Personal Strengths and Areas of Improvement Analysis and Reflection

This assignment is a comprehensive self-reflection on personal strengths and areas for improvement. The student utilizes a SWOT analysis to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to their professional career, specifically aiming for a people management role in a multinational company. The reflection details a goal-setting plan with SMART objectives, focusing on skill gaps and development strategies. The student outlines learning approaches, including mind mapping and online learning platforms, and addresses barriers such as lack of focus and time management. A detailed development plan is presented, targeting public speaking, decision-making, and time management skills, with measurable steps and timelines. The assignment emphasizes the importance of personal analysis and the implementation of strategies to overcome weaknesses and achieve professional goals, highlighting the student's commitment to continuous learning and improvement.

Running Head: PERSONAL STRENGTH AND AREA OF IMPROVEMENT
[Type the company name]
Personal strength and area of improvement
Reflection
Student Name
[Pick the date]

PERSONAL STRENGTH AND AREA OF IMPROVEMENT
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In order to improve my skills in order to enhance my professional and personal
development, I have to go through some personal analysis in order to find out my strengths and
areas of improvement in order to make myself suitable for learning and development program.
Therefore I have decided to go through SWOT analysis in order to have a better understanding of
mine (Addams & Allfred, 2013). This analysis is actually a reflection of my positive, negative,
opportunities and possible threat related to my professional career.
SWOT analysis (Issayev, Masalimova & Magzumova, 2018)
Strength
Effective communication skills
Quick learning
Positivity
Active listening
Trust
Weakness
Public speaking fear
Decision making
Time management
Opportunity
Growth in people management
Increase in demand for HRM
HRM is not getting valued
Skilled employees are paid more
Rise in Innovative technology
Threats
Rising competition
Rapid change in professional development
skills
Goal setting
My plan is to work in a multinational company as a people manager in order to explore
my learning into reality. I am good at people management and this aspect drives me towards this
management area. I know that I will face many challenges related to my professional goal and
therefore in order to achieve this goal I have developed a plan (Koch & Nafziger, 2011). I have
break down my goal into small number of steps such as explore my interested field, gather
company information in which I feel that I can growth, list down top ten companies related to my
interest field, explore job opportunity in the companies which I have screened and then try to

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explore gap between skill required for executive post and skill which is currently possess and
then try to develop a training program in order to acquire required skills (Hsiaw, 2013).
Learning approach
Mind mapping
In order to achieve my objective, I will use mind mapping approach as one of my
learning techniques. I will make use of mind map development created by Tony Buzan for a
time period of four months (Davies, 2011). This will help me in developing better
knowledge of on-going business trends. In this context, I will involve my peers and mentor
as measuring factors.
Online learning board
This will be another learning approach that I will use for my professional
development. In this approach, I will take active participation in discussion platform. On
this platform, there will be an exchange of questions and answers related to any topic. I will
make use of mentorship option which is being provided by HRM corporate experts. They
will share their knowledge and guidance with me on this platform (Rocco, 2010). It will be a
two-way communication with participants from on the global level. It will be a six months
certified course. This learning approach will offer me current knowledge related to people
management world by clearing my theoretical concepts along with data.
SMART goals
Specific
My objective is to identify gap between my current skills and required skills related to
people manager point of view. For this, I will conduct SWOT analysis in order to prepare my
professional development plan (MacLeod, 2012). This plan will help me in acquiring and
fulfilling my future expectations.
Measurable
For this change, I will conduct a performance management method in order to measure
my regular performance in order to understand whether I am moving towards closing my skills
gaps or not. This step is important because it will offer me a clear picture of my current position
and my future expectations from development plan (Bovend'Eerdt, Botell & Wade, 2009).
Achievable

