Personal and Professional Development Plan: A Comprehensive Guide to Growth

This report delves into the concept of Personal and Professional Development (PPD) and its significance in today's competitive job market. It examines the author's current strengths and weaknesses, identifies areas for improvement, and outlines a comprehensive PPD plan. The report also explores relevant theories and models, including Erikson's eight stages of psychosocial development and the cognitive psychology approach, to provide a deeper understanding of personal growth. By analyzing the author's VARK learning style preferences, the report offers tailored strategies for effective skill development.

Personal and Professional Development 1
“Assignment 1-PPD Plan”
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Table of Contents
Assignment 1-PPD Plan.............................................................................................................3
Introduction............................................................................................................................3
Main body..............................................................................................................................3
Conclusions..........................................................................................................................10
Reference list............................................................................................................................12
Appendix A..............................................................................................................................14
Appendix B..............................................................................................................................15
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Introduction
Self assessment and personal reflection play major part in the recent times. This is mainly
because it helps to understand the details of the current strengths and weaknesses. It also
helps to identify the areas of improvement and work towards the same. This report shall
discuss the details of my current strengths and weaknesses with the help of the framework of
PPD. it shall generate insights about the areas of my development, and make specific plans
regarding the same. It shall also discuss theories and models in this regard. The report shall
further prepare a PPD based on my developmental areas. It shall also look into the results of
the VARK questionnaire. It shall overall discuss the current strengths and weaknesses of my
career and thereby look into the possible prospects of my growth.
Main body
Define PPD
The concept of personal and professional development helps to understand the learning and
growth of an individual and retain the same overall. In the recent times, the level of
competition is growing at a rapid pace. This requires individuals to work on improving their
overall skills and competences, and work on increasing the same. PPD process helps to
increase maturity and success of the employable careers of individuals (Mahlanze and Sibiya,
2017). This might be increased by means of acquiring knowledge, training and self-help.
While individuals are able to learn academic lessons in schools, they need to enhance their
employable chances by learning specific skills for their professional development.
In the recent times, hard and soft skills are used as the main classifications of skills
development. Hard skills refer to the basic education and professional skills. Individuals
develop these with the help of their schools, classes and training courses. Soft skills, on the
other hand, refer to skills usually present in the individuals (Gregersen and MacIntyre, 2017).
These usually involve skills such as interpersonal, communication, and confidence. These can
hardly be developed with the help of classes and training. Rather, individuals might be able to
come up with the right set of skills based on their job requirements.
The skills of individuals help them to generate insights with their career using their overall
skills and activities. This might be useful for their growth and development. In the
employment arena, on-the-job and off-the-job trainings take place in this regard. It helps the
individuals to develop their current skills and improve their overall performance quality. It
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also allows them to remain more relevant to the market keeping updates with the technology
growth. This way, they are able to improve their overall careers and generate new skills for
attracting the employers.
PPD Planning Process
 Apply the PPD Process to your own learning and development
As stated earlier, PPD is a tool meant for an organised and systematic approach towards
focusing on attaining goals and to achieve the best possible outcomes from a range of
available resources. The PPD Planning Process consists of seven key steps that are crucial for
ensuring that the entire process is a resounding success (Welp et al., 2018). Presented below
is the PPD Process that has been applied to own development and learning.
 Establishment of the purpose – This is the first step in the PPD Plan wherein the
main purpose for undertaking this planning process is established (Rubens et al.,
2018). The purpose of the PPD Plan is to ensure and manage continued growth and
development in my learning. It is important to continue learning and developing my
knowledge and skills in order to work legally, safely and effectively.
 Identification of development needs – This step in the PPD Process deals with
identifying what are the needs and requirements that would have to be developed in
order to maintain continuous learning and improvement. In my opinion, there is a
need to develop critical skills such as teamwork, time management and organisation
skills, and problem skills. Each of these skills is highly crucial for employers these
days and therefore it is important to develop them within a specific timeframe.
 Development opportunities – This is the step wherein the opportunities for
development are identified. In order to meet the current and future needs of
employers, there is an urgent need to work on skills in both professional and personal
contexts. In order to develop skills such as teamwork, organisation and time
management, I can take up classes and also communicate with my peers and teachers
to guide me. In can also attend seminars and workshops wherein I can learn these
skills. Such opportunities can be very helpful for learning these skills.
Action plan
An action plan would be an essential tool for effectively targeting the areas of development
and ensure a seamless developmental process. As commented by Grit (2019), action plans are
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the most significant part of the process of strategic planning regardless of the context being
personal development of professional development. The first priority within the plan would
be to determine the objectives along with outlining the actions that need to be undertaken in
order to achieve those goals.
