Importance of Developing Individuals and Organizations

The assignment emphasizes the significance of developing individuals, teams, and organizations within an organization. It requires a personal skill audit and professional development plan to ensure HR advisors possess essential skills. The document also stresses the importance of continuous learning and professional development, as well as effective performance management and high-performance working systems.

DEVELOPING
INDIVIDUALS,
TEAMS AND
ORGANISATIONS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
SECTION 1 – PORTFOLIO............................................................................................................1
P1. Determination of appropriate and personal Knowledge, Skills and Attributes (KSA)
required by HR Advisor..............................................................................................................1
P2. Analysis of a complete Personal Skills Audit and development of a Professional
Development Plan.......................................................................................................................3
SECTION 1 – BRIEFING PAPER..................................................................................................6
P3. Difference between organisational and individual learning, training and development.......6
P4. Need of continuous learning and professional development...............................................8
SECTION 2......................................................................................................................................9
P5. Understanding of High Performance Working contributing to employee engagement and
competitive advantage.................................................................................................................9
P6. Evaluation of Different Approaches to Performance Management....................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Developing individuals, teams and organisation is a crucial activity for a company as it
ensures sustainability and better business growth. Furthermore, development of these three
elements helps an organisation to gain a firm competitive advantage even in a dynamic business
environment. In addition to this, development in knowledge, skills and attributes of individuals,
teams as well as organisation assists a firm in developing a better working environment
contributing effectively in its enhanced profitability. The following report is based on
development of individuals and teams within Hightown Housing Association and is divided into
two sections. The first section deals with analysis of knowledge, skills and attributes for an HR
Advisor's role as well as a personal skills audit, along with a detailed professional development
plan. Second section of this report, however, covers high performance working and performance
management.
SECTION 1 – PORTFOLIO
P1. Determination of appropriate and personal Knowledge, Skills and Attributes (KSA) required
by HR Advisor
An HR advisor is an individual which acts as an intermediary between HR team of an
organisation as well as other departments within the country. Their role is quite important within
a company as they serve as an immediate contact middle managers as well as line managers of
an organisation. Within a specific role, it is crucial that an effective sort of Knowledge, Skills
and Attributes are present within an individuals which are essentials for that particular job post.
Knowledge refers to the information regarding a specific job role, whereas skills for a job role
refers to the competencies of handling the responsibilities of the same. Lastly, attributes are
personal traits that must be present for a job role. These elements could be an effective criteria
to judge whether an individual is apt for a job role or do they need more work towards enhancing
their Knowledge, Skills and Attributes.
In context with Hightown Housing, there are several factors which must be possessed by
an HR Advisor for effectively excelling in their role. These aspects are mentioned below:
Knowledge: Company's Policies and Procedures: One of most important aspects for which HR
Advisor needs to be updated about is the policies as well as the procedures of an
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organisation. For Hightown Housing, it is very crucial that HR adviser have prominent
knowledge about organisational policies such as its code of conduct, contractual terms
and condition, disciplinary procedures, etc.
 Employment Law: Employment Legislation covers each and every regulation and law
which governs the interest of employees working within a company. Furthermore, these
legislations also cover areas of interest of the workforce and protects them from any sort
of discriminatory practice. Thus, it is important that HR Advisor within the firm gain
crucial knowledge about these legislations.
Skills: Management Skills: There are various responsibilities for the HR Advisor within an
organisation like Hightown Housing, such as supporting managers, managing team
change, relocations, restructures, as well as other crucial factors within the firm. These
activities require HR Advisors to plan, organise, direct and control each of these
operations and thus, possess effective management skills.
 Communication Skills: Another skill which is a must have within the HR Advisor of
Hightown Housing is communication skills. This is because, regardless of the sector in
which an organisation operates, each company is required to exchange crucial
information. Thus, HR Advisor, in relation to communicate with managers and other
entities within the organisation are needed to possess this skills to exchange crucial
information verbally as well as using written communication methods.
Attributes: Multitasking: Within an HR Advisor, multitasking is one prominent attribute which is
essential for the individual to carry out their Human Resource functions in an appropriate
manner. This individual within Hightown Housing requires to perform several activities
simultaneously, such as, monitoring HR KPIs, developing effective working
relationships, managing employee performance, etc. All these roles are required to be
carefully executed which could only be performed by multitasking.
