UGB 260: Personal & Professional Development - Reflection Report

This report presents a student's comprehensive reflection on their personal and professional development, focusing on the quality of communication skills. The report begins with an introduction to self-reflection as a tool for analyzing skills and identifying areas for improvement. The main body of the report defines and describes the student's communication skills, explaining its importance in influencing people and establishing effective two-way communication. The student evaluates this quality, highlighting its role in career success and employability. Attributes, behavioral preferences, and values underpinning this strength are discussed, including the importance of being extroverted and empathetic. The report also addresses challenges faced during workshop exercises, such as surprise tests and conflicts, and how the student applied strategies like the locus of control approach and active listening to overcome them. Contradictory experiences, such as nervousness during presentations and difficulty in group discussions, are also analyzed, emphasizing the need for continuous skill development. The report concludes by discussing the future benefits of enhancing communication skills and the importance of continuous learning for personal and professional growth.

Personal and
Professional
Development

Table of Contents
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Main Body.......................................................................................................................................3
Define and describe this quality.............................................................................................3
Explain and evaluate this quality............................................................................................4
Attributes, behavioural preferences and values underpin this strength..................................5
Challenges in workshop exercises along with experience.....................................................5
Contradictory experiences......................................................................................................6
Future benefits........................................................................................................................7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9

Introduction
In order to effectively analyse and assess the qualities which are developed by a student
during their learning of a module and engaging in various activities, it is important that reflection
is created so that self evaluation of skills and qualities can be done. Reflection is a practice which
helps an individual in analysing their actions, reaction, feeling etc. while doing a work so that the
qualities and skills developed during the work can be analysed (Banton, T., 2020). It also helps
in determining the improvement which can be made in future so that situations can be handled
effectively through efficient actions and continuous learning. This report contains a reflection of
the qualities that have been learnt through workshop exercises and module experiences which
can help in developing these qualities so that overall personal and professional development can
take place.
Main Body
Define and describe this quality
Reflection activity has helped me in determining various aspects of my learning process
which has helped me in my growth and development along with acquiring various new qualities
so that i can become better in future and efficiently perform my work. Through reflection i have
been able to analyse my experiences while workshops and module learning so that i can develop
an insight of my potential and the areas which are my strengths and weaknesses. With the help of
my qualities i am able to perform various activities effectively so that better results can be
achieved and i can handle a situation appropriately. The qualities that i have been able to identify
which make me better than others are that i am good at communication skills, i can think
critically, i can learn quickly and also i am sincere towards my work. All these qualities helped
me through my learning process so that i can understand the lectures that were taught in the class
so that i could perform better in my exams. Also these qualities helped me in my personal and
professional development as the experiences that i gained through workshops; module learning
can effectively help in building my career and making me successful in life.
The most important quality that i possess is the ability to communicate effectively which
help me in influencing people in an efficient manner and also in making them understand my
point of views. Also i can create a better understanding with the help of this skill by
understanding their view points effectively so that a two way communication can take place.

With the help of communication accommodation theory i have been efficiently able to develop
my quality which help me in changing my communication styles based on others so that
comfortable and effective communication can take place. This theory helps me in changing my
verbal and non-verbal styles so that i can make influence people in a better manner.
Explain and evaluate this quality
With the help of reflection i have been able to identify that communication is the most
important quality that i possess which can also help me in being successful in my career and
influencing people in a better manner which i important for any organisation in the current
competitive world. This quality helps me in establishing a two-way effective communication so
that better understanding can be developed which is essential in influencing people in a better
manner. This quality is thus strength for me as with the help of this quality i can make people
understand my view points and influence their decision making. This can help me in contributing
towards increasing profits in the company through increased sales, influencing investors etc. so
that the goals and objectives of company can be achieved and i can progress effectively in my
career. Through the experiences during the module and workshops i efficiently demonstrated my
quality and impressed teacher through my participation. Also it helped in my learning process as
i was able to understand and retain the knowledge gained during lectures in a better manner than
others in class.
This quality can also help me in becoming more competitive in the market and my
employability can also increase thus increasing the scope for me to get job in my desired
organisation. Also it helps me in learning better as i am efficiently able to understand things
through the application of communication accommodation theory. This theory helps me in
adapting to the communication style of others so that i can understand their context of speech
and improve my learning process. I have displayed this quality in various situations like during
the module learning exercises, workshops etc. so that i can establish a two-way communication
and help in improving my understanding effectively. I use this skill while handling conflicts as i
can understand both the parties in a better way and with the help of critical thinking i can come
to effective solutions so that conflicts can be resolved efficiently. I also used this skill during the
workshops so that i could better understand the motives of it and participated enthusiastically in
it.

