Personal Reflection Report: Design Techniques for Managers, T2 2019

This report provides a comprehensive reflection on a student's experience in the "Design Techniques for Managers" course. It begins with an introduction to reflective learning and sets the context for the report. The student then offers a detailed account of their learning journey, including workshops, activities, and challenges faced, such as late enrollment and difficulties with group presentations. The analysis section delves into the student's feelings and experiences, identifying strengths like teamwork and creative skills and weaknesses like research skills and presentation confidence. The report uses academic theories to support the analysis, citing relevant literature. Finally, the report concludes with an evaluation of the experience and proposes an action plan, outlining specific steps and timeframes for improvement in areas such as research, presentation, and leadership skills. The report demonstrates a clear understanding of the course content and a commitment to personal and professional development.

Project Management

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
Brief of experience..........................................................................................................................1
Analysis of experience.....................................................................................................................3
Evaluate the experience...................................................................................................................4
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................8

Introduction
Reflection is highly associated with the learning because it facilitates the individual to
understand about themselves that how they learn and what needs to be improved (Boud, Keogh
& Walker, 2013; Moon, 2013; McIntosh, 2010). In this context, the present report is based on the
reflection on the course of “Design techniques for managers”. For this purpose, the report
narratively describes the whole course in the context of learning. Apart from this, the experience
has been analyzed by considering the feeling of the student during the several activities of this
course. Further, academic theories have also been used to reflect on the student' experience and
identify the key strengths and weaknesses. On the other hand, according to experience analysis,
the action plan has also been created that provides the strategies direction to overcome the
lacking skills for determining appropriate growth in future.
Brief of experience
As per my learning experience from this course, I learned the several things which
significant for enhancing my skills and competencies. It is because I attended several workshops
related to design process, theory, problem finding, need analysis, problem-solving, research
skills for design thinking, design the launch, design presentation and co-creation and design the
developer. Initially, I missed giving an energetic initiation to this course because I enrolled at
the last movement that prevented me from writing my starting blogs which were mandatory for
completing this course. It brought frustration into me by increasing the work burden (refer blog
entry of 27 August 2019). For this purpose, I started self-learning of missed weeks. I drew the
images which studied in the initial weeks and asked my friends regarding these weeks. It
increased my knowledge about the missed week and encouraged me to give a high focus on the
next weeks. In next week, I proactively participated and raised several questions related to
lecture topics (refer blog entry of 5 September 2019). It increased my knowledge about
empathy, iteration and empathy by using the DT tools. Further, my tutor also gave an excellent
example that helps me to understand the lecture topic quickly. The example was more realistic,
that encouraged me to view the failure form a different perspective.
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Besides the excellent examples, my tutor raised my skills to deal with problematic situations.
The identification and analysis of root causes of a problem is the best way to find the most
appropriate solution for the challenge. Further, I also increased my teamwork competencies by
working in a group assignment. It is because I got several different topics for the assignments of
different weeks in the group. It broadly increased my knowledge because each task needed
specific practice. Apart from theoretical learning, I also learned about visual learning, where I
watched several images in a lecture and increased my creative skills. I also learnt about the DT
problem that affects creative thinking.
Further, I also learnt to create interconnection among unmanageable things. It helped me to
enhance my DT skills that may support me in handling my entrepreneurial task in the future. On
the other hand, I learned regarding research field during this course because I got the platform to
analyze several real-life businesses by using the academic theories. It had assisted me in
increasing my knowledge about the several educational methods and its importance for
managing the business operation. It further helped me to improve my creativity for framing the
strategies for routine procedures. Moreover, I also got involved in the several mini activities like
cutting the cake in 7 and 10 equal pieces and connecting the dots that improved my mind
mapping skills (refer blog entry of 29 September 2019). As a result of this, this course also
increased my knowledge about the different types of the research paradigm and mind mapping.
