Personal and Professional Development Plan: Semester 1

Desklib provides solved assignments and past papers to help students succeed.

Personal and Professional Development
1 | P a g e

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
LO1: Understand how self-managed learning can enhance lifelong development.........................4
1.1 Evaluate approaches to self-managed learning.................................................................4
1.2 Propose ways in which lifelong learning in personal and professional contexts could be
encouraged...................................................................................................................................5
1.3 Evaluate the benefits of self-managed learning to the individual and organization.........6
LO2: Be able to take responsibility for own personal and professional development....................7
2.1- Evaluate own current skills and competencies against professional standards and
organizational objectives.............................................................................................................7
2.2- Identify own development needs and the activities required to meet them.........................9
2.3- Identify development opportunities to meet current and future defined needs....................9
2.4- Devise a personal and professional development plan based on identified needs.............10
LO3: Be able to implement and continually review own personal and professional development
plan................................................................................................................................................12
3.1- Discuss the processes and activities required to implement the development plan...........12
3.2- Undertake and document development activities as planned.............................................12
3.3- Reflect critically on own learning against original aims and objectives set in the
development plan.......................................................................................................................13
3.4- Update the development plan based on feedback and evaluation......................................14
LO4: Be able to demonstrate acquired interpersonal and transferable skills................................15
4.1- Select solutions to work-based problems...........................................................................15
4.2- Communicate in a variety of styles and appropriate manner at various levels..................15
4.3- Evaluate and use effective time-management strategies....................................................16
Reference list.................................................................................................................................19
2 | P a g e

3 | P a g e

Introduction
The following assignment aims to encapsulate the fundamentals of personal and professional
development. In brief, it sheds light on the role of self-managed learning in lifelong
development. It also emphasizes the responsibilities to enhance own personal and professional
development. It also composes a personal and professional development plan, along with a brief
emphasis on its establishment. In this assignment, several approaches to self managed learning
will be discussed. Besides, ways in which lifelong learning in personal and professional contexts
could be encouraged will also be analyzed in this assignment. Moreover, the processes and
activities required to implement the development plan will also be evaluated.
LO1: Understand how self-managed learning can enhance lifelong development
1.1 Evaluate approaches to self-managed learning
There are several approaches with the help of which, self-managed learning can be obtained.
Few of these include seminars, group discussion, seminars, conferences, debates, internet, social
networking and so on. Some of them have been discussed below:
Group Discussions and Debates: In case of debates as well as group discussions, which are
conducted on an identical topic, everyone is given chances to present their views on the subject
matter. This leads to the development of different pictures of the same topic. Group discussions,
as well as debates, are highly beneficial since it helps people to learn and develop their
capabilities of presenting their arguments in front of the audience. They also enable people in
grooming their respective personalities, thereby boosting their confidence (Cunningham, 2017).
Moreover, debates and group discussions are also beneficial in assisting people in acing their
skills of persuading others. Briefly, it can be stated that the communication skills of the people
are highly strengthened with the help of group discussions as well as debates.
Conferences and Seminars: Conferences, as well as seminars, are considered as an efficacious
way of self-managed learning. People with poor communication skills as well as people who are
afraid to speak in public need to take part in seminars and conferences for the development of
their communication skills. Furthermore, seminars and conferences give people the platform to
4 | P a g e

