Reflective Journal: Personal & Professional Development - University

This assignment is a reflective journal submitted by a student, focusing on personal and professional development throughout a course. The journal covers key topics such as organizational management, self-awareness, stress management, communication skills, cross-cultural issues in the workplace, and career opportunities. The student reflects on the theoretical knowledge gained in class, including management principles, stress reduction techniques, and communication strategies, and how these can be applied to real-life situations. The journal highlights the importance of self-awareness, effective communication, and adapting to cross-cultural environments. It also discusses career planning and leadership qualities, concluding with the student's determination to apply the learned concepts for future personal and professional growth. The student emphasizes the practical application of these skills for improved management and career development.

Running head: PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPOMENT
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Name of Student
Name of University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Discussion..................................................................................................................................2
Week 1to 2.............................................................................................................................2
Week-3 to 4............................................................................................................................2
Week-5...................................................................................................................................3
Week-6...................................................................................................................................3
Week-7 to 8............................................................................................................................4
Week-9 to 10..........................................................................................................................4
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................5
References..................................................................................................................................6

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Introduction
In this paper, I am going to explain in brief, about the topics or matters discussed in
the class in previous weeks. In the next section of the paper, I will share my feelings,
observations, knowledge as well as the experience I have achieved about topics discussed
during the session in class. I will also mention how I can utilize my gained theoretical
knowledge practically in life to overcome certain related problems.
Discussion
Week 1to 2
In first two weeks we were taught about the organizational management, importance
of management and the need of learning different management principles, where I have
understood that the organizational management is the process of planning, structuring as well
as directing efficiently the various types of resources in organization (Rothaermel 2013). I
have learned the necessity of learning different skills, techniques and competencies required
for managers. The most interesting part I have learned in this session is the different
principles of management proposed by Heri Fayol, which describes beautifully the effective
management through responsibility sharing, unity of command, direction and individual
objectives, ensuring discipline, equity, order and authority among management and the
employees as well as the innovation in work (Uzuegbu and Nnadozie 2015).
Week-3 to 4
In these two weeks, I have learned about self-awareness and its importance in
management of both organization as well as personal life leading. I have understood that self-
awareness is actually the acknowledgement of one’s own skills, qualities, weaknesses and the
requirements (Vago 2014). Self-awareness is effective to reduce the risk of making faults; it

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makes one more credible to others and it enables one more efficient in decision making as
well as addressing the personal or interpersonal limitations (Rasheed 2015). Thus, it makes
individuals and specially the managers able to perform flawlessly. Once I also got good
marks through addressing my problems of undisciplined study life. Since as per my
knowledge, self-awareness is indispensable for getting the desired result in every aspect of
life.
Week-5
In 5th week’s session in our class, we have learned about stress management, its
importance and implications. Stress is the emotional pressure resulting from uninteresting
burdensome consequences or circumstances. The interesting part of this class was the
suggested techniques of reducing such as, avoiding certain annoying people or situation,
altering the certain feelings or desire without suppression and following some discipline,
adapting with the stressful situations through confronting the problems with more positive
attitude and perspectives, accepting the things cannot be changed, stay motivated throughout
(Cotton 2013). All techniques I will always keep in my mind and utilize all these techniques
practically to overcome stressful situations if it crops up. In both personal and organizational
aspects, stress management is important as it ensures improved mental as well as physical
health, increased productivity, reduced conflicts, healthy and collaborative environment.
Thus these techniques can ensure a peaceful well balanced life.
Week-6
In this week, different types as well as techniques of communication and its roles in
improving the people’s interpersonal social skills are discussed. Communication is the
transmission of messages among two or more people (Light and McNaughton 2014). The
most important part discussed in this class was the important roles played by the

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communication in improving the people’s social or interpersonal skill. All the communication
tools such as verbal and non-verbal communication ways, efficient command over language
improves the people’s ability to listen as well as understand negotiate, solving problem,
making decisions, which in turn establish assertiveness among the people and enhance the
interpersonal skills in them (Hargie 2016).
Week-7 to 8
In these two weeks, the cross-cultural problematic issues involved in global
workplace and the required steps to solve these are discussed. Cross culture indicates the
diversified workforce in respect to culture present within the organization. Diversity in
culture refers to difference in religion, attitude, behaviour, thinking and preference in people
coming from different region (Podsiadlowski etal. 2013). To me the important issue
discussed in this class was the different techniques used to tackle with this problem, which
includes, accept and pay respect to all people and their cultural norms, unite the beliefs and
the goals, remove gender discrimination, establish unique organizational culture and
communication process.
Week-9 to 10
In these last two weeks, the career opportunities and different career aspects that a
leader or a manager expected to follow are discussed in detail. During the last session the
professors have discussed what are the requirements of that one must learn and adopt to
establish him or her as an efficient, successful leader in smoothly running a certain
organization. They have suggested many effective styles to approach for appearing in an
interview. They also have discussed that how all the aspects or matters explained in the
previous classes can help to ensure effective management of any kind of organizations in
respect to both the people and the other operations. They have suggested the effective ways

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for planning career action and the required steps we should follow for establishing the career.
They have also highlighted the importance of efficiently planning for structuring the career
and steps to be taken for its development. In me, all these things have instilled the motivation
as well as the awareness for the coming life. Thus, class also has shown me a certain
direction to look and follow for an ensured bright future. This class has acted like career
guidance for me.
Conclusion
Finally, I can conclude that I have learned many important things such as effective
communication skills, stress management techniques, important roles of self-awareness,
different effective techniques to be followed for controlling the workplace diversity. I think
all these thinks will help to handle and overcome the problems, which I might face in both of
my personal as well as professional life. I am also determined to use all these intellectual
techniques for confronting as well as overcoming the problems in my near future and remind
all the guidelines suggested in class for ensuring a developed career as well as the improved
life.

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References
Cotton, D.H., 2013. Stress management: An integrated approach to therapy. Routledge.
Hargie, O., 2016. Skilled interpersonal communication: Research, theory and practice.
Routledge.
Light, J. and McNaughton, D., 2014. Communicative competence for individuals who require
augmentative and alternative communication: A new definition for a new era of
communication?.
Podsiadlowski, A., Gröschke, D., Kogler, M., Springer, C. and Van Der Zee, K., 2013.
Managing a culturally diverse workforce: Diversity perspectives in
organizations. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 37(2), pp.159-175.
Rasheed, S.P., 2015. Self-Awareness as a Therapeutic Tool for Nurse/Client
Relationship. International journal of caring sciences, 8(1).
Rothaermel, F.T., 2013. Strategic management: concepts. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Irwin.
Uzuegbu, C.P. and Nnadozie, C.O., 2015. Henry Fayol’s 14 Principles of Management:
Implications for Libraries and Information Centres. Journal of Information Science Theory
and Practice, 3(2), pp.58-72.
Vago, D.R., 2014. Mapping modalities of self-awareness in mindfulness practice: a potential
mechanism for clarifying habits of mind. Annals of the New York Academy of
Sciences, 1307(1), pp.28-42.