Professional Development: Skills, Trends, and Gap Analysis Report

This report delves into the multifaceted realm of professional development within a business administration context. It begins by comparing various sources of information on professional development trends, assessing their validity and identifying key trends influencing the need for continuous professional growth. The report then analyzes the author's own personal and professional development needs, considering their role, team dynamics, and organizational objectives. It explores the benefits of personal and professional development, the criteria for selecting development actions, and the application of skill gap analysis to identify required skills, knowledge, and experience. Furthermore, the report outlines a comprehensive personal and professional development plan aligned with business needs and personal objectives, including a discussion on budget and timelines, and the utilization of professional networks and bodies. The report emphasizes the importance of setting SMART objectives, obtaining feedback from multiple sources, reviewing progress, and adapting the development plan based on feedback. The conclusion summarizes the key findings and recommendations for effective professional development strategies. The report includes references to support the presented concepts and findings.

BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
1.1 Compare source of information on professional development trends and their validity. 3
1.2 identify trends and development that influence the need for professional development. 4
1.3 Own current and future personal and professional development needs relating to role, the
team and the organisation.......................................................................................................5
2.1 Benefits of personal and professional development.........................................................5
2.2 The basis on which types of development actions are selected........................................6
2.3 Identify current and future need likely skills, knowledge and experience need using skill
gap analysis............................................................................................................................7
2.4 Personal and professional development plan that is consistent with business needs and
personal objectives.................................................................................................................8
2.5 Execution of plan within the agreed budget and timescales.............................................9
2.6 Take advantages of development opportunities made available by professional networks
or professional bodies...........................................................................................................10
3.1 Explain how to set SMART objective............................................................................10
3.2 Obtain feedback on performance from range of valid sources.......................................11
3.3 Review progress towards personal and professional objectives.....................................12
3.4 The personal and professional development plan in the light of feedback received from
others....................................................................................................................................13
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Business administration is a process of organising professional and personal development
need to meet organisation's objectives and goals. Its includes human resources, marketing
management, financial management and operation management in an organisation. This process
changes the day-to-day operations of business, as they also charge in planning long-term
projects, operations and strategies. This report includes sources of information to develop
professional trend, identifications of personal development trends, evaluation of own current and
future need personal or professional need. The benefits and basis on which type development
actions are selected, gap analysis and personal or professional development plan. Smart
objectives are identified, feedback is taken, review the progress towards achievement of
objectives and improvement on Personal and professional development plan according to
feedback.
1.1 Compare source of information on professional development trends and their validity.
It's essential for an employee to develop professional trends, on job training, M-learning,
blended learning, social learning are the latest development trend (Hesselbarth and Schaltegger,
2014). These trends are develop through various sources, employees just have to chose wisely by
which professional trends will be developed. The sources of information are:-
Educational centres Online learning Citizen advice bureau
There are several educational
centres which provides
information and training to
employees or organisation
which is valid and reliable to
meet business requirement. If
training are provided through
educational centres then
organisation have to hire
professionals to provide
The learners are also been able
to learn and train themselves
through online programs. They
are supposed to learn and
make assessment at the end.
These e-learning and training
programs guides about
particular programs that are
required in specific job role
and keep a check on
This bureau offers advices on
rights, work and taxations
which benefits employees of
an organisation. This also
advice to employee on the
range of employment law. Its
also maintain good relation
relationship between employer
and employee which underpins
organisation success. If

training to its employee. employees progress (Bean,
2015). These e-learning
programs provided valid
information and also access to
information through websites
as well as some sites have its
own app to make learning
more user friendly or
accessible to learner.
anything went wrong in
business, this bureau helps
them to resolve these issues to
run a successful business.
The Education centres and E-learning are best source of information to develop
professional trends in employee by which skills and knowledge is gained. In e-learning the range
of information is wide but in educational centres and in bureau information is very limited.
1.2 identify trends and development that influence the need for professional development.
It is necessary to identify and develop the professional trends which help in enhancing the
creditability so that the team efficiency can be increased and the current and future prospects of
their development can be enhanced. (Storey, 2016). If an employee properly learns job role and
get appropriate amount of training, it influences their persona development in a positive way..
The trend which influence professional development are:-
 Social learning:- It's distributes workforce at workplace, increased millennial presence in
organisation. Social media provide more productive ways to share ideas, comparison of
e-mail and starting to adopt in business environment. This learning helps employees to
share ideas as well as effectively communicate information within workforce. Through
this professional needs are influence people wants more to lean about society trends and
people are more developed in every aspects easily perform the task.
 Blended learning:- It is a mix of face-to-face and online learning. It is another way to
top develop professional learnings. It provides increased flexibility in comparison to face-
to-face learning (Waldo, 2017). In this, learners are allowed to get training on their own ,
the benefit will be of learning and talking to professionals will lead to improvement in the
professional development. Through this learning employees moral boost towards the
achievement of organisation as well as career goals and through immense amount of

