Reflective Personal Development Report and Plan

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AI Summary
This report explores the importance of self-assessment in career development. It examines four key skills: teamwork, public speaking, time management, and negotiation. Through reflective journal entries, the author analyzes their strengths and weaknesses in each area, identifying areas for improvement. The report concludes with a personal development plan outlining specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound goals for enhancing these skills.

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Student ID Number
(Do not include student name as

anonymous marking is

implemented)

Programme Title

Module Title

Module Code
(listed on Moodle
and in LTAFP)

Module Convenor

Coursework Title

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Reflective Personal Development Report and plan
Academic Declaration:

Students are reminded that the electronic copy of their essay may be checked, at any point during their

degree, with Turnitin or other plagiarism detection software for plagiarised material.

Word Count
Date Submitted
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Understanding self and others
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Executive Summary
Self-assessment is useful when answering the career-related questions. It helps in assessing

the emotional stability, abilities to handle emergency and pressurised situations, extraversion,

and one’s nature toward others. This reflective report had shown how personality style is

linked to behaviour style. How a dream job is related to showing the strengths and

minimising the weaknesses. Through this report, I am able to identify my strengths and

weaknesses. This helps me in dealing with the critical situations like conflicts in the team by

making use of my negotiations skills. I also emphasised my three other skills, such as time

management, public speaking, and teamwork. These could help a person to develop in their

personal and professional careers.

Different weaknesses were also highlighted as a part of my self-assessment. Understanding

them and their need in my future goals can help me in developing as a person. A summary

was also provided that gave an overall overview of the assessment report along with my

highlighted strengths and weaknesses.In this report, a personal development had been

prepared. It would help me in identifying the main areas of weaknesses and will help me in

gaining the insights on how these skills could be developed in an effective manner.

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Introduction
In this report, four reflective journal entry pro-forma is prepared. The idea is to understand

oneself and others. For this purpose, four qualities are chosen, namely teamwork, public

speaking, time management, and negotiation skills. In the end, a summary is prepared that

talks about the general overview, strengths, and weakness. A personal development is also

provided in this report.

REFLECTIVE JOURNAL ENTRY PRO-FORMA 1

What is the core skill to develop?

Here, a discussion on teamwork skills is done.
Teamwork is a quality that allows individuals
to works together so as to achieve the aim of the team. Teamwork skills are characterised by

the combination of personal strengths with common commitments to performance

(
Cheruvelil, et.al, 2014).
Why is this core skill important? Why did I select this skill to reflect on? (use relevant

theories and concepts to support your answer)

The teamwork skills are emphasised in the workplace in order to foster and promote the

friendly environment. They also assist in strengthening the bonds and align the team

members to work harder by being supportive of one another. In addition to this, it is

beneficial for the team in strengthening itself as individuals with complementary skills can

work together. It increases and improves the team efficiency. For individuals, teamwork can

help them by providing learning opportunities, discovering fresh ideas and approaches, and

developing innovative problem-solving capacity (
Jackson and Chapman, 2012).
This quality is emphasised by me because I feel teamwork helps the individuals to increase

the pace of formulating, developing, and applying new and innovative notions in achieving

the goals. Lack of teamwork skills can lead to a decline in problem-solving abilities, meeting

the deadlines, and limiting individual's efficiency.

Reflect on your current competence regarding this skill. How did you assess your

competence? (use your self-assessment findings, feedback from peers and your tutor,

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plus your own reflections on your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours to answer this
question)

Teamwork is what I have learned in the school. Completing the exhibitions projects on time

with my team member and getting rewarded for the same was all about teamwork. From my

early childhood days, I was taught about working as a team. My team members always

consider me as an important pillar of the team. We all respect each other's weaknesses and

cherish the strengths (
Kaplan, et.al, 2012). I have learned many things by staying up all night
from my team members and vice versa. According to Belbin Team Roles criteria, I would

call myself a people-oriented member. This is due to the fact that I coordinate and investigate

work with my team.

Can you identify any contradictionsfrom your analysis above? For example, is there a

match between how you see yourself and how others see you, or not?

I have a problem of anxiety disorder that sometimes prevents me from contacting and

coordinating with my team members, but that is the rarest of rare scenario. This makes me

think negative about the teamwork. This had caused a serious argument with one of my

colleagues due to the difference in opinions. This affected my relationship with him.