share their views, knowledge as well as different perspectives towards certain things (Dolmans et
al., 2015).
Social Networking: In the current scenario, the majority of the people are seen to be spending
their time on several social networking sites. This gives people a great opportunity to enhance
their knowledge on social networking sites, which presents a wide array of news related to the
current affairs taking place in the world, which are shared by other social media users. Besides,
social media has given people the opportunity of communicating with others virtually. Moreover,
social networking sites provide people with platforms for sharing their views on certain issues.
Furthermore, people are enabled to take a peek into the lifestyle of others through their shared
posts, which in turn helps them in incorporating few things in their own lifestyles, which they
find highly essential (Mijumbi et al., 2015). Hence, it can be said that social networking sites
enable people in strengthening their communication skills.
Internet: The Internet has been seen to undergo a major transformation after the creation of
Google. Any person irrespective of his or her location is enabled to search anything on Google.
People are now able to gain information on anything with the help of Google, which in turn
assists them in learning about several crucial things (Ranieri et al., 2018). Several books, blogs,
websites as well as discussion forums are available online, which assist people in self-managed
to learn.
1.2 Propose ways in which lifelong learning in personal and professional contexts could be
encouraged
Lifelong learning in the context of the personal as well as professional development can be
enhanced through many ways including conducting a comprehensive SWOT analysis of one a
periodic basis as well as self-reflective learning. Continuous development for lifelong should be
improvised periodically since it is highly effective in both personal as well as professional life.
This can be made possible through seeking feedback from others on a regular basis after working
on the same area and improving accordingly in order to ensure their development on the correct
track (Rappel, 2015). With the help of SWOT analysis, one is enabled to identify their strengths
as well as weaknesses. Identification of weaknesses enables the learners to work on them for
their mitigation. This can be persuaded if one becomes vocal about their shortcomings and
problems and share them with others in order to gain some advice on their mitigations (Veelen et
5 | P a g e

al., 2017). The encouragement can also be provided through the analysis of the performances of
people graphically and understanding the weak links and improving them accordingly. The
SWOT analysis can be conducted through the usage of several tools including Self Reflective
Learning as well as professional development (Prendes et al., 2017).
1.3 Evaluate the benefits of self-managed learning to the individual and organization
Self-managed learning is highly beneficial for individuals as well as for the organizations they
are working. Self-managed learning is seen to be highly effective as this enables one to develop
through his or her own experience, learning, training, hard work and so on. Besides, this is
obtained without any professional assistance. This leads to the long-term development of people
in both professional and personal front (Cunningham and Bennett, 2017). The effective
performance of employees largely affects the performance of organizations. Hence, it can be
stated that the development of skills by the employees through self-managed learning is highly
beneficial for the enhancement of the organization (Bennett, 2017). It is needless to say that self-
managed learning should be persuaded by everyone.
LO2: Be able to take responsibility for own personal and professional development
2.1- Evaluate own current skills and competencies against professional standards and
organizational objectives
It is fundamental to possess a diverse skill set in order to excel in professional life, due to the
increasing competitiveness in the employment sector (Welp et al., 2018). With respect to this, I
possess a diverse skill set that can help me gain a competitive advantage in the market by
accomplishing organizational objectives. With respect to this, my skills and competencies are as
follows-
 Managerial proficiencies- As per the opinion of Cruess et al. (2016), management skills are
mandatory to accomplish organizational objectives in a significant manner. In my pre-
employment stage, I have played the role of an effective manager by assisting the
organizational operations of various college festivals and events. Although I have learned
about management briefly during my college course, I believe that they do not match the
professional standards. Due to this, I look forward to take separate management courses in
6 | P a g e

order to qualify as an effective manager and help my employer organization accomplish their
organizational objectives.
 Teamwork skills- I believe that my teamwork skills are adequate to help organizations
achieve their objectives in a significant manner. With respect to this, my leadership qualities
are also sufficient to encourage my teammates to give their best efforts to fulfill their group
responsibilities significantly. I also have excellent interpersonal skills, which helps me in
adapting to unfamiliar circumstances and unknown people, due to which I find it comfortable
to work in groups as well.
 Communication skills- I have great communication skills, due to which I am able to hold
interesting and significant conversations to acquire necessitated information. Although I
believe, I commit minor grammatical errors during verbal communication. Due to this, I look
forward to focus on my fluency and accuracy of language through professional courses. I
also focus on honing my communication proficiencies in order to develop myself as an
effective communicator in a regular manner.
 Time management proficiencies- I strictly believe in punctuality, due to which I have always
been able to complete tasks without violating the timeline constraints. Hence, my time
management skills can provide a paramount standard of assistance to my employer
organization in accomplishing their organizational objectives under strict deadlines.
2.2- Identify own development needs and the activities required to meet them
It is of utmost importance to focus on self-development in order to enhance own professional
capabilities in a persistent manner (Marić, 2017). Due to this, my development needs include
enhancement of my public speaking skills and management skills. With respect to this, some of
the activities that can be fundamentally undertaken to enhance these parameters include group
discussions, conferences, attending seminars and debates. I also believe that my development
needs also include lifelong learning. In order to develop lifelong learning skills persistently, it is
fundamentally required to undertake activities such as reading and critical observation
(Agafonova et al., 2015). Subscribing to informational magazines and web articles can be
beneficial in terms of gaining knowledge about the latest trends and challenges in the external
environment.
7 | P a g e

