Employability and Professional Development Report: Rockpool Digital

This report examines the employability and professional development of an IT manager at Rockpool Digital. It begins with a self-reflection on current skills and professional standards, identifying areas for improvement such as communication, decision-making, and leadership. A development plan, including a SWOT analysis, is proposed to address these needs through training and skill enhancement. The report explores the effectiveness of teamwork, referencing the Belbin team framework, and suggests strategies for overcoming issues within a team setting. The report also covers the outcomes of the development plan and how it has improved the IT manager's skills, leading to increased work efficiency and better handling of clients, as well as a positive impact on the organization, and its ability to develop IT products. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of continued professional development for both individual and organizational success.

Employability and Professional
Development
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1.................................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Reflection of current skills and professional standards.............................................................3
1.2 Development needs of IT manager............................................................................................4
1.3 Development plan on basis of needs..........................................................................................4
1.4 Outcome of development plan ..................................................................................................5
TASK 2.................................................................................................................................................6
TASK 3.................................................................................................................................................6
3.1 Effectiveness of working in team .............................................................................................6
3.2 Ways to work in team ...............................................................................................................7
TASK 4.................................................................................................................................................7
4.1 Tools and methods to overcome issue ......................................................................................7
4.2 Strategies for resolving problem................................................................................................8
4.3 Potential impact on the business of implementing the strategy.................................................8
CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................10
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INTRODUCTION
Employability plays a key role in success of every organisation so it is considered as one of
most critical study which provides data regarding various factors. The risk can also be analysed by in
order to have effective success by ensuring about the working conditions within organisation
(Andrews, 2012). On the other side, the professional development is a process in which individual
focuses on improvement in skills and knowledge so that career opportunities can be enhanced. It plays
a key role in increased level of motivation so that personal and professional skills can be improved in
most suitable manner.
In this report the learning will focus on work culture of Rockpool digital in order to have
effective understanding about employability and professional development concepts. It will focus on
various responsibilities that manager of Rockpool digital have towards its employees. It will also
provide a effective evaluation of personal and professional skills in order to have effective
development. It will also have spot light on the various interpersonal transferable skills which can
provide better career opportunities. It will also provide information about the factors of effective team
working in order to have accomplished work environment. Furthermore, it will also focus on
development of various strategies which can facilitate in overcome the issue.
TASK 1
1.1 Reflection of current skills and professional standards
Being an IT manager at Rockpool digital I have number of responsibilities which needed to
accomplished for effective operations and development. I have noticed in my self evaluation process
that my current skills are not meeting the professional standards so it is necessary for me amend the
skills in order to meet the standards. I am facing number of issues due to improper information about
my personal roles and responsibility (Lorraine, 2014). The un-clear information about roles and
responsibilities is having great influence on the performance and environmental circumstances of
company. It has also been identified by me that I am also not good at communication skills which is
also influencing the overall organisational performance and leading to various miscommunication
issues. It also have negative impact on brand image of Rockpool digital. The increased level of
miscommunication and misunderstanding among all staff is also influencing the effectiveness of
decision making process (Panagiotakopoulos, 2012).
In order to meet the professional standards it is necessary for manager of Rockpool digital to
focus on personal responsibilities. I must have decent information regarding my roles and
responsibility. It is also significantly essential for me to amend my communication skills so that my
motivation level can be enhanced and meet the needs of workplace (Woodley, 2011). It is also
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necessary for me to focus on decision making process skills so that effective decisions can be made for
better organisational success. Improved level of decision making process can be a key to success of
Rockpool digital (Hall, 2005). Moreover, I can also focus on various learning process so that I can
amend my knowledge about innovation which will facilitate me to deal with different environmental
conditions. It will also have beneficial impact on the organizational performance. Key aspects of
standardised performance can also be consider for enhanced level of performance (Stewart, 2005). It is
also necessary for me to have improved focus on employment legislation, ethics and employment
rights for enhanced level of satisfaction and development.
1.2 Development needs of IT manager
In the above assessment it has been spotted that I not good at managerial skills which also have
some negative influence on the overall performance of organization. In this support it can be said that
my development needs can be classified as advancement in communication skills, decision making
skills, leadership skills, training needs, etc (Cassidy, 2006). It has also been spotted that there are
diverse tools which can be used in order to accomplish my needs. The classification of techniques can
be as performance appraisal, communication skills audit, self management, monitoring, etc.
