Academic and Professional Skill Development Journal

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Understanding Self and Others
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Table of Contents
Reflective Journal 1....................................................................................................................3
Reflective Journal 2....................................................................................................................4
Reflective Journal 3....................................................................................................................6
Reflective Journal 4....................................................................................................................7
Reference List..........................................................................................................................12
Appendices...............................................................................................................................13
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Reflective Journal 1
What is the core skill?
The first core skill that I wish to develop is my skill of time management. This skill involves
around the management of the time available to a person and spending them productively for
the overall growth and development of the person academically and professionally. The
management of time is essential for students and professionals for meeting deadlines and
allocating the activities that are required to be done by them.
Why is this core skill important? (use relevant theories and concepts to support your
answer)
The core skill of time management is essential for me in my academic and professional career
because throughout these stages, I will be assigned tasks that are required to be completed by
me under a set deadline. Therefore, it is necessary for me to alloca6te my time between my
academic and professional life, along with my social life. A person cannot do both at the
same time. Doing multiple tasks at once will lead to ineffective work being done by me,
resulting in unsatisfactory results being produced. It is necessary for me to allocate my tasks
in a way that allows me to stay motivated, and complete the tasks under a deadline and
produce high quality performance.
The theory of Goal Setting by Locke will be beneficial for me to apply. According to this
theory, the setting of a specific goal will allow me to stay motivated and finish the task as per
the goals set by me (Aarts, 2019). A system of rewarding myself on completion of the task
under the deadline will also help me to stay motivated and positive. The setting of a goal
according to its importance will be more beneficial for me.
How competent are you currently? (use your tool-kit findings, feedback from peers and
your tutor, plus your own reflections on your thoughts, feelings and behaviours to
answer this question)
Currently, I find myself to be not competent enough with my time management skills. This
can be measured by the feedbacks I received from my tutors and peers, which have been
more or less the same and accurate throughout. The effects of poor time management can be
felt in my inability to attend my university lectures on time, as I am often late in attending
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them, and are scolded by my teachers for the situation. My peers have also stated that I spend
too much time on staying online on the social media rather than focusing on my activities in
hand. This has made me waste precious time that could have been efficiently utilised if
productive work would have been done instead.
Can you identify any contradictions or allowable weaknesses from your analysis?
Even though I try my best to improve my time management skills, I am still lacking in this
skill of time management. Therefore, I find that most of the weaknesses that I possess can be
mitigated by improving my time management skills. I find that most of the feedback I have
received from my tutors and peers are justified.
How will this skill help me in the future? (use references to support your argument)
This skill will be beneficial for me in the future because effective time management while
conducting my professional activities in the future is essential for meeting the deadlines of
various projects and assignments. Setting a goal will help me to stay motivated and focused,
allowing me to complete the work by the deadline (Robertson, 2019).
Reflective Journal 2
What is the core skill?
The second core skill that I wish to develop is the skill of team working. This skill revolves
around being able to work comfortably alongside others in a team or group to conduct
activities together. This skill will allow the person to understand the talents of others in a
team and work accordingly so that the talents and skills of every team member can be
recognised and utilised effectively.
Why is this core skill important? (use relevant theories and concepts to support your
answer)
The skill of teamwork is important because it will allow me to conduct activities in a team
more effectively, which will be the case that I will face a lot in my professional and academic
careers. In my academic careers, I will be facing situations where I will be conducting
projects and assignments together with my peers. I will be facing similar cases in my
professional field where I will be working for an organisation and conducting activities
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together with other employees so that the objectives can be completed on time. The team
working theory of Tuckman’s Group Development can be applicable in this context.
According to this theory, there are four stages for group activity to develop. The forming
stage is based around everyone finding his or her own place in the team and is work oriented.
The initial introductions of the people are done in this stage. The storming stage is where
confrontations happen and the issues are created in the activity. In the norming stage, the
issues are resolved amongst the teammates and everyone understands their job roles. The
performing and final stage revolves around everyone performing the tasks and completing the
objectives on time (Natvig and Stark, 2016).
How competent are you currently? (use your tool-kit findings, feedback from peers and
your tutor, plus your own reflections on your thoughts, feelings and behaviours to
answer this question)
Based on the judgements of my tutors and my peers, it can be said that I have to develop a lot
in the use of this skill. My peers have criticised me on harsh terms, as I have often found
myself not being able to follow the ideology of my teammates and got into conflicts with
them. This created many obstacles to be created while conducting activities together. This
resulted in a drop in the quality of the activities that were being performed by us. The
communication between us became ineffective and led to weak results and project quality.
After the completion of the task, I reflected on my inability to consider the thought processes
of others, as I was only being considerate of my own ideas being present in the project.