learning they become better employee. The professional standards are also influence
employees are get more trained and been able to provide good services to their
customers.
1.3 Own current and future personal and professional development needs relating to role, the
team and the organisation.
The current and future personal skills related to marketing manager in an organisation are:-
 Communication:- Being a leader, my communication skills are effective and its very
easy for me to communicate with my subordinates and workers. Its very important to
have effective communication skill but there is scope to improve communication skill so
that any miscommunication can't happen within organisation. The effective
communication skill is considered as current requirement. If communication is not
effective then people will not been able to understand thing clearly in organisation.
 Time management:- Being a manager I can effectively manage time but still some kind
of improvement required largely, because I can more involve in task by which I forget
keep eye on time. The time management is a skill which required in future when there is
a season then employees are require to manage their time properly.
The current and future professional skill related to marketing manager in an organisation are:-
 Knowledge about SEO:- I have basic knowledge about search engine optimisation, the
current requirement of knowledge is required.
 Social media marketing:- I have little knowledge about social media marketing being a
marketing manager (Ju&arez, 2014). The knowledge related to social media marketing is
required in future when more marketing is required for organisation perspective.
2.1 Benefits of personal and professional development.
Its essential for an employee to develop themselves in terms of professional and personal.
There are various ways to improve themselves each day, a conscientious personal development
plan is key to increase growth, business personal development allows push themselves in faster
and further way.
The benefits of personal development are:-
 Self aware:- If personal development process of coaching to motivates employee
towards positive performance and its also help in making employee more aware about

themselves. Through this values, beliefs are determined and purpose of employees are
also identified.
 Clarity:- It brings clarity in employees mind towards performing certain task and
improves the sense of direction.
 Motivated:- When employee is get to know about visions and directions then they
become more motivated and help organisation in accomplishing the goals. Resilience:- To face a tough time and way of handling situation with confidence and
resilience is done though this process.
Benefits of professional development:-
 Improved efficiency:- It not only help in learning new sets skills, but also allow staff to
learn from others in training. This development can lead to greater productivity and
efficiency of an organisation also increased.
 Increased retention:- In this new era, organisation can offers the new or promoting
professional development options by which employees get retained and become loyal in
an organisation.
2.2 The basis on which types of development actions are selected.
Its very important for an employee to improve current and future need whether its
personal or professional by which objectives of an organisation will achieved. The methods
taken to improve the personal and professional skills are:
 Training:- The appropriate amount of training is essential to provide then current as well
as future need of an employee get developed (Bell, Bryman and Harley, 2018). The
training helps them improving communication skills through participating in debate
competition. Its also helps employees to improve knowledge related search engine
optimisation and social media marketing by which effective marketing can be conducted
in organisation.
 Team building exercise:- It's an another method to develop effective communication
skill by which employee feel comfortable in communicating with each others and it also
improves time management in an employee by which organisation goals are also
achieved.

