Reflective Journal 1: Professional Capability and Development

This reflective journal details a student's exploration of professional capabilities and development through research on issues faced by a cleaning company. The student evaluated and enhanced skills such as analytical and research abilities, communication, decision-making, and time management through data collection, literature review, and interaction with stakeholders. The journal reflects on critical learning experiences, including primary and secondary data collection methods, and discusses challenges like limited practical knowledge and lack of confidence. Feedback from tutors and senior members is analyzed, highlighting areas for improvement in self-confidence and self-motivation. The document includes meeting summaries with the supervisor, a business partner, and the student project coordinator, providing insights into research objectives, professional growth, and the application of theoretical knowledge. The student reflects on the impact of the research on their personality and employability, emphasizing the importance of effective communication and decision-making skills. The journal concludes with references to relevant literature.

REFLECTIVE
JOURNAL
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Reflection on the professional capability....................................................................................3
Evaluation of critical learning experience 3
Issues affecting personal growth.................................................................................................5
Reflection regarding feedback.....................................................................................................5
Meeting with the supervisor, business partner 6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8
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Reflection on the professional capability
By conducting the research on ‘issues faced by cleaning company’ I evaluated several new
capabilities, skills, and knowledge. These capabilities and skill will support me in my future
development as a professional or an employee of an organization. The successful research was
undertaken by me on the subject, ‘to identify issues that are faced by the management of crest
cleaning corporation’. I determine the ways through which corporation can provide a high
quality of services and facilities to its customers. By this research three professional capabilities
such as analytical and research skill, communication skill, ability of making the decision and
solving problem and time management skill were acquired by me. I undertook several activities
and tasks for conducting the research successfully. Activities such as data collection, interaction
with people, reading journals and books, analyze the company performance, taking the decision,
solving an issue by implement strategy etc. were undertaken to attain successful and reliable
results for the analysis. All these tasks and actions helped me in developing my professional
capabilities and skills. By interaction with different people, I improved my communication and
interpersonal skills as I understood views of different people along with their opinion and
suggestion regarding the subject. Furthermore, my communication skill also developed my
interaction with various respondents and team workers. Overall, from this research study has
helped me in improving my personality and professionalism. By undertaking several activities
and tasks for the investigation my current knowledge and experience on undertaking research
developed while creating a significant impact my development and professional understanding.
These capabilities and skills will support me in enhancing my employability and attributes for
effective and successful performance. By effective communication skill, I will able to influence
people at workplace and decision making skill will support me in taking reliable and effective
decisions for business.
Evaluation of critical learning experience
In order to accomplish the research study, I have used both types of data collection that is
primary and secondary. For primary data collection, a systematic questionnaire was prepared by
me and I interacted with the respondents to gather information and attain their perception
towards the issue and business problem. During this task, my communication and interaction
skill effectively improved because I interacted with numbers of respondents. I designed a
structured questionnaire and distributed it to respondents for primary data collection. I analysed
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that the stated measure was effective to attain the fresh and personal perception on the issue
however the task was time consuming as it demanded interaction with all the respondents for
providing the overview about the task. By interacting with large number I developed my
confidence level to communicate and explain the task. It also helped me in developing my
interpersonal skills which created a significant impact on my personality. I have analyzed that
communication is very significant ability in individual personality that helps the individual in
performing excellent manner. As per the individual difference theory, every human is a different
entity and two humans cannot same and behave alike. The individual responds to communication
differently because they differ on the basis of biological makeup, family background, education,
and gender, social and environmental factor (Pedler, Burgoyne and Boydell, 2013).
Furthermore, I learnt that by collecting information from respondents and assessing their
different views, opinion, suggestion regarding subject my analytical skill has improved. This
activity has helped me in improving my attribute towards understating individual perception and
personality on the basis of their behaviour and response. Moreover, I could efficiently develop a
positive analysis of business issue based on the response attained. The overall primary data
collection helped me in developing my decision making skill as well. On the basis of rational
actor model of decision making, a rational man decides to pursue a particular process which
thinks in his judgment rational and which will ensure maximum utility (Elliott and et.al., 2015). I
have applied and understood this theory of decision making into my practices. It is usually
referred to the procedure of activities involving the phases of problem recognition, search data
and select one alternative out of many. Thus, I can say that this skill has been improved by
summarising all collected information in the survey during an investigation. I also undertook the
secondary data collection by writing a literature review. In this task, the information was
collected from books, journals, online blogs, articles, the internet, YouTube by me etc. This
secondary data collection task improved my research skill as well as analytical skill. This
research skill supported me in developing my knowledge and understating on the subject I
handled several kinds of activities and task in a single time period such as designing research aim
and objective, write the literature review, data collection, prepare the questionnaire, conduct
survey, summarise result, interpretation, application of research methodology techniques etc.
These all task were completed successfully in the stipulated time frame which helped me in
learning and developing the time management skills.
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From the entire research, It has been analyzed that my knowledge regarding the cleaning
organization industry has been significantly improved. I have assessed that a lack of professional
planning is the major issue behind the poor performance of commercial cleaning corporation. I
have learned about several methods and strategy through which organization can improve its
productivity, performance, and quality of services. The knowledge regarding research
methodology and its significance within the research investigation has also acquired by me. I
have analyzed that by implement several research methodologies techniques, individual can find
out an effective solution of research issue. My theoretical knowledge has successfully applied
into the practical manner by use of this research methodology. This research will help me my
future for conduct research study on another subject. This entire research study has helped me in
improving my theoretical knowledge into the practical aspect through which my personality
significantly improved.
