Personal and Professional Development: A Comprehensive Guide to Self-Managed Learning and Development

This comprehensive guide explores the importance of personal and professional development, focusing on self-managed learning strategies. It delves into six different approaches to self-managed learning, including coaching, seminars, interviews, conferences, internet resources, and social networks. The guide also provides a personal skills audit, SWOT analysis, and SMART objectives for personal development. It further examines effective time management strategies and their strengths and weaknesses. This resource is designed to empower individuals to take control of their learning journey and achieve their personal and professional goals.

Personal and Professional Development
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Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 3
Task 1 – Essay............................................................................................................................ 4
AC 1.1: From the above scenario evaluate six different approaches to self-managed learning
that you have undertaken or you intend to take as part of lifelong learning either from your
workplace or during your time of learning at LSST...................................................................4
AC 1.2 Propose ways in which lifelong learning in your personal and professional contexts
could be encouraged................................................................................................................ 7
AC 1.3 Evaluate the benefits of approaches to self-managed learning.............................8
Task 2........................................................................................................................................ 10
a). Personal Skills Audit and ratings with justifications for the rating.....................................10
b). SWOT Analysis to evaluate own current skills and competencies against professional
standards and organizational objectives. Identify areas for development and opportunities to
meet the current and future defined needs.............................................................................12
Task 3 Personal Development...................................................................................................14
3.1, 3.2 Identify 3 short-term and 3 long-term SMART objectives for own development needs
and the activities needed to carry out to achieve the identified objectives. [2.2, 2.4]..............14
3.3 Critically reflect on own learning throughout this unit against the original aims and
objectives set in the PDP. [M2]..............................................................................................16
4.1 Select work based solution on various situational Problems............................................18
4.2 One of the ways to demonstrate acquired skills that you have developed during your work
or studies is to communicate in a variety of styles and appropriate manner at various times.
[M3]........................................................................................................................................ 20
4.3 Evaluate effective time management strategies that can help you manage your time
effectively. [D3]....................................................................................................................... 23
Conclusion................................................................................................................................. 24
References................................................................................................................................ 25
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Introduction
This study of personal and professional development generally focuses on improving
the skills of learners which can help in making them or their business successful. Six
different approaches to self-managed learning have been taken place in this unit to
understand well which basically includes coaching, interviews, seminars and etc.
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Task 1 – Essay
AC 1.1: From the above scenario evaluate six different approaches to self-
managed learning that you have undertaken or you intend to take as part of
lifelong learning either from your workplace or during your time of learning at
LSST.
There are various approaches which can get used in the self-managing and learning.
Some of those approaches are well discussed below-
Different Approaches Advantages Disadvantages
1. Monitoring/Coaching It greatly helps the
association in various
manners. The experts
share their own knowledge
and experience with the
workers or employees of
the association.
Sometimes providing
coaching to the people who
are already knowledgeable
enough becomes the
wastage of time. It also
includes some advantages
as to create self-awareness
& behaviors as well manner
(Panganiban, et. al., 2017).
2.Seminars Many of the seminars get
arranged for improving the
various skills of the
employees such as
presentation skills,
communication skills and
etc. Some of these skills
also help others in
motivating to speak in the
Sometimes wrong
knowledge gets shared by
the speakers which lead to
the disadvantage of taking
part in the seminar. Some
of the advantages are their
of seminar that people who
are less likely to read can
take part in the seminar to
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public places without any
kind of fear. They get
confidence by attending
these kinds of seminars
which makes their personal
and professional life better
(Donnelly, 2017).
gain knowledge.
Sometimes people expects
too much to gain from the
seminar, not meeting that
becomes the disadvantage
of it.
3. Interviews It includes the advantage of
developing the relationship
between employee and
employer.It mostly gets
used in the professional life
as because before getting
hired by any of the
association, the managers
of the concern departments
checks the capability or
reliability of the candidate.