How might this skill help me in the future? (use references to support your argument)

Many leaders believe that the ability to cooperate and adjust in the team is the key to achieve

success in life. Working as an efficient team can invite more opportunities and projects. For

example, if any team is efficient in the time of crisis, the management will assign the work to

that team in the time of emergency. I understand that teamwork is vital to develop my

weaknesses into strengths. I know I am not good at data analysis, but with the help of my

team, I can improve on that area. In addition to this, if I fall sick in future, then my team

members will handle my part of work as well. This would help in reducing the work pressure

from me and I could recover early.

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REFLECTIVE JOURNAL ENTRY PRO-FORMA 2
What is the core skill to develop?

In this case, the chosen skill is
Public Speaking. It is a process of communicating
information to the large audience. In simple words, it is the art of presentation that helps in

providing information to the audience. It includes speeches, debates, elocutions, lectures,

presentations, seminars, etc.

Why is this core skill important? Why did I select this skill to reflect on? (use relevant

theories and concepts to support your answer)

Being a scholar, I realise that public speaking is important in both personal and professional

life. In professional life, it can help me in making other understand my message, ideas, and

thoughts. For example, if I am a salesperson in an organisation, then public speaking skills

can help me in conveying my message to the customers I am targeting (
Jackson and
Chapman, 2012
). The reason why this is on my bucket list is that it helps in improving my
self-confidence, deductive and researching skills helps in career growth, and differentiates in

the workplace. In addition to this, it can help me in catering to career risks.

Reflect on your current competent regarding this skill. How did you assess your

competence? (use your self-assessment findings, feedback from peers and your tutor,

plus your own reflections on your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours to answer this

question)

Earlier, I had a fear of speaking in public. I used to get phobic about coming on the stage and

speak. I was very anxious about doing so, but later on, I have made many memorable

experiences that I cannot forget. I took "get it over with" view and now a good orator. I

learned some public speaking skills through YouTube and online lectures and develop me as

a speaker. Basically, I assessed my public speaking skills based on the responses and

feedbacks of my friends and my teachers. I asked them to rate my public speaking skills out

of 10 and I got an average rating of 7.5 which is quite good in my perception.

Can you identify any contradictions from your analysis above? For example, is there a

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match between how you see yourself and how others see you, or not?
Even though I consider myself a good speaker, there are certain areas where I think I should

work. First of them is that I need at least a week of preparation in order to bring fluency in

my speech. I may tremble in between if I don't prepare my content. This is also important for

me to gain confidence (
Kaplan, et.al, 2012). Another thing is that I am unable to make use of
my body language very well. Another issue with me is that I keep repeating lines in between

my presentation. I forget things to say and in an attempt to recollect them I forget that I am

repeating certain lines again and again.

How might this skill help me in the future? (use references to support your argument)

Having good public speaking skills puts me in an advantageous position. I can be a good

presenter and engage the audience with my content and skills. I can convey my message to

even large audience simultaneously. Seeing my potential, the company can ask to give

presentations at business meetings and seminars. If I choose to be a salesperson, with my

good public speaking skills I can manipulate customers and can climb the success ladder

(
Alberts, et .al, 2012).
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REFLECTIVE JOURNAL ENTRY PRO-FORMA 3
What is the core skill to develop?

In this proforma, the
time management skills. These can be defined as principles, systems,
or skills that can help individuals in managing their time and accomplish their defined goals

well before the deadlines. In other words, the ability of a person to manage time effectively

and achieve the task on time (
Ruetzler, et.al, 2012).
Why is this core skill important? Why did I select this skill to reflect on? (use relevant

theories and concepts to support your answer)

Everyone knows that time is money and wasting it is equal to wasting opportunities. Once it

is wasted, nobody can retrieve it. Managing time wisely can help individuals in achieving

their personal career goals. Time management can assist in setting up the work priorities. In

addition to this, it can also help in making a wise decision. It increases the productivity and

efficiency of individuals and helps in minimising the wastage of energy. Time management is

directly linked to the creation of a right balance in life. It removes the distractions,

fluctuations in life and brings self-discipline.

Reflect on your current competent regarding this skill. How did you assess your

competence? (use your self-assessment findings, feedback from peers and your tutor,

plus your own reflections on your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours to answer this

question)

I have been knowing for my time management and respecting the task deadlines. If my task

gets completed on time, I start the next task without any minute delay. I prepare a to-do list at

the very beginning of the day and stick to it no matter what's the situation. In addition to this,

I keep the future work priority in my mind. In case I complete my to-do list of the day, I can

start with the next day task. All this takes a lot from me. I have to make myself focussed and

self-disciplined. I help my friends and team member in creating their schedule of the day, but

most of them are unable to follow it. The reason being lack of experience in defining the

priority in their work. Having a balanced time schedule is important and my appraisal data

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reflects that.
Can you identify any contradictions from your analysis above? For example, is there a

match between how you see yourself and how others see you, or not?