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I believe that this development plan will make possible for me to achieve required skills
so that I can rapidly work on my area of improvement. I know it will not be easy for me and I
have to face various challenges but my goals are fully achievable.
Relevant
My objective of becoming people manager is relevant because I possess skills which are
important for becoming effective people manager or HRM manager such as managing people,
understand others opinion, effective communication (Verberne, Ham & Midden, 2012). I believe
that there are some areas in which I have to improve in order to attain my dream objective.
Time-based
My development plan will be completely based on time frame and my performance will
be based on a complete cycle of one year in order to enhance my skills required to complete my
dream goal.
Personal analysis
In order to explore gap personal analysis is one of the best tools available in the present
world. I have experienced various events in which I have seen changes in my thinking,
communicating and learning process. I believe that I am an introvert person who does not like
interacting with many persons at the same time. I usually focus more on my inner feeling,
opinions and humor instead of focusing on external stimulation (Dittmar, Bond, Hurst & Kasser,
2014). Current business world is very competitive in nature and most of the organizations
believe in teamwork. In this situation, there are ample chances that I will not be able to perform
better because only an extrovert person will be able to give a better outcome in this situation.
Extrovert person understands the situation and is able to communicate effectively. Somewhere I
believe that I am a very emotional person and often get trapped in workload of others because
most often people take advantage of my emotions (Long & Ismail, 2011). I believe that it is
impacting my efforts and in some case put me in anxiety situation in which I am not able to drive
any solution.
Personal skill analysis
I have mentioned above that I am very much interested in people management field
which is driving me towards HRM organization which is operation of key strategies of people
management in terms of their business operations. As I am an active listener, this skill will help
me in becoming one of the important assets for the organization in terms of lowering turnover
ratio by resolving grievances of employees (Sheehan et al., 2016). On this base, I have set up
some basic analysis on me and find out some features which are somewhat replicate of people
management strategy such as with help of my active listening I will be able to focus on issues
related to employees in order to resolve their problem. I have ability to comprehend situations

PERSONAL STRENGTH AND AREA OF IMPROVEMENT
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through my level of understanding, therefore I will be able to develop a positive relationship with
employees. I will make use of my effective communication skills to resolve grievances between
employees and management (Ketkar & Sett, 2009). My level of human resource strategy will be
very helpful for exploring new dimensions associated with HRM analytics. In addition, I have a
better understanding of various roles and responsibilities which are being operated by people
manager in order to maintain a positive ecosystem in the organization along with effective
recruitments.
Learning through development plan
My development plan is actually combination of learning method, time frame, resources
expectation and measurement. This plan will help me in learning skills that will ensure my
growth in the business environment. This development plan will base on one year section which
will ensure my continuous learning in order to attain my professional and personal goals
(Loveland, 2012). But my main focus will be on two learning methods which are mind mapping
technique and learning through online platform.
During my college life, I got suggestion from my peers that I spend alone most of the
time and have not made any communication with other students. In addition to this, my teachers
many time suggested me to involve myself in various curriculum activities. From my school
days I have observed that person who is more interactive; having better communication skill,
have confidence is able to become an effective leader. I believe that somewhere I lack in all these
aspects which are essential for becoming an effective leader (Penuel, W. R., Fishman, B. J.,
Haugan Cheng, & Sabelli, 2011). From my psychological aspect, I have to really put a lot of
effort on myself improvement in order to bring positive change so that I can achieve my
objective of becoming better. Somewhere I feel that I am lacking and these are other barrier
elements that are resisting my performance. Although I am good at task completion still I am not
able to give my best when it is related to time management concern. Therefore, I am in great
need of PDP in order to attain those skills which are essential for the growth of my future
development. I am not confident enough to take decisions associated with task because
somewhere I put negative side of decision more instead of focusing on positive side of my
decision making capability.
Development plan
Development
Area
Specific &
learning style
Measurable Attainable Relevant Timeline
Public
speaking
Skills
I will start
working on my
public speaking
communication
In order to
measure my
progress, I
will take help
This action
plan is
completely
relevant to my
I will be
able to
present a
better
I will
spend
almost 10
months

PERSONAL STRENGTH AND AREA OF IMPROVEMENT
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with help of
online learning
approach in
order to sound
more confident.
I will take
active
participation in
group
discussions and
presentations
in order to get
rid of my stage
fear.
of my mentor
and peers.
They will
judge my
improvement
during class
delivery and
feedback
from an
online
mentor by
uploading
my
presentation
video. I will
also take
feedback
from my
class
professor.
overall
objective of
becoming
people
manager.
image in
front of
my future
employees
.
on this
strategy.
Decision
Making
I will take help
of mind
mapping
learning
approach to
learn some of
important
decision-
making tools
such as Pareto
analysis, SWOT
analysis,
Decision matrix
and so on.
I will
measure my
performance
on the base
of before and
after time
taken for
some tasks.
This action
will be self-
measured.
At present
decision
making is one
of the most
important
skills required
in the
organization.
Therefore it is
significant for
my
development.
This
action will
help me in
improving
my
negotiatio
n skills
which is
essential
from a
people
managem
ent view.
11
months
Time
management
skills
With the help of
mind mapping
learning
approach, I will
be able to
prioritize my
task on the base
of their
importance.
In order to
measure my
performance,
I will take
help of my
peers and
mentors in
the form of
feedback.
This skill is
very important
because I have
faced various
problems in
my classroom
related to
completion of
assignments.
This skill
will be
helpful for
me in
attaining
my
profession
al and
personal
goal by
working
12
months.

