Personal and Professional Development Report: The Iconic HR Manager

This report delves into the realm of personal and professional development, focusing on self-managed learning and its significance in enhancing workplace performance. The author, a human resource manager at The Iconic, reflects on their experiences, highlighting the challenges of managing employee performance and the evolution of their self-management skills. The report explores various approaches to self-management, including utilizing internet resources, gathering employee feedback, and active participation in employee performance. It outlines the benefits of self-managed learning, such as maintaining performance harmony and fostering an independent work environment. Furthermore, the report identifies areas for improvement, such as communication skills and data management, and proposes a detailed personal and professional development plan. This plan includes attending training sessions, improving technological proficiency, and gaining knowledge of diversity management. The report also discusses the implementation of the development plan, emphasizing SWOT analysis, group discussions, and self-counseling to foster personal growth and address weaknesses. The author provides insights into overcoming work-based problems and concludes with a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the key findings and recommendations.

Running head: PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Personal and Professional Development
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................2
LO1: Task 1.....................................................................................................................................2
A. Own experience in evaluating the various approaches of self-management..............................2
B. Benefits of self-managed learning..............................................................................................4
LO2: Task 2.....................................................................................................................................6
A. Personal skill and competency and the areas of improvement...................................................6
B. Personal and professional development plan..............................................................................7
LO3: Task 3.....................................................................................................................................8
A. How to implement personal and professional development plan...............................................8
B. Examine the process by critically reflecting on the achievement against expected aims and
objectives.......................................................................................................................................11
Task 4:...........................................................................................................................................12
A. Two work based problems and their solutions by using different methods.............................12
Task 5: PPT....................................................................................................................................13
Reference List and Bibliography:..................................................................................................14

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Introduction:
Self-managed learning is the process of gaining knowledge and experience from own
efforts and work experience. This very specific assignment aims to make an in-depth overview
about the importance of self-managed learning and different methods and approaches used for
self-management. I am associated with a retail business chain, The Iconic, for five years in the
post of human resource manager. At the initial stage, I failed to management the entire process of
business due to the lack of professional skill. In addition, the human resource manager of a retail
business organization has to face innumerable difficulties in measuring the performance level of
large number of employees. However, after developing my self-management skill and
competency I became very much efficient in making performance management and career
progression plan of the employees.
LO1: Task 1
A. Own experience in evaluating the various approaches of self-management
While providing services in the post of human resource manager it is observed that
different kinds of challenges create a major barrier in managing the performance level of
employees. Employees are from different geographical as well as cultural backgrounds endowed
with various psychological attributes. In this kind of situation, the human resource managers
have to face immense challenges in managing the performance of every single employee
effectively (Busse, Aboneh and Tefera 2014). However, this very specific study has to provide
an in-depth analysis about the various approaches and methods of self-management. The
approaches are as follows:

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 Acquiring knowledge from Internet sources:
With the advancement of technology internet has become one of the most effective
sources of gaining self-management skill. Innumerable data and information regarding the
enhancement of management skill is available in the internet sources. In addition, active
participation in the social internet sites is also helpful for enhancing self-management skill.
Different professionals associated with the various business organizations intend to share their
own experience regarding their challenges faced at the workplace (Moon 2013). This kind of
exchange of thoughts and ideas help to enhance the performance skill and own competency. In
addition, sharing thoughts and views in social media helps to gather collective decision as well.
It helps an individual in improving self-management skill.
 Collecting feedback from the employees:
Collecting feedback from the employees regarding the way of performance at the
workplace is highly important. The success of a business organization is highly dependent on the
performance level of employees (Trede, Macklin and Bridges 2012). Therefore, the business
leaders or managers should carry a friendly work environment with the help of which employees
can feel free in providing a good performance. However, while providing services as a human
resource manager I have observed that I failed to make an effective interaction with every
individual employee properly due to the lack of effective communication skill. In this kind of
situation, employees had to face innumerable barriers in sharing any issue with me. However,
after collecting feedback from the employees of my own organization I got to know that my
personality and self-evaluation skill is not that much effective so that employees can share their

