Reflective Journal: Personal Development Skills Analysis and Plan

This reflective journal explores the significance of personal development plans in fostering professional and personal growth. It identifies key areas for improvement, focusing on communication, time management, focus and attention, and teamwork skills. The journal analyzes the importance of each skill, providing feedback, contradictions, and future benefits. Communication skills are discussed in terms of delivering information effectively, while time management emphasizes planning and organizing activities. Teamwork highlights the benefits of collaboration, and focus and attention stress the ability to concentrate on specific tasks. The journal also presents strengths and weaknesses, offering insights into the individual's development journey. The document emphasizes the importance of these skills in achieving organizational goals and enhancing individual productivity. The journal provides a comprehensive overview of the importance of these skills for personal and professional growth.

Reflective journal

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
SUMMARY.....................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Personal development plan help individual to grow and develop professionally and
personally. This help in identifying key areas of improvement and analysing strength and
weakness. It is significant to continuously improve skills in order achieve efficiency and
effectiveness. This help individual to increase productivity and coordinate their efforts towards
organisational goals. Further this report discusses about communication, time management,
focus and attention and team work skills. Personal development plan help individuals accomplish
target in specific time duration. It minimises cost of operation by reducing the wastage. Working
in team help individual to share their ideas and opinions with each other. Report discuss about
plans required to develop time management, communication and team work.
MAIN BODY
Communication skills: help in delivering ideas and information. This is the act of convening
message to individual or group of people by using language or symbols which are mutually
understood. I need to develop communication skill in order to establish good interpersonal
relationship. There should be clarification in this process, so that receiver of message can clearly
understand it (Communication skill, 2017). This skill is useful in personal and professional
development of individual.
Importance of the skill: Communication skill will help in establishing good personal and
professional relationship. The main aim of developing communication skill is to deliver right
information and ideas. Effective communication skills are useful in carrying out different
business operations. This skill will reflect my profession as a manager. Communication theory
is important in terms of passing information to my subordinates and co-workers so that they can
perform their activities in appropriate manner (Abdollahipour and et.al.,, 2015). Thus,
communication is essence of management so it is helpful in assisting organisational activities.
Feedback: Currently, I got feedback from my superiors that my communication skill is not that
much effective due to which performance of co-workers are being affected. In addition to this,
lack of communication brings unproductive results. So, I thought to take feedback from peers a
about my communication skills. They have told me that I am not delivering right information to
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my subordinates and colleague. With the help of feedback I can take initiatives to develop my
core strength about it. They will let me know measures to improve my skills.
Contradictions: My writing skills are good but my co-workers and team members criticise
about my communication skills. My peers think I am not effectively communicating instructions
to my subordinates but I think I can improvise it and can achieve better results. According to my
point of view I am not able to communicate with higher level manager and workers due to lack
of confidence and knowledge. At the end it is significant for me to develop communication skill
to increase productivity.
Helpful in the future: This skill will help me in understanding opinions and point of views of
others. I can develop professional way of speaking towards my clients and customers.
Development of communication skills will help to realise my responsibilities. I am working as a
manager in marketing department, this will help me to communicate with my clients.
Communication skill will help in establishing good relation with customers which will increase
sale of the organisation (Barrett, 2015).
Time management: This help in planning and managing different activities in order to increase
efficiency and effectiveness. It play crucial role in life of every individual and its importance
cannot be ignored. Everyone get same time duration of 24 hours, it will help me in dividing and
managing my work. Good management of time and schedule will help me to accomplish my
goals and target on time (Brewster and Hegewisch, 2017). These skills manage all activities
within a specific boundary of time limit because time is fixed and it cannot be changed. Time
management is designed with the help of combination of tools and techniques which will
increase overall productivity of individual. I can draft my schedule and set priorities in order to
conduct effectiveness in environment. Managers of marketing department implement various
techniques in order to minimise wastage and increase sale of organisation.
