Essay: Analyzing the Management Development Program at Marks & Spencer

This essay provides an in-depth analysis of the Management Development Program (MDP) at Marks & Spencer, a leading UK retail company. It explores the program's focus on key competencies such as communication, task management, and team working, highlighting their significance in developing effective leaders. The essay delves into the 'Lead to Succeed' development program, examining its components including evaluating key learning, understanding leadership principles, team management skills, and strategy development. It emphasizes how M&S invests in specialized management and leadership programs to enhance employee skills and capabilities, with a focus on value-based training, coaching skills, and fundamental leadership skills. The analysis concludes that the program is crucial for sustainable growth, enhancing productivity, and building confidence among senior managers, ultimately benefiting both individuals and the organization.

ANALYSE A
MANAGEMENT
DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM FROM A
CHOSEN ORGANISATION
IN THE UK RETAIL
SECTOR

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
ESSAY.............................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Leadership defines as the process of influencing the behaviour of the people in a manner
that they work willingly and enthusiastically towards the accomplishment of organisational goal.
A leader plays an important role in maintaining good interpersonal relation subordinates and
motivate them in terms of giving the best possible efforts towards achieving desired level of
outcome. The below essay explores the management development program of Marks & Spencer.
Marks & Spencer is a British multinational retail company. The essay explores the importance of
management development programme and how effectively Marks & Spencer manages the
programme in order to build effective leaders.
MAIN BODY
ESSAY
The Management Development Program (MDP) of Marks & Spencer is a personal and
professional development program which provides life-skills training in key competencies
including communication, task management and team working (Ashour, 2016).
Marks & Spencer retail company aims in developing and implementing different training
and development program for the leaders and managers so that they can improve their abilities
and skills. The program is focused on improving the life skills training in key competencies that
includes communication. Communication is one of the major aspects because it helps the
organization to reach new level of growth and development and reach its set objectives. It is
important for an organization to have effective communication in place in order to ensure that
desired growth is being achieved (Behzad, 2016). A good communication is necessary so that
people or employees working within the organization are expressing their views, sharing their
ideas and ensuring that their tasks are flowing smoothly.
In its management development program, The focus of Marks & Spencer is on building
leaders which are better communicators. Leadership often requires communication which can
help the organization reach new heights and achieve desired growth by making communication
the medium of success.
The other aspect which the organization is making use of here is task management. Task
management tends to improve the employees skills of managing the tasks easily (Brzozowska,
Grabińska and Dacko, 2015). It is another important aspect of leadership that has been chosen by
Marks & Spencer in its management program. The training and development of task
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management tends to make its employees more suitable to manage tasks and ensure smooth
functioning of the daily workings.
At last, team working is one of the major life skill training chosen in the professional
development program. A better team working allows the organization to reach new level of
growth when its employees, managers and leaders are working together in order to achieve a
single goal or objective (Chen, 2016). This is one of the most important aspect of leadership
development that is used by the organization to ensure better leadership practices are followed in
order to achieve set growth and development in its management development program.
The management development program also offers interview techniques, CV building,
completion of application forms and employment support and provides the opportunity to apply
the skills through an internship within a specific department in the organization (Chitkara and
et.al.,2018). In order to ensure better leadership, the organization tends to ensure that the
employees or individuals which are taking part in the management program are provided with
better interview techniques. Interview techniques allows the individuals to ensure that they are
conducting the interview properly. The CV building techniques helps them to build their CV's in
such ways that they get selected for the desired job role which they are applying for and at last
(Brzozowska, Grabińska and Dacko, 2015).
The management development program's chief objective is to make the employees reach
their full potential and provide maximum benefits to the organization while working for it. In
order to ensure this, Marks & Spencer focuses on the aspect of leadership. Developing the
qualities of leadership in the employees enhances their perception of growth and allows them to
reach new potential of growth. Retail companies like M&S are critical for the global economy
growth in invariant manner (Londoño and et.al., 2015). The company expect their senior
manager to be effective leader, thus they invest heavily in specialized management and
leadership programs.
