Professional and Personal Development Assignment

Task 1

In this Professional Personal Development Assignment the aim of the author will be to look into various ways through which self-managed learning can enhance the process of lifelong learning for the individuals. This will be done through carrying out an evaluation of the various approaches which are currently existing for the self-managed learning. Also various ways through which lifelong learning in context of the personal as well as professional leanings can be encouraged will be looked into. Finally the benefits of self-managed learning for the individuals as well as organizations will be discussed.  

1.1  

Self-managed learning is the learning type in which the learner himself or herself initiates the process of learning, which can be with our without the help of the other individuals. This process starts with the diagnosis of the requirements for the learning needs. Following this a clear goal setting is to be done by the learner himself which will define the aims as well as the requirements of the learner. Also a plan for the personal orientation achievement goals and the timelines for the achievements has to be made. The other processes will include self-reflection, formulating the goals for learning, identify material in addition to human resources for the learning, choosing and implement appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes (Bindé, 2005).

Various approaches of self-managed learning can be linked to the learning styles as has been prescribes by Kolb. Kolb demonstrated that all the approaches for learning styles can be linked to the following ways of learning:

1. Active experimentation: In this the learner learns as well as uses various theories for problem solving as well as decision making.
2. Abstract conceptualization: In this the learner created theories for explaining the observations
3. Concrete experience: In this the learner learns through involving himself in various new experiences
4. Reflective observation: In this the learner learns through developing observations on the topic of their own experiences or watching others (Bindé, 2005).

Following is a 2 by 2 matrix which shows the various combination of the various learning styles as has been given by Kolb:

	doing       (Active Experimentation - AE)	watching (Reflective Observation - RO)
Feeling (Concrete Experience - CE)	accommodating (CE/AE)	diverging (CE/RO)
thinking (Abstract Conceptualization - AC)	converging (AC/AE)	assimilating (AC/RO)

1. Theoretical Learning: This can be done through reading various books, articles and journals by the learner in an attempt to gather as much theory or information as possible regarding the area of the interest or importance (Brockett, 2011).
2. Seminars and Conferences: It is possible for the learner to gather information as well as leaning from various conferences as well as seminars. In view of the fact that these usually are addressed by the pioneers or the authorities on the subject matter which is being discussed, the kind of knowledge or learning which can be gathered from these by the learner is immense. These learnings can also be implemented for the future effectiveness by the learner. On the other hand these types of platform also provide the opportunity for public speaking and thus being confident for the same and develop necessary skills for the presentation which is highly valued in the modern world.
3. Use of Internet as well as social networking websites: It is also possible for the individuals to learn various things from the various information sources available on the internet which includes different blogs, articles, News by different people for varied topics which may lead to personal or professional growth for the learners. These acquired knowledge also can be transferred to the work places. These fields can include strategic risk management, management studies etc. which are highly pertinent for the modern day corporate world. Apart from this, the social networking websites also help in initiating various learning through the interaction with other people as well as getting to know about new things on the various topics related to their personal as well as professional growth. There are various information which can also be gathered from the bulletin boards, internet and new groups. People can learn regarding the successful of other individuals in addition to their ways for succeeding in their personal lives as well as professional careers (Tough, 1967).

1.2  

There are various ways in which the lifelong learning in personal and professional contexts could be encouraged. The most important of them is to continuously evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the self. In view of the fact that this evaluation leads to a lot of understanding regarding the self and the goals which are needed to be achieved, the same helps in encouraging the lifelong learning in personal and professional contexts.
Also this motivates the individuals for continuous and lifelong learning personally as well as professionally which contributes for the individuals. Also the self-reflective learning can be of much help for the encouragement of such learning. This helps in acquiring new knowledge and skills at the work places which also helps in developing the personal skills by working on various tasks as well as taking on various responsibilities in the professional as well as personal space. Self-reflective learning also helps in reviewing the stage which the learner belongs to. This coupled with the continuous professional development can help in acquiring techniques as well as ideas which can help in developing the personal learning (Bindé, 2005).

