Personal Audit and Competency Development

This study material provides an in-depth analysis of personal audit and competency development. It discusses the skills and competencies required for a career in the retail industry, with a focus on the role of a cashier. The material includes a personal audit and evidence of development, as well as self-reflection on the learning experiences. It is a valuable resource for individuals looking to enhance their skills and advance in their careers.

Running Head: Personal audit and competency development
Personal audit and competency development
Student’s Name
2/22/2019

Personal audit and competency development 1
Contents
Part 1..........................................................................................................................................2
Identification of Competencies..............................................................................................2
Part 2..........................................................................................................................................4
Personal Audit and Evidence of Development......................................................................4
Part 3........................................................................................................................................10
Self- reflection......................................................................................................................10
Introduction..........................................................................................................................10
Stage 1: Description.............................................................................................................10
Stage 2: Feelings..................................................................................................................11
Stage 3: Evaluation..............................................................................................................12
Stage 4: Analysis..................................................................................................................13
Stage 5: Conclusion..............................................................................................................14
Stage 6: Action Plan.............................................................................................................15
Part IV......................................................................................................................................15
Personal development plan..................................................................................................15
References................................................................................................................................17

Personal audit and competency development 2
Part 1
Competencies are considered as a framework that drives success, these are used to select and
develop talent (Akkermans and Tims, 2017). Effective and automated competency
management creates a real-time and predictive inventory of the capability of any person
(Morgan, Richey and Autry, 2016). I am always inclined towards developing a career in the
retail industry and will further discuss the competencies required for developing a career in it
(Akkermans and Tims, 2017).
Identification of Competencies
In order to attain the next step in my career after having optimum knowledge about the field,
I decide to choose the retail sector as the prospective area to enter. Further, the main role that
I want to pursue in the retail industry is of a ‘Cashier’. The main job responsibility of a
cashier is to manage the cash balances, baggage items, redeem stamps and coupons, reporting
of the transactions, resolving the customer complaints and makes the sales referrals
(Glassdoor 2019). The main requirements for the job role is basic math, time management,
product knowledge, efficiency, friendliness, telephone etiquette and dispute resolution,
punctuality and positive attitude. Further, below mentioned are the skills and competencies
highlighted that a required by a cashier working in a retail organization (Indeed 2019).
 Customer service- Developing effective connection will the customers will make
them feels valued and appreciated. It helps in providing ease to the customers
(Jackson and Wilton, 2016).
 Written and verbal communication- Communication is at the core for developing a
career in the retail industry. The person must have the confidence and finesse to
develop a connection with the customers (BetterTeam 2019).

Personal audit and competency development 3
 Attention to detail- The sales associate has to focus on arranging merchandise or
operating point of the system. For this, it requires to pay high attention to every detail.
 Leadership and motivation - The person must have the skills to lead the team and
focus on achieving the goal.
 Numeracy- This skill is required to effectively undertake cash management, cash
handling, money handling, pricing.
 Information Technology- This skill is required to handle the online customers. To
effectively operate the point of the system and analyzing data (Oh, Weitz and Lim,
2016).
 Selling Skills- This includes the ability to meet the targets and convert the shoppers
into loyal customers. The ability to persuade and encourage customers to buy
products (Morgan, Richey and Autry, 2016).
 Interpersonal skills - Conducting business in the retail industry requires continuous
interaction with the customers and maintains healthy relationships with the members
of the company (Glassdoor 2019).
Thus, above mentioned are the skills that are needed to be adopted or inherited by a cashier
working in a retail sector.

Personal audit and competency development 4
Part 2
Personal Audit and Evidence of Development
Skills & Competencies Rating Examples
1.Customer Service 3/5 From the past experience of the cashier at a retail
store, I have provided three grading because I
was not able to solve the query of the customer
regarding the redemption of coupons and the full
knowledge about the system. After the happening
of the incident, there was guidance on the ways
of dealing with the customers to help me to
develop quality for being a better retail store
cashier (Burns, 2016).
Different type of work performed that the store
helped me in handling customer queries and solve
the issues faced in operating room. The
workplace helped me to read the mind set of
customers and handle their grievances in an
effective manner (Plomp, et. al., 2016).
2.Written and verbal
communication
4/5 I have attended workshops to develop the fluency
in the language and I participated in the
university events to develop the confidence to
speak efficiently. Communication is one of the
core competencies of achieving success in the

