University Course: Soft Skills Reflective Journal Assignment

This assignment is a reflective journal exploring the importance of soft skills in professional development. The student analyzes negotiation, teamwork, time management, and problem-solving skills, providing definitions, importance, and self-assessments. Using tools like questionnaires and peer feedback, the student evaluates their current competence in each skill, identifying strengths and weaknesses. The journal discusses how these skills will aid future studies and career success, referencing relevant theories and concepts to support the arguments. Each entry delves into a specific skill, offering insights into personal development and the application of these skills in a business management context. The assignment highlights the significance of continuous self-assessment and skill enhancement for achieving academic and professional goals.

INTRODUCTION
Personal and professional skills are recognized as soft skills which are not easy to teach as
students and employees require learning them while working and developing an effective plan.
This study is going to show importance of negotiation, time-management, team working and
others skills as it allows them to perform activities in an effective manner.
Reflective Journal Entry Pro-forma 1
What is the core skill?
According to Dictionary.com, negotiation refers to the mutual discussion as well as an
arrangement of the given terms of a transaction, or an agreement. Similarly, Zohar (2015,
p.540), defines negotiation as the way of resolving conflicts or agreement. It can also mean
the ability to divide resources among two or more parties in a willing or personal choice
manner. Often the two sides will engage in contact through seeking suggestions as well as
counter-suggestions, and through this process, the parties engage in communication that leads
them to a common solution ground.
Why is this core skill important?
Negotiation skills are vital due to several reasons. First, negotiation skills make it
possible for an individual to discuss their way into better positions. For example, one can use
the power of negotiations skill to hold a successful discussion with colleagues on working as
a team towards a given goal. Secondly, negotiation skill enables an employee to hold
effective discussion with the employer about a salary increment. It can also enable a student
to negotiate with the professor about receiving better grades. Consequently, being an
excellent negotiator enables a person to develop, maintain, as well as improve their
relationship with other members of the team. This aspect often results in an effective

negotiator turning into a successful team leader within an organization. Furthermore,
excellent communication skills enable one to become an efficient leader. That is, instead of
spending most of one’s time at work engaging in job monitoring or engaging in fierce
arguments with other staff at the place of work, successful negotiation results in the involved
parties reaching common grounds and eradicating any form of friction. Finally, the ability to
be a strong negotiator enables one to attain vital goals and go for better deals regarding their
projects. In this case, negotiation plays a significant role in one's success as a leader and
career advancement overall (Core., et al. 2006, p. 12).
How competent are you currently?
The toolkits employed in determining my negotiation skills were the Negotiation
Questionnaire, (Appendix 1) as well as the Negotiation Toolkit (Appendix 2). From the
results, I have a high-level ability to hold a successful discussion with people around me, be it
on official or casual contexts. Also, it is evident that I respond effectively to opposing ideas
from others, and I am often willing to find a common ground between me and the other party.
Can you identify any contradictions or allowable weaknesses from your
analysis?
Based on the results of my negotiation skills competencies, there is a high-level match
between the outcomes depicted by the toolkits and the way I perceive my negotiation
abilities. For example, the toolkit highlighted that I tend to be accommodative with other
people’s ideas during a discussion. The score indicates a high level of patience, an aspect that
enables me to be receptive to divergent views when engaging in a negotiation process. Also,
the feedback from my classmates is that I am one of the best negotiators in class, based on the
various successful solutions I make whenever there is an issue.

