Personal & Professional Development Assignment Travelodge Hotel

Introduction

Personal and professional developments are required for the improvements of the organisational performances as well as individual growth of career. This Personal & Professional Development Assignment Travelodge Hotel has been developed on the different concept of the personal and professional development concepts and approaches. Different approaches which are related to the self managed learning and lifelong learning has been evaluated and lifelong learning for the Travelodge hotel has been provided. The benefits of the self managed learning for Travelodge and for manager are added in the document. Own personal and professional skills and competencies are evaluated by considering the professional standards. The approaches by which they can be improved are also proposed. Different processes and activities which are related to the development of eth personal and professional development plan are discussed. Critical reflection over the learning against the organisational aims is provided. Different work based problems are assessed and the related solutions are analysed by taking the case study of Paramount Travel Hotel Park Royal.

Task 2

2.1. Evaluate your own current skills and competencies against professional standards for a hotel manager and against organisational objectives of Travelodge Hotel.

Evaluating own current skills is essential in measuring the current skills and comparing them with the preferred one by the organisation. As an assistant manager of Travelodge motivating the staffs and improving their performances for having efficient customer satisfaction along with inspiring them towards belongingness and to increase their involvements within the organisational goals. Apart from these the assistant manager of Travelodge should have the efficient communicational skills which are needed to clarify the objectives and establishing efficient interactions within the team members or subordinate staffs. Management and organising skills are necessary for an assistant manager of Travelodge in order to maximising the efficiency of the performances of the team and increasing the profitability of the organisation. (travelodge.co.uk., 2016)

Travelodge has the objectives to improve their performances with taking responsibilities in enhancing their offerings to the customers. And the main focus of the management of Travelodge is on the  customer satisfaction  which will engage the customers to the hotel and increase their willingness to visits again.

Own current skills and competencies against professional standards of Travelodge:

• Leadership skills: the leadership skills are necessary in managing a team or leading the team members towards the achievement criteria. With efficient leadership skills the best possible outcomes are achieved within desired tome frame. My leadership skill is efficient in leading the team and increasing the performances of the team. I can convince the team members in working together. As an assistant manager of Travelodge the leadership skills of mine should further include proper analysing ability to work with individuals having differences and ability to increase the current motivational factors among the team members.
• Time management: time management skills are necessary in hotel services. Through this skill the management can maintain the workforce within the desired time frame. I manage the tasks by managing the time frame and provide efficiency within the given time.
• Conflict handling: as Travelodge is dealing in the service industry and serving different customers the hotel has to face different problems and conflicts within the working environment. Through proper conflict handling or problem solving skills the manager can be able to solve the conflicts and increase the customer satisfaction. Through logical skills I can handle the conflicts in different situations. Considering the professional standards the skills are needed to be enhanced by adding the ability of risk analysis.

2.2. Identify your own development needs and the activities required to meet them. Which of your skills may need to be improved? How are you going to improve or gain these skills?

There are certain skills of mine which are needed to be developed in order to provide better performances. Development needs are necessary for improving the current skills and achieving the professional standards required by the organisation. Considering the job role of assistant manager in Travelodge the development needs are:

• Leadership skills: I need to develop the leadership skills in order to lead the team with more efficient manner and increase the profitability of the team performances. Within the current leadership skills I have to add the ability to persuade or motivate my team members and create enthusiasm within them for improving their services to the customers. By taking feedbacks from the seniors and analysing the performances and comparing those with the desired outcomes the areas where the improvements are needed can be analysed. Joining a course on the leadership skills will help me to improve and add required criteria within the existing skills.
• Communicational skills: I have to advance my communicational skills for clarifying the objectives to the team members with accurate measures. Within my communicational skill I have to add proper interaction abilities which will lead me to closer to my team members. I have to improve the interpersonal communicational skills like listening skills and verbal skills which are needed in the face to face communication. Through group discussion and taking a course of communication would be helpful for me to enhance the communicational skills.
• Management and organising skills: as a manager managerial skill is the most important one. My management and organising abilities are needed to be improved for improving the criteria of the team work. 

2.3. Identify development opportunities to meet your current and future defined needs. Which opportunities are available for you inside or outside of the hotel to improve your skill development needs?