1.3  

Self-managed learning can be very advantageous for the individuals as well as organizations. As far as the individuals are concerned the process of self-managed learning helps in improving the skills for the workers in which they become better in the team work. In view of the fact that in the self-managed learning process, the individuals can manage their own learning in their spare time, this helps in improving their effectiveness as well as efficiency of the performance of them. Also in the organizational set up, the individuals usually work within the setup of a team or group where the various knowledge which the individuals gain through different self-learning processes help a lot for betterment of the performance of the individual as well as the team as a whole. The information gathered by the learner can also be implemented for the knowledge sharing which leads to future efficiency by the learners and the teams. On the other hand these learning and knowledge also provide the opportunity for public speaking and thus being confident for the same and develop necessary skills for the presentation which is highly valued in the modern world (Tough, 1967).
In terms of an organization self-managed learning helps the employees to modify the mistakes which have been made by them through analysis of the mistakes made as well as by improving the decision making process. Also the self-managed learning benefits through knowledge sharing in which the learner can share the requisite information with the other people.  In the organizational structure self-managed learning provides the learners with higher freedom of choice, and creates greater liability on the individual to empower themselves and take the initiative in planning their own personal development. It has also been identified that that the verbal as well as written communication skills are improved significantly by self-managed learning. In view of the fact that the self-managed learning helps the individuals to learn novel things which are not usually learnt within the structure of the working environment, this improves the skill set of the workers which in turn helps the overall organization to improve the service level of itself. Also through this the organizations can identify confident and motivated individuals who can add to the profitability of the company. Self-managed learning which is also compatible with traditional training programs, minimizes the issues including transfer of learning. This also is low on resources as minimal expense is required to implement the same (Brockett, 2011).

Task 2

This section of the report will be attempting to look into demonstrating the skills and competencies of the author which will also indicate if the author is responsible enough for personal as well as professional development. Some of the factors which will be looked into through this task includes evaluation of the skills and competencies of this author against the organizational objectives as well as the professional standards, identification of the development needs of this author in addition to the activities which will be necessary for meeting those, identification of the development opportunities which are required by the author for meeting future and current defined needs, preparation of a personal and professional development plan based on these needs which have been identified.

2.1  

In this section of the report, the author will try valuate to skills and competencies of the self against professional standards and organizational objectives. This will be done on the basis of a template skill and competency evaluation tool which will help in summarizing the various skills and competencies which are required for an individual in his professional standards and organizational objectives. Following is the template:

Professional Skills	Current Level 5=strong 1 = weak	Best Current Example	Ways to Improve
Communication Skills	3	Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook	1. Increase the empathy 2. Stay brief and specific to the topic 3. Tailoring the message as per the requirement of the audience 4. Listen to what other people have to say keenly
Listening Skills	4	Sundar Pichai of Google	1. Read the body language of the other person 2. Try to understand the unspoken things 3. Do not lose concentration at any point of time
Leadership Skills	3	John Chambers of Cisco Systems	1. Develop a clear vision 2. Develop the communication skills 3. Be cognizant about and make use of the strengths of self 4. Set definitive goals and follow concrete action plans 5. Develop and sustain a positive attitude
Planning and Organising	4	Mark Parker of Nike	1. Be knowledgeable about the various ongoing things 2. Develop a clear vision 3. Be cognizant about and make use of the strengths of self
Presentation Skills	2	Lars Rasmussen of Coloplast	1. Stay brief and specific to the topic 2. Tailoring the message as per the requirement of the audience 3. Listen to what other people have to say keenly
Problem Solving	4	John Chambers of Cisco Systems	1. Be knowledgeable about the various ongoing things 2. Emphasizing not on the problem but on the solution 3. Have a neutral approach to the  problems
Professional knowledge	5	Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook	1. Use of theoretical learning 2. Going to various seminars and conferences 3. Use of Internet as well as social networking websites
Self- Management	4	Sundar Pichai of Google	1. Develop a clear vision 2. Be cognizant about and make use of the strengths of self 3. Set definitive goals and follow concrete action plans 4. Develop and sustain a positive attitude
Team work	3	Howard Schultz of Starbucks	1. Develop an open attitude 2. Develop Trust and self-disclosure 3. Support and help the other people in the group
Technology Skills	5	Sundar Pichai of Google	1. Use of theoretical learning 2. Going to various seminars and conferences 3. Use of Internet as well as social networking websites
Time Management	4	Kasper Rorsted of Henkel	1. Delegating responsibilities in an effective as well as efficient way 2. Use the downtime in an effective as well as efficient way 3.  Setting deadlines and maintaining the same 4.  Stopping multi-tasking for enhanced productivity