No matter how experienced I am depicting myself in prioritising the work, many a time I

have failed in that also. Brainstorming is a must in prioritising work. To avoid such situations

in the first place, I advise to use tools like Action Priority Matrix (
Cardy and Leonard, 2014).
Sometimes, I start my day late, especially on weekends. This disturbs my action plan as I left

with only a few hours to perform my routine tasks. The main problem that I think each one of

us faces is a procrastination problem and distraction.

How might this skill help me in the future? (use references to support your argument)

In the context of a future career, time management is crucial as it helps in the achieving the

success. It provides time to set priority in goals. This timeline requires to be maintained and

managed. Wasting a single second can bring disturbances in the time management plan. This

can further hinder the career growth. Optimizing the time usage can help in achieving the task

efficiently. This can help a person in getting recognition and rewards from the management.

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REFLECTIVE JOURNAL ENTRY PRO-FORMA 4
What is the core skill to develop?

Here, the
negotiation skills are described. These are abilities of an individual to solve the
differences among the team members. In other words, it is a process through which two

members can be brought on a compromising stage while avoiding dispute (
Cheruvelil, et.al,
2014
).
Why is this core skill important? Why did I select this skill to reflect on? (use relevant

theories and concepts to support your answer)

The reason for putting this skill on the bucket list is that it is crucial, especially in the

boardroom meetings and ending the contracts with the suppliers. Benefits of negotiation

skills de facto are many. It can serve as invaluable skill while distributing roles and

responsibilities among the old and new members. This can also help in promoting the win-

win situation for everyone in the firm. The best negotiators usually work as a diplomat in

order to maintain the healthy relationship even after the contract ends. Moreover, negotiation

skills can help in improving the bottom line of the organisation. If a company is able to

minimise the overhead by 10% by making use of the negotiation skills of the manager, it

increases the profit margin.

Reflect on your current competent regarding this skill. How did you assess your

competence? (use your self-assessment findings, feedback from peers and your tutor,

plus your own reflections on your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours to answer this

question)

Many a time it occurs to me that I have to share some tasks with those colleagues who don’t

like to see eye-to-eye with me. But, with my negotiation skills, I can get the work done on

time. In addition to this, I distribute work among those who barely like to work with each

other. This is just an attempt to increase their bonding and make a healthy working

environment for the team. Improving negotiation skills helps me in maintaining my cool in

case of emergency and pressure. My team appreciates my actions of stopping people from

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alienating people around me by making use of negotiation skills.
Can you identify any contradictions from your analysis above? For example, is there a

match between how you see yourself and how others see you, or not?

Even if I claim that my negotiation skill is good, there are many setbacks to them. First one is

lack of patience. I want people to bury the hatchet as soon as possible because that irritates

me when they are not ready to do so. This can force me to hurt either of the party. I

understand that I should act responsible and logical.

How might this skill help me in the future? (use references to support your argument)

If I am in the marketing field or thinking to start my business, negotiation skills can assist me

in dealing with a wide variety of customers, especially the angry ones. They might be having

certain unrealistic expectations. Making use of negotiation techniques can help them to

realise that they are being heard and addressed properly.

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Summary
Identification of the personal strengths and weaknesses can effectively help in analysing the

professional opportunities that are available for a person. The issues and weaknesses can

hinder the progress and are required to be addressed as well. The identification of strengths

and weaknesses can help in clarification of the next best step which can help in self-

improvement (Miciak et. al., 2014). This will also help in highlighting the areas that require

attention and requires improvement. Identification of self-strengths and weaknesses is an

important task as it helps a person to develop in their personal and professional careers.

It has been identified that personal and professional development skills are reciprocals of

each other because, withoutdevelopment of one skill, the development of other could not take

place. My main focus is levied on the development of professional skills as this would help

me in my course of organisational development which would further help in fostering the

rapid growth of the career as well. The theory of personal development plan would be used as

it would help me in identifying the main areas of weaknesses and will help me in gaining the

insights on how these skills could be developed in an effective manner (Proyer et. al., 2015).

Provided below is a brief discussion presented on my core strengths and weaknesses.