 Computer based training:- Its also alternative method to improve current and future
development need. Through computing based training social media as well as search
engine optimisation knowledge will improved in employees.
 Mentoring:- Its also help employees to improve communication, time management as
well as been able to learn about social media marketing (Uhl and Gollenia, 2016). In this
organisation leader mentor employees to work on improving required needs.
On basis of required skills and need improvement in communication skill, training skill
and gain knowledge related to Search engine optimisation these development actions are taken.
2.3 Identify current and future need likely skills, knowledge and experience need using skill gap
analysis.
To overcome the gap between current skills and future skills of an employee. Its essential
to conduct skill analysis by which leveraging in employee performance is identifies as its a
biggest detriment to attain business goals. When its comes to training and development of
employee, then appropriate way of identifies skill gap analysis is through SWOT analysis. Gap
analysis is a method to asses difference between a current as well as future needs. The SWOT
analysis of current and future need are:-
Strength
 I can effectively communicate with
people those who are known to me and
written skill are great.
Weakness
 I am not been able to communicate
with large group of people and
unknown people like guest in
restaurant.
Opportunity
 The communication should be perfect
so that guest are get more influenced.
 The knowledge should be appropriate
otherwise it's difficult for me to proper
marketing.
Threat
 If these are proper than it become
difficult for me effective accomplish
the objectives in organisation.

2.4 Personal and professional development plan that is consistent with business needs and
personal objectives.
In accordance to skills improvement some agreement is required from relevant parties are
line manager, trainer and from budget department. As accordance to their guidance the budget
should be prepare. The personal development plan are:-
S.no. Skills Current
proficiency
Future
proficiency
Development
opportunities and
activities
Judgement Timescale
1. Communication
(oral
communication
need to
improve)
My current
communica
tion skills
are
efficient
while
communica
ting with
team
members,
but it
comes to
communica
te with
heads in
organisatio
n
communica
tion
become
ineffective.
Effectively
wants to
communicat
e with heads
of an
organisation
by which
miscommun
ication can't
take place
while
communicat
ion with
subordinate
s.
To develop
communication
skills its essential
for employees to
attain the debate
competition, read
newspapers as well
as books by which
communication
become more
effective with
everyone in
organisation.
Leaders of
an
organisatio
n can
judge my
performan
ce.
To
improve
communic
ation
leadership
its
required
3-4
months.
2. Knowledge I have little To improve To attain the The top Its

about SEO knowledge
about
search
engine
optimisatio
n to
conduct
marketing
for a
product.
or gain
more
knowledge
about search
engine
optimizatio
n so that
effective
marketing
of a product
can be
conducted.
training programs so
that to gain
knowledge related
search engine
optimisation. To
attain class also by
which knowledge is
gain.
manageme
nt and
subordinat
es have the
authority
to judge
my
performan
ce.
required
45 days to
gain
knowledg
e related
search
engine
optimisati
on.
2.5 Execution of plan within the agreed budget and timescales.
The certain activities are required to gain knowledge related to SEO and improve
communication skills that should be in budget as well as according to appropriate timescale.
(Draper, 2017). The activities can't exceed budget while improving communication skills and
time scale is also considered by employees while conducting activities. Steps required to
implement personal development plan are:-
 Priorities:- While implementing personal development plan, its essential for employees
to priorities their need as per personal objectives as well as business need. Whichever
skills need to improve first have to priorities according to that.
 Scheduling:- Once the skills are priorities then employee sets certain time scale as well as
budget to implement activities required to improve skills. To improve communication
skill its required 3-4 months and Rs.32000 is required. To gain knowledge about search
engine optimisation required 45 days with an amount of Rs.20000 free for class.
 Actions:- In this stage, employees implement those strategies to improve skills and
according to particular time scale as well as budget (Lundsten, 2015).
 Evaluation:- In this stage employees performance is evaluated by which skills are
improved in them within time scale and budget.