Improvement
areas
Resources Benefits Risk factors Mitigation
strategy
Timeframe
Teamwork Reading through
the basics of
team dynamics
and gaining an
understanding
of several team
development
theories would
be an important
resource.
Strong
teamwork
skills can
help in
strengthening
the ability to
work within a
team,
develop
higher
collaboration
levels and
enhanced
interpersonal
relationships
(Chopade et
al., 2018).
The most
evident risk
factor
associated
with
developing
this skill is
the
increased
possibility
of
disagreemen
ts and
conflicts.
Therefore, it
would be
necessary to
take
criticism in
a positive
stride.
It would be
important to
keep an open
mind and
ensure an
empathetic
demeanour.
Transparency
in
communicatio
n would also
minimise the
possibility of
disputes and
conflicts.
A period of
6 months
would be set
for achieving
this
objective.
Problem
solving
This skill can be
developed by
solving puzzles,
look at a
problem from
Strong
problem
solving skills
can help to
get past any
Various risk
factors such
as
inaccuracy
in solutions
It would be
important to
exercise
patience and
critical
A time
period of 8
months shall
be sufficient
for achieving
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all angles before
attempting
solution.
obstacles in a
situation in a
timely
manner
without any
hindrances
(Doleck et
al., 2017).
or the
problem
solving
process can
lead to
misleading
outcomes.
thinking while
looking at a
problem and
deriving its
solution. It is
also important
to be open to
feedbacks in
order to
ensure that the
right path of
solving
problem is
followed.
this
objective.
Organisation/
Time
management
Using daily
timetables and
routines would
be critical
resources
involved in
improving time
management.
To-do lists can
also be a major
resource.
Effective
time
management
skills shall be
of major
benefit in
ensuring that
all tasks and
activities are
accomplished
on time,
thereby
leading to
less stress,
better work-
life balance
and less
distraction
(Sainz et al.,
The most
prominent
risk factor
associated
with
improving
time
management
skills is that
it leaves no
time for
personal
goals.
Multitasking
is another
common
risk factor.
It is essential
to prioritise
which tasks
need to be
completed on
an urgent
basis and
working on
them
accordingly in
order to
prevent
unnecessary
tension and
anxiety about
them later.
4 months
would be
adequate for
developing
this skill.
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2019).
Table 1: Action Plan
Undertaking development – This step is of particular importance as it shall helps one to
measure the level of effectiveness of their skill development and make improvements as per
needs. The progress of each of these skill development processes can be measured using
various parameters. For instance, the progress of teamwork skills can be measured by the
ease with which I can collaborate and work in tandem with other team members. The
outcome of the team’s activities can also provide a measure of the effectiveness of this skill
development. As for problem solving, the speed and accuracy of the problem solving process
shall provide an inkling of the effective development of this skill. Time management skills
can be measured along the parameters of lack of procrastination and completion of tasks on
time.
I have observed that while my teamwork and time management skills have improved to a vast
extent, my progress in problem solving is still not well developed yet. I am now able to
communicate and collaborate with my team members effectively and carry out the tasks
allocated to me on time and in high quality. As for time management, I am now able to
complete 90% of my tasks on time without feeling anxious or stressed. However, the speed
and accuracy of my problem solving process needs to witness further improvements.
Recording the outcomes – The outcomes of these skills are to be recorded using the above-
discussed parameters. Additionally, formal certificates such as a degree can be a major
document that records the outcome of the skill development and how far I have come to learn
these skills. The 360 degree feedback can be another tool for recording the outcomes.
Furthermore, my own reflections on my achievements can be another way to record the
outcomes.
For instance, I have made a record of what I did, what I achieved and what I learnt from the
experience as a part of my personal reflection. Overall, these records are of paramount
importance in order to present a set of examples of how I have managed to demonstrate my
newly-learnt abilities under varying circumstances.
Review and evaluation – As said by Derrington and Kirk (2017), it is important to review
and evaluate at least once a year on one’s personal development and progress towards
achieving their targets and goals. This is particularly important for the smooth facilitation of
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continuous improvement. The PPD plan can be reviewed and evaluated by collecting
feedback from peers and teachers and later on, employers. It can be done by looking at the
original PPD plan and assessing how far my achievements are in line with my plan.
I have found that I have managed to achieve my goal of developing time management and
teamwork skills. However, I have also found that my problem solving skills are not yet up to
the mark as I tend to take up a lot of time to devise a solution out of a problem which is at
times inaccurate.