Personal audit and competency development 5
retail industry. I have the quality of developing a
better connection with the audience as I was able
to hold their interest in my speech (PMC
Training, 2019).
By attending the cultural event at the university I
developed the skill of handling the queries of the
individuals and listening to their problems to get
a clear understanding and connecting with them.
I responded to their queries and deliver
satisfaction to the audience. I was assigned at the
help desk where people came to solve their
queries. Thus, development of this quality will
help me to effectively communicate with the
other cashiers and the customers as well. (PMC
Training, 2019).
3. Attention to detail 3/5 I have participated in a retail exhibition to get a
deep understanding of the business functions. I
was able to effectively handle the stocking and
restocking shelves, Timely management of the
inventory and visual merchandising. There is
continuous scope to further enhance my ability
and handle the challenges carefully. I was able to
effectively manage the cash balance and checked
the cash transactions in a proper manner.

Personal audit and competency development 6
I ensured that there is full stock availability and
the windows are fully displayed with the
products. The attention to every small detail is
essential to deliver satisfaction to the customers
and effective management of the point of the
system.
4. Leadership and
motivation
3/5 At the university, I was assigned the team of 7-8
people to provide deep knowledge and share the
experience about one of the topic provided to us
at the class. Further that topic was to be recited
again by one of the fellow whom I taught. I
clearly specified the role of all the individuals
involved in the task to provide clarity and further
motivate them to take the actions in accordance
with the predetermined plans. This task helped in
leading the team and handling the interpersonal
conflicts during the competition of the task by
resolving people’s issues. I motivated them by
providing proper guidance and ensuring that all
the individuals are recognized for their
achievement (Fowler, 2018).
To develop these skills and competencies I will
focus on attending the financial workshops that

Personal audit and competency development 7
develop the skills and provide the tactics to
effectively manage the cash balances and attain a
strong managerial position in the organization.
5. Numeracy 3/5 From my past experience at the retail store, I was
provided the duty to handle the cash balances and
check the balances of the sales. I was not able to
timely manage the activity and was confused in
making calculations. To become a retail manager
it is important to manage the cash balances and
make the customers aware of the pricing of the
products.
6. Information
Technology
4/5 For the development of organization use of
information technology is a prerequisite. I have
delivered high-quality service at maintaining the
database of the customers. I ensure that there is
proper availability of inventory and analyze the
current trends of the market. I have provided four
stars rating because there was no proper system
developed for checking the inventory and
maintaining the database of the customers. To
become a successful cashier, I have learned the
appropriate software which includes tally to
effectively manage the cash accounts.

Personal audit and competency development 8
I assist my uncle in maintaining the database and
ensuring that there is proper availability of stock.
In order to expand the sales of the store. I helped
in providing online delivery of goods and
analyzing the opening and closing stock of the
store (Akkermans and Tims, 2017).
7. Interpersonal skills 4/5 This skill is the basic requirement for the
development of the career. I have provided four
grading because I have the skills of effectively
communicating and interacting with the
customers. It is reflected in my past experience. I
have participated in conducting exhibitions,
events at the university and was able to
effectively interact with the people and maintain
relations. I have a positive attitude towards the
people and was able to maintain friendly relations
with the people.
I also participated in the community events of the
society and build relationships with the people
who will help me in advancing my career (Lau,
Zhou and Lai, 2017).
8. Selling skills 4/5 This skill is required to run the business in the
retail industry, I have analyzed that I possess the
skills to persuade the customers and influence

Personal audit and competency development 9
their buying behavior. I have faced many times
situations where I have to convince people to
perform certain actions. This feature relates to my
skills of selling something to other and satisfying
them as well. It is the basic requirement for the
retail workers to influence the customers and the
sale of the products.
I realized it when the customers come for billing
of the goods I persuaded them to buy the products
that were displayed beside my counter to increase
the sales of the company.
From past experiences, I was able to develop the competencies required in being a successful
retail cashier and further enhance my capabilities to reach higher positions in the company.
Analysis of the personal competency describes the areas where the improvement and further
actions are required. It will help to be more focused on my goal and attain higher positions in
the company. I will be more committed towards the work and will develop the competencies
that will provide a deep insight into the business operations. These ratings provide a gap
where more hard work is required. From the above analysis, it is observed that I possess the
required skills but needs a further scope of improvement (Ahmed, 2018).