Reading can also be highly beneficial in terms of acquiring technical knowledge, which can help
in gaining a competitive advantage in the employment sector (Shuler and Keller-Dupree, 2015).
This is because organizations often prefer to recruit employees with sufficient technical expertise
along with managerial proficiencies. Furthermore, teamwork capabilities can be enhanced
largely by focusing on working more frequently in groups and encouraging teammates to
perform significantly along with enhancing own performance levels. Furthermore, time
management skills can be further enhanced to a higher level by personally taking up projects to
accomplish under strict timeline constraints.
2.3- Identify development opportunities to meet current and future defined needs
Nowadays, companies are looking forward persistently to recruit employees with a diverse
skillset and expertise (Jackson, 2016). The modern generation has provided an abundance of
opportunities that can leverage self-development in a significant manner. In this regard, there are
several online and offline platforms that can assist in enhancing individual development needs
largely through professional guidance. For instance, there are various management courses
provided by professionals that can help individuals in enhancing their management capabilities
in order to gain a higher competitive advantage (Ibatova et al., 2016). There is an abundance of
books and research journals that dissect the fundamentals of leadership and management in a
precise manner. It is required to study those books in detail in order to interpret the concept of
management and leadership, in order to identify their own areas of improvement.
Furthermore, it can also be helpful in acknowledging effective strategic approaches that can help
in developing as an effective manager. On the other hand, the online web also provides various
blogs scripted by successful leaders and managers, which are helpful in acquiring in-depth
reflective knowledge about management, leadership and other fundamental criteria of
professional development (Bogomaz et al., 2015). The blogs are also helpful in studying the
methods adopted by the leaders to accomplish their objectives in a significant manner. On the
other hand, popular online platforms also provide video tutorials and personal online coaching
where the individual can gain in-depth knowledge about personal and professional development.
Furthermore, there is an abundance of personal coaching courses where individuals are enabled
to focus on enhancing their communication skills to qualify as effective verbal/non-verbal
communicators.
8 | P a g e

2.4- Devise a personal and professional development plan based on identified needs
It is of utmost importance to develop a personal and professional development plan in order to
approach own areas of improvements strategically and qualify as expertise candidates in the
employment sector (Agafonova et al., 2015). In this regard, my personal and professional
development encapsulates my own areas of further enhancements and the strategic measures I
look forward to approach to mitigate those deficiencies.
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Aims and objectives:
 To enhance accuracy and grammatical preciseness in public speaking
 To enhance management skills as per professional standards
 To hone lifelong learning capabilities to gain a higher competitive advantage
Areas of
improvement
Steps for development Expected outcomes Timeframe
Speaking accuracy I look forward to take
professional spoken courses
to develop as an effective
communicator. I will also
obverse video and audio
tutorials of speaking
accuracy in order to
develop my communication
skills.
I will be able to
communicate without
any grammatical errors
in front of a large
public.
4 weeks
Management skills I intend to take professional
management courses in
order to qualify as efficient
management, as per
professional standards.
I will be able to be
certified as a manager,
which will help me in
gaining a competitive
advantage during
employment.
16 weeks
Lifelong learning
skills
I look forward to honing
my lifelong learning
I will be able to gain
significant technical
8 weeks
9 | P a g e

capabilities by focusing on
reading more and more
books.
expertise and
assistance in self-
development.
Table 1- Personal and Professional Development Plan
(Source- Created by the learner)
10 | P a g e