Development opportunities for meeting with the current and future needs:

• Internship: it is a limited intensive learning experience. It is also referred as the supervised work based learning training. By taking the internship under proper supervision the development needs can be fulfilled. Through the internship broad overview on the occupational areas can be gathered. The internship would provide opportunities to experience the proper responsibilities as a manager.
• Mentor: with the help of a mentor of the hotel the current skills and the necessary skills can be developed. Mentor from the similar working area, is able to provide proper and accurate knowledge over the skills which are needed. Choosing the mentor from the seniors would be helpful in developing the skills as required by the organisation.
• Seminars and conferences: participation in the seminars and the conferences are helpful for enhancing the communicational skills. With the help of the conferences and seminars I would be able to develop my views and get the efficient knowledge from different professionals.
• Online courses: online courses are useful in the recent days. By taking the online courses on leadership skills and communicational skill, improvements can be brought within a desired time frame.
• Continuous development: continuous development of the current skills is required to improve the professional skills. By handling the conflicting situation within the hotel premises would be helpful in developing the capabilities.

2.4. Devise a personal and professional development plan based on identified needs. In this task, you need to prepare a ‘plan’ for personal and professional development. In this plan, you need to mention three issues: ‘what’ are your needed skills; ‘how’ are you going to develop the skills; and ‘when’ are you going to develop intended skills

Needed skills	How to develop the needed skills	When to develop intended skills
Leadership skills	I need to take different responsibilities within the team. Taking training courses on the leadership skills would also be helpful in improvements. Along with the leadership skills the skills to motivate the team members towards the success are also needed.	Within 3 months the skills are needed to be improved.
Communicational skills	By taking different communicational courses and participating in several conferences are helpful to improve the communicational skills. Regular communication with the team members are also needed for the developing the communicational skills. Taking feedbacks from the team members and analysing them are also helpful.	Within 2 months
Organising and management skills	Necessary concept and theories of management are needed to be learnt for managing the team work. Observing the skills of the seniors and experts, concentrating on the management and organisational skills, gathering efficient knowledge over management planning can be helpful for improving the organising and management skills. It would be helpful in increasing the profitability of the team work.	Within 3 months
Problem solving skills	Problem solving or conflict handling is a necessary skill for a hotel manager as different customers have diverse requirements. Solving different conflicts within the team work or in different departments, taking responsibilities in handling different customer’s feedbacks, handling the team having individual differences are also needed for the improvements of the problem solving skills.	Within 2 months

Task 3

3.1. Discuss the processes and activities required to implement the development plan that you prepared for yourself in task 2.4.

Development plan is to set certain activities which will improve my required skills for the hospitality industry. The process is the steps and the activities are the actions that are needed to be implemented in the development plan.

The process consists of certain steps which are needed to be followed in the following way:

• Setting the target is the first step where I need to consider the required skills. The target will be the objectives to develop my required skills. For example to improve my communication skills I will consider three months for tracking the progress.
• The second step is to plan and setting the priority of the targets. For instance to develop my required skills such as leadership, communication, organizing etc are needed to planned based on the priority. As my leadership skills are much sound than organizing so organizing skills will be focused in the development plan.
• The third step is to implement the action plan that is the needed activities to develop the required skills. For example attending the management workshop for getting knowledge on ten ground of organizing.
• The last step is to review the activities by considering the feedbacks from the seniors which will help me identify the deficiency or loopholes where I need to consider.

The activities required for implementing the development plan are as follows: (Parsloe, 2010)

• Attending the seminars, workshops whenever I will get the time for improving my required skills as mentioned in the development plan
• Business coaching is needed to be followed from the expert in the hospitality industry which will help me to develop the required skills.
• Another activity is the personality profiling where I can evaluate my required skills, attributes based on the personal contribution, life skills for maximizing the productive performance

3.2. Undertake and document development activities as planned. In this task you should implement the development plan you prepared for yourself and then write down how you implemented your plan.

