You will find this self-assessment tool a useful resource when you are, for example:
- preparing for your own performance planning and review
- about to undertake new work tasks or face a new situation
- planning to seek a new public sector management role
- wanting to refresh your existing management skills.
A Good Understanding of Yourself
As with any assessment, the more honest your responses, the more valuable the information gained from it will be. Keep in mind the following points:
- This is a ‘point-in-time’ snapshot of your strengths and limitations. Over time, the nature of your work will change, you will change and so will your strengths and limitations.
- Everyone is a novice at some time. Even people who later become experts.
- The knowledge, skills and behaviours required for a management role are not inherently difficult to develop. What you identify as a gap in your knowledge, skills or behaviours can be addressed through targeted development activities.
You are obviously a key source of information about your strengths and limitations. However, you may not always be able to see them clearly or accurately.
Insights from other people, especially the person to whom you report (your manager), the people who report to you (your staff) and others with whom you work (colleagues) will help give you a better picture. You can ask several people to complete this assessment about you and then combine the results. This will provide a clearer insight into where your management strengths and limitations may lie. Requesting this kind of feedback will be seen as a positive initiative and sets a good example.
If you do not feel comfortable asking others to assess your management knowledge, skills and behaviours you should, at the very least, share the results of your own self-assessment with your manager. This will provide a useful basis for a productive performance, career or development planning conversation.
The questionnaires that follow are based upon the 13 sections of the Development Framework for Victorian Public Sector Managers.
The VPSC has also produced Helping Your Managers Develop: A Guide for Victorian Public Sector Executives. You may wish to give a copy to your manager.