In this respect the being a manager of Rockpool digital I can focus on training process so that
my managerial skills can be developed. It will facilitate me to have effective development of
communication skills. It will also amend my motivation level and assist in effective conversation with
other staff members (Houston, 2005). It will also reduce miscommunication issues among workforce
and amend the morale for effective accomplishment of organizational objectives. Moreover, it can also
be stated that the training and development needs can also be advanced with an assistance of
observation power. It also have great positive impact on the decision making process. Other than this,
in order to have improved level of information I can also focus on diverse rating methods which can be
classified as paired comparison, checklist, etc (Mumford, 2001).
The proper identification of my colleagues needs is also essential so it can focus on conduction
of various audits and meeting in order to determine the employees needs. It will also prompt me to
meet the satisfaction level of employees and build better personal relation with all members.
1.3 Development plan on basis of needs
It has been spotted that the effective development plan basic need is advanced identification of
needs. In this respect the IT manager of Rockpool digital can have improved focus on SWOT analysis.
It will provide me enhanced information about my strength and weakness which is beneficial for
identification of training needs evaluation. In the identification process the key identified needs are
classified as, advancement in communication abilities, decision making capability, observation power,
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etc (Ruderman, 2011). In this respect manager can also focus on conduction of training and
development program. Moreover, it is also necessary for manager of Rockpool digital to have
improved focus on time scale and review for effective accomplishment of development plan (Wilton,
2011). Other than this, being an IT manager at Rockpool digital it is also necessary for me to follow
some key steps. The phases can be classified as proposal writing, design of aim and objective,
information assessment, needs identification, selection of tool, training and development program
execution, monitoring and review. Moreover, the time-scale of program is 10 weeks and it will provide
positive outcome in form of development.
SWOT analysis
Strength:
 I have good knowledge of analytical skills and planning. I have efficient knowledge of various leadership tactics
Weakness:
 My current skills are not meeting the professional standards
 I am facing number of issues due to improper information about my personal roles and
responsibility
 I am also not good at communication skills.
Threats
 Rapid changes in information technology industry impacts my development Enhanced level of skills among colleagues can also influence my development.
Opportunities
 I can focus on time management skills for effective development I can attend various seminars to amend my skills.
Development plan and its time scale
Professional Skills Current Level
5=strong
1 = weak
Ways to Improve
Communication Skills 3 I can counselt varioues communication
experts
Leadership Skills
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I will take participate in arrangement
activities of events
Presentation Skills 3 Access of internet for better studying on
new tactics of presentation
Problem Solving 2 I can focus on various case studies
Team work 5 Take participate in diverse team work to
acomplish target of organisation
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Technology Skills 4 Access to various social media tools and
attend training and development
progrtams.
1.4 Outcome of development plan
As per the evaluation of development plan it can be said that my managerial skills has been
improved. In other words, it can be said that the development plan has provided me number of positive
outcome which are beneficial for better career opportunities in Rockpool digital. It has also been
spotted that the training and development plan has facilitated me to amend my communication
abilities in order to meet the needs (Nevada and et.al., 2012). Moreover, the advancement in
communication skills has facilitated me to decrease the negative influences of miscommunication and
provided better effectiveness to enhance my work performance. It has also impacted my personal and
professional relationship in positive manner which is beneficial for effective identification of needs.
Furthermore, with an assistance of development plan I have improved my leadership skills and
motivation level as assist in better transfer of message with my colleagues and employees. It has also
provided me information about various performance measurement tools (Holmes, 2014). The
evaluation procedure has also assisted me while dealing with number of clients. Other than this, my
observations skills has also developed which has facilitated me to make hard decisions for amended
performance. The work efficiency has also improved which has decreased total time consumption of
overall operational activities (Time management. 2014). Improved consideration of roles and
responsibilities has also facilitated me to accomplish my tasks in effective manner. I have also
improved my innovation skills with an help of development plan so that I can have effective
development of various IT products.
In the support of this, it can be said that the development in my skills will also impact the
organisational development in positive manner. In this respect, the business firms will get number of
benefits from diverse development in employee skills. Improvement in technical knowledge will
facilitate the employees to handle diverse machines and tactics in context of organizational process. It
will have direct positive impact on the productivity of workforce and provide number of positive
outcome to the organization. Improvement in time management skills will facilitate employees to
manage their time and work activities in proper way and accomplish tasks in desired time period. It
will also have direct positive influence on the organisational success.
TASK 2
Covered in the PPT.
