Individual Learning and Development Plan for Project Management Students

Running head: INDIVIDUAL LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN
INDIVIDUAL LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

INDIVIDUAL LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN1
Introduction
I, (...........), am a student pursuing a postgraduate Project Management course in
Asia Pacific International College. I have completed my Bachelors in Electronics and
Communication engineering. In addition to this, I have also completed a Diploma course in
Management. Having received education from a reputed school in Australia, I chose to
pursue my higher education in this institution as it offers a systematic training in the field of
Project Management. I am an enthusiastic and positive person, who is good at working in
teams, owing to my involvement in sports throughout my school life.
Megatrends and Challenges
Competitive pressure in various fields of profession are determined by megatrends
(Holbeche 2015). The role of Project Managers is important to ensure the success of business
organizations. It is also required for the project managers to comprehend and analyze the
forces that influence the proper functioning of the organization. In this respect, they are
required to adapt to the changing needs and trends of the business and adopt flexible methods
to address the project works, stakeholders and team members (Canty 2015). The challenges
involving the role of a Project Manager include:
 Adapting to changes – A project manager is expected to adapt to the changing trends
in project-based tasks. These changes may be technologically induced or may involve
uncertainties involving the projects itself.
 Fulfilling the goals of the organization - Fulfillment of the goals set by the business
organization can prove to be a challenge to the Project Manager. It is so because the
tasks assigned in the project must be directed keeping in mind its effect on the
organization.

INDIVIDUAL LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN2
 Collaborating team members - The project manager faces challenges in the field of
collaboration with team members for a specific purpose. This requires leadership and
organizational skills (Zulch 2014).
 Managing risks involved in projects - It is the project manager’s role to ensure that the
challenges involved in the project undertaken are low. The play an important role in
risk minimization for the organization.
 Handling miscommunications - Project Managers also need to communicate
efficiently with the team members as miscommunication can lead to disruptions in
their functions (Heagney 2016).
Improvements intended towards the efficiency of project management can ensure a
successful overcoming of the challenges in this profession. These improvements include:
 Outlining the projects – A project manager can improve on structuring the way in
which the various processes of the task will be carried out to induce the expected
results.
 Allocation of teams - It is the function of the project manager to assign members to
various teams thereby allocating the tasks of the project to them.
 Prioritizing goals - The project manager should also prioritize the goals of the
business organization in order to direct the functions of the teams accordingly
(Crawford 2014).
 Time management – This is an important objective of the project manager so as to
deliver optimum results and complete the projects within stipulated periods. To
achieve this, the various tasks of the project must be efficiently divided.
 Communication skills - An improvement in communication with the team members
as well as the stakeholders is also essential in ensuring in efficiency performance of
tasks.

INDIVIDUAL LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN3
Investment for the development of the skills of Project Managers has been undertaken by
various organizations to guarantee success in their organizational projects (Meredith, Mantel,
and Shafer 2017). Such investments in training is essential for the ability of the Project
Managers to tackle tasks in various fields.
The profession of project management also faces competitions from other professions
like that of a superintendent, business developer, operations director, management consultant
and chief executive officer (Kaiser, El Arbi and Ahlemann 2015). These professions
encompass different job roles that can be undertaken by students of project management.
Goals
Project Management is a role that is required in almost every business organization.
This profession thereby shows a scope for growth and has opportunities in the field of
adoption and respect (Serrador and Turner 2015). So, my professional goals are oriented to
undertake the tasks that are assigned to me and deliver them with utmost efficiency and can
be stated as follows:
 Setting specific project goals – My professional goal as a Project Manager is to be
specific regarding the objectives of the projects and make them comprehensible to my
team members.
 Time management – In order to ensure efficiency, I must complete the projects
assigned to me within the stipulated time, and ensure time management from my team
members.
 Good communication – My goal will also be proper communication with my
superiors and subordinates in the organization to minimize misunderstandings
pertaining to the business processes.