Personal and Professional Development Plan for Travelodge Hotel

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Personal and Professional Development
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................4
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................7
Task 3.............................................................................................................................................13
Task 4.............................................................................................................................................17
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................20
Reference List................................................................................................................................21
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Introduction
Personal and professional development (PPD) is considered essential for the development of the
employees in terms of delivering their services to the customers in an authentic manner. The
study has been done for understanding the significance of “self-managed learning” in the
workplace and its application for enhancing the business operations of the organisation. Besides
this, the paper shed light on lifelong learning process in the tourism sector and the different
methods for “self-managed learning” has also been explained. The organisation that will be
selected for completing the assignment is “Travelodge Hotel” located in Ilford
(travelodge.co.uk). The hotel is known for providing quality services to their customers and they
ensure that the satisfaction level of the customers is being achieved. The later part of the study
will focus on the development of a well-devised PPD plan. Besides this, the application of the
plan will be done to understand the functioning of the hotel in an authentic manner. The study
will focus on some of the major problems and challenges faced by the employees in the
workplace and it provides suitable solutions to the issues.
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Task 1
1.1. Evaluate approaches to ““self-managed learning””. Which approach can be more
suitable for you or your staff at Travelodge Hotel?
There are different techniques to “self-
managed learning” in the travel and tourism
sector that assists in the personal and
professional progress of employees in the
workplace. This section discusses some of
the important types of “self-managed
learning” and explains the advantages and
disadvantages of each approach. They are as
follows:
Online Courses
This essential technique helps the manager
to provide “self-managed learning” to the
employees in the workplace. With the aid of
this, the employees can make use of
different types of learning modules that
could help them to become dynamic
individual (Cunningham, 2017). Besides
this, the employees were able to take several
exams to understand their own competency
in the workplace.
However, the drawbacks of the process
cannot be overseen. The process of online
course is quite time consuming and the
employees have to wait for long before their
doubts could be cleared. The process is
linked with the usage of internet, as it
involves huge amount of graphic learning.
Development Conference and Seminars
The use of conference and seminars allows
the management of the travel and tourism
organisations to make sure that they are able
to make their employees interact with people
from different parts of the world. This helps
them to identify the physical attributes of
individuals and they are able to implement
them in the workplace (Smith, 2016).
Moreover, if the employees are exposed to
conferences and seminars, it helps them to
enhance their thought-process and is able to
use the same in the process of business
operations. However, there are times, when
the influence of the speaker is too much and
the employees tend to lose their
individuality. Moreover, due to too much
interaction with different types of people,
employees tend to get confused about their
activities in the workplace.
Peers’ Feedback
It is significant to engage the peers in the
process of “self-managed learning”. It
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provides enough scope for the individuals to
gain learning and enhance their skills in the
workplace based on the feedbacks that they
have received. The peers are able to identify
the challenges faced by the workers and they
provide probable solutions to help them to
overcome the same. However, there have
been instances, when the competitors
provide misguidance to the employees and it
might lead to hamper their activities in the
workplace. Besides this, the feedback from
the peers may lead to confusion amongst the
employees and the chances of mistakes may
increase.
According to the relevance of the “self-
managed learning” approaches, it could be
understood that peers’ feedbacks could be
most suitable for the employees in the
workplace. This can be used for
understanding the perspective of the peers in
the workplace and the workers will be able
to know about their performance in the
workplace.
1.2. Propose ways in which lifelong
learning in personal and professional
contexts could be encouraged at
Travelodge.
For enhancing the methods of lifelong
learning within the organisational context, it
is important for the managers in
“Travelodge Hotel” to make use of certain
techniques.
Figure 1: Dunn and Dunn Learning Style
Model
(Source: Cunningham, 2017)
According to the above figure, it could be
understood that there are mainly five
methods that could help to support lifelong
learning for enhancing PPD of individuals.
The environmental approach could be used
to make sure that the employees are under
proper working environment and are getting
access to all the required sources for their
professional development (Kaufman and
Mann, 2014). The use of the emotional
approach could be seen in the way it allows
the employees to stay stimulated in the
workplace. As a result, it provides them with
proper scope to function in a responsible
manner. Therefore, it becomes easier for the
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employees to complete their tasks in a better
manner (Manuti et al., 2015). The
sociological approach helps the employees
to make certain that they are getting
adequate help from their peers in terms of
completing their assigned tasks.
