Personal and Professional Development Report - University Name

This report delves into the multifaceted realm of personal and professional development, utilizing the context of the Thomas and Cook travel agency as a case study. It begins by defining the core concepts of personal and professional development and then explores approaches to self-managed learning, emphasizing online resources, seminars, and social networks. The report then identifies ways to encourage lifelong learning, including self-directed initiatives and healthy competition. Furthermore, it evaluates the benefits of self-managed learning for both individuals and organizations. A significant portion of the report is dedicated to evaluating the author's current skills and competencies, conducting a SWOT analysis, and formulating a personal and professional development plan. The report also addresses the implementation of the development plan, including documenting activities, reflecting on learnings, and refining the plan based on feedback. Finally, it addresses work-based problem-solving, communication strategies, and effective time management techniques, culminating in a comprehensive overview of personal and professional growth strategies. This report serves as a valuable resource for students seeking to understand and improve their own professional development.

Personal and
Professional
Development

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Approaches to self-managed learning...................................................................................3
1.2 Ways to encourage personal and professional lifelong learning...........................................4
1.3 Benefits of self-managed learning to individual and organisations......................................5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................6
2.1 Evaluation of own current skills and competences against standard professional and
organisational objectives.............................................................................................................6
2.2 Identifying self development needs and activity requirement..............................................8
P2.3 Identify the development opportunities to meet with current and future needs.................9
2.4 Formulation of personal and professional development plan...............................................9
Task 3.............................................................................................................................................10
3.1 Process and activities required to implement the development plan..................................10
3.2 Undertake and document development activities as planned.............................................12
3.3 reflection of own learnings with organisational goals and objectives................................13
3.4 Development plan according to feedback and evaluation...................................................14
Task 4.............................................................................................................................................15
4.1 Solution for work based problems......................................................................................15
4.2 Communication at various level in respect of above problems..........................................15
4.3 Effective time management strategies ...............................................................................16
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................16
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................17

INTRODUCTION
Personal and professional are two different aspect which are considered very important
for personal and professional growth (Forte and Flores, 2014.). Professional development refers
to work ethics, perfectness and skills development of employee in the organisation. Personal
development helps to improve self skills as communication, social ethics and mental skills.
Whereas professional development contains the development plan to improve the work ethics,
organisational behaviour knowledge under supervision of mentor or trainer. Person and
professional development programs helps the organisation to perform the task ethically and
professionally. Thomas and Cook is one of the mass travel agency which is working effectively
in UK and Italy. The above context of personal and professional development is discussed in
Thomas and Cook travel and tourism organisation.
TASK 1
1.1 Approaches to self-managed learning
Self managed learning refers the skills regarding self management and teaching skills
which grow in behaviour of the person or organisation by facing practical experience and
situations in life (Desimone, 2011). Self management motivates and encourage to learn the skills
and techniques to tackle the situations and challenges by their own abilities and mental skills. It
increase the confidence level and leadership skills to lead the organisation by using self
managing skills and management techniques. The owners of Thomas and Cook travel
organisation was also blessed with the skills of self managed learnings. Which helped the
organisation to set the benchmark and examples of successful entrepreneurship in the global
environment. These are the sources useful to self-managed learnings :
 Online Courses : Technology has given lots of advantages to the world, and internet is
one of them. There are many course books and sources available on internet which helps
to excel the self managing skills. Online teaching institutions, classes and coaching are
the example of online learning.
 Seminars and conferences : Different colleges, institutions and organisations organise
seminars and conferences of experts and professional. They share their experiences and
achievements which helps to learn new techniques and methods to operate the functions.

 Social networks : Social websites and network is also a best source to get the information
and learn the tactics of self management (Cox, Bachkirova and Clutterbuck, Eds., 2014).
Social networks are also considered as fastest connectivity networks to interact with
organisations and peoples. Views ideas and feedbacks regarding self managed learnings
helps to manage the operations.
1.2 Ways to encourage personal and professional lifelong learning
Aims and objectives defines the meaning of life and existence of an employee or
organisation (Cleary and et. al., 2011). Without any goal learnings and teaching remain worthless
for every one. Personal and professional skills depends upon the behaviour of the person and
entity. For lifelong learning it is require to generate self motivational spirit of learning the skills.
Thomas and cook faced many practical experience while establishing the organisation, an
incident of travel from Leicester to Liverpool was one of the incident from which they took and
lifelong learning experience. There are many ways which can helps to get lifelong learning
advantages such as :
(Source: Evaluating Self-directed Learning Skills, 2017)
Illustr
ation 1: Self managed learning

