Employability and Professional Development Report for IT Manager Role

This report examines employability and professional development within the context of an IT manager's role at CODA software company. It begins with a self-reflection on skills and competencies, comparing them against professional standards and organizational objectives. The report evaluates development needs, creating a personal and professional development plan focusing on areas such as decision-making, time management, and communication. It then analyzes communication styles, time management techniques, team dynamics, and strategies for problem-solving within a software development environment. The report considers various tools and methods for addressing challenges, including time management, human resource management, and budget management. Finally, the report evaluates the impact of implemented strategies on the business, providing a comprehensive overview of professional development in the IT sector.

Employability
and
Professional Development

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Reflection on own skills and competencies against professional standards and
organisational objectives........................................................................................................1
1.2 Evaluating development needs for the job role to work effectively ................................2
1.3 Personal and professional development plan based on job role.......................................3
1.4 Reflection on own development against objectives set in personal and professional
development plan....................................................................................................................5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................6
2.1 Communication styles at various levels with line mangers , colleagues and the customers.6
2.2 Tools and techniques for effective time management......................................................7
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................8
3.1 Team dynamics with the roles played by people..............................................................8
3.2 Alternative ways to complete tasks and achieve goals in the software development process
................................................................................................................................................9
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................10
4.1 Tools and methods for developing solutions for the problems that may occur in the
software project....................................................................................................................10
4.2 Strategy for resolving problems such as time management, human resource management,
budget management..............................................................................................................11
4.3 Evaluation of impact on the business of implementation of strategy.............................12
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
To accomplish objectives and targets of the organisation, employability and professional
skills are essential. These are helpful in decision making process, problem solving and time
management at workplace. Team work is essential at office to meet the goals of the company and
satisfy customers with the implementation of innovative approach. Soft skills help in satisfying
customers. It also enhances negotiation skills. While developing any project, every individual
has assigned responsibilities. Reflection on working as IT supervisor in CODA software
company has been illustrated (Alsop, 2013). Manager manages functioning of the organisation
which includes procedures for making decisions, distributing job role among team members of
the project, identification of resources required for project completion and arrangement of
training sessions as per the demand of the project. Strong communication and conflict resolution
abilities are required at workplace. The study will be focussed on analysis of tools and
techniques for time management, managing budget and human resources for the project
development process.
TASK 1
1.1 Reflection on own skills and competencies against professional standards and organisational
objectives Direct and Indirect relationship: I have worked with CODA which is a software
company in United Kingdom. I was assigned on the position of Manager. Working as a
manager requires various skills and traits with the objective of meeting goals and targets
of the company. I had several responsibilities which were required to be fulfilled by me
to manage working and team members of the organisation. IT manager has the
responsibility of team management of the project department either directly or indirectly
(Andersson and et.al., 2015). Reports are collected by the manager from every
department of IT firm and manages functioning of it. Personal responsibility: Manager has job role of creating job descriptions, reviewing
work activities and can hire and terminate employees. Communication is conducted to
ensure functions of the company run efficiently. A manager is required to possess team
building skills. It is also required to have abilities to resolve conflicts among team
members at workplace.
1

 Decision making: Manger also participates in decision taking processes such as adoption
of new technology according to the current market trends. For acquiring new methods
and development tools market research is conducted by the manager to analyse
effectiveness of the methodologies in the business.
 Development of work role: IT manager also ensure learning from collaborative processes
among staff members of the firm (Baume and et.al., 2016). Learning is deployed among
all the team members in order to share information and knowledge that can be utilized in
betterment of the company. Legislation and rights and regulations of the employees are
also deployed by the manager. They make sure employees follow rules properly for the
proper functioning of the organisation. Ethics at workplace are very essential to consider
in the process of data collection from various processes like market research, interviews,
survey etc. manager manages rights of employment so that employees could be aware of
their rights which is beneficial in achieving organisational goals and objectives.
By analysing current skills, it has been found that for a manager there are various skills
which are needed to be posses by it which are listed above. By self assessment it has been
identified that I need to work on my decision making skills along with time management
capabilities. Within a firm it is required to have effective leaders who could manage work
properly and get it accomplished on time. Thus, for improving my skills I could attend training
sessions.
1.2 Evaluating development needs for the job role to work effectively
Evaluation of own development needs at workplace to work effectively being IT manager
is discussed below:
There are various personal skills required to work effectively in order to manage
functions of the organisation. Problem solving: Manager is required to possess abilities to solve problems and issues
occurred at workplace to manage functioning of the system properly. He/she should be
capable to take decisions according to the demand of the situation with the objective of
making profits for the firm. It is the responsibility of the manager of the firm to identify
root cause of the issues occurred at workplace and accordingly solve them. Many times,
2