Additionally, I also collected the information from the various sources which are significant for
analysis of a particular situation. I understood the best way to take the interview by identifying
getting insights of Dos and Don’ts (refer blog entry of 13 September 2019). Further, I learnt
about ethics and its importance for businesses as well as for the individual. Here, the impact of
organizational integrity on decision making, governance and core values were also assessed in
this course. In increased my knowledge about the ethics and consider the human needs in
organizational policies. In this context, my tutor allocated a group assignment wherein I
collected the data through interview and created the presentation. The topic which was assigned
to my team is the "Smartphone Zombies". My group used the DT tools for creating the
presentation. However, I felt nervous before presenting presentation to my tutor (refer blog
entry of 29 September 2019). Further, our presentation was not up to the mark as we get
feedback from my tutor. The potential reason behind that same was ineffective survey to address
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the allocated problem. Though, I performed well and learned a lot while working on on the
prototype and created the prototype of the real-life object as Chandrayan 2. It improved my
creative skills in a short time. Thus, this course was interesting to me because it taught me
several things.
Analysis of experience
At the initial stage of this course, I felt terrible because I was unable to join the course
from the starting. It demotivated me when I joined this course because my classmates were
already moved forward. Further, I was unable to understand the whole concept of course,
whereas it demands regular involvement of students. Due to late initiation, I missed writing my
starting blogs that increased fear of losing the marks. In this context, early initiation of a project
or work contributes to the adequate scheduling of activities which consequently assist those
activities in a streamlined manner (Kerzner, 2017; Krivulin, 2012). However, in my case, it was
genuinely absent that affected the completion of this course to a great extent. In this regard, I got
inspiration from the role model “Steve jobs ” and started the self-study of my missed work. On
this note, inspiration from the role model had a positive impact on the growth of individual
because they follow the footstep of their role model (Hornstein, 2015). In the same manner,
while doing this, I felt motivated because I took the help of my friend to manage this. That
incident positively contributed to my personal development by shedding lights on my
fundamental weakness as quickly demotivated and strength as a high level of attachment with the
followers.
As my experience from this course, I felt nervous at several events because I never gave
any presentation in my past studies. It decreased my confidence which partially influenced me to
give an attractive presentation. It created the pessimistic feeling that was affecting me to a great
extent. However, my tutor supported me during the whole course that encouraged me to
complete this. Although the lack of practical knowledge regarding the data collection adversely
affected the outcome of our presentation. I felt embarrassed because I attended the lecture
regarding this task wherein tutor described it appropriately, but still, I was unable to perform
well. In this context, adequate research skills are significant to collect quality information from a
different type of sources (Bell, 2010). It adversely influenced me while completing my course.
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Further, my lacking management skills were a key contributor to the ineffective presentation
because I was unable to manage my team. On this note, the competencies of a leader have
significant impact on the productivity of subordinates (Hinojosa, McCauley, Randolph-Seng &
Gardner, 2014; Jackson & Johnson, 2012). The semi-skilled leader is unable to provide a
strategic direction to the team that creates an issue in achieving the desired goal (Rees-Caldwell
& Pinnington, 2013). Similarly, the same was also faced by me during my course and
encouraged me to focus on my leadership skills.
At the initial phase, the difficulties to interact with the diverse individuals was faced by
me because I am from another country and felt hesitate to communicate with an individual of a
different culture. In this regard, it is the main issue which was faced by several people in the
group when they study or work in foreign countries (Liu, Liu, Lee & Magjuka, 2010; Buckley,
Forsans & Munjal, 2014). For this purpose, communication with people of different culture
increases the cultural knowledge that further helps in managing work in a foreign country
(Thomas, 2015; Martin & Nakayama, 2013). In the same manner, my tutor rotated the groups
during the course that increased my positive feeling for this course because it provided an
opportunity to get interacted with the student of different culture and decreased my hesitation
towards interacting with a person of diverse culture. The group learning fosters the learning of
overall team in the project management (Ramazani & Jergeas, 2015). It assisted me in
understanding the thinking of different people for a particular aspect and their input to carry out
the project as well as increased my critical thinking. In this context, the interaction with diverse
people increased knowledge of the individual that helps to manage the human resources of a
project (Jon, 2013; Elena, 2010; Ang & Van Dyne, 2015). It was a good experience of me in this
course. Although it is significant to increase my cultural competencies to ensure my future
growth. On the other hand, I also felt that my experience in designing would help me in the
workshop of prototyping (refer blog entry of 16 September 2019). It further enabled me to create
the prototype of the Tesla car. It was one of my best experience during this course.
Therefore, in completing this course, my experience was mixed because of the late
enrollment and lacking skills created a barrier for me to put extensive efforts to end the activities
and assignment of this course. Still, I explored myself as leader of the group. The leader plays an
important role in managing the project (Yang, Huang & Wu, 2011; Baiden & Price, 2011). On
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the other hand, rotation, quick prototype, activities for enhancing creativity and innovative skills,
learning of ethics and business strategies are primary factors for bringing the positivity in me.