2.2  

In this section of the report a template SWOT analysis will be carried out with the intention of identifying the development needs of the self as well as the various activities which are required for meeting the same. SWO stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats and these are the 4 factors which will be looked into for achieving this task. Following is the template which will be used for the same:

Strengths		Weaknesses
Professional knowledge and Technology Skills: As per the author, the most important strength which he possesses is the theoretical and structural knowledge regarding the professional as well as technology skills. In the current day of business organizations, these two factors, which are broadly categorized under the hard skills are very important for improving the performance of the author. This also helps in professional growth. Time management and Self-management: The author also considers himself to be very disciplines, self-motivated as well as good at managing the time and the work. This also helps in superior self-management for the author.		Communication as well as Presentation Skills: Communication Skills is one of the most important skills which are required in the modern day business organizations. Good interpersonal communication skills not only help the individuals for working more efficiently as well as effectively in the teams and groups, but also helps in developing other required skills through communication. As per this author, the communication and as a result of the same the presentation skills are relatively weaker for the author and this can be of much difficulty in the growth in the professional area for him. Leadership Skills: Although there have been little opportunity of showing leadership skills for this author yet, it is expected that due to a lack of the presentation as well as communication skills, the leadership skill will not be as per the expectation for the author.
Opportunities		Threats
The opportunity which can be found by this author is through taking various classes and workshop as well as through going to seminars and conferences where public speaking is required. In these type of platform the learnings gathered can be implemented for the future effectiveness by the learner. On the other hand these types of platform also provide the opportunity for public speaking and thus being confident for the same and develop necessary skills for the presentation which is highly valued in the modern world.		The threats which exist for this author includes competition from the colleagues and fellow students.
Notes:
Strengths:	List attributes (including preferred learning styles) you have which will help you achieve goals: The attributes which the author has for achieving the goals includes: The author prefers a thinking and watching learning style which helps in assimilating the learnings quickly and implementing the same The author is good at listening as well as writing skills which are very useful for meeting expectations of the organizations. These skills are also easy to share with the others people in the organizations which help in developing innovation in the organization. The author is keen to work on developing business skills which can be applied professionally
Weaknesses:	Identify areas that concern or disappoint you. In what way do they not meet you expectations(or those of others) The areas which disappoint the author includes presentation and communication skills.
Opportunities:	What opportunities exist in your current work role? How could you build on your strengths? How could you fully use the knowledge and skills gained on your learning program? Since the current work role involves a lot of group and team work the same gives a lot of opportunities for developing on the weaknesses as well as build on the strengths. For fully using the knowledge and skills gained on the learning program, it is necessary that the learnings and theories learnt are actively practices within the organization.
Threats:	What threats are there to your current position? How might your weaknesses be exposed? How can you fill any gaps in your knowledge and skills? The threats which exist for this author includes competition from the colleagues and fellow students. Their superhot in the aspects can expose the weaknesses of the author.

2.3

The development opportunities are as following:

• Carrying out further studies
• Developing the presentation and leadership skills through taking part in debates and group discussions
• Joining various training and workshops for developing the same

2.4  

Personal Development Plan

Name:                                                                                                                                              

Start and end dates:

	LEARNING OBJECTIVE/GOAL	CURRENT PROFICIENCY	TARGET PROFICIENCY	DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES	CRITERIA FOR JUDGING SUCCESS	TIME SCALE	EVIDENCE
1	Communications Skills	3	5	Taking classes and discussion with other people Carrying out further studies Developing the presentation and leadership skills through taking part in debates and group discussions Joining various training and workshops for developing the same	Improvement in the Communication and presentation skills	6 months	Successful part in presentation and debate

Task 3

3.1  

The development plan will start with an approach of self-managed which is highly beneficial for the individuals as well as organizations. Following are the processes as well as activities required to implement the development plan:

1. Carrying out and SWOT analysis for the identification of the areas which require development – For this a detailed introspection is required by the author through which the various required areas for the professional and personal attributes will be identified and the expertise of the author in all those aspects will be measured.
2. Creating a blue print as well as timeline for the entire development plan – This will followed the first step and in this a detailed expectation for the development will be made up and the timeline in which the same will be achieved will be looked into. This will also include the details of the level to which the author wants to reach.
3. Identifying the development opportunities for the same: Various opportunities and options for development and improvement of the skills will be done which requires a detailed research on the various ways for the same through internet and social media.
4. Taking up the development opportunities: This will include taking classes and discussion with other people, carrying out further studies, taking part in debates and group discussions, joining various training and workshops for developing the same
5. Measuring the development: This part is very important in view of the fact that this will measure the development of the author as set against the original level which was decided as desired. 

