Self-managed learning: a tool for personal and professional development

Personal and professional
development

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Approaches to self-managed learning...................................................................................1
1.2 Ways of encouraging lifelong learning ................................................................................2
1.3 Benefits of self-managed learning to the individual and organisation..................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
2.1 Own current skills and competencies against professional standards and organisational
objectives.....................................................................................................................................4
2.2 Own development needs and the activities required to meet them.......................................6
2.3 Identification of development opportunities for meeting current and future defined needs.6
2.4 A personal and professional development plan based on identified needs...........................7
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................8
3.1 Processes and activities required to enforce developmental plan.........................................8
3.2 Undertaking and documenting development activities as planned.......................................8
3.3 Reflection on own learning against real aims and objectives...............................................8
3.4 Updating the development plan on the basis of feedback and evaluation............................9
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................9
4.1 Solutions to work based problems........................................................................................9
4.2 Different styles of communication........................................................................................9
4.3 Use of effective time management strategies......................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Professional development simply refers to acquiring knowledge and skills in order to
acquire official goals that are defined by some organisation (Stern and Brackett, 2012). On the
other hand personal development is nothing but improvement of skills so that personal growth is
made possible. This involves all types of expected learning opportunities and meetings which is
beneficial for an individual and helps it in achieving the set aim and objectives. The present
report describes various approaches to professional development. People may participate in such
development as having an interest in lifelong learning so that they can improve their skills and
maintain competence. In addition to this, a personal and professional development plan based on
identified needs is also discussed in this project.
TASK 1
1.1 Approaches to self-managed learning
Self-managed learning can be simply defined as an approach that helps in learning new
skills so that one become capable of doing its tasks more effectively. There are various
approaches of self-managed learning which are sated as below: Seminars and conferences: Any person can take part in seminars and conferences. It
helps them in improving their knowledge about some particular subject or topic. In
addition to this, it assists in increasing communication skills as people learn here the
proper way of giving presentation. In this process, their confidence level also enhances
and helps them in expressing views among such a large crowd (Trorey, 2017). Meta learning: It is normally learning about own self at a strategic level that facilitates
basic modification which is known as Meta learning. Attaining new skills, capabilities,
knowledge and competencies would be of no use if the managers in any corporation do
not change their mind-set or nature. Internet: Internet assists people in collecting any type of information. It allows an
individual to search data and increase their knowledge on various topics.
 Books, journals and articles: This is one of most genuine approaches that promotes self-
managed learning. These tools consist of detailed study that are required to be learned.
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1.2 Ways of encouraging lifelong learning
It is a type of learning procedure that is having an objective of designing short and long
term goals. Various ways can be adopted for inspiring lifelong learning. This is very significant
process as learning cannot be attained within a single day. So, it requires to be carried out every
day for whole life time. Some of the ways of doing this are listed below: Self-motivation: Lifelong learning cannot be achieved without being self-motivated. So, it
is important for an individual to convince itself from their heart that he requires to follow
some learning methods (Reeves, 2012.). Thus, it can said that motivation plays a vital
role in improving any skill in smooth manner. This aids in taking out various hindrances
that comes in the way of learning such as negativity, depression, moral failure, etc. Self-management: This is essential to manage activities and life styles for every one
because without organising own life styles, there will no effect of acquiring any skill as
this cannot be in-calculated within. Self-management is conducted according to some
principles, codes and guide lines so that no it can be done in effective manner.
 Self-monitoring: To understand core strength and weakness of own self is very necessary
as after interpreting that one can start development. This can be accomplished by
observing themselves in a distinct time frame regularly. Personal skills and capabilities
can be scrutinised by this process. This involves monitoring of all talents, skills, values
and interest of own self.
Kolb's learning styles can be used in this context. Kolb has provide four stages of learning which
is listed below :
 Concrete Experience : This states that a new experience of situation is occurred or
reinterpretation of existing one is followed. This is happened at the time of learning.
 Reflective observation : Here the new experience is monitored and understanding is
created on the basis of this. This means learning new thing is going on in this stage
(Moss, Gibson and Dollarhide, 2014). The knowledge which acquired is also observed to
know about the depth of newly generated concepts and how this can be applied in the
existing world.
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