Introduction To And Importance Of Personal Development Plans Management Essay

All the goals or objectives whether they are small or big require proper planning and management to achieve them. Among them the most important is our own life. Personal development is a core of our life so we should be concerned while planning and managing it.

There is a great opportunism in career and personal development i.e person hired for the job meets with the job requirements. There are always unpredictable elements which can occur but with the continuous development and planning these could be avoided. Our career must be shaped instead of reacting on happenings. It is always a question mark from where to start but the things not started never comes to an end.

Personal Development Plan

Definition

“A structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and/or achievement, and to plan for their personal, educational and career development.” Academic Development and Practice Unit http://www.worc.ac.uk/adpu/1019.htm

What is Personal Development Plan

We can relate this as a someone,s own plan for current or future perspectives whether for personal life or working as a professional in any organization .Development is the core to this real life world whether related to the body structure ,society, country or the whole world almost everything is developing vigorously .This development requires proper planning and management to be applicable successfully .So it could be said that a personal development plan is very important for the success of the individuals to enhance their abilities, capabilities and skills in their personal lives and as well as in a business environment working as a professional.

Importance of Personal Development Plan

On the other hand if we want to know why it is important it can be discussed in many ways for example, here are few things like training sessions within the organization or outside, seminars for specific fields ,refresher courses for managers, applying new technology also require formal humans personal development , to update the knowledge of individuals so that they can retain themselves in competitiveness of tough professional market and the most important thing to go for personal development is to make yourself ready for the future advancements and challenges by the updated knowledge and abilities you acquire.

“Effective PDP is proactive – we take charge of the direction of development by regular evaluation, action planning and review (Mullins 2002: 28).” ‘Developing work and study skills’

PDP in terms of importance can be helpful because we can focus with the help of it on our employment and future perspectives.PDP is core to the continuous success as a professional or an individual to secure your position in the world of high competition. PDP is a very powerful weapon for the professionals and individuals because in this world which is now so called a global world or sometimes global village requires a lot more in terms of competencies. Personal development provides you the comfort zone( as you have personally developed yourself to coupe with the current environment ) to adapt any thing related to your profession, it provides you with the assence of self motivation as you know the things well.PDP enables to attain the ability of decision making and analysis, communication skills is an other important aspect of PDP which is really iconic for team building in the organizations so that the goals and tasks should be done timely. PDP is important for the professionals so they are equipped with the more knowledge on the basis of which they can go for the innovative changes, this practice also makes them mentally healthy and fit which also provides them the leadership abilities.PDP can facilitate to raise the competencies by growing self awareness and career development. It can improve the professional abilities with help to identify how effectively we can learn and to get these learnings reflect on our jobs. So we can say that personal development plan is very important for the continious positive learning of the individuals in their course of field.

Three Skills

Customer service

Manage people

Supervise staff

Customer Service

Working as a manager always require some skills so that the work people and other job related tasks should be completed effectively. Skills which are necessary to acquire in achieving the goals of an organization which is related to the customer service. As a manager good customer service skills should be acquired in order while dealing with the customers it should be known what customer want and what is he thinking these skills direct the managers and employees to attain the customer satisfaction and retain them for future as well. If, Some one related with the service industry or with the customer service do not have these skills he or she would not be contributing well for the organization. As a manager or employees satisfied but also the goals should be achieved successfully.

Managing People

Managers should know their audience around which they have to perform their duties and manage them well so they should contribute in achieving organization goals or objectives. Now a days people are being studied in their respective fields so that they should be beneficial for their firms to whom they are working for, and hence if they do not perform good it results in the crap output being generated by the mix of both managers and employees because they do not know which direction they are going. Managing people is an art which results in the successful completion of goals or objectives of an organization, and those who do not know to manage or direct the employees regarding goals or onjectives they are not the fruitful persons for the firms.

Supervise Staff

One of the other skills is supervising staff as well, it may sound like managing people but at the same time it is different too, working in an organization it is very helpful to supervise the employees while they have been given the tasks for the successful output. Normally the employees know their job within their departments and how to do that, but while supervising them it is made sure that the things are being done according to the requirements. So, if we say that the managers should supervise the staff or employees as good that they should be SMART i.e specific, measureable, achievable, realistic and time oriented regarding the goals or objectives given to them in an organization.

1.2 Continuous Professional Development

Continuous professional development is a method which ensures that we acquire the right skills or abilities for our job which should be maintained and over the time enhanced as well, it is a key factor for the lifelong employability and everything that we do for the improvement of our job performance in the business environment where there is a great competition. Here we would describe the importance of continuous professional development (CPD), the concept refers to the changing business (organization) environment and how they are employing their new employees the scenario direct us to improve , manage and continuous development of our plans to secure our employability for current challenging environment.