How will this skill help me in the future?
According to Coad, Smith, Pontin, and Gibson (2018, p.7), excellent negotiation
skills entails aspects like effective listening skills, ability to express my thoughts by verbal
means, high-level debating abilities, ability to easily persuade others as well as ownership of
excellent skills to communicate through non-verbal cues like signs, silence, as well as
gestures. These aspects will be effective in enabling me to run successful teamwork, as well
as negotiate for various opportunities in the organization.
Reflective Journal Entry Pro-forma 2
What is the core skill?
The core skill I would like to focus on is teamwork. Salas et al. (2015, p.2), defines
teamwork as a form of adaptive, dynamic, as well as an episodic process that entails various
thoughts, feelings, as well as behaviors among people that work as a group toward a common
goal. That means, for me to turn out successful both in my academic goals, as well as my
future career goals, I will have the responsibility of developing outstanding teamwork that I
will rely on, as a means of propelling me towards my goals.
Why is this core skill important? (use relevant theories and concepts to support
your answer)
As an individual, I stand the chance of becoming more productive from the aspect of
successful teamwork since I will be able to acquire as well as enhance beneficial academic as
well as occupational skills coming from the teams’ unlimited learning through high-level
cooperating and exchange of multiple experiences. Also, the aspect of high-level synergism

amongst successful teamwork tends to create a conducive working environment that enables
everyone to be willing to contribute in various ways until the primary goal in question gets
achieved (Sanyal and Hisam 2018, p.18).
How competent are you currently?
In determining my competence in teamwork, I employed the Belbin’s Team roles A
Self-Perception Inventory ( Appendix 3) where I ended up with a high grade in terms of
playing the role of an effective team member that embraces teamwork, and as an implementer
of the teamwork process. Additionally, in a response from my peers, I possess a high-level
teamwork ability, which has enabled me to win the role of leading most of my teams in the
class-related group work, with many of them turning successful due to the high-level
teamwork that I instill in other members. Similar comments came from the instructor who
holds that long-term observation of my activities in class shows that I am among the few
excellent team leaders she knows from the class. The instructor further added that it is the
reason she often counts on me to lead the rest of the class to engage in the needed tasks
whenever she is not present.
Can you identify any contradictions or allowable weaknesses from your
analysis?
I tend to agree with the feedback from the classmate and the teacher that I exhibit
positive elements when it comes to teamwork. Often, I like collaborating with other people
where we work collaboratively towards achieving a given goal. I always transfer a similar
approach in handing various academic goals in class. Also, I agree with the Belbin’s Team
Roles A Self-Perception that shows that exhibit excellent aspects concerning me as a team

worker as well as an implementer of the same (Appendix 4).
How will this skill help me in the future? (use references to support your
argument)
Link this skill to your future studies or career
One reason why I would like to master the core skill of teamwork is because it will
provide me with excellent learning opportunities at work. Although I am currently attaining
excellent knowledge that will enable me to effectively pursue my business management
career, I will still need to learn from my colleagues. It is through teamwork that I will be able
to learn from other colleagues within the organization (Wolters, Won, and Hussain 2017,
p.5).
Reflective Journal Entry Pro-forma 3
What is the core skill?
One vital core skill that I would like to acquire, and which I believe will have a
significant impact on my academic performance, as well as a future goal of succeeding in
business management is time management. Wolters, Won, and Hussain (2017), define time
as the passing of a life, which is a resource to all, and which cannot be saved or stored. The
author also referred to time as money. Similarly, time management includes the techniques
developed to enable an individual to execute more and better results within less time.
Why is this core skill important? (use relevant theories and concepts to support
your answer)
Time management is important due to several reasons. First, time is a limited aspect.

That is, as a student pursuing the business management line, time is a special resource that I
am not able to store to use in the future. As such, I have the responsibility of putting it in a
positive use in any way possible. Wasting time means I will have to postpone my academic
as well as career goals, something that might fail to achieve my dream. Secondly, time is one
of the vital resources that enable us to obtain what we want in life. For example, as I purpose
to achieve my career dream of being part of the business management field in the future, I
have the chance to work on such a dream right now. It is through utilizing the existing time
that I will achieve my academic and career goals. Finally, time management enables an
individual to accomplish more within a limited time. Being a student does not mean that I
must use all the available time in my studies. Instead, I must divide the available time for
studies, friends, personal growth, and much more (Abban 2011, p.6). As such, planning my
time will enable me to succeed in all those plans.
How competent are you currently?
Peer feedback from my peers shows that I am a poor time manager. That is, I tend to
engage in activities during the eleventh hour, whether it is a personal or group project, it
seems I am more pushed with a deadline than having to engage in a task when it has enough
time.
Can you identify any contradictions or allowable weaknesses from your
analysis?
Based on the feedbacks I attained from the peers that I am a poor time manager, I
must admit that procrastination has always been among my weaknesses. In most cases, when
given an assignment, I tend to wait until the last minute to start rushing on finishing it. This
habit has resulted in friction between me and my instructor in several occasions.

