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Programme Title Transition Management for Senior Executives
Programme Code
JACS Code
MGTT08
4 Level of Study
5a Final Qualification
N215
Postgraduate
Postgraduate Certificate
5b QAA FHEQ Level
6a Intermediate Qualification(s)
F7
None
6b
7
QAA FHEQ Level F7
Teaching Institution (if not Sheffield) Not applicable
8 Faculty Social Sciences
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10
Department
Other Departments involved in teaching the programme
11 Mode(s) of Attendance
Management School
Not applicable
12 Duration of the Programme
13
Accrediting Professional or Statutory
Body
Part-time
12 months
Not applicable
14 Date of production/revision April 2011
15. Background to the programme and subject area
It is estimated that, following a promotion (transition) there is an average period of 6 months before the
‘breakeven point' at which the appointee starts to make a net positive contribution. There is also extensive evidence that the majority of senior executives function less effectively than they should, owing to the difficulty of unlearning the habits that proved successful in their previous role and of acquiring the new skills, contacts and approach needed by a leader. The need for effective 'transition management' is therefore marked, and in recent years effective methods have been developed. This unique learning programme aims to help participants manage the transition to a leadership role optimally, using the 'deliberate action learning' approach pioneered in the Management School. It is specifically targeted at Finance Directors making the transition to CEO, focusing both on the new skills required, and how these can be acquired, but also highlighting the specific strengths of
Finance Directors that equip them for executive leadership. Facilitated by experienced business academics and consultants, and inspired by integrated Master Classes from established leaders, the programme is designed to help participants and their business to make significant step-changes in performance. Participants will learn the latest methods for leading an organisation, for making an effective transition to CEO themselves, and for introducing effective approaches to transition management throughout their organisation. Participants will then apply these techniques both within the workshop sessions in a group format, and also as extended group projects, compiling a portfolio that documents the progress made, plans for further development, and a reflective component.
Experienced academics from the Institute of Work Psychology in the Management School provide two modules explaining and practising world-leading approaches to leadership and to transition management, using the
Deliberate Action Learning approach. The two 'Master Class' modules build on the knowledge and techniques developed, introducing Master Classes from established leaders, and providing a forum for high quality guided discussions and assessed exercises.
Successful completion of the Certificate will provide participants with a competitive advantage in gaining a senior leadership post, and will provide participants with the skills to 'hit the ground running' on appointment, and to make significant improvements to the overall effectiveness of leadership within their organisation.
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16. Programme aims
The overall programme aims are:
1. To equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to make a successful transition to Chief
Executive Officer
2. To equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to assist colleagues (or incoming colleagues) in making a successful transition to leadership roles
17. Programme learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding:
Upon successful completion of the programme, participants will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
K1 Current approaches to Leadership, including understanding of transactional and transformational approaches;
K2 The range of leadership tasks, and methods of designing senior teams so as to maximise the individual and group effectiveness of the team members;
K3 The overt and hidden barriers to effective transitions, and methods of removing barriers and facilitating change;
K4 Methods of creating an individual development programme aimed to increasing capabilities in important skill domains.
Skills and other attributes:
Upon successful completion of the programme, participants will be able to demonstrate skills and other attributes in:
S1 Analysing their own leadership capabilities and preferences;
S2 Developing a systematic skill enhancement programme to optimise an individual’s leadership capabilities;
S3 Developing a systematic approach to organisation-wide transition management.
18. Teaching, learning and assessment
Development of the learning outcomes is promoted through the following teaching and learning methods:
There is a highly process oriented approach to the learning in this programme. Participants will work in groups to relate the conceptual and abstract to the pragmatics of designing intervention and change into their own organisations. There will be opportunities for: (i) learning from critically analyzing situations in organizations, and
(ii) learning from the fellow participants’ own reflexive thinking about their capability to operationalise the ideas/concepts/methods.
The substantive methodological components will be introduced with a mixture of lectures and ‘learning set’ activities using the 'Deliberate Action Learning' approach, which involves a combination of presentation (and initial practice) of specific domain knowledge, over a one day or two day block. This knowledge is then converted into the corresponding domain skills by extended opportunity to 'deliberately practise' the skills in a group context, applying the principles learned to a topic of real significance in the participant's own organisation.
The assessment methods involve development of a portfolio, including theory, outcomes, and reflection, with both group and individual components.
In order to develop this type of ‘process’ approach, the modules will be taught in day blocks , supported with workbook activities . The workbook will structure the activities involved in learning and applying the innovation methodologies which form the core of the learning in the programme. The Workbook will be applied in the class based learning sets and in the participant s’ own workplaces, and will therefore help to facilitate group and individual learning.
Additional support will be given using on-line facilities to assist in maximising engagement, e.g. providing access to related materials, to both fellow learners and facilitators.
In consequence of the process-oriented approach to the learning, the majority of the assessed work in the
Certificate involves the planning, implementation and reflection on specific projects that are of ‘core’ interest to
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the participants’ organisation. Consequently there is a relatively strong weighting attached to the underlying projects, seen as an ongoing research process. There is therefore a strong group component to the assessment, though in all cases significant individual reporting is also required.
Opportunities to demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes are provided through the following assessment methods:
Participants will use a workbook, which will be divided into two sections. The learning achievements for a representative module are as follows:
(i) The workbook will be structured around the application of the key methodological skills, applied to participants' own situation. This workbook will be used to assess each participant’s progress, via the precision of application of the methods, the detail of the associated inquiry, and the validity of that inquiry in each element of the methodology.
(ii) The second part of the assessment, will involve the development of a set of documents detailing and justifying