Lead to succeed development program
Organization are focusing on to provide effective training to the individuals by
implementing Lead to succeed leadership development program. This program lead individuals
to efficiently deal and manage various situation occurs in the company (Chitkara and
et.al.,2018). Concern of this development program on the concept of various behavior of
leadership. The main aim of this to improve confidence, enthusiasm and various skills such as;
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communication skills, technical skills, time management skills, leadership skills, etc. of the
participants so the engagement of the employee with organization can improve. The lead to
succeed development program of Marks and Spencer is concern with improving motivating,
lading, empowering the employees to enhance their productivity. It enables leaders to effectively
develop long term vision and objective with the followers and the industry (Rajaei and et.al.,
2015). Marks & Spencer formed and structured the program in, a specific way that individual in
the industry are properly provided with the required skills and knowledge so practices can be
effectively implement in the operation, decision making of the industry. Lead to succeed
development program followed following learning process that are; evaluating and reviewing
key learning, benefits of leadership skills, team management skills and develop strategies and
dynamic system.
Evaluating and reviewing key learning- This is the very first module of the
development program. The present component enable the senior manager of the company to
evaluating and reviewing key learning from the established program. The program assist to
present return on investment. Together, participants share their experience of implementation of
successful learning and celebrate their completion of programs (Rezamand and Karimi, 2015).
Every participant in the program leaves with focusing on clear vision for future as leaders do.
Benefits and principles of leadership skills- This component of the lead to succeed
program assist the participants to have an understanding on the values and beliefs of leadership
for the company as well as for the individual. The advantage of this component is that it increase
awareness of various styles of leadership and also help individual to improve their various
abilities regarding communication and influencing team (Zhang and Stewart, 2017). The senior
manager of the company evolve strategies to boost their effective leadership skills, decision
making.
Team management skills- This component of the development program evolves an
understanding and capabilities of the senior manager to lead teams, drive development and
growth of the team and handle their dynamics. The participants learn various ways to improve
collaboration to influence performance of the company. This enable manager to develop
competencies, skills and knowledge with the aim of leading a team (Functions of Managers,
2016). The program emphasis that managing team is very essential in the company and activity
done effectively by leader of the industry.
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Develop strategies and dynamic system- This component of the lead to succeed
leadership development program assist participants to understand M&S in terms of dynamic
system and accordingly develop strategies. This will help the individual in the industry to learn
about the organizational culture of M&S and developing various roles of leaders. Along with it,
it will assist participant to understand various ways in which potential leader handle the dynamic
system of the company in various situation and how leader tackle it with developing effective
strategy.
Marks & Spencer has sustained to make effective program with current strategy that has
delivered pleasing growth in challenging times (Brzozowska, Grabińska and Dacko, 2015).
Organization also provide two methods for training, on-the-job training and off-the-job training
to the individuals or participants. Development program is concern with giving leaders necessary
knowledge, skills and experience to enable them to undertake greater and more demanding roles
and responsibilities. This program of M&S covers wide range of topic regarding improvement in
the style and practice of leadership (Leadership: Meaning, Characteristics and Functions, 2019).
There are various skill emphasis by company's development program, such as; performance
management, change management, communication skills, leadership skills, conflict resolution
management, self-awareness and furthermore, it enhances productivity and motivation. Lead and
succeed leadership development program applied by Marks & Spencer in the retail stores that
are;
Enhancing the capabilities- The lead to succeed development program is effective and
beneficial for the sustainable growth. The program improve and enhance the capabilities of
senior manager to lead changes. It results in increasing productivity, decreasing external
recruitment cost and save further costing. It improvises the ability of risk taking as leaders do in
the specific condition arises in the company (Understanding the Trait Theory of Leadership,
2019). Along with it, the benefit of the program is that it enable manager to involve employees in
his decisions that enhance engagement of the employees with the management and the co-
ordination help in enhancing productivity of Marks and Spencer.