The development plan that I have prepared can be effectively implemented by the process and the activities that I have discussed previously. The activities like taking guidance from the experts, attending the conferences, workshops and personality profiling can improve the required skills like communication, organization, leadership and problem solving. The steps that are needed to be follow for the implementation are mentioned below:

• The development plan is prepared for improving my skills that are required to become an important part of the management at Travelodge Hotel. Thus the objective to prepare the development plan is needed to be set and analysed which will give me realization about the needed skills and the future outcome for the development activities.
• The second step is the monitoring of the activities as planned for the development. The feedbacks from the expert or the immediate seniors of the hotel will help me to monitor the activities are going perfect or not.
• The third step is the revision of the skills that I have gathered after going through with the activities. The measurement will be done based on the past skills and the present skill that I have acquired which will differentiate my contribution as a part of the management team at Travelodge Hotel. (Lorriman, 2011).

These are the three stages that will be followed for implementing the development plan as prepared previously. All the three stages will help me to get a clear picture about the skills which can be improved and measured with the existing skills.

3.3. Reflect critically on your own learning against original aims and objectives set in the development plan. Did you really learn new skills at the level you aim for them?

My aim is to establish myself as an important part of the management team at the Travelodge Hotel. For establishing myself I need to develop certain skills which will help me to become an efficient member in the management team. I need to coordinate with the team and delegate responsibilities. Apart from that, formulating the strategic plans in the hotel, allocating resources to the budget are the core responsibilities of myself. In order to make undertake the responsibilities efficiently I need to develop the communication skills to an extreme level where the subordinates or the colleagues or the seniors can be informed effectively. Fixing the strategy for the hotel will required the problem solving skills which will help me to focus more on the issues and help me to find the effective solutions for the hotel. The team under my supervision is needed to be managed effectively for ensuring high productivity level. For that I need to develop the leadership skills as mentioned in the development plan. Forcefully delegation of the duties based on my power at the hotel can have the negative outcome and for that I need to follow the participative style where all the team members will share their views or onions including myself in ordered to make an  business environment  which is healthy and positive. Apart from that I need to set certain examples in the hotel for that the employees can be motivated and give their positive effort. As a part of the management team it is my duty to ensure maximum productivity and healthy working environment. Balancing the two duties is needed for that the self managed learning has helped me to give an idea about the necessary skills that are needed to be followed. The specific period of time will give me a direction and encouragement to follow the activities in an effective way for getting the positive outcome as expected by me.

3.4. Update the development plan that you prepared for yourself in task 2.4 based on the feedback and evaluation.

First of all my objective is to become an important part of the management team at Travelodge Hotel based on that I have make a development plan which give emphasis to the required skills that I needed to have. The activities that I have discussed for implementing the development plan are one of the important parts where I have received certain feedbacks. The business coaching from the expert that I have mentioned has given me certain feedbacks like I am very strong to analyse the situation and based on that future planning that I used to make are enough strong. But I lack in giving priority for the activities which are needed earlier and for that he suggested me to set the priority chart for the activities which are very much important along with the time frame. From the workshops I have understand the true essence of the leadership skills where I needed to set an example in the organisation which will motivate all the employees to follow me. It is not just giving orders and making things done. Rather it is a long term process that the employees will be motivated to work with me.Personality profiling has given me the real picture of the communication skills where I have found that I have strong communication skills but to make it best I have to give more presentations in the seminars conducted by the hotel.

Task 4

4.1 You will start by selecting solutions to work-based problems regarding employee turnover and customer care at Paramount Travel Hotel Ilford. What solutions do you recommend to retain current staff at the hotel and improve customer care? Your manager has asked to prepare poster to be presented to senior management of the hotel and employee representatives. If approved the poster will be displayed on the staff notice board                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

4.2 Then, you should communicate in a variety of styles and appropriate manner at various levels on how to improve customer care at Paramount Travel Hotel.  Your line manager has asked you to give an oral presentation to employees of Paramount Travel Hotel. You are expected to give PPT slides/handouts to those attending the presentation         

Communication is the two way process where the information are shared from one end to another. The receiver of the information has to give a feedback in order to understand the effectiveness of the communication process. The objective of the communication process is to ensure that the customers should get the service that they are expecting. In order to improve the customer care of the Paramount Travel Hotel positive approach of the communication is needed to be considered where the flow of the communication must ensure the friendly, transparent and effective.