3.2  

The development activities which have been planned are:

• Taking classes and discussion with other people: This has been done by the author through various classes of the Diploma Business
• Carrying out further studies: This has been done by the author through various classes of the Diploma Business
• Developing the presentation and leadership skills through taking part in debates and group discussions: This has been done by the author through various classes of the Diploma Business
• Joining various training and workshops for developing the same: The author has joined various sessions and classes and attended various seminars and conferences for the same.

3.3  

The author is quite content with the own learning as compared to the original aims and objectives set in the development plan. The author has been able to successfully develop some leadership skills which was evident during the group task which was taken up by the author as well as the various team meeting and group discussions. The author has also been able to develop his presentation skills also which was evident in the class presentation in various classes by this author.
However it is felt by the author that the scope of more practical development plans like group discussion and more seminars would have been helpful for the author. Such learnings help in provide the opportunity for public speaking and thus being confident for the same and develop necessary skills for the presentation which is highly valued in the modern world.

3.4  

The only feedback which is needed to be implemented and update the development plan is to include taking part in more conferences and seminars for the development of requires skills.

Task 4:  

4.1  

• Identify the issues - The true nature of the issue which is being faced by the individual or the organization needs to be identified and this can be done through an environmental scrutiny individual or the organization for the internal as well as the external environment.
• Understand everyone's interests - Since the organizations work on the basis of the inputs and interests of all the stakeholders, it is of utmost important that everyone's interest is understood and analyzed before resolving the work based problem. This can be ensured through taking everybody’s view accordingly.
• List the possible solutions and options - All the solutions and options which can be used for resolving the scenario needs to be listed as well as analyzed before the implementation.
• Evaluate the options - Post listing down all the possible options, the same need to be evaluated through the results of the environmental analysis which has been carried out in the previous step. This can also be done through the internal discussion amongst all the stakeholders.
• Select an option or options - Through the analysis of the options, the most appropriate one needs to be finalized
• Document the agreement(s) - It will also be necessary to document all the agreements for future reference
• Agree on contingencies, monitoring, and evaluation - This is the final step in this process where all the contingency approaches, monitoring as well as evaluation processes will be anbalzyed,

4.2  

• Assertive communication style: Achieving goals without hurting others
• Aggressive communication style: Hostile, frightening, threatening and loud
• Passive-aggressive communication style: Indirectly aggressive
• Submissive communication style: Apologetic and avoiding confrontation
• Manipulative communication style: Asking indirectly for needs to be met

4.3  

• Delegating responsibilities in an effective as well as efficient way: This is very important in the modern day business management where the managers and workers are expected to accomplish various tasks in the business environment.
• Use the downtime in an effective as well as efficient way: The downtime or the time when the affectivity and the effectiveness of am individual decreases due to the lethargic approach, needs to be utilized for carrying out various unimportant but time consuming jobs
• Setting deadlines and maintaining the same: It is important that possible but stretched goals and deadlines are set by the individual and the same is maintained
• Stopping multi-tasking for enhanced productivity: The process of multi-tasking needs to be curbed as much as possible for enhancing the productivity through concentration on the work at hand. This can be achieved through prioritizing of the work.

References

Bindé, J. (2005). "Towards knowledge societies: UNESCO world report." UNESCO reference works series. Paris: UNESCO. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
Black, P. J. & Wiliam, D. (2009). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education, 5, 7–73.
Brockett, R. B., & Hiemstra, R. (2011). Self?direction in adult learning: Perspectives on theory, research, and practice. London: Routledge.
Grow, G. (1991). Teaching learners to be self?directed: A stage approach. Adult Education Quarterly, 41(3), 125–149.
Grow, G. (1994). In defense of the staged self?directed learning model. Adult Education Quarterly, 44(2), 109–114.
Sefton?Green, J. (2007). Literature review of informal learning with technology outside school. Bristol, UK: Futurelab.
Tough, A. (1967). Learning without a teacher. Educational Research Series, no. 3. Toronto: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.