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TASK 3
3.1 Effectiveness of working in team
Effectiveness of team work can be improved with an improved focus on belbin team
framework. It is consisted of diverse team roles which can be classified as plant, resource investigator,
coordinator, shaper, evaluator, team worker, implementer, finisher and specialist. In plant team needs to
focus on creativity, imaginative and solutions to resolve issues. Secondly, investigator focuses on
developing communicative environment and explore more opportunities. Coordinator focuses on
confidence level and various decision making process. Other than this, belbin team role also includes
factors like knowledge, skills, challenge, etc. these all kinds of developments are essential for effective
development of team work and lead business to impressive success.
It has been spotted that the team work is all about collective efforts of all employees in order to
have effective development of culture in diverse manner. It also facilitates in enhanced
accomplishment of organizational objectives. In other words, it can be stated that the team work plays
a key role in enhanced level of employees motivation. It facilitates in effective accomplishment of
goals in collective manner with motive of decrease in time and cost (Tuzun, 2012). Moreover, it can
also be stated that team work assist in overcoming various critical issues so that understanding level
between staff can also be improved. It can also be said that with an assistance of team work the
manager of Rockpool digital can also amend the creativity and work productivity as it is beneficial for
improved level of success (Poon, 2000). Team work also provides number of innovative ways to
overcome the issues and amend the individual skills. The allocation and usage of resources can also be
improved in order to meet the organizational goals.
The IT manager and other team members of IT department work in collective manner so that
innovative product can be developed. Software engineer focuses on development of software with
considering the guidelines of IT manager (Kelly, 2001). Moreover, IT manager assist software
developer so that work can be accomplished in less time. Decreased level of less time consumption has
also reduced the overall operation cost of Rockpool digital.
3.2 Ways to work in team
Team work plays a key role in success of every organization so it is necessary for IT manager
of Rockpool digital to have focus on diversified ways which can be accessed while working in team.
The classification of tools which can be used in team work are classified as theory x and y, Herzberg
and Maslow theory (Boudreau, 2009). In this respect it can be stated that the IT manager of Rockpool
digital can have effective participation in team work by accessing motivational theories for better
accomplishment of goals. Manager can motivate its team members and colleagues by use of Theory x
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and y as it will amend the coordination level among members and facilitate in effective
accomplishment of goals (Mathews, 2014). It will allow sharing of information so that mental stress
can be reduced and amend confidence and skills.
In the support of this, it can be said that the team work can also be managed by effective focus
on diverse factors like size of team, norms, collaboration and diversity. If team leader will have proper
information regarding size of team then they can easily design the activities as per potential for team. It
will boost the productivity and work effectiveness. Moreover, the proper involvement of each and
every employee is also beneficial for effective development of team work. Other than this, collective
work conditions can also be boosted within organisation by improved focus on collaboration. Number
of collective work development activities can be designed in order to boost the operations. Diversity
also provides strength to team work and allow to design some unique group activities which can boost
work culture effectiveness.
Moreover, with an assistance of Herzberg motivational theory the manager can also amend the
effectiveness of team work. Manager can ensure that the hygiene and motivation factor are properly
managed so that employees can have better satisfaction. It is necessary for manager to ensure that the
employees are getting proper salary and basic facilities so that they can feel motivated (Penuel and
et.al., 2007). At last, Maslow’s motivational theory will also assist the manager to have advancement in
team work. The proper execution of motivational techniques will increase morale of all workforce in
order to meet the needs and accomplish task in proper way.
TASK 4
4.1 Tools and methods to overcome issue
It has been spotted that the management of Rockpool digital can focus on diverse tools and
methods in order to overcome issues or problem which are impacting its operations. In the support of
this, it can be said that the manager of Rockpool digital can face number of issues regarding cultural
differences, hierarchy problems, attitude, gender bias, etc. It can be said that while working in team it
is possible that manager can face cultural issue due to differences in culture (Tomlinson, 2004). The
needs of employees may be differ due to diversification in cultural aspects. In this respect the manager
can focus on relationship building tools so that coordination level can be enhanced. It will provide
proper understanding about differences in culture and facilitate in overcome issues in more effective
manner (Throop, 2010). It will also amend the overall performance of organization by assisting
through relationship techniques.
Other than this, in order to overcome the issues, it is necessary for management of Rockpool
digital to focus on key components of team dynamics. It is essential for manager to focus on diverse
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needs of functional group in order to meet the standards and overcome the issues. Moreover, the
manager of business organisation also need to maintain good relationship with the employees in order
to accomplish organisational goals. Manager must have continuous assessment of diverse conflicts in
order to overcome issues and lead business firm to impressive success. In the support of this, it can also
be stated that the expectations and roles can be shared among team members in order to fulfil the needs
of position. To reduce the ratio of diverse functional issues the management of Rockpool digital can
classified roles as task roles, maintenance role and self interest roles.
