Consultancy in Practice: Learning and Skill Development for Career Success

This report discusses the process of learning and skill development in consultancy practice and its impact on career success. It highlights the importance of team working, communication, and problem-solving skills. It also identifies skill gaps and provides a personal development plan to enhance presentation, leadership, and time management skills.

CONSULTANCY IN
PRACTICE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................2
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REREFENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Knowledge and skills are one of the most important things which are required to be
present within an individual which further helps them to grow within their careers (Forray and et.
al., 2017). It is extremely important for individuals to identify skills which are required to be
developed within them or is required to be enhanced. This report will focus upon process of
learning and skill development in order to achieve success within one’s own career.
TASK 1
Working within a team solving client’s business problems helped me in learning various
kinds of new things and also helped in developing new skills. Working so such kind of projects
also helped me in identifying skills that I need to develop. In order to evaluate learning and skills
developed, I will be using Kolb’s reflective cycle model. Kolb’s reflective cycle model is a kind
of model which is also known as experimental learning which helps in reviewing, analysing and
evaluating one’s own experience in a better manner. This cycle consists of four stages of
learning.
Concrete experience: At this stage physical experience of an individual is reflected (Kolb and
Kolb, 2018). At this stage I will be reflecting skills that I have developed or enhanced as a result
of the project. There were various kinds of skills that were developed while working within this
project. One of the main skills that was developed within this duration of the project was team
working skills. I learned the way in which one should work within a team effectively and
efficiently so that final target aim or objective of the team can be developed. Before this project
there were very few team working activities within which I have participated in less team
activities because of which I had least knowledge of working efficiently within a team. I have
also developed written communication skills as working within a team we were required to daily
write a report of our findings and learning and lastly, we were also required to prepare a
documentation of final report of the project the way in which we resolved client’s problems.
Reflective observation: At this stage description of the experience is explained (Watson and et.
al., 2016). Here I will explain about skills and learning that I did not know earlier before the
project even started. My communication skills were not so strong at the starting of the project.
Working with the team members helped me in enhancing my communication skills with the help
of which I was able to communicate my ideas to other team members. At the starting of the
project my problem- solving skills were not good. Working on this project also helped me in
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development of problem- solving skills. This project also taught me ways in which we should
analyse a skill so that solution for it can be identified in an easy and appropriate manner.
Abstract conceptualization: At this stage guiding questions are answered that were led from
reflective observation stage. At this stage I will be explaining level till which my confidence
level has increased. At the starting of the project I did not have enough confidence to work
within team projects as I had least experience of working within teams, ways in which roles and
responsibilities within a team are divided which helps in leading the team towards success. As
before this project when I had participated within a team activity, that activity was not completed
on time and various kinds of clashes within team members were created because of which it
became difficult to work together achieve defined goals and objectives of the project.
Active experimentation: At this stage reflection upon one’s own thoughts are laid (Botelho and
et. al., 2016). Here I will explain the way in which I can use my learning for future career. I have
developed team working skills, problem solving skills, communications skills from working
within this project. All the three skills are extremely useful and can be used in development of a
successful career. From this project I have learned that working within a team can help in
learning various kinds of new things. I will focus on working and participating in a greater
number of team projects so that I can work on enhancing my skills that are useful within
business career. However, there are some skills that are skill required to be developed. I will try
to use my communication skills in order to enhance my presentation skills as it is one of those
skills which is extremely useful and important within organizations. I will also use my team
working skills in development of leadership skills which is another useful skill that can help an
individual in order to achieve success within their business careers. There are many other skills
that have been identified and are required to be developed which will help in a successful career.
TASK 2
From the above process of learning and skill development it has been identified that there
are various kinds of skills are still required to be developed in order to achieve success within
business careers (Grit, 2019). Three most important skills gaps that have been identified for
future development are presentation skills, leadership skills and time management skills. All the
three skills are extremely important and useful in building a successful business career or moving
ahead within our careers. Below personal development plan will help in identifying ways in
which these activities will be developed. In this plan of action five things will be identified for
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development of plan of action: skill gaps, resources required, activities, measurement of skill
development and time period.
Skills gaps
that are
required to
be
developed
Resources required
to develop those
skills
Activities How result
will be
measured
Time
period
within
which
these
skills will
be
developed
Presentation
skills
Participation within
team activities that
require presentation,
attending seminars so
that I can understand
things that I need to
improve in order to
enhance my
presentation skills.
Internet to research
about presentation
skills.
I will focus on attending
other presentation so that I
can learn way of delivering
a presentation,
communication style, body
posture, body language and
many other things. I will
also try to participate in as
many presentation
activities as possible in
order to enhance it. I will
also be attended seminars
so that I can observe the
speaker and learn the way
in which they deliver the
presentation. Other than
this lastly, I will research
about presentation skills on
internet so that I can gain
as much knowledge as
possible.
By analysing
feedback
provided by
the seniors
and mentors
and working
upon it in
order to
measure
development
of
presentation
skills. I will
also focus on
working
upon tips
provided by
the speaker
in order to
measure
presentation
1 month
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skills
development.
Leadership
skills
Seminars to gain
knowledge about
leadership skills,
qualities and
characteristics.
Participation within
leadership
programmes (Lejeune,
Beausaert and
Raemdonck, 2018).
Internet, online
leadership courses.
Feedback from
seniors.
First of all, I will enrol
myself within a suitable
leadership program so that
I can learn leadership
qualities and skills that are
required to be present
within a leader. If not then
I will try to sign up within
online leadership courses in
order to develop effective
leadership skills and
characteristics. I will also
try to ask for feedback
from seniors so that I can
gain knowledge about
leadership qualities that are
required to be present
within a leader. Other than
this I will research about
leadership skills myself on
internet so that I can myself
work upon enhancing my
leadership skills in a much
better manner as per my
convenience.
By snalysing
results of
leadership
programme
or online
cources in
which I have
participated.
Analysis of
these results
will help me
in understand
level till
which
leadership
skills have
been
developed
within
myself. I will
try to take
charge of
leader within
group or
team
activities so
that I can
myself
understand
1.5
months
4