Importance of skills: This will help me in planning and organising activities for my successful
career. I can draft my schedule to effectively utilise time and perform activities that are
important. Good time management skill will help me to utilise the resource with minimum
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wastage and store it for future use. I can use time management tools and techniques in order to
achieve success. Proper management of time will help individual to become more productive
and creative. I can become more constructive by managing activities within a specific time
duration with limited efforts.
Feedback: Time management motivate individuals to complete work within prescribed time. I
lack in this skill, my target and goals are never achieved on time. It is important to maintain
balance between personal life and professional life. Higher level managers have critically
evaluated my time management skills and they were not happy with my performance. I am not
able to complete my work within given time frame. Effective time management deals with
different types of problems like deadline, estimating outcomes, etc. it plays crucial role in
improving performance level of individuals.
Perception: I was not able to manage my time effectively, which has led to delay in work. My
co-workers think that I cannot complete my assignment in given time. I am not able to meet
deadline of assignments, which has reduced my performance level. According to my superiors I
should manage my time in more effective way. Proper plan should be drafted for each day,
week and month. Without proper planning I spend waste more time in completing work.
Inefficient management of time has increased my work pressure. My superiors provide proper
training of managing schedule on time.
Importance in the future: This will help me to reduce my stress related to work. Effective time
management will provide me with various opportunities of learning. It will increase my focus,
which will lead to successful career and future. This will develop positive attitude in me and
improve various aspects of life (Barrett, 2015).
Team work: It is defined as a mutual efforts of individuals working together to achieve
common goals or objective. I implement effective technique in order to minimise the cost and
increase sale margin. As a manager I optimally utilise resource, and make use of time to
accomplish given task on time. Qualitative efforts of team help in increasing profitability and
productivity. Team members work together for the success of organisation. My team members
have strong mutual understanding, which help them in solving both personal and professional
issues (Brewster and Hegewisch, 2017). It is significant to have effective communication
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between team members in order to avoid confusion.
Importance: This help in creating friendly and positive working environment. As a manager I
encourage my team members to cooperate with each other and work hard. This skill helps me to
grow and develop professionally as well as personally. Working together as team will help
organisation to derive maximum benefit. This help in innovating and modifying business
process in order to create competitive advantage. Team work skill has helped me to become
more productive and efficient while incorporating strategies related to team work. This help in
reducing work load and it ensures that task is completed in given time duration. Working
together provides opportunity to learn from other's mistake and avoid same errors in the future.
Feedback: According to my higher level managers I do not practice team work, which has
reduced harmony and productivity in organisation. I do not actively participate in decision
making process of the organisation. I am not able to cooperate with my co-workers because of
my negative attitude.
Opinions of others: My co-workers think I am very bad I do not have a friendly attitude. In my
opinion I actively participate in every activity of the organisation. My superiors think after
becoming team member I have realised the importance of socialising. My co-workers has
changed their opinions about me and now cooperating with everyone. Positive response of my
peers and mangers has motivated me to do well. Lack of this skill is increasing conflicts and
misunderstanding between employees. This has negatively affected performance of
organisation, targets are not achieved on time and clients are not satisfied.
Future advantage: It is useful in developing skills and gaining information related to different
areas like team dynamic, cultural difference. This will increase my future performance and
efficiency. I will be able to help and coordinate with group of people. It will be beneficial to me
in long run.
Focus and attention: This refers to ability of individuals to focus specific activities for long
duration of time. Growths of individuals depend upon their ability to focus on key areas of
improvement. I am very good at grasping and learning new things. Individuals combine
different tools and techniques to develop their attention power. I critically evaluate each
business procedure and focus on interesting issues. This helps me in identifying and selecting
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the best opportunity from available alternate. I effectively listen to every decisions and
instructions of my superiors. It helps me in managing and controlling all operations easily
(Dicke, 2015). I can accomplish my targets and work in prescribed time duration.