conflicts arise in between the employees due to mismatched opinions and perceptions
which should be handled by developing team culture values among them. Team building: Working within teams solves several problems which is not possible
when worked individually (Belova and et.al., 2015). Team building techniques should be
developed by the manager and should also encourage employees to work with another to
bring out creative and productive solutions. Team work enhances productivity. It also
helps in discovering areas which are not possible to think of when worked individually. Conflict management: When people work within teams, their views and opinions
conflicts which is very necessary to be managed. Effects of the conflicts get visible on
work if not managed properly. Thus, it is required for manger to have qualities of
managing conflicts among the employees.
 Communication skills: It is the most important quality required to be possessed by the
manager for efficient running of the business. Managers have responsibility to
communicate goals and objectives of the firm among the employees. Manager works as a
mediator between top level management and staff members of the company.
Along with personal skills, several professional skills are also required to be possessed by
the manager of the company. These are defined below:
 It is the responsibility of the manager to set and monitor performance objectives of the
employees so that their work can be tracked (Billett and et.al., 2014). The should also
have technical skills so that technology related works can be understood and necessary
decisions can be made.
 Managers have responsibility to record performance of the employees so that their
appraisals can be decided, bonus payments, requirement of training in specific area can
be identified, strengths and weaknesses can also be analysed.
 They should also motivate employees to enhance their performance and on the basis of
which they can be promoted. On the basis of performance. Incentives and rewards can be
given to the employees to motivate them to work more better.
Personal and professional skills can be developed by developing plans for personal
development, training sessions can also be attended. To develop technical skills seminars could
be attended. All such activities help in growth of the organisation.
3

1.3 Personal and professional development plan based on job role
Table 1: Personal and professional development plan
Skills Development
Opportunities
Evidence Time Duration
required
Decision making skills My decision making
skill are not good. I am
required to indulge
into training sessions
where I could enhance
my decision making
capabilities.
Team Leaders could
help into it.
1 month
Time management Managers have job
responsibilities to
manage organizational
work effectively so
that it could be
completed within
given time frame. For
this, I could divide
tasks into teams so that
work gets completed
on time with
collaborative efforts of
all the individuals.
Director and Managers
could help into
managing time
effectively.
1.5 months
Communication skills I have good
communication skills
at individual level but
Group discussions and
members involved into
it could help for it.
2 months
4

I hesitate when I have
to speak in front of so
many people. To deal
with given situation I
could attend group
discussions which
could help me to build
up my confidence
level.
Personal and professional development plan for the manager of the CODA software
company is defined below:
Current performance  It involves setting up responsibilities
for meeting objectives of the company.
 Performance can be tracked by
developing targets (Bryła, 2015).
 Current performance of IT manger can
be analyzed with the absolute
performance of the firm.
 Performance measures constitutes
market research, decision making
capabilities, data collection methods,
etc.
Future needs For CODA company future needs are
described below:
 Development of coordination between
employees and team members.
 With the advancement of technology,
changes are required to be implemented
in the existing methodologies.
5

 Data is collected from several sources
such as market research, surveys etc.
 Decision-making is required for the
data gathered from several sources
(Smale and et.al., 2015).
Table 2: Performance and Future needs
SWOT analysis for the manager of IT company is given below:
Strength
 Capabilities to develop and manage
teams.
 Ability to resolve conflicts within team
members.
 Technical knowledge to incorporate
understanding of technology
advancement (Martin, 2015).
 To work within an organization,
planning is essential to meet objectives
of the company. Coordination among the employees to
enhance performance and productivity
of the firm.
Weakness
 Does not have enough knowledge about
the rights of employees.
 Lack of abilities of sharing knowledge
among its peers.
 Communication skills are not strong
which is basic requirement for the post
of Manager as he is responsible to share
objectives and goals of the company
within its team members.
Threats
 Due to employment legislation, there
could be unfavourable legal
implications.
 Abilities to share knowledge is not
strong which could require high amount
of expenses on the training.
 Absence of cross functional sharing of
Opportunities
 Human resources could be managed
effectively with the team development
skills according to the needs of the
venture.
 With the change in technology, changes
should be adopted so that which could
help in acquiring goals set by the
6

information would lead to lesser
amount of knowledge generation within
the firm. When commutation skills are not strong
it does not create bonding between the
employees and people working within
teams.
company (The 10 Core Principles of a
Personal SWOT Analysis, 2015).
 Developed computer software helps in
accomplishing market research.
Table 3: SWOT Analysis of Manager
1.4 Reflection on own development against objectives set in personal and professional
development plan
For own development manager would try to develop skills which could be beneficial in
acquiring objectives of the company. Communication skills could be developed by attending
personal development seminars as they help in developing personality by various means such as
group discussions, by giving tips on how to interact and communicate with each other for
effective interaction (Cottrell, 2015). It also involves abilities to collect data from several sources
such as market research, interview processes and many more. Collected data is required to be
analysed for generating effective solutions. Personal skills should also be developed such as
problem solving, abilities to manage conflicts etc.
Team building abilities are also required for effective working of the organisation. Team
work helps in exploration of several areas which could not be possible if somebody works
individually. Portfolio can also be built and maintained. Transcripts such as Curriculum Vitae
can be maintained. Knowledge sharing abilities can be achieved with the development of strong
communication qualities as it helps in expressing views and opinions. It can also be achieved by
participating group discussions which helps in brainstorming that results in innovative ideas.
Market research helps in identification of new trends in technology which can be adopted by
attending tainting classes for the same. In the world technology, customers always prefer brands
which makes use of the latest technology in their work.
Table 4: Revised PPD Plan
Skills Development Evidence Time Duration
7

