GBA Professional Development Toolkit
What kind of skills do you need to do your job?
The Group on Business Affairs (GBA) Professional Development Committee conducted a survey to GBA members to gain a better understanding of the skills needed to do their job, the skills needed to do their direct report’s job, and the skills needed to do their boss’s job.
Find out more about the critical skills needed for each stage of your career.
If you have 0-4 Years experience (Assistant Director, Associate Director, Manager, Analyst)
Your Direct Reports
- Strong Communication/Interpersonal Skills
- Prioritization/Flexibility/Multi-Task
- Analytical/Problem Solver
Your Position
- Prioritization/Flexibility/Multi-Task
- Patience/Calm Under Pressure
- Strong Communication/Interpersonal Skills
- Tough Skinned
Your Supervisor
- Emotional Intelligence/Listening/Empathy
- Delegation/Project Management
- Coaching/Feedback/Guidance/Supportive
5-9 Years Experience (Assistant Dean, Associate Dean, Director, Administrator)
Your Direct Reports
- Prioritization/Flexibility/Multi-Task
- Strong Communication/Interpersonal Skills
- Analytical/Problem Solver
Your Position
- Strong Communication/Interpersonal Skills
- Accountable/Reliable
- Change/Conflict Management
- Delegation/Project Management
- Influential/Negotiating Skills
- Patience/Calm Under Pressure
Your Supervisor
- Honest/Transparent/Trusting
- Delegation/Project Management
- Emotional Intelligence/Listening/Empathy
- Patience/Calm Under Pressure
- Prioritization/Flexibility/Multi-Task
- Work in a Team/Team Building
10+ Years Experience (Vice President, Senior Associate Dean, Vice Chancellor, Chief Finance Officer)
Your Direct Reports
- Strong Communication/Interpersonal Skills
- Prioritization/Flexibility/Multi-Task
- Analytical/Problem Solver
Your Position
- Change/Conflict Management
- Strong Communication/Interpersonal Skills
- Proactive/Anticipate Needs
Your Supervisor
- Coaching/Feedback/Guidance/Supportive
- Honest/Transparent/Trusting
- Delegation/Project Management
- Strong Communication/Interpersonal Skills
What if I'm new to my job?
GBA members who are new in their positions may not be familiar with all of the acronyms and vocabulary that are crucial to their jobs.
This glossary, developed by the leadership of the GBA, helps define commonly used acronyms and terminology.
How can I build these skills?
The other purpose of this survey was to collect examples of leadership development programs that our members schools offer to their staff to advance in their career. The following links offer some examples of leadership development programs at the medical schools and health systems. If you are considering developing a leadership development program at your institution, these offer you some examples. These programs focus on many of the skills referenced above.
Where can I learn these skills?
Wake Forest School of Medicine
Career Development for Women Leaders
Who should attend?: Senior staff
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Leadership Development Program
Who should attend?: Vice President, Professor and Associate Professor, Director or Administrator; 15 faculty and 15 staff
Penn State College of Medicine
Who should attend?: Physician leaders and staff who have interest in leadership positions within their institutions, have previous leadership experience and have the support of their supervisor or chair
Georgetown Medical Center
Leadership training and development; professional credentialing; skills proficiency training
Who should attend?: Staff and academic and administrative professionals
UCLA
UCLA Health Leadership Academy (have pdf)
Who should attend?: Administrators
UMASS Medical School
Career Advancement and Leadership Training
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Oregon Health and Sciences University
Who should attend?: Tailored to all levels
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
Workforce Education and Development
Who should attend?: All levels
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Who should attend?: Supervisors
Supervisory Skills Certificate Program
Who should attend?: Supervisors
West Virginia University Medicine
What opportunities does the AAMC offer?
Transforming Conflict into Collaboration
- Conflict Management
- Emotional Intelligence/Listening/Empathy, Strong Communication/Interpersonal Skills
Who should attend?: All
Leadership and Management Foundations for Academic Medicine and Science
- Prioritization/Flexibility/Multi-Task, Delegation/Project Management
- Emotional Intelligence/Listening/Empathy
- Influential/Negotiating Skills
- Accountable/Reliable, Patience/Calm Under Pressure, Honest/Transparent/Trusting
- Strong Communication/Interpersonal Skills
Who should attend?: Less than 4 years of experience: very new; mid-level; supervisor; and 5-10 years: very new; mid-level; supervisor
Leading Information Technology in Academic Medicine
- Change Management
- Work in a Team
- Feedback
- Communication Skills
Who should attend?: 5-10 years mid-level, supervisor, and 10+ years, very new or mid-level