Issues affecting personal growth
During this research study, I faced several kinds of challenges such as limited knowledge
on the subject, lack of experience, low exposure to approach people for primary data collection,
inefficient research and analytical skills, personal growth requirements and so on. I analyzed that
at the time of implementing theoretical knowledge into practical aspect I faced significant issues
because I did not have required practical knowledge on the subject. I had effective theoretical
knowledge regarding research methodology and its associated techniques such as research
design, data collection, research philosophy, and approach but did not have the knowledge to
apply these techniques and methods in the practical aspect. This issue was of major concern
which posed the challenge for me in my personal growth and development. However, the support
of my teacher, tutor, and my senior colleagues helped me in successfully accomplishing the task
through timely guidance. Furthermore, I have also analyzed that I had lack of confidence and
self-motivation which affected my personal growth and development. During interaction with
other people in data gathering, I have assessed that my confidence level was too low. In addition
to this, at the time of taking the final decision, my confidence and self-motivation have hampered
my performance. Thus, I assessed that in order to improve personal development and growth, my
lack of confidence, ineffective body language and lack of self-motivation needed to be developed
to create a positive impact on people. In order to improve my weakness and challenges during
the research study, I involved in self-practices and self-assessment task. This self-awareness,
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self-analysis, and self-practice helped me in improving my personality and professionalism in an
effective and efficient manner. In order to improve my self-awareness, I met my senior member
and taking feedback from colleagues.
Reflection regarding feedback
During the research study, my tutor, teacher, the senior member provided me great support
for successful accomplishment of all the tasks and activities. I analyzed that my tutor gave me
effective guideline and direction through which each activity, such as data collection, literature
review, data analysis, interpretation, and the conclusion was successfully accomplished in an
effective and efficient manner. While I accomplished all the tasks within investigation I got a
feedback from my teacher and senior on my work. I was informed that I have effective
professional capability and skills through which I achieved the target and objective of
investigation in an excellent manner. They observed my performance and skill and gave me
positive feedback. However, they suggested me to improve my self-confidence and self-
motivation due to which some area of my personal growth negatively affected. My senior
member provided me effective training to improve my weaknesses towards overall personality
development and personal growth. On the basis of my senior member and supervisor comments
and feedback, my personality has developed while enhancing the professional capability. I
analyzed that on the basis of their feedback on this study, I attained a significant platform for
personal growth and development to create a well defined impact on my career enhancing
opportunities and my employability as well.
Meeting with the supervisor, business partner
Following are evidence of the meeting with the supervisor-
1 Have you addressed research Objective?
Answer: Yes, I have successfully addressed the research objective that is to identify the issue
that faced by the management of Crest Company and determine ways to improve the quality of
services.
2What areas in your professional growth have developed?
Answer: By the help of this research study I have successfully improved my professional
capabilities such as communication and interaction skill decision making and problem-solving
skill, Analytical and research skill, time management skill etc. My overall personality and
professionalism have been successfully improved by this research investigation.
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3 How these researches study helpful for your personal growth and development?
Answer: Yes this research study has helped me in improving my growth and development in an
effective manner. However, I have faced several challenges and personal growth issue such as
lack of confidence, lack of self-motivation etc but by self-practices and self-assessment I have
successfully accomplished all task and improved my professional capabilities.
Following are evidence of the meeting with business partner-
1 what information you need on our business entity?
Answer: Sir, my main objective to conduct this meeting with you for taking permission
regarding conduct survey from employees of your organisation. I am conducting research for
identify the issue that facing management in the Crest Cleaning company so I need your
permission to collect information regarding business operation and management with your
company’s personnel’s.
2 How many employees you need to survey and from which functional department ?
Answer: Sir I needed 50 participants of your organisation in different functional departments so
as I can collect information regarding each functional department working and its associated
issues.
Following are evidence of meeting with student project coordinator-
1. Have you appropriate idea to apply theoretical knowledge of research methodology in
practical manner?
Answer: Yes, I have effective knowledge of research methodology and with support of my
supervisor and coordinator I have successfully applied this theatrical knowledge into practical
manner.
2 Have you meet the deadline of research project?
Answer: Yes I have successfully accomplished all task and activities of research with help of
systematic planning, time scale and schedule.
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REFERENCES
Books&Journal
Hopkinson, C., 2014. Personal and professional development. Becoming a Nurse: A Textbook for
Professional Practice. pp.383.
Calderhead, J., 2012. The contribution of research on teachers' thinking to the professional
development of teachers. Research on teacher thinking: understanding professional
development. London. pp.11-18.
Buxton, E.C., Burns, E.C. and De Muth, J.E., 2012. Professional development webinars for
pharmacists. American journal of pharmaceutical education. 76(8 ). pp.155.
St Jean, E., 2012. Mentoring as professional development for novice entrepreneurs: maximizing‐
the learning1. International Journal of Training and Development. 16(3 ). pp.200-216.
Grohmann, A. and Kauffeld, S., 2013. Evaluating training programs: Development and correlates
of the questionnaire for professional training evaluation. International Journal of
Training and Development. 17(2 ). pp.135-155.
Gibbs, R.J., 2012. Principles of urban retail planning and development. John Wiley & Sons.
Pedler, M., Burgoyne, J. and Boydell, T., 2013. A Manager's Guide to Self-development.
McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
Elliott, M. and et.al., 2015. Professional Development: Designing Initiatives to Meet the Needs of
Online Faculty. Journal of Educators Online. 12(1). pp.n1.
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