MG408 - The Graduate Challenge: Business Analysis, Skills, and Plan

This report provides an analysis of various business challenges undertaken as part of a learning activity, including the Apprentice challenge, Presentation challenge, and T-shirt challenge, focusing on the skills developed and the lessons learned from each. It includes a personal reflection on competencies and skills using the Gibbs reflective cycle, highlighting improvements in communication, teamwork, time management, and critical thinking. The report also presents a detailed action plan for enhancing time management and emotional intelligence skills, with specific goals, tasks, resources, and performance measures. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of continuous skill development and the value of the action plan for future growth and success. Desklib offers a platform for students to access similar solved assignments and study resources.

MG408 The Graduate
Challenge

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Analysis of the various challenges from business angle.............................................................3
Reflection on the skills................................................................................................................4
Presenting the action plan...........................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION.
Action plan is very essential for those individuals that seek to develop or enhance skills
that are required both professionally and academically. Further, the present report is based on
analysing various business challenges that have been performed as part of learning activity. Also,
personal reflection on the competencies and skills will also be covered under this report. Lastly,
a better action plan for enhancing few skills will also be discussed in detail.
MAIN BODY.
Analysis of the various challenges from business angle.
Apprentice challenge :
This challenge was quite interesting for as it helped me in improving the communication,
enhance innovative thinking and various skills that are essential for understanding the business
environment in the close manner (Birdman, Redman and Lang, 2020). Also, through this
challenge I was able to develop team spirit so that better coordination could be made with my
team members. Moreover, for this challenge we were asked to prepare innovative product with
available resources' along with developing a proper marketing plan on how specific product
would be sold in the market. Thus, from this challenge I was able to know the budgeting
techniques, innovative skills that are essential to work in the complex business environment
where all the tasks need not be carried out in the best manner with the least possible mistakes.
Presentation Challenge:
This is one of the useful techniques that is helpful in developing knowledge on the
particular topic through clear understanding and also helped me in developing researching skills.
Moreover, this technique allowed me to work in diverse group that is having certain kind
strengths and weakness. Also, through this challenge I had faced technical difficulties and
distracted attendees. Later, I have found out that it was due to absence of communication where
members of the team were not able to clarify the doubts regarding the use of data in their
individual parts due to which presentation was not being able to deliver in high standards
(Mtawa, Fongwa and Wilson-Strydom, 2021). Further, through this challenge I have learned the
importance of time management along with innovative skills that is required any business to
become success in the short run. Also, through this activity I was able to understand deep

knowledge regarding the operations of the business based on the charts and graphs that are used
during the presentations to get the idea of the total market share of the company in any regions.
T-shirt Challenge:
This is the challenge that is helped me to understand how the product is sold in the
market where people choices vary and competition level is very high. Also, for this particular
challenge the main aim was to learn the branding techniques and increase the expertise in the
sales and learn product designing method (Posselt, 2018). Moreover, for this task I along with
others was asked to design the t shirt and sell in the market while keeping in the mind the
marketing, financial planning, pricing of products and other operational activities of the business.
Thus, it is fun and challenging at the times when new logo and advertising of the t shirt needs to
be done. Also, it has made me realize that marketing activities plays an important role as proper
finances and resources make the business operations runs in smooth manner. Furthermore, I have
understood that in any business management estimating the budget is very important so that
wastage of resources is minimum and maximum revenues could be generated in the long run.
Reflection on the skills.
This part of report is personal reflection on experience of the above challenges that have
been done carried out as the part of my course. Further, this could be explained better through
using the Gibbs reflective cycle that helps the individual in performing better in future tasks
through closely analysing the strengths and weakness based on the earlier performances.
(Markkanen and et.al., 2020). Moreover, referring to this model it can be said that the overall
experience was very good as it allowed me to demonstrate and acquire certain skills that were
earlier unknown to me and others. Also, before starting of such challenges I have the feeling that
its is impossible to complete all the challenges however by now I have realized that things went
very well and as per the expectations. Moreover, I have analysed that through my proper
communication skills dividing tasks in the group was easier and also better personal relationship
among the group was also established. Also, in my knowledge through better teamwork and
coordination all the tasks were completed on time without many problems (Sanyal and Hisam,
2018). Further, I have learnt form the above three challenges that working in the business
environment not only requires patience but also critical thinking skills so that goods could be
sold better in the changing markets. Also, through time management skills the groups was
divided into smaller sections based on the individual strengths so that work can be carried out