 Ethics: Another appropriate attribute which must be present within an HR Advisor is that
the entity effectively comply with the ethical standards expected by the firm for these
individuals. Moreover, it is also very important that along with compliance in ethical
standards, HR Advisors also prominently comply with the legal requirements as well.
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P2. Analysis of a complete Personal Skills Audit and development of a Professional
Development Plan
Personal Skills Audit is a practice to evaluate one's own personal skills against the
requirements of a particular job role. This practice allows individuals to effectively evaluate each
and every element with respect to Knowledge, Skills and Attributes and would assist in
determining their strengths and weaknesses in relation to their suitability for a specific job role.
As for the role of HR Advisor, below is my personal skills audit.
KNOWLEDGE VERY GOOD GOOD ADEQUATE LIMITED
KNOWLEDGE
Company's
Procedures and
Policies
✔
Employment Laws ✔
SKILLS VERY GOOD GOOD ADEQUATE LIMITED
EXPERIENCE
Management Skills ✔
Communication
Skills ✔
ATTRIBUTES VERY GOOD GOOD ADEQUATE LIMITED
INHERITANCE
Multitasking ✔
Ethics ✔
There are various Knowledge, Skills and Attributes which are essential to be possessed
by an HR Advisor. However, there are certain strengths and weaknesses in this respect which are
described below:
Strengths: Employment Laws: One of my most prominent strengths is that I have a detailed
knowledge about Employee Legislations and other regulation which governs their
interest. Management Skills: As for skills, I carefully plan and organise each activity which is
required to be performed by me or my subordinates and effectively monitor and control
the performance of my juniors appropriately.
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 Ethics: I comply with each ethical standard required for me to follow. Moreover, with
my knowledge of employment laws, I tend to comply with the legal standards as well.
Weaknesses: Company's Procedures and Policies: I have limited knowledge about the procedures
followed by Hightown Housing and all the policies which are established within the firm.
This could be my biggest weakness and would invite challenges for me in the future. Communication Skills: As for communication, my verbal communication skills are quite
effective, however, I require to work on my written communication skill as sometimes I
fail to develop appropriate flow in my reports which in turn could be a weakness.
 Multitasking: I fail to perform several task simultaneously and my performance becomes
ineffective as my multitasking skills induces pressure and stress which makes me quite
ineffective as an HR Advisor.
As per the evaluation through Personal Skills above, there are various aspects from
Knowledge, Skills and Attributes mentioned above that requires to be developed by me in order
to excel my role as an HR Advisor. For this purpose, a Professional Development Plan is being
developed which is discussed below:
Development
Objectives Priority
Activities to
be
undertaken
Resources Timeline Criteria for
Success
Company's
Policies and
Procedures
HIGH To enhance
knowledge
related to
procedures
and policies
adopted by
Hightown
Housing, I
would be
performing
extensive
Company
Journals,
Modules and
Annual
Reports are
few of the
resources
which would
help me in
enhancing
knowledge.
2 Month Better and
effective advising
managers and
other employees
in relation to
good practices
that must be
followed in
alignment with
the policies and
organisational
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research
about the
company and
all the
practices the
firm follows
along with
the
organisational
policies.
procedures.
Communicati
on Skills MEDIUM
To ensure
betterment in
this skill, I
plan to take
up seminars
and
conferences
where I
would learn
various
methods and
techniques
which could
help me in
communicati
ng
effectively.
Mock
Activities in
Seminars and
Conference
Modules are
appropriate
resources
which would
assist me in
increasing my
written
communication
skills.
3 Months
Appropriate
letters, better
written
instructions and
well crafter
written reports
would be the
criteria for
success.
Multitasking LOW Undergoing
training
sessions,
mock test
Feedback from
training
instructors
would be
6 Months Effective
handling of
operations and
managing and
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activities
which would
be providing
an insight
into the best
techniques for
improving
multitasking.
effective
resource for
me to increase
multitasking
attributes.
completing
complex tasks
simultaneously
would be criteria
for success.