Can you identify any contradictions or allowable weaknesses from your analysis?
My weakness in conducting group activities together has prevented me from being an
effective member in any tam or group I have become a part. The reviews provided by my
peers have been important for me to understand my own weakness.
How will this skill help me in the future? (use references to support your argument)
In my academic career and my future profession, teamwork is essential, as I will be taking
part in team activities to complete objectives. A person cannot do everything on their own
and therefore requires support from others. Realising the skills of others and considering
them will help the assignment being done to be of better quality. Teamwork also helps in
addressing everyone’s weaknesses and summing up our strengths to provide quality work on
time (Bertrand, 2017).
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Reflective Journal 3
What is the core skill?
The third core skill that is required to be developed by me is the skill of written
communication. Written communication is the skill of communicating with others through
written methods like with the use of pen and paper, and through emails. Improving the skill
of written communication will allow me to communicate better with my colleagues and other
relevant people in a formal tone and explain them the topic of discussion more coherently.
Why is this core skill important? (use relevant theories and concepts to support your
answer)
Written communication skills are important for communicating in a formal tone, which will
be required more in my professional career. While conducting activities, I will be required to
send emails to my colleagues and managers frequently, providing them with knowledge
about the tasks that are being conducted. It will be my duty to present my seniors and
managers with reports that detail the various facets of the work that is being conducted by
me, including update reports and recommendations.
Jacob’s Communication model can be used to describe the most efficient process of written
communication and how to improve it. As per the concepts present in this model, the writer
that is taking part in the communication process must assume roles as per the activity that he
or she intends to carry out. For example, when a person is communicating with people from
his or her workplace, the writer assumes the role of a professional and therefore writes the
message in a formal tone (Lemon, 2019) This can be also be applied when I am
communicating with my friends or family, where I will be writing the messages in an
informal tone.
How competent are you currently? (use your tool-kit findings, feedback from peers and
your tutor, plus your own reflections on your thoughts, feelings and behaviours to
answer this question)
I believe that I am seriously lacking in this department as I often make many grammatical
errors in my written assignments. Another issue that I have faced is writing in a formal tone,
as I prefer to write in an informal tone, which I find to be easier. My tutor has pointed out the
many mistakes that I make while writing assignments, where I have made many mistakes,
including the use of “I” while writing in the third person format. The various rules that are
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related to writing in English, like the use of passive voices and split sentences, needs to be
improved and corrected by me in order to become better in written communication.
Can you identify any contradictions or allowable weaknesses from your analysis?
My tutors have pointed out the various mistakes that I have made, which are all justified.
Therefore, I do not find any contradictions with their judgments and my own writing skill,
which needs to be improved.
How will this skill help me in the future? (use references to support your argument)
Written communication skill is important in the future as my professional and academic life
is wholly dependent in my ability to write effectively. The examinations that I will take part
in, and the various assignments that I will be doing requires me to write effectively in a
formal tone and present them to the respective authorities by the set deadline (Helles, 2016).
The message that will be written by me, like formal letters and reports, must be presented in a
coherent manner so that the reader can easily understand all my viewpoints.
Reflective Journal 4
What is the core skill?
The core skill of researching and information finding will be important for any student and
professional in order to conduct activities. Every activity requires some form of research to
be done so that people can be better prepared to conduct the activities that they intend to
carry out.
Why is this core skill important? (use relevant theories and concepts to support your
answer)
The core skill of research is important for students and professionals as they will be able to
gain more knowledge about their respective fields of research, allowing them to perform well
in the activities that they will conduct. More in depth research will also help in increasing the
quality of the report or assignment, providing important facts and detail to make the
assignment stand out and prove every theory present. This can be done by effectively
searching the respective journals, books, and the internet to find the correct source of
information and formulating your own concepts around it. The Grounded Research Theory
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is useful in this context of research, as it provides a coherent framework for conducting
research in a systematic and coherent manner. According to this theory, the researcher must
first present s queries based around a research topic and then continues to search the internet,
and find many relevant books and journals to gather the information that they require. After
an assortment of research material is gathered, the researcher proceeds to analyse all of them
to find the most important information, and compares them to make to a concluding
statement or report around the research topic (Dougherty, 2017).
How competent are you currently? (use your tool-kit findings, feedback from peers and
your tutor, plus your own reflections on your thoughts, feelings and behaviours to
answer this question)
I believe that I have good researching skills, as I am able to prepare authentic and well-
researched reports and assignments. This can be further proven by the feedback of my tutors
and my peers. My peers have commended my ability to search the internet and various books
in the library to make coherent statements. This is based on my research capability when
conducting group assignments. My tutors have also commented on my research skills,
praising me for my research and information gathering abilities, along with my capability to
provide relevant and legit information to make the research stand on its own.