Value based training- The program of M&S improve skills and knowledge that is
required for senior manager of the industry. This emphasis on improving emotional intelligence,
communication skill. The improved knowledge, skills and understanding can be used senior
manager in developing team that effectively and cooperatively work towards organizational
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objectives and goals (Brzozowska, Grabińska and Dacko, 2015). After implementing this
program in the workplace, helps in increasing effective organizational environment that focuses
on vision and values of the company. Value based training help manager of the industry in
reduce the conflict arises at the workplace and give value to the employees to being loyal with
their work and company.
Training of coaching skill- This program of M&S ensures that individuals who are
participating in the program are able to guide and coach workers effectively in the business.
Providing coaching and managing people is a bit tough in compare to robots (Behzad, 2016).
Thus, program of development in the company ensures that leader get an insight and different
techniques to efficiently coach, direct and guide the employees. Thus, level of skills, behavior
and performance of employees can improve towards the coaching.
Training of fundamental leadership skill- M&S ensures that the lead to succeed
leadership development program help in maximizing the knowledge, skills and capabilities of
manager in the company so they take the fundamental of leadership on the next level. The
development program give various sessions and workshop training to the senior managers of the
company and make them able to improve leadership practice (Ashour, 2016).
Building confidence and skill- The lead to succeed program is beneficial for participants
to build confidence and required skills in relation to improvise the performance of individuals of
the company. The program also promotes leaders and managers to take control of specific
situations to get the set outcome. By building confidence among senior manager in the company
also help in the decision making in critical condition like leaders do. The program help manager
to understand the right skills for specific situations arises in the company and confidently tackle
them with the improvised skills (Chen, 2016).
CONCLUSION
From the present study it has been concluded that management and leadership both are
important part of an organization. It is summarized in the study that management development
program of Marks and Spencer enable the skills, knowledge and capabilities of management with
the leadership style. M&S implement and invested in the lead to succeed development program
that helped the senior manager in the industry in developing required attitude, skill and behavior
of leader.
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It also has been analyzed from the study that this kind of development programs are
necessary to train and develop personal and professional skills of individuals. The management
development program help the organization in sustainable development and growth and enhance
the productivity of individuals as well as of Marks and Spencer.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
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department in PRCS during the last three wars. the impact of eadership on stressful
complex rescue operations in EMS department in PRCS during the last three wars.
Behzad, N., 2016. Leadership and Management Balance for Rehabilitating Distressed
Construction Projects. Arizona State University.
Brzozowska, A., Grabińska, A. and Dacko, M., 2015. Evolution of Supply Chain Management
and Striving to Achieve Sustainable Development,[w. Logistyka. (3). pp.24-30.
Chen, B., 2016. Relationship between Work Environment, Leadership Style, Performance
Appraisal, and Employee Turnover in Hebei, China (Doctoral dissertation, INTI
International University).
Chitkara, M. and et. al.,2018. Block-3 Management Process and Leadership.
Londoño, J. M. and et. al., 2015. Leadership and executive management. Protected Area
Governance and Management. pp.353-380.
Rajaei, Y. and et. al., 2015. Study effects of leadership styles on creativity behaviour of stuffs
(Case study: welfare organization of Abhar city).
Rezamand, S. and Karimi, M., 2015. The effect organization learning on the part of the nurse's
leadership style. Advances in Environmental Biology. pp.259-267.
Zhang, C. and Stewart, J., 2017. Talent management and retention. The Wiley Blackwell
Handbook of the Psychology of Recruitment, Selection and Employee Retention. pp.473-
493.
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Leadership: Meaning, Characteristics and Functions. 2019. [Online]. Available through:
<http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/leadership/leadership-meaning-characteristics-and-
functions/53325>
Understanding the Trait Theory of Leadership. 2019. [Online]. Available
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