Reflective Essay: Learning and Development for Marketing Sales Manager

This reflective essay explores the importance of learning and development in enhancing individual and organizational success, particularly within the context of a marketing sales manager's role at Pathlab. The essay discusses the application of coaching and mentoring to improve leadership skills, addressing issues such as lack of leadership skills and limited knowledge within the marketing team. It delves into the practical application of the CLEAR model for coaching and mentoring, and the Honey and Mumford learning styles, along with adult learning theories to enhance team members' skills. The essay emphasizes the importance of understanding adult learning theories, recognizing the value of learning and development in achieving organizational goals and objectives, and using different methods to cater to various learning styles. The essay highlights how the author's personal development has been enhanced through these practices, leading to a deeper understanding of how to transform weaknesses into strengths and foster a successful learning environment for the team, ultimately improving sales performance.

Reflective essay
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Reflective Essay on Learning and development..............................................................................2
References........................................................................................................................................5
1

REFLECTIVE ESSAY ON LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Learning and development plays a crucial role in enhancing the career of individuals to a great
extent. They also maximize the skills and knowledge of human resources at the workplace
(Beevers, K. and Rea, A., 2013, pp.101-110). Along with this, it helps individuals to achieve
success in this competitive world by enhancing the level of their personal and professional
growth. In the present era, learning and development works as an innovative strategy in every
organization. This helps in managing the abilities as well as skills of workforce. With the help of
these practices, management of the companies will be able to gain competitive advancement.
Enhancement in the efficiency of human resources leads to the maximization of the level of
products and service effectiveness. Learning and development focuses on rendering more
opportunities to the employees by increasing their knowledge. This in turn enhances the
satisfaction level of them to a great extent (Beevers, K. and Rea, A., 2013, pp.150-160).
Furthermore, the main role played by the learning and development is to improve the
performance level of human resources. By doing so, it leads to maximizing the profitability as
well as sales revenue of company. Learning and development is the process of ensuring the
growth of individuals at the workplace. Therefore, it works as an opportunity for business entity
by which good relationships between the management and employees can be established
effectively. Due to the better relationship, human resources focus on giving their best while
performing business practices so that objectives of company can be fulfilled. Moreover, the
workplace includes different types of individuals who have different cultures, nationalities and
languages. With the availability of proper learning as well as development, they can deal
effectively with each other and thus, chances of conflicts can be eliminated (Beevers, K. and
Rea, A., 2013, pp.175-185).
By considering the above aspects, it is my duty to focus on the learning and development of my
team in Pathology and Clinical Laboratory Pte Ltd (Pathlab). As a marketing sales manager, I
emphasize on enhancing the skills and knowledge of my marketing team which includes 6 sales
executives. My strength was selected to be a marketing sales manager because of my past
experiences and knowledge regarding the theoretical and practical aspects of marketing. Along
with this, I am good in dealing effectively with all the tools and techniques from which sales
2

performance of the company can be improved. As per my designation, there are several
responsibilities of me. Among them, one of the major responsibilities I have is to understand the
development needs of my team members. As a marketing sales manager of Pathlab, I have faced
various issues that have impacted the sales performance to a higher level. Among them all, lack
of knowledge in my team members regarding the theoretical and practical application of
marketing was the one. With this, my lack of leadership skills was also an issue which I was not
able to deal with effectively. My marketing sales executives also had limited information
regarding how to sell the new medical diagnostics test and that’s why the sales performance of
company was decreasing to a large extent.
The yellow highlighted paragraph does not link to areas to develop the weakness of my
leadership at all, please remove it and change.
Leadership related to coaching or mentoring.eg to be more assertive, inspire etc. I had attached a
e book coaching and mentoring for your reference to write.
In order to overcome issue related to lack of leadership skills in me, I focused on using method
related to coaching and mentoring. I selected this method because one of my friends also used
this method for enhancing his leadership skills and in earlier, he told me about the same. With
the help of coaching and mentoring, I taken proper guidance from expert professionals about the
field of leadership and managing people. While mentoring me, my coach focused on the CLEAR
model so that proper coaching could be provided to me with full effectiveness. This model has
availability of five elements such as contract, listen, explore, action and review (Beevers, K. and
Rea, A., 2013, pp.315-316). On the basis of first element, coach guided me to set my aim and
objectives in a proper way related to increase leadership skills.
As per the second element, mentor of me focused to understand my needs and objectives in an
effectual manner and after that, he or she suggested me various options by which I could get
better opportunity for improving the level of leadership. Suggestion of several methods comes
under the explore element of CLEAR Model. However, fourth element is based on action and by
considering this, me and my mentor focused to implement right method by which I could
enhance my leadership skills. With the implementation of suitable methods and after gaining
proper knowledge regarding leadership, review element was taken place and by this, mentor
3

emphasized on identifying that there are improvements in my leadership skills or not. Thus, with
the help of coaching and mentoring, my leadership skill had improved to a great extent.
Further, by following the theory of Honey and Mumford theory, I divided all my team members
on the basis of these four learners. As activists focus on learning things by doing activities alone,
I focused on using methods, for example brainstorming, puzzles, problem solving and group
discussions. In the case of theorists, I considered methods such as stories, models, statistics and
applying theories as these kinds of people prefer to learn something by understanding theories
behind every action. (Beevers, K. and Rea, A., 2013, pp.293-294). Pragmatists focus on
enhancing knowledge by putting learning into practice in reality and therefore, case studies,
discussion and problem solving techniques were used. Lastly, reflectors prefer to learn with the
help of observing things. I adopted methods such as self-analysis questionnaires, observing
activities, interviews, coaching and paired discussions.
Instead of the Honey and Mumford theory, adult learning theories were also considered by me at
the time of enhancing the learning and development. According to the theory of Andragogy, I
influenced team members to focus on self-directing so that they could perform their
responsibilities in an effectual manner to achieve the sales targets. I also considered adopting
methods such as roleplay, self-evaluation, simulations and case studies at the workplace of
Pathlab. To motivate my team members, six assumptions were followed by considering the adult
learning theory. These assumptions are related to understanding needs, foundation, self-concept,
readiness, orientation and motivation (Beevers, K. and Rea, A., 2013, pp.305-306). The first one
was to influence my team members and understand their own development needs. Second was to
consider their past experience so further activities related to learning and development could be
considered. Third assumption is self-concept, I influenced them to take decisions by their own so
that instructions related to learning could be evaluated and planning could be done effectively.
By considering the fourth assumption like readiness, I advised my staff to put more interest in
the selection of learning methods. I also influenced them to share their issues to me so that better
actions can be applied. Lastly, internal motivation would be provided by me according to six
assumption and this in turn led to enhance the effectiveness of learning and development.
Previously, I did not see the value for learning and development. Now, I realized the role that it
can play in achieving the target goals and objectives. It aided me in realizing that to turn
4

weakness into strengths, it is essential to understand adult learning theories and styles. Every
learning style has a different set of characteristics which should be considered when designing
the training session so that real learning and its benefits can happen and work for the success of
the organization.
5

REFERENCES
Beevers, K. and Rea, A., 2013. Learning and Development Practice. 2nd Edn. London: Chartered
institute of personnel & development.
Honey, P. and Mumford, A., 1982. Manual of Learning Styles London: P Honey.
6