Self-Regulated Learning and Business Skills

This assignment examines the principles of Zimmerman's self-regulated learning approach and their application to enhancing business skills. The author reflects on personal experiences, particularly within a team setting, identifying areas for improvement in communication, emotional intelligence, and self-management. The assignment delves into how connecting theoretical knowledge from the course with real-world experiences can facilitate skill development and overcome challenges in teamwork and interpersonal interactions.

Running head: REFLECTION
REFLECTION
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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Reflection through learning is one of the most important approaches which a student can
undertake to develop skills and enhance knowledge in his field of expertise. Reflective practice
helps an individual to dissect different his own experiences into a number of aspects and
evaluative the positive and negative outcomes associated with it. Gaining knowledge from
experiences helps in growth of the individual in the fields of the external abilities as well as the
internal traits as a human being (Roseman and vom Brocke 2015). It mainly helps the students to
develop a habit of liking linking their knowledge with the experiences and thereby constructing
the meaning form their own experiences. In the field of business and commerce, reflective
practice has been found to be helpful in providing the brain with an opportunity to take a break
amidst the different chaotic situations that occur while maintaining teamwork. It also helps in
developing ethical relationship with team members and also with consumers. It also helps to
untangle different adverse events and thereby sort through observation and experiences (Jones
and Reckers 2014). In the intense competitive world of business, considering the multiple
possible interpretations in effective teamwork, creating the correct meaning out of it and
applying newly enhanced skill in similar future situations help to get success in work. For
effective leadership, this learning from ‘meaning making’ helps in ongoing growth and
development and thereby helps in reaching the peak of success. In this assignment, similar
reflective strategy would be used where I would try to link the knowledge gained in my
university class lectures to my present experiences in the various teamwork I had been a part of.
In this way, I would be able to understand the negative aspects of the experiences I had and
would also get scopes to enhance my skills in the future.
The reflection would mainly be written in the framework provided by Gibbs. The first
step of the reflective cycle is called the description step where the events and experiences are

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noted down in details. While I was engaged in teamwork, I noticed several flaws in me which
was affecting my teamwork and also hampering the outcomes of the team performance. I often
had mood swings which affected my teammates as they were unable to communicate with me
effectively. On a condition I engaged in an argument with a team member where I shouted on
him with high voice. Later I got emotional about the situation and was feeling guilty about it.
However, the incident resulted in development of negative feelings in team members which
affected relationship building. Besides, I also have inefficient communication skills which
included my inpatient listening skills and also my feedback giving and receiving skills. One day,
when my team members were describing how things can be modified for better outcomes to me,
I cut them down stating that I already knew them. This act of cutting them in between made them
feel humiliated which affected their feelings for me. Moreover I am also introvert and do not
have proper social skills with empathy, conflict management skill, relationship building and
others which resulted in improper work output as a team. I was thinking of my own benefits
rather than the team’s benefits.
The next stage is called the feelings stage. In this stage, an individual needs to open up
about the feelings he had when the events took place. After the experiences, I noticed that all my
team members were trying to avoid any communication with me. I felt they were being
apprehensive about how would I behave as they were not sure about how I would react. Such
feelings which they developed about me saddened me as I felt that I was not being able to make
them understand my real self. They perceived me to be a bossy and negative, their perception
about me affected me and I was gradually losing confidence from work. At a point of time, I was
feeling so low that I decided to withdraw myself form the teamwork as I had nothing to look

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forward to. My self esteem was affected and I could not gather courage to carry forward with
these situations.
The next stage is called the evaluation stage. For evaluation of my experiences, I tried to
go through the work of Zimmerman who had helped students like us by giving an idea about
how self learning is extremely useful in academic courses. Without taking extensive help from
professors, guides, teachers and others, every individual should try to initiate and direct their
own efforts personally for enhancing their skills and knowledge and then utilizing them for re-
correcting their attitudes. Zimmerman is of the opinion that a student who undertakes self
regulated learning is more successful than others. This is because they get the scope to fight out
their own flaws and disabilities and develop strategies which help them to handle any adverse
situations. Knowledge which is spoon fed do not have long lasting effect as they tend to erase
away from the mind. Rather gaining knowledge by self research and then applying them in
reality stays with an individual for long. Zimmerman (2002) has stated three important steps
which should be considered by an individual to develop the practice of self regulated learning.
The first step is the self regulated learning strategies which include incorporating specific actions
and processes which involve proper purposes, agency as well as instrumentality actions and
processes (Zimmerman 2002). For these, the information collected form classes should be first
organized and then arranged. This should be then transformed followed by self-consequating
them and then seeking information. Then the students should use memory aid and rehearse them
to get acclimatized with them. Another aspect which Zimmerman has paid importance is the
concept of self efficacy. This can be defined as the capability of an individual which when
developed properly will help him to organize and implement actions independently which are
important to attain designated skills. The last aspect is the achieving of academic goals which