Self directing initiative :
Self directing approach is considered as best practice to find out the best ways of
directing employees and organisation (.Calderhead, Denicolo and Day, 2012).
Continuous personal development skills :
Personal development skills helps to employees that how should they behave and use the
skills in the organisation in different situations. Personal skills contains communication,
presentation, grooming and directing skills.
Healthy Competition :
Competitive spirit encourage the employees to learn new things and tactics to improve
the abilities and skills. It helps to charge the employee towards the goals of the organisation.
Thomas and Cook applies competitive approach to maintain healthy and effective competition
among the employees and other rival travel agencies.
competitive approach should apply at ground level first. Making employees active
towards the goals is the main objective of healthy competition approach.
1.3 Benefits of self-managed learning to individual and organisations
Any learning experience helps the person or an entity in future actions and situations.
There are many stages come in the life cycle of the a person and organisation, so that it may
chances of repetition of the situation at any level (Gamrat and et. al., 2014). At that level self
learning and management plays a winning role to tackle the situation. The global business
environment and tactics knowledge helps Thomas and Cook travel agency to explore their
business size in other countries. Self managed learnings have some individual and organisation :
For individual
 Self managed skills helps to enhance self confidence in the nature of the person to
face the challenges (Ifanti and Fotopoulou, 2011).
 It develops the leadership skills in the behaviour of the employees.
 Self-managed skills create self motivating spirit in the behaviour of employee.
 It removes the dependence on others to complete the tasks and handle the situations.
For Organisation

 Self managed learning remove the cost of external resources which are required for
improving efficiency and skills.
 Organisation need not to make efforts to give directions to the employees for getting
the wanting results.
 It helps to increase the productivity and reduce the cost of services.
 It helps to maintain healthy competition spirit while working in the competitive
environment.
TASK 2
2.1 Evaluation of own current skills and competences against standard professional and
organisational objectives
There are many kinds of business learning tactics and skills which are required to operate
the functions of the organisation (Lumpe, and et. al., 2012). As a part of organisation operation I
must have the knowledge about the management functions and the process to plan the effective
strategy. I need to evaluate the nature of challenges and relate them to my similar personal
situations. The real life experiences will help me out to resolve the challenges and conflicts. It
will build my confidence to lead the organisation in practical manner. I must need to stay
motivated on the workplace which is required to motivate other team mates.
Targets and plans need to clarify and defined to the team mates so that they would be
able to clear the image of outcome. I must need to direct them with the practical experiences and
live examples to accomplish the goals and motives.
PROFESSIONAL
SKILLS
CURRENT
LEVEL
5 = Strong
3 = Average
1 = Weak
BEST CURRENT
EXAMPLE
WAYS TO
IMPROVE
Communication
skills
2 Communications skills are
as essential skills which are
must to correlate with the
organisation's department
I need to improve my
communication skills
to elaborate the
dimensions and the

(Meichenbaum, 2017.).
Define the objective and
targets with effective
communication skills.
goals of the
organisation. I need to
analyse the
communication tactics
as per corporate and
business environment.
Leadership skills Leadership skills are the
skills which are require to
lead the organisation to get
the wanting goals and
objectives. Leadership skills
helps to resolve the conflicts
and problems during the
performing the task.
I need to build up my
confidence level to
direct the plan to my
team mates and
colleagues. I need to
attend the seminars
and motivating
incidents to improve
the leadership skills.
Problem solving
skills
5 Leader always ready to helps
the employee to rid off the
situations which occurs
during the task.
I need to learn the
techniques and
methods of resolving
the issues and conflicts
while performing the
task. Taking ideas to
resolve the issues from
similar kind of
problems and
situations.
Listening skills 3 Listening skills helps to hear
every individual.
I need to design a
procedure to hear the
problems of every
individual or as a
group.

Name: Sid Baneson
Address: 4, Darbishire, London
Mobile number: XXXX
E – mail: [e-mail]
Objective: To provide best and effective results by operating the functions of travel industry.
Find out the best options to achieve the wanted goals.
Qualifications:
 Graduated Masters in Human resource management
Experience:
 3 years experience to work with My Destination travel company by handling human
resource department
Personal skills:
 Team spirit
 Punctuality
 Leadership
 Problem solving
Date:
Signature:
2.2 Identifying self development needs and activity requirement
The below SWOT analysis is done to improve the scale of Thomas and Cook's brand
image at global Level :
Strength
I have impressive and effective convening
power it is my strength. I am able to convene
the party by my effective communication and
knowledge about the hospitality. And these
skills helps to boost the scale of the
organisation.
Weakness
My weak point is I become unbalanced while
having bulk of problems to tackle the situation
on time. As a leader the I have to categories the
problems and priorities to resolve them in
systematic manner.

