Justin Skinner

Background:

Justin Skinner, 34, is Head of Capital Modelling at London-based insurance firm QBE, where he has worked for five years. Prior to joining QBE, Justin achieved his PhD in Mathematics and Statistics before working as an Actuarial Consultant at Watson Wyatt and then Head of Capital Modelling at rival insurance firm Amlin. Justin has been associated with the Chartered Management Institute for three years, initially taking his Diploma in Management Studies before receiving Chartered Manager status in 2007.

The challenge:

Having come from a predominantly technical background, Justin was presented with the challenge of managing people for the first time when he started work at QBE. He explains: “I wasn’t used to managing other people as I hadn’t been in that position before. I wanted to be a good manager and was aware that my competence as a manager and my management style would have a big impact on my team and other colleagues. I wanted to find a way to develop myself as a manager that would best meet my personal needs and those of my workplace.”

Goals:

Through studying for a professional qualification, Justin hoped to develop his management abilities to become a better manager, whilst also learning how his role affects the people he works with and his organisation as a whole.

He says: “As well as picking up the fundamental skills and techniques of management, I wanted to understand more about the dynamics of the relationship a manager has with their employees and apply this knowledge to my own role, enabling me to become a more confident, competent manager as a result. I also wanted the opportunity to extend my professional network and share experiences and best practice with other managers. Finally, I wanted to engage in a programme of formal learning which would enable me to study away from the pressures and commitments of my normal office environment, allowing me to really focus on my professional development.”

Action:

Having decided which areas he wanted to focus on, Justin met with his learning and development co-ordinator who offered him several possible development routes, one of which was a Diploma-level course with the CMI. The course on offer was at the appropriate level for Justin’s previous experience and the fact the programme was delivered at QBE’s off-site training centre outside of his normal working office also appealed.

Justin embarked on his Diploma in Management Studies in 2006, which he successfully completed after a year. Following this, Justin decided to apply for Chartered Manager status. He explains: “Becoming Chartered was a natural progression once I had the Diploma under my belt – for me it shows you’re the best of the best in terms of being a manager. The level of work required was similar to the course I’d already completed and the time I needed to put in could be balanced with work and my other commitments.”

The Chartered Manager programme also appealed to Justin because part of the assessment included completion of a ‘business impact study’ which required detailed examination of an area of his own work. Justin chose to focus on his personal impact as a manager, which gave him another opportunity to analyse his competencies and the effect he was having on staff, as well as the financial benefit his team was having on the organisation as a whole.

Results:

Studying with the CMI has had a significant impact on Justin’s career progression and his team. On a personal level, the new skills he has acquired, and the commitment to developing his management abilities, have recently been recognised through his taking on additional responsibilities, extending the scope of his role, and leading the development of a material organisational change programme within QBE.

In addition, Justin’s colleagues have reported improvement in his management competencies via QBE’s 360 degree feedback scheme, through which individual performance is assessed by colleagues. He says: “Prior to studying with the CMI my colleagues identified two areas which I needed to work on to become a better manager – I wasn’t sufficiently entrusting of my team members and wasn’t thinking openly enough, making me less receptive to ideas put forward to me. Following completion of my CMI qualifications, feedback showed I’d improved in both these areas.

“I have been able to apply what I learnt with the CMI to my workplace and being aware of the impact I have on others has made me more effective in my job. I think I am a better manager as a result. Even more encouraging is that, although my team within QBE is much smaller than similar teams at equivalent organisations, we’re outperforming them, which demonstrates that we’re managing to deliver more with fewer resources. It would appear that the way we work makes us significantly more efficient and although I cannot take all the credit for this, I would like to think that my enhanced management abilities have helped to bolster my team’s efforts and enable it to deliver.”