They also focus on the
skills of the person by
taking care of the needs
and requirements of the
person (Smith, et. al.,
2017).
At the other hand less
attention of both interviewer
and interviewee becomes
the disadvantage of this
process and leads to
dissatisfaction.
4. Conferences It includes the advantage of
including various ways to
increase the efficiency of
skills. Conferences also
Lacking behind with this
efficiency or perfect
workshops proper manner
becomes the disadvantage
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help in increasing the
knowledge about self-
managed learning in
various manners. It
includes some research or
workshops to increase the
skills and knowledge of
people (SKOVHOLT, et. al.,
2017).
of it.
5. Use of internet Using the internet in various
ways also helps in
increasing the skills of
learning and motivation. It
includes some advantages
by adding some more
qualities to increase the
efficiency of the person
related to their work.
Taking the use of internet in
bad manner becomes the
disadvantage of it.
6. Social Networks It gets consider as one of
the best way which helps in
self-managing & learning
the various things which are
importantly required in
personal & professional
development.
Many of the times people
takes the use of social sites
in some negative use which
hampers their development
in most negative manner
and leads to the
disadvantage of it.
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AC 1.2 Propose ways in which lifelong learning in your personal and professional
contexts could be encouraged.
Some of the important ways in which lifelong learning in the professional and personal
context can get encouraged in an attractive manner are well discussed below-
 Continuous Learning- According toBryant-Jefferies (2017), the continuous or self-
managed learning are the most useful techniques which provide a regular learning to all
the individuals and as same it also helps in improving the capacity of a person in the
lifelong learning.
 Encouraging self-directed learning- It is very well known that encouraging own self
for learning more and more can be the best way of personal development. It is very
important to encourage for learning anything new on each and every day, It will greatly
help in enhancing the knowledge about many of the areas and as same it will be
contributing in the various ways of personal & professional development (Bryant-
Jefferies, 2017).
 Linking higher education with industry- Linking the association with the higher
education or industries can also help in increasing the knowledge and various ways of
improvement. It will help in adding some more ways for the professional & personal
development.
 Credit Accumulation and Transfer Schemes(CATS)- It mostly gets used by the
topmost universities in the United Kingdom. It helps in monitoring the rewards,
records and etc by a modular degree of courses for facilitating the various
movements between institutions and courses as well.
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AC 1.3 E valuatethe benefitsof approaches to self-managed learning.
It has been observed that the self-managed learning contributes to improving all the
skills of a person which are quite related to personal or business skills. As same it also
helps in adding some more important skills which can greatly contribute to meeting the
needs and requirements of personal and professional development.
1. Coaching or monitoring
It includes some attractive ways through which a person gets more motivated or
encouraged towards himself or his professional career. Coaching and monitoring also
include the various ways from which the personal and professional development can get
improved in an attractive manner.
Benefits to Self
It will help me in improving my skills to perform better.
Benefit to Organisation
Improved performance by monitoring or coaching will help in increasing the productivity
of the business in an efficient manner.
2. Seminars
According toAmar, et. al., (2017), a seminar also contributes in getting some more ideas
and thoughts which can make the business much more successful and efficient in
various manners.
Benefits to Self
It will increase my level of thinking for making the performance better.
Benefit to Organisation
It will also help in the development of the staff for achieving the senior roles.
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3. Interview
Interviews help in finding out the things from which a person is lacking behind with. The
feedbacks greatly help in increasing the self-confidence of an individual. In the process
of interview overall quality of a person gets observed in behalf of which sometimes the
interviewer suggests a person to improve on some various ways (Amar, et. al., 2017).
Benefits to Self
I will get a chance to improve myself in all those areas which are required. It will help in
the personal development of mine. As same my self –confidence will get increased.
Benefit to Organisation
By the process of interview association will get help in selecting those candidates who
are meeting the expectations of the business.
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Task 2
a). Personal Skills Audit and ratings with justifications for the rating.
