Level 6 · In practice

6.6Going further

Objective: choose how to deepen your management and build lasting growth.

Estimated time: 8 min · self-paced reading · If you only have 5 min: read "The essentials in 30 seconds" + the 12-month plan.

The essentials in 30 seconds

Deepen: one area that concerns you (leadership, strategy, finance, change...), your sector's challenges, or targeted training.
Duration: reflective practice + feedback (team, peers, 360) + mentor or coach + reading and peer exchange.
Posture: stay a humble, curious learner — modelling someone who learns makes the team grow.

Salim thread — wrap-up: 1 year later

One year later, Salim sets his plan: deepen change management (the new tool left its mark), take targeted team-leadership training, and find a mentor among the managers in his network. No big degree right away: targeted training, a mentor, and the monthly debrief that continues. Management is not a degree you earn, but a posture you grow throughout a career.

1. Deepen

With a solid base, several paths open up: deepen one area that concerns you (leadership, team management, strategy, finance, change management...), train on your sector's specific challenges, or take targeted training, an MBA, a certification or coaching (level 5). Neighbouring portal topics (project management, time management, professional communication, human resources) complete this management culture.

2. Grow over time

Progress comes from reflective practice and questioning: regularly debriefing decisions, seeking feedback (team, peers, 360), relying on a mentor or coach, reading and exchanging with peers. A good manager stays a humble, curious learner — and modelling someone who learns is one of the strongest levers for a growing team.

✓ Paths to progress

Specialization: leadership, strategy, finance, change management.
Targeted training, certification or MBA according to your project.
Mentor, coach, 360 feedback for reflective practice.
Communities and peer exchange (networks, manager associations).

✗ "Always more" traps

Collecting training without applying it.
Choosing a prestigious program with no link to your real need.
Learning alone with no feedback or mentor.
Believing a degree replaces reflective practice.

Common misinterpretation: "going further = collecting degrees". No. Applied targeted training (then debriefed in practice) beats a catalogue of never-used certificates: choose by your real current need.

Ready-to-say script — asking for mentoring (2 min)

"I admire how you grow your team. I am looking for a mentor to progress on delegation and feedback. Would you agree to a one-hour exchange per month for six months? I will come with specific situations and what I learned from them."

Copy-paste template — 12-month growth plan

MY 12-MONTH PLAN — [first name] — [date]
1. Priority NEED (only one): ...
 Situation revealing it: ...
2. Path CHOSEN: targeted training / certification / mentor / coach / peers: ...
   Targeted program or person: ...
3. PRACTICE: in which real situation I will apply it: ...
4. FEEDBACK: who will give me feedback (team, peers, 360, mentor): ...
5. READING / COMMUNITY: 1 book or resource + 1 exchange place: ...
6. Quarterly REVIEW (dates): ... — criterion: what will have changed?

Micro-business (2-3 people)

Favour mentoring and peer exchange: free, concrete, suited to small structures.

Remote / hybrid

Remote training + online communities; plan written, shared practice steps.

Algerian SME

Look for locally available training and networks (professional associations, locally present providers) and check practical terms before committing.

Intercultural

Choose programs that include diverse contexts, not only cases from large companies in a single country.

Key takeaways

Deepen by real need, not by prestige.
Combine training + practice + feedback + mentor.
Management is grown throughout a career.

48h challenge — apply tomorrow

Fill in the first 2 lines of the 12-month plan (need + path) and identify 1 potential mentor to contact this week.

Section exit checklist — and of level 6

I know which deepening paths exist (specialization, training, certification, mentor, coach, peers).
My 12-month plan is started (need + path + mentor).
I have reread the 6 level pages and I know where to return when needed.

Self-assessment 1-5: clarity of my path?regularity of my reflective practice?

Frequently asked questions

Training, certification, MBA, coaching: how to choose?

Start from the need: a specific skill to gain (targeted training), recognition to validate (certification), a leader project (MBA), a posture shift (coaching). Level 5 details coaching.

Mentor or coach, what is the difference?

A mentor shares manager experience; a coach helps you find your own answers. Both combine well: mentor for reference points, coach for posture.

What if I have neither budget nor time?

The monthly debrief (6.5), peer exchange and regular reading cost little and pay a lot. Start there, training will come next.

Check your understanding — scenario

After the guide, Amine wants to progress on change management. Best approach?