boundaries Exercise B
 

 

All managers have a responsibility to manage risks to the University and its reputation.

Be mindful of implications of team actions and communications. What does the wider world see of your work and your team’s work?

Spending some time thinking about what matters in this respect can indicate what needs careful attention – and what does not.

Exercises

Please now complete one or two exercises to further your skills and confidence and find ideas for reflecting on and building your practice in the selected area. 

Creativity and Courage Exercise A
Resilience Exercise B
 

 

This is a way of being at work, where even under pressure a manager is looking to a better future - continually evaluating themselves and their team.

Routinely building in time and processes to learn from what is working and to strengthen and improve wherever possible, applying creative thinking and learning from other organisations and new developments.

Exercises

Please now complete one or two exercises to further your skills and confidence and find ideas for reflecting on and building your practice in the selected area. 

Embedding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Exercise A
Equality, Diversity and inclusion - Action planning Exercise B
 

 

Reflection exercise

After completing an exercise use this reflection exercise to enhance your learning. You may wish to complete this straight away, or at a later point after you have tried out new approaches etc.

Reflection exercise

 

Diagnostic tool

To help identify priority areas for development, download the checklist analysis of needs

Download

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