All these elements are important to be possessed and adapted by HR Advisor as a
housing organisation like Hightown Housing have several policies and procedures which are
required to be understood by the individual. Further, there are various human resources working
in the housing which are needed to be communicated effectively regarding their roles, activities
or advices. Moreover, there are several tasks required to be headed daily by HR Advisors which
needs multitasking.
SECTION 1 – BRIEFING PAPER
P3. Difference between organisational and individual learning, training and development
Within an organisation, learning and development both have significant importance as
both of these activities allow these organisations to effectively enhance their sustainability and
ensure proper growth. Furthermore, it would also help the firm in building a culture with
sustainable business performance within the market which could be the root cause of their
competitive advantage. However, as for learning and development, these are different concepts
which are required to be differentiated in order to be properly understood. These concepts are
discussed below:
Individual and Organisational Learning: Individual Learning: This type of learning refers to the capabilities and competencies of
an individual to acquire knowledge about different concepts through various external
environmental resources. Personal reflection and personal initiation play crucial roles in
individual learning. Another effective factor which influences this learning in Hightown
Housing is personal interaction amongst individuals.
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 Organisational Learning: As for this learning, it is referred to the learning which is
facilitated throughout an organisation. Several concepts, methods and techniques are
conveyed and taught within Hightown Housing which reflects in the effective
performances of its employees.
However, there are subsequent differences between the two elements which are discussed
below:
BASIS INDIVIDUAL LEARNING ORGANISATIONAL
LEARNING
RIGIDITY
This learning is quite flexible
as individuals are in charge of
choosing their own learning
methods.
A rather rigid process, as
whole company uses same
methods to gain knowledge
within the organisation.
SCOPE
Scope of this learning is quite
narrow as emphasis is purely
increasing an individual's
knowledge.
In comparison to individual
learning, this has a rather
wider scope knowledge of the
whole organisation is
improved.
Training and Development: Training: It is referred to a procedure undertaken by individuals in order to enhance their
skill for a certain job role. For instance, Hightown Housing provides training to their
managers in order to manage each organisational activity appropriately.
 Development: This is an ongoing procedure of enhancement of overall personality and
not just for a particular role. Whole career development of individuals within the housing
organisation is taken into perspective.
The difference between both these factors are discussed below:
BASIS TRAINING DEVELOPMENT
AIM The agenda of training at Overall development and
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Hightown Housing is to ensure
an individual excelling at
specific job profile.
enhancement of individuals is
promoted through this process.
SCOPE
The scope of training is quite
narrow because it focuses on
immediate organisational
needs.
Due to its futuristic approach
and overall enhancement,
scope of development is quite
wide.
P4. Need of continuous learning and professional development
Continuous learning is a procedure which is undertaken by organisations with respect to
gain knowledge through distinct aspects within a business environment as well as complying
with all the latest development in industry. Within Hightown Housing, this type of learning
would ensure competence and would be able to conduct its operations more effectively.
As for Professional Development, this refers to procedure by which individuals increases
their competence through several training and development within or external to the
organisation. It enhances effectiveness in their performance as well as that of the organisation.
There are several steps through which inclusive learning and development culture could
be established within Hightown Housing. These steps are mentioned below: Educating Leaders: One of the most crucial steps in establishing an inclusive culture is
through educating the leaders about the importance of continuous learning and
professional development. Their understanding in this perspective could have a
prominent role in the same. Managers could ensure proper management of this culture by
adopting new methods for inclusive culture that would ensure its effective
implementation. Employee Involvement: Another step is to involve employees within implementation of
this new culture. Their involvement would allow them to suggest alternatives that could
contribute to implementation of a better culture within the company, inclusive of
professional development and continuous learning.
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 Communication: Another key aspect of this culture is communication. Each employee in
Hightown Housing must be communicated regarding why such culture would bring
benefits to their personal career and its need within the company for sustainable growth.
Another prominent concept which is essential to be understood within Hightown Housing
is Continuous Professional Development. It is a procedure of managing development of each and
every individuals on a regular basis. It is required to be tracked within the firm to ensure
consistency in growth of performance of each employee. To implement the same within
Hightown Housing, Kolb's Learning Cycle Model is used which is described below: Experience: This relates to experiences of each day, where employees encounter a new
experience related to their job roles, or an existing one as a reinterpretation. Reflection: This step of the cycle emphasise on reflective observation, occurrence of
which becomes evident through having new and unique experiences. It is crucial for
leadeers within Hightown Housing to effectively reflect on their experiences, whereas
adjust their methods in relation to overcome new challenges and take effective decisions. Conceptualisation:This step focuses on the observations above and channelise those into
an effective approach. This new approach could help in modifying existing concepts
which enhances their odds of performing their tasks even better.
