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

personal and professional
development

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................2
TASK 1.............................................................................................................................3
LO1.................................................................................................................................. 3
1.1 EVALUATION OF SELF-MANAGED LEARNING APPROACHES........................3
1.2 PROPOSING WAYS FOR ENCOURAGING LIFELONG LEARNING IN THE
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CONTEXT..........................................................6
1.3 EVALUATION OF BENEFITS OF SELF-MANAGED LEARNING FOR THE
PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATION..................................................................................8
TASK 2...........................................................................................................................10
LO2................................................................................................................................ 10
2.4 PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN..............................10
TASK 1...........................................................................................................................13
LO3................................................................................................................................ 13
3.1 DISCUSSION ON THE PROCEDURE AND ACTIVITY NEEDED FOR
IMPLEMENTATION OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN.......................................................13
3.2 DOCUMENTING THE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES AS PER THE PLAN.........15
3.3 REFLECTING ON OWN LEARNING AGAINST THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
THAT WERE SET IN DEVELOPMENT PLAN...........................................................16
3.4 UPDATING DEVELOPMENT PLAN ON THE BASIS OF FEEDBACK AND
EVALUATION.............................................................................................................18
TASK 3...........................................................................................................................19
LO4................................................................................................................................ 19
INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATION......................................................................................19
CONCLUSION............................................................................................................... 31
sREFERENCES.............................................................................................................32
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INTRODUCTION
The individuals working in the service industry need to possess some skills that help
them to grow at the personal level and to excel in their professional life. The report will
be helpful for the individuals to become self-directed learners that give them confidence
and make them capable enough for managing the professional skills and the personal
traits they possess. This will help them to accomplish the desired goals and objectives
for career development.
In the report, hotel Shangri-La at Shard is taken into context where the methods of
learning will be taken into consideration along with the evaluation of own skills. Along
with this, a development plan will be made for the enhancement of personality of
individuals followed by a demonstration of the knowledge gained.
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TASK 1
LO1
1.1 EVALUATION OF SELF-MANAGED LEARNING APPROACHES
The individuals take complete responsibility for their own learning practices is known as
self-managed learning. In this, the individuals have to initiate the learning process by
themselves in order to gain and develop satisfactorily skills and knowledge. They
diagnose their needs for learning, form the goals, determine the resources, select the
learning strategy and finally evaluate the results (Pedler, et al. 2013). The approaches
for self-managed learning are-
Kolb’s learning style
This model was introduced in the year 1984 that is created on the foundation of learning
theory by Kolb. The learning process follows a cycle that has 4 stages explained below-
1) Concrete experience (CE)- it consists of new experiences encountered by the
people or reinterpreting the old experience. Persons can learn from the
experiences and get the opportunity for initiating the learning cycle (Leeds
Beckett University, 2015).
2) Reflective observation (RO)- This involves pondering upon the experiences.
Individuals train themselves to be more cautious regarding the reviewing of
experiences by them.
Figure 1: Kolb's Learning Cycle
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Source: [Leeds Beckett University, 2015]
3) Abstract conceptualization (AC) - New ideas are produced and a hypothesis is
made to comprehend the meaning of experiences.
4) Active experimentation (AE) - this involves testing the hypothesis where the
new experiences gained will provide support or challenge the hypothesis (Leeds
Beckett University, 2015).
Kolb has developed four styles of learning-
1) Diverging involves the gaining of concrete experiences and conducting reflective
observation (Barker, et al. 2016)
2) Assimilating in which observation and thinking take place which involves
reflective observation and AC (abstract conceptualization).
3) Converging undertakes AE (active experimentation) and AC (abstract
conceptualization).
4) Accommodating style comprises of doing and feeling which includes gaining
concrete experience and AE (active experimentation).
Honey and Mumford
This style was developed in the year 1986 that is inspired from the Kolb’s model.
Figure 2: Honey and Mumford
Source: [HectaCon, 2015]
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Style of learning Attributes Activities carried out
Reflector People in this learn by
observing and evaluating
the activities happening
around (Mobbs, 2018).
Inviting feedback,
questionnaire for self-
analysis, paired discussions
and conducting interviews
Theorist This involves learning of
theoretical concept by
individuals
Contextual data, statistics,
models, application of
theories and stories.
Pragmatist In this people seek for
deployment the theoretical
learning into practice.
The activities undertaken
are referring the case
studies, conducting
discussions etc. most
important here is time
needed for the learning to
be implemented in actual
life.
Activist In this people gain learning
by doing things and have a
broader mind approach.
Brainstorming, resolving
complex problems, group
discussions and role play
etc.
(Mobbs, 2018)
The other approaches to learning are participating in workshops, seminars, browsing
the internet, pursuing higher education, developing learning through research, CPD etc.
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1.2 PROPOSING WAYS FOR ENCOURAGING LIFELONG LEARNING IN THE
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CONTEXT
The voluntary, self-motivated and an ongoing pursuit of information is termed as
lifelong learning. For the process of lifelong learning, the two theories incorporated are
constructivism which states that knowledge is built by persons and not gained from the
world and the Gestalt which says that learning can be done by developing relationship
amid new and old (Hamlyn, 2017).
In the professional context
 The companies can offer aid and reimbursement for the college tuition fees for
higher education to the employees. This makes them sustain with the firm for a
longer time.
 Providing encouragement and reimbursement to the employees for their
attentiveness to the ongoing learning process. This enhances their professional
development (Jackson, 2015).
 The learning goals and the overall goals may be intertwined which will motivate
the workforce for seeking learning opportunities and aid in the development of
learning culture in the company. For instance, motivating individuals for attending
worships and asking them to devote 2 hours every week in the learning process.
 Lunch and learn can be frequently hosted by the companies which include the
workshops to be attended by employees followed by lunch.
 Starting an office library is a good initiative for promotion of ongoing formal
learning.
 Sharing of the learning results with other employees will encourage them to pay
more attention towards the learning process (Nisbet and Shucksmith, 2017).
In the personal context
 Self-managed learning is a good approach which will encourage the people to
adopt the learning approach. It helps in getting motivation for lifelong learning
(Davis, 2011).
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 The analysis through SWOT can provide aid to the people for analyzing their
strengths and weaknesses which will help them undertake lifelong learning by
analyzing the limitations and their strengths at regular time intervals.
The method given above for the encouragement of lifelong learning in the personal life
as well as the professional context of the individuals can help them to learn for lifelong
and therefore this will enhance their career development and help them achieve
excellence in the professional career.
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