This module aims to introduce students to a range of professional and development skills that will equip them to take ownership and control of their own learning to support their future practice and career development, as well as their current academic studies. It is also designed to encourage practical engagement with the Apprenticeship Standards and their application as presented by the learning opportunities provided across the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship programme. Topics covered could include:-

• Setting SMART objectives to support role, career and performance
• Effective verbal and written communication and persuasion skills
• Developing academic and study skills including how to access a range of library and on-line resources
• Understanding personal learning styles
• Effective time management
• Credibility in the presentation of self in order to build emotional intelligence and trust
• Learning through personal reflection and development planning
• Effective learning in the workplace
• Flexible, agile and inclusive behaviours

It is also designed to cover the following sections of the Apprenticeship Standard for Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship:

Communication:

• Different forms of communication (written, verbal non-verbal, digital) and how to apply them
• How to maintain personal presence and present to large groups
• Interpersonal skills awareness including effective listening, influencing techniques, negotiating and persuasion
• Communicate clearly, effectively and regularly using oral, written and digital channels and platforms
• Use active listening and open questioning to structure conversations and discussions, and able to challenge when appropriate
• Manage and chair meetings and clearly present actions and outcomes

Awareness of Self and Others:
• How to be self–aware and recognise different learning styles
• How to use emotional and social intelligence, and active listening and open questioning to work effectively with others
• Reflect on own performance, identifying and acting on learning and development needs
• Understand impact on others
• Manage stress and personal well-being, being confident in knowing core values and drivers

Management of Self:
• How to manage time, set goals, prioritise activities and undertake forward planning in a business environment with a focus on outcomes
• Create personal development plan, and use widely recognised tools and techniques to ensure the management of time and pressure effectively, and prioritisation and strategic alignment of activities

Behaviours: Takes Responsibility:
• Drive to achieve in all aspects of work
• Demonstrates resilience and determination when managing difficult situations
• Seeks new opportunities underpinned by commercial acumen and sound judgement

Behaviours: Inclusive:
• Open, approachable, authentic, and able to build trust with others
• Seeks the views of others and values diversity internally and externally

Behaviours: Agile:
• Flexible to the needs of the organisation
• Is creative, innovative and enterprising when seeking solutions to business needs
• Positive and adaptable, responding well to feedback and need for change
• Open to new ways of working and new management theories

Behaviours: Professional:
• Sets an example, and is ethical, fair, consistent and impartial
• Operates within organisational values and adheres to CMI’s Professional Code of Conduct and Practice

A Personal Development Plan (PDP) identifying appropriate areas of professional and academic development. This PDP will include analysis of your current performance within your organisation and identify learning and development required to improve or enhance this. You should also indicate where the feedback has come from that has motivated you to improve yourself in this area, for instance through own analysis, 360-degree feedback, line manager feedback, colleague feedback etc. (Learning Outcome 1).

A written reflection that identifies and evaluates your own contribution to the organisation’s performance and reflects on how this can be improved through time management, prioritisation and improved strategic alignment. (Learning Outcomes 2 and 3).

Evidence of chairing a meeting: Tutor assessment of an observation by a line manager or workplace mentor of your chairing of a meeting. This could be a team or project meeting but should indicate your involvement in establishing the agenda, summarising actions and outcomes and managing interpersonal relations within the meeting. Your manager will also be able to comment on your use of interpersonal skills of effective listening, influencing, negotiation and persuasion. You will have the opportunity to comment on their feedback as well as provide evidence of your process. (Learning Outcome 4).

Scheduled learning and teaching activities: 64 hours
To consist of:
• Face-to-face which will include groupwork, formal teaching, case study analysis, guest speakers and students will be encouraged to share their workplace experiences with others
• Online live webinars to take the form of tutorials involving opportunities for group discussion and presentation, flipped-classroom opportunities, further groupwork and case study analysis

Guided independent study: 336 hours
To consist of:
• Accessing additional online content such as videos and presentations
• Independent reading to consolidate knowledge gained in the formal teaching
• Undertaking formative tasks set by the tutor to consolidate learning
• Assessment preparation and writing and gathering evidence
• Portfolio building

Assess own academic & professional development needs reflecting on your own performance and identifying appropriate personal learning strategies to develop your knowledge and skill

Understand and evaluate own contribution to the performance of the organisation, identifying opportunities for improving time management and prioritisation

Communicate and justify your approach to prioritisation within your own work context, and its alignment with the strategic direction of the organisation

Use your range of communication skills including listening, questioning, persuasion and negotiation in a live organisational situation

Harvard Business Review: www.hbr.org
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) (www.cipd.co.uk)
ACAS (www.acas.org.uk), includes useful links to business and regulatory sites covering module content

Cotterell, S., (2019), The Study Skills Handbook, 5th edition, Macmillan. (eBook)
Macmillan, K. & Weyers, J. (2012), The Smarter Student, Pearson.
Peder, M. et al (2007), A Manager’s Guide to Self-development, 5th edition, McGraw-Hill. (eBook)
Goleman, D. (2020), Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ, Bloomsbury.
Bishop, S (2010), Develop your assertiveness, Kogan Page (eBook)
Worth, R (1998) Communication skills, Ferguson Pub (eBook)