Suddenly a boss - What opportunities and challenges do I face? How do I settle into my new role? What skills do I need? These questions were the focus of the Best Practice Day 2022, which the Graduate Center hosted at DASA Dortmund on 19.10.2022 together with Perspective Management and the Start-up Service of Fachhochschule Dortmund.
On Best Practice Day 2022, participants were given an insight into the possibilities, responsibilities, opportunities and challenges of a sudden management position without a previous career ladder. At DASA Dortmund, various perspectives on direct management responsibility were presented to around 50 participants on site and around 30 viewers via livestream in presentations and a panel discussion moderated by Britt Lorenzen.
The start-up service stand provided information about the practical services offered by Fachhochschule Dortmund in the form of a speed dating session during the lunch break. Here, participants were able to find out about the support available for setting up a business and were rewarded with a mixed bag for their start-up ideas.
Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Schwick (Rector, Fachhochschule Dortmund) opened the Best Practice Day with a presentation on his personal path to a management position. Prof. Dr. Fabian Dittrich (Professor of Entrepreneurship and Management, Fachhochschule Dortmund) then reported on his sudden leadership responsibility and shared his learnings with the participants from an academic perspective. Prof. Dr. Ellen Schmid (Professor of Human Resources and Organizational Development, University of the Federal Armed Forces Munich) spoke about current leadership research findings on the topic. The findings passed on were explored in greater depth in a panel discussion with Dr. Martin Peters (com2m), Vanessa Weber (Managing Director of Werkzeug Weber GmbH & Co. KG) and Jan Stratmann (Business Coach) and illustrated by the various testimonials. Finally, Denise Schurzmann (Managing Director of KRAUSE Industrieschaltanlagen GmbH, Federal Chairwoman of Wirtschaftsjunioren Deutschland), as a successor in the family business, reported on the skills she had to acquire between grief and responsibility - because the sudden position as boss can also go hand in hand with the loss of close people. As a young leader in a male-dominated industry, Denise Schurzmann explained how she found her own way.
Whether management responsibility comes about through a start-up, company succession or a career advancement in Business Studies - the new role requires appropriate skills and the assumption of responsibility, but also brings with it risks, opportunities and prospects. The Best Practice Day 2022 provided interested UAS members, external guests and graduates with comprehensive insights into changing management structures through a wide range of presentations and opportunities for exchange.
The Best Practice Day is part of the "Leadership Skills" certificate program offered by the Graduate Center and Perspective Management at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Every two years, doctoral candidates who are registered with the Graduate Center and academic staff at Fachhochschule Dortmund can apply for the program. Through the workshops and events offered, participants acquire initial skills for a leadership role within the university or for a future position in Business Studies and science. The Best Practice Day with current leadership topics and networking opportunities is a fitting highlight of the certificate program.