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Strengths
The major strengths which have been identified in the journal are teamwork and negotiation.

It has been identified from various instances that I possess the quality of a leader. Being an

active person in sports, this is one of my major strengths which help me in leading the team

and ensuring that I work effectively in a team as well. Sports have helped me in identifying

the importance of working in a group rather than solo.

Another major strength would be a negotiation. Rather than public speaking, I am an adamant

speaker which at times helps me to bend the people according to the need of the situation.

This helps me in an effective bargaining and also improves my negotiation skills and well.

Weaknesses

The weakness which has bothered me from childhood and has the potential to harm my

professional development is the time management. I am not good at time management and

due to laziness I generally tend to procrastinate my priorities as well. Apart from this, I get

easily pressurised which further leads to mismanagement of time.

Public speaking is one of the most important qualities which are required by an individual

working in a professional organisation. I tend to shiver in front of the public which can also

be stated as stage fright. This might be because of lack of confidence, poor vocab, and

incorrect body language as well. To develop in future this weakness is required to be

addressed effectively.

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Personal development plan
Specific
Measurable Attainable Relevant Timely
Time

management

Procrastination,

being

pressurised by

tasks, improve

concentration

This would

be measured

by timely

completion

of tasks

The planned

actions are

realistic in

everyday

life. This

would be

managed by

the timely

completion

of tasks.

The actions

would help

me in

identifying

that if I have

eradicated

my issues. If

the deadlines

are met, it

would mean

that I have

effectively

managed my

time

1 month

Public

Speaking

Stage fright,

inappropriate

body language,

lack of vocab

This would

be measured

by the

feedback

from my

colleagues

from mock

speeches.

This action

is attainable

and would

be

conducted

every

Saturday.

The

feedback

from my

colleagues

would help

me in

analysing

the skills

that I am

required to

work on and

the

weaknesses

that I have

2 months

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addressed
effectively.

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References
Alberts, J.K., Nakayama, T.K. and Martin, J.N., 2012. Human communication in society.
Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Cardy, R. and Leonard, B., 2014. Performance Management: Concepts, Skills, and
Exercises: Concepts, Skills and Exercises
. Routledge.
Cheruvelil, K.S., Soranno, P.A., Weathers, K.C., Hanson, P.C., Goring, S.J., Filstrup, C.T.
and Read, E.K., 2014. Creating and maintaining high
performing collaborative research
teams: the importance of diversity and interpersonal skills.
Frontiers in Ecology and the
Environment
, 12(1), pp.31-38.
Gallie, D., Zhou, Y., Felstead, A. and Green, F., 2012. Teamwork, skill development, and
employee welfare.
British Journal of Industrial Relations, 50(1), pp.23-46.
Gan, Z., 2012. Understanding L2 speaking problems: Implications for ESL curriculum
development in a teacher training institution in Hong Kong.
Australian Journal of Teacher
Education
, 37(1), p.3.
Jackson, D. and Chapman, E., 2012. Non-technical skill gaps in Australian business
graduates.
Education+ Training, 54(2/3), pp.95-113.
Kaplan, S.N., Klebanov, M.M. and Sorensen, M., 2012. Which CEO characteristics and
abilities matter?.
The Journal of Finance, 67(3), pp.973-1007.
Miciak, J., Fletcher, J.M., Stuebing, K.K., Vaughn, S. and Tolar, T.D., 2014. Patterns of
cognitive strengths and weaknesses: Identification rates, agreement, and validity for learning

disabilities identification.
School Psychology Quarterly, 29(1), p.21.
Okoro, E., 2012. Cross-cultural etiquette and communication in global business: Toward a
strategic framework for managing the corporate expansion.
International journal of business
and management
, 7(16), p.130.
Proyer, R.T., Gander, F., Wellenzohn, S. and Ruch, W., 2015. Strengths-based positive
psychology interventions: a randomized placebo-controlled online trial on long-term effects

for a signature strengths-vs. a lesser strengths-intervention.
Frontiers in psychology, 6, p.456.
Ruetzler, T., Baker, W., Reynolds, D., Taylor, J., and Allen, B., 2014. Perceptions of
technical skills required for successful management in the hospitality industry—An

exploratory study using conjoint analysis.
International Journal of Hospitality
Management
, 39, pp.157-164.
Zahra, S.A. and Nambisan, S., 2012. Entrepreneurship and strategic thinking in business
ecosystems.
Business horizons, 55(3), pp.219-229.
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