Attributes, behavioural preferences and values underpin this strength
In order to develop communication skills effectively it is essential that a person has certain
attributes, preferences and values that can help in developing the quality effectively so that the
benefits of the skills can be gained. They also play an essential role in motivating the person to
develop these skills so that they can be acquired in an efficient manner. The attributes which are
important in developing communication skills are the ability to be extrovert so that
communication can take place. It is also important that a person must not be judgemental and
should be able to understand the view points of others which are essential in establishing
effective communication. It is also important that critical thinking is applied by a person so that
two-way communication can be established and interest can be generated in a subject matter
which is essential in enhancing the efficiency of communication.
Behavioural preferences also impact the ability of a person to acquire this strength as the
ability of a person to be compassionate and empathetic can help in improving communication
better. Thus in order to efficiently develop this strength a person needs to change their attributes
and behaviour effectively so that they can acquire this skill. Thus the personal attributes
determines the qualities that they will develop so that they can deal effectively with various
situations in their lives. From the reflection and self analysis i have been able to identify that i
am a ESFP type of a person which means that i am spontaneous, resourceful and outgoing which
help me in making better relations with people. It also helps me in communicating effectively
with people so that better understanding can be developed and a two-way communication can
take place which help in increasing understanding. My personal attributes thus helped me in
building my effective communication skills which are important to become efficient and
effective in learning and understanding better. Also with the help of this skill i have become
effective in gaining knowledge so that it can be utilised in my personal growth and development
so that better opportunities of building career can be generated.
Challenges in workshop exercises along with experience
During the workshops i found opportunity to learn about various things which be helpful in
my career development and can also help me in becoming a successful person. My qualities and
skills helped me in achieving maximum benefits from the workshops so that i could understand
better and apply the theoretical knowledge practically for achieving better results. Effective
communication skills helped me the most during the workshops as i was able to better

understand the importance of workshops so that the learning can be practically applied. In most
of the cases i was effectively able to apply my communication skills so that i can understand
better the teachings during the workshops and module learning. However there were certain
situations which posed challenge for me while the work shop exercises and affected my learning.
Some of the challenges that i faced was surprise tests, disturbance due to excessive noise during
the workshops, conflicts among peers while understanding a concept due to different
perspectives etc. These challenges also affected my understanding due to disturbance in
concentration during the workshop which affected my learning.
I applied locus of control approach which helped me in dealing with these challenges
effectively as this approach helped in boosting my confident psychologically so that i could
control the situations effectively. I handled the challenge of surprise test that was faced by me by
applying proper attention during the workshops so that i could retain maximum learning from
them. This helped me in dealing with this challenge efficiently and i was able to score better
marks than others in the class because i efficiently used my strength. The challenge of
disturbance due to excessive noise was effectively dealt with by enhancing my active listening
skills which helped me in improving my ability to listen so that i could better understand the
context of workshops and improve my learning abilities. The challenge of conflicts were
effectively dealt with the help of influencing powers so that conflicts could be effectively
resolved and help in improving my learning ability along with problem solving skills. I was also
able to effectively able to apply the locus of control approach so that these challenges can be
efficiently dealt with thereby improving my capabilities.
Contradictory experiences
During the workshop and module learning i was able to apply my communication skills
effectively so that i could improve my learning which can help in my development and growth in
my career. There were however certain events where i was unable to effectively apply my ability
to communicate effectively which affected my confidence. These events helped in understanding
that i need to continuously improve my strengths so that i can become truly successful in life.
During the workshop i was once asked to give a presentation so that the learning can be
demonstrated to students more efficiently and effectively through the presentation using audio
visual effects. I was able to efficiently make the presentation so that it can look presentable and
can be easily understood by others. However, i felt nervous and also lacked confidence while