PERSONAL STRENGTH AND AREA OF IMPROVEMENT
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on the
same
platform.
Above PDP will help in improving my skills by working on my area of improvement
which will make me ready for future job responsibilities. This PDP will offer an important
opportunity to gain an upper hand over my peers and other competitors which will be applying
for the same job. Online learning tools will be very helpful in my overall development in terms
of time span. Often developing strategies related to an individual goal is very helpful in attaining
future skills. PDP helps in creating a clear understanding related to career development related to
the future.
Barrier related to learning and development and solution
Lack of focus
My current profession is student and my workdays are almost flooded with various
numbers of interactions it may be verbal, written or digital in the form of communication. I am
flooded with email notifications, phone rings and personal work which can act as a distraction in
my learning (McNelis et al., 2012). I often read headlines without understanding importance of
inside material. I watch learning videos by failing to focus on the lesson. Digital technology has
acted as one of the most distractions platforms in context of my multitasking tasks and often
misses my deadline.
Solution
I can overcome this barrier with the help of some simple tactics. In start of the online
learning course, often adviser provides some relaxation slots in order to keep focus of person on
the course in the form of small breaks. During focus hour I must avoid use of phone in order to
maintain by focus by ignoring flooded notifications. This will help me in increasing my focus on
learning in my personal as well as professional life.
Bad past experience
I have gone through history of boring schooling by going through number of floppy
online courses and lack of focus from teaching side which can act as trickiest barriers for me. In
some cases, I have gone through distaste related to learning during my college time which has
left doubt on my capability of learning new skills (Schilling & Kluge, 2009). It is very difficult
for me to overcome from series of these negative experiences. This has impacted my concern on
learning and I have developed certain misperceptions about learning process.
Solution

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I have to believe in me and have to create such learning environment which will help me
in changing my perception related to online learning courses. Before start, of course, I must
explore or identify an important point that I am going to get from this course as a learner. In
addition, I must adopt some tricks in order to keep engaged with the course. I will align my
personal objective with this course in order to keep my expectation level high from learning
course so that I can get benefits of this course.
Mindset
Another important barrier is mindset. Due to my past negative experience, I have
observed low self-esteem because of which somewhere I believe that I am not able to learn new
tactics of the present world. I face difficulty while going for new courses related to technology
(Sandberg & Aarikka-Stenroos, 2014). It often gets disengaged while going through theoretical
aspects. In fact, I am facing lack of confidence in learning new things and do not want to come
out of my comfort zone.
Solution
In order to overcome this barrier, I will identify elements related to my past experience
which has changed my mindset towards theoretical aspects. I must break my learning into small
aspects in order to keep positive thinking. I must connect technical content with learning
materials in order to increase my live support learning. I will work on my personal barriers in
order to change my present state of mind towards new skills.
Short journey
I believe that feedback from experts will be one of the major help which I have learned in
initial stage of my college. I believe that it helps person to bring necessary changes in personality
of every person in terms of growth. Therefore I believe that feedback from experts and peers
who are aware of me can provide me very valuable feedback (Poulos & Mahony, 2008). From
that feedback, I will be able to bring necessary changes in my skill set with the help of mind
mapping and PDP plan.
Overall base for my learning style is dependent on VARK model that consists of visual,
auditory, reading and Kinesthetic. But my focus on learning style is related to mind mapping and
online learning as dimension of development. I am very concerned about learning blog on HRM
strategy in order to recognize latest trend skills associated with my future goals. At present, I also
believe that current business market is based on network and therefore, I believe that building
networks with corporate professionals by attending industry summits organized by within or
outside campus (Mathie et al., 2018). I have made myself active on Linked-In in order to build a
strong network base for my career. In addition, these platforms will help me to remain in touch
with experts who have guided me on my professional development and growth. Somewhere, I

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believe that this systematic approach will be useful for me in creating goals in the form of skill
development by assisting in future.

PERSONAL STRENGTH AND AREA OF IMPROVEMENT
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