LO3: Be able to implement and continually review own personal and professional
development plan
3.1- Discuss the processes and activities required to implement the development plan
Several processes, as well as activities, are there, which require to implement the development
plan accordingly. Studying in a quiet environment is highly effective (Gnanli, 2018). I will be
forming goals, which are needed to be fulfilled and for which, I will be monitoring my
performance regularly in accordance with them for studying my progress. I will create a
development plan, which will consist of skills, which I have and the skills, which I lack in since
this will enable me to understanding the key areas of improvement. These activities will be
including few training sessions, discussions with my friends as well as with my colleagues,
turning up in conferences and seminars and reading about noteworthy leaders along with their
valuable experiences, participating in groups for the completion of tasks, taking more
responsibilities, organizing big events, managing people and so on.
As per my analysis, I have understood that I need to work on my speaking accuracy skills,
management skills as well as lifelong learning skills. In order to develop my speaking accuracy
skills, I need to take professional spoken courses to develop as an effective communicator. For
the development of my management skills, I have decided to take professional management
courses for qualifying as an efficient manager as per professional standards. Moreover, for the
development of my lifelong learning skills, I have decided to sharpen my lifelong learning
capabilities by focusing on reading more and more books.
3.2- Undertake and document development activities as planned
The development activities can be undertaken in accordance with the skills, which I need to work
on, which can be done on the basis of time scale (Hinkel, 2018). Hence, this can be conducted on
the basis of six months. Shortcomings would be analyzed critically in the first month and come
up with potential solutions accordingly. The next three months would be crucial since in those
months one would work on the development of those skills through the selection of effective
solutions to overcome my shortcomings. These can be achieved by taking up the activities in
accordance with the planning, which has been provided in the above section. The next month
would be the feedback month, in which, one would engage myself in gathering effective
11 | P a g e

feedback from my colleagues, friends as well as family in order to analyze improvements in my
performance in accordance with the activities, which have been undertaken for the improvement
of my weak skills along with the shortcomings, which one needs to work on. In the final month
of the development plan, one would incorporate effective steps in order to mitigate my
shortcomings in accordance with the received feedback. In this way, the development plan would
be developed on a half-yearly basis, which would be highly effective for the improvement of
personal as well as professional skills, which would be advantageous for the person as well as for
the organization, in which, he or she works or would be working in the future.
3.3- Reflect critically on own learning against original aims and objectives set in the
development plan
In order to develop my speaking accuracy skills, I need to take professional spoken courses to
develop as an effective communicator for four weeks. This would help me to communicate
without any grammatical errors in front of a large public (Hugill and Helfat, 2016). For the
development of my team leading skills, I have decided to take professional management courses
for qualifying as an efficient manager as per professional standards. Moreover, to enhance my
management skills as per professional standards, I intend to take professional management
courses for 16 weeks in order to qualify as efficient management, as per professional standards.
Through the enhancement of my management skills, I would be able to be certified as a manager,
which will help me in gaining a competitive advantage during employment (Illeris, 2018).
Moreover, for the fulfillment of the aim of sharpening lifelong learning capabilities to gain a
higher competitive advantage, I have decided to focus on reading more and more
books for 8 weeks. This will help me in gaining significant technical expertise and
assistance in self-development. The activities, which have been planned in the
development plan, which has been created by me, are at par with the original
objectives as well as the aims of the development plan. The plan of enhancing time
management skills, which have been created in the development plan, has served its
purpose. The activities related to time management includes the breakdown of the task
into smaller tasks. I would analyze my performance and improve my skills
accordingly.
12 | P a g e