level till
which
leadership
skills have
been
developed
within syself.
Time
management
skills
Participation within
training and
development
programmes,
attending seminars
and conferences that
are based upon time
management.
Feedback from seniors
I will focus on participating
within various kinds of
training and development
programs that will be
focusing upon enhancing
one’s time management
skill. I will also ask for
training from seniors so
that their can work on my
current skills and develop
time management skills. I
will also attend seminars or
conferences so that I can
learn ways to work upon
developing one’s own
skills.
By analysing
results of
training and
development
sessions,
analysing
feedback
provides by
mentors,
seniors and
trainers,
development
of time
management
skills can be
analysed.
I month
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been summarized that working on a project helps in
developing various kinds of skills and learning that can help a person to succeed within their own
career. Working on live projects also helps an individual to identify skills that they need to focus
on for development in order to succeed within their own business careers.
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REREFENCES
Books and Journals
Botelho, W.T., and et. al., 2016. Kolb's experiential learning theory and Belhot's learning cycle
guiding the use of computer simulation in engineering education: A pedagogical
proposal to shift toward an experiential pedagogy. Computer Applications in
Engineering Education. 24(1). pp.79-88.
Forray, J.M., and et. al., 2017. Teaching methods and the Kolb learning cycle: Pedagogical
approaches in the Principles for Responsible Management Education domain.
In Educating for Responsible Management (pp. 325-352). Routledge.
Grit, R., 2019. Managing your competencies: personal development plan. Routledge.
Kolb, A. and Kolb, D., 2018. Eight important things to know about the experiential learning
cycle. Australian Educational Leader. 40(3). p.8.
Lejeune, C., Beausaert, S. and Raemdonck, I., 2018. The impact on employees’ job performance
of exercising self-directed learning within personal development plan practice. The
International Journal of Human Resource Management, pp.1-27.
Watson, M.K., and et. al., 2016. Assessing impacts of a learning-cycle-based module on students'
conceptual sustainability knowledge using concept maps and surveys. Journal of
cleaner production. 133. pp.544-556.
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