Some of the personal skills and their ratings with the justifications are described well
below. It basically includes all those top skills, the employer looks for.
Rating Skills Description
1. 1. Communication
Skills
It is the topmost requirements of any of the
employer to have in the employees, as same in
H&M. The communication is the only way to attract
people towards the business. The communication
skills of mine will helps in reducing the various risk
factors of the business in an attractive manner. As
same it is the most perfect way of increasing the
level of the customers in the target market. At the
other hand, it will also help me in increasing the
goodwill of the business in the target market which
greatly contributes to meeting the objectives of the
business in a successful.
2. Presenting Skills The presentation skills are also importantly
required in meeting the desires of the business in
an efficient manner. Good presentation skills of
mine will help in attracting the people towards the
business. I will lead to build a successful empire
with a positive image in the target market.
3. Learning Skills Having leaning skills in an employee greatly
contributes to adopting the required changes and
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information. This skill of mine will attractively help
in meeting the challenges which are getting faced
by the association. As same the learning skills of
mine will also contribute in meeting the actual
requirements of the business in the perfect time
frame. As because a person with the learning skills
brings some continuous changes in the products
and services so that customers can get satisfied
fully. Including some innovative and creative
changes I will lead to take the business on top in
an attractive manner.
4. Writing Skills It is also one of the most important requirements of
an employer in an employee which helps a person
to be more professional. Good writing skills of
mine will help in the various procedures such as e-
mails and etc.
5. Leadership skills .The leadership skills of mine will greatly help in
motivating and encouraging the other people in
meeting the objectives and goals of the business
in an appropriate manner. By this I will be able to
add some more ways which can attractively help in
taking the business on top with goodwill by making
the customers satisfied in each and every manner.
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b). SWOT Analysis to evaluate own current skills and competencies against
professional standards and organizational objectives. Identify areas for
development and opportunities to meet the current and future defined needs.
Strengths Weaknesses
As per my understanding, the
communication skills of mine are so
effective and help me so greatly in
communicating with my friends or
colleagues at my workplace.
As I am a goal oriented personality, it also
helps me in achieving my targets in set
time frame without facing any negative
experience. Because of this skill, I became
able to meet my target in an efficient
manner.
By being optimistic I always try to not to
get indulge in any negative things. My
leaders are my inspiration which greatly
helps me in achieving my objectives which
also helps the business in various
manners.
Being a good learner it becomes so easy
for me to adopt all the required changes in
an easy manner.
Sometimes because of my shyness, I get
fail to showcase my opinions, thoughts,
and views on various matters which make
me regret later on.
I am having a phobia of performing on
stage because of which many of the times
I feels so restless & unable to put all my
efforts for expressing my ideas and
thoughts.
Various times I fail in controlling my
feelings and become unable to stable
emotionally. It adds so many demerits in
my performances.
I over think and over analyse on some
matters which creates the various issues
in implementation and presents many of
the problems in my performances.
Opportunities Threats
All the weaknesses of mine such as fear of I have the limited time for developing all
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performing on stage and etc. can get
overcome by taking some training. It will
help me in becoming more presentable in
front of the people.
By taking the training sessions, it will help
me in increasing all my learning skills. As
same various attributes will get add-on
which will help me in progressing more in
performance.
As I am in one of the team-oriented
personality, it will help me to overcome
many of the difficulties which arise in the
work. The scopes of the various abilities
get increased by my optimism.
my weaknesses and as same to remove
them fully.
In the daily routine, there is no enormous
time gets left for the self-reflection as the
regular demands get copied.
Most of the times my morale's gets
downfall as because there is a higher level
of competition I face at my workplace. It
also makes me demotivated.
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Task 3Personal Development
3.1, 3.2 Identify 3 short-term and 3 long-term SMART objectives for own
development needs and the activities needed to carry out to achieve the identified
objectives. [2.2, 2.4]
SMART OBJECTIVES
S (Specific) –To overcome with shyness.