There could be so many ways to the managers or key personnel’s for their self assessment and to figure out how positively they are contributing to their roles in the team as they are working in an organization. To support this assessment two tables are attached with the assignment.

1 Belbin Team Roles Inventory

Belbin Team Roles – Self Perception Inventory

2 Manager Self-Assessment

(Assessment 12-1) Training Instruments, Assessments, and Tools. pp.225-227.

According to the two questions asked in the manager self- assessment table those questions are answered here.

Q1. Based on the answers above, In which areas are you most effective as a manager?

Based on the table attached we can put few things down here in which me as a manager feel that I am good in these areas , communication skills are well reflected during managing the people i.e ask questions to ensure others understand my instructions , giving group presentations and use appropriate language. Customer service also address and solve customer complaints quickly, also survey customers to find how we are doing, leadership skills are good in me solicit input before going for decisions, follow up the tasks assigned to staff members, so these are the few things in which I am effective as a manager.

Q2. Which areas could you develop to be a more effective manager ?

By developing these few things can make me more effective manager. Professional development , review my goals and action plans regularly, frequently joining the training and development sessions, by using a time management system regularly, by having a standardized system for project plans also conduct formal and informal coaching sessions with staff so by developing these few things mentioned above can make me really an effective manager.

2.1 Skills Audit

Definition

“A skills audit involves identifying the skills and knowledge (both used and latent) held by existing staff.” ‘Auditing current skills’

http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/recordkeeping/government-recordkeeping-manual/guidance/guidelines/guideline-17/guideline-17-part-4

Skills audit drives us to identify the areas where we have the better working skills and which areas needs to be improve in order to maintain our competencies while working in an organization. The concept of CPD is core to the skills audit , as we consider this world as a global village it creates a more challenging business environment , now a days companies are not manufacturing or producing services or goods for a specific country or region somehow they have a great leverage in their business structure their products or services are being produced for every single individual on this living earth planet. This is the basic factor which force us to check our capabilities for the present and to coupe with the future challenges as well. The skills audit table is also attached with the assignment .

2.2 SWOT Analysis

It is a tool which supports the professionals to identify their strength and weaknesses regarding their personal skills and opportunities and threats which are in the external environment and sometimes in the internal as well. Analysis means critical review of our core competences , skills and knowledge to be enhanced for the achievement of our future goals or objectives. According to the SWOT analysis some one working in an organization as manager can have some of the stated elements being the part of his or her professional development plan as to days business environment is very uncertain , innovative and changing vigorously.

Should have the knowledge of existing technology and be prepared for innovations being made in this field .

The ability to set the mutual goals both for the firm and personal also involving the staff as well.

Customer focus , that how we are doing against their needs , demands and how satisfactory they are .

The concept , listen more than I talk .

Managers also need to develop their knowledge regarding legal issues existing and being changed in future.

Managers should also review their goals and action plans whether they are on the right move or not.

They should never leave the concept of adaptation during their present job and for their future development plans .

Managers should also have a focus on the communication skills and an approach to enhance these skills continuously.

Task 2

3.1 Personal Development Planning

1. Where am I now?

Current job title and Employer details

Marketing Supervisor.

All Season food & Wine

Retail store , UK based, operating locally.

Current Job/role

Marketing Supervisor

To make sure that the products are being introduced to the target market and they are aware with its attributes and benefits offered to them.

For a job role here are few skills or knowledge which are required as a marketing supervisor.

Managing people.

Organise people.

Sell products or services.

Supervise staff.

Verbal communication skills.

Create advertising/marketing material.

Know how to use technology and equioment.

Set goals with staff members and create action plans.

Survey customers to find out how we are doing.

Understand all employment laws.

Receive ongoing feedback and coaching on my position.

Review my goals and action plans regularly.

Current strengths

Listen more than I speak.

Ask questions to ensure others understand my instructions.

Use positive language in my communications.

Am effective at delegating work.

Make decisions easily and effectively.

Evaluate alternatives before making any decision.

Like to participate in group work.

Can motivate the people regarding their tasks.

Have good communication skills.

Know my audience well while giving presentations.

Try to find the contingency plan for the running business operations.

Current areas for development

Need to enhance the leadership skills.

between the organization goals and personal goals.

To receive the ongoing feedback and coaching on my position.

Review the goals and personal action plans regularly.

Development of organizing skills is required as well.

Controlling is another factor also to improve.

Get in touch with the latest technology and improve the skills required for it.

Communication is another area to develop for effective communication.