Being the manager of “Travelodge Hotel” I
feel that the application of emotional
approach to ensure lifelong learning will be
the most important in the workplace. I will
be easily able to encourage the employees
and ensure that they are functioning
authentically. It helps the labours to achieve
the goals easily and function in accordance
to the needs of the hotel. I am able to make
sure that the employees have become
responsible in terms of the tasks that have
been allocated to them. This will assist me
to understand the techniques that I could
deploy in the workplace to keep my
employees motivated.
1.3. Evaluate the benefits of “self-
managed learning” to you as an assistant
manager and the Travel Lodge.
The significance of “self-managed learning”
in the workplace could be seen in the way it
has allowed the organisation to perform in
an authentic manner (Sithole et al., 2017). It
was observed that the implementation of
“self-managed learning” within the
organisational context allows the workers to
develop leadership skills and attributes. As a
result, they become capable of leading the
other employees in the workplace by setting
examples for them to follow. Apart from
this, the communication skills of the
employees are developed and it enhances
their techniques for professional
development in the organisational context.
I could understand that I am being able to
meet with my personal objectives with the
help of “self-managed learning” and it has
helped me to enhance my qualities of
leading people in the workplace (Gordon et
al., 2016). There have been instances, when
I was not able to perform a specific task that
was allocated to me by my seniors.
However, with the implementation and
application “self-managed learning”, I was
capable to make sure that all the errands
could be completed on time. Hence, it could
be said that the learning also helped to
develop my time management skill as an
individual.
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Task 2
2.1. Evaluate your own current skills and competencies against professional standards for a
hotel manager and against organisational objectives of Travelodge Hotel.
According to the website of “Travelodge Hotel” of Ilford, it was understood that the following
professional standards are important for their overall development:
Motivation
It is the duty of the hotel manager to keep their employees encouraged in the workplace and
make sure that they are working in accordance to the necessities of the hotel. In order to
implement this, it is vital for the managers to know about the customers and analyse their
feedbacks in the right manner (Olsen, 2015). This will help them to identify the errors that they
have previously made and will help them to get rid of the same.
Marketing and Sales
It is important for the management to provide the customers with value for their money. As a
result, they should focus on developing the quality of their services and products in the market in
such a manner that it should appear feasible for their customers. Apart from this, they should
focus on implementing simple methods that could keep the customers satisfied in the market.
Current Skills and Competencies
Skills Competencies
 Time management skill allows the
management to value the waiting time
for the guests and helps them to reduce
it (Moss et al., 2014).
 Effective communication skills amongst
the staffs will allow them to cater the
demands of the clients.
 Absenteeism management helps to reduce
the rates of irregular staffs and increases
 The staffs exercise proper knowledge that
will help in them to maintain standards of
quality work within the organisation.
 Increment in the sales of the products will
help them to achieve the targets and fulfil
the customers’ requirements.
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organisational productivity.
Table 1: Current Skill and Competencies
(Source: Created by the learner)
2.2. Identify your own development needs and the activities required to meet them. Which
of your skills may need to be improved? How are you going to improve or gain these skills?
The identification of own development needs is very crucial for the proper execution of the
services to the customers. The following explains the activities that will help to improve the
process of development for the managers of “Travelodge Hotel”:
Extensive management of absenteeism
It is needed for the manager of the hotel to make sure that they can manage the absenteeism of
the employees. This will allow them to make sure that they are taking alternative measures for
keeping their employees engaged in the workplace. This will help to reduce the rates of
absenteeism in the organisation and they can manage to increase their productivity in the
workplace.
Need for personal presentation
There are times, when the managers are unable to provide extensive presentation to the
customers in terms of the services and products that they provide. Therefore, the development of
skills to handle customers is considered important. As a result, the manager would be able to
resolve the queries of the customers and help them to gain better experience during their period
of stay at the hotel (Forte and Flores, 2014).