M (Measurable Measurement) - To overcome with the phobia of performing on stage.
A (Achievable) - To overcome from being unstable emotionally.
R (Relevant) - To overcome from overthinking.
T (Time-Oriented) - To overcome from missing the deadline of work.
Smart Objectives Activities for
achieving the
objectives
Timeframe
The overachieving target
for the year as short-
term Objective
For this, I will have to
increase the efficiency
of the work
6 Month
For achieving the over
target annually of next 5
years as long-term
objectives
To motivate the other
and self for working
more and more with
the best quality
service.
2 Years
Increasing the GDP Looking for the 5Years
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growth of the business
as long-term objectives
maintenance of all the
assets, development
and research and etc.
Increasing the revenues
of the year
I will have to focus on
the quality of my work
in an efficient manner.
5 Year
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3.3 Critically reflect on own learning throughout this unit against the original aims
and objectives set in the PDP. [M2]
By this study, various ways of learning have been taken place. I will get help in
obtaining the various skills which will help me in future in my personal and professional
development as well. It has been observed by me that improving the learning skills will
greatly help me in focusing on some ways to increases the efficiency of mine and
business both. It will help me in an effective communication which will greatly contribute
to my personal development in future references. The learning skill will also help in
meeting the objectives of the business by including some various ways of
improvements. It will also help me in fighting with the boredom.
By improved writing skillsI will get help me in clearing the mind and making the
communication better. It includes the various ways such as memos, emails, reports,
letters and etc. The good written skills of mine will help me in making my communication
more presentable and attractive as well. As same it makes other people focus on in an
efficient manner. It will also help me in my personal development. By writing the
thoughts, doubts, grievances, fantasies and whatever crosses in the mind greatly helps
in implementing all those in an easier manner. By the help of writing habit, the various
chances of missing the objectives get reduced It will greatly help me in meeting the
needs and requirements of my personal and professional development in future
references.
The improved communication skills will add some extra benefits to my performance and
make it better. By the good communication I will get help me in meeting the objectives
of the business in an easy manner. People or customers get more satisfied and happy
by this. It also helps in attracting them towards the business. The good communication
skills of mine will help the business in reducing the chances of various risk factors. The
number of the dissatisfied customer will get reduced which will directly impact on the
goodwill of the business positively.
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The improved presentation skills of mine will also help me in presenting my thoughts
and ideas in front of the business. As same it will greatly contribute to impressing my
seniors in a different manner that will help me and business in meeting all the needs
and requirements in an efficient manner. Good presentation is the key to attracting so
many people so that the efficiency of the profits can get increased.
Leadership skills of mine will also contribute to meeting the objective of the business in
an efficient manner. Employees will get encouraged or motivated by me, which will help
in boosting up the morale of all those employees in an efficient manner. The employees
will tend to work harder with quality which will help the business in satisfying the
customers and taking the business on top. All these improved skills will help me in my
personal and professional development in an efficient manner.
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Task 4ESSAY
Introduction
In this study the various work based solution in the different situational problems will
take place in. Root cause analysis or force field analysis will get include herein to
understand better.
4.1 Select work based solution on various situational Problems.
There are so many challenges which get faced by the H&M to reach on top. These
challenges generally include the other employment and discrimination challenges. It is
importantly required for the association to present the various strategies or some ways
for reducing such problems like technological or economic problems. It creates issues in
setting the objectives and goals of the business. It is also important for ensuring that the
associations provide the safeguard for safety and health of the employees. It also
focuses on including some guidelines or policies that need to get followed by each and
every employee of the association.