Furthermore, the belbin team roles are beneficial to overcome the issues in context of team
work. In this support, management of Rockpool can divide team work as per consideration of belbin
team roles. Management can allot work in three categories such as action oriented roles, people
oriented roles and cerebral roles. These sections can also arranged as per framework of shaper,
implementer, coordinator, monitor, specialist, etc.
In the support of this, it can also be stated that the company can also focus on changes in its
organizational structure so that effective team can be formed. It will also facilitate in building better
relationship with members and reduce the miscommunication so that problems in hierarchy can be
resolved for better performance (West, 2012). Moreover, the manager can also focus on some
motivational tools in order to overcome these issues. It will also amend the effectiveness of
information sharing so that proper information can be provided in order to meet the needs of
individual. Furthermore, it will also provide effective identification of needs which is beneficial to
reduce the social fluctuation (Holbeche, 2009). Proper interaction can be take placed in order ensure
about roles and responsibilities.
4.2 Strategies for resolving problem
Rockpool digital manager can focus on various strategies in order to amend the work
environment and overcome the issues. The classification of strategies can be as leadership style,
training and development and framework regarding information. Moreover, it can also be stated that
the company can easily overcome the issues with an improved focus on corrective actions which
consider the factors like time scale, critical path analysis and resources (Leat, 2012). There are number
of leadership styles which can be adopted by management such as autocratic, participative and
transformation leadership. It will provide better information about critical cultural aspects and facilitate
in overcome the issues regarding cultural diversification. Participative leadership will provide great
opportunity to have correct interaction with employees and amend relationship with other team
members (Wlodarczyk, 2010). In correct market situation the company can focus on participative
leadership because its employees are well skilled and they have correct information about the
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organisational structure. Experience workforce can easily provide effective solutions to overcome the
issues.
Other than this, with an assistance of training and development the management can amend the
skills of employees and overcome issues in most effective manner. It is a process which will facilitate
the business organisation to have improved learning about work culture and structure which is
beneficial for resolving issues in effective manner (Leat, 2012). In the support of this, it can also be
stated that the manager of Rockpool digital can also conduct various meetings with executives of other
departments in order to identify the key business issues. Meeting and discussion with other managers
will provide number of alternative ways which can boost the business organisation and overcome
number of issues. Moreover, the gathering with employees is also beneficial for effective identification
of issues and determine ways which can overcome issues.
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Illustration 1: Flow chart

Illustration 2: Waterfall model
In the support of waterfall model it can be stated that the business organisation will firstly focus
on requirements of project and then design the activities as per the needs. Effective focus on needs will
provide better opportunity to meet the organisational needs and render effectiveness to implementation
of plan. Moreover, proper monitoring is also required in this respect to verify that all actions are
implemented in proper way. It is all about review of process and if any changes required the proper
maintenance is required in order to overcome issues and accomplish goals.
4.3 Potential impact on the business of implementing the strategy
It is necessary for management of Rockpool digital to ensure that the implementation process
have improved focus on monitoring so that business can easily measure the changes. In the support of
evaluation process it can be said that the improved focus on training and development process has
enhanced the skills of its workforce so that issues can be overcome in appropriate manner. In other
words, it has also been identified that with an assistance of training and development has improved my
communication skills and helped me to have better interaction with other members of organisation
(Holbeche, 2009). Moreover, the training and development program has also reduced the cost of
operation in Rockpool digital. It is due to less consumption of time and work force. It has improved my
time management skills by providing information or knowledge about time management. In this, the
management has focused more on videos, journals, books for improvement in employment capability
(West, 2012).
Other than this, it has also been spotted that the with an improved use of managerial tools and
strategies the organisation can also accomplished its issues in better way. It has also improved the
relationship among workforce and clients so that proper software can be developed as per customer
needs. Improved level of relationship with employees and clients has also impacted positively on
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satisfaction level (Throop, 2010). The software development cost has also reduced by management and
employees by effective allocation of resources. Training and development program has improved
knowledge about allocation of resources.
CONCLUSION
As per the above study it can be said that the employability and personal development plays a
vital role in success of every individual as it relates with the career opportunities. It has been identified
that the manager of Rockpool digital can focus on various managerial techniques to amend his skills.
With an improved focus on team working and communication skills the manager can easily manage
diverse issues and lead business to impressive success. Improved level of relationship with employees
and clients has also impacted positively on satisfaction level. With an assistance of development plan
work efficiency can also improved in order to reduce the total time consumption taken in operational
activities.
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