Opportunities required
Decision making skills My decision making
skill are still not good.
Team Leaders could
help into it.
1.5 month
Time management I have been able to
work on it. Now I can
manage multiple tasks
at one time.
Communication skills Still, improvements
are required to be
made into it for
communicating goals
effectively to the team
members.
Group discussions and
members involved into
it could help for it.
1 month
Writing skills With the time I have
found that I need to
improve my writing
skills as well.
Writing articles and
reading newspapers
could help into it.
Senior managers could
also contribute.
2 months
By analysing all the skills I found I lack in decision making, time management and
communication skills which required self-improvement. For that I have attended seminars and
training sessions as well so that required skills could be build. I have succeeded in various
sectors but stills communication skills needs enhancements because being manager it is very
essential to be able to communicate with all the team members effectively so that objectives and
targets set by the company could be communicated well.
8

TASK 2
2.1 Communication styles at various levels with line mangers, colleagues and the customers
There are different types of communication that could take place for carrying out various
tasks within an organisation. It could be broadly classified into two categories: Verbal : it could be type of communication which involves conversations over phone or
face to face. In this, listening is carried out to understand one's viewpoint.
 Non-verbal : Here, observation takes place and accordingly meaning is interpreted. It
could involve understanding facial expressions, body language etc.
To carry out functions of the organization effectively team member is required to have
strong and influencing communication skills at workplace (Dowson, 2015). It includes verbal
and non-verbal interaction qualities which can be established within or outside the firm. In any
company, there is hierarchy level of employees. There are line managers, colleagues, CEO and
many more. In the development process of payroll management system for the customers,
initially verbal communication is conducted with the client to collect their requirements for the
software. Feedbacks would also be needed for obtaining entire experience of using software from
the customers. Collected feedbacks helps in introducing improvements. They disclose areas
which are not as per requirements or which needs enhancement. These feedbacks would be
answering and open. Proper use of body language is essential at workplace.
Software can be developed by collecting data and requirements through questionnaires.
To be successful in any activity, team work and collaboration is essential. Proper team
collaboration should be developed. Interpersonal skills are also necessary at workplace such as
social skills, abilities to perform negotiation, taking initiatives and qualities to work with others
in the organisation (Duţă and et.al., 2014). Assertiveness skills are also essential which includes
being capable to take stand for the rights of your own or others neglecting aggression and
accepting faults. These skills are helpful in dealing with shareholders and colleagues of the
project. Proper Trainings could be assistive in transferral of these attainments among other
members in the organisation.
2.2 Tools and techniques for effective time management
To carry out any activity proper planning is essential which results in effective outcomes
at specified time period. For successful completion of the projects various time management
9

strategies are required. As a team member, time management skills are necessary for
accomplishing tasks within given time interval. Effectively used time management strategies
saves overall completion and execution time for the project. Some are discussed below: Workload Prioritization: In the overall project, there are several assignments which are
required to be accomplished at different time intervals. For successful completion,
workload should be divided and priority of each activity should be assigned. Every task
should be assigned priority and accordingly work should be done. This would be helpful
in managing urgent tasks leaving rest of the work to be completed later. Identifying work objectives: For each of the activity, its operational objective should be
analysed (Eddy and et.al., 2015). Every task has certain objective which are needed to be
accomplished. Work should be divided into simpler steps to make it more efficient to
understand. Time required for each task to carry out should be estimated. Breaking up of
task helps in better understanding of the project and which would ultimately consume
lesser time to complete. Effectively use of time: Every task has certain amount of time period for its windup and it
is necessary to utilize this time efficiently so that all the aspects can be consummated.
Time division should be done with each activity of the project. Let's take example of
primary data collection. Sufficient time is required for collecting primary data which can
be attained by conducting online research. Various other sources are also available for
data collection such as social media, emails etc. which could be utilized for gathering
information. Marking and keeping appointments: With every task, schedule for its completion should
be framed. Schedules should be ensured that they are followed properly within an
organisation (Essaoudi and et.al., 2014). Pre-planned schedules avoid last minutes rush at
workplace. Thus, it would be helpful in time management.
 Reliable estimate of task time: Before starting working on any project, reliable time that
might be required for its completion should be estimated. Time estimation should be done
in such a way that they are closed to the actual time taken up by each activity.
10