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include social esteem, trying for better grades, proper post graduation employment opportunities
which need to be attended on time. I decided to follow the Zimmerman’s procedure of self
regulated learning so that the issues which I have faced in my teamwork can be resolved by me. I
will do this by effectively linking the theory studied in class with my practical experiences and
developing skills and knowledge.
The next stage is called the analysis stage. In this stage, I applied the principles of
Zimmerman and tried to reflect upon the courses which I have studied in the class and link the
learning in my present workplace. As I had been poor in team communication, the lectures I
attended in class on communication topics helped me develop my communication skills. My
self-regulated learning and researches helped me to go through the importance of following the
five important steps of teamwork which was proposed by Tuckman and Jensen in 1977. I believe
the steps like forming, storming, norming, and performing, adjourning and next steps, if followed
properly by me will help me maintain proper teamwork skills. Moreover, I was also able to
connect my classes on ethical working in business with the experiences I had. I realized that I
was engaged in ethical egoism which was actually preventing me to care for the entire team work
and making me more concentrated on the individual result. Moreover, the emotional intelligence
classes also made me understand that I did not have proper self control over my activities. I also
had no proper social skills like empathy, relationship building and others and proper strategies to
overcome them were also understood by me form the classes. The class also taught how Johari
window is helpful in making individual realizes about the various skills which he posses, which
he is unknown about, which others know or do not know. This acts a as communication
diagnostic tool for self evaluation and betterment of skill (Gul and Mehmood 2016).

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The next stage is called the conclusion phase. The above steps have helped me to understand
Zimmerman’s self regulated learning approach and how to use the approach in connecting
experiences with the learning developed in class. The knowledge which is provided in the class
is very specific and is immensely helpful in understanding the mistakes made by me in the
teamwork (Delaney et al. 2017). Not only that, it had also provided me with strategies about how
I can link the theories and develop proper teamwork skills. The information about different
business attributes like teamwork, interpersonal communication skills, ethical working styles and
others provided in class have can be used by me to overcome the barriers that I am facing now.
This would help me to empower myself and develop confidence again. This would ultimately
make me a smart business professional providing me with a bright career in future (Hodges et al.
2015).
The next stage is the action step. Form the various experiences, I understood I have
negative aspects in my communication skills, emotional intelligence skill, as well as also issues
in self control and management. Therefore, I would be using Zimmerman’s self regulated
learning approach from now on. I would try to connect the theories and learning of the university
and link them with the present experiences. I would take up initiatives that would help me
overcome my negative aspects and emerge out as a positive minded business professional.

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References:
Delaney, Y., Pattinson, B., McCarthy, J. and Beecham, S., 2017. Transitioning from traditional
to problem-based learning in management education: the case of a frontline manager skills
development programme. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 54(3), pp.214-
222.
Gul, F. and Mehmood, N., 2016. A Study to Assess Relevance between Content of Business
Courses and Development of Entrepreneurial Skills in Technology Education Institutes. Journal
of Social Sciences & Humanities (1994-7046), 24(2).
Hodges, N., Watchravesringkan, K., Yurchisin, J., Hegland, J., Karpova, E., Marcketti, S. and
Yan, R.N.T., 2015. Assessing curriculum designed to foster students’ entrepreneurial knowledge
and small business skills from a global perspective. Family and Consumer Sciences Research
Journal, 43(4), pp.313-327.
Jones-Rikkers, C.G., 2014. Using Social Media and Professional Development Programs to
Enhance Student Acquisition of “Soft Skills”. M-PBEA Journal, p.9.

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Rosemann, M. and vom Brocke, J., 2015. The six core elements of business process
management. In Handbook on business process management 1 (pp. 105-122). Springer Berlin
Heidelberg.
Watson, G. and Reissner, S. eds., 2014. Developing skills for business leadership. Kogan Page
Publishers.
Zimmerman, B.J. 2002 “Achieving Academic Excellence: A Self-Regulatory Perspective” in
Ferrari, M. (ed) The Pursuit of Excellence Through Education. Lawrence, Erlbaum Associates,
Mahwah NJ. Pp.85-110.