 Implementation:- After evaluating performance if any changes are required then those are
developed by the employees within budget and time scale.
2.6 Take advantages of development opportunities made available by professional networks or
professional bodies.
The advantages of skills that are developed by employees in certain time durations so that
organisation objectives are achieved. The advantages of communication skills are:-
 Improve employee moral:- If manager communication skills are effective then workers
moral will increased as well as manager are also do their work effectively. The
communications leads to employees to conduct businesses operations efficiently in an
organisation (Hakansson, 2015). If communication is effective and timely skills are
developed then moral will increase to do work more effectively.
 Build strong team:- If communication skill is effective then it's help in building strong
team, this also leads to build trust between employees. The trust is the backbone of a
relationship so manager should know the way of effectively communicate with workers.
The development opportunities helps them to improve their skills by which relations are
also improve.
The advantages to gain knowledge about search engine optimisation are:-
Its very important for a marketing manager to have immense amount of search engine
optimisation knowledge. So, that effective marketing is conducted in google search by which
products become more popular in market. Its a process by which organisation brand image will
increased and manager can map the effective strategies related to search engine optimisation.
3.1 Explain how to set SMART objective
Knowledge about social media
SMART objectives refers to the aims those are Specific, Measurable, Attainable,
Realistic and Time bound. It is very essential for a person to set SMART objectives as it
contribute toward individual success when it have aim which can be measured and attainable
(Forsgren and Johanson, 2014). The objectives are made which are satisfied by SMART model.
These five factors of SMART objectives can be better understood using following points:
 Specific:- It consist of target that specifically state result to be achieved as when goal is
specific it is much easier to accomplish. The communication skills are specified to
improve in certain time scale.

 Measurable:- It define that the outcome which a person desire must be possible to
achieve as it create desire to achieve desired result which in turn support in motivating an
individual. They are measured by top management and subordinates that are improved or
not.
 Attainable:- This factor describes that target must be such which are possible to achieve
as this positive factor attract the person to work toward accomplishment of their goals.
 Realistic:- This factor represent that the target must be relevant and possible and it must
not be imaginer (Sison, Beabout and Ferrero, 2017). They are also considered in real
time and no imaginary activities are considered.
 Time bound:- The objective must have a proper time defined over which it should be
completed as setting up of time scale provide urgency, focus and clarifies when the aim is
intended to achieve. The time is accordance with minimum budget and time scale.
So from above mentioned point it is clear that SMART objectives are possible to get
accomplish and willing to work toward goal that are measurable with desired outcome support in
creating motivation toward its accomplishment. My target is to gain knowledge about social
media marketing so in order to create it SMART objective I have set my aim as: Gain some basic
knowledge about Social Media Marketing within 6 months that support me in performing my job
task.
3.2 Obtain feedback on performance from range of valid sources.
It's essential for an organisation to get feedback from different sources for employees
performance. So, that according to feedback performance will be improved. The sources have to
those who avail services from employees (Young and et. al., 2014). The improvement is required
at every stage as well as manager also seeks feedback to improve themselves. Gaining effective
feedback for maintaining capable workforce in organisation. The sources are:-
 Customers:- They are the most important source by which feedback is gained to improve
the performance of a particular task. The organisation can gain solicit feedback from
customers related to individual, group, team and management performance. The customer
will provide feedback that after PDP plan I am able to communicate with customers
effectively.
 Supervisors, manager and team leaders:- Leaders are the rich source to provide
feedback related employees performance. The leaders are experienced and have

specialised knowledge of the task and easily evaluate employees performance. They re
likely have a comprehensive understanding of employees performance so to provide
appropriate amount of feedback by which gap in performance can be filled. The training
and development helps me to increase me skills and they confirmed that my skills are
effectively improved.
 Subordinates:- The upward feedback is a method which Is provided by subordinates of
an organisation. They evaluate manager style and performance as according to that
feedback is provided. It's has a positive impact on performance of low moderate
performance. The subordinates also provided the feedback in terms to improve in
communication skill with help of appropriate training.

3.3 Review progress towards personal and professional objectives.
It's important for individual to review its performance by which personal and professional
objectives are been achieved or not. The communication skills are essential for employees to
improve otherwise objectives of an organisational are not accomplished (Kim and Min, 2015).
They have take examine progress related to skills which are required to developed by employees.
Review on the basis of earlier identification and determination of the progress in
objectives is explained below:-
 The communication skills is required to developed so that employee is been able
to communicate with top management effectively and it can't lead to
miscommunication. If employee is not been able to deliver information
effectively then organisations standards also get effected. According to the
Personal development plan communication skill are till bit improved they are
effectively communicate with large group but not been able to communicate with
unknown people like guest in restaurants.
 To get the progress review related to gained knowledge about search engine
optimisation, its essential for an marketing manager to have efficient knowledge
about search engine optimisation. As according PDP the time scale they gain
certain knowledge, so its important to conduct review of progress. So, that gaps
can be analysed and filled with certain required activities to implement. The