Knowledge about hospitality management
Knowing about the requirements of hospitality management is considered highly important for
the manager. This includes the functioning of the different departments of the hotel in an
authentic way. As a result, the manager will be able to know about the ways in which they have
to serve their customers in the workplace. Moreover, it will provide them with a clear
understanding of the customer’s preferences and choice of food.
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After analysing the current development needs in the workplace, it is essential for the manager to
develop their communication skills with the employees as well as the customers. With the
development of this skill, the manager can meet with the demands of the customers in the market
(Dixon et al., 2014).
In order to enhance the communication skills, it is vital for the manager to make sure that they
are constantly in touch with their employees and providing them with regular feedbacks. As a
result, this will help to develop the process of communication and they will be able to overcome
the challenges and issues that hamper the workplace of “Travelodge Hotel”.
2.3. Identify development opportunities to meet your current and future defined needs.
Which opportunities are available for you inside or outside of the hotel to improve your
skill development needs?
There are different development opportunities that help to meet with the current trends and future
needs in the workplace. Some of the important opportunities have been analysed below in a brief
manner:
Segments Current Needs Future Needs
Communication It was noted that the managers
were unable to use digital
technologies in the workplace
in an effective manner.
It was necessary for them to
develop their technological
acquaintances, so that it helps
to enhance the process of
communication.
Time management and
planning
The employees of the hotel
have effective competencies in
terms of their time
management and planning in
the workplace (Avidov-Ungar,
2016).
It is important for the
employees and managers to
plan things prior to the
execution of their tasks. This
will help them to manage time
in an effective manner.
Leadership Transactional leadership is
used within the workplace.
This is done with the help of
However, it is important to
lead the employees based on
their performance and allocate
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feedbacks received from the
peers and proper self-analysis.
tasks to them according to
their skills and competencies.
Decision-making The decision-making skill of
the managers is not developed
due to implementation of
different types of management
protocols in the workplace.
As a result, it is necessary for
the managers to have effective
decision-making in the
workplace to support their
staffs and manage their guests
in an authentic manner (Kaner,
2014).
Table 2: Identification of development opportunities
(Source: Created by learner)
All the development opportunities are presented for the manager inside the premises of the hotel.
As a result, it is imperative for the managers to make sure that they are can meet with the
requirements of the hotel and enhance their skills in terms of managing their employees and
guests in a better manner.
2.4. Devise a personal and professional development plan based on identified needs. In this
task, you need to prepare a ‘plan’ for personal and professional development.
Development
Needs
Priority How to
develop
When to
develop
Evaluation Target Date
Time
management
High It can be
developed by
undertaking
important
tasks and
completing
the same
within
stipulated
amount of
It can be
developed
during the
process of
meeting with
the
requirements
of the
customers
and
It will help
me to meet
with my job
requirements
and enables
me to
achieve the
targets
easily.
I will require
3 months to
develop the
skill.
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time. providing
them with
quality
services and
products.
Decision-
making
High I have to
make sure
that I am
able to make
rational
decisions
that will help
me to benefit
the
organisation
and the
employees as
a whole.
I will have to
look to some
opportunities
that will help
me to decide
on behalf of
the hotel and
ensure that
the decision
has been
correctly
made.
Decision-
making will
allow me to
perform my
tasks in a
better
manner and I
will be able
to keep my
guests
satisfied in
the
workplace.
I will require
2 months to
develop this
skill.
Leadership High I can develop
this, by
leading my
employees in
the
workplace
and
allocating
them with
the work on
time.
It can be
developed
during the
process of
problem
identification
and helping
the
employees to
deal with the
same.
Having the
required
leadership
qualities will
help me to
motivate the
employees
and allow me
to increase
the
workplace
productivity.
I will require
about 5
months to
develop the
skill.
Communicatio Medium I will have to I will look to It will help to It will take
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n make use of
digital
technologies
in the
workplace
that will help
me to
interact in a
better
manner.
develop the
sane during
the process
of group
tasks
amongst the
employees.
overcome
some of the
major issues
that have
developed in
the
workplace.
about 6
months to
develop the
skill.
Table 3: PPD Plan
(Source: Created by the learner)
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