Opportunities
I use practical scenarios to achieve the targets.
I apply my mental skills to examine the next
opportunities.
Threats
An organisation's environment effect by its
competitors and rival companies. There is
always a situation exist in competitive
environment which is deciding the price. I
need to find out the plan and strategies that will
help to make me flexible to take decisions in
competitive environment.
P2.3 Identify the development opportunities to meet with current and future needs
I have to improvise the growth model to improve the skills and performance of
employees. To met the desired targets I need to fulfil the needs of the organisation. In every
organisation there are always two types of needs exist such are Current needs :
Current needs kind of needs are required to fulfil at immediate basis. This needs
may be short term finance, employees etc. this needs are required to fulfil time to time basis. I
need to prepare the list of current needs and get the approval from the higher authorities to
sanction the list. Future needs :
The targets or objectives which are planned for future needs some specific
requirement such as finance, resources, managements, development programs. Future needs can
be estimated by forecasting of last situations and results (Moon, 2013). There are some set of
procedures and system are required to made for forecast the future needs from my side.
2.4 Formulation of personal and professional development plan
Personal and professional development plans helps to demonstrate the organisation's
dimensions and changes in ethical manner. Thomas and cook's personal and professional
development programs are required to made around the employee behaviour to explains the
travelling plans and policies to the customers.

S.
No
.
LEARNING
OBJECTIV
E/GOAL
CURRENT
PROFICIE
NCY
TARGET
PROFICIEN
CY
DEVELOPMENT
OPPORTUNITIES
TIME
SCALE
1 Communicati
on
3 5 There is a huge scope to
improve the communication
level of the employees in the
organisation. I need to plan
a session of professional
communication program in
which they are taught the
dimensions of professional
behaviour and etiquates.
35 days
2 Leadership 3.5 5 I need to focus on
developing the leadership
skills of the employees. The
skills and the importance of
leader in the organisation. I
need to define the roles
which are played by the
leader at workplace.
30 days
Task 3
3.1 Process and activities required to implement the development plan
SKILLS AIMS RESOURCES I
NEED TO
ACHIEVE MY
OBJECTIVES
TARGET DATE
FOR
ACHIEVING
MY
OBJECTIVES
ACTUAL DATE
OF
ACHIEVING
MY
OBJECTIVES
Decision making To make There are many April 2017 to 31/04/2018

and problem
solving
strategies and
plan to decide the
targets and
objectives.
sources are
available as books
journals and
articles regarding
the strategies and
plan to achieve
specific
objectives.
March 2018
Time and
Organisation
management
To manage the
time and
providing the
resource on time.
I have to analyse
the deliverable
time and evaluate
the actual process
time. I need to
resolve the
conflicts of
idleness.
April 2017 to
March 2018
31/04/2018
Planning Planning is an
essential point to
execute the
performance and
the objectives in
the organisation
For better results
and positive
outcomes the
systematic plan is
require to made.
Better plan is the
evidence of
positive outcome.
April 2017 to
March 2018
31/04/2018
Written
communication
Written
communication is
used to retain the
evidences and
plan in a formal
way. Written
Proper
documentation
plan is require to
execute the
performance and
task. I need to get
April 2017 to
March 2018
31/04/2018

communication is
essential to
explain the
objective and the
plans to the
directors, in
general meetings
and reports.
written
documentation to
present the report
and achievement
in annual repot.
Interpersonal
skills
Interpersonal
skills contains the
skills which
maintain the
employee relation
and the
cooperative
environment in
the organisation
(Nicholls, 2014).
I need to make
HR department
approachable to
the employees so
that the issues and
problems get
resolve on time.
April 2017 to
March 2018
31/04/2018
3.2 Undertake and document development activities as planned
Below are some activities are planned to undertake and document development activities.
PERIOD OF
WORK
ACTIVITY UNDER
TAKEN
WHAT IS
LEARNT UP
TILL NOW
WHAT TO DO
NEXT
WHEN TO DO
Week 1 Analysis of
challenges and issues
that would fall upon
the company.
Keep monitoring
the challenges
and problems to
prepare the
As the problem get
detected the
solution need to be
find out by best
Same week