Important: It will increase my concentration on work, which will help in proving effective
training to workforce. I will motivate my employees to pay attention in work. This skill will
help in maintaining inner peace without getting distracted. Focus and attention can be increased
by regular meditation and exercise.
Feedback of peers: Earlier my co-workers were not happy with my style of working.
Implementation of this skill has improved my qualitative and quantitative aspects of work. My
peers think that I am focused in my work because of this profitability of the organisation has
increased.
Other opinions about my skills: Earlier my higher level manager and co-workers thought I am
efficient in my work. I do focus on my work and accept big challenges. Now I complete my
every task with a responsibility. My colleague believed that I am focused towards my target.
Advantages in the future: This will help me to derive long term benefit of growth and
development.. I am working as a manager in marketing department, this skill will help to meet
my targeted sales. I will be able to understand requirement of costumers and raising
organisation profit.
SUMMARY
This project defines about the importance and need of personal development. Skills like
communication, time management, focus and attention play crucial role in growth and
development of individuals. Report discuss about different types of skills and their importance in
personality development. Every person has some strength and weakness and they make various
efforts to develop them.
Strength: I have good focus and attention skills because I am focused towards the given target
and opinions. This skill reflects strong and powerful personality in front of others. I can motivate
my employees to concentrate and complete work on time.
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Weakness: I lack in time management, communication skill and team work these are my biggest
weakness. I am not able to complete my work on time. My co-workers and superiors are not
satisfied with my performance.
Personal development plan
Basis Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Timely
Communicati
on skill
My specified
goal is to
develop better
communicatio
n skill so that I
could
communicate
with my
clients in
future.
This skill is
measured by
using self-
assessment
questionnaires
Yes I am
doing
meditation in
order to
improve this
skill
Increase level
of
concentration
2 months
Time
management
My specific
objective is
managing my
work
efficiently on
time
This skill is
measured by
using time
worksheet
Yes prior
planning of
schedule
Completing
my work on
time
1 month
Team work My specific is
to aim at
working with
team and
develop
friendly
Yes, I will
respect my
employees
socialise with
them.
Coordinating
efforts of
workforce in
common
direction.
2 months
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attitude
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Abdollahipour, R. and et.al., 2015. Performance of gymnastics skill benefits from an external
focus of attention. Journal of sports sciences. 33(17). pp.1807-1813.
Barrett, N., 2015. A multiagency team working to safeguard vulnerable children. Journal of
Health Visiting. 3(12). pp.634-634.
Brewster, C. and Hegewisch, A. eds., 2017. Policy and practice in European human resource
management: The Price Waterhouse Cranfield survey. Taylor & Francis.
Dicke, T. and et.al., 2015. Reducing reality shock: The effects of classroom management skills
training on beginning teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education. 48. pp.1-12.
Habermas, J., 2015. Communication and the Evolution of Society. John Wiley & Sons.
Jackson, D., Sibson, R. and Riebe, L., 2014. Undergraduate perceptions of the development of
team-working skills. Education+ Training. 56(1). pp.7-20.
Jordan, P. and Lloyd, C., 2017. Staff management in library and information work. Routledge.
Kwak, Y., Huh, J.H. and Jang, C., 2015. Development of a model predictive control framework
through real-time building energy management system data. Applied Energy .155. pp.1-13.
McChesney, R.W., 2015. Rich media, poor democracy: Communication politics in dubious
times. New Press, The.
O’Reilly, P. and et.al., 2017. Correction: Assessing the facilitators and barriers of
interdisciplinary team working in primary care using normalisation process theory: An
integrative review. PloS one. 12(7). p.e0181893.
Smith, L. and et.al., 2017. Assessing the utility of social media as a data source for flood risk
management using a real‐time modelling framework. Journal of Flood Risk
Management .10(3). pp.370-380.
Online
Communication skill. 2017. [Online]. Accessed through;
<https://www.habitsforwellbeing.com/9-effective-communication-skills/>.
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