 Apply theory and models and make sure they are all referenced accordingly
The planning process of PPD involves several stages and phases. This is mainly because the
planning of the entire personal and professional growth of the individuals might be a long and
complex process. In the first place, it requires the establishment for the purpose of the entire
planning. Individuals need to understand the reasons behind the same. The next step requires
identifying the individual needs before undertaking the plan (Bilgin and Balbag, 2016). In the
following step, individuals need to identify their opportunities for development before they
start formulating the action plan. They also need to undertake developments and record their
outcomes once they formulate the plan. The final step is to review and evaluate the success of
its objectives. The process helps to develop new activities and undertake the same for their
overall growth and development.
The eight stages theory of psychosocial development theory might be undertaken in this
regard. Erik Erikson came up with the same in 1958. The theory believes that healthy
personality and the basic virtues of the individuals are mandatory for the successful
completion of psychological development. In his view, three are about eight stages to the
overall psychological development of individuals (Branje and Koper, 2018). In these stages,
individuals are able to experience various psychological growths from infancy to adulthood.
They also experience positive and negative psychological crises during this period. The basic
characteristics and attributes of the individuals help to resolve these crisis.
The trust versus mistrusts is the first stage of the eight recommended stages in this theory.
This deals with the early infancy of about 18 months age of an individual whereby they are
uncertain about their surroundings. Their caregivers provide them with the required trust,
which helps them carry out relationships in the future. The first stage is that of success and
failure. In this stage, infants are able to develop trust and thereby generate hope. In failure,
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the virtue of hope goes missing. The theory believes that both success and failure play a part
in shaping future relationships.
The second stage refers to autonomy versus shame and doubt. Success of the children
generates their virtue of will. This helps them to generate autonomy when their parents are
liberal and supportive in their activities. On the other hand, if the parents are strict and
continuously criticise the children, they feel inadequate about their existence and generate
feelings of shame and doubt about themselves (Syed and McLean, 2017). The third stage is
that of initiative versus guilt. During the initial development of a child mind, they are able to
plan initiatives and activities for playing in schools with friends. This gives rise to future
leadership qualities. However, when they are criticised, they feel guilty about the same, and
stop making initiatives.
Industry versus inferiority is another major stage in this theory. It refers to the reading and
writing habits of the children. Teachers have an important part in these roles. The self esteem
of the children is influenced much by the peers groups in schools. Children try to generate
approval from these groups regarding their activities. When they are encouraged, they feel
industrious or competent about themselves. However, in cases of restrictions, they generate
inferiority in their activities. Another stage is that of identity versus role confusion. The
transition of adolescence is major, and individuals try to become more independent.
Individuals learn about the roles they might play in the future. They might generate the virtue
of fidelity in this stage as they succeed in their activities. However, they might result in role
confusion in failure to establish the same.
In the sixth stage, intimacy versus isolation takes place. The major conflicts in this context
influence the relationships of the individuals. The adolescents tend to show interest in friends
and other relationships outside family members during this time. Success in this process
might help them to develop satisfied relationships and maintain sense of commitment, safety
and relationships. However, failure in such relationships might result in fearing commitment,
loneliness and depression (KAISER, 2020). Generativity versus stagnation is the seventh
stage of the theory. This stage refers to raising the children for contributing to the society and
enhancing the productivity. Success in this results in generating virtue of accomplishment.
However, failure leads to stagnation and feeling of unproductiveness.
The final stage is that of ego integrity versus despair. This usually begins towards the end of
adulthood, around at the age of 65 years. The theory believes that individuals might become
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dissatisfied with their life and accomplishments after they become stagnant and unproductive
at the age of retirement. Success leads to the culture of wisdom. Despair, on the other hand,
leads to dissatisfaction and despair at large. Overall, the theory had been helpful in terms of
generating psychological development.
Another theory might be discussed in this regard. It is the cognitive psychology approach. It
believes in the scientific study of the mind as an information processor. Cognitive
psychologists believe in using information processes for accessing perception, attention,
language and memory of the individuals. It helps in overall personal and professional
development of the individuals with the help of understanding their psychological
developments (Ritter et al., 2017). Using computers further amplified the cognitive
approaches the researchers were able to compare the complex human mind to an artificial
computer system. Computer analogy helps to understand the processes underlying the
cognitive structure.