The style of the communication is influenced by the two aspects which are:

The extent to which we put the energy while communicating. For instance the customer care executive should be positive and confident while communicating with the guests of the hotel. The level of emotion that is attached with the communication flow can also convinced the guest towards the hotel. The emails by the customers to the hotel should be checked daily and it is needed to be responded after clarifying the issues with the appropriate department. The message must be clear and specific to the query or any issues forwarded by the customers. The calls of the customers need to attend without any negligence. The employee has to hear the customers patiently and then responding him/her effectively by giving exact information they are needed. The polite manner from the employees are expected All the feedback forms or the reviews by the customers needed to be observed carefully. For instance the customers are facing problems while booking and thus they have give certain reviews based on that. So the employees need to observe the issues and fix the issues.  It is for the management who must consider the training as an important aspect for the employees at the hotel. All the information has to share to all the employees and briefed them about the expected service by giving certain demonstration. The management must consider the meeting as an appropriate manner to convey certain information to all the staff at a time or to discuss certain issue with the staff. The participative style must be followed to gather the opinions from the employees to maintain a sound coordination at the hotel. 4.3 Finally, you should evaluate and use effective time-management strategies to reduce employee turnover and improve customer care at Paramount Travel Hotel. How can effective time management strategies improve staff’s desires to continue their work and improve customer care at Paramount Travel Hotel? You have been asked to give an oral presentation to share your time management strategies with other employees at Paramount Travel Hotel as part of good practices. You are expected to give PPT slides/handouts to employees attending the presentation.

Time management is needed from every members of an organisation at all the levels to bring efficiency in the organisational process. All the objectives and the goals are related to the time period and for that we need to move according to the allotted time to achieve the objectives. The strategies that can be adopted to use the effective time management strategies are as follows:

The fast and foremost strategy is to set the priority where the line managers must develop a priority chart for the employees at the concerned department which will guide them to maintain the series with the time allotted.  The format for the frontline employees at the hotel can be prepared in this way: (Forsyth, 2013).

• The advantages with this strategy can be the roadmap of the activities which will aware the employees about the work process on the allotted time. By following the priorities they can also manage the customer care effectively. But the disadvantage can be the dynamic situation which changes from day to day. For example some employee have to do certain emergency work as needed by that time which canaffect the other activities and break the series of the priority chart.
• Breaking the activities: The activities of the hotel are needed to be break down based on the complexity level. The supervisor must allocate the hard or complex work to the team at the first half and on the second half they can serve the customers effectively. The advantage behind this strategy is the energy level that will be high at the first half which will motivate the employee to perform and on the second half they can easily manage the customer service activities effectively due to the low pressure. The disadvantage is the emergency work which can scramble the situation at the workplace.
• Proactive measures: The management needs to identify the activities that are mainly done by the employees every day. Based on that pre-planning can be done where the activities can be scheduled in the way that the customer care services will be effective without hampering the other work. The advantage will be the anticipation that can be done and time can be saved. But the planning is depend on the demand of the customers or booking numbers which is the disadvantage.

Conclusion

In order to conclude I can say that self managed learning can help the individual to evaluate the necessary skills that are required based on the profession he/she is carrying. The personal development plan will give different aspects about the necessary  employability skills , required activities and the time period to overcome the deficiency. Based on the plan certain activities are needed to be implemented in the development plan in order to gather feedback which will help to meet the deficiencies. The last part of the assignment will focus on the time management, work based problems and its solution which will enhance the productivity level of the organisation.

References

Cunningham., I. (2016). The Handbook of Work Based Learning. CRC Press.
Fielding., M. (2016). Effective Communication in Organisations. Juta and Company.
Forsyth., P. (2013). Successful Time Management. Kogan Page Publishers
Lorriman., J. (2011). Continuing professional Development: A practical approach. IET
Parsloe., E. (2010). Coaching and Mentoring: Practical Conversations to Improve Learning. Kogan Page Publishers
Rutter, L. (2012). Continuing professional development in social care. Learning Matters
Siebert, A. (2010). Survivor Personality. Penguin
skillsyouneed.com . (2016). Lifelong Learning. [Online available at:]. http://www.skillsyouneed.com/learn/lifelong-learning.html . (assessed on 28/6/16)
travelodge.co.uk. (2016). Events. [Online available at:]. https://www.travelodge.co.uk/careers/events/. (assessed on 28/6/16)