Personal audit and competency development 10
Part 3
Self- reflection
Introduction
In order to be a successful person in life, the person must analyze its competencies and must
make the alterations according to the self-analysis. Experiences help the individual in
realizing its personal competencies and leaving a positive impact on society. The practical
experience gained through participation in the events, exhibitions and the experience at the
retail store of my uncle has provided me the deep insight, knowledge and has helped in the
development of the capabilities and the skills. It has helped the facing the realities of the
business and realization of the competencies for future growth (Husebq, O'Regan and Nestel,
2015).
To describe the learning’s developed and experienced from the past situation I will use the
Gibb reflective cycle to describe the proper understanding and learnings from the experience.
This reflective cycle helps the individual to learn from the experience and develop the
competencies. It includes six stages and using this model I will describe the learning’s
received an analysis of the competencies. Gibbs reflective cycle helps in sensing the
situations and develops the skills that will enhance the future. This cycle helps in identifying
various circumstances from which a person can effectively learn and develop in its
professional environment (Mind Tools, 2018).
Stage 1: Description
In this stage, I will reflect the different situations where I was able to develop and analyze the
competencies. I went to my Uncle’s retail store to get the retail experience; I participated in
different events of the university and conducted the retail exhibition to get the practical

Personal audit and competency development 11
experience of the real business world. Participation in different events and exhibitions has
helped in realizing my competencies and developed the skills to timely manage the
complexities of the business. I was able to effectively manage the cash transactions and
develop the competency to deliver maximum satisfaction to the customers (Mind Tools,
2018).
Stage 2: Feelings
By experiencing different events, exhibitions of a retail stores, I have developed a special
feeling for it. From my very first experience at the retail store, I felt that I will not be able to
sustain as a retail cashier because I was not able to handle the complexities of the business
and deliver satisfaction to the customer. At the time of participation in the event at the
university, I was feeling very nervous to communicate in the large audience because of my
stage fear and most importantly the main issue was to gather their interest for a long time. At
that spur of the moment, I felt that I won’t be able to communicate effectively and maintain
the interest of the public because of my consciousness. I also attended different workshops
like art of living etc. to enhance my personality and conducted the retail exhibition to get a
deeper understanding of the complexities of the business. The experience of the exhibition
makes me realized that I have the skills and the competency to manage the cash transactions
and ensure proper handling of the inventory with full confidence in the environment. I
realized that if the person has the zeal to achieve something it can achieve it (Mind Tools,
2018).

Personal audit and competency development 12
Stage 3: Evaluation
From the different experiences mentioned above, it has analyzed both the negative and the
positive experiences. During the experience at the retail shop, the negative experience which
I faced was the non-ability to effectively handle the customer problems and was to not able to
successfully deliver satisfaction to the customers. I used to get panicked from the customer
queries and was not able to resolve them. This was the reason for giving three ratings to me.
Also, I was not able to effectively handle the cash balance because I don’t have the numeracy
skills which gave me a bad experience because it created a bad impression in the eyes of my
Uncle. The good experience which I gained from the particular experience was the guidance
from my uncle to develop the skills and the competency to deliver satisfaction to the
customers and effectively handle their complexities. I was able to learn from the situation and
develop the competencies that will help me in becoming a successful retail cashier. By
attaining field experience I received the deep insight of what all resources are required in
managing the business and was able to learn and develop selling skills .i.e. the ability to
influence and persuade the buying behavior of the customers and the leadership competence
to manage things single handed as well. This experience helped me in getting aware of the
critical points that help the individual in enhancing its personality (Mind Tools, 2018).

Personal audit and competency development 13
From the experience of participating in the cultural event at the university, I receive both the
bad and the good experience due to the situations that I faced while attending it. The bad
experience which I gained from the event was a lack of confidence to communicate and
establish a relationship with the members, whatsoever, the feeling and experience was bad
but surely I gained a lifelong lesson from that experience. I felt that the audience was not that
supportive. The good experience which I gained from the event was that I got the opportunity
to speak in front of a large audience and develop the connections with the people who will
guide in me in enhancing my personality. The head of the event communicated my flaws and
provided the suggestion to improve them. He guided me and further provides the support to
join the communication workshops that will enable to develop confidence and effectively
communicate with the audience. It also developed my interpersonal skills to effectively
interact and build relations with the public (Lasse, 2016).
The good and the bad experience which I have gained from conducting the exhibition is
described below: I was able to make the timely arrangements of the requirements of the
public by allocating resources properly. I ensured that there is proper availability of the stock.
The good experience was that I got the opportunity of having one on one interaction with the
customers and was able to satisfy their needs. The bad experience which I gained actually
helped me in developing my competency and become a successful person in my life. The
amenities provided by the moderator were not up to the mark and the foot falling of the
customers was not as expected. I somehow managed and delivered satisfaction to the
customers (Lasse, 2016).
Stage 4: Analysis
From the past experiences, I have analyzed that I faced difficulty in proper handling of the
inventory and the balances at the Uncle’s retail store. The main reason for the problem was