demonstrating the presentation in front of a group of people even after having effective
communication skills. This made me realise that i need to improve my stage fear so that i can
communicate effectively in front a group of people. I also need to improve my communication so
that i can give better demonstration of presentation which is important in building my career.
Also there was another incidence during the workshop where i felt that i need to further
enhance my communication skills which was during a group discussion where i found that i was
unable to make good arguments even after having good communication skills. I lacked the
confidence to effectively participate during the discussion which has affected my confidence and
needs to be improved so that i can become successful in future. I need to evolve my skills with
time so that i can deal with situations in a better manner and continuously develop so that i can
become an effective person and also achieve my personal goals and objectives. I need to increase
my participation in debates, group discussions, group activities etc. so that i can improve my
skills effectively and develop efficiently so that i can continuously develop which i important in
remaining competitive in market so that the employability can increase. This will also help in
boosting my confidence as i will be able to deal with such situations efficiently in future.
Future benefits
Based on the above reflection it can be said that i have certain qualities which can help me
in achieving my goals and objectives so that i can become successful in future along with my
personal and professional development. I have various skills like effective communication,
critical thinking, conflict solving etc. which can help in my development so that i can excel in
my career and also achieve my goals effectively. Effective communication is the best quality
which i possess which can help me in gaining various benefits in the future so that i can become
happy and successful. With the help of this skill my learning and understanding power is strong
which help me in understanding the subjects in a better manner and also help me in gaining
knowledge effectively. This skill helps me in becoming more employable as organisations desire
for employees who can influence their stakeholders so that better profits can be earned which can
help me in developing my skills in a better manner. Further this skill can help me in gaining
better scores in the class as it can help me in understanding the lectures in a better manner
through two-way communication with the teachers so that i can raise questions when i could not
understand the concept.

Critical thinking can also help me in gaining various advantages like i can better solve
problems at hand by coming up with prompt solutions which is important in dealing with various
situations and effectively dealing with challenges. I can also score better marks in my class
through this skill as it can help me in solving problems in a better manner so that i can answer
efficiently. Further my ESFP personality helps me in being more spontaneous which is important
so that situations can be handled effectively so that the negative impact can be minimised while
maximising the positive impacts of a given situation on the organisation. This can help me in
contributing effectively towards the growth of a company and enhance my employability.
Conclusion
From the above report it can be concluded that reflection plays an important role in
assessing self learning and skill so that the advantages and disadvantages of such skills can be
determined. It can also help in finding the areas of improvements so that a person can develop
those areas and become more efficient which is important in their development and growth. It
also helps in continuous development of a person which is important in becoming more
competitive and employable in the market. It also helps in gaining a better understanding about
self so that deep knowledge about self can be developed which can help in booting the
opportunities of growth and achieving self goals and objectives.

References
Books and Journals
Banton, T., 2020. Basic Elements of a Reflective Essay. Available at SSRN.
Burki, S., 2018. Archer Library Award 2018-Reflective Essay.
Habib, A. and Mucha, S.M., 2018. The Lifecycle and Effective Communication of CSR to the
Stakeholder and the Public. International Journal of Economics, Business and
Management Studies, 5(1), pp.1-8.
Holbrook, M.B., 2018. Essay on the origins, development and future of the consumption
experience as a concept in marketing and consumer research. Qualitative Market
Research: An International Journal.
Oetzel, J.G., 2017. Effective intercultural workgroup communication theory. The International
Encyclopedia of Intercultural Communication, pp.1-5.
Ololube, N.P., Agbor, C.N. and Kpolovie, P.J., 2018. Effective Communication Processes: The
Responsibility of University Management for Enhanced Organizational Justice (OJ).
In Business Education and Ethics: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and
Applications (pp. 1060-1082). IGI Global.
Schulting, D., 2018. Kant’s Deduction From Apperception: An Essay on the Transcendental
Deduction of the Categories (Vol. 203). Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG.
Toomey, D.P., Hackett-Brennan, M., Corrigan, G., Singh, C., Nessim, G. and Balfe, P., 2016.
Effective communication enhances the patients’ endoscopy experience. Irish Journal of
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Watson, B.M., Heatley, M.L., Gallois, C. and Kruske, S., 2016. The importance of effective
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Yap, J.B.H., Abdul-Rahman, H. and Chen, W., 2017. Collaborative model: Managing design
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communication. International Journal of Project Management, 35(7), pp.1253-1271.
Yerrabati, S., 2017. How adults learn: A Reflective essay. Compass: Journal of Learning and
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