 Active Experimentation: This requires individuals to test their existing ideas through
creation of new experiences and actively indulge in the same which allows them to
appropriately enhance their performance through practical implementation and strategic
planning.
SECTION 2
P5. Understanding of High Performance Working contributing to employee engagement and
competitive advantage
High Performance Working refers to a work environment adopted by companies which
appropriately create transparency, as well as a sense of trust within employees. Moreover, this
type of working promotes a flatter organisational structure as well as reduction in levels of
hierarchy. Moreover, through creation of high performance working environment, the workforce
could easily be motivated and their performance could be effectively improved.
There are several elements of HPW systems which are mentioned below:
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 Structure: This element within the HPW is emphasised to be quite flatter as
communication is better in this structure. Human Resources: This element refers to human resources who work towards
accomplishing organisational objectives.
 Task Design: Tasks in the firm are appropriately designed with respect to skills as well
as competencies of an employee. This contributes in their enhanced performance.
High Performance Working practices have a clear link between employee engagement as
well as improved organisational performance. This link is mentioned below: Sharing of roles and responsibilities: One prominent aspect of High Performance
Working practice is sharing of duties by effective delegating. Furthermore, collaboration
is highly promoted within HPW which ensures a healthier working environment and high
employee engagement.
 Transparent communication: Another factor which is promoted within HPW is
transparent communication which ensures a free and transparent flow of information.
This allows the firm to build an effective work culture within Hightown Housing and
with such clarity in communication, employees feel free to communicate any sort of
trouble, which ensures their long term engagement.
With respect to Hightown Housing, High Performance Working helps in better skill
utilisation. For instance, in context with managers, it is essential for these individuals to possess
certain skills such as managing and leadership skills to manage the overall housing activities.
High Performance Working encourages appropriate motivation and better organising of each
activity which would promote their skills to be more effectively utilised.
P6. Evaluation of Different Approaches to Performance Management
Performance Management refers to the activity which is effectively undertaken by any
organisation to track, monitor as well as manage performance of each employee working within
their company. It involves all the activities that are required to measure operations performed by
employees and implementing techniques that could improve their performances. Furthermore,
these activities also aid in motivating employees.
There are various approaches to performance management which are mentioned below: Collaborative Approach: This approach would be helpful for Hightown Housing to
effectively assist the employees to operate in groups and collaborate their skills and
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attributes to attain a common objectives. Within each group, the performance of each
employee is ranked which ensure engagement and better management in performance. Comparative Approach: This approach helps in monitoring performance through setting
up ranks for different tasks and their contribution towards accomplishment of
organisational objectives. This could be utilised by Hightown Housing in relation to
effectively segregate employees on basis of their performances and ensure proper training
program to improve performance of the individuals with lesser ranks.
 Attributes Approach: In this approach, organisation sets up different attributes as criteria
for judgements. Based on these attributes, employees are provided different ranks using
Graphical Rating Scale. This would allow individuals in Hightown Housing to determine
skills and abilities in employees of their organisation.
High performance culture refers to a culture adopted by organisations in relation to
ensure a culture related to High Performance Working within the company. If performance
management is applied along with collaborative working and effective communication, this
would allow the firm to communicate their agenda with their employees and effectively work
together to create high performance culture and commitment.
CONCLUSION
Thus, it is concluded that developing individuals, teams and organisations is a very
important practice which must be adopted within organisations. It is crucial to determine
appropriate Knowledge, Skills and Attributes of an HR Advisor along with a personal skill audit
and professional development plan to ensure possessing effective aspects which are essential for
that particular job role. Furthermore, it is important to understand difference between
organisational and individual learning and training and development. Furthermore, Continuous
learning and professional development must be important exercises within a company. Lastly,
High Performance Working and Performance Management must be effectively implemented
within an organisation in an effective manner to ensure employee engagement and better
working.
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