Personal audit and competency development 14
the inefficient of use of information technology on my end. I analyzed that there was
difference in my working style with that of older staff and I was unable to either match their
or learn working by their ways. I was also unable to resolve the interpersonal conflicts among
the members of the store (Competency core.com, 2013).
When I got the task of leading the team of cashier the manager expected that I possess the
skills to effectively lead the team and complete the task efficiently. The major drawback that
I realized that neither I was able to cooperate and cultivate the good decisions for the
company nor the employees were agreeing in favour of my decision. Thus, it was evaluated
my incompetency to lead the organization effectively and satisfy the employees with the
decisions as well (Sherwood et al, 2019).
I analyzed that the audience at the event was highly qualified and knowledgeable and helped
me to provide the direction for achieving efficiency and enhance my communication skills.
They guided my actions to enhance my ability and describe the flaws which will further help
me improving my personality. I analyzed that while conducting the exhibition I was able to
cater to the needs of the customer and influence them to purchase the product. I also analyzed
the close competitors in the retail industry and the fluctuations that the individual suffers
while conducting the business (Sherwood et al, 2019).
Stage 5: Conclusion
From the above analysis, it is concluded that I can develop the competency and skills by
participating in the constructive workshops that guide me in developing numeracy skills and
working on my leadership competency as well. I can enhance my ability to sell the product
by properly understanding the needs of the customers and delivering according to their
expectations. I got the opportunity to develop good relations with highly knowledgeable
people who will motivate and lead me to achieve the goals of life. I would have solved the

Personal audit and competency development 15
problems of the customers in a better way by patiently handling their queries and deliver the
service that provides maximum satisfaction (Sherwood et al, 2019).
Stage 6: Action Plan
The action plan will provide an outline of the actions that I will take in the future to enhance
my competencies and skills to be a successful retail cashier. I have decided to get more
learning’s from participating in the events and developing the confidence to communicate
effectively and building strong relations with the other business partners. If I would have
developed the numeracy skills I would be successful in managing the cash balance of the
store and develop the proper inventory plan. I will focus to enhance my selling skills by
learning the tactics to persuade customers and change their buying decisions. I will focus on
learning the new software’s to automate the cash transactions and maintenance of proper
inventory system. I will pay attention to every detail of business to overcome the hurdles and
satisfy the fluctuating demands of the customers. I will focus on enhancing my leadership
skills to lead the team in United direction and focusing on achieving the group goals. Lastly,
it should be noted that I have aimed to advice regular meetings to board so as to initiate
effective communication. I have decided to further attain experience through different types
of internships on field (Potter, 2015).
Part IV
Personal development plan
The short term goals will include the learning of the new software’s, development of
effective communication skills and a deep understanding of the concept that helps in the
management of the inventory and transparency in the operations. To fulfill the short term
goals I will participate in the personal training programs and will undertake short term

Personal audit and competency development 16
courses for learning the software related to cash handling. The status for achieving the short
term goals is to work in progress because I have started participating and has joined the crash
courses for future advancement.
The medium-term goals include building strong relations and development of the capability
to effectively lead the team. For the achievement of the goal, I will focus on participating in
the live projects and applying for short term internships to develop the capability by gaining
the practical experience. The status for achieving the middle term goals has been started by
doing short term internships at the retail store.
The long-range goals include becoming a successful retail branch manager and development
of a well-renowned retail store. For becoming a successful retail branch manager I will
develop long term relationships with the management and will effectively handle the
complexities of the business. To open a renowned retail store I require resources, money, and
labor and efficient team members. I have started developing relations by effective fulfillment
of the job responsibilities and developing good relations with higher management.
Personal development plan provides a clear focus on the learning’s and provides the clarity
of the goals to be achieved. The goals mentioned in the personal development plan are
realistic and achievable. I am continuously focussing on achieving the goals within the
specified time period to attain the long term goals of my life and become a successful person
in life (Rowe, 2017).

Personal audit and competency development 17
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Personal audit and competency development 18
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