Evaluate the experience
As my experience from this course, I found that if I joined this course at the starting, then
it could be easy for me to write blogs for each workshop that further helps to get a high score.
Further, if I had done all the activities with high consideration, then I would have been able to
present my group presentation effectively and ready to get a positive review from the tutor.
Further, if I could control over my feeling during this course, then it would have been supported
to complete this course appropriately. Although my experience was quite good, where I
interacted with the competent people who worked with me in developing the prototype. Not only
this but the supportive tutor proved useful for me in completion of the task conclusively and
ensuring my future growth. It is the crucial reason that despite my late joining, I can cover the
course learning with the self-study, supportive tutor and friends. However, based on some
lacking areas, I need improvement in my overall performance which has been demonstrated with
the help of actions plan as follows-
Action plan
Based on the reflection, I observed that I should focus on my lacking areas in the coming
period. In this regard, I found that I should improve my research skills since I got the negative
feedback for a survey we carried out in a group. For this purpose, I will attend the specific
workshop organized by college regarding the research with the proper supervision of my tutor. I
would keep practising for a month to resolve the issues at the part of research skills. It would
help in completing the research projects successfully. I can assess this development through the
positive feedback of my tutor or respondent associated with the research. Apart from this, with
the failed survey, I also perceived that I might lack the leadership skills since I was the leader of
that group. For this purpose, I would be continuously participating in group tasks to lead the
group successfully. I would continue with this activity for about two months.
After the constant successful completion of team tasks, I will work on time management
skills because I found that time is very crucial for managing the project. I faced the same issue
during the joining time where I missed some lecture which I had to accomplish with the self-
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study. In this regard, I will ensure to complete daily and weekly tasks for about two weeks,
where I can assess this development through the completion of my assignments before the
deadline. In addition to this, I would also focus on developing cultural understanding. It is
because during the class activities we have to work in different groups where sometimes it
becomes hard to collaborate with others and complete the task. For this purpose, I would work
with people with multi-cultural characteristics and handle the job with them. It would increase
my potential to become a flexible leader who is capable enough to control the cultural issues and
complete the project on time. This facilitates me to derive the valid outcome with the increasing
success rate of the project. Also, it would enhance my ability to tackle international projects.
Thus, the plan of coming six months would be useful for me to ensure my overall development
along with the continuous learning which is being provided in the class.
Sr.
No.
Development areas Mode of learning Time
period
Performance
indicator
1. Developing research skills Workshop of research
organized by college, tutor
support
1 month Successful
research projects
with positive
feedback
2. Improving leadership
qualities
Participating in group tasks,
undertaking group activities
2 months Leading projects
or team
successfully
3. Time management Handling weekly tasks, daily
projects
15 days Managing the
task before the
deadlines
4. Developing as a manager Initiating more in designing
the prototypes, attending the
seminars
2 months Handling or
initiating
innovation and
managing several
groups
5. Cultural understanding Interacting with the multi-
cultural group, Handling
15 days Successful
management of
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projects with a multi-cultural
team
projects with
cultural issues
Conclusion
According to the above-mentioned report, it is has been concluded that reflection is a
significant aspect to assess the learning of students. Further, the reflection creates the whole
image of a particular event or course and increases critical thinking about a specific
phenomenon. The reflection forces the individual to assess the event by using different criteria
that assist further helps in creating significant strategies. In this regard, reflection on the "Design
thinking of manager" course provides an opportunity for me to identify critical weaknesses that I
faced during the study. Further, it also sheds light on the key strengths that can provide growth
opportunity in future. In this manner, I got a chance to bring improvement in my personality and
effectively contribute to my future growth. On this note, I need to improve my research,
management and cultural competencies that will assist me in performing my future job
responsibilities effectively by considering the ethics and creativity. For this purpose, the creation
of an adequate action plan gives the direction to improve the lacking skills by incorporating
several strategies. In this context, I will focus on the development of competencies that facilitate
me with better growth opportunities in my future.
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References
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effectiveness. International Journal of Project Management, 29(2), 129-136.
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Rees-Caldwell, K., & Pinnington, A. H. (2013). National culture differences in project
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