Identification of Issues -
 Issues related to risk
 Issue of internal communication
Root CauseAnalysis- According toMeichenbaum (2017), it is well known as the
systematic process which greatly helps in identifying the root causes of the issues or
problems. As same it also includes the solutions to it. Root cause analysis is basically
based on the idea which is required by the effective management. RCA includes some
steps to perform such as identification of some casual factors, identification of root
cause, identification of communication challenges and then to prioritize the challenges
of the communication. All these steps greatly help the business in reducing various
issues and all those risk factors which can hamper the goodwill and success of the
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business in any which ways. Business becomes able to get rid of all those problems
which can affect the positivity of the business in any manner (Meichenbaum, 2017).
Force Field Analysis- It generally helps in thinking about the pressure or against a
changed decision. It helps in providing the various factors or forces that helps in
influencing the situation and greatly contributes in improving the internal
communication. This process leads to provide the solutions of various issues in different
manner.
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4.2 One of the ways to demonstrate acquired skills that you have developed
during your work or studies is to communicate in a variety of styles and
appropriate manner at various times. [M3]
Communication can get differentiated into three different categories such as verbal
communication, written communication or non- verbal communication and written
communication. All these communication styles are well described below-
 Verbal communicationincludes the oral communication which helps in the business
and personal life as well. In this people tends to talk to each other by telephone, phone
or face to face to clear any queries (Megginson, et. al., 2017).
 Non- verbal communication gets defined as the conversation without words. It
basically includes the facial expressions, touching, eyes, voice tone and etc. (Markham,
et. al., 2017).
 Written communication involves all those conversations which get conducted by the
use of written words. Message typing, e-mails are the best examples of it (Grant, 2017).
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CURRICULUM VITAE-
CURRICULUM VITAE
Almond Frances
Add: 7th street
Mobile No: 0012412254
Objective
To be associated with the progressive association which gives me wider scopes for
applying my educational & professional skills. As same provides me the knowledge
empowerments and advancement opportunity.
Assets
Goal Oriented, Hard- Worker, Multi-talented, Positive attitude
Educational Qualification
Higher Education in 2004 from XYZ University.
Technical Qualification
Diploma in computer applications.
Work Experience
1 Year experience with XYZ company.
Strengths
Good Learner
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Great command on writing skills
Great leadership skill
Good speaker
Goal Oriented personality
Hobbies
Performing on stage, Hang out with friends, interacting with people.
Personal Profile
Father’s Name- Anderson Robert
Date Of Birth- 23-09-1880
Language Known- English
Date:
Place:
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4.3 Evaluate effective time management strategies that can help you manage your
time effectively. [D3]
There are various strategies which get used in the management which greatly helps the
H&M in meeting its objectives and goals. Some of those strategies are well discussed
below-
 Prioritising workloads- This strategy mainly focuses on prioritising all those works
which are very important to get completed within the limited time frame. The works
which are of high priority needs to get completed firstly without any disturbance.
 Pareto- 80-20 and Pickle Jar- This strategy of management includes avoiding the
small tasks which are time to consume. At the other hand, it focuses on those
tasks which include the greatest profits and benefits to the business.
The two time management strategy greatly helps in meeting the needs and
requirements of the business in an efficient manner. The two time
management strategies with their strengths and weakness are well discussed
below-
 Strengths-According to Berk (2017), it focuses on high demand or value activities
and reduces the interruptions(Berk, 2017).
 Weaknesses- According to Trorey, et. al., (2017), it includes the strategy of can't
say no. Various times the two time management strategy includes the
mismanagement of the business which hampers the success of the business
(Trorey, et. al., 2017).
Conclusion
This study helps in understanding about the various strategies of effective time
management for managing the work or time in an easy manner.
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Conclusion
This study of personal and professional development includes the planning of personal
and professional development. Various strategies for managing the time in an
appropriate manner have also taken place in. The strengths and weaknesses of two
time management have been explained in an efficient manner which helps the business
in various ways to perform effectively.
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References
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professional development in medicine. CRC Press.
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 Smith, M.K., and Lewis, M., 2017. Supporting the Professional Development of English
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