faster but even though there were cases where certain things were left undone due to limited
time. Moreover, earlier I was inefficient using excel spreadsheet but through these challenge I
was able to set prices of the t shirt and use enhance my competencies. Moreover, various meeting
skills such as command on language. Use of short sentences while presenting, graphical
representation has also been improved on the vast level so that better outputs could be delivered.
However, I was sometime left with no motivation in carrying out certain things but was able to
overcome through continuous support and cooperation from my team members during these
challenges. Also, motivation helps individual in achieving desired outcome and involves change
in the personal behaviours (Chamberlin, Yasué and Chiang, 2018). Thus, if the similar situation
happens in the future than I will be careful in understanding the business concepts through
enhancing the research skills so that better results could be delivered in the future challenges.
Furthermore, to conclude in the end I have learned that using the people strengths is the best way
in doing the tasks in efficient manner and also closely observing the other people (actions) in
similar situations helps to get insights about how things could be done in better manner in any
particular situation.
Presenting the action plan.
Action plan is the detailed plan that is helpful in reaching one or more goals. Also, it
consists of steps that need to be undertaken so that activities could be performed in well manner.
(Cundell and Sheepy , 2018). Further, blow table consists of skills that need to be improved so
that better results could be achieved in future prospects.
Goals to be
achieved
Task that need
to be carried out
Resources
required
Measuring the
performance.
Timescale
Time
management
 Taking
active
participati
on in tasks
that
involves
proper
planning
 Observing
the seniors
 Having
individual
Short term
goals
 Using the
time log to
 Praise
from the
supervisor
s or
seniors
(Artino,
and
Konopask,
5-6 months

and
scheduling
 Solving
complex
business
problems
within
limited
time
frame
(Holdswor
th and
et.al.,
2019)
 Prioritizin
g the tasks
calculate
the total
time in
completio
n of any
tasks.
2018).
 Completio
n of time
bound
goals with
the least
possible
mistakes
Emotional
intelligence
 Developin
g positive
mind
without
making
things
hard
 Avoiding
the
surroundin
g of
negative
people.
 Looking
all the
 None as
such.
 Better
relationshi
p are build
up with
the
colleagues
and team
members.
 Handling
all the
situations
with
logical
reasoning
rather than
3-4 months

problems
not as
failures
but
opportunit
ies.
on
emotional
side.
 Absence
of
disharmon
y,
conflicts
and
biasness
among the
group
Thus, from above action plan it can be said that though I have both these skills but little
improvement is needed so that major problems are not created while applying for other
university courses. Also, I have understood that managing the time in proper way creates sense
of satisfaction and is essentially good for the mental well-being of the individual. Also, through
proper time management productivity of the work is also not affected. Moreover, through this
action plan I would be able to attain the future objectives in the best manner as all the objective
are been clarified along with the given timescales for better efficiency in overall outputs. Also,
according to this plan I would be able to prioritized my most important tasks so that things could
be organized in better manner (Koh, 2017). Furthermore, I have learned that I am very impatient
in achieving the results and therefore not much focused on my actions. Also, due to this I was
more concerned in the delivering the outputs in the above challenges rather than focusing on the
developing the efficient strategy for the success. Also, lack of motivation has affected my
productivity and hence due to this action plan I would be able to develop positive mindset so that
better results could be generated even in negative situations. Moreover, being dedicated learner
If I follow the action plan (systematically) than it would ensure continuous growth and success
for me on all the future opportunities that come along my way.

CONCLUSION.
From the above report it can be concluded that individual skills are enhanced with the
long period and is ongoing process. Further, the report had analysed various competencies and
business environment through presentation, apprentice and T-shirt challenges. Also, self personal
reflection is also presented through analysing various skills that had been used in completing the
challenges. Lastly, importance of action plan through identifying the lack of skills and decided
the timescale had also been presented under this report.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals.
Artino Jr, A. R. and Konopasky, A., 2018. The practical value of educational theory for learning
and teaching in graduate medical education. Journal of graduate medical education.
10(6). pp.609-613.
Birdman, J., Redman, A. and Lang, D. J., 2020. Pushing the boundaries: experience-based
learning in early phases of graduate sustainability curricula. International Journal of
Sustainability in Higher Education.
Chamberlin, K., Yasué, M. and Chiang, I. C. A., 2018. The impact of grades on student
motivation. Active Learning in Higher Education, p.1469787418819728.
Cundell, A. and Sheepy, E., 2018. Student perceptions of the most effective and engaging online
learning activities in a blended graduate seminar. Online Learning. 22(3). pp.87-102.
Holdsworth, S. and et.al., 2019. The assessment of graduate sustainability attributes in the
workplace: Potential advantages of using the theory of planned behaviour
(TPB). Journal of Cleaner Production. 238. p.117929.
Koh, J. H. L., 2017. Designing and integrating reusable learning objects for meaningful learning:
Cases from a graduate programme. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology.
33(5).
Markkanen, P. and et.al., 2020. A reflective cycle: Understanding challenging situations in a
school setting. Educational Research. 62(1). pp.46-62.
Mtawa, N., Fongwa, S. and Wilson-Strydom, M., 2021. Enhancing graduate employability
attributes and capabilities formation: a service-learning approach. Teaching in Higher
Education. 26(5). pp.679-695.
Posselt, J. R., 2018. Rigor and support in racialized learning environments: The case of graduate
education. New Directions for Higher Education. 2018(181). pp.59-70.
Sanyal, S. and Hisam, M. W., 2018. The impact of teamwork on work performance of
employees: A study of faculty members in Dhofar University. IOSR Journal of Business
and Management. 20(3). pp.15-22.