How will this skill help me in the future?
Since my career is being excellent personnel in the field of business management, I
am aware that I will often have a lot of tasks and personnel to tend to, in the organization. As
such, acquiring the core skill of time management will always enable me to prepare for
meetings on time, be able to manage excessive workload, appropriately allocate resources,
and have enough time to monitor project progress in the organization.
Reflective Journal Entry Pro-forma 4
What is the core skill?
Problem solving is one of the main and effective core skill which starts with active
listening. It is a combination of some skills like research, communication creativity and
others. Business environment is an environment where changes occur and for being in the
competition and making an effective position there is requirement of having an ability to
solve problems.
Why is this core skill important?
Problem solving plays an important role as it allows people to take better decision and
also make them stressed free. People can focus on their work effectively and take advantages

of external opportunities.
How competent are you currently?
The toolkits employed in determining my problem solving skills was problem solving
feedback taken from peers. From the results, I found that I have an effective research ability
which makes me able to get better and effective ways of solving problems and making
decision.
Can you identify any contradictions or allowable weaknesses from your
analysis?
Based on the results of my problem-solving skills competencies, there is a high-level
match between the outcomes depicted by the toolkits and the way I perceive this skill. There
were several situations where I found that while working in a team I suggested better ways of
solving problems.
How will this skill help me in the future?
This skill will allow me in the future to become leader and the best decision-maker
because problem solving is directly proportional to decision making.
Part II
Summary and Action
This summary is a representation of my personality. This aspect is vital because, other
than helping me to turn out successful in my academic journey, it is the same personality that will
play a significant role in helping me achieve the career dream of being an efficient business

management personnel. During the process of determining the various core skills that I own, I
used various methods such as the Belbin’s Team Roles A Self-Perception Inventory, peer
feedback, as well as instructor feedback. According to Andrade (2019, p.87), self-assessment
refers to an educational process that has direct benefits to the learners that incorporate it into use.
During this process, the students engage in the process of reflecting on the type as well as the
quality of their personality, make a judgment on the extent that it reflects their perceived goals,
and revising them accordingly to ensure the changes enable the learner in to achieve their
academic as well as career goals. Thus, after a detailed analysis of the values strengths and
weaknesses concerning my personality, I will have the opportunity of working on various areas
and ensure that I am on the right track towards achieving my academic and career goals. An
analysis of the various core skills that I own revealed that I own excellent negotiation skills, I
have outstanding teamwork skills. However, the analysis showed that I have poor time
management skills, as I found it challenging to overcome procrastination.
One area that I will embark on, to perfect it, is the core skill of time management. I will
work on this issue out by trying to come up with plans, such as timetables, on things that I need
to do, and identify what needs to come first or last. Also, I feel that I need to invest more effort
and time for me to reach the level of facing any multitude, even with less preparation. With such
changes on my personality, it will be inevitable for me to achieve my dream in business
management.
Personal Development Plan
Specific Measur
able
Attainable Relevant Time
ly
Negoti Give people Relyin Inviting Create more Dec

ation more time to express
themselves
g on peer
feedback
peers in places I
engage in
negotiation and
inform them to take
note
chances to solve
conflicts with others.
2020
Teamw
ork
Give room for
people to take control
of working groups
Peer
Feedback
Work with
peers and rely on
their feedback
Be able to
learn from others
Dec
2020
Time
Management
Be able to
execute tasks on time
Feedba
cks from peers
and Teachers
Overcome
procrastination
Be able to
take enough time on
tasks and produce
quality
Dec
2020