A Comprehensive Personal And Professional Development Essay

Managing Professional Development

Develop a comprehensive Personal and Professional Development Strategy by answering the following:

Undertake responsibility of your own personal and career development.

Conduct a self-assessment inventory by doing a personal SWOT

Undertake a skill audit

Devise a personal development plan to achieve personal targets and short and long term objectives

Devise and maintain a current CV and/or portfolio of work

Evaluate progress and achievement of personal development and learning targets

Evaluate learning and development with original aims and objectives set in the development plan

Reset objectives in the light of evaluation and feedback

Develop a range of interpersonal and transferable business skills

Problem Solving

Communication

Time Management

Demonstrate self-managed learning in a professional context

1 Undertake Responsibility Of Your Own Personal and Career Development

1.1 Undertake Skill Audit

1,2 Conduct A self-assessment inventory by doing a personal SWOT.

1.3: Devise a Personal Development Plan to achieve personal targets and short and long term objectives.

1.4 Devise and maintain a current CV and/or portfolio of work.

2 Evaluate Progress and Achievement Of Personal Development and Learning Targets.

2.1 Evaluate learning and development with original aims and objectives set in the development plan

2.2 Reset objectives in the light of evaluation and feedback

3 Develop a range of interpersonal and transferable business skills

3.1 Problem Solving

3.2 Communication

3.3 Time Management

Executive Summary

Management development is concerned with improving manager’s performance in their present roles and preparing them for greater responsibility in the future. Mumford and Gold (2004) describes ‘ as an attempt to improve managerial effectiveness through a learning process.

To pursue better career we need to find what we are good, where we need to improve, however the author has undertaken SWOT to identify her strength, weakness, opportunities and threats. Skill audit is implemented to understand what skills are we good at and where we need to focus. The author has taken 4 skills audit on based on it has prepared a personal development plan. Short and long-term objectives of the author have been acknowledged.

Interpersonal skills like communication, problem solving and time management has been discussed. Communication is very effective today and plays an important role in our life. Different communication style is used at different levels. Time management helps to manage time effectively and build on it.

Learning helps to increase in knowledge and skills. The author has implemented different theories and types of learning and also evaluated in her personal development plan.

The author has been able to apply and has also been able to identify where she is standing today.

1 Undertake Responsibility Of Your Own Personal and Career Development

1.1 Undertake Skill Audit

Skill Audit is undertaken to find out what skills are developed; skills I possess but not developed to my expectations and finally skills that I would like to develop and have not got opportunities to develop.

The objective for skills audit is “Skills that I intend to develop over the 1 year of BBA left”. The author has undertaken skill audit for Communication, Problem Solving, Decision Making and Learning, which has been attached as an appendix. The skill audit was taken in February 2011.

1,2 Conduct A self-assessment inventory by doing a personal SWOT.

Dr Heinz Weihrich (1982) had initiated earlier version of the SWOT analysis. The TOWS matrix stands for Threats/Opportunities/Weakness/. Individual Swot analysis givens one an in-depth awareness of the areas in which you excel (Strength). The areas in which you need to improve (Weakness). It discovers opportunities, which are an outcome of your strengths and threats, which pose challenges obstructing your growth.

The author’s objective to prepare SWOT is to justify her strength, weakness, opportunities and threats for her assignments for second term HNC year.

Fig 1.1: SWOT (Fieldwork)

Evidence For Skill Audit:

1.3Devise a Personal Development Plan to achieve personal targets and short and long term objectives.

Individuals with guidance and encouragement carry out personal development plan. A PDP sets out the actions people propose to learn and do develop themselves.

1 Personal Development Plan:

A My goal is to be more skilled in this competency:

To improve in my communication

B Results Desired:

If I am successful, this is how my improved competency will look:

Present Presentations well in classes

If I achieve a certificate during debates

Get well socialized with people

C Action Plan:

To improve in my communication:

D Schedule Progress Review Date: 1st December 2011

Actual Progress Review Date: 15thDecember 2011

2 Personal Development Plan:

A My goal is to be more skilled in this competency:

To be a confident problem solver

B Results Desired

If I am successful, this is how my improved competency will look:

Approaching the problems systematically

If decisions are well planned and well executed

By understanding the criteria for a good decision

C Action Plan:

D Schedule Progress Review Date: 15th March 2012

Actual Progress Review Date: 25th March 2012

3 Personal Development Plan:

A My goal is to be more skilled in this competency:

To have an excellent approach in decision making

B Results Desired:

Analyse the options carefully.

Having more knowledge of decision-making.

Making decision quickly.

C Action Plan:

D Schedule Progress Review Date: 5th October 2011

Actual Progress Review Date: 7th October 2011

Define Objective:

An objective is a sub-goal. It gives an individual a clear defined target. It recognizes short-term, assessable steps within a specific phase of time moving towards accomplishing long-term goals. There are two different objectives that are Short term and Long term. Short-term objectives are made to achieve in 2 years whereas long- term objectives are prepared to achieve in 5 years.

Short term Objectives should be SMART:

Fig 1.5: Meaning of SMART (Reference)

Short term Objective Set By The Author:

To achieve atleast 10 Merits and 5 Distinctions in my assignments by the end of 2nd year.

To learn cooking by next year January 2012.

To learn driving by July 2011.

Long term Objectives should be:

Fig 1.6: Long Term Objectives (Reference)

Long term Objectives Set By The Author:

To get in one of the top university for MBA in London.

To have work experience for atleast 2 years before I get into MBA.

To strengthen my weaknesses.

1.4 Devise and maintain a current CV and/or portfolio of work.

Education Qualification:

Work Experience: Nil

Skills Profile:

IT: Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel.

Languages: English, French, Hindi and Marathi (partial).

Taking Responsibility

Team Work

Interests and Achievements:

Achievements: Achievement: Two State level certificate in swimming (2008), Five District level certificate in athletics, Zonal Level Certificate in Football, Certificate in Badminton in Annual Sports Meet (2008-2009), Three District level certificate in swimming (2007, Satara District Youth Congress), Certificate in Athletic in Annual Sports Meet (2008-2009)

Interests:

Travel: Dubai, Honkong, Macau, Australia, New Zealand and Paris

Music: All Type

Sports: Swimming, Badminton, Basketball and Cricket (At times)

Hobbies/ Leisure Activities: Listening to Music, Designing and Decorating, Meeting Friends, Reading Novels and Surfing Net.