Can you identify any contradictions or allowable weaknesses from your analysis?
I find that the praise that I have received for my researching skills is unbound, as I have
usually faced difficulty in researching and information gathering. This is related to finding
the source for my research materials. After I have read many documents relevant to the
research, I have faced difficulties to write them down in a coherent manner, which is also
caused due to my subpar written communication skills. Even though I have completed my
research on time, I am not satisfied with the way I have conducted my research, as I believe
that it is unprofessional.
How will this skill help me in the future? (use references to support your argument)
Research and information finding skills are useful in the future, as it will allow me to do in
depth research regarding various topics of discussion. In my academic career, it is extremely
important for me to conduct research, as many of my examinations and project assignments
are based around conducting research to improve my knowledge about a specific topic of
discussion (Wiesche et al., 2017).
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Summary and Action Plan
Strengths
I believe that I have much individual strength, which includes a number of core skills that are
important in my academic and professional career. The core skill of conducting research is
my forte because I believe that I am good at implementing these skills in my professional and
academic career. This has helped me to improve the work that is conducted by me and
prepare high quality reports and assignments.
Weaknesses
Some of my major weaknesses include the core skills of time management, team working,
and written communication. As power the feedback of my tutors and my peers, I still need to
develop a lot in the implementation of my core skills in my academic and professional career.
Personal Developmental Plan
Skills Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timely
Time
Management
In order to
improve this
skill, I will be
required to set
specific goals
for me to
achieve every
day, regarding
my day-to-day
activities
My skill
development
will be
measured by
the use of a
system of
punishment
and presents.
Upon
successful
achievement
of a goal, I
will reward
myself with a
gift, and
punish myself
in case I fail
to do so
This
development
of this skill is
achievable
because in
order to
develop this
skill, only my
skills and
abilities are
required for
the
completion of
the goals and
no other extra
resources are
required
The
development
of this skill is
realistic, as it
will help me
to manage my
team and
achieve
productive
outcomes of
all the hours
available to
me. Judicial
spending of
my time as per
the goals is
necessary for
my overall
growth and
development
This skill is
required to be
developed in a
span of three
months, from
2nd September
to 3rd
December
Team work In order to The skill of This goal is This goal is A total of two
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develop this
skill, I am
required to
work in a
group in my
upcoming
university
assignments,
and conduct
activities in a
way that is
most suitable
for the
completion of
the goal with
justified
means
teamwork is
measurable,
as the
feedback that
I will receive
from my
tutors will
help me judge
my growth
achievable
because it
only requires
the use of the
skills of me
and my
teammates
when
conducting
group
projects. My
teammates are
required to be
present when
conducting
the activities
realistic as it
the feedback
of my team
members are
valuable fore
me to develop
my skill. The
feedback
received will
also provide
me the basis
for future
actions to be
conducted
months will
be required
for the
development
of this skill,
from 2nd
October to 1st
December
Written
Communicatio
n
In order to
improve this
skill, I will be
required to
write about
various topics
of research
and get them
checked by
my tutors
The feedback
that is
received by
my tutors will
help me
assess the rate
of my
development
and growth
This skill will
be achievable
only when I
am able to get
relevant
information
about my
topic of
research from
relevant
sources. This
skill is
deemed
achievable
because I
have good
research skills
The actions
that are
required for
me to do are
realistic, as it
will provide
me first hand
exercise to
develop my
skills. The
feedback
received from
my tutors will
provide me
better
understanding
about my
progress.
A total of one
month is
required for
achieving this
goal, from 15th
September to
16th October
Table 1: Personal Development Plan
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(Source: Created by the learner)
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Reference List
Aarts, H., (2019). Goal setting theory and the mystery of setting goals.
Bertrand, M., 2017. Conflict And Group Development In A Young Alternative Community.
Dougherty, D., 2017. Grounded theory research methods. The Blackwell companion to
organizations, pp.849-866.
Helles, R., 2016. Communication Types. The International Encyclopedia of Communication
Theory and Philosophy, pp.1-5.
Lemon, M., 2019. Packing in Meaning: Applying Jakobson’s Model of Communication to
Packaging Design. The American Journal of Semiotics, 34(3/4), pp.371-398.
Natvig, D. and Stark, N.L., 2016. A project team analysis using Tuckman's model of small-
group development. Journal of Nursing Education, 55(12), pp.675-681.
Robertson, M.B., (2019). Employee engagement in the goal setting process: can employee
engagement theory improve the goal setting process? (Doctoral dissertation, University of
Liverpool).
Wiesche, M., Jurisch, M.C., Yetton, P.W. and Krcmar, H., 2017. Grounded theory
methodology in information systems research. MIS quarterly, 41(3), pp.685-701.
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