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own problem with me without any hesitation. After getting feedback directly from the employees
I started to identify my flaws in order to make an improvement.
 Active participation with the employee performance:
As per my personal experience from the workplace, I have observed that employees need
an efficient leader to be motivated towards the services. As human resource manager, I intended
to make a distance from the employees at the workplace initially. I have however noticed that the
employees did not get enthusiastic attitude for performing well. I then decided to show a co-
operative outlook by directly participating in the performance of employees and motivating them
towards reaching the business goal. However, participative form of leadership is one of the most
significant approaches for motivating the employees (Van Driel and Berry 2012). With the help
of this specific form of leadership style employees are able to share their own opinion regarding
the betterment of business. As a result, after making a collective decision by involving the
participants I would be able to enhance my management skill.
 Using technology to maintain chronological data:
Reeves (2012T) opined that technology helps to maintain a chronological database with the help
of which the human resource managers do not have to maintain manual data record regarding the
performance of employees. This particular method is very much helpful in managing data and
information regarding employee performance evaluation.
B. Benefits of self-managed learning
Self-managed learning is possessed with large number of advantages that enables an
individual confident and efficient. Self-management skill helps an individual in get an in-depth

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overview on how to enhance the level of performance (Roeser et al. 2012). The areas of
development can be identified with the help of self-evaluation. However, this very specific part
has focused to make a detailed overview about the necessary benefits of self-managed learning.
 Maintaining performance harmony:
An effective interpersonal communication between human resource manager and
employee can render better performance level. However, I as an efficient human resource
manager should focus on how to maintain performance level of employees. I should gather
sufficient knowledge on how to develop the competency level of employees so that they can
maintain work harmony. Self-managed learning is highly significant in controlling the
organizational issues at workplace (Robertson 2016). The managers do not have to depend on
others. In addition, if the managers cannot control the entire process of business in making a self-
management skill the organization would not be able to sustain in market. The employees would
like to maintain work harmony only after an effective guidance given by the managers. If the
managers do not have this kind of self-management skill in communicating with the employees
effectively at the workplace, the employees would not be able to perform well.
Therefore, the most significant benefit of making effective communication with the
employees is to perform good performance from them along with their enthusiastic attitude. Self-
management learning creates an independent work environment with the help of which the
individual manager can handle the entire management process of concerned department. As a
human resource manager, I intended to control the entire process of recruitment an employee
performance evaluation. In order to get appropriate data and information regarding the

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performance of employees throughout the year I as a human resource manager do not have to be
dependent on the response of managers.
LO2: Task 2
A. Personal skill and competency and the areas of improvement
In my own work experience, I have observed that initially I had to face innumerable
challenges in maintaining work harmony among the employees. Employees were not very much
flexible in sharing their problems faced at the workplace. In this kind of situation, I as a human
resource manager should take an effective initiative so that employees feel free in working
within the organization. Making effective communication with the employees is a form of self-
management skill that managers intend to apply for controlling the business process. A business
organization is constituted with the employees of different geographical cultures and
backgrounds (Beach 2012.) The responsibility of the human resource managers is to recruit those
employees who are competent in terms of experience and skill. Therefore, the human resource
managers tend to have multilingual flexibility with the help of which employees of various
cultural backgrounds can communicate with the human resource managers effectively.
However, the primary areas where the performance should be improved include:
 Communication skill and managing body language
 Controlling the entire management process
 Dealing with different level of employees from various geographical backgrounds and
attitudes
 Maintaining entire data record on the performance measurement of the employees

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B. Personal and professional development plan
Personal and professional development plan helps an individual to identify the areas that
an individual should focus to develop. In this very specific study, the areas that should be
improved have already been highlighted. Therefore, an effective plan has been made for making
personal and professional development plan.
Areas of development Development plan Duration
Communication skill and
managing body language
In order to develop the
communication skill I would like
to attend a training and
development session under the
supervision of an efficient
trainer. If I can develop my
communication skill my body
language and voice modulation
would be flexible as well.
45 minutes
Controlling the entire
management process
In order to control the entire
management process I should
make an effective rapport with
the every managers of different
department.
45 minutes
Maintaining entire data record
on the performance
measurement of the employees
I should enhance my skill and
competency in technology so that
I can maintain a proper data
record about the performance
45 minutes