To develop the coordination

Better develop the management skills.

2 Where would I like to be?

Long term goals

To enhance my abilities in the field of marketing.

Want to be a marketing manager of my working organization.

Have a plan to open marketing consultancy firm.

Short term goals

To increase my work experience in my related field and get expertise

Will have to improve my education in my field to be an effective part of the firm.

To acquire the key post in my organization which can really meet the capabilities of the key person.

3 How will I get there?

Objective 1: To construct my abilities in the marketing zone.

How will I get there?

Through getting the experience and expertise in my related field of work.

Objective 2: Want to be acting marketing manager of my organization.

How will I get there?

By acquiring the related professional qualification in the same field.

Objective 3: Want to be in a position to open a marketing consultancy firm.

How will I get there?

Key work experience, professional educational qualifications, successfully applied personal strengths or skills, and all the related performed activities in my field of work will be supportive to construct a bridge to achieve the objective successfully.

3.2 Current CPD Needs

“Weihrich and Koontz (10 edn) describes in identifying job requirements, firms must answer questions such as these:

What has to be done in this job? How is it done? What background knowledge, attitudes and skills are required?”

According to this, Managers always require some skills to perform their duties effectively in an organization, we can also relate these skills as needs of the managers which are considered as an important inventory for them to perform their key roles in the organization. Regarding current needs for CPD we describe here few key elements.

Competitive management.

Positive communication.

Understand the organizational goals.

Knowledge of resources available.

Addressing and resolving the complaints.

Applying consistent time management system.

Proper delegation of work.

Use of technology and equipment available.

Well aware of the audience around you.

Conceptual skills.

Effective decision making.

Technological development and training required for its use.

Knows your strengths and weaknesses against the opportunities and threats.

Leading from the front.

Conflict management.

Focus on continuous professional development.

So, few key elements are described above which associate with the current needs of the CPD.

Obstacles

Now we highlight the few elements which are considered to be obstacles in gaining objectives of the CPD.

“There are a number of factors which can influence the speed of learning as well as the enjoyment of learning (Mullins 2002: 38).” ‘Developing work and study skills’

According to the above statement here we describe few factors considered as obstacles in continuous professional development.

Cultural – No cultural knowledge of the organization.

Motivational – No willingness for risk taking.

Perceptual – Do not have the ability to identify the problem.

Emotional – Anxiety really crushes the learning process.

Intellectual – Lack of abilities in performing the tasks.

Cognitive – Reminding the bad experiences happened earlier.

Situational – Not an opportunist.

Expressive – Communication skills are not effective.

Specific environment – Do not have the support from the group members and top level management.

Physical – Some time the working environment and work timings are not suitable.

3.3 Impact of learning on goal achievement and leadership skills

Here in the light of this report so far we can evaluate our learnings against our strategic goals by knowing the areas where we have strengths and which areas need to be developed these few words creates a picture where there is split in it i.e short term goals or objectives which we need to achieve in the near future as working in the organization, the other one are the long term goals or objectives which encompasses our long term future plans. Whenever we hear the word strategy it gives us the meaning for long term planning and the word objectives sounds for the short term achievements.

‘There is increasing recognition that employees can and should learn continuously, and that they can learn from experience and from each other as well as from formally structured training programs'(Fisher et al, 2003:369). Argues on the continuous learning of the employees within their organization through work experience and also reflects the idea of formal training as well. So by keeping this report in mind we can evaluate the present learnings and the future development required for our strategic goals. According to this statement we focus on the personal development plan described in the report, it will reflect the impact of own learnings for achieving strategic goals and which avenues need to be developed for leadership skills. According to this someone working in a retail oriented business consider his or her strengths as, most of the times listens others point of view instead of telling his own ideas , reflects easy way of communication, good in delegating work to subordinates, have command on effective decision making, gathers relevant information before making decisions, have good motivational skills, likes group participation, understand the audience around him while presenting them anything so, these are the few things which can contribute in achieving strategic goals.

“The path – goal theory suggests that the main function of the leader is to clarify and set goals with the subordinates, help them find the best path for achieving the goals, and remove obstacles’ Weihrich and Koontz (10 edn: pp 507).”

According to this report now we describe few areas for leadership development, it reflects the concept of continuous professional development for skills enhancement these skills are for the personal goals and also for organizational goals, we always require the ongoing feedback and coaching for our position, continuous review of the personal action plans also require organizational skills development. Managers always need to develop good communication and controlling skills, should have up to date knowledge of emerging technologies and development of coordination within the organization all these results in developing better management skills. So, in the light of above discussion we can say that these are the few things which are reflected in the report as part of the plan.