An analysis of the situation pertaining at the start of a proposed transition (or equivalent);

An analysis of the situation aimed for 6 weeks into the transition;

A plan of action both for the 6 week period and subsequently, taking into account potential risks and changes
Each of these will be judged in academic terms, e.g. precision of the application of the methodologies, supporting inquiry, supporting evidence, conclusions drawn. These methods of assessment are used because they within the academic judgement of practical outputs. Both group assessment and individual assessment will be used for the contributory units.
19. Reference points
The learning outcomes have been developed to reflect the following points of reference:
 The University of Sheffield Mission, Vision and Identity statement;
 The University of Sheffield, Faculty of Social Sciences and Management School Learning and Teaching
Strategies.
20. Programme structure and regulations
The Postgraduate Certificate in Transition Management for Senior Executives will be based around three units.

Leadership for Leaders (15 credits), and

Transition Management for Leaders(15 credits), and

Master Classes in Transition Management (30 credits)
The components must be undertaken in the specified sequence.
Detailed information about the structure of programmes, regulations concerning assessment and progression and descriptions of individual modules are published in the University Calendar available on-line at http://www.shef.ac.uk/govern/calendar/regs.html
.
21. Student development over the course of study
The programme combines a strong stress upon ‘learning by doing’ (aimed at the intrinsically motivating target of participants’ own organisations), but is based on a systematic, generic approach to the processes involved.
Furthermore, additional pointers to the wider literature are provided, and a reflexive approach is required to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses and impacts of the work undertaken.
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22. Criteria for admission to the programme
Detailed information regarding admission to programmes is available from the University’s On-Line Prospectus at http://www.shef.ac.uk/courses/ .
The normal entry requirements are as follows:
 for graduates, an Honours degree from an approved HE institution;
 for non-graduates, a professional qualification in management that is deemed to be equivalent to the holding of an Honours degree from an approved HE institution;
 for candidates who do not hold relevant academic qualifications, relevant evidence of learning from experience (in this case, normally a minimum of 3 years relevant managerial experience); and additionally,
 for candidates for whom English is not their first language, evidence of achievement of an overall score of 7 in an IELTS test or equivalent.
Additionally, prospective candidates must be working in a context which will enable them to apply the growth methodologies to their own organisation context.
23. Additional information
This specification represents a concise statement about the main features of the programme and should be considered alongside other sources of information provided by the teaching department(s) and the University. In addition to programme specific information, further information about studying at The University of Sheffield can be accessed via our Student Services web site at http://www.shef.ac.uk/ssid .
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