This might be able to generate ideas regarding the growth and development of the individuals
in the overall careers. The cognitive approach helps to understand the internal merit of the
individuals and study the same using experiments. The mediation process involves memory,
perception and attention. The meditational processes help to mediate between the stimulus
and the response. Therefore, it might be observed that the overall system of personal and
professional development might be complex and lengthy in nature. This is mainly because it
surpasses several aspects of the individual mind and development. The individuals need to
undertake ways for improving their overall career regarding personal and professional
development. They need to continuously improve in order to sustain within the competitive
job market.
Conclusions
Therefore, it might be observed that personal and professional development is of major
significance in the recent times. These refer to the overall development and understanding of
the individuals and their growth rate within their careers. This report looked into my
experiences of working on my academic and employable tasks. In this regard, the report
looked into the definition of PPD and the stages involved in the same. It also looked into my
strengths and weaknesses while considering my current skills and prepared a plan based on
the same. It also explored few theories of personal and professional developments of
individuals. In this context, it used the eight stages psychological theory by Erickson and the
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cognitive psychology theory. Overall, the report aimed at understanding the details of my
current strengths and developmental areas of my career. It helped me understand the
requirements in the overall career development.
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Reference list
Bilgin, A. and Balbag, M.Z., 2016. Personal Professional Development Efforts Scale for
Science and Technology Teachers Regarding Their Fields. Acta Didactica Napocensia, 9(2),
pp.67-78.
Branje, S.J.T. and Koper, N., 2018. Psychosocial development.
Chopade, P., Khan, S.M., Stoeffler, K., Edward, D., Rosen, Y. and Von Davier, A., 2018,
July. Framework for effective teamwork assessment in collaborative learning and problem
solving. In in 19th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED),
LAS, The Festival of learning, ARL workshop “Assessment and Intervention during Team
Tutoring” AIED-2018 (Vol. 2153, pp. 48-59).
Derrington, M.L. and Kirk, J., 2017. Linking job-embedded professional development and
mandated teacher evaluation: Teacher as learner. Professional Development in
Education, 43(4), pp.630-644.
Doleck, T., Bazelais, P., Lemay, D.J., Saxena, A. and Basnet, R.B., 2017. Algorithmic
thinking, cooperativity, creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving: exploring the
relationship between computational thinking skills and academic performance. Journal of
Computers in Education, 4(4), pp.355-369.
Gregersen, T.S. and MacIntyre, P.D. eds., 2017. Innovative Practices in Language Teacher
Education: Spanning the Spectrum from Intra-to Inter-personal Professional
Development (Vol. 30). Springer.
Grit, R., 2019. Managing your competencies: personal development plan. Routledge.
KAISER, E., 2020. Violence on street children: Looking through Erikson’s psychosocial
development theory. Journal of Health and Social Sciences, 5(1), pp.045-052.
Mahlanze, H.T. and Sibiya, M.N., 2017. Perceptions of student nurses on the writing of
reflective journals as a means for personal, professional and clinical learning
development. Health SA Gesondheid, 22(1), pp.79-86.
Ritter, S., Barrett, D.G., Santoro, A. and Botvinick, M.M., 2017. Cognitive psychology for
deep neural networks: A shape bias case study. arXiv preprint arXiv:1706.08606.
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Rubens, A., Schoenfeld, G.A., Schaffer, B.S. and Leah, J.S., 2018. Self-awareness and
leadership: Developing an individual strategic professional development plan in an MBA
leadership course. The International Journal of Management Education, 16(1), pp.1-13.
Sainz, M.A., Ferrero, A.M. and Ugidos, A., 2019. Time management: skills to learn and put
into practice. Education+ Training.
Syed, M. and McLean, K.C., 2017. Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development.
Welp, A., Johnson, A., Nguyen, H. and Perry, L., 2018. The importance of reflecting on
practice: How personal professional development activities affect perceived teamwork and
performance. Journal of clinical nursing, 27(21-22), pp.3988-3999.
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Appendix A
Goal Actions required Measuring success Time frame
Teamwork I need to use books
and journals
regarding team
working and thereby
improve my overall
team working
activities.
I can measure the
success with the
improvement in my
scores and feedback
regarding the
teamwork in my
career.
6 months
Problem solving I need to start with
solving puzzles and
other such activities
to undertake more
problem solving
abilities.
I might be able to
measure the success
with the growth of
problem solving
activities in my
career.
8 months
Time management I need to manage the
time and activities by
means of using time
management matrix
by dividing time and
prioritising work.
I might be able to
measure the success
by means of
checking the overall
improvement in
meeting deadlines
and retaining quality.
4 months
Table 1: PPD plan
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Appendix B
Figure 1: VARK Questionnaire
(https://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/?p=results)
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