Progress report – Managing Professional Services

Anna-Sara Lantz. Photo: Ann-Sofie Lund.

With two of the four sessions left, Anna-Sara has already gained new insight that has given her food for thought. It is about learning how to rest based on how much time you have, because recovery is necessary on both a micro and macro level — something that is easy to brush off for anyone who feels energized from constantly being on the go and thinking about the next thing. Like her.

“That wisdom is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life. You can’t always wait until vacation, the weekend, or even after work; you have to implement recovery in even the tiniest of moments, like a single breath or a glance up at the sky.”

Promote Innovation and Development

Anna-Sara Lantz is an HR and consultant manager at LTU Business, a nonprofit limited company that is part of LTU Holding and owned by the Luleå University of Technology. She and her 35 coworkers work to “promote innovation and development through collaboration between academia and society,” focusing primarily on green industries.

“My job is incredibly fun, and I have a really amazing team,” she says.

The Managing Professional Services program is designed to address the challenges that are common within knowledge-intensive businesses in the service industry. The program focuses on leadership, which is the most important tool in the development of both innovative service offerings and promising talent.

What expectations did you have going in to the program?

“I had high expectations. We’re talking about SSE Executive Education and The Stockholm School of Economics – quality is a given. Several of my predecessors did the program and were happy with it, so our CEO referred me here.”

Have those expectations been met?

“I would definitely say so. I like the mix of soft and hard values and the fact that the program takes a less intimidating and more accessible approach to finance. The program also has wonderful lecturers who are just great people, like the program director Carl Lindeborg – he truly has the ability to see each individual and facilitate a positive group dynamic, which is an important skill for a program like this.”

”I LIKE THE MIX OF SOFT AND HARD VALUES AND THE FACT THAT THE PROGRAM TAKES A LESS INTIMIDATING AND MORE ACCESSIBLE APPROACH IN FINANCE.”

Have you already been able to apply any of what you’ve learned?

“As a leader, I try to be as authentic as possible. Trying to play a role takes too much energy. The program has been a great reminder that we need to take charge of our brain in order to use its full capacity. Otherwise, our brain will take over or we’ll run on autopilot.”

Anna-Sara says that the younger version of herself had a “certainty tendency,” a concept presented by a guest lecturer.

“Basically, I almost always thought I knew what was right. Something I always need to work on is taking everyone’s perspective into account in order to get the most out of our organization as possible. All of us in leadership positions have a responsibility to find out how we are perceived and how our actions influence those around us. With influence comes responsibility,” she explains.

 Has the program helped you create value in any way for your organization?

“The program is increasing my understanding of what is most important in managing a service-oriented business, which is making me a stronger manager and has enabled me to contribute to my organization’s leadership team to an even greater extent.”

She says that MAPS has given her a wealth of inspiration thanks to all the lecturers and participants, and seeing what the group has accomplished together has really given her a sense of satisfaction.

“It is nice getting to share what we are doing and how we are working, as well as looking back at everything we’ve accomplished. I don’t do that nearly enough since I am usually full steam ahead and on the lookout for things to improve.”

"THE PROGRAM IS INCREASING MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IN MAN AGING A SEVICE-ORIENTED BUSINESS."

Soft Values Backed by Science

Being aware and present as a leader is very important for a team’s well-being as well as the leader’s own well-being. Anna-Sara thinks it is bold of the program to place so much importance on soft values.

“I personally don’t need to be convinced – I already meditate and practice yoga. But I think it’s really good that we aren’t shying away from those soft values and that we’re learning about the science behind them.”

Trust in the Group Came Quickly

Another thing that surprised Anna-Sara was how fast the group trusted each other. She thanks Carl Lindeborg for that.

“He made sure that we established common rules and then asked the question: which one of these rules comes most naturally to you and which of them will be the most challenging?”

”HE MADE SURE THAT WE ESTABLISHED COMMON RULES.”

What was your answer?

“I am naturally a very engaged person who likes to share my thoughts and insights as well as participate in discussions. In terms of challenges, after establishing our rules in the group, I have been actively trying to give a little more space to the other participants who aren’t as quick to talk and who like to think through what they say more.”

What new perspectives have you gained if you were to summarize everything up to the halfway point?

“That authenticity lasts. My high expectations have been met, but they’ve also taken an unexpected turn, which I did not see coming. It’s really good to be surprised,” she says.

Read more: 

• 4 common challenges in the consulting industry – and how to solve them
• Understanding the big picture is important for profitability in the service industry
• "As a leader, you need to understand the big picture and be able to communicate it"