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level of employees properly.
Dealing with different level of
employees from various
geographical backgrounds and
attitudes
I should have proper training on
diversity management. This
particular training would help me
to treat every single employee at
the workplace with equal respect
and dignity. As a result,
employees having skill and
competency would be recruited
within the organization. I as a
human resource manager would
not like to focus on the cultural
backgrounds and attitudes of an
individual.
45 minutes
Table 1: Personal and professional development plan
(Source: Moon 2013)
LO3: Task 3
A. How to implement personal and professional development plan
Making an effective SWOT analysis:
Before implementing a personal and professional development plan an effective SWOT
analysis is conducted in order to understand the strengths, weakness, opportunity and threats of
an individual (Moon 2013). Based on these four factors personal and professional development

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plan is made. The primary objective of making an effective SWOT analysis is to identify the
weaknesses that an individual is possessed. After identifying the threats and weaknesses the
individual would like to make develop plan and to implement as per the competent structure of
organization.
 Implementation of personal development:
Organizing group discussion:
In order to develop the personal competency I can organize group discussion session
within the organization. In this very specific session every single employee from different
cultural backgrounds and attitudes attends to share their views and thoughts regarding the
success of business (Calderhead, Denicolo and Day 2012). After gathering knowledge from
different employees I would be able to enhance my knowledge as well. Therefore, organizing an
effective group discussion session is one of the most effective ways of implementing personal
development plan.
Exchanging thoughts and ideas for gathering knowledge:
In order to develop the personal skill and competency I as a human resource manager
should use democratic form of leadership style at the workplace. In this very specific form of
leadership style the managers intend to give equal priority to the employees with the help of
which the employees can share their own opinion regarding the business goal. Therefore,
employees intend to exchange their thoughts and views in front of managers without any
hesitation. This kind of communication is very much effective in enhancing personal knowledge
and experience.

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Self-counseling:
Every professional is endowed with different flaws and drawbacks while being associated
with a business organization. After taking various initiatives like group discussion, effective
communication, using participative leadership style at the workplace and so on, the individual
manager should identify the various flaws (Little 2012). Self-counseling is the most effective
ways with the help of which an individual can evaluate the performance management skill and
improve the competency level after making this in-depth evaluation. In addition, self-counseling
can enhance the confidence level of an individual for providing a better performance. This very
specific method is more effective than other ways of personal development plan.
 Implementation of professional development:
Monitoring employee performance:
I as a human resource manager should monitor the performance level of the employees
effectively. Employees of different psychological backgrounds do not wish to give their best
effort in providing effective services. In this kind of situation I should provide an immense
cooperation to the employees so that they can show their enthusiastic attitude for performing
well.
Applying practical knowledge in decision making:
After making an interpersonal communication with the employees I should gather
specific knowledge and experience on how to manage the employees towards the business
services. In addition, after maintaining interpersonal communication as well as group discussion

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with the employees I should use my practical knowledge and experience for taking any kind of
decision regarding the success of business.
B. Examine the process by critically reflecting on the achievement against expected aims
and objectives
As an efficient and responsible human resource manager my primary aim and objective is
to control the performance level of the employees (Roeser et al. 2012). I would be able to control
the entire performance level of employees only when I am competent enough in communicating
with every single employee at the workplace equally. However, according to me I have achieved
huge appreciations from the employees due to my co-operative outlook towards the service
process. I addition, I have never discriminated the employees as per their cultural backgrounds
and attitudes. Every single employee has received equal recognition and importance from me. At
the same time, as a responsible human resource manager I should have focused on several more
perspectives as well. For an example, my communication skill and body language could have
been more improved so that people of different geographical areas can feel free in sharing their
views at the workplace (Rienties, Brouwer and Lygo-Baker 2013. I can be more competent in
technological skill. As a result, I do not have to face difficulties in maintain database regarding
the employee performances. However, after making an effective critical evaluation and reflection
it can be concluded that as a human resource manager I am competent to manage the employee
performance level. It is undeniable however